1974 FJ40 through the Sahara and sand dunes!

[flx]

Thank you all for the nice comments

Please share food stories too... Amazing food in that region.

Haha I'll try to talk more about it but definitively not often taking my food in photo
This is true food is very good, very inexpensive and restaurants can be bound anywhere easily.

Best sandwich I ever had was in Morocco.
Good call.

Yes I had lot of them, very easy on the side of the road to get a sandwich with some nice marinated meat grilled on wood fire

One question. Do you have air conditioning? I’m probably not the only one wondering

Definitively nope
First days were hot in the afternoon because of a heatwave hitting both Western Europe and North Africa but after that temperature are a lot nicer in this mid-season. It's another story for people that go in the desert part during the peak of summer, here you can expect some 45°C/115°F (in the shadow and there is none of it).

Actually night and mornings can be a little chilly but otherwise I drive kind of all open.
Feet doors opened in all conditions.
Windows at hard level on road, and all the way down on trails.
Quarter windows in deflection mode on road, and in bug catcher mode on trails.

For this I also bought a little fan that I can clamp on the internal gutter, nice to have some air from the back when not moving fast.


And I found myself a cupholder to keep water under hand and not rolling everywhere...

My <current> question: do you have cell coverage or internet coverage out there in the boonies of Morocco?

This is so cool.

Cell coverage with Maroc Telecom is quite good, nowhere I have no network for very long periods.
Now, when I'm remote on an isolated track yes connection is not great and availability kind of alternate...

 

[clrussell]

Saving and joining the journey

 

[flx]

View attachment 3493394

(...)

There is a village celebration around a giant couscous and the organizer tries to invite me. But between all the driving and the heat I'm not hungry at all and considering the time I'm thinking that I may be able to reach Figuig today.
If I'm in Figuig before the night I could find myself a nice auberge and I would have time in the morning to visit Figuig.

Ok, 2 pages later it is time to finally finish this day!

The piste between Ich and Figuig is really beautiful, navigating between mountains.

River crossing Piste Ich to Figuig - https://youtu.be/fbUaPrskzbo

Piste is generally good, but going too fast can reserve a few surprises...
Piste Ich to Figuig 3 - https://youtu.be/CyDidZadGt4

Piste Ich to Figuig 4 - https://youtu.be/d04Tj3TjJHo

Many Military checkpoint in this area, they will take your infos and origin/destination because of the close border and the tense relation between Algeria and Morocco. Even more military barracks are scattered around but the guys are actually very laid back and say that nothing ever happens here, a very different reality from the geopolitical tension.
Those army guys are often interested by the 40 and like it. They all have HZJ79s to drive around. Not supposed to film them but a little bonus...
Morocco Royal army HZJ79 - https://youtu.be/AwUU6DzIaBM


The end of what was supposed to be a piste is actually a brand new road finished less than a month ago so I end up arriving at the main road to Figuig a lot sooner than expected. Here the military checkpoint is replaced by a police checkpoint which ask me what are my plan in Figuig.
They are very nice and helpful and as asked if they knew a hotel they started to try to find me one giving a few call and actually stopping a (French) hotel owner that was driving by, which me the bad news. There is an international conference on rupestrian rock art organized in Figuig the 3 next days and they booked all the hotels and auberges of the city....
That's my luck, going to the most remote city of Morocco that isn't listed in any touristic guide because of how far it is, I'm out of the main season and I'm ending up here the only day in the year the hotels are full...
Now I'm regretting not staying on the piste and finding an isolated camp over there... but it's too late for that. Police tells me that I can camp on the parking in front of the palace in Figuig, it is very safe. Safe I have no doubt but nice to camp I doubt...

 

[flx]

I arrive to the parking indicated by the police (had 2 more checkpoints and they were all already knowing that I was coming), and I see a pickup with camper cell and French plates parked here.

(not the actual parking but the right pickup)

So I start chatting with them to see if they were sent here too and at least feel better to not camp alone here...
They are actually here to participate to the conference and know the organizers which gave this parking as a meeting point for the invitees arriving this evening. I'm just here casually chatting with people arriving (mostly professors and researchers) and waiting for later to do my makeshift camp when one of the organizer tell me that they can't just let me camp on this parking and will look to find me a solution.
1h later this organizer comes back and tells that they have a sick professor that couldn't come and they will give me his room in a nice auberge in the middle of an oasis.
Everything is possible in Morocco, you just have to talk to people.

They also invited me to dine with them and come assist to the inaugural conference the next morning (and eat Moroccan pastries ).
I tried to pay them for the room but they wouldn't hear about it.


