What vehicle for bushcraft?

[paulcd]

I'm afraid I only wear a loin cloth in bed to complete the experience...that would raise a few eyebrows.

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

I quite fancy one of THESE but i'll need a lotto win first

 

[cyclist]

The ultimate vehicle for me would have to be a VW T25. I have the 2wd version, but 4wd are available. They did still make them in South Africa until this century,

2003

but I don't know if they were 2wd or 4wd.

AFAIK the 4x4 are all made in Austria by SDP - possible that some ckd/skd sets were send down

Also they seemed only to make the petrol version.

I´m not sure, in the last century they fitted Ford V6 engines to get the power for towing boat trailers

For this century, we need a turbo diesel like mine that can run on veg oil.

If I felt I could easily convert a petrol to diesel (its more than just changing the engine) AND they were 4wd,

it´s not an impossible task - otherwise SDP couldn´t have done it

I would travel to SA and drive one back...it should be poss to make it last a lifetime. Anybody with the knowledge and wanting an adventure, lets talk!

RSA now is becomming quite expensive - the soccer world championships ....
Driving it back?
Which way?
Are you sure?
Been lately on that continent?
Putting it in a container and shipping it to your place wouldbe a lot cheaper and far less dangero... adventure
Oh yes, an adventure. I like that. Did it a couple of years ago. Alexandria to Cape Town over land, no single mile in an aircraft.

I also have a landy short wheel series 3 for my woodland work, but could'nt imagine a nights sleep in it in a town like I do in my camper....+ when I turn up late at bushcraft site, the bed is already made!

I can´t see why it should be impossible to get some sleep in a landy. Tour operators do it succesfully - just mount a tent on top of it www.britz.co.za

 

[havingagiraffe]

I quite fancy one of THESE but i'll need a lotto win first

I see it comes in DPM...genius...

 

[havingagiraffe]

I'm afraid I only wear a loin cloth in bed to complete the experience...that would raise a few eyebrows.

 

[havingagiraffe]

I can´t see why it should be impossible to get some sleep in a landy. Tour operators do it succesfully - just mount a tent on top of it www.britz.co.za

Might be tricky inside a short wheelbase though...

Here's me (with funny coloured hair) and havingagiraffe trying not to laugh while proving that, contrary to popular belief, there's actually plenty of legroom in the back of a 90.

 

[cyclist]

the 110 landies in that co.za link have roof tents - no reason why those tents shouldnt fit a 90
You could also customize a 90: you don´t need the seats while sleeping etc.
An other way would be a custom fit "container" ....
...."coloured" hair for sure wouldn´t be a problem while short hair save a lot of water

You might get some ideas from this one www.tawayama.com/gear/trucks.html

 

[cyclist]

The ultimate vehicle for me would have to be a VW T25. .....

..... convert a petrol to diesel (its more than just changing the engine) AND they were 4wd, I would travel to SA and drive one back...it should be poss to make it last a lifetime.

that´s a good one. A rear engined VW T25 last a lifetime

Who´s life?
lifetime of a human ~ 75years?
average life of a vehicle ~ 25years?
the rest of your life ??years?
the calculated rest of the VW´s life ~ 2years?

I´d go and get an old Landrover (pref. a lightweight), take some spare parts such as axles, a long-lwb chassis (as in the Tawayama story) and be happy.
Yes, there have been lwb lightweights - made by Santana in Spain
And no, I wouldn´t make a 6x6 as they use in Australia (imagine: 2 prop shafts from the transfer case to the rear ) nor would I take a half track as in service in Oman.
Just a Landy as simple as possible: a lightweight .....

 

[EdS]

Kamaz ot Tatra race truck kitted out as a camper.

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...=/images?q=kamaz&svnum=30&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N

 

[havingagiraffe]

You might get some ideas from this one www.tawayama.com/gear/trucks.html

Excellent link.

Apart from being three feet too long and powered by a petrol engine , the Tawayama Defender's really well thought out. Makes you wonder why Land Rover didn't build crew cabs and station wagons with flat floors in the first place .

I've seen an 88" converted to a camper by placing a board between the rear body cappings and another between the centre bulkhead and dashboard to give a platform measuring about six feet long by four feet wide. My current Ninety has a truck cab and separate Ifor Williams canopy so this isn't an option....unless I cut off both my legs just above the knees at bedtime then stitch them back on again in the morning...

 

[lavrentyuk]

Daihatsu Foutrak. Immensely strong, reliable, simple to work on with mechanical fuel injection, no bigger than a Landy 90 with more seats. I used one around Mid Wales for a while and loved it, much better than my 110 apart from not having a lockable central diff - and 2CVs manage without one too !

