Overlanding vehicle

[ChrisF]

We know that 4x4's are bought for a rnage of reasons, and uses.

Mall crawlers making up the largest percentage of these sales (SAD state of affairs)

Then the farmer or construction worker for whom a 4x4 is just a working tool.

Some 4x4's gets used to do trips, trails and obstacles.

And then some people buy a 4x4 to "overland" - whatever that may mean. Drive along Namibia on good gravel roads. Drive in our other neighbouring countries on not so good gravel roads. And every so often the 4x4 allows you to get to that unique spot where you cant get without the "short stick". But for these people it is not about "pushing the vehicle", rather about "getting out into the bush".


Now my question: What is your ideal overlanding rig ??

is it a bakkie and a one man pop up tent ?

is it a roof top tent and alucab for quick access to the cold stuff ?

is it a potent 4x4 and a trailer ?

is it a fancy camper canopy ??


I would appreciate your fotos of your ideal overlanding rig. Also would love to hear your advise of how your current rig can be improved to be the ideal rig.



yes the sterotype Samil is right up there. but as my budget is not "up there" ... would love to hear your realistic options. :)



MODS - not sure in which section this thread belongs.

[Jaco Versfeld]

I think it is the classic case of horses for courses.

I have an Aluminium canopy (homemade) and a rooftop. I use my vehicle mainly for overlanding in Namibia, and although I appreciate NAMs great gravel roads, we normally try to get to some desolate place like Dorros Crater, Ghai Xas fontain (spelling), Puros, Hoanib, (Mudorib, if I can get a permit), etc. Point is, you need the short stick, and for the places that we visited, a trailer will definitely be a severely limiting hindrance. I would like to modify the canopy, in order to get more access. The rooftop is great, if it is only a sleep-over. If you camp at the same spot for more than one day, the rooftop is really a frustration.

I am considering to get a 4x4 trailer, or something like the Imagine Trailvan (when my ship comes in ) when doing places less wild than the Ugab or Kaokoveld. When we went to Mabuasehube, I would really have appreciated something stronger than canvass. (My father and I were sharing a canvass tent. The one night at around 12:00, to our dismay, we "heard a young lion playing with the corner of our tent, like a cat with some wool". After about 5 minutes, it felt like 5 hours, my father couldn't take it anymore. He unzipped the tent and made a loud noise while storming out. Luckily it was only the wind tossing a lose tent line...) For places like this, a trailer / offroad caravan is better suited. Normally you also camp for 3-4 days at the same place.

The best is to see what your style is. I think it will be while before we will use the rooftop again, since my boytjie is only 18 months old. I think for the next couple of years we would adopt a camper lifestyle. Once Bulletjie and Sussa is old enough, we will do the overlanding thing again...

[ChrisF]

seriously considering making my own custom camper canopy.

But want to see what others have tried before go down that road ....


We currently have a nice rig. Only drawback is that if we travel a couple of days in a row it becomes tiring to set up and break down camp - and our rig only takes 10 to 20 minutes.

IDEALLY I want to start an early morning game drive Before sunrise to get the best photos - but I feel too bad to ask my wife to get up at that time .... so if the rig was all inclusive, and she could still "sleep in" while I idle along .....


just imagine a 5 to 10 km early morning drive. Some nice pics, and then wake her up with breakfast next to the road ....



not even sure if this is practical .....

[doppies]

For me it is a tool to do the job, but not any 4x4. It must have a solid front axle. Why ? Because you always sure about ground clearance, its robust and easy to repair. In the market are now only Land cruiser and land rover. Previous there was also the Hilux SFA and Nissan Safari. The most points go to the Hilux SFA. Why ? First, the availibility of parts. New and secondhand. Parts are not expensive compare to Land cruiser and land rover. Easy to work on and just go on and on. I knew it is one of the slowest bumpy vehicles, but people still love these vehicles. Second hand value's are more than IFS Toy's. Over 20 years from now, people will treat there SFA Toy's like a Shellby Musting or Fairmont GT today. If you have a nice one, keep it, it never drop on prise.

[ThysdJ]

Indeed a case of horses for courses. I have always maintained that your camping setup is something that will always change, and grow with you and your needs, or as the environment you are visiting differs. That is one of the reasons that after all these years I still dont have a drawer system and all sorts of fancy and expensive built in storage units in my vehicle. I would change them every time we come back from a trip. Believe me, I had a Surf-Kombi in my younger days, and even in those days when all we needed for a lekker week by the seaside was a few packs of wors and a few kanne Tassenberg, I couldnt work out a suitable packing system.

