Ideal vehicle dimensions

[Sierra Lover]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if someone could share the ideal vehicle dimensions for 2, (Truck + Camper) length, height, width and wheel track widths. I am looking for some region specific details like what works in North America, South America, Western Europe, Northern Africa etc.

On a side note, would a box truck like a Freightliner M2 106 (216 in wb, 147 in effective C.A) be a good candidate to build as an overland vehicle? Why or why not?

Thanks!

 

[billiebob]

Depends entirely on where you travel. The Sahara Desert is completely different from the Amazon.

 

[Todd780]

Either of these should take you most places in relative comfort. Bring lots of gas money.

 

[billiebob]

would a box truck like a Freightliner M2 106 (216 in wb, 147 in effective C.A) be a good candidate to build as an overland vehicle?

The best vehicle is always one sold, driven, maintained in the countries you are travelling. Parts, service, repairs need to be part of the decision.

One of the few world vehicles is the Jeep Wrangler. They are sold and serviced in almost every country/continent. In Europe you'd do well to keep it small. In Northern Africa and North America size is less of an issue since we are pretty much wide open and sparsely inhabited.

M2s etc are pretty tall and heavy. Get one stuck and expect a major effort to reach solid ground.

 

[carterd]

Just about every place worth seeing in the world is probably getting deliveries by a Sprinter or Iveco van. This puts you in the range of 20-25 long, 76” track width, 10 feet tall, and 10,000 pounds. Anything bigger or heavier than this is going to start limiting your options. A vehicle of that size also has a much greater chance of finding a parking space and being recovered when stuck,.

The M2 106 is a big, wide, heavy truck with a 66,000 GVWR. The size and weight would limit where you can go. There are national parks in the U.S. that wouldn’t let that through the front gate. Everything is a compromise - a bigger truck will provide much better living accommodations, but comes with a whole host of other issues.

Here is another thread on the topic: https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...-right-size-for-an-overlanding-vehicle.69179/

 

[jmmaxus]

I think the smallest you can comfortably live in is best. Sprinter/Transit van. Mid size trucks are great but payload capacity isn’t enough for most hardside campers. Truck campers you see mostly 2500/3500s cause of payload need and I think they are still quite maneuverable. I think box trucks, busses, Class A RV sizes, etc. are just too big for overlanding, I guess some people are comfortable and good at driving them though. A 3500 truck quad cab with an 8 foot bed is big and about as big as I’d want to drive. Even 3500 truck with DRW dually wheels may be too wide though in my opinion. I’d rather get a smaller camper on a SRW truck.


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[Sierra Lover]

Just about every place worth seeing in the world is probably getting deliveries by a Sprinter or Iveco van. This puts you in the range of 20-25 long, 76” track width, 10 feet tall, and 10,000 pounds. Anything bigger or heavier than this is going to start limiting your options. A vehicle of that size also has a much greater chance of finding a parking space and being recovered when stuck,.

The M2 106 is a big, wide, heavy truck with a 66,000 GVWR. The size and weight would limit where you can go. There are national parks in the U.S. that wouldn’t let that through the front gate. Everything is a compromise - a bigger truck will provide much better living accommodations, but comes with a whole host of other issues.

Here is another thread on the topic: https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...-right-size-for-an-overlanding-vehicle.69179/

Thank you for sharing the post and your reply, this was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks again!

 

[Jupiter58]

Well, if all the places you want to see are being reached by a sprinter van then get one and post on vanlife sites.
There is much more to see that you can’t get to in a sprinter van.
As mentioned before, whatever you get make sure it is well supported where you go.

 

[tacollie]

There is much more to see that you can’t get to in a sprinter van.

Don't say that. You can't let the van lifeers know there's a world outside of van life. I don't want to lose the joy of pulling up to parking lot full sprinters so they can watch me air down and shift into four low and head up a camping spot that can't make it to.

The Freightliner is going to be a big truck. A RAM 5500 or Ford f-550 cab chassis will give you a lot of options and be easier to drive. It's still a big truck but It'll leave you a lot more options open over the Freightliner.

 

[carterd]

There is always the "last mile" challenge. A big truck might get you close to what you want to see, but you have to resort to Plan B to get to the final destination. This is why you see 6x6 MAN platforms carrying motorcycles, quads, or bicycles. If you really want a go-anywhere vehicle, you can't beat this:

 

[alanymarce]

Depends on your way of travelling. Good points have been made by others so not much to add. A way to think of this is to think about what vehicles are being driven where you want to go and then choose a track which fits (so that you're not having to plough a new rut), a clearance which is a bit more (so that you're not dinging the stones in the middle with your undercarriage), and a breakover angle which is a bit better (so that you don't hang up on the ridges).