Cheap as well.

 

[cyclist]

Excellent link.

you´re welcome

Apart from being three feet too long and powered by a petrol engine , the Tawayama Defender's really well thought out.

too long, why? if it´s because the body will be too long have a look at the rear end of an ambulance.
As much as I like Diesel engines - it´s a matter of a lot of points. Whithout a particle filter Diesel vehicles should be banned

Makes you wonder why Land Rover didn't build crew cabs and station wagons with flat floors in the first place .

just a question of economics - would be too expensive for them (as a mass producer) to produce unless the customer is willig to pay ....

I've seen an 88" converted to a camper by placing a board between the rear body cappings and another between the centre bulkhead and dashboard to give a platform measuring about six feet long by four feet wide. My current Ninety has a truck cab and separate Ifor Williams canopy so this isn't an option....unless I cut off both my legs just above the knees at bedtime then stitch them back on again in the morning...

no worries mate, your legs won´t be touched.
I´ve seen a modified 86" on it´s way through Africa....
And I was lucky to work for a couple of month with Ron (used to work for Zambia Landy) back in ´84 (yes, I´m that old)

Again: I´d have a look at those special Landies (ambulance) and take a lightweight, some aluminum sheet ......

On those Unimogs I prefer the 404 and 413/416 types over the new ones for using as a bushcraft vehicle: weight, variable height (soft top) etc. I´m pretty sure the Rhodesians (RLI, Selous) knew why they took the hassle to get those

 

[Swede]

Isn't it simply "number of wheels x number of driven wheels"?

So that vehicle would be a 6x6, a defender would be a 4x4 and a regular car would be a 4x2 - no?

Oops... You´re right, I´m wrong. Sorry.... /Swede

 

[cyclist]

Isn't it simply "number of wheels x number of driven wheels"?

So that vehicle would be a 6x6, a defender would be a 4x4 and a regular car would be a 4x2 - no?

and what about
6x2/4 , 6x6/4 or 8x2/4(very common in Scandinavia)

 

[cyclist]

some more:
Gamma Goat (the uggly wheeled cube with powered & steering trailer)

(ex Bucher - now .... Mowag ) DURO (in 4x4 or 6x6)

big google.com has the infos you want about the above mentioned vehicles

btw, I´m using a 2x1

 

[Broke]

1. a mountain bike
2. my Integra SiR VTEC (believe it or not!)

 

[Swede]

I have had a Hilux for over 2 years now and have to say it's the best thing ever.

My sisters oldest son went on a duty tour in Kosovo for the UN right after his militaryservice. They had MB Geländewagen, MB Sprinter and one Toyota LC. The only car which didn´t need sevice from time to time was the LC. The Sprinter was haunted. It seemed to be that anyway. Some times the automatic gearbox didn´t admit the driver to drive faster than 30 km/h (approx 48 miles/h). One way to make it work the proper way again was to give it temporary amnesia (disconnect the battery). The had so many problems with the cars (Sprinter) and almost every time it was the electrical system. The Gelände wagen was a bit better than the Sprinter. But the Toyota just kept going and going. Guess once if the swedish defence regrets bying the Sprinters.... The preferred vehicle by the swedish defence in Afghanistan is Toyota LC. They are modified in sweden before the go abroad. But the cars live a tough life. In sweden the first service is at 3000 swedish miles, in Afghanistan 500. In Afghanistan the cars are finished after 3000 miles (4800 english miles). /Swede

Swedish MOT-team (Mobile Observation Team) in Afghanistan:

http://www.mil.se/int/index.php?c=news&id=33150

 

[twisted firestarter]

The Haflinger is an awesome pint sized go anywhere vehicle...

one for sale on evilbay...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=250107415855&rd=1&rd=1

and to see what they can do (it's 1 minute 30 seconds into the clip)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7szF3nn0KWU

 

[Swede]

I would want to see how the VW Syncro performed. I found this at YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpxoomyFs_0

/Swede

 

[twisted firestarter]

I just bought a VW Syncro having wanted one for ages, have yet to drive it in anger but first impressions are it's a 1.6 turbo diesel and therefore not going to set any speed records. It cruises happily at 65-70 though and returns 30mpg so better than some of the Landys I have owned. It has all terrain tyres on which I am itching to try out as soon as possible. I'm gonna have to do something about that yellow paint though



Reckon I'll be taking it to Bushmoot this year so I can skulk off and sleep on a proper mattress