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Do a search for "UNICAT" on youtube and you see some outstanding rigs being put thru' their paces. I think they're orginally a German company and their factory website lists some amazing trucks. One MAN 8x8 I saw a while back was retailing for a little over the equivalent of $5million NZD!!! :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by crash
You can buy a lot of Land Rovers for that.
Cheers, Iain
mate i would love to see someQuote:
Originally Posted by LandieMan
Iain - if you can, that would be great. Did you run a web site diary while you were travelling? If so, a link would be good.Quote:
Originally Posted by LandieMan
What were the main problems with you 110 over the 18 months?
Cheers
David
G'day All, I have a small stove similar to that one, it came out of a NSWGR's guards van (PHG) it would be ideal to fit into the back of a Land Rover LOL cheers Dennis:angel:
ps I dont want to dispose of it either :)
It was back in 1997 we did the trip so the web diary thing hadn't really started. They're a great idea now for sharing ideas and tips as well as keeping friends and family updated on progress.Quote:
Originally Posted by spudboy
We didn't have a lot of problems at all with the 110. It started it's life as a V8 (1986 110 CSW) but was transplanted with a 300Tdi diesel & R380 gbox before we left the UK. Other than that everything else was kept pretty standard. The only problems of significance were the fuel lift pump needed to be replaced while we were crossing the Sahara (fortunately we had a spare) and the power steering box blew a bottom seal in Tanzania and had to be rebuilt in a camp ground in Kenya (once the seal kit had been DHL'ed from the UK).
It really was a superb touring truck, very comfortable, capable, economical and reliable. We shipped it to NZ from India and still have it today. We're currently planning a trip around Aussie in the same truck but this time it'll be touring with 4 of us rather than just my wife and I.
I'll hunt out some pictures and post them in a few days.
Cheers, Iain
Nice to hear that you went so far and only had minimal problems.
I've read quite a few diarys/blogs where the Landie gets into terrible trouble and needs a new head/gearbox/whatever out in the middle of nowhere. Mostly people doing it on the cheap and not properly preparing their vehicle before they leave.
Re your rebuild in Kenya: It's amazing what 'bush mechanics' with minimal facilities can accomplish when you need to repair something :D
Iain
Some photos would be very interesting - my expedition vehicle is a 1999 110 fitted with a 4BD1T Isuzu etc etc it performs brilliantly
CHT
Hi all,
As requested, below are a few photos from our trip, showing the two rigs and some of the campsites. I had some photos already scanned so I've put them together to tell a bit of the story. Just ask if there's any part that you'd like more detail on.
Our story was published by Land Rover International (LRO) in March 1999 so if you can get access to a copy of that you’ll be able to get more details. The article was titled “Blood sweet and gears”.
I hope you enjoy them. I enjoyed looking thru’ them again myself after so long.
Cheers, Iain
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A map showing our route, black & blue is the route taken, dotted lines are where the vehicles were shipped and the red line is the route we wanted to take but couldn't because of War.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/05/1166.jpg
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Fitting the 300Tdi on the footpath outside our flat in the UK...
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/03/1052.jpg
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... and the rollcage.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/03/1053.jpg
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Fitting the LD28 into the 101. Yes we are working outside, yes that is snow on the ground and yes the windscreen and roof did have to be taken off the 101 for it to fit in the insanely small garage in the UK.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/03/1054.jpg
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Both rigs looking all clean and shiny just before leaving the UK.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/03/1055.jpg
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Campsite somewhere in Finland
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/03/1056.jpg
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Campsite somewhere in France
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/03/1057.jpg
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Sand driving in the Sahara
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/03/1058.jpg
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Campsite somewhere in the Sahara (we travelled with a D90 for a while)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/03/1059.jpg
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Campsite in Mali, West Africa.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/03/1060.jpg
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And the poster shot, our 110 on the Karakoram Highway between Pakistan and China. On this road we took the 110 all the way up to the Khunjerab Pass which at it's highest point is 15,500ft above sea level. That's 3200ft higher than NZ's tallest mountain and 8200ft higher than Australia tallest mountain. The 300Tdi smoked a little at the top but otherwise ran flawlessly.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...09/03/1061.jpg
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Excellent photos. Thanks for posting.
A couple of questions:
- How did you get a permit to drive in Saudi? I thought it was pretty impossible. I have heard of people getting a transit visa, but thought you had to get through in 3 days max.
- Where did the boat trip between Ethiopia and Saudi leave/arrive? Is that Wadi Haifa (sp?) or is that higher up in Sudan?
- How did you go wild camping in dodgy countries? Did you ever get any grief from bandits etc?
Saudi Permit - We got a transit visa for Saudi from Eritrea. It might have only been for 3 days but it could have been up to 5 days. The Saudi guys in Eritrea we really helpful. I think they recognised that because Sudan had closed it's southern border to all foriegn overland traffic and the war in Ziare meant there was no northern vehicle route out of East Africa.Quote:
Originally Posted by spudboy
Boat Trip - There was a ro-ro ferry that ran a triangular route from Mitsiwa (on the coast of Eritrea), to Port Sudan and then to Jeddah. It took a couple of days to get to Jeddah, then we bee-lined north for Jordan.
Bandits - We didn't really get a lot of grief from bandits apart from in Northern Kenya and we were prepared for it with armed guards and an excorted convoy. You did however have to be mindful of it and like anywhere, there are bad places to go. That's one of the key reasons we missed out travelling thru' Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). Once the rule of law disappears in these places then you're in big trouble and you're best to be right out of it.
Free Camping - We did heaps of free camping in Africa but there wasn't really a lot of opportunity thru' alot of the Middle East and India. There were plenty of cheap camps and hotel carparks anyway and to be honest they were a little more interesting as you got to meet and chat with other travellers and locals.
Cheers, Iain