We've been doing "overlanding" for a long time now. We also started out with just a RTT and an canopy, but soon realised that we needed some other means of shelter to make our camping comfortable. On the scene appeared a little ground tent to act as kitchen/general storage area and as a place to get changed.

Soon after that we also realised that camping in a RTT for more than 1 day in the same spot became a hassle, especially if we want to use the vehicle to go anywhere. Then came a bigger ground tent and we started pitching that whenever we knew we were going to stay for a few days. After a while we came to the realisation that the bigger tent is too small for sleeping and storage, so we started pitching both ground tents. This becomes part of our routine now, and it takes about an hour to set up camp when we arrive at our destination.

We do still take the RTT along for those nites when we arrive late at a campsite, and we are only overnighting. In the Richtersveld we decided one night that we were not going to pitch the "kitchen" tent while we slept in the RTT. What a disaster. Die mevrou got frustrated because there wasnt enough space to work/put down her stuff, so the next morning we decided for our own sanity we'll take the extra 20 minutes and pitch the tent every time. We also pitch a gazebo (3mx3m) for shelter from the sun and to extend our living area. The gazebo came after we spent some time in clear windless sub zero nights in the Kalahari and we had nothing to sit under and watch the stars. It was freeking cold, and we frosted over!!

We are now at a stage where we decided that the RTT is actually not going to join us on trips any more. We are looking at buying a bigger tent that will fulfill both the sleeping and storage/kitchen tasks. We are moving down from the trees and onto the ground... just like the monkeys did millions of years ago..

It grows with you.. next year it changes again..

[Mud Dog]

Only thing that is permanently fitted is the fridge and slide. Also cannot see the sense of a drawer system unless you're doing the same thing all the time. The extra weight is prohibitive IMO. Pack separately for each trip / outing and use ammo boxes for modular packing. Also prefer the ground tent over RTT .... more versatile and much lighter.

[Danman]

seriously considering making my own custom camper canopy.

But want to see what others have tried before go down that road ....


We currently have a nice rig. Only drawback is that if we travel a couple of days in a row it becomes tiring to set up and break down camp - and our rig only takes 10 to 20 minutes.

IDEALLY I want to start an early morning game drive Before sunrise to get the best photos - but I feel too bad to ask my wife to get up at that time .... so if the rig was all inclusive, and she could still "sleep in" while I idle along .....


just imagine a 5 to 10 km early morning drive. Some nice pics, and then wake her up with breakfast next to the road ....



not even sure if this is practical .....

If you build a camper rig, also think about building it to be attached from the vehicle whilst camping(the AHA camper canopy can be detached and driven out from under)
This would allow you to use your vehicle and keep the camp set up for a few days.

We used to camp using a 5 man dome tent with a gazebo for shelter. For years we were the first to pitch and pack up(this had it's drawbacks cause then you have to assist the slow okes )
We then decided to make it more comfortable and user friendly with the growing family.
We got a trailer and a trailertent. this takes much longer to pitch and along with the increased size come more stuff to assemble for wifey
And to make matters worse after about three years of trailertent camping my son asked me if he could sleep in the dome tent the next time we go camping
So why did I spend the extra money for the extra bit of space when it was only needed for a few years(my wife will have an answer )
I have decided that if we go away for a weekend we take the dome tent, but anything longer than 4 days we take the trailertent.

Loooove camping
So I have decided that if we go away for the weekend

[ThysdJ]

Sorry Chris, I went a bit off topic there in explaining our camping setup.

Our overlanding vehicle is a Hilux DC Vigo with a aluminium canopy, and a roofrack. We remove the rear seat to accommodate fridge and cooler box and other odds and ends. The loadbin is just open space. It is 4x4 and we do need it from time to time on our travels. The rest of the vehicle is stock, except for the front suspension spacers. I also had roof rails fitted on the cab to mount the RTT, but that can also be used to mount another roofrack should the need arise. Once we get home after a trip, everything gets unloaded, uninstalled, and removed from the vehicle, to save on weight and wind resistance. I also use the vehicle as my daily commuter..

[ChrisF]

Thys I think you descibed my problem/situation to the T !!

The photos below shows our current rig.

Started of with sleeping in the back of the Hilux. Then a drawer system designed around 4 crates, etc etc ... next we had a system that had two draw backs - what to do with our bags of clothing when we sleep, and we had to get dressed laying down. Next step was an OZ tent to store the goodies, and for getting dressed. BIG PLUS was the extra cover for rainy days !


