UK to OZ - Vehicle Familiarisation

Oh, the usual lol
I have the Michelin 742 for Morocco and the Rough Guide Map(bought with the guide.)
Also using Saraha Overland, very good waypoints for a normal GPS, i have a Garmin GPS72, should be good for the off piste stuff.
Also downloaded loads of waypoints off the net.

I see. can you (way) point me in the direction of the websites you got them off? also let us know how you got on when you get back with a full report and pictures!

G

Yes Sir! lol

Had a good old re-read through posts re: fridge fitment - Ah ha! fridge goes in lengthways. I see. And storage under seats option - will look at 110 csw over weekend at front seats - re: idea of possibly using these as the 2nd row seats also to accommodate storage. Need to look at vehicle to get bet idea. Also, measured out the dimensions of the MT45 - quite a big beastie for a little fridge (I was likening it to a microwave type size but its a whole lot bigger) - surprised me - plenty of room to store fresh goodies. Compared to the 32L - difference 100mm height, 8L less and £80 cheaper - otherwise same length and width. MT45 the more favourable of the two.
Dug out my old book - called 'Africa Overland' A Route and Planning Guide - 352 pages by comparison By David Brydon BUT while good - he highly recommends LR as vehicle of choice - (what more does he need to say!) reality is that not enough detail - particularly around storage prep (missing) - does list what to bring (loads) but not how to store but still a very good intro (similar to Sahara O/L in some ways) and given its age and fact that compiled well before Internet - excellent effort. My edition is 1991 with original 1987 - so not not sure - this could well have been updated and re-revised since. But fact of the matter is - was really interesting to re-visit this book. So I stand corrected and will look at S O/L in more detail - thanks for listing out pages so I know what to hone in on (when taking sneaky preview in bookstore first before buying).
Busaboy - good luck with your vehicle prep for Morrocco trip!

Just to say re: Split charge - all info digested thanks and will come back later on this.

just another idea to through in to your dilemmas
http://www.dormobile.co.uk/

Cassie
This site might give you a few ideas LandyCamper Kunden-Gallerie

Remember to take two bricks. These are used to increase the range of your camel before you need to give it more water.

CharlesY

Chris scott doesnt recommend your technique in sahara overland... i will email him for further advice

UPDATE
EU Health and Safety regulations no longer permit this method of range extension due to risk of injury to thumbs.
It is possible to overcome this problem by employing a third world operative under the Fairtrade guidelines.

LandyCamper website looks very impressive - must be reading my mind.
Thoughts over past few days have been to:
Keep 2 x 2nd high back seats with fridge centre - and think need to keep children front facing due to their age - so can keep an eye (e.g. reduce risk of them removing seat belt while on the move - they are very good at that, or if sick, fighting, throwing things - uh hum - being such well behaved siblings...)
Then -was thinking about storage one side at back of vehicle (similar to that pictured) with bench seat other side.
Then - roof rack with roof tent configuration - becoming realistical - sleeping arrangement will be external to vehicle.
I like the 2nd last photo which shows a kind of table surface (was thinking about a table top for example for children's study/colouring in etc) within vehicle when stationery - though could use small portable fold up table externally also.
Pictures gives some great ideas and food for thought.
Luckily, haven't rushed out and bought anything just yet!!! - Truth is that still waiting for March salary to try to finance.
Thanks for that.
Thinks meantime......Will give the 2 bricks and camel range idea a miss!

LandyCamper website looks very impressive - must be reading my mind.
Thoughts over past few days have been to:
Keep 2 x 2nd high back seats with fridge centre - and think need to keep children front facing due to their age - so can keep an eye (e.g. reduce risk of them removing seat belt while on the move - they are very good at that, or if sick, fighting, throwing things - uh hum - being such well behaved siblings...)
Then -was thinking about storage one side at back of vehicle (similar to that pictured) with bench seat other side.
Then - roof rack with roof tent configuration - becoming realistical - sleeping arrangement will be external to vehicle.
I like the 2nd last photo which shows a kind of table surface (was thinking about a table top for example for children's study/colouring in etc) within vehicle when stationery - though could use small portable fold up table externally also.
Pictures gives some great ideas and food for thought.
Luckily, haven't rushed out and bought anything just yet!!! - Truth is that still waiting for March salary to try to finance.
Thanks for that.
Thinks meantime......Will give the 2 bricks and camel range idea a miss!

