Roamingyak i would like to see a bit of tolerance about other people and the way how they travel.
Is it neccesarry to frequently repeat at hubb, that i did a rally trough africa? Did i really drive a rally? What is a rally? Maybe we have to discuss this point deeper in a special thread or pm or even here.
You dont have to like me, to like my style of travelling, dont have to work on your prejudices.
Opposing views could be an enrichment in the discussion. It should be fair enough to let speak arguments and experience, without any attitude.
For shure my "Setup-Test" was short with less mileage. It was to test the setup of the car, the equipment, to approve everything for "more"...
I`m shure you are not the only one who think that i will strand somewhere with heavy problems. I will share my progress soon i start therefore you also will be able to watch me progress.
I dont try to say the a modern car is the "better" way to travel extended. I try to say that this is an "real" option in the meantime.
There are always advantages and disadvantages ;-) To change the perspective from time to time doesn't hurt.
I argue these way not because my brand new car survive our testride. I argue this way because we meet these modern cars, driven by locals.
Guess what car we meet here, on the Cameroon/Congo border... There is pretty less traffic, not common for overlanders, not common for any traffic i guess.
We meet an Land Cruiser 200 Diesel.. In the middle of no where. But we saw too modern cars all over africa, not just in the capitals.
For shure they are not the majority, but there are locals, NGOs, the government who drive these. I guess the maintain these, fix these too, and not burn them when they stop working.
I dont know exactly how old your africa experience is, i cant talk about how it was - i just can say what i saw there at the end of 2012.
The Total Fuel stations you mentioned, we dont see many of them on the west route??? They get rare starting before Kiffa, Maretania. Maybe we miss the "main" route who is common by transafrica travellers.
We use too barrels in congo. But we filtrate every single liter before it goes in the tank - anytime anywhere from Morocco till Namibia.
Yes there is a risk with newer cars that you have to flight in some spares, to let carry your car to a bigger city and so on.
In my personal "risk calculation" there was some other points much higher rated on a transafrica - like become a hostage, get beaten by a scorpion, robbed, killed, had an accident and so on.
Specially at the "accident" theme - i would prefere a modern vehicle

Not to fix it afterwards. Just to survive.
Do you really focus your eyes on Breakdowns? It has to do with probability and risk. I dont know if your "old refurnished" has a better calculation rate at the end. It is easier to fix but you have to fix... But that is my personal view.
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Travelling with many types of different vehicles it was interesting to see how differently we were all treated at the checkpoints and borders - in general an older battered vehicle or motorbike is a big advantage from my experience.
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We had mostly good experiences. Compared to other travel blogs - good experiences. And i read a lot of blogs of travellers. Really a lot...
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What would each choice mean if the worst happened on a dirt track 600km from anywhere….?"
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I guess you mean with "worst happened" noting serious worst (like killed, robbed, injoured, been bitten by an animal and so on) and just an breakdown?
I guess when my car breaks 600km from nowhere - i did something wrong to a high percentage (too fast, car not well maintained, car not well equipped, driving stupid).
On a less percentage there is really something, my engine dies at sample.
Personally i think that it dont count there if new or old, that will need time to get help, time to get it fixed and so on. For shure it will be more expensive with an V8 than too...
Surfy