DANIE - takes us about 10 to 15 minutes to pack away OUR stuff .... then to help the others ....


Drawback of this is that by the time my wife is up it is too late for the Golden Hour photos .....

[ChrisF]

Thys so come to think of it - the camping setup IS the crucial part in this whole "overlanding" debate.


afterall, we all KNOW our Hilux will get us there and back. :)



Now to start planning the most but ugly camper canopy that provides the most elegant solution to "overlanding" (read camping) :)

[CasKru]

Not everyone like Andrew St.Pierre White but he puts it quite nicely here...

[Danman]

Amen Brother!

[ThysdJ]

My quest is to seperate my vehicle from my camping setup as much as possible, so that we can use the vehicle for those game drives, training sessions etc without having to pack up most of our stuff, and die mevrou kan stay at the camp while I drive around with learners.

Adding a trailer to my setup was on the cards once, but after some deliberation and careful consideration I decided it is not the way to go (for me)..

We are getting there slowly but surely..

[ROOFER]

[ChrisF]

Cassie thanks for the link.

I am actually one of ASPW's followers. I am not blink to his faults. BUT, I THANK him for taking the bold step to document so much for the next generation of 4x4'ers. The FIRST trail we did, with ZERO training, I went down a steep decline (actually just a slight down hill on a good gravel road) and when I touched the brakes it locked !!! In that instant of shock I remembered ASWP talking on tv of "engine braking" .... still believe that saved me some money (at the least my ego) on that day !!

[ChrisF]

Thys separating the vehicle from the camping is probably the KEY to this discussion.

Right now 85% of our camp is in the vehicle - TOO much for me to leave the wife behind when I go for a morning drive, yet not enough to take her with while she is still asleep .....


I have often thought of a trailer setup. The one major benefit (or so I would like to believe) is that you then get the setup sorted once. No re-doing it with every vehicle .... To me the main downside is that I really dont like towing on gravel (had a near accident once)



and THIS is why I started this thread - WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW OTHERS DO IT.

[george]

Hi Chris. This is one of the questions I have been thinking a lot lately.The last couple of months I have seen quit a few rigs.Here is a pic of my setup.

IMG_4142.JPG (163.83 KiB) Viewed 3533 times

On the right is our ground tent that we pitch when we stay longer.Normally it is the RTT.I have been traveling for close to 2 and a halve months and with out a doubt the RTT is king.a Couple of reasons. It is a lot cooler up there when you are traveling summer time in Africa.The camp sites in Africa is mostly an excuses for a site compare to RSA and Nam.The Malaria Mozzie can only fly 30cm high. Although they can climb the "ladder"It still feels better off the ground. Maybe just a mind .... It depends on what you mean by "overlanding".If you are going from Cape to Cairo you tend to not spend to much time in one place.Even if you do a circle like we are doing the game reserves in Africa is very expensive and you do not stay for too long.
Funny enough when I have to redesign my rig(Witch I do daily) I have thought of your setup quite a lot and have started planning my next setup like yours.Just without the Oz Tent.I spent about 5 days with bikers and we have way to much stuff.I even dropped my 3x3 gazebo and opted with a tarp with 2 poles.
My dream rig will be a V8 Diesel cruiser pickup with a camper

[Thunder02]

Camp site Kubu.jpg (256.12 KiB) Viewed 3513 times

This is what our campsite usually looks like,(4 people)the whole idea for me is i want to get up in the morning,hop in the van and head out for the day without packing up the whole campsite.I also take a trailer with,bought a little fiberglass one,easy towing and must say quiet rugged.
I've sat plenty of times in a campsite watching people pack up everything just to pop out to town or go site seeing,just to come back later to unpack everything.
Learnt over the years less is best
I guess a Cruiser would be the best overlander for me(not sure the RTT would fit in my style of camping).

[Kykdaar]

Having a standard 2.4 SFA, towing anything is not a viable option for me due power and fuel consumption considerations. Having also done many trips on motorcycles where size and weight of luggage and equipment is crucial, my approach to overlanding and camping is mimilistic (spelling?).

No RTT, no trailer, no drawer system, no stuff that i do not absolutely need. Fridge go in first - as that is the best thing since sliced bread - followed by 3x3 dome tent (me, wife and small son), gazebo, and water tank (i mostly overland in Namibia).

