From Alaska To Brazil - Brits do the Americas

[Markprior]

Hi All,

We are just starting out on our almost 2 year adventure to drive from Alaska down to the bottom of Argentina.

We collected our truck from the port in Halifax a couple of days ago after shipping it across from the UK. We've just had a couple of days in a Nova Scotia campsite to get our thoughts together and organise the camper and then we are off on our way to Alaska (slow way).

We are driving a 1992 ex-military Leyland DAF GS 45/150. This has been converted to a camper by a UK company called Overland Vehicles . I think we're the first people in North America with one of these trucks but I may of course be wrong.

We are blogging about the whole trip on our website www.fromAtoB.org.

The journey to this point seems to have been really hard work with lots of paperwork and admin. This is where it should get fun.



Enjoy the blog,

Mark and Sarah

WWW.FROMATOB.ORG

 

[xdt]

I read your blog with interest and hope you have a fun and interesting trip. With that, welcome to Nova Scotia and Canada! If you're staying on the Trans Canada Highway from Truro to the New Brunswick border keep your coins handy as you will have another toll to pass.

 

[haven]

Welcome to ExPo, Mark and Sarah!

As your journey continues, post your travel plans. I'm sure ExPo members would be interested to meet you and share ideas about local routes and sites to visit.

If you're willing, please tell us how much you paid for the RORO shipping from England to Nova Scotia.

 

[Markprior]

Hi,

We did get stung for that toll - oh well.

The cost of shipping the camper was all told about £4k.

We had to ship the camper empty so we also shipped a 1m cubed crate which was about £500 of the £4k. We also got insurance for camper and crate which was around £750. In addition CAD600 were the port costs incurred in canada (including charges from a customs broker). So its quite expensive all in but we could have done it a bit cheaper.

Our plans our to head to Algonquin provincial park for a couple of days and then to Niagara Falls. After that we start the long trek across the country up to Alaska.

Regards,

Mark

 

[Christian P.]

Mark,

welcome on the forum! you are going to meet a lot of curious/interested people on your road as Overlanding is becoming more and more popular in North America!

 

[deepmud]

subscribed. keep us posted when you are in Alaska.

Interested in going offroad ? :elkgrin:

Erik

 

[racingjason]

Drop us a line if you need anything when coming through Alberta. Should be a great trip.

Cheers,
Jason
camspam"at"mac"dot"com

 

[Markprior]

Thanks for the offers guys.

We are a bit tentative about taking our baby off-road at the moment. Slow is good though and it can cope - low range in a campsite gave us bags of control. So maybe we should !

We are currently on route to Niagara before heading West.

Mark

 

[deepmud]

We'd keep you off the soft stuff - and yeah, slow is good . I think you could run up Perches if you can climb a few steep sections
https://profiles.google.com/108397469736257076894/photos/5075647290811343553?hl=en&tab=ih

I'll ask about specific hard-bottom trails suitable for expedition rigs - I know we have some where you could get off to some real backcountry. Otherwise, might as well have an RV lol .

 

[mervifwdc]

I've subscribed also - Nice blog!

When you are going through the prairies, in Winnipeg on Sunday nights at the "Pony corall" bar (there are a few, I'm not 100% the name of the correct one) they have custom car get togethers, with rat rods, hot rods, old trucks, bikes and such like. Great atmosphere, and a huge bunch of friendly people. If you can make the Sunday evening happen (Every sunday all summer long) it's well worth stopping by.

Merv.

 

[Gren_T]

Hi Guys, I'll be following your journey from sunny wales..

bonne route

 

[Markprior]

Hi Gren,

Sarah says a special hello as her hometown is corntown just next to you in Bridgend !

Regards,

Mark

 

[amit_shimla]

Good luck guys, eagerly waiting for the updates and pics.

 

[Markprior]

Hi Erik,

Sounds like fun. We'd be up for doing this if you could show us where. Half the problem is finding tracks where you know you went get it real trouble and have to reverse out. Not so easy when you are as big as us.

Mark

 

[Justin & Nadine]

Hey Guys!

Sounds like an amazing adventure you are on. Just read some of your blog and we understand about going slow - forced to go slow. Our top speed going up a hill is about 30 m/h - if we're lucky! One thing we've learned is that it never really matters what speed you do - they all just pass you anyway!!

Enjoy Canada, maybe we'll run into you on our way home!

Happy travels, look forward to following your blog!

Justin and Nadine