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Any overlanders in here???


 
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Cptsideways
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Joined: 01 Dec 2009
Posts: 139
Location: N Dorset

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 21:52    Post subject: Any overlanders in here??? Reply with quote

Just wondering if there are any overlanders on the forum, thinking about a Morocco/N Sahara trip some time soonish, wondered if anybody has done similar?

I've driven down to west Africa a couple of time in £100 bangers & made it all the way, so I'm guessing in an 80 it would be overkill Smile Met plenty of people travelling the atlantic route in normal 4x4's & softroaders on my travels.

Thinking of not going mad on the modifications side of things, keeping it simple & minimal  etc for a 2 - 3 week adventure over the winter.
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Rich Sims
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Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 86
Location: bristol

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 22:19    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi I've been down there 3 times now and the last time was over Christmas and new year its the best time to go if you done like it too hot.. keeping your car simple is the best way as you'll be able to get parts in most towns for standard yota's..

Garmin do complete Topo maps now for marocco which have all roads and tracks that you'll ever need and loads of info like campsites, hotels and fuel.. And depending on your Gps will navigate you there.. I have an Oregan 400 which has a great clear screen and will navigate you with beeps and arrowson the map..
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Rich Sims
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Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 86
Location: bristol

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 22:22    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I get some spare time I will post some online form to fill in so you will have all the docs you need to cross the border..

Horizon unlimited has loads of usefull info on there about where to gon and stay..

Are you camping?
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MY12 Discovery (don't know what its good for)
100" trayback defender challenge vehicle sponsored by Devon 4x4
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CompanyMan
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Joined: 20 Sep 2010
Posts: 32
Location: East Anglia

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:17    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've driven standard 4x4s of various descriptions in North Africa for many years and for a trip of that length, unless you are going completely loopy with the luggage or driving up tracks best left to bulldozers and 100cc Yamaha bikes, I would stay way from fancy mods and stick to the standard gear.

Frankly, I would tend to avoid 80s, assuming you have a budget and time limit of some sort. 80s have a strong enthusiast market and are getting a bit long in the tooth now, which tends to mean that the cheap ones aren't good and the good ones aren't cheap. The Surf and the related Hi-Lux variants are good all-round trucks for that kind of route although not to my personal taste, and a bit limited for space inside. I don't really have any comment on the Prado / Colorado variants, although the Colrados certainly have a good reputation.

I'd suggest ( shock, horror ) a Mitsubishi Shogun Sport. There are lots of them around, most appear to be original UK spec ones ( and you don't want to be looking for Jap import spares in North Africa ) and they aren't expensive.
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Cptsideways
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Joined: 01 Dec 2009
Posts: 139
Location: N Dorset

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 8:45    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers for the replies, I have a standard spec 24v 80 4.2 TD so that will do the job merrily, I'll be planning on camping & keeping it all nice & simple. Having completed tow trans Saharan adventures in a Volvo 240 and a Merc 500 sel I'm well aware of the pitfalls, both cars made it to the Gambia with relative ease (he coughs) travelling the Atlantic route.

On my last two adventures we more or less through travelled through Morocco as opposed to going round it & touring about, we did do the Tiz n Tes pass though & ran out of brakes on the way down Smile

I guess there are few forums where fellow like minded peeps plan their trips etc, this sort of info would be useful.
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CompanyMan
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Joined: 20 Sep 2010
Posts: 32
Location: East Anglia

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:28    Post subject: Reply with quote

if you have a standard spec 80 in good order, all well and good.

The main problem I've had in such places is 24v electrical components, especially bulbs. Take a supply of bulbs and fuses.

I've also found that desert driving can wear brake pads rapidly and it's useful to have some spare pads for that reason.
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faniemalherbe
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Joined: 20 Jul 2010
Posts: 69
Location: London

PostPosted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 17:24    Post subject: Reply with quote

We're off to Morrocco at the end of October. Unfortunately not in my Collie though...  Crying or Very sad A mate of mine has a Nissan Patrol in which he and his beloved (and just perhaps me and the miss's too...) are planning to overland to South Africa via the eastern route. He's got the patriot roof rack, safari snorkel and most important in Africa a Engel fridge (gotta have a cold one nearby...), but otherwise still standard. We want to see how the Patrol performs so will be travelling via France/Spain to Morrocco and back.

