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Taking large vehicles on the pistes Taking large vehicles on the pistes
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Morocco Topics specific to Morocco, including Western Sahara west of the berm
Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

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  #1  
Old 31 Aug 2012
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Taking large vehicles on the pistes
Can anyone give me advise on what pistes to avoid for a large vehicle? Most reports concern bikes or landies. I am going to Morocco in a Zil131 and want to try out some of the pistes but dont want to end up like the landie on MH1!!

(Zil is 12tonne, 6x6)

pictures can be seen on relevant link on my travelblog,
www.wanderingoverland.com

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Old 31 Aug 2012
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Beautifull truck! Most of the South pistes are suitable for your Zyl, locals transports themselves and their things in old Berliet and Renault trucks. The same in Rekkam Plateau. Principal tracks in the Atlas are now sealed.
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Old 31 Aug 2012
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Chris has a list Here of Morocco Overland routes NOT recommended for 10 ton + trucks.

(Scroll down the front page)
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Old 2 Sep 2012
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I spot MA-2 on the list. But now almost half of it is wide gravel road and should be no problem for this Zil.
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Old 2 Sep 2012
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The Michelin map gives bridge weights and clearances. There aren't many overhead structures at all. Morrocan lorries can't have much idea how heavy they are. It seemed however big they are, and whatever they're carrying, they get filled exactly flush with the top of the bed sides. One artic like this we followed as it came out of a quarry very slowly, sped up downhill, and the outside rear tyre exploded at the first bend.

Some routes we did had bridges marked on the map as 5 ton, but because the scale is so big you can never be quite sure which ones they are. Many don't look like they'd take that much, but the 5 ton signs seem long gone. Is that because the sign has been nicked, or someone has rebuilt it more strongly since? Looks like the former! But I can't see how local trucks can often know what they weigh anyway!

The suspension bridge at the east end of Bin el Ouidane has I think 12 tons on the map, but the signs say 5! Locals said it has always been 5?! But I don't think you can wade that even in a Zil
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Old 3 Sep 2012
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The suspension bridge at the east end of Bin el Ouidane
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Old 3 Sep 2012
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Thanks for the replies,
And the link twentyfourseven - that just about wraps up my query + using a bit of common sense on the road.

cheers!
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Old 20 Sep 2012
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what was tough for us was the width and height. 2.5 by 3.5 metres. navigating some villages was fun! the pistes will be fine, just remember there are not many around who can help if you get stuck!

we were in an 7.5 ton mog, and had no real hassles. and found loads of great places to enjoy. our blog explains it better.

Merv

p.s. nice truck! fuel is way cheaper down south :-)
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Old 23 Sep 2012
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Hi, apart from width, height and weight restrictions as pointed out by others, you might think twice about venturing onto soft sand or deep mud...i own a zil 131 and thinking it was invincible off road urged a friend to head off the track through some mud only for it to sink down to the axles with wheels slowly turning despite engaging its 6x6 systems! A tractor couldnt budge it, nor a monster tractor the farm brought...i had to pay for a tracked vehicle to be brought from a distance at quite a cost to pull the zil out.
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