What Landy?

toby_2009 said:

just very roughly, what kind of money are we talking (excluding the defender and the car attachments)? are we talking a few thousand? tens of thousands?

I realize it will be expensive and I'm not asking for someone to go off and work it out, just a ball park figure for say 3months around europe, Asia and africa including everything except the cost of the actual vehicle.

Cheers,

Toby

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Toby, you seem to be missing the point. Half the fun of this stuff is working it all out. Its all part of the planning and preperation!

If i said to you 2k, and you went ahead, ended up spending 5k, you wouldnt be best pleased with me would you!

There are so many variables depending on what you want to do. your basically asking us to plan/cost your life for the next 3 months... I dont know how well you want to live, only you know that!

pull your finger out, write it down and work it out yourself

G

o yer, and you wont get around europe, asia and africa overland in 3 months.

Griffdowg said:

Toby, you seem to be missing the point. Half the fun of this stuff is working it all out. Its all part of the planning and preperation!

If i said to you 2k, and you went ahead, ended up spending 5k, you wouldnt be best pleased with me would you!

There are so many variables depending on what you want to do. your basically asking us to plan/cost your life for the next 3 months... I dont know how well you want to live, only you know that!

pull your finger out, write it down and work it out yourself

G

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cheers, i realize that but obviously if we are looking at £10,000 then its out of the question.

i will look into it further and try to work costs out, if we dropped africa and excluded the cost of the vehicle then is it realisticly possible to do it for say £3,000?

Cheers,

Toby

you would live like a king on 10k/3months

1k:1month sounds sensible given euro prices. tit for tat in asia, should balance out ok.

fuel will be your biggest expense if your (predominantly) camping. use google earth to trace your proposed route, get the mileage, work out the fuel cost. budget £10/night camping. Europe will be a little more, Asia will be a little less. throw in a few nights wild camping and that scores back some £££ as a buffer. Food probably best to budget £20pp/day, again cheaper in Asia, but tit for tat.

try and think of every cost your likely to encounter. bottled water, toll roads etc. Add 10-15% as a buffer (depends how confident you are in your workings).

Simples.

G

Griffdowg said:

you would live like a king on 10k/3months

1k:1month sounds sensible given euro prices. tit for tat in asia, should balance out ok.

fuel will be your biggest expense if your (predominantly) camping. use google earth to trace your proposed route, get the mileage, work out the fuel cost. budget £10/night camping. Europe will be a little more, Asia will be a little less. throw in a few nights wild camping and that scores back some £££ as a buffer. Food probably best to budget £20pp/day, again cheaper in Asia, but tit for tat.

try and think of every cost your likely to encounter. bottled water, toll roads etc. Add 10-15% as a buffer (depends how confident you are in your workings).

Simples.

G

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That is EXTREMELY useful, thank you!!!

any particular countries to avoid because of high visa rate or carnet or other reasons?

Cheers,

Toby

Egypt definitely wants to be avoided..

toby_2009 said:

That is EXTREMELY useful, thank you!!!

any particular countries to avoid because of high visa rate or carnet or other reasons?

Cheers,

Toby

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Does not apply to Europe, Asia I dont know. The list of African countries is on this thread earlier. Google the Asian Countries

G

Griffdowg said:

why do you need a roof rack/tent? A 110 could easily be modified to sleep 2 on a raised bed inside with kit underneath.

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so if we bought a 110 either a single cab or took the back seats out then the back of the truck would be long enough to sleep in would it? - could save allot of money!

Also, i am right in thinking that a 90 is the short defender and the 110 is the long one arent I?

Cheers,

Toby

toby_2009 said:

Also, i am right in thinking that a 90 is the short defender and the 110 is the long one arent I?

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Yes you are right, there is a few examples of people modding the back to sleep in here http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f7/stealth-110-van-camper-63244.html

From what I read (an dI haven't tried it) most people that have tried to sleep in vehicle havn't been too happy with it, lack of available height and difficulty of access combined with ventilation seem to be the main problems.

Tents are cheap and if it is safe to camp outside the car then I think that is a better solution wether it is on top or next to. It also leaves much more room in the vehicle for kit.

By the sound of it there are 2 going? Have you thought about trying to get more people interested?

If you can take 4 instead then you halve your fuel cost straight off. You will also share thc cost of the carnet, vehicle etc and food will be cheaper and easier. Plus many hands make light work in terms of making camp.

Just a thought.


Alex

Of course you don't have to but if you want to actually be self sufficient and go a long way on bad roads it gets expensive fast.

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I disagree! You don't need to do much to a vehicle to make sure it will go a long way on bad roads! I have every intention that my cheap tatty S2a will do several trips for me without too much hassle. But forgetting the S2A as I know thats not everyones cup of tea...you can get a Defender 110 Land Rover for £1500 anyway.

I realize it will be expensive and I'm not asking for someone to go off and work it out, just a ball park figure for say 3months around europe, Asia and africa including everything except the cost of the actual vehicle.

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There are too many variables to give a price of what it will cost. I agree with Griff, you can spend a lot or spend a little.

Fuel is a big part of the cost. A start is to work out roughly how many miles you will be doing in Europe (fuel in europe is more expensive than England at the moment). Even with ferry crossings etc, a few months in Africa will be cheaper than a few months in Europe simply because of the difference in fuel price (22p a litre for instance in Algeria, 40p Tunisa,). Bear in mind your MPG and how many miles you will do and you can make a rough calculation. Add a bit more for getting lost. So lets say your Defender or whatever will give you 25MPG. In Europe fuel @ £1.10 p/litre to do 6000 miles in Europe would cost about £1200. I think. Don't quote me. Whilst in cheap places, it could cost £240 for the same distance so choosing your route really does affect it; not just the mileage.

