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North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



Trans Sahara Routes.

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  #1  
Old 24 Oct 2002
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Landcruiser or Landrover???

I want to travel one year in West-Afrika. What is the best choice? A Toyota Landcruiser or a Landrover?
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  #2  
Old 24 Oct 2002
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Oh no, here we go again... ;-)
Who wants to go first?

Ch
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  #3  
Old 24 Oct 2002
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Or perhaps a Unimog?

Maybe a Nissan?

On, on...

Sam.
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  #4  
Old 24 Oct 2002
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haha... I'll go first

Toyota Land Cruiser !

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A.B.

OasisPhoto.com – Images from the Magical Sahara.
ShortWheelbase.com – Jeep preparations.
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OasisPhoto.com – Images from the Magical Sahara.
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  #5  
Old 24 Oct 2002
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I don't want to know what is the best vehicle. I just wanted to know if it's difficult to find spare parts and mechanics in West-Afrika for a Landrover. When I was there I didn't see many Landrovers but there were a lot of Landcruisers.
I you had this dicussion already here, can you link me?
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  #6  
Old 24 Oct 2002
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Quote:
Originally posted by Lombiestijn:
I you had this dicussion already here, can you link me?
Lombiestijn,
You bet we have! Just do a forum search for "landcruiser landrover".

Your observation that you didn't see many Landrovers in Africa is a strong hint, isn't it? The reason is that not many Series II and III are still left and anything newer than that will not last long in Africa. To begin with, the TD5 has no water separator in the fuel system.

Rgds,
Roman
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  #7  
Old 24 Oct 2002
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Quote:
Originally posted by Lombiestijn:
I want to travel one year in West-Afrika. What is the best choice? A Toyota Landcruiser or a Landrover?
Get a donkey !

Seriously , what do you mean by West Africa : Sahara or not ?
In Sahara it's not so difficult to get mecanician about Land-Rover : an old experience ....
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Old 24 Oct 2002
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then there's the one about the renault 4 and the MAN KAT1...
As a general rule the more you spend the less it will break (and the more angry/stupid you feel when it does). Every rule has its exceptions of course.
Roman wrote "anything newer than that will not last long in Africa" I got flamed on a french forum for implying exactly that; there are some pretty dedicated Solihull worshippers over here too.
Whatever the vehicle, something's bound to break/go wrong; it's all part of the adventure.
A small pointer, go to a general 4x4 show; the LR club members will be talking about how they broke what, where and how they fixed/reinforced/upgraded it, and those TLC owners who encounter one another might talk about where they've been. Although they're more likely to be out enjoying themselves than showing off their modifications.
Seciond pointer, the mods market for LR is enormous compared to that for the TLC, because they need so many mods to be up to what their owners want them to do.
I like to think I'm impartial; if you can't install a bog inside, it's too small and I don't want one
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Old 25 Oct 2002
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... the toy is very tempting..., and not only for travlers...

've seen two tourist vehicles being towed in south Algeria, the first was a Range, the second a TLC.

Just take a good one, and take it easy.

Rob

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  #10  
Old 25 Oct 2002
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Quote:
Originally posted by Lombiestijn:
I want to travel one year in West-Afrika. What is the best choice? A Toyota Landcruiser or a Landrover?
Stijn,

why do you want the go West-Africa? If you have one year I think there are more interesting places in Africa.
We are just back from a trip to West-Africa with 7 LANDROVERS.

Did I highlight my favourite 4X4 to much now??

If you need more info, mail me on my email-address.

See you,

Karel

PS. I live in Harelbeke.
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Old 25 Oct 2002
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If you are looking at a new vehicle then definitely easier to find parts for a TLC. Lots more of them around down there - mainly 75 series. Seperate to whether LR or TLC are better, less of Defenders so harder to get parts. I had a 110 LR down there and sourcing parts was difficult although most mechanics could fix faults on them.
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Old 26 Oct 2002
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I've heard the TLC is also called a TLRRV (Toyota Landrover Recovery Vehicle)

When you consider build quality and reliability it is not a complete coincidence that the British manufacturing industry is essentially defunct. Having ridden a M/C of dubious European manufacture (BMW: until recently the owner of the Rover Group, the then coordinators of the Solihull outfit), my next bike will be Japanese. Should the desire to travel further afield on 4 wheels transpire, this 4x4 will also be made in the land of the rising sun.

As a fellow said above: If you like getting covered in oil admiring the bottom of your vehicle and meeting mechanics, buy a Landrover. If you like meeting non-mechanics and seeing wonderful nature and cultures, buy a TLC.

A mate of mine drove London-CapeTown in a TLC and the only thing that broke were a couple of mounts (for the extra battery that powered the fridge!). Even the electric windows still worked when he reach the Cape of Good Hope!
Later,
ChrisB
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Old 26 Oct 2002
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I did a London - Cape Town and more besides in a Land Rover 130 sold it out there and bought an 80 series for the last 6 months of my trip - it was awesome, and it instilled total confidence!

I have always been a Land Rover fan, and still am but I have to admit that for everything bar Extreme off roading a TLC is better - more reliable, more powerful and more car like.

My next vehicle will be a TLC 75/78/79 or 80 or 60 in that order of preference.

Most importantly buy what "you" want.

Happy travels

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Old 29 Oct 2002
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You gotta go with a landrover!! They may not be quite as reliable in the sahara as a TLC, but there alot easier to bodge together when they do go wrong. Do it in style, do it in a landy!!

Have Fun!!

Pumbaa
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  #15  
Old 29 Oct 2002
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Hi,
I did the mistake to listen people who said my old troubleless landy 88 could'nt cope anymore with saharian trips and bought a big TLC HJ61.True,it's fast and confortable but
not as good as the landy in "real off road condition" and don't talk to me about toyota so-called reliability:I broke the gearbox near amguid in the middle of nowhere where the 88 never let me down..(vehicle had only done 150000 km on the road before failure..).(It's also true that toyota parts are everywhere in algeria..)
so it's really a matter of taste
cheers
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