Takes about an hour to set up camp and we actually enjoy fretting around the campsite until everything is in the right place - part of the enjoyment of camping.

[ThysdJ]

Takes about an hour to set up camp and we actually enjoy fretting around the campsite until everything is in the right place - part of the enjoyment of camping.

I agree with you Andre. Setting up camp and getting comfy in the bush is part of the enjoyment of the trip.

Watching the other "animals" in the campsite packing up and getting organised can be very therapeutic and a lesson in human behaviour. It also makes for lots of laughs and comic relief.. I am sure we also provide others with hours of laughter when we set up/break up camp..

[Johan Havenga]

I am more of a trailer guy!

Our "rig"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johanhaven ... hotostream" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Polarbear2008]

Like it was said before, horses for courses, but I like the trailer setup. (It works for me!) The tent is up and liveable in about 15 minutes, by which time the campchairs are out and it is time to sit down with a cold one or a strong cup of fresh coffee.

The groundtent does duty when we go places that the trailer would be impractical (although these days that seems to be less and less the case!)

I also like the idea that everything has its place and there is almost no "camping list" to prevent the matches from being forgotton, as everything is always just "there".

We toured NAM in the June 2012 holidays for 3 weeks and it worked a charm. I also don't need ESCOM to camp as I have 2 lpg tanks and 100l water on board as well as 2x deep cycle batteries for lighting. So the further from the madding crowd I can go the better!

[Haboob]

Setting up camp does not take me 5 mins, & packing up is the same. I have shelves(for clothing, kitchen & groceries, which is cheaper than drawers & more convenient than ammo boxes), fridge/freezer, table, chairs & awning for two people. I would not swop for anything else, as I have seen just about everything on the market. I do not need assistance to set up anything & doing it alone is why it takes me 5 mins. The design is my own & serves my every need

[Mud Dog]

Edge, it would be great if you could post some pics for the guys. I've seen this setup and believe me, for 2 persons it's flippen marvelous!

[Harold]

Overlanding vehicle.
Obviously your problem is the hassle & time it takes to set up camp.
Solution; you know what your options are! Accept that that there are pros & cons in what ever you decide to do.

My criteria is mobility with the minimum hassle in time to set up camp. So we adopted a system that takes a maximum of 10 minutes to set up and break camp, all we need to take out of the Hilux are our chairs to sit on; for a quick overnight stop we can halve that time.

Our existing set-up we have used for the past 15 years which has changed little since then.
The roof-top rack and tent is our own design made by my wife on her Bernina sewing machine.
The internal fittings in the steel canopy is also designed and made by ourselves.

With regard camping paraphernalia: ‘if you don’t use it – don’t take it’.

As for the vehicle: much to choose from – for me only the Hilux SFA I have!

Our intention is a 3 to 4 month trip around Africa and there will be no change to our existing set-up.

[ChrisF]

Setting up camp does not take me 5 mins, & packing up is the same. I have shelves(for clothing, kitchen & groceries, which is cheaper than drawers & more convenient than ammo boxes), fridge/freezer, table, chairs & awning for two people. I would not swop for anything else, as I have seen just about everything on the market. I do not need assistance to set up anything & doing it alone is why it takes me 5 mins. The design is my own & serves my every need

Edge that sounds good .....


some pics please

[ChrisF]

Harold nice setup - particulary love the "high stoep" ..... can just imagine the view from there ...

[Mud Dog]

Harold nice setup - particulary love the "high stoep" ..... can just imagine the view from there ...

Also a nice photo platform!

[ChrisF]

Andy exactly what I was thinking of ... :)

just add a couple of monopod recepticles.

[JJBotes]

Not everyone like Andrew St.Pierre White but he puts it quite nicely here...

buy Andrew St.Pierre White a Bell's.

[JohanM]

For me a lot of things stays the same irrespective if I do a weekend trip or a month away safari trip.

You need to sleep, so the tent, strechers and awning is always packed. Also the gas utensils is the same as I cook the same always the same style and use the same tings.

Your food & drinks needs to be cold and certian things frozen, so the fridge and coolerbox is always packed.
You need to sit on something comfortable, so the chairs is packed. In remote places I will add the shower tent and shower with the porta potti for the lady to make it comfortable for them.

Only things that really change is how much food, clothes and other small things like books that gets packed in extra with a bigger load of fuel and water. That is about all from the kit that changes from a weekend to a long safari.