Obviously all mods depend on the terrain, etc. but my top-of-the-list-items are:
Roof rack & tent
Full OME suspension upgrade
BFG A/T x6
Underbody protection (Asfir I'm considering...)
Did I mention that Engel fridge..!!!
Snorkel (not really that important, but for £140 it can be a lifesaver)
Recovery gear (snatch straps, sand ladders, etc)
Storage & Drawer systems
and the rest of the list will depend on that winning lotto ticket....

Will appreciate those documents needed for the Moroccan border. We're taking the ferry from Algeciras to Tangier...
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wobbly
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Joined: 09 Aug 2010
Posts: 1152
Location: Westcountry

PostPosted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 21:20    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cptsideways

Theres a few on here with the same idea, myself included.

The best expedition forum I have found is a landie one, but every journey starts with one small step, so kickstart this one!

I have changed my plans slightly and now intend to go arctic first.

Pete
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ignat
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Joined: 29 Nov 2008
Posts: 145
Location: Sutton, Surrey

PostPosted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 21:51    Post subject: Reply with quote

HOwdy all

Well I havent done any great distances before but I'm taking my Colorado down to South Africa in a few months time.  Morocco down the west coast to SA. (..Mauri Senegal Mali Burkina Ghana Niger Nigeria Cameroon Congo DRC Angola etc.)

I've got OME suspension for reliability. New radiator. Split charge battery system which feeds a Waeco fridge in the back. I'm going to take off the front bash plate and weld some extra steel plate to it.  Much cheaper than ASFIR Smile
Got a snorkel, roof rack, and made a custom storage system at the back.

Original plan was to camp on the ground.  But as we've been plotting routes and timescales we thought lets take our time (original plan 3 months, now up to 6 months) and so thought *beep* this, lets get a roof tent.  Will be camping as much as possible.  So might as well be comfortable.  

We're pretty much good to go, just need to sort out a carnet, import permit for the truck in SA and so on.  
Truck is all good right now.  Needs just a few minor things done.

Happy travels  Very Happy
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wobbly
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Joined: 09 Aug 2010
Posts: 1152
Location: Westcountry

PostPosted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 22:23    Post subject: Reply with quote

faniema....

you going through Egypt?

Carnets a few quid!

Pete
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CompanyMan
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Joined: 20 Sep 2010
Posts: 32
Location: East Anglia

PostPosted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 6:26    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd be curious to know if anyone has any experience of driving in some of these West African countries. My experiences working in West Africa in recent years have been that there are severe problems with theft, armed robbery and kidnapping in some of them.

Nigeria has a very poor reputation for kidnapping of Westerners for ransom, and the usual corruption and beaurocracy seems to be a particular problem there. DRC I wouldn't even consider, since law and order don't even seem to be guaranteed within Kinshasa airport and even oil companies usually shun the place - and anywhere that even oil companies won't work in, must be pretty dire. I also hear repeatedly that much of the road network has collapsed, along with most of the other infrastructure, and the African version of 'impassable' is pretty much that.

I've had particular problems with visas and carnets in Angola, I get regular enquiries from agents for work in Angola but they almost always founder over this issue and even when they don't, they take so long and cost so much to resolve that I have moved on by then. A particular issue sems to be that visas issued from central government in Luanda are not necessarily recognised in the Cabinda region in the North, and you have to get separate documents there. Another commonly-heard issue in Angola is land mines, when I was there in 2005 we were told not to drive off the tarmac roads if at all possible for this reason, and certainly land-mine casualties were a common sight in Lobito and Benguela.

Ghana and Congo seem to be safe enough, as far as that can be said of anywhere in Africa, and overland trekking in Namibia seems to be quite established subject to the usual constraints of proper route selection and general organisation because of the distances, climate and isolation of the place.
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misterpaul
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Joined: 14 Sep 2010
Posts: 26
Location: Yorkshire

PostPosted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 9:33    Post subject: Reply with quote

As has already been said, check out the Horizons Unlimited forum for great overlanding info. Mainly aimed at bikers, but has a 4x4 section too. And country / region specific info is relevant no matter how many wheels you have. For Sahara specific info you can't go wrong with Chris Scott's Sahara Overland website too.

