Hi there,

my girlfriend and are planning an overland trip to Asia starting from Germany. Our plan was to head through turkey to the stans and then north to Russia (or something along those lines). We are used to travelling but not with our own car and have little knowledge on cars.

We've done some research but are a bit unsure of what car we really need. We kind of want to keep the cost down in a sense that we do not want to have unnecessary but expensive stuff fitted. Mainly we are wondering if Landcruisers and Defenders (maybe not so common in Asia?) are our best bets or if other cars should be considered as well. Also I am not really sure what to look for when buying a used one. Like, where do I check for rust, what do I need to ask the owner etc.

I would appreciate some help here and since I likely forgot half the relevant information, please aks for it and I will try to post it asap.

Thanks a lot in advance!
fcms

I did a trip through Russia, Mongolia, and the stans in 2014. My route is detailed on my blog, along with lots of info on the places visited. It might help with your planning - www.bermudarover.com

I had a land Rover Defender kitted out for the trip and it proved to be a great vehicle for the task. The Defender was particularly useful in Mongolia, where most of my off-road driving occurred, including water crossings that couldn't be avoided. For Mongolia, I'd say a 4-wheel drive is a necessity. But for most of the other countries, a decent car or SUV might have done just as well.

One consideration though, is the amount of kit that you will take with you. If you will be camping in some locations, you'll need all of your camping gear as well as normal luggage. Some of the distances between towns is significant, so finding a hotel isn't always possible. That's when the camping gear becomes very useful. A vehicle like a Defender or a Land Cruiser would enable you to carry more gear than a standard car.

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2014 overland adventure to Russia and Central Asia in Land Rover Defender www.bermudarover.com

Depending on what your time of travel , and where you intend to go , a decent sized van with good size tyres and good ground clearance might fit the bill . In a landcrusr or defender you are more or less forced to use a rtt or freestanding , due to load area size constraints , which can be a bit of a pita mostly dependent on the weather . I have used a defender with a rtt in certain parts in good weather for the most , thats what i base my advice on .

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Current : 2007 Mowag Bucher Duro 6x6 Motorhome , 2006 Sedici 4x4, 2007 Range Rover supercharged

Going to Asia? You need a Honda Jazz.

Any car can handle the roads so your thoughts should be focussed on economy and nimbleness. The Jazz is probably the most space efficient vehicle there is - fold the seats flat and you can easily sleep inside (like my son and his partner do in his).

You'll also find parts for it just about anywhere - not that this will be necessary, they never break down.

Take it from someone who has done this journey many times before, a big lumbering 4WD is a waste of money and totally unnecessary - setting off in it might make you feel macho, but once you hit the road you'll stick out like a sore thumb and be a magnet for thieves.

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Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

Yups,

Any car you like. As long as it's in good shape.
We used a lada break in 2007 (too long ago...).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nadjen...57603287199966
And that was standard except from removing the rear seats.

I'd go with any lada in good shape again anytime. Most locals drive them, meaning that the roads tend to be just smooth enough to pass trough, mechanics understand them, and maintenance is cheap, and spares, if needed are readily available. Big advantage is that you don't stand out. By the time "they" realize you're a foreigner, you're past the checkpoint. Obviously, there are limitations too. Some of the out of the way places cannot be reached in a regular car (e.g. Mountain villages, or the darvaza gas crater), it will demand more driving skills and care when it gets rough, and you have less load carrying capacity (think backpacking when packing your stuff, and there will be loads of space left for comfort and treats.

If you want some more ground clearance and storage, I'd think a Honda CRV or toyota RAV4 wouldn't be bad. I've seen them around there, so I guess spares won't be to hard to find. You can't do much wrong with a toyota hi-ace either.

Land Rovers/cruisers/ nissan patrols... will carry whatever you want, as far as you want, and where you want, and they do look good on the pics (a factor I'd consider. They stay around long after your trip), but they also cost a bit (both in acquiring and maintaining). All are perfectly suited the way they come from the factory.

A lot of Vans and 4x4s have been abused. And a car that has been abused will cause much more frustration than any other car in good shape.

In the end it very much depends on where you want to spend your money on, and what makes you feel good. Most people leave very much over equipped.

Enjoy!

Diesel van with mattress in the back & camping stove, worked for me & is by far the cheapest way, i often just pulled down a side road & climbed in the back (save on camp ground fee`s/motel fee`s) for one or two nights.

Loads of travellers from Europe come over for a look around OZ & do this conversion.

Build a Bed in the Back of your Van

I bought an ex bread delivery van, bread weighs nothing & the van`s running gear/suspension had an easy life.

My choice now would be a white long wheelbase VW Caddy van 1.9TDi with auto double clutch gearbox.



Mezo.

how about this little Lada.. seen in Tbilisi

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Mark
http://chasingdreams2014.blogspot.co.uk/

Can't agree with farqhuar's comment about a 4x4 being a magnet for thieves at all.
We did Germany to the Far East for 1.5 years returning last year and we didn't have any trouble with thieves at all. Far from it. In fact we found the Central Asian people to be the most friendly and warmly welcoming people we've come across. Often their first question is whether you are having a nice time in their country and they want to ensure you leave with happy memories.
The only time our land cruiser was ever touched was by the cows scratching their backs on our spare wheel at the back!

Robert's and Bermuda rover's comments I can relate too, but you can get to song kol without the 4x4. You can even do Mongolia without, but you really would miss a lot!

The lada will be too small for you, but they are great.
The delivery van is a great, potentially much cheaper option and we travelled with some sling our route: basic but functional. For size you might prefer a transporter though. The Mercedes are the local buses in the central Stans so getting spares and repairs is not difficult at all.

Pics of fellow travellers on our blog: we had everything from cyclists, suzukis, 35 year old Mercedes and totally 'normal' white-box caravans.
www.wanderwheels.wordpress.com

Have fun on your trip!

Ok, I'll rephrase that - "get mistaken for being a member of the Russian mafia".

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Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

Well I've said it before to thers but sit down and work out how you want to live on the road and where you want to go then decide on the vehicle

For example, do you want to sleep inside, on the roof our in a ground tent, or will you be in hotels/hostels every night.
Inside = Van, Estate car or long wheel base 4x4, Cons - takes out of lot of space in smaller vehicles
On the Roof - well you could drive anything Cons - will need an expensive tent and roof rack
Ground Tent = any vehicle Cons - having to find a flat site to pitch/bad weather can be a pain setting up camp

You get the idea, as has been said you could do the trip in virtually any vehicle and get there and back ok but some will mean comprimises on the route or the way you live

(Driving a 4x4 won't subject you to more risk of theft or make you look like russian mafia unless you tint the windows and put big chrome rims on it )

Hi, i am thinking of doing the same, and i've been looking at the Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero 3.2DiD. Seem to be very reliable, nice consumption (around 10L/100klms with reports of saying it's possible to lower to 8 if very careful with the right foot). Another advantage is that the LWB has space and there's a few conversions to transform the back in a sleep space with space to pack a lot of stuff. They also sell cheaper than Toyotas and LR (at least were i live) secondhand .

Check these out:

Where the Eyes Go: The Montero and its Mods

Preparación Mitsubishi Montero 2.5 Sahel “Camper” | Siempre Ruedas y Motor

Where the Eyes Go: The Montero and its Mods