General rule for me is to keep a vehicle as small as possible while still large enough to carry what you need and sleep inside. Our vehicles over the last decade and a half (all used for long trips) have included 2 Nissan X Trails (around South America), a Montero (South America and Australia), a LC80 (Africa), and a JK Wrangler (Canada).

A Wrangler is indeed a "world vehicle"; a Land Cruiser is an "everywhere in the world except a couple of countries" vehicle, as is a Hilux.

 

[Betarocker]

Find your optimal vehicle, then measure it.

 

[Buckstopper]

My Fuso is roughly 22' long and under 9' tall and 7' wide with the mirrors folded in. Some National Parks and campgrounds are limiting vehicle length to 24' to keep the really big RV's from getting stuck on curves, etc.

You also pay by the foot on some ferries (Alaska Marine Highway for one) so shorter is good if you're going to do that. We did and it was great. You wouldn't believe some of the rigs on the ferries...glad I didnt have to pay for their tickets

It will fit in most parking spaces including parallel parking on city streets. It has had a bit of pinstripping but nothing that I haven't been able to rub out.

We were in Yellowstone this spring just before the big flood and they had 6 ton weight limits on some side roads. We weigh just under that at 11,140 lbs so I went on the roads and some of the old wood bridges over some small creeks groaned a bit but we didn't have any problems. Not sure that those bridges are still there. The Rangers were busy trying to keep bison and idiots apart so they didn't hassle us.

If you are going to ship a rig overseas I have heard that it's cheaper and arguable safer to ship it in a container than roll on-roll off. Shipping container doors I believe are 7'6" wide and 8'6" tall (verify that!) so in theory I could ship the Fuso in a container aired down and antennae pulled down. Someone smaller and more nimble that me would need to get it in the container then climb out of the cab and shimmy under the truck to get out of container and then do the reverse when it gets to the destination. I haven't shipped over seas one way or the other so confirm this if you are going that direction.

We have never been turned away from anywhere we wanted to go in US and Canada (not counting drive-in windows with overhead canopies). And we have gotten out of some places that perhaps we shouldn't have gotten in to.

Hope this helps,

Buckstopper

 

[Over The Silent Planet]

Ideal dimensions to me are a Hilux or a 79series LC crew cab. Neither of which you can get in the US. Midsize with one-ton payload for all the gear. Well maybe the LC isn’t midsize but it’s not the size of my tundra, either. there’s a reason midsize trucks in the rest of the world have HD capability.

Sucks that all our vehicles in the US are geared more toward ride comfort than payload capability. I would sell my truck in a heartbeat for a 79 series.

 

[Sierra Lover]

My Fuso is roughly 22' long and under 9' tall and 7' wide with the mirrors folded in. Some National Parks and campgrounds are limiting vehicle length to 24' to keep the really big RV's from getting stuck on curves, etc.

You also pay by the foot on some ferries (Alaska Marine Highway for one) so shorter is good if you're going to do that. We did and it was great. You wouldn't believe some of the rigs on the ferries...glad I didnt have to pay for their tickets

It will fit in most parking spaces including parallel parking on city streets. It has had a bit of pinstripping but nothing that I haven't been able to rub out.

We were in Yellowstone this spring just before the big flood and they had 6 ton weight limits on some side roads. We weigh just under that at 11,140 lbs so I went on the roads and some of the old wood bridges over some small creeks groaned a bit but we didn't have any problems. Not sure that those bridges are still there. The Rangers were busy trying to keep bison and idiots apart so they didn't hassle us.

If you are going to ship a rig overseas I have heard that it's cheaper and arguable safer to ship it in a container than roll on-roll off. Shipping container doors I believe are 7'6" wide and 8'6" tall (verify that!) so in theory I could ship the Fuso in a container aired down and antennae pulled down. Someone smaller and more nimble that me would need to get it in the container then climb out of the cab and shimmy under the truck to get out of container and then do the reverse when it gets to the destination. I haven't shipped over seas one way or the other so confirm this if you are going that direction.

We have never been turned away from anywhere we wanted to go in US and Canada (not counting drive-in windows with overhead canopies). And we have gotten out of some places that perhaps we shouldn't have gotten in to.

Hope this helps,

Buckstopper

Thanks for sharing this!