Cassie Just thought you might like a picture of our caravanning rig in OZ quite a practical size over there, not really suitable for Cornwall

Fab - love that ! Cracking idea once we make it to Oz (if we have any money left)
Yup - Imagine - me quite happy and proud to have 'made it', poodling along with little def csw, kids squeezed in and all bent and buried under all the storage after months of travelling. Finally, we make it OZ, and alongside pulls T2Man......sniff....children in his outfit all flexible and comfortable and tall and all still able to walk etc. Mine on the otherhand have succeeded in killing each other. Hmmm - no contest.

Cassie have a look at the Difflock.com site the new online mag is out with an article on a Landrover conversion that will be very interesting to you I think

Hi
I am new to this site but here are some of my thoughts.

I drove around australia (26,000miles ) on and off road. I did it in a 90 over 7 months , a 90 we shipped for the uk Here is the car in Southampton where we used to live, on the way to the docks to be shipped out


There are few comments i would like to make

First of all you need a long range fuel tank. Two reason , you never know where the next place to get fuel is (as in Aus most of the tracks are 800 miles plus long, with nothing along them and i mean nothing ) the other reason is you don't want to carry in the car or on the roof jerry cans of diesel

The spilt charge is a must . With a couple of good batteires and one must be a deep cycle battery. This will mean that the fridge and lights at night,and i mean camping ones and not the cars lights. it gets dark at about 7pm around here All year round.
this is my split charge system


I have also got two guages on the dash which i belive is a must
One is a battery meter which shows serval things. One is the level of both batteries and when they are being charged. It also has an alarm that goes of when the battery is getting low . So you can start the car and charge the batteries up . Ideal if you want to stop at a camp site for a few days.

The other guage is for the fidge so that it tells you the temp in the car and the temp of the fridge in the front of the car instead of you having to look at the fridge to work out how cold it is. This is important because the fridges work on ababiant temp so the hotter it gets the more you need to turn the fridge up to kemp the same temp.



I went for an engal fridge (although i bought it from ARBas i got a deal on all the other bits , but just a rebadged engal). It is a 40 l and it is great. we did not turn ours off for 7 months and it lived in the back of the car the whole time. Exensive but belive me well worth it . we have beat the crap out of ours and it still works fine. Also works with 240v so mine sits by the pool full of beer when not in the car




I would also have an ARB bumper on you car. Again two reasons

There are alot of animals you may hit and you need somehting on the fron to protect the car or more important the rad. If you rad goes in the middle of now ehre you are nackered. Also to hold a winch. A winch will get you out of anything that you get stuck in. (Alsong as you have a ground anchor as well.)
Here is mine on my 90


You need to put a good set of shocks and springs on the truck to cope with the extra weight of all the stuff you have in the truck and the rough roads you will be traveling along. Belive me doing 60 mph on corrigations will test any shocks. And belive me you will do 60 mph along them as that is a more comfortable speed to travel at along them . Also going any slower then the 600 mile of the you have to do will take you ages
These are some of the tracks . This is a good track too


Snorkle is also important not just for the water that you might come across but the dust which you will come across loads of . Takes the air intake higer so will not collect so much dust in the aqir filter. And on the subject fit a gen paper filter not a k&N atyle. The K&N style are not very good with dust.

On the subject of Roof tents. They are good but have a couple of disadvantages. They move alot in the wind and once you have set up camp you can't move the car with out having to take the whole camp apart and down again
We have a camper trailer for the main reason that this can be left at a site and the car can then go aorund with out it. Plus we have a 90 and they are tiny inside so the trailer gave us alot more storage room . Which made the 90 more comfortable
Car and trailer


Off road tow hitch


The trailer has toyota rims on here but now has the same alloys as the 90 and land rover stud pattern



This is the tent when up which takes a min. The top of the trailer is a 5 foot wide bed. And there are another 2 side which go on the front and make another room. It has a full kitchen which comes out and a 80l water tank. Storage for 4 jerry cans and two gas tanks storage. Plus a tool and oil storage box on the front


