I'm after a few opinions , I've been a passenger to the Gambia ( west Africa) in a defender 110 van , been round Europe in my defender 110csw ( now double cab pickup, and I'm now after building a purpose built overlander , I just carnt decide wether to base it on a ex army sankey trailer and tow with my 110 ( I know my Landy is capable of it ) or do I build a 130 doublecab with a purpose built box on the back ?
I plan to use it for Europe to start with then go to Africa in it in a few years ,

+ 130 one truck easier to park in towns ect ,

- 130 once camp is set up no truck to go anywhere in

+ trailer , once camp is set up still have Landy to use to go round local towns

- trailer , difficult to park in small towns , and navigate round tight rural lanes

Please help

What would people recommend ?

Cheres Blayne


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I'd go for the 130 without trailer, and get a pair of folding bikes for local exploration.
More manoeuvrable, better fuel economy, more comfortable, easier overall...

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If its just two then you can base it on a 130 , forget a trailer , as they are a problem 90% of the time , both in snow, mud and difficult terrain. Single cab with a decent size living box on the back . Bikes as suggested, or even better electric bikes . If it was a bigger (load capacity ) vehicle then a small 125cc or so dirt bike. You will need to think carefully on build as its very easy to get too heavy too quick. definately dont exceed axle weights/total weight ! HTSH

When someone is able to build an trailer with electro engine for using it as 6x6 (2x together with 4x4) for the real bad passages - this would be nice

But back 2 topic ;-)

Do you wan`t to use the car as dailydriver in europe, does it have to fit in underground garages and so on?

You can look @ my Blog for an sample as full Dailydriver & Travel simultaneous requirement. I would do it the same way again for this dual purpose.



When you have the space for an additional "travel car" (or don't have to use city parkings) - you have many many options to discuss:







I have listed some solutions here: Trans-Africa: Welches Fahrzeug?

Maybe you should look also beyond your favorite brand ;-)

And never forget, that you can do near any trip cheap with any good 4x4 and a simple tent and some basic equipment. So don't exceed your "buildup cost" when you are on budget ;-)

And keep your weight so low you can - to avoid breakdowns abroad (and the legal stuff in europe).

I also like the trailer solutions who are available - and when you search in youtube "gall boys" you will see that you can do much which a trailer behind. But it is a limitation, specially if you like to drive abroad..

A trailer could also be a pain on the small dirt tracks in the europe alps - which the growing traffic because all years more roads get closed.

Surfy

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post above edited

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About Overlanding, Travelogues, Equipment
Trans-Africa over the west coast

Thanks for all your replies , looks like the concuss is for a 130 , going to look at getting one and making a custom box on the back like this

Or look at getting a ex ambulance 130 for a camper style , just need to keep an eye on the web for a 130 chassis as a base to go with


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Is there just the 2 of you? If so, the double cab is a waste of space. I know - I have one. I think a 130 is the way to go, just use a truck cab, and have loads of space behind.

For the trailer idea, take a look at Sirocco Overland | Сирокко Оверленд | Solo Vehicle Dependent Exploration, Travel & Adventure

trailer is a really bad idea. A landrover lacks the power and drivetrain toughness to cope. The shock loads on your rear crossmember are massive. Off road the trailer will fly all over the place (frequently becoming airborne)and anything in it will probably turn to mush. It is highly unlikely that the trailer will survive the terrain in Africa. The effect of towing what is, in effect, an anchor, through sand means your vehicle will also probably not survive. Don't be fooled by the army trailers, while undeniably tough they are rarely driven off road for any length of time and never in anything like the conditions and duration you are likely to demand of it in Africa.


If there is 2 of you a 110 should be plenty, if not, your taking too much stuff. A 130 would give you sleeping room potentially and higher payload, but I would regard that as reserve rather than a licence to carry more stuff!! It still has basically the same drivetrain, engine and contact patch with the ground!

Further to my earlier post , if you are going to custom build on back then look at joining the single cab into the living box, as depending on how lanky you or other are the single cab can be a bit restrictive, this can also be useful as you can do a drive off if situation arises without going outside vehicle! , I had a 130DC HCPU 300tdi for a number of years , found 255/85 tyres a good choice, over the stock 750r16 , due extra weight of 130 over 110. JMHO

Trailers are best for South Africa holidays where you drive to one or two places, enjoy your holiday and then drive home. For day to day overland travel they would be a pain.

How many people? Surely a 110 is enough for one person? I have lived in one for 4.5 years of my life ;-p

I agree with others that a 110 should be large enough to cater to two persons camping. It would also be a bit more manoeuvrable than a 130.

If using a ground tent, your camp can be set up and left in place whilst using the vehicle for local transport. If you are committed to building a camper that you can live inside, you might want to look at the various demountable campers that are available. You could fit one to the back of a pick up (110 or 130) for when you are going camping and still have a pick-up truck for non-camping use. You can also demount the camper and leave it at your campsite whilst you use the vehicle for sightseeing, etc.

My 110 Defender is primarily set up for tent camping, but it has a sleeping platform and mattresses for those occasions when we need to sleep inside the vehicle. You can see pics of my 110 on my blog at www.bermudarover.com.

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What about these though, http://siroccoverland.com/trailer/

They're after doing the Road of Bones etc with their trailer.

I thought they were mad too but they managed ok, I'm really just throwing the cat amongst the pigeons here , saying it can be done.......

Road of bones - one road, not many people.

Africa - many crap roads, many people.

You can drive most places in most things. At some point you may want to enjoy it by having the more/most suitable setup to remove some of the headaches.

Its a bit like russian roulette , it can be done , but you never know when the outcome turns bad

I don't really follow your point about parking up and then not having any way to get places?

Are you going to wild camp and just leave your trailer somewhere and expect it to still be there when you come back?