An idea vehicle?

Hi,

Newbie here, and after some advice from anyone in the know. We're planning on packing it all into storage and heading
off around the world, hopefully within 3 years time.

We're looking for a vehicle as follows:

Able to be driven on a standard licence, under 7.5 tonnes;
With a cab able to seat 2 adults and 2 kids (in big car seats);
With a nice size cabin, able to be converted into living accom for an extended, long-term world trip;
With good parts availability across a lot of the world;
4x4 or better;
preferably with power steering;
and something which is efficient to run.
Oh, and as I'm not a millionaire, I'm looking for something hopefully under 10 grand! ;-)

Does such a vehicle exist?
Cheers,
H.

Not asking for much are you!

You have time to look, but it will go past quiker than you think, just keep looking am sure you will find what you and your family need, good luck.

check www.mobile.de for ideas (click on the camper icon and then click on the 4wd option)

buy a copy of the overland handbook and read the vehicles section

4x4 merc panel van (vario) wold probaily fit the bill but are expensive

Iveco turbo daily 4x4 - crew cab versions difficult to find

Efficient to run - in these terms would probabily mean anything over 20mpg

unfortunatly the area between 3.5 tonnes and 7.5 tonnes is not a crowded market. There are trucks, like the man 8.136 but again not easy to find in crew cab and not cheap. Lots of big ivecos with crew cab that are cheap but you'll lose fuel economy.

see

Here 1

or


Here 2

Good advice Rich.

Some excellent stuff here about choosing a vehicle - www.xor.org.uk/silkroute/equipment/choosevan.htm Love the photos foot of page.

How about a Land Rover Defender 130 Crew Cab? Okay, this was a 6x6 and it would have cost them a fraction over £10,000 but their travels are an interesting read - www.expeditionoverland.com/index.htm

You should be able to see this as a. Non member.

http://www.101club.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5639

I think it's up your street apart from seating. But you can always over come that.

I know, I ask for a lot!!

Thanks Rich and Tom for those ideas. I'll have a good look at the links. Love the photos of the vans which are out of action - hope it'll never be us!!

Chally2, cheers for that link too! That looks SO nice! Such a shame it's not got room for 4 up front

Tom, the Landrover looks good, great for driving, but we're looking for something with a cabin at the back for living in for long periods.

Thanks loads for the advice!
Hannah

Hi, Welcome to the Forum!

You can get a pickup double cab and mount a campervan type cab in the bed and over the roof.


http://www.wiltshire.eu.com/demountables/images/photos/A66b.jpg - I personally advise either an L200 or Hilux Pickup over this vehicle.

TJ

Terracan Jas wrote:

Hi, Welcome to the Forum!

You can get a pickup double cab and mount a campervan type cab in the bed and over the roof.


http://www.wiltshire.eu.com/demountables/images/photos/A66b.jpg - I personally advise either an L200 or Hilux Pickup over this vehicle.

TJ

they are quite small inside for 4

also I'd be suspicious of most manufacturers ability to bild one to survive off road travel - the exception being biomobile (translated into english as 'loadsamoney')

If you've got the time then it might be worth a trip the the Bad Kissengin show in June to look at the german hardware parked there

Mitsi Delcia, Mazda Bongo and a few other varients, other than That I can not think of any other "roomy" vehicles at the moment.

TJ

Terracan Jas wrote:

Mitsi Delcia, Mazda Bongo and a few other varients, other than That I can not think of any other "roomy" vehicles at the moment.

TJ

Still quite small - the OP was looking for a vehicle that 4 could sleep in/live in

Thank you TJ and Rich. Unfortunately those are a bit on the small side for what we're after. Hoping to have a cabin which can have either a pull down double, or one always there, and space for either small bunk beds or another pull down double for the kids.
Thanks loads for the time on this everyone. The more I look into it, the more it looks really hard to find what we're after. Hubby is happy to look at standard motorhomes, like Hymer and Winnebagos, but I'm hoping to find a 4x4 which is more secure and able
to take us to places a normal motorhome can't. I don't want to feel we can't go down a nice looking rough road to a quiet beach somewhere, in case our vehicle lets us down. I want to be free to explore where ever!

Keep looking.

