Overlander Interview - Guy Jellvet

[dhackney]

Date: 9 August 2008
Location: Cusco, Peru
Overlanders: Guy Jellvet, wife, three children (14,10 & 9) and a full size German shepherd dog
Nationality: France
Expedition: Asia, Central Asia, Russia, North America, Central America, South America, ?
Expedition duration: 5/2006 - ?
Vehicle: Current vehicle is a 2000 Ford F350 & 1999 Lance Legend 990 camper
Engine:
Total Vehicle Kilometers: 85,000 miles
Current Expedition Kilometers: 17,000 miles (bought used in USA for NA/CA/SA expedition)
Fuel Efficiency: 11.761 MPG / 4.999 km per liter / 20 liters per 100 km
Vehicle notes: Tried a small class A when they arrived in the USA but were unhappy with it for the type of travel they prefer, e.g. wild camping and rough roads. They paid $28k for the used pickup truck and camper. Plan to sell the truck and camper in Argentina when they complete the SA portion of their travels. They used a small class C for travel prior to Americas.
Trip notes: Next goal is Ushuaia, Argentina. Once they finish SA, then they will travel “with the wind.”
Comments: The children are wonderfully well behaved and play creatively, making up their own games/worlds from what is around them in their current environment. The children are home schooled via a program provided by the French government.
Web site: http://www.14pattes.com/

 

[locrwln]

Very cool. Thanks for these, like most on here, I really enjoy them.

Jack

 

[dhackney]

update

Guy pulling the pickup out for a run up to Macchu Pichu. This was only the fourth time they have seperated the camper/truck.

They loaded the truck with four adults, six children and a full size German Shepard and drove up to Santa Teresa, about a five hour drive. Only the dog rode in the bed.

Guy working with his son on math and science lessons.

When I talked to Guy about the reasons they chose to travel one of the respones was that he wanted to live with his children, not just see them for a few minutes a night and possibly the weekend.

He teaches them, plays with them, cooks fantastic meals for them and shares adventures with them.

Watching it all makes me wish I could turn back the clock and rethink some decisions I made when my kids were young.

 

[btggraphix]

Nice to see a Lance down there!

I've really enjoyed reading the interviews of the people you are meeting Doug. Thanks!

I can't resist commenting on this one because of the plain-jane pickup and truck camper. It was mentioned on one of the other interviews about keeping it simple and there seems to be something to that.

The guy we bought our rig from spent a year down there on a reasonably stock C4500 and totally stock Lance 1191 and had no real trouble. He didn't even take a spare tire! While I hope we can do something like these trips someday....it's interesting to know that our rig has.

He has an interesting interview on the Truck Camper Magazine site awhile back that might interest readers of this thread as well.

http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=110&Itemid=34