Choosing an Overland Vehicle

[@mugumyapaultheafricannomad9488]

This is the most practical content on overland travel. Genuine advice....

[@OverlandingMan]

Thanks so much!

[@davewhite9169]

Really great advice.

[@mundodebandeirante]

very good your videos. I'm building a camper and the information is very important.

[@luisabell4225]

Thanks so much!

[@bigrollinghome2091]

have you considered installing a camera on the left front of the vehicle (ie, a backup cam pointing forward along the center line) this would help with the "overtake" scenario.

[@OverlandingMan]

Good idea! We are quite used to using the clear and go method now :-)

[@StaplesInTents]

Thanks for the informative vid. It gave us some good insight into the choice.

[@OverlandingMan]

My pleasure!

[@c17-j5s]

I am in France and I just bought a troop carrier in South Africa to have it built and I am really scared to regret it because of the RHD ! We want to cross Saudi Arabia and wanted to go to Oman and it seems like it will be impossible because of that ... damn it

[@OverlandingMan]

There are ways around it and believe some people managed to enter Saudi and Oman from North before COVID. Good Luck and let us know if you manage to get in!

[@SingingXavier]

I am really late to the party. Great advice, but I have one small thing to add which is that it is hugely advantageous to have a vehicle that fits in a shipping container. It is cheaper, easier, faster, much more secure and more available to ship in a container rather than a RORO. The height of the door of the container is the critical dimension 2.27m standard (20 or 40 foot) , 2.57 m for a HiCube (40 foot). For 4x4 not usually an issue but for vans it very much is. It is OK to deflate tyres, but you still need to be able to drive in and out.

[@jiffijoff9780]

One of the smartest video and content I've seen for a long time on YT. Very nice seperation of arguments and advices. Thanks. What we did was renting several car / 4wd types until we found our style. Then we started to do the research what is available at what costs and what limitations. Well, we ended up with a Defender 130 with custom built cabin (not by us, but someone like you guys). Now (apart Corona limitation) we travel Europe as much as we can. There is still room for improvement adventure- and cross country-wise, but we're getting there. Gotta increase the degree of adventure step by step to not be overwhelmed at the first unplanned incident... Its great watching your videos - hope you guys are doing well, long time since your last upload. Stay healthy!

[@OverlandingMan]

Thank you for watching. We should do some more videos some time.

[@aaronshagar]

Excellent discussion. I completely agree. Looking to move into this lifestyle next year. You and your family are an inspiration. Cheers!

[@OverlandingMan]

Thanks so much. Although the setup of our previous rig with an RTT and drawer system looked cooler, we are able to camp more in cities and towns with our current setup. We love this lifestyle and you'll find it difficult to get accustomed to "normal life" when we're back to "civilisation".

[@bobaloo2012]

After breaking down a few ties in the middle of nowhere in Central America, and each time getting going again without too many issues, I finally came to the realization that looking around the folks who live there were mainly driving old beat up cars and they were managing to keep them all running. It got me over my paranoia about breaking down, the trick is not to be on a tight schedule. If it takes a week it takes a week, or two. You're right, everything breaks, and looking at those huge expedition trucks I always imagining trying to get it fixed in a little village in the Andes.

[@OverlandingMan]

A very experienced friend of ours has a different approach to break downs than ours. He throws money at the problem.What takes me a week or two to sort out he will have done in a day and, to be honest, the costs work out roughly equal. You are right about the trucks though, but if you can pay for the fuel for a truck you can probably afford to pay to have it fixed.

[@soylentblue6924]

Great advice man! My first overlanding was with a motorcycle 11 countries 7500 miles....great fun! Next trip defender 110 puma 2020

[@OverlandingMan]

Thanks! The 110 is a great overland vehicle for a small family. Hoping to do some motorcycle trips when the kids are "out the house" :-) Enjoy it!

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

Great advise. I tried to take my experience from month long trips to build our rig for a multi year trip and it worked out Ok, but we learned a lot from our 1st long term trip and will be making some major changes before our next long outing. You gotta be honest with yourself. I want to be a light packing, minimalist traveler, but the reality is with a dog, wife, and all our toys and wanting to be comfortable in all weather we will be happier overall with a more comfortable build. We've talked to a lot of other people with all kinds of different vehicle setups to learn what things bother them about each of their cool looking vehicles and I think there is a lot to be learned there. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@OverlandingMan]

Thanks! Yeah, its taken us years to get to know what we want and what we really need. Thankfully the kids don't need a bunch of toys anymore and we've become very minimalistic so we tend to travel a lot lighter

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

@@OverlandingMan Yeah, you guys travel super light for four adults. It's great how game everyone in the family is to keep traveling and overcome the adversities. Were going to build a similar concept (custom camper on a truck with a walk through) and similar size, but for only 2 people and try to fit a kitchen, toilet and shower inside. All things we wish we had during poor weather on our trip through Central America/mexico.

