Needing LOADS of advice!
 

So my boyfriend and I are leaving the UK at the beginning of 2015 on an undetermined length of time tour of the world bar Australia and NZ. We are starting to plan and save now but what's confusing me the most is what type of vehicle is going to be the best. I've tried reading the Overlanders Handbook but being a girl Im a little confused - I know nothing about cars! We want something we can sleep in and maybe cook in? Thinking max we would want to spend is £6000. Has anyone got any pointers?

Many thanks :)

Lisa

No need to rush into anything now... go to some shows, look at other peoples vehicles, talk with a wide range of people (being careful to adjust their information according to their personality, their actual experience etc) and see what type of person and what type of trip seems to best sum up what you think you want your trip to be like.

Then you will get an idea of what you need to do what you think you want to do.

Generally most people go with a Land Rover Defender or Land Cruiser - and a few with something like a Iveco 4x4 or Mercedes van.

You need to tell us do you want to get off the beaten track in Africa (i.e.: the west coast) or just trundle along well worn paths enjoying beach and beer more than anything too adventurous etc

My own advice with a small budget for your vehicle (realistically you will need to double it once you take into account all the servicing etc you should do before leaving) is avoid shipping - so from the UK, stick to Europe, Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, India and South East Asia.

Spend time browsing The Africa Overland Network The Africa Overland Network to see others ideas etc

Good luck!

PS: It is easy enough to sleep inside a Defender or Land Cruiser and also have a roof tent which is much nicer.

Wonderful thank you! Is it possible to get a vehicle for that price? I haven't really looked at Africa yet but am thinking we would like to have a vehicle that will give us that option. What do people do about bathing? Is it likely we can get something for that price with a mini kitchen? LOL such a beginner!

You need to give a lot more thought to your budgetting.

You will need to source a donor vehicle, baseline it so that it is mechanically sound and then upgrade it so that it is suitable for your journey.

I can't comment on other brands, but going the Land Cruiser route, you you will struggle to source an suitable 80 series for the £6k and then that is only the start.

You could pick up a Colorado/Prado and base line it for £6k, but then you will still need to prep it.

Obviously you could pick up a cheaper vehicle like a transit, etc and prepare it for the £6k, but it will severely restrict where you can go and the reliability may not be there.

Perhaps I am being naive thinking we can pick one up already fitted?

I have seen Defenders kind of kitted out for around that price - but unless they have all the receipts for recent mechanical work you will want to change the clutch, check all the bearings, build up a bunch of spare parts to take etc etc etc etc... it all takes money and time, AND IT IS MUCH BETTER TO DO IT NOW RATHER THAN ON THE ROAD. (sorry for shouting, but thats really important!)

That's why we are getting sorted 2 years in advance :) I want to be as organised as possible. Spare parts...Ok...do you mind giving me a list of what spare parts I will need? Unfortunately my boyfriend doesnt drive and knows nothing about cars so he isn't too much help in this area!

Dare I say, let ebay be your friend!! You can get an idea about pricing via that means.

I would say, "steady a while" and get used to researching your subject(s).
For instance, read into the rest of 4 wheels in the HUBB, even "other 4 wheel tech", such as this thread :innocent:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-x-trail-61322

Spare parts lists will follow when you have decided on a make/model of vehicle - I haven't got to that first stage yet.

I know how daunting the choices can be at the outset. We were in your position back in 2007/8.

Roaming Yak is right - shows are a great source of info. You can mooch around peoples vehicles on display and talk to literally hundreds of people who have lots of valuable info. Put this date in your diary for a start. Look for others.

Home - Adventure Overland 2012 - Est.

In the meantime use the internet.

Obviously you've found this site. I also found this very useful.

The Africa Overland Network The Africa Overland Network

There are hundreds of overland trips documented here and lots of people will have included sections on preparation/vehicle choice etc.

Re vehicle choice I know how tempting it is to look for a little home on wheels (I am a girl too ;-) but converted trucks of all kinds have their downsides. They are heavy on diesel, they can't go everywhere, you may find it harder to get parts. Which is why most people end up with a Land Rover/Land Cruiser and a tent set up.

You could also do some searching on the sites of the major overland oufitters here in the UK eg Foleys and Nene.

It will end up costing more than you imagine. The base vehicle is just the start. If you can find a cheap kitted out one great but obviously it needs to be sound. If you don't know what to look for pay someone to check it over for you. Also factor in the cost of a carnet - this can be substantial especially if you plan to travel the east coast of Africa.

You have plenty of time to plan. No rush to buy your vehicle.