Depends how hardcore you are to how much you spend as well. I don't bother with camp sites in Europe, I either drive through the night or sleep in the car...I resent paying a hotel or camp site when I have a perfectly good seat in my landie! Or sleep on a seat in a service station until I get asked politely to leave. Camping elsewhere...well I try to avoid campsites unless it's a legality that I have to...and so far the most expensive campsite I have been to is £4 a person. But of course this isn't everyones idea of fun!

Food...well..again...depends on how well you want to eat and if you cook your own stuff. I prefer to stock up at a supermarket and use my £10 Camping Gaz single burner on-route. Unless I wanted to really treat myself, I wouldn't normally spend more than £2 a head whilst eating out in the cheap places I have been so far (Algeria, Tunisia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia). Typically I have found meals to be £1 a head. Its so cheap its hardly worth the effort of cooking your own food tbh.

what landi?
Thats a no brainer...a 300TDi,although ive heard landrover does make other models too

Agree with rusty and griff, good info.

I've done a few trips around western europe in both a Series 111 109 (long one) and now a 300tdi 110, the 109; I was able to fold down the middle seats, inflate an airbed and kip inside, very useful for mainland europe, their motorway service areas leave ours to shame. The 110, better cruising speed and mpg.

As said before, plan, plan and plan.

3 months is not that long, and Europe is vast, forget carnets/visas (unless you have time, £££ and a Country check-off list), ENJOY IT! Plan a route around Europe, take in Scandanavia, the former Eastern European Countries, the Dalmations and Southern Europe, even get a ferry to Corfu/Crete/Sciliy/Corisca, Malta etc etc

You could do all that in a VW camper/carvanette. I love LandRovers, that's why I have one, but you want something for you for now, not buy, prep, spend £££, and you will.

Best of luck.

:dnfnoob: :frusty:

Hey Toby,
I'm only 18 and me and a mate are planning an overland trip from Edinburgh to Cape town South Africa (in the summer of 2010), and, after lots of careful consideration decided it would indeed be financially possible; though tight.
I have just bought a Ex MoD 110 for 1000quid in structurally perfect nick, albeit with gearbox issues, and a worn engine. Though thanks to a friendly local garage who has let me use his specialist tools, and space(outside working hours) in return for doing menial jobs for him during working hours, and being mechanically competent I believe I can sort the Landy cheaply (ie basic engine overhaul, gearbox needs inspection, but I reckon selector forks and the like as the actual gears are ok) - then do some simple but effective mods to make it livable for the trip. (cheap tent, extra fuel tanks - but most importantly a very sound standard-ish car that you know inside out)
for expenses during the trip, we have opted just to take 1 car and lots of spare parts and tools (cheap off ebay etc).
Visas are expensive, we found on average of 50USD per person per country (in Africa), but if your very tight, ie NO nights out, no little treats, work every spare minute for pennies and find yourself falling asleep covered in oil under your Land Rover its possible!

You sound like a man with a very good mission Jack

I would rather SEE the country im travelling through than the underside of my 300 :doh: thats what its all about right?

G

Im not suggesting to sleep under the car on the trip - precisely the opposite in-fact, I've got to squeeze lectures and paid work around getting my landy in perfect nick before the trip, so that when im on the trip i Dont have to be under it when something decides to pack-up, and therefore CAN enjoy the new scenery.... as that is indeed what its all about!

10,000km through SA, Namibia, briefly Zambia and Zimbabwe and lots of Botswana for 5 weeks + 1 week in Gabarone for a new alternator was approx £5000 inclusive of everything but we mixed camping with occasional pampering (private lodges and boat trips) and if we did it again more efficiently we could have saved £1000. You could do it on the cheap for £3000. But be aware total cost of crossing southern african borders for 2 people including the vehicle is much nearer $150USD than $50USD.

Mind you the £1500 I won at the casinos en route was handy...

::msg for jackbw at end of post::

After reading all the posts I wanted to put in my opinions as well...
==> Everyone is talking about landys... I have to agree they are nice cars... they do their job off the beaten path, and they are a plus for Africa... Nonetheless I would suggest clearing up your mind WHERE exactly you want to go for Gap year... You mentioned Europe, Asia, and Africa... 3 Parts of the world, NOT so CLOSE to each other... I do NOT mean to put it off, but I would DEFINITELY try to get an Itinerary in before saying ALL 3. My suggestion then is: If you are leaving Africa OFF then a normal 2x4 Vehicle will do... Get a Volkswagen Golf... They drive everywhere... and they are cheaper on fuel Economy. and Much more comfy (I think).

==> If you are putting Africa IN the picture, then you can look into paved roads... Africa DOES have paved roads here and there... and you can use a 2x4... But perhaps only for Northern Africa, where roads are good and you can get Service assistance. While on this theme, get yourself an INTERNATIONAL recovery service for the duration of the trip, like RAC or AA are for the UK.


==> If hitting Africa, buy yourself GOOD maps! I have "World Mapping Project - Reise Know-how" maps for the southern parts of Africa
or Freytag & Berndt for South Africa
and Michelin will cover Europe Easily (or a GPS maybe? MUCH easier).


==> Lookup also the post about Satellite Phones if you are going through "wilderness"
http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f15/any-experience-satelite-phones-70752.html
NOTE: Get an Iridium from my opinion if you are going to Southern Africa, and Some parts of Asia, where the (cheaper) Thuraya does NOT work!


==> Also lookup the GPS suggestion topic
http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f15/gps-suggestions-africa-expedition-66575.html
might be interesting.


==> I am planning myself something similar too... Maybe can pair up with Jackbw if he wants with another car...
Jack! Give me a shout if you want