Best 4x4 for African travel?

J

Javier Vazquez

Guest

• Jul 11, 2003

• #21

Raf wrote:
> Thanks to all those who responded; I guess I'll be more inclined
> towards the Landcruiser following your positive comments and those on
> Chris Scott's Sahara Overland.
>
> The negotiations will be hard though as my fiancee's mom is very
> inclined towards a Mercedes M-Class or the BMW X-5: I'm trying hard to
> explain that although they look very nice they're not very useful in
> the desert (plus they are very ostensive). She thinks that the
> Landcruiser is too big for her... I'm currently trying to reach a
> compromise with the Mercedes G-Class which is very much praised in
> Chris Scott's book and not as expensive as I first thought (except for
> the AMG model).
>
> Raf

instead of driving an mercedes m-class or a bmx x-5 in morocco, why
don't they just write a piece of paper saying "please ask me for a
dirham until i get a nervous brakedown, because i got more then enough
of it" and pin it to their back?

i don't think such a car is a problem in rabatt, but if you're planing
on driving overland and even out of morocco you'll have a better time if
your car keeps a lower profile. i think if they're looking for german
offroad-luxury the g-class would be a better choice and opposed to the
the m-class and x-5 it's a REAL offroad car.

personally, i would buy a toyota landcruiser or a nissan pajero and
build it up with the money left.

cheers
javier

 

H

Hans-Georg Michna

Guest

• Jul 11, 2003

• #22

"Exit" <[email protected]> wrote:

>All the people I know who do africa swear by the XZY - it's really a truck
>tyre available in a Land Rover size and it's 12ply I think - also lasts
>100,000 miles!

Julian,

thanks for the info! I'll try to get them next year.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

 

H

Hans-Georg Michna

Guest

• Jul 11, 2003

• #23

Javier Vazquez <[email protected]> wrote:

>instead of driving an mercedes m-class or a bmx x-5 in morocco, why
>don't they just write a piece of paper saying "please ask me for a
>dirham until i get a nervous brakedown, because i got more then enough
>of it" and pin it to their back?
>
>i don't think such a car is a problem in rabatt, but if you're planing
>on driving overland and even out of morocco you'll have a better time if
>your car keeps a lower profile. i think if they're looking for german
>offroad-luxury the g-class would be a better choice and opposed to the
>the m-class and x-5 it's a REAL offroad car.
>
>personally, i would buy a toyota landcruiser or a nissan pajero and
>build it up with the money left.

Javier,

I thought the Pajero is made by Mitsubishi.

You do have an advantage when you drive a car that's uncommon in
the country---people will not take it from you so often. The
reason is that most carjackers aren't quite so opportunistic.
Instead they have an order for a particular type of car, and if
you drive an uncommon one, nobody will have ordered it.

Of course there may be the occasional opportunist among the car
robbers. And also, if the car is uncommon in the country, you
will have problems getting it repaired. Now you have both sides
of the coin.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

 

J

Javier Vazquez

Guest

• Jul 11, 2003

• #24

Hans-Georg Michna wrote:
> Javier Vazquez <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>instead of driving an mercedes m-class or a bmx x-5 in morocco, why
>>don't they just write a piece of paper saying "please ask me for a
>>dirham until i get a nervous brakedown, because i got more then enough
>>of it" and pin it to their back?
>>
>>i don't think such a car is a problem in rabatt, but if you're planing
>>on driving overland and even out of morocco you'll have a better time if
>>your car keeps a lower profile. i think if they're looking for german
>>offroad-luxury the g-class would be a better choice and opposed to the
>>the m-class and x-5 it's a REAL offroad car.
>>
>>personally, i would buy a toyota landcruiser or a nissan pajero and
>>build it up with the money left.
>
>
> Javier,
>
> I thought the Pajero is made by Mitsubishi.
>
> You do have an advantage when you drive a car that's uncommon in
> the country---people will not take it from you so often. The
> reason is that most carjackers aren't quite so opportunistic.
> Instead they have an order for a particular type of car, and if
> you drive an uncommon one, nobody will have ordered it.
>
> Of course there may be the occasional opportunist among the car
> robbers. And also, if the car is uncommon in the country, you
> will have problems getting it repaired. Now you have both sides
> of the coin.
>
> Hans-Georg
>
xcuse me...you're right, i meant nissan patrol.

but i wasn't talking about carjackers. i don't even think carjacking is
a serious threat in morocco. but the so-called guides that you'll find
in every bigger touristplace in morocco aren't stupid and DO
differentiate between cars. you just aren't as attractive in a messed up
old defender as you would be in a shiny new X-5. regarding that, an old
mercedes 240 D would be the perfect car to travel unnoticed in morocco. ;-)

but i think my main issues would be how reliable the car is, how easy it
is to get parts for it and/or get it repaired.

 

P

Pat Anderson

Guest

• Jul 12, 2003

• #25

In message <[email protected]>, Raf
<[email protected]> writes
>Thanks to all those who responded; I guess I'll be more inclined
>towards the Landcruiser following your positive comments and those on
>Chris Scott's Sahara Overland.
>
>The negotiations will be hard though as my fiancee's mom is very
>inclined towards a Mercedes M-Class or the BMW X-5: I'm trying hard to
>explain that although they look very nice they're not very useful in
>the desert (plus they are very ostensive). She thinks that the
>Landcruiser is too big for her... I'm currently trying to reach a
>compromise with the Mercedes G-Class which is very much praised in
>Chris Scott's book and not as expensive as I first thought (except for
>the AMG model).
>
>Raf
If your fiancee`s mother is the person buying the car and she will be
living in Rabat, surely if you want to go on safari to West Africa, it`s
up to you to procure a suitable 4 WD for the period of that safari?
Let her have the car of her choice for living in Rabat. I wouldn`t like
to think my son`s fiancee was deciding on the car I should drive!
Pat
--
Pat Anderson

 

R

Robert Moore

Guest

• Jul 12, 2003

• #26

There are many reasons to fit a snorkel.
1 - To limit the amount of air taken in by the aircleaner on river crossings
2 - To act as an "Air Ram" to create a type of forced induction when
travelling at highway speeds
3 - To provide a clean air intake

Air taken from behind the headlight when on a dusty road is generally full
of dust, whereas air taken from the top of the windscreen would be less
prone to dust. If it were still quite dusty, a donaldson pre-cleaner could
be fitted to the top of the snorkel.
Here is some info on the largest brand of snorkels sold in Australia -
http://www.safari4x4.com.au/docs/snorkel/snorkel_qa.htm

 

H

Hans-Georg Michna

Guest

• Jul 13, 2003

• #27

"Robert Moore" <[email protected]> wrote:

>There are many reasons to fit a snorkel.
>1 - To limit the amount of air taken in by the aircleaner on river crossings
>2 - To act as an "Air Ram" to create a type of forced induction when
>travelling at highway speeds
>3 - To provide a clean air intake
>
>Air taken from behind the headlight when on a dusty road is generally full
>of dust, whereas air taken from the top of the windscreen would be less
>prone to dust. If it were still quite dusty, a donaldson pre-cleaner could
>be fitted to the top of the snorkel.
>Here is some info on the largest brand of snorkels sold in Australia -
>http://www.safari4x4.com.au/docs/snorkel/snorkel_qa.htm

Robert,

thanks for the good info!

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.