[@OverlandingMan]

@@TheTravelingTogetherJournal Absolutely, walk through is the way to go, we are very happy with the build and will within a few days have a toilet as well, can't wait to try out our new shower set up as well. Will you guys be building in the States?

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

@@OverlandingMan Yeah, we will be building in the states. We were running low on travel funds, so decided to stop and get jobs in California. Plan is to work, save money, build a new camper, and get back on the road within 2 years. I'll be rewatching your build videos and keeping an eye on the changes you make to your setup as I continue to design my camper.

[@Strobo58]

That whas the best lesson i learned today, use what you got !! I will :)

[@OverlandingMan]

Thanks for watching Robert.

[@paulhelmbold2241]

Solid insights Graeme 👍👍 I have to ask where you found that fine T-shirt? Interesting fact posted recently. More Landys were used to overland successfully through Africa than any other brand in 2016. I don't know of more recent years. Popped up on Expo portal somewhere...👍👍

[@verslemonde6208]

Good and very informative video, non-nonsense talk and a good starting point for newcomers. Personally, I’ve decided on vehicle and setup long ago, doing only some little changes and improvements here and there. Key is really to do what’s practical for the own needs, not to get trapped by ‘fashion’.

[@OverlandingMan]

Thank you for your comment. Absolutely it is your style of travel and what you need is the way to go

[@bensteiner3452]

Graeme, as always great video! Thanks for the insights, there’s a lot to consider when choosing a vehicle. Keep the adventures and content coming! Cheers!

[@OverlandingMan]

Thanks Ben. We are on the road again from tomorrow so will get some great content. Africa here we come!

[@paulstrubell5008]

Great Video Graham. Keeping it 100%

[@OverlandingMan]

Thanks Paul.

[@VitaValka]

We should be in a van. Realising is slowly (with a kitted Toyota Hilux & rooftop tent) after 6 years of family travels over Europe with a caravan, and trying to switch to just car+tent ;-) Thank you for helping describe things!

[@OverlandingMan]

My pleasure Vita. Now that you know your style of travel you can invest in the vehicle which bests suits your needs.

[@bleizbreizh6264]

Some good ideas thanks. Have come to the same conclusion about big trucks as you. Glad to hear Landies aren't as unreliable as people might say as we may yet end up with one!

[@OverlandingMan]

Thanks for watching. Our TD5 Defender hardly gave us a days trouble until we drove her hard at almost 5000m altitude, then the gremlins woke up. The main problem we had took months and a pile of cash to diagnose and was a $5 part - the header tank cap. We had bought a blue brand with a bad name cap and it failed as did the spare (which led us to falsely believe that the cap was not the problem). Now the Landy has 360 000 kms on the clock and has travelled four continents. Any vehicle will struggle with that kind of hard work.

[@bleizbreizh6264]

@@OverlandingMan Glad you got the problem sorted in the end. My pet hate is electronics and I once had to scrap a jeep due to immobilizer module failure. Love your truck, looks just the right size for what we want and wish we could find something here in Portugal. You convinced me to go the LHD route too

[@OverlandingMan]

@@bleizbreizh6264 LHD really is the way to go. I don't think you will be able to find a truck like ours in Portugal but, depending on your budget, you can find one elsewhere in Europe. Uro Camper in Spain make a great vehicle.

[@unknownmilestone6096]

Great video Graeme! Cheers

[@OverlandingMan]

Thanks guys, more to come soon.

[@Aconcagua-Travelblog]

Nothing to apologize for for the dancing in the other Video. This one is great! I just bought a Pickup Camper, not suitable for overlanding, but Trips in Europe. An VW Amarok with a Tischer 290 Cab.

[@OverlandingMan]

Haha, thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. You'll be surprised where you can go and what is available to see in Europe. Check out our website www.a2aexpedition.com which has our recently published book about overlanding through Europe. We loved it and there are many places to still explore without hordes of tourists

[@kristoffer-robinlotze7273]

We've tried the van and decided it's not our cup of tea. Yeah, sure it's roomy and comfortable (And really fun to build) but a big Crafter (Sprinter) isn't ideal. We want to be able to go into the woods on small gravel roads, a bit into the mountains, do some 4x4ing and so on so we downsized, for real and got a Jimny, we're getting an RTT and build some kind of storage behind the front seats.

