We spent a fair amount of time considering our options for vehicles – everything from commercial panel vans (converted into campers), big 4×4 (7.5-11 tonne) trucks, offroad motorbikes (having recently passed our tests) and initially settled on a 4×4, but a more conventional Landcruiser/Land Rover sized vehicle. After 10 days in Morroco, we decided the 4×4 approach was not for us. So sold it and got a Van instead. And you cannot buy anything else but a VW Van, and in our case teh VW LT35 Mid wheel base High top Van. Excellent choice!
There were many pros and cons for each type of vehicle, and within each vehicle category, different makes and models have their own plus and minus points. I’m not experienced enough or qualified to judge them properly, but my thoughts were largely along these lines:
Camper conversion of panel vans
+ decent amount of space
+ separation of living and cab (driving) area
+ discrete
+ readily available
+ good payload
– most cheap examples are old and very high mileage and have often been thrashed
– height could be an issue, eg: getting it shipped in containers.
– was limiting my search/investigation to Mercedes Benz mainly as the chassis has a good reputation.
– possible issue with electronics in engines on newer models and/or spares availability
Large 4×4 truck
+ potential for very large and comfortable living area
+ very robust – eg: eg military/NATO MAN trucks
+ Tonka toy grin factor
– very large, slow, and potentially hard to drive especially in small lanes/towns
– poor fuel economy (and then some!)
– expensive (£8-10k basic chassis and then another £10-20k probably for conversion to offroad camper?)
– higher toll/shipping costs – won’t fit into container so RORO or stored on a pallet etc.
– Cristina would need to do her HGV licence to drive as her licence only covers her to 3.5T (add £1500 at least?)
– nowhere to store it while undergoing conversion work
– may be perceived as “here comes the money” in developing countries (or everywhere really!)
Motorbikes
+ good fuel economy
+ easy to get through traffic and around towns
+ fun (at least when its not raining, that is)
+ allegedly a more fulfilling experience as thats what most ‘locals’ use in developing countries
+ possibly more approachable when you’re on a bike
+ more options for crossing water, eg canoes, yachts, air freight.
– safety – far more exposed in the case of an accident
– luggage capacity – pretty limited really! Couple of panniers, top box, and some stuff sacks.
– range – fuel tanks aren’t big, can be expanded but that limits other luggage etc
– not much fun when its p*ssing down, frankly. Possibility of getting very stuck and very tired in mud, I imagine!
– security – luggage could be more easily stolen, as could the bikes themselves.
Standard 4×4
+ decent offroad capabilities
+ moderate luggage/storage capacity – not enough for full on camper conversion but sleeping platform possible
+ reasonable fuel economy (25-30 MPG?) if driven conservatively
+ safety and security – more windows than a panel van but they can be blocked off as required
+ no need for additional licence (although training required for offroad stuff)
+ will fit in a standard shipping container
+ easier to recover if its get stuck than a 4×4 truck (less easy probably than a bike?)
– not as much room as we’d like for living area
So, not that many con’s really for a 4×4, but after our trial trip to Morrocco, comfort and convenience was key for us if we were to survive the 18 month road trip ahead.
If you want to go with a 4×4 though, then the next step is what make or model?
Well if you’ve spent any time researching this question online, you’ll probably know that there are 2 obvious candidates – the Land Rover (Defender typically) and the Toyota Land Cruiser. Nisaan Patrols are apparently quite good, we looked at one and it was definitely roomy and looked quite capable. If we hadn’t found our current vehicle, that would have been our next best bet, I think.
Land Rover
I have a friend who used to be in the RAF and whilst on exercises etc, he used Land Rovers and was aghast when I suggested using one for the trip. And he’s right, I think – I’ve been in one and I have to say, pretty agricultural and primitive. Which in itself isn’t bad when you think about where we’re going, but at the same time, would like to actually be comfortable when driving. The Land Rover has, right or wrong, a very poor reputation for reliability and comfort, so we didn’t spend any time looking at them. I’m not an engineer and whilst I have stripped an engine down and rebuilt it (with most bits actually going back where they were supposed to) I don’t want to spend hours underneath the car with a hammer trying to fix something.
Landcruiser
Much more a street/road car than a farming tool, but reputedly almost as capable as the Land Rover. Its certainly very comfortable in comparison (ours is actually quieter than my 2007 Ford Focus). Having tried one out (a 2003 model I think) on a 4×4 course in 2012, I’m reasonably impressed by their capabilities. There’s just enough room really for us both to lie down lengthwise and I’m sure converting a Land Rover is probably a bit easier as they’re more a blank canvas, but the rear seats can all be removed in the ‘cruiser. More importantly – the Landcruiser has a rock solid reputation for reliability.
So, Landcruiser it is then. That leaves one last choice – what model exactly? This is where it gets even more confusing!
The Landcruiser has gone through many iterations during its life, but as we were looking for something from the mid/late 90s (to avoid getting an engine with too many electronics), we had a choice betwen the Amazon and Colorado. Except the Colorado is the Prado outside the UK. And Japanese imports are different spec, ie: limited slip differential on Colorados and so on. We tried a couple of Amazons and they just felt a bit too truck-like to drive, whereas the Colorado had a very different engine and driving experience – bouncy, but far more car-like.
So we ended up with a Toyota Landcruiser Colorado 3.0 GXTD, ours coming with 118k miles on the clock. GX is a lower spec (trim levels) than VX which tends to come with walnut and leather, not something we fancied really. Would have liked a sunroof but everything is a compromise. We might be able to shoe-horn something in when preparing the vehicle…
After a trip to Morocco though, we realised that we wanted a bit more living space and more creature comforts, so sold the Landcruiser and have bought a VW LT35 MWB van and are converting that into a campervan. The conversion process is documented in the early sections of this blog…
Around the World in a Campervan 