My friends have a 4x4 Hymer , no low range but its a good solid vehicle and although 20 years old its only done 30k kliks. they do come up on mobile.de from time to time. You can get mercedes vehicles converted to 4x4 but at mega cost

A 4x2 will be alot better on fuel. If you say buy a sprinter 4x2 , i think you can get a locking differential option (arb) which would get you out of most things. There have been some impressive lt45's on the mobile.de list.
Keep an eye out on ebay and if you havn't found it yet - horizons unlimited (primarily a motorcycling site) has a 4 wheels section where vehicles are sold

When travelling longterm the perceived wisdom is cost is based not on time but on distance (fuel, borders, visas etc being expensive, food etc cheap) so economy depends on how fast you wish to travel , not just on the vehicle

Also put on your list the RGS meeting in Yorkshire in July (see events list for dates) - its well worth attending and you'll see vehicles and can chat to folks.

Only thing on ebay at present is a ropey old transit 4x4

Boughton Reynolds, ex army, Perkins engine, worldwide spares, and available from military sales.

Just like this one

http://www.mod-sales.com/direct/vehicle/related/17647/Reynolds_Boughton.htm



Also this might help
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/other-4wd-overland-tech/reynolds-boughton-rb-44-a-42201

Assassin wrote:

Boughton Reynolds, ex army, Perkins engine, worldwide spares, and available from military sales.

not liked by the army.

not crew cab

spares for engine worldwide, not sure about the rest of it. it looks good on paper but i think i'd steer clear. lots of brake issues.

now if you can find a civvi spec one then alot better proposition. better axles and they are 7.5 tonne. due to the phazer engine they are not too bad on fuel. my mate did have a crewcab version and that did have possibilities. The civvi versions were dodge 50's

There are 2 on ebay at present (dodge 50 rather than rb44), all yo need is to by both and move the crew cab from the 4x2 to the 4x4 , yeah I'm fll of good ideas like that

There is a website www.dodge50.co.uk to get the background on them

Assassin wrote:

Boughton Reynolds, ex army, Perkins engine, worldwide spares, and available from military sales.

Im liking that. Looks pretty capable.

What about the Volvo C303. The Ural 375d (might need another liscence to drive) or the 1975+ Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer.

Terracan Jas wrote:

Assassin wrote:

Boughton Reynolds, ex army, Perkins engine, worldwide spares, and available from military sales.

Im liking that. Looks pretty capable.

What about the Volvo C303. The Ural 375d (might need another liscence to drive) or the 1975+ Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer.

C303 & pinz are both quite small to get 4 people sleeping in. They also cost a fair bit

A C306 is bigger - see here http://www.nkrecovery.co.uk/vehicles.html , but again the cabs are tiny so you won't get 4 people in - see origional post

But still has the petrol engine (volvo 3 litre) and I'm diesel diesel diesel when it comes to expedition vehicles

This is similar to my friends 4x4 hymer - if you're intending to go with tarmac and dirt roads and maybe the odd beach foray rather than hit the high dunes then this may do the job for you





Here

The brake issues are what makes them cheap, and within many peoples budget, and the brake issue is easily resolved by using Merecedes parts to convert the braking system, which is a fairly easy job for a competent DIY'er, and reasonable cheap, in addition you have to use poly bushes to replace the original suspension bushes as this threw the suspension out of line with excess movement if the vehicle was stored for long periods, unused. This limited the suspension lateral movement which prevented the vehicle from pulling to one side under braking, depending on the road camber.

iveco4x4 wrote:

Keep looking.

My friends have a 4x4 Hymer , no low range but its a good solid vehicle and although 20 years old its only done 30k kliks. they do come up on mobile.de from time to time. You can get mercedes vehicles converted to 4x4 but at mega cost

A 4x2 will be alot better on fuel. If you say buy a sprinter 4x2 , i think you can get a locking differential option (arb) which would get you out of most things. There have been some impressive lt45's on the mobile.de list.
Keep an eye out on ebay and if you havn't found it yet - horizons unlimited (primarily a motorcycling site) has a 4 wheels section where vehicles are sold

When travelling longterm the perceived wisdom is cost is based not on time but on distance (fuel, borders, visas etc being expensive, food etc cheap) so economy depends on how fast you wish to travel , not just on the vehicle

Also put on your list the RGS meeting in Yorkshire in July (see events list for dates) - its well worth attending and you'll see vehicles and can chat to folks.

Only thing on ebay at present is a ropey old transit 4x4

Thank you again Rich - great ideas....I didn't know 4x4 Hymer's existed. Something like that would be interesting.

Haven't looked on horizons..will look it up next, cheers.
Hannah

Another 4x4 fiat camper - only 5k euro !

Hope this works as I did use the insert link button !

link not working,