[@OverlandingMan]

That's what I am talking about. You have found the vehicle which suits your needs and I believe those little Jimnys are like mountain goats.

[@kristoffer-robinlotze7273]

They sure are. 😀

[@LiveWorkWander]

nicely done. definitely think these kinds of videos from you will be very well received.

[@OverlandingMan]

Thanks guys. I have a few ideas lined up and I think the video will be more interesting with the Sahara in the background.

[@jsiedlecki5331]

Really helpful video. Thank you. We are currently doing a lot of research into which vehicle is for us. It was great to hear your thoughts on travel after so many years on the road. Cheers😊👍

[@OverlandingMan]

Thanks for watching. We paid the "school fees" so you don't have to :)

[@bayls8422]

Always presenting fantastic common sense advice, another great video. BTW good to hear Graeme say "I'm a Landrover guy" because admitting you have a problem is the first step to better mental health 😃 (actually as a Toyota guy I secretly love the Landrovers but don't tell anyone ok)

[@OverlandingMan]

My name is Graeme and I am a Defenderholic. Thank you for watching and for the great feedback! (Your secret is safe with me).

[@JulianGriffiths]

Hi Graeme, would you go for petrol or diesel. I am in two minds about this. I drove a Chevy 1938 from Dar to Cape town. I had no issues with petrol. Looking at a Landcruiser....

[@OverlandingMan]

We have always travelled with a diesel and never had any issues with availability. Fuel is either good or bad in a particular country, regardless of it being petrol or diesel. Land Rover or Landcruise, they both great overland vehicles - Luisa

[@syncrovanCos]

Some time ago, I had the impression that other travelers ride, are much better/reliable, but chatting with people on the road, I understand that there's nothing perfect and even more impressive 4x4's, can have problems.

[@OverlandingMan]

Absolutely, all vehicles break down, especially when they have been overlanding for many thousands of kilometers, fully loaded, running on watered down fuel and thin air. It is how we prepare for these situations and then how we deal with them that matters.

[@OverlandTrax]

Nice video, thanks for sharing 👍

[@OverlandingMan]

Pleasure, we glad you enjoyed it

[@DoubleUThings]

Good, story, Graeme. Diesel over gazoline? Yes, I would have prefered a diesel (we had in our previous Land Cruiser). But I must say we had way less troubles with the gas guzzler at heights than a lot of diesels. Maybe diesel turbo is the way to go. But getting spare parts? We didn't have to ship them from London (like some people :-) ), but just bought the few we needed in South America, because lots of people drive a Toyota. I think a Tacoma/Hilux would be the best choice on spare parts, because you find those everywhere. Again, good, well-balanced story Greetingz, Wim

[@OverlandingMan]

Thanks for the feedback W

[@norsenomad]

I wouldn't place Tacoma side-by-side with Hilux and say they are collectively "found everywhere". The facts: Tacoma is sold in 7 countries (parts of the Americas). Hilux is sold in 180+ countries (in all world regions). They are also two different pickups. Hilux is also designed with enough durability and tolerance to be an indestructible workhorse (also nicknamed "Indestructible") for any environment, and even delivered (modified as new) in numbers for professional use at research stations and expeditions in Antarctica. Tacoma-specific parts are not readily available in the Toyota logistics system outside its market, and would probably cost you some energy, frustration and money to get delivered - not to mention some extra time and inconvenient waiting for you and your travel partners in their ready-to-go vehicles. Choosing a more global vehicle model, with a local service/logistics/workshop network for all/most of your destinations, would probably be the best way to start a global overlanding adventure. That's my thought when I read Tacoma and Hilux in the same sentence - they are not the same, on several levels. Cheers, mate!

[@DoubleUThings]

@@norsenomad You're right :-) But as far as I know, there are quite a few exchangable parts, like with the Land Cruiser 80 and the Lexus LX450. But maybe I'm wrong there. But if possible, I wouldn't go for something from the States anyway, haha! But the thing is, we did two years in South America with a States-made Lexus 450, and as soon as we replaced the old Surinamese radiator, we actually had no troubles at all.