And so this is how I ended up assisting to this conference the next morning. It was actually very interesting, I knew they were a lot very old rock graving in Morocco (and all North Africa) and it was on my list to see some of them and learn more about it.

 

[MtnAddict]

Amazing journey, thank you for sharing.

Safe travels!

 

[Hoppsalot]

Amazing, loving the stories and the journey! I’m thinking of a road trip next year to some remote parts of Saudi in my FJ40…I don’t have the confidence you have yet in the vehicle making the journey but I know I’d get parts if it broke down. You’ve got me motivated to go for it!

 

[Boss Hog]

Great thread...subscribed. I've spent a little time in Morocco and it is a special place. And the food!!! Look forward to reading more about this journey!!

 

[middlecalf]

What a fantastic coincidence with the conference!

Second question - I’m assuming those roadside sandwiches aren’t from Subway or McDonalds, are they just from friendly locals who share their cooking or are there actually very remote food services/restraunts that sell to passing travelers?

 

[flx]

Amazing, loving the stories and the journey! I’m thinking of a road trip next year to some remote parts of Saudi in my FJ40…I don’t have the confidence you have yet in the vehicle making the journey but I know I’d get parts if it broke down. You’ve got me motivated to go for it!

You should go!!! Biggest difficulty for Saudi I would say will be the fuel range, prepare a lot of Jerrycans

What a fantastic coincidence with the conference!

Second question - I’m assuming those roadside sandwiches aren’t from Subway or McDonalds, are they just from friendly locals who share their cooking or are there actually very remote food services/restraunts that sell to passing travelers?

So the restaurants or sandwich shops are not on the side of the pistes! On pistes that are on common touristic path I've seen a few makeshift café serving coffee and tea but not more.
Food can be found in any town (even very small) and in shops in the side of the main roads.

Rural population that you may encounter on the side of remote pistes are generally very poor and live with really not much. Generally they are asking you if you can give them some food (biscuits, cans...), so definitively they will not serve you a sandwich.

So yes when doing a long very remote track for multiple days you will have to prepare your own food. And same thing when wild camping.
Most setup campings serve food also.

 

[flx]

Leaving Figuig after lunch my target is to reach Boudnib to camp in the famous Rekkam Boudnib camping. Being already late I take the full asphalt route through Bouarfa. There is a "shortcut" avoiding the loop north but not sure it's a time shortcut and from the feedback I got it's not a particularly beautiful piste.

Scenery is beautiful but wind is really strong. So strong that I have to constantly pull on the steering wheel which is tiring...

The friends with the new Defender were already around Merzouga and told me there was a sandstorm over there that day, it was so bad they abandoned to camp and ended up leaving the zone.

After a stop in Bouarfa to do some grocery shopping I finally arrive at the Rekkam Boudnib just before the night.


This camping is really famous among 4x4 travelers to Morocco and a must go, it is ideally placed as a gateway for people looking to go in the sandy part (between Merzouga and Zagora). The owner also know very well the 4x4 world and Morocco, and they serve good food. All the rallyes in Morocco use this place as rear base.

A nice HZJ79 in the camping

2 groups of bikers that were on the same boat than me are also here and at night arrive the group of 4x4 that was parked in front of my FJ40 in the boat.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Amazing, loving the stories and the journey! I’m thinking of a road trip next year to some remote parts of Saudi in my FJ40…I don’t have the confidence you have yet in the vehicle making the journey but I know I’d get parts if it broke down. You’ve got me motivated to go for it!

We had the vehicles and the guide (South African, ex special forces) to go to the Empty Quarter. Unfortunately my security team would have had an apoplectic fit so that trip didn't happen.

 

[flx]

Little surprise in the toilets just before to go to bed...

 

[flx]

A new long day in perspective!
First part is a 100km piste that cut in direction of Erfoud, then the little loop is to go see some arts in the middle of nowhere, and finally the last stretch is to to Gara Medouar.

At least this time the path is indicated!

And here I encounter the first really big patches of soft sand... I see it and I know that it is the moment of truth, will I ended up lamentably stuck int he middle and take the day to get out?

 

[flx]

A few extra vids of this section.

 

[RevISK]

Amazing, loving the stories and the journey! I’m thinking of a road trip next year to some remote parts of Saudi in my FJ40…I don’t have the confidence you have yet in the vehicle making the journey but I know I’d get parts if it broke down. You’ve got me motivated to go for it!

He's motivating me to drive across half of Texas. The scary part of that is on the interstate where 90 mph is the norm.