Land Rovers and Land Cruisers are popular amongst adventure travellers and so tend to be expensive.

For less money you would be able to get an old mercedes van such as a 609/709 or 811/814. Many will be fitted out cheaply as motorhomes already but if you buy an empty van, putting a bed and a basic kitchen in wont cost much. They are simple and robust and will be suitable on all but the worst roads. Parts of africa will be difficult without 4x4, but if you are on holiday will you want to be digging out of sand in desert heat anyway?

http://www.sur-la-route.fr/3-4-large...ble-cabine.jpg

Stephen Stewarts site XOR has some fab info, this being very helpful as a start

Choosing an Overland Campervan

Same site, this trip included some normal campervans out of their comfort zone! Most did fine though The Silk Route Motorcaravan Network.

If you can find a copy, Tom Sheppard's Vehicle Dependant Expedition Guide has a huge amount of info on vehicle choice. The Royal Geographic Society had a copy at a normal price when I went looking last.

Many will say you don't need four wheel drive. You might need the additional strength, ground clearance, good tyres that come too, but you might not.

This is part of one couples amazing journey, but maybe you won't be aiming for quite such an experience! Well worth a read!

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...kinshasa-53285

Slow is good, but then maybe a roof tent will become a pain? I could go with that, but if I was setting out for a long trip I would rather more space, and my Mrs would insist on it!

She also can't drive our camper which I don't like, if I hurt myself we stop. Maybe get yourself on a Far From Help first aid course? With WMT they also give you a prescription for stuff you won't easily get otherwise from a GP, do the second course too and stitching & saline drips are also covered. Check out what jabs you might need, some need a several month course. The HUBB meet next year may have good first aid stuff too, as well as all sorts of other good stuff? Meeting others who have been there done that can be very eye opening :)

You will never take every spare part you will need, and they can weigh a lot. A lightly laden oldish transit with a mattress in the back may be crude but will give a lot more space than a normal 4x4. A friend of mine took a battered old van he bought for naff all as an MOT failure, drove it to Mongolia and sold it there. You don't have to max the budget!

You could fit out a van quite cheaply as a simple camper, but the weight of plywood soon adds up. A sink, hob and fridge could be easily put in though. This is a cool guide to doing it yourself however big or small Travelvans

And mobile.de - Germany's Biggest Vehicle Marketplace Online. Search, Buy and Sell Used and New Vehicles can give lots of ideas of campers/trucks/4x4s at a wide range of prices.

And as above, please check out the Carnet issues!

visit - australia & nz

Drwnite - I'm originally from Aus so we have plent of time to explore when we move back.

I had a look on eBay and am amazed at how cheap you can get a van that's already kitted out there. Looks like the average is around £2500....leaving us £3500 to get spare parts and get new bits and pieces fitted.

Just a quick q...a van would be no good in Africa?

You need to tell us what and where you want to go - then we can direct you a little better rather than all throwing opinions at you.

The trouble is your probably not sure yet what kind of overlanding you will do, as opposed to what you think you will do ;-p

So relax for now and enjoy reading about others ideas and problems and solutions.

A +strong+ word of warning: Serious long term overlanding is about serious mechanical preparation before you go. You can either spend time and money before you go making sure everything is as good as it reasonably can be - which involves going to the best mechanic, not the cheapest, and using high quality spare parts, rather than cheap crap.

If you don't, you get to spend a lot more time and usually a lot more money on the road where quality spare parts are hard or impossible to find and good mechanics even harder. So they break more than they fix. (I'm used to Africa).

Tales of buying a van for a fiver and selling in Mongolia are fine as long as you accept your van probably would't have made it much further without starting to give serious problems.

For a long round the world trip the vans you are looking at probably need a good mechanic overhaul, so triple the price for a older van, double it for anything newer as a rough guide. It will be money well spent and you can enjoy the trip more rather than trying to fine parts and an honest mechanic.

Don't just listen to advice that suits your budget, figure out what is the best advice and find a way to follow it!

I would strongly advise a 4x4, but if not the most important things with a van is good ground clearance underneath (the space between the ground and the bottom of the vehicle) and not having one thats too long. This makes driving on bad roads easier.

Anyway, relax for now..... ;-)

There you go, like I mentioned.
I think that so far you have some great advice in here, both concerning the technical stuff - such as the links given earlier - and the more general ideas and further questions about what your intentions and plans are; that latter is the really difficult issue that I have been considering for months (with regard to 4 wheels that is).

Consider 2 motorbikes! :D :innocent: + a tent.