As for parts i would collect a list of parts for your trip. All the nornal stuff that goes on landys. I took a whole load of parts. Here is a list of some of them

The car is now sort of retired and is just a toy in Brisbane


and i have a disco. and when my brother came over we took both of them to Fraser Island so it was great to have all the stuff on the 90 to use

If you are on a very tight budget or prefer to spend more time on the road vs kit you can do it without most of the afore mentioned.
I did 35k miles, 11 months in a '83 Range Rover in Africa which I bought for £328 in 2005.
Keeping the weight down negates the need to upgrade suspension, less fuel, which means less stress on rest of vehicle etc. Check my other posts for info.
I would recommend keeping it simple and standard. Remember on your route you should have access to repairs and spares. Extra wheel/tyre unnessary. You would amazed at what you can get by on.. I met a couple driving London to Capetown through some of the roughest and remote countries on 1 motorbike!! They had one set of clothes, carried extra fuel, water, a tiny tent and there wasn't much room for much else. And they did this for 6 months. Interestingly I think they had a far greater experience because they were less self sufficient and ate all the local food etc. (Obviously for the extremely remote routes I think they teamed up with another vehicle...)

Tips and information fantastic - amazing. After much thought and deliberating these past few weeks (and months!) - decided we definately want to keep it simple - particularly with two children on board. Therefore, only the vehicle will be coming (no trailer). At least - not to get us as far as Australia from UK in the first instance. Once we hit Australia - who knows - we may well change the configuration/set-up.
Having read with interest everyone's input in this and other threads, have now purchased:
2 x 2nd row Classic high back seats and one central low middle from Exmoor Trim. Also decided to purchase complete with reclining kit. I wanted ideally to have the Engel fridge situated between children (ie eventually remove the central low middle seat in 2nd row) but decided that childrens comfort/enjoyment = happy - therefore their comfort has to remain of utmost importance. The abiity to be able to 'recline' on long journeys therefore number one priority. Have bought also Junior aged 4-12 years 'Britax Hi Liner' car seats - these also have recline option, neck/head rests and adjustable height. Was really pleased as bought from Halfords for £79.99 each but when brought to the counter they were 'Buy 1 get 1 free' promotional offer - so was dead pleased! What I need to know if anyone can help is whether I can still get the fridge inbetween the seats in 2nd row or am I now completely compromised due to the reclining kit running across the entire area? Or, can I remove the central recline without damaging the mechanism of the outer two? Have received delivery yet so can't see.
Took a trip up to North Yorkshire last week to see Howling Moon roof tents and look at Patriot and Survivor Roof Racks. Have now purchased 2.4m x 2.4m canvas Howling Moon Roof Tent (was dead impressed with it). In addition, a Survivor Roof Rack as welded as one complete unit, low centre gravity and includes ski's to distribute weight evenly across roof. Both to be imported from South Africa. Means we can probably put nothing else on the roof (only 40cm left to spare) but we can keep mattress and bedding etc. all up top. Leaves vehicle rear clear for all other paraphenalia.
None of the following yet purchased but decided on internal window grilles , security tint and security/weight load grill behind 2nd row seats - challenge now is to fit grill further back to allow children that all important recline option - any tips? Does it mean I just situate/fit grill further back in vehicle? That's all for now - have plenty more news but am at work at the mo.

Cassie said:

None of the following yet purchased but decided on internal window grilles , security tint and security/weight load grill behind 2nd row seats - challenge now is to fit grill further back to allow children that all important recline option - any tips? Does it mean I just situate/fit grill further back in vehicle? That's all for now - have plenty more news but am at work at the mo.

Click to expand...

You will need tint anyway. And get the 98% UV protection one as that is what we have in the 90 and Disco and stops you getting burnt while driving the car. And belive me you will get burnt while driving for 4 hours along a straight road >We took the 90 up to fraser before we had it and i had to put a towel up to the window to stop the sun burning my arm, face and leg while driving up the beach. Went again after the tint and a hell of a differance .

Thanks and thanks again for fab information you posted- will check out your website meantime, and be in touch again shortly.