Choice of overland vehicle

Slagelse

New member
Hi, and thanks in advance for all feedback & help.

Have spent the last 4-5 months educating myself on overland vehicles, with the aim of finding the answer to the question - what to choose for a two year RTW trip with kids?

The requirements:
- Relatively new vehicle (max 5 yo). Am no mechanic, and don't want to spend the better part of this trip trapped in garages around the world
- 4x4 (expect approx 70/30 split between bitumen and all the rest, no extreme off-roading)
- diesel
- has to seat and sleep four (two adults and two kids age 6 & 3)
- max total weight of 3,5t
- ability to fit in regular 40'high cube shipping container (expect min five ocean crossings)
- roof top tent is not an option

In addition to these above mentioned MUST haves, the wife would appreciate a wet shower/toilet, and for practicalities it would be an advantage if the vehicle is available or acquirable somewhere in Europe (we live in Denmark).

Am well aware (or at least that's what my search so far has revealed) that this is a tall order, and that such accommodations for most would not be tolerable for an extended time period, but we have our reasons and trust we can do it. Time will tell.

So far the two solutions/options I've been able to find, and that are able to come by, are:

- a 'Sportsmobile' style Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 (short wheelbase, low roof) with pop-top
- a 'Bimobil' camper 258, mounted on a long wheelbase VW Amarok

Am aware that the Bimobil when mounted wont fit inside a container, but should we go for this option the idea is to somehow fabricate four short 'legs' with wheels, enabling us to demount the camper and roll it into a container followed by the actual car.

So, does anyone out there have any other answers to this riddle, considering the above mentioned MUST haves?

Appreciate your help, and belated thanks for all the good and free info I've been able to collect in here these past months,

Happy travels,
/Slagelse
 

goodtimes

Expedition Poseur
If you're considering a pop-top on a sprinter van - any reason to not consider a pop top on a camper? That would allow it to fit in a container without dismounting the camper. It would also free up some of your relatively limited space and load capacity since you wouldn't need to carry anything to dismount & store the camper during shipment.

I have a vague memory of hearing that Four Wheel Camper was (or was going to?) begin exporting campers. I'm not sure if it ever happened or not, but their "flat bed" versions (don't recall the model names) would provide a similar footprint as the Bimobile 258 (with an interior similar to layout 2L).

Personally I find the vans to be too small for more than one or two people. No problem when the weather is good (most of the time is spent driving or outside at camp), but to put a family inside for a few days while the weather is bad . . . no thanks!
 

Slagelse

New member
Hi 'Goodtimes'
Thanks for your input.
The Bimobil campers (as far as I have understood) actually don't require any additional mounting or dismounting gear (except for the mentioned wheels I plan on bringing), so that part is not really an issue. So to your point, there should be no need to compromise and go for a pop top camper. This for the idea though.

Will look into the mentioned solution from Four Wheel Camper.

Fully appreciate that a van (or basically any setup we decide on that fits above mentioned criteria) will be VERY small for a family of four, but it's unfortunately the sacrifice/compromise we have to make. Idea is to befriend the sun, and allow ourselves some days at a motel if and when needed.

Thanks again /Slagelse
 

Slagelse

New member
Thanks 'mr 4x4',
Reason for favouring the Sprinter over a Quigley converted Transit (or similar) is that to me a van born from factory with 4x4 is always to be preferred. Am I wrong?
Another reason I gravitate towards the Sprinter is the global dealer/service setup, which, as far as I understand, is second to none. Again, am I wrong?
Thanks in advance for input
 

mr4x4

New member
Haha cool thats as close as you can get to an off road rv. Wonder what the cg is like though.
 

Theoretician

Adventurer
Check out the Earthcruiser - I think they just started operations somewhere in Europe. Mitsubishi Fuso based camper - designed to fit within a shipping container. Four people might be kinda tight though, since it's only 20ft long or so.
 

grizzlyj

Tea pot tester
Hiya
.
Personally I don't like dismountables because they look like the back axle is carrying too much weight. I'm not saying they all are, but I would think four people with all their gear may push things too heavy quite easily? I did have a look at a Bimobile for two on a Landy a few years ago, loads of available space but not enough payload to make use of it IMHO :)
.
Why 3.5 ton limit anyway?
.
As a suggestion, work out how much the water, stuff, spares, fuel plus people will weigh and then see if any vehicle works at 3.5tons?.
.
Is Ro-Ro available on your expected crossings?
.
Avoid a dpf vehicle too perhaps, does that make it a bit older than your age limit?
.
Well worth a look- http://www.silkroute.org.uk/equipment/choosevan.htm
.
Good luck :)
 

Slagelse

New member
Hi grizzlyj
Agree, dismountables aren't attractive to look at, not at all actually, but they present an option for containerization, as you can overcome the height issue (which is the big challenge) by stuffing cabin & car separately.
3,5 ton limit is simply a drivers permit issue. With a regular DK permit me and my wife are only allowed to operate max 3,5 tonnes, and upgrading the permits to 'light truck' is expensive (~usd 6k). Additionally the registration fee of any +3,5 ton in this tax heavy country of ours is ridiculous.
Pardon my ignorance, but what is a 'dpf vehicle'?
Thanks for the link, very interesting/relevant indeed
/Jesper
 

grizzlyj

Tea pot tester
Hi
.
Newer vehicles have a Diesel Particulate Filter which may not appreciate the poorer quality diesel you may end up using depending where you hope to go. That can bring you to a stop and can cost quite a bit to either clean out or replace. How big a problem that may be, or not at all, you won't know until it happens.
.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_particulate_filter
.
I'd forgotten about some of the mad motoring costs in Denmark. A Class C licence in the UK takes about 5 days (after the theory bits have been passed) and costs something like £1200. Maybe you could take it here? A C1 licence costs only a little less, uses a smaller vehicle to learn in obviously but limits you to 7500kg. C takes you to anything rigid over 3500kg and certainly improved my driving skills and appreciation of how differently you have to think with something so big and slow. As a proportion of your possible vehicle cost even in DK upgrading your licence is a small part and maybe money well spent? A bigger vehicle might give you less chance of being permanently overloaded too?
.
Grimaldi shipping costs UK to S America for our next vehicle are many times what just a container would be, but if we can stay there for longer and more comfortably (cheaply?) in our truck, total costs may balance out a little (I hope! (Using "Man Maths" it is definitely much cheaper :)))
 

thebigblue

Adventurer
Hi grizzlyjAdditionally the registration fee of any +3,5 ton in this tax heavy country of ours is ridiculous.

/Jesper

Hi Jesper, just to let you know: there´s NO registration tax/fees on lories above 3500 kg in Denmark !! To find insurance for a private owned lory however needs a big effort.

Peter
 
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