[@norsenomad]

@@DoubleUThings Yes, agreed, I would also assume that several parts (assumed number is X) are shared. ...But I don't know which ones, there are thousands of parts in total, and I cannot predict if the next part that is going to break will be a Toyota Americas part or a Toyota Global part. So, if something should break, will it be a hard/expensive/delayed or easy/cheap/quick replacement? That makes general logistics expectations a bit of a gamble. Disregarding discussion on car brand, I always pack some key or likely parts with me, on my (more modest than global) journeys. In case of a breakdown, it will get the 4x4 running again so much sooner. Cheers!

[@DoubleUThings]

@@norsenomad And whatever brand or model we drive, never forget gaffer tape, steel wire, tie-wraps and super glue! :D

[@chicoandthevan1056]

Any issues procuring ultra low sulphur diesel in Africa and South America? My Sprinter requires ultra low sulphur diesel. Any solutions if it's not available in a country? Thank you. Chico

[@OverlandingMan]

Hey Chico. Yes, getting the low Sulphur diesel required for modern vehicles can be an issue. It is best to research the fuel available in each country when planning a route.

[@alanbstard4]

LHD v RHD? Bugger it. I'll get another motorcycle lol

[@OverlandingMan]

Haha... yeah, once the kids are out the "house", we'll probably try the two-wheeled option for a bit

[@gertpantke5774]

Would you recommend towing when overlanding? I like the idea of staying somewhere and exploring the area and not having to pack up campsite

[@OverlandingMan]

Gert, we have no real experience with camping trailers or offroad caravans. From observational experience I would suggest not taking a trailer if you plan to do a lot of 4x4 driving. If you have a large family and only one vehicle you might well have to travel with a trailer. Our motto is less is more. Trailers are very expensive and carry a lot of gear which you usually do not need. That said the Australians and South Africans make excellent offroad trailers and I know of a South African family who circumnavigated Africa and Europe with a trailer. I believe Andrew st Pierre White did an interesting video about trailers, have a look.

[@kacanggorengku]

What tire do you use during the expedition? I saw you use two kind of tires, wide and tall.

[@OverlandingMan]

For the first few years we use a 32" tire, which we loved. We then changed to 750 16 tires in South America, we HATED those tires. For the Amazon in the rainy season we swopped to a 33- 12.5 and kept that size for the next four years. Now we have changed to a 285 75 R16 which gives us great performance and better fuel economy.

[@babulexplorer]

👍

[@overlandbyrover]

great video overview. Love the tshirt! Where can I get one?

[@OverlandingMan]

Thanks Mark. Luisa will get back to me and I will let you know if we have any available.

[@motoprof3672]

Sharp video. Staying on point, informative, and entertaining. Don't know of anything else like it on the Tube. There's Andrew, but he tends to be a bit wordy and polemical. This is more informative and balanced - especially for a Landy lover.

[@norsenomad]

Interesting and informative video! And I think Mr. Bell is a natural when it comes to presenting/narrating. Just having returned from a 50-day "mini trip" myself (comparatively mini, here), the effect of this video is that I now feel curious and compelled to order a second book title from you (last one in 2016). So, feeling the weight of that compulsion...

[@OverlandingMan]

We hit the road to Africa in a few weeks! With the way the wife packs we should have chosen a 6x6 MAN! And of course you are welcome to get a book, we will sign it when we meet.

[@norsenomad]

Hmm... a universal problem with wives, yeah. Just a suggestion, but if a 6x6 MAN is too expensive, you could always sell Luisa for cash on some market. (Nothing personal, of course). This way, you can at the same time save the cost of a 6x6 MAN, and make some extra money for the travel budget. And if she could run back to you and promise not to pack, ever again, everybody's happy. ...Except the buyer.

[@norsenomad]

@@OverlandingMan As soon as I have cracked the code of my own travel economy, I'll get going on my perpetual journey and we can meet for that signature, somewhere. Has to be this planet, though, as my 4x4 will be heavy and not that powerful...

[@OverlandingMan]

@@norsenomad The buyer will pay me to take her back after she is finished with him! Poor Luisa.

[@norsenomad]

​@@OverlandingMan Ooops! Careful. I am not 100% reliable on my extrasensory perception, but I think you just increased the risk of being knocked over the eyebrows with a coconut and ending up in some African muscle market yourself ...when she finds out how much useful luggage space you actually occupy, personally, Graeme. Get a pith helmet, and wear it at all times. :)

[@Joeoshea1957]

Pajero. I swear by it