Keep it simple is my motto. I dont as yet have a solar panel but I can stand for 2 days without driving using the Fridge optimum to maximise battery life out of the deep cycle. It might sound like work but its now a habbit to check that everything is optimum and not wasting anything. Also the solar panel space and setup is already being worked into the setup plan when designing my setup.

My Drawer system has the places to keep most of the standard kit of camping gear, however I don't carry it permanently there as its unneeded load when driving around. Only the recovery gear, tools and spares together with the fridge and the kitchen cutlery is permament in the vehicle. The rest is unpacked and left out till needed.

Soon I will be able to pack everything from scratch into the vehicle including packing your clothes from your cuboard at home and foodstuff in under an hour ready to leave for anywhere.

Setting up camp takes about 15 - 20 minutes which is fast enough withouut feeling rushed. Packing away takes about the same time depending on if the tent is wet or dry and things like that which sometimes is a bit of a hindrance.

I am happy with the setup and it works for me being able to stop and set up camp efficiently without it feeling like a long time of hard work.

[GI Jane]

In my case it depends on where I'm going and how long I intend staying in one place. I use my bushwhacker trailer with rooftop tent if I intend staying in a place for a couple of nights... and then it is convenient to setup camp, do day trips to surrounding places, and come back to a rigged home with all the luxuries possible in the bush... Because it is a solid, well constructed trailer I have towed it to some very remote areas.... But with the trailer comes, the weight of towing, slowing travelling, some places are not possible to reach while towing a trailer, and the hassle of setting up and breaking down camp... For those type of trips, where I travel almost daily, and some really tough roads for towing, I ditch the trailer and travel light.... Have taken my back seat out of my hilux and have a dual battery system and fridge in the back and packing space for my camera bags. Have a drawer system one, for clothes the other for food...a malamoo tent that pops out of a bag, mattress, bedding, camping chair, a small gas cooker kit, picnic bag backpack with crockery and cutlery necessaties, a kettle, pot and pan, oh, and a spade, recovery gear, spares and lubes....

If it's not safe to sleep on the ground eg. hippo's, I pack up my tent and sleep in my bakkie, drop the front seat and wallah...If you travel with a group don't duplicate equipment, if not how much stuff do you need for 1 or 2 people.

Must say I find the lighter easier option the best, towing a trailer a mission, but it has its place.... and slowly eliminated was is not used so that less unpacking and packing up...I travel light..oh, and no hair dryer... the sun and wind work just as well...

And that is of course in my faithful Hilux SFA 4x4, that can go anywhere and everywhere...it has front and back lockers, snorkel, long range fuel tank 140 litres, diff breathers, a\t bfg's, 2.4 petrol, spare wheel carrier, so I carry 2 spares and jerry can holder for 40 extra litres...

[george]

Ahooi.I quick sign in in the middle of the Serengeti We need to get up to speed with internet access and our brothers in the rest of Africa need to come and see what a campsite looks.I am paying $60(Yes US ) for camping for the 2 of us per night.It is kind of special because there is no fences and basic facilities. So yea I LOVE my RTT at the moment.Last night we where all alone in Lobo Public Camp.Just us the buffalo and some hyena.Believe me It felt GOOD to be in a RTT when I heard the buffalo chomping on some grass next to me. When we where in the Crater it was the same setup.There was a German guy that had to sleep in a ground tent and 2 buffalo parked next to him for the night.He didnt had much sleep.So I guess in the end it is horses for courses. Personally my next rig will have a RTT and when I get a bit older it will be a camper type thing.Maybe a Troopie with the seats taken out and a roof that can lift up.Cheers.

[Bob Vorster]

Hi, if you are still looking to improve your accommodation, I'm considering selling my 3x3 Instinct tent (ex Outdoor Wharehouse) with and add on 3x3 extention which can double up either another room or kitchen. The main tent errects very easily and come down just as simply. Reason for selling, looking at building a canopy with pop up roof. Contact detials 0832901556

[mushroom]

We personally prefer the RTT - as George says, its the comfort of knowing youre out of eating range up there - that said very few people have been dragged from a ground tent, but plenty have had a rather disturbing nights sleep though !!

We have those plastic wheelie crates and some cheepo plastic slide out draws - looks snickety, but it works for us. The RTT can be a ballache initially, but after two or three nights of moving camps I can pitch or drop the RTT in around 4-6 minutes, which gives the Nat a chance to grab a couple of things out the back for the game drive, trip etc..we leave our sleeping bacgs and pillows in the RTT if we are not doing highways at speed..
This is what our setup looks like: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=27646" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;