So this is evolving as I imagine it does for most people who go down this road (excuse the pun). Original idea was to have the LC79 fitted with custom back. Too small, very expensive and the killer of the idea....they wanted my LC79 down in South for 8+ months. Not happening!
Then I went through the idea of putting a Palomino camper back on the LC79 and towing a trailer. My LC79 is a 1HZ 6 cyl. Not enough power or torque for the job. So scratched that.
Thats when I realised I am going to have to go to a small truck. My googling led me to this site. Then it all went to hell
I got very enthused about an NPS300. As all this is happening I have my camera gear arriving from the US - received about 4 shipments so far with loads more coming in. I am itching to get out there to go shooting. We are not that far from the Lower Zambezi National Park (maybe 50 - 70 Klms) and there is some very rugged mountains through there. So one Sunday morning, studying Google Earth looking for tracks I might be able to use to get an approach to some of the really rugged spots along the edge of the Park, I thought about dumbing it all down as it was getting too complicated. I went back to basics. I even ditched the wife from the list of what to take (serious).
I thought about how to get this down to a much smaller operation with just a few guys, tents and get out there. But when its all said and done I just cant get this to a small thing. I need my guys. Too much to carry in the field, I need a guy for security at the camp, security in the field, guys to carry. Then I have to feed us all, carry water. I thought about using the Isuzu twin cab as my tow vehicle.....it can sit 5 people in it, has the load area in the back and can tow.
That lead me into the Conqueror trailer. I was glued to the Internet searching South Africa for a good late model used Conqueror. I lasted about a week until I realized this was OK for short duration trips not that far from home but is not the right setup for months away from home in Uganda or on a barren part of the Skeleton Coast.
Back to the NPS 300. Then I stumbled across
http://www.hackneys.com/mitsu/ This looks to me to be the ideal compromise. This guy comes over as knowing what he is on about. He keeps mentioning weight issues and now I am hearing the same from you guys.
So that's where I *WAS* at - until a certain Iveco got revealed to me - I was going to import a bigfoot camper back for the NPS. There are many camper backs in the US, but Mr Hackney swears the Big foot is the best made of all. Good enough for me, why reinvent the wheel? Mr Hackney has done the research. So a Big Foot in a Container and send it over to me. Whats really interesting about that idea is that it turns out that Kym is having backs built in South and shipping them home to Aus in containers. Its ironic...... here I am sourcing a back from the US to ship to Africa in a container, while Kym is sourcing backs from Africa to ship to Australia in containers !
Now the new idea. This Iveco. Yes its expensive. I am not happy about that to be honest, but its only money. Buy quality and cry once. The thing that concerns me about it is that its BIG. Its very imposing. Maybe this aspect is nonsense on my part? A big camper back on an NPS300 is not exactly incognito i suppose. But after 20 years in Zambia if I have learnt one thing its keep your head down and stay under the radar - dont bring attention to yourself and you get by fine. All of our travel in Zambia will be bush camps - there are 1 or 2 camp grounds in Zambia. Maybe a few half hearted attempts around Livingstone and one that I know of in a place called Mukushi on the Great North Road that heads up into Tanzania. Thats it. So like it or lump it, in Zambia you are bush camping - always. So would like to stay as low key as possible. This Iveco just seems to scream - rich muzungu ! (Muzungu = white man). So there's that.
Next thing is a back for it. As you say FF 4x4, a small back is a waste on that beast. Now we are way way over the weigh bridge limit,..... well why limit ourselves. If we have to go over those dammed weigh bridges we may as well go mad on what we do. One other issue - all roads in Zambia are now tolled. Approx every 200 Klms is a tool both - its surreal to see a toll both in the middle of the bush on a crap road extorting money out of every vechicle to use the same crap as always roads. This started 2 years ago. The bigger the truck the bigger the toll and they are NOT cheap. Its about $20 US for a 15 t truck every 200 Klms ! Sure its a local thing but its very real. We do intend to hit East Africa as far around as Uganda and Rwanda (will give Burundi a miss for now - place too unstable) but before we go there we want to get into the Bangweulu swamps for the Black lechwe migration (no one seems to know about this mass migration that occurs every year) and up to Lake Meru Wanitipa - its a fascinating area that hardly anyone goes to go - its surely not on the tourist route. But its a thousand+ kilometers from us with a $20 US toll every 200 klms. + 40l/100 Kilometers. Is this Iveco really feasible ?
So now we are into the 15t class. How much is a back going to cost? Another learning curve ahead as I start exploring this option.
Its amazing that as you go through this and the figures keep getting bigger and bigger that you start to get immune to the size of the numbers involved. After a while you somehow seem to justify why things cost as much as they do. I can see why the self building goes on. I dont have a workshop for any of this and to import all the parts and materials up here is just not the way to go.
I have a feeling this is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better
