We are preparing an overland trip to afrika followed by shipping the vehicle to either Australia or South America and continue there. I am in tons of doubt on what vehicle to buy. I've been looking at TLC's and Landies but another options seems attractive now. A 4x4 camper. I've checked out the website of a german company (www.dustdevil.de) who have a small truck called Bremach (It has an Iveco engine). The great thing about it is the fact that it fits in a standard size sea container (with the wheels off). Does anybody have any experience with these in Africa. I have zero technical knowledge about engine technique so I would have to rely on mechanics locally. Any tips are definitely helpfull.

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>I have zero technical knowledge about engine technique so I would have to rely on mechanics locally.

In that case you should use what is more common and known by local mechanics: Landcruiser's (HZJ75) or Land Rover's

José

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Sound like you're making the same trip under the same predicament as myself (no technical knowledge). As Jose says: get a Landcruiser. I wouldn't even bother to get a Landrover. And: you really don't need a camper for a trans-africa trip.

best,
Camiel

www.amsterdam2capetown.com

Any Iveco dealer can handle the vehicles - depending on your needs, a 3ton pickup may be sufficient or not, the Italian light trucks offer 5ton strength. The rather simple design should be managed by any bush mechanic, regarding the Iveco engine, any Iveco shop can handle the 2.8liter four, just depends where you are going.
There was an english version on the bremach.it site sometimes, and the is something on bremach.at
Regards,
Peter

Complete opposite to Cameil - forget Cruisers, get a Land Rover. More capable offroad and tougher. Just make sure it's in good condition, as with any 4x4 you buy.

Bremachs.... excellent when well-maintained as a live-in campervan, lacking axle articulation and wheel travel within wheelarches for full-on offroad stuff. Depends what you want - an adequate off-roader and good camper or a full-on offroader that can be a reasonable camper?

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For us the most important thing is a reliable vehicle that can get us through Africa and South America. We like the idea of a camper (more privacy for a long trip like we are planning....2 years or so). Off road capabilities are needed but we don't do off roading just for the fun of it. So....if 'basic off road' gets us through Africa and South America then that would do.

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From someone who has only ever owned a Landrover: make sure you get a TLC HJ75.
That way you won't need any technical knowledge or local mechanics.

Take a Landrover only if you want an adventure!

Most trans african travellers don't need an extreme offroader - primarily because your out in a remote area, thats your only transport, its not like you can get the AA to tow it back and get it in the garage on Monday morning. You do ideally need the clearance and capability of 4x4 but this isn't that extreme and the fact that 2 wheel drive cars also go through is testiment to this.

Playing Devil's advocate, the prime problem you may have with a vehicle other than a Landcruiser or a Landrover is parts. Even with a newish landrover, getting parts in some places is difficult. As to the comment above about "any Iveco mechanic can fix it" - well unfortunately there isn't an great deal of Iveco dealerships through Africa, in fact in North / West Africa, you may struggle to find any. Whilst an average mechanic may be able to figure it out, the availablility of parts could be a significant issue.

As to the Landrover V Landcruiser argument - well this is a long running one and is mainly down to personal taste. They are both very effective offroaders, they vary slightly in different terrains but both will do the job. The main thing with both of them are the numbers in third world countries and hence the availability of parts.

You could go with a more extreme vehicle, if you trace the turtle expeditions team, they used various American pick ups to cross very remote parts of the world including Siberian in winter. However they seem to have good mechanical knowledge and spent alot of money building them.

Lastly, a comment you made re the truck and the fact it can fit in a shipping container with the wheels off - as a point of interest how do you intend to get the thing in and out the container with the wheels off. Containers have ledges at the entrace which you have to get over, how can you get it in. Do they take smaller wheels - if so, where are you going to get these from. Containers are only open at one end, there isn't a side or rear door so you only have access from one end.

[This message has been edited by Toby2 (edited 30 June 2003).]

Make sure you have the AA Five Star card with you all the time ;-), or at least an engine repairs manual with plenty of nice pictures to show to local mechanics.

They will always smile and say they can fix it allright. Just as well, they will be genuinely sorry to hear that the engine failed again after a couple miles. After a few such rounds you will have a stronger incentive to start learning.

Rgds,
Roman (UK)

[This message has been edited by Roman (edited 30 June 2003).]

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Roman (UK)

The truck comes with special steel wheels without a tire. They are coated with a layer of rubber and are mounted on the bottom of the truck during normal travel. For loading into the container you take off the normal wheels and put on the steel tireless wheels.

[This message has been edited by bnoij (edited 30 June 2003).]

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Cool, learn something new everyday.

when are you thinking of going?
we are going to travel across africa on a similar itinary to you, we have a 7.5 ton camper ( Not a Mog).
All the answers above are correct, however many dealers there are, there are never enough or never where you break it anyhow, and if you are going to Asia the game changes again. The vehicle you need is one that fits your budget and your needs ,inexperience makes your needs the hardest thing to work out.
We all have high targets for vehicles , but there are many factors involved, we looked at a £140,000 MAN truck at christmas while we where at the Erg Chebbi but decided that it would only do what our £12000 RB44 would do and if it was stolen or crashed it would hurt a lot more. £130,000 is lot of travelling.

what you need most is Knowledge .. off road driving and mechanicing knowledge, that way any vehicle will do, as they said above, even a two wheel drive will get you across Africa.

we find our 'Merlin' as we call him great we carry a Yammy TTR250 trailbike on a taillift type device ,it will carry all four of us in an emergency and has a range of >150 miles we have mod cons to die for, the carrying capacity of the truck makes up for a lot, if you want a 4x4 truck read CS's book about them he is bang on, get a late commercial 4x4 not XWD that way you get soundproofing and other nice mod cons decent fuel consumption ( Merlin did 18mpg over 5500 miles to Morocco and back) and it will top 70 mph on the flat and cruise nice at 60mph and yes we can still hear the kids scrapping in the back , get a low mileage example any modern 4x4 whatever it is ( except possibly LADA) is good enough if looked after and drove sympathetically.

oh and my TLC/LR bit all 4x4's break whoever makes them , I have bust them all, but I would rather fix a LR ten times than TLC once ( yes I know the ratio is usually 20:1) LR new they would be unreliable and made them easy to fix , the Jap's do not make things to be repaired.

bd

Off to Morocco for 2 months next week to see how high up the Atlas mountains Merlin will go - or not :-)

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Hi Beady.

We are planning to leave beginning 2004. I would say feb 1st or thereabouts. Still in tons of doubt on the vehicle to bring. I'm looking into a basic course on diesel engines and will definitely do an offroad driving course (or two).

The options that looks sound to us now is a TLC (yeah...I know....) probably a HZJ 75 or HZJ 78 and make a semi-camper out of it. Pop-top roof and small kitchen and table inside. Engel fridge and porta potti....who knows.

It'll take some more time to figure things out. All tips are still more than welcome!

Cheers.

Bas.

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I'll be bringing an Australian Toyota Landcruiser 75 or 78 series to the UK next year. These vehicle are used extensively throughout the country areas of Australia. A vehicle with 80000km on the clock and in very good condition go for around A$30,000/US$21,000/GBP 13,000.

If anyone is seriously interested in buying one next year then let me know.

Geoff..