We're travelling up to the UK from South Africa taking the east coast route at the moment, in Nairobi right now. We've been on the road a year, another 6 months to go, so I think even 6 months is rushing the trip.

Unless you're going through Egypt and Kenya maybe don't worry about the carnet...have a look on Horizons Unlimited, there's people on there who've managed without.

Not sure about travelling 4 up in one truck, might be a bit tight for space. It's just me and the mrs in our troopie and we've not got much spare room.

Roof tents are definately the business, we love ours. Quick and easy, but a pain if you want to leave the campsite for a drive around then come back. An awning is quite nice to have too.

For tyres, we have BFG AT, but if I was doing this again I would definately go MT. If you're driving in thick mud ATs get clogged up real quick and they need a firm surface and driving at speed to get rid of the mud they collect. Also specifically in Namibia some of the gravel roads are made up of really sharp stones and while we haven't had a problem with punctures (only 1 in 12 months - go BFG!) the AT tread seemed to get ripped apart, whereas the MT tread blocks are a bit tougher.

Fridge is obviously essential kit. We have a dual battery set up which works well for powering the fridge, but if you want to stay anywhere for more than 3 days without driving then solar is the way to go. Not cheap, but again something I would do if we did this trip again.

Another thing to think about is water. Are you going to buy bottles all the way and contribute to the mountains of plastic littering the environment or could you invest in a water tank and filter for your truck before you leave?

If you want real insurance for your truck as opposed to African 3rd party that you'll have to buy anyway check out Campbell Irvine.

Planning is fun but don't worry about it too much as there'll always be things you wish you did differently once you get there. And no matter what goes wrong (within reason) you'll have a great time   wav
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CompanyMan
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Joined: 20 Sep 2010
Posts: 32
Location: East Anglia

PostPosted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 11:38    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd agree about excess planning but, I have encountered more than enough would-be overlanders who have come to grief through lack of basic planning. The water point is a good one, because Europeans often don't understand about dehydration in hot climates. Not running out of fuel is also important, and a surprisingly common mistake. You have to bear in mind that you can lose the whole spread because of mstakes of this nature, I've been involved on a couple of occasions in rescuing Europeans stranded in remote places. So, don't be too neurotic but there is definitely a difference between being adventurous, being negligent and being wilfully stupid; the trick is to be the first one  Laughing
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Rich Sims
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Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 86
Location: bristol

PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:41    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry for the delay

COMPLETE YOUR TEMPORARY IMPORT FORMS
OVER THE INTERNET BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE UK
In order to enter Morocco with a vehicle you need to complete a declaration of temporary importation form (D16TER). This is normally a three-part no-carbon-required form with a green copy, yellow copy and white copy.

However, you can now complete your temporary import form (D16TER) for Morocco online, then print it off for handing over when you get there. This saves having to find out which window you need to queue at for the form and means you don't have the hassle of working out how to complete it when all you really want to do is get through the border and ride!

Go to  http://www.douane.gov.ma/MRE/ and take the third option (D16TER), then the second option (Saisie and Edition). Now complete as follows:

Prénom and Nom: Your given name and family name

If you have been to Morocco before you will have a police number in your passport in the format 999999AA, in which case click on Étrangers non résident (non-resident foreigners) and stick the number in the box.

If you haven't been to Morocco before, click on 'autres'.

Immatriculation: your registration number (no spaces)
Marque: TOYOTA (or whatever)
Type: LANDCRUISER (or whatever) followed by 'MOTO' (if it's a m'bike)
Genre: TORISUM
Pays: GREAT BRITAIN
Date de 1ere mise: enter the date of first registration in the format dd/mm/yyyy
Chassis no: your VIN (vehicle identity number).

Press 'Imprimer' to display the data in a formatted manner and print the page that appears.

That's it!

PS: Firefox and some other web browsers may not work correctly, so use Internet Explorer 7.
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KZJ70 M reg keeping for spares
KZJ78 M my new expedition,laning toy
MY12 Discovery (don't know what its good for)
100" trayback defender challenge vehicle sponsored by Devon 4x4
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Bat21
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Joined: 14 May 2009
Posts: 246
Location: Shropshire

PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 17:43    Post subject: Reply with quote

Make a cup of coffee/tea, click link below... and enjoy:-
**Link**

More info can also be found **here**
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