 

[flx]

I continue toward Erfoud but instead of taking what is now the main track I take a turn toward what is generally called the Citroën track.

It is a completely change of scenery and I find myself on a rocky kind of mountain trail (without much elevation change) that is not well maintained.
After some search I finally found what I was looking for, the commemorative stele from Citroën to Marius-Louis Bouche. He was the Citroen dealer of Casanblaca and he was ambushed and killed by robbers in this place in 1933. I guess this piste was in better condition back then if he was driving here with a 1930's Citroën...

A little after I find a café in the side of the track where I can do a little pause and drink a mint tea.

After that the piste is better and I can speed toward Erfoud where I find myself a nice restaurant to eat a Berbere pizza.

 

[Green Bean]

How is the vehicle performing? Hopefully, no mechanical issues. Hats off to you. I would be so terrified of breaking down in the middle of nowhere and getting eaten by giant scorpions.

 

[flx]

How is the vehicle performing? Hopefully, no mechanical issues. Hats off to you. I would be so terrified of breaking down in the middle of nowhere and getting eaten by giant scorpions.

Haha, honestly at this point I'm not that remote but the most southern desert tracks I plan to do are a lot more remote (cf first map)
I have the basic/common spare parts, I'm confident that I should be able to diagnostic any issue preventing the engine to run, and as long as you are able to get some telephone signal you can have a mechanic coming to help you anywhere in Morocco.
Also I drove my FJ40 10000km over the 2 previous years so most issues were already debugged and it should not just die like that. The only issue I really still have with it is that it can badly vapor lock when stopped after running hard for a long time (classics are fuel stops on the highway or photo pause at the top of a pass). At this point in Morocco I got a bad vapor lock after filling up the first day, but since then I did not have any issue, actually I think it even starts better than usual... I think Moroccan fuel VS European fuel may have an impact here but that is to confirm and re-discuss later

In the previous month I saw 2 90series that I know broke their front suspension on pistes (probably driving way too fast) and on both cases a mechanic came, identified the issue, came back with the right parts and fixed the vehicles on the trail. They have some crazy technic to press silentblocs here...
Morocco (and particularly the desert area) is full of mechanics specialized in 4x4 that know every bolts of any Land Cruisers.


As for performance it's really doing good on soft sand, it glides over it, probably helped by the light weight of the 40 compared to modern 4wds.
The F engine is so nice on sand, the low end torque and flexibility of this engine is incredible for this usage, so enjoyable. Also for some reason it is always running at its coldest running temp (thermostat opening) when driving on sand, even if pushing on soft sand for long period of time (it's some time running a bit hotter in some circumstance on road/trails).

 

[RevISK]

Haha, honestly at this point I'm not that remote but the most southern desert tracks I plan to do are a lot more remote (cf first map)
I have the basic/common spare parts, I'm confident that I should be able to diagnostic any issue preventing the engine to run, and as long as you are able to get some telephone signal you can have a mechanic coming to help you anywhere in Morocco.
Also I drove my FJ40 10000km over the 2 previous years so most issues were already debugged and it should not just die like that. The only issue I really still have with it is that it can badly vapor lock when stopped after running hard for a long time (classics are fuel stops on the highway or photo pause at the top of a pass). At this point in Morocco I got a bad vapor lock after filling up the first day, but since then I did not have any issue, actually I think it even starts better than usual... I think Moroccan fuel VS European fuel may have an impact here but that is to confirm and re-discuss later

In the previous month I saw 2 90series that I know broke their front suspension on pistes (probably driving way too fast) and on both cases a mechanic came, identified the issue, came back with the right parts and fixed the vehicles on the trail. They have some crazy technic to press silentblocs here...
Morocco (and particularly the desert area) is full of mechanics specialized in 4x4 that know every bolts of any Land Cruisers.


As for performance it's really doing good on soft sand, it glides over it, probably helped by the light weight of the 40 compared to modern 4wds.
The F engine is so nice on sand, the low end torque and flexibility of this engine is incredible for this usage, so enjoyable. Also for some reason it is always running at its coldest running temp (thermostat opening) when driving on sand, even if pushing on soft sand for long period of time (it's some time running a bit hotter in some circumstance on road/trails).

I predict a rash of road trips in 40’s soon. You are inspiring. I’ve already been mapping out my route for mine. Just need to bang out these hardtop repairs and I’m hot on your heels, except in a different country.

I hope you know how inspiring you are, at least to me. Thank you!

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Voyage epique mon ami…