Morocco Overland routes - vehicle size limits

[CliveT]

Hi All (Chris?)

I'm off to Morocco in April (for 10 weeks) and have been looking at the routes in the Morocco Overland Book. I was wondering if there are any routes that I will not be able to do.

I have a Defender 127 Ex MOD Ambulance (hopefully pic is attached).

It has the same track width as any defender, but at the rear has vertical sides up to 2.7m, the full width of the vehicle (ie no arches). Total length about 5.2m. I was wondering about tight hairpins and rock overhangs.

I've read the section in the book about vehicles and not sure if I fit the description of a 'small truck' and should therefore avoid routes MA1, 3, 6, 7, and MH5 as suggested on p38. What do you think?

Vehicle is well prepared, with new HD springs, twin shocks all round, underbody protection etc. With full tanks it weighs near its limit of 3.4 tons.

Cheers

Clive

[Chris Scott]

IIRC on all the MAs except perhaps 6 (mostly downhill) a 3.5T 130 will be huffing and puffing on the switchbacks and steeper ascents and may get a bit scratched on MA1. I'd keep off the hard bit of MH5 if I were you - take the new (not on maps) MH10 detour to the north which is very nice (and now means MH5 will even more abandoned/neglected).

Nice fleshy-looking bus!

Ch

[Maximus]

I'm afraid I cannot offer any advice, however thats a nice looking truck.

[twenty4seven]

I'm over there in April / May, I will look out for you Clive

[CliveT]

Thanks for that - I'll take your advice.

Er.... 'Fleshy' ????
Well I suppose its better than 'Peachy' that one of my friends called it.

Actually its NATO Sand colour, thats proper French Foreign Legion Hard as Nails Saharan Sand to give it its full name (He said in a deep, manly voice).

Ta Maximus.
Come and have a chat if you see me 24/7 - I owe you a for helping me out on the routes from the book.

Clive

[Chris Scott]

Ahh NATO Sand, my favourite. All my desert cars get a slap of that.

It must be your camera (or my screen/eyes).

Ch

[twenty4seven]

Originally Posted by CliveT

Come and have a chat if you see me 24/7 - I owe you a for helping me out on the routes from the book.

Clive

Well I never found you Clive but I did meet two different people that were telling me about this loverly "pink" Land Rover that was around Morocco

[CliveT]

OK... Not Funny.... Joke is OVER

*Peachy* I can handle, *Fleshy* is bearable, but Pink is just not on

Im off to the resprayers as soon as I get back. Maybe Ill go for black ...is that hard enough for you all?


On our first night in Morocco we met a guy who had read this post and joked about the colour of my van! Not a good start. [Hello to you if you are reading this now}. Anyway weve had a great time and done some awsome offroading. Wound our way down the east side to Tan Tan and then back up the coast. Went up Todra then round the top and down Dades. The mid section coming down Dades was interesting ...2900m pass on a narrow single track.. I think Deb would have got out and walked if the hail hadnt started coming down!

Thanks to all for a great forum. Hope to meet any of you anywhere, but beware... I may be in disguise LOL

Cheers

Clive

[twenty4seven]

To be fair, the first guy, who I met in Spain (who is on ths forum) was telling me what a great job you had done of the conversion, it may have been me who said was the colour ****.

Oddly this very same guy, I kept bumping into around Morocco last year and then we ended up in the same campsite in Spain this year, he was on the way home and I was on my way there (it's a small world).

Very pleased you had or are having a good time.

[guyinthejungle]

Hi Clive and (Matthew),

mate, your landy is butch as hell already - as are you. You could carry off mauve, pink or even paisley. Dont let that nasty man twenty4seven bully you.

How was the Todra/ Dades circuit? I'm sorry I had to bail out on you, but I hope you enjoyed it. Funny that Debs didn't like the drop off neither did Gayle...

Let me know when you are back in Bristol so we can chew the fat.

Matthew - I'm planning to go to the RGS weekend on Saturday, do you fancy meeting up?

cheers

Guy

[twenty4seven]

Originally Posted by guyinthejungle

Hi Clive and (Matthew),

mate, your landy is butch as hell already - as are you. You could carry off mauve, pink or even paisley. Dont let that nasty man twenty4seven bully you.

Now you tell me Clive is a big guy

Originally Posted by guyinthejungle

Matthew - I'm planning to go to the RGS weekend on Saturday, do you fancy meeting up?

cheers

Guy

Hello Guy, having only been home for a couple of weeks I better not go off this weekend, although it does sound very tempting, please do keep in touch though maybe we can meet up properly on our next trip, there is talk of me taking one of our boys next year (will be 8) so I will not be rushing around so much.

Anyway Clive and Guy my pictures are Here if you're interested. We went as far south as Smara and covered 3700 miles in Morocco / WS, I did come home very tired this year though.

Matthew