WHICH VEHICLE?
For many years, Land Rover was the more popular choice - renowned for being capable, reliable and simple. But when reliability became an issue, Toyota grew in popularity with its offering of the same capability with greater reliability and simplicity. Currently, Toyota is the more popular vehicle with overlanders. Although expensive, they are reliable and widespread throughout the continent. So should a problem occur, repairs and spare parts are likely to be easily available.
THE VW CAMPER VAN
Capability: Given that Guy’s journey was not to be an off-road challenge, capability was not the most important factor. Much of the route was paved and used by two-wheel drive cars with no modifications or other extras. Guy’s VW van was 4-wheel drive, and he carried various additional items to assist him should conditions demand: a winch, sand channels, recovery ropes and a hi lift jack, to enable him to grind his way through the worst potential quagmires.
Reliability: VW are well known for reliability and having had the van carefully checked over and with some modifications made, Guy was confident of its performance. The distance to be covered might seem great but in reality was no more than covered in a 12-month period at home.
Convenience: Most overland vehicles are based on a pickup or 5 door body. Therefore, day to day living occurs outside the vehicle, with necessary daily drills and external tents to set up camp. For Guy, this was ‘a red flag’ with its lack of immediate local security. The biggest advantage of a camper van is that it is possible to live within the vehicle and do everything with the doors closed, keeping out everything undesirable, from weather to prying fingers. For Guy, travelling alone, this was the most compelling feature
VW SUPPORT & SPARES
With no VW campervans between Morocco and Namibia, the biggest issue proved to be that local knowledge of the vehicle was limited and parts were difficult to obtain. While Guy had understood this from the outset, he deliberately chose to carry few spare parts as they added considerably to his overall weight and there was no knowing what parts would be needed. But as he discovered, the price of not having the right spare was not one of cost alone, but also time. To source the right part required for it to be shipped from the UK but this was a price worth paying and, on four separate occasions, essential supplies had to be sent out. This exercise could not have been achieved without the dedicated support of Volkstrek back in the UK. Without their backup, Guy could not have completed his journey.
MODIFICATIONS & IMPROVEMENTS
Guy purchased his van two years prior to his departure to replace the VW T2.5 Syncro he had owned previously. The new variant of 5.1, termed the 4-motion, was in every way newer, but less capable with no crawler gear, less effective diff locks and lower ground clearance. But it was modern and reliable. With input and the unstinting support of Rob Willis of Volkstrek in Aberystwyth, the following changes and improvements were made to Guy’s vehicle:
Uprated suspension by Siekel giving an extra 2 inches of clearance.
All terrain tyres giving an additional inch.
Bash plates and rock sliders from front to rear of the vehicle.
Larger rear-view mirrors (VW pickup).
Rear tailgate carrier for spare wheel and additional external storage.
Heavy duty tailgate rams to support additional weight.
Modified rear bumper to carry two swing-out fuel cans built by quay marine of Wareham.
Modified front bumper with hard point for direct towing or winching.
Lightweight roof rack (with limited capacity to not overload powered roof lift).
Replacement of rock and roll bed with modular bench/bed for additional interior storage.
Front bonnet rack to carry sand channels.
2 x solar panels.
Additional 12v and 240v outlets including a 12v access/extraction through the grill to
power the winch and/or compressor.
Dashboard storage and camera mount.
Improved access to 240v power sockets.
Security box for electrical items.
Internal pop top roof liner.
External pop top roof cover.
Cargo nets on the ceiling plus streel plates to position magnetic lights etc.
STORAGE
With the rock and roll bed removed, Guy chose to use stacking crates which were ratcheted to a bespoke floor tray. These could be reconfigured into a single bed using the home-made bench and bench back or left in situ to provide nine crates worth of storage.
VEHICLE FITTINGS
The van (from the rear forwards) included:
Two armchairs fitted in the tailgate (Guy took just one).
Blinds fitted to all rear windows (with security tinting for security and shade).
Rear three shelf storage.
Hanging cupboard used as an easy access clothing and bedding locker.
Small chest fridge (which worked well but was not used much).
Sink and double burner under glass lid.
Two tables: one permanently attached to the kitchen unit (which proved of no use); and one cleverly stowed on the inside of the sliding door.
Four shelves behind sliding doors which housed limited camera equipment, a library and medicines (the cutlery draw was removed).
Built in space heater – the single best piece of equipment.
Two leisure batteries, built in shore power supply with integrated 240v invertor. (located inconveniently behind the passenger seat but extended to allow access from the driver’s seat).
Ceiling mounted control unit (power monitoring, fridge, and heater operation).
Both front chairs operating as swivel “captain” chairs.
Wind out awning, with sides.
Roof window with button controlled automatic opening.
EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
12v heavy duty compressor – essential.
High lift jack with adapter to lift wheels - never fully tested but essential in certain circumstances.
Guy also carried a length of chain and ratchet equipment for winching purposes.
12v low capacity winch lightweight with pulleys to reach maximum load – not used.
Kinetic energy rope - not used.
Various recovery straps and ropes - essential but not used.
Waffle boards - essential but heavy and taking up space so stored on bonnet.
Long and short handled shovels - both essential and trowel.
Selection of tyre pressure gauges.
Selection of tools to meet most requirements.
Additional spare tyre rather than spare tyre and wheel (to save weight).
Tubeless tyre repair kit.
Windscreen repair kit.
Five tonne bottle, jack - essential
Various wooden blocks - essential.
Exhaust operated inflation jack nursery - returned home.
Various sockets.
Various screwdrivers.
Rechargeable drill.
Three fire extinguishers.
Hand brush.
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
Were Guy to do the trip all over again…The VW transporter being four-wheel drive, with Seikel equipped suspension and over land kit is the vehicle that he would probably choose again. The ability to live in rather than out of a vehicle is huge advantage when travelling alone or with others, for security reasons, comfort reasons and climatic reasons. However, he would go for an automatic gear box in preference to a manual, which has a lower range of gears, plus the ability to crawl, and he would lose most of the “comfort” offered in the California model. It would be a base “combi” with all the facilities inside modular (water containers, cookers, storages, benches, beds etc) which could be taken in or out. The only factory fitted similarity would be the heater. He would not choose an electric fitted pop-top roof but have a manual roof with reinforced struts, so that more weight could be carried on the roof if required. He would consider going for a larger vehicle, such as an MAN, for standing height without having to put the roof up, although there are very real benefits with the transporter sized vehicle which is only slightly larger than a normal car, so it has easier access to campsites, overgrown tracks etc. Guy would always go to Voltstrek for procurement and equipment.
USEFUL CONTACTS FOR VW OWNERS:
Gtv-van.com (Terranger)
