Other Suitable Vehicles

Bedford Trucks
Built for the British Army by Vauxhall Motors, the Bedford MK and MJ series trucks have served for thirty years in many countries around the world. They are reliable and efficient and have earned a reputation as outstanding, tough, off road workhorses. Nowadays they serve in a  new role as Humanitarian Aid Transports in many countries around the world. They are now obsolete, and were replaced by a 4 x 4 Leyland four tonner, which found the old M series a tough act to follow indeed.

Click on one of the pictures of Bedfords below, to see how to buy one.

If you wish to purchase a Bedford, there are several dealers in the UK who have stocks, and at least one in Holland.  (See 'Links' page)  They are available in right and left hand drive versions and there are variants on the 'cargo body' design.  These include a ten ton winch fitted under the rear of the vehicle and another with a hydraulic 'Hiab' type arm.  It is still possible to find a 'radio box' which is ideal for conversion to a camper, but they are very rare!  Designed to be maintained on the battlefield by unskilled soldiers, these trucks are perfect for adventurers who can do their own servicing etc.  I can recommend them without hesitation or reservation.  Truly a legend in their own lunchtime!

DAF Trucks
There are still hundreds of these trucks available from the Dutch Army.  They are at present being replaced by the Scania 'R' series, but will be available for quite a while.  You could offer a sealed bid to the government disposal agency, 'Domeinen', but unless you have inside knowledge of what is being offered by others, there is little hope of you getting a successful bid in.  Better to go to one of the dealers; Van Damm, or even one of the DAF dealers who buy them for sale to Africans.  The DAF dealer in Winterswijk will help you.

M.A.N. Trucks
The British, German, Belgian and various other armies are using the MAN series (see below) of military trucks.  They come in various variations.  4x4, 6x6, 8x8, fitted with many bodies.  The most common though, is the 4x4 soft topped general cargo type.  Ideal for conversion to an expedition vehicle.  They have recently become available at auction and at military surplus dealers throughout the UK & Europe.  It has to be said however, that fuel consumption is extremely high with these trucks, three kilometres to the litre being about as good as they get.  Usually it is about two kilometres to a litre.  This is about 5mpg.  You have been warned.

Mercedes Benz Unimog
There are many people who enthuse about the Mercedes Unimog.  Stephen Stewart's link can be found on our links page.  His is a lovely example of how to build an expedition vehicle.  If you already know the Unimog, and are used to it, then OK.  If not, I cannot recommend it!  It is a very tall vehicle to start with, and building a body on top of it will only increase the centre of gravity and make the truck even more unstable than it already is!

Mercedes Benz
Undoubtedly a good buy, the Merc 1017 4x4 is widely available from several countries.  These include Holland, Denmark, Belgium and of course, Germany.  Mechanics from here to Delhi or Timbuctu will know this vehicle.  It has been around for ever, and is in service all over Africa, Europe and Asia.  Spares and repairs will be easy to get almost anywhere.  This has to be the best vehicle to buy if you rely on others to do your repairs and maintenance.

So there you have a selection.  Obviously there are other options.  Ordinary commercial vehicles will provide a good basis to build an overland truck.  A cheap option if your budget is a bit modest, would be a Mercedes Benz box van, say, a 1217.  This would convert easily and cheaply into a camper.  Just be careful about it's height.  Anything over 3.5 metres could be a problem.  Low bridges, overhead cables etc., are usually over this, but not by much.

So far we have looked at trucks.  However, it is quite possible to go in a smaller vehicle.  A Mercedes van is a very good option.  Much cheaper on fuel, easier to drive on some of the tiny roads you may encounter, and far cheaper to buy!

That reminds me, How are you Vee?  Get in touch!  Vee?  He had, when we met him in Quetta, done the Europe/India trip twice in his Mercedes MB100 van. (see above, right) Fitted out with a bed and a cooker, his van had taken him thousands of kilometres around Europe and Asia.  No four wheel drive, no special preparation.  No problem!  Some of you may assume that other small vans, such as Ford, Opel, Renault, are just as suitable.  Be warned.  You may find spares for the Ford in Turkey, but certainly not for the others!  The local mechanics will probably never have heard of  these marques either, never mind know how to repair them!

Land Rover
Believe it or not, the Land Rover has been around since 1948.  It started out as a temporary measure to fill a need for a utility vehicle and get the Rover Motor Company into the post war export market.  Steel was in short supply and only issued to companies with an export record.  Rover had never exported, so couldn't get the steel!  No export record, no steel, no steel, no exports!  There was however, a huge stock of aluminium that was left over from the war time aircraft production.

Maurice Wilkes, a Rover executive,  used a Willys Jeep on his farm, but found spares almost impossible to obtain.  When he looked for an alternative, he found nothing suitable.  Deciding that there must be a market for a utility vehicle, he got Rover to build one!  Scarce steel was used only for the chasis, and plentiful supplies of aluminium alloy were available to make the body.  The pre production run of 48 vehicles were built in time for the launch of the new vehicle at the Amsterdam Motor Show in April 1948.  Driven by a 1.6 litre petrol side valve engine, the 80 inch wheelbase 'Land' Rover, was an immediate success.

Land Rover estimate that two thirds of all the Land Rovers ever manufactured are still in service.  A statistic bettered only by Rolls Royce.  They have been parachuted, hovered, floated, converted into half tracks, four tracks, ambulances, fire engines, forward control, and gun platforms.  They now also have V8, and diesel turbo charged engines. There are, of course, the luxury versions, the Discovery and the Range Rover.

Never in the field of human endeavour has any vehicle been subject to so much imaginative engineering and /or abuse, or driven so hard or been so loved!  They are to be found in virtually every country in the world, which is a testament to their versatility and popularity.  They are not usually good on fuel consumption and their rather hard suspension (except for the Discovery/Range Rover models) can be rather stressful over long periods.  Having said this, you will see many of them in the hands of overlanders!

The Land Rover slogan, 'The Best 4x4 by Far' is debatable, but no one can deny the Land Rover its place in the 4x4 hall of fame!

Toyota Landcruiser
The Landcruiser must have the reputation that is the envy of every 4x4 maker in the world.  It is probably the toughest, most reliable off roader in the world.  It is comfortable, easy to drive both on and off the road, and is known all over the planet.  The first one appeared in 1950 and was a dead ringer for the Willys 'Jeep'.  Since then, there have been many models, but the two above are probably the best known.  Great off roaders, but like all small vehicles, they are not really suited to trans continental travel.  Where would you live? In a tent!

So there you have it.  All you go to do now is choose a vehicle, fit it out, and off you go.  Best of luck, and when you've built it, send me a few pics, and a description of the work you did on it.  Get in touch with us and we'll give you a prestigious(!) 'india-overland' e mail address too!  (yourname@india-overland.com)