Africa Build 2.0 (5 Viewers)
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Diplodocus
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- Thread starter
- #82
Zimbabwe and/or Bust Pt. I
Back in October we made a little mini expedition into neighboring Zimbabwe to explore the eastern highlands region, which we had never managed to visit when we lived there previously. We also planned to meet up with the local 4x4 club during one of their annual camping trips to central Zimbabwe.
In preparation, I took care of a few issues.
I replaced the leaking valve cover gaskets (and installed new tube seals while I was at it)
After noticing some chaffing on a hose, I installed 90* connectors for the re-routed PS hoses.
And I (finally!) installed my Fabulous Fabrications snorkel
The snorkel grill has a custom-made logo in the shape of an "R" (this LC is named "Renegade")
The logo appears in a couple of other places too...
Back in October we made a little mini expedition into neighboring Zimbabwe to explore the eastern highlands region, which we had never managed to visit when we lived there previously. We also planned to meet up with the local 4x4 club during one of their annual camping trips to central Zimbabwe.
In preparation, I took care of a few issues.
I replaced the leaking valve cover gaskets (and installed new tube seals while I was at it)
After noticing some chaffing on a hose, I installed 90* connectors for the re-routed PS hoses.
And I (finally!) installed my Fabulous Fabrications snorkel
The snorkel grill has a custom-made logo in the shape of an "R" (this LC is named "Renegade")
The logo appears in a couple of other places too...
Diplodocus
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #83
Zimbabwe and/or Bust Pt. II
Day 1 was a strong start to the trip. Fully loaded and sitting on 80-series rear springs, I didn't need any pressure in the rear airbags at all and the truck rode great. The border took us less than 2 hours. The road was mostly good, and everyone was fully onboard with side-of-the-road potty breaks. We found our airbnb just as the sun was setting and turned in for some good sleep.
Day 2 we met up with the classic car club at their cars and coffee event, visited some old haunts, and had an amazing dinner at our favorite restaurant, 5 years after our last visit.
Day 3 started strong as well. We were on time for our planned 8am departure, fully loaded, and checking out of our airbnb when my wife said "did you already put my purse in the truck?" "No, I haven't seen your purse." [panic ensues].
We figured the purse must have been left on the back of the chair at the restaurant the night before. Completely forgotten riding on the high of an amazing meal. The restaurant didn't open until 11 and we had a full day of driving ahead of us. We tried every possible method of getting in touch with the restaurant - nothing was off limits. FB messenger, business phone, personal phone of the owner - no dice. We eventually decided to just drive to the restaurant and see if there was any security there.
We arrived at the same time as the staff, about 10am. In what can only be described as a miracle, the server from the night before noticed the purse on the back of the chair, took it to the back room and stored it there. He returned it to us fully intact, not a single item missing.
Ok, so were were a couple hours late...were probably going to arrive at our next stop after dark...so let's get going.
Zimbabwe has a lot of toll booths. As I was pulling away from one of the booths I noticed a bit more of a growl than normal from the exhaust. "Huh. Something to check out later." I thought.
But at each toll booth, the sound became louder and louder. Eventually I knew it was an exhaust leak, so I reluctantly pulled over to investigate.
Hmmmm, that's not good.
I salvaged an M10 bolt and nut from elsewhere on the truck and tightened up this joint (and the other, which was in the same situation).
Late in the afternoon we pulled into the city of Mutare. I had never been there before, but I found a hardware store in the GPS and decided we would stop to see if they had proper nuts and bolts.
We came to this intersection on the main road and turned left on the side road where the hardware store was. We were parking, so I was lining myself up to be close to the curb. And then BANG! We were jerked to a stop. Our left trailer wheel had fallen into this open sewer and stopped us dead in our tracks.
The trailer's weight landed squarely on the propane tank cubby, pushing the bottom upwards. Propane tank itself was unfazed, luckily.
I got the bolts I needed and we were on our way again. The sun set as we were climbing the mountains of the eastern highlands. We passed wild fires that hugged both sides of the road, traversed tight switchbacks while passing extremely slow-moving trucks and things were going as well as could be expected...until the A/T OiIL TEMP came on as we were about to crest a particularly steep pass.
I pulled over and let the transmission cool down. It was after 9pm already, the kids were asleep and I just wanted to get to our destination. After cooling down, we continued on and got to the farmhouse.
The next morning, things turned around. The kids got to milk the cow, feed the chickens and goats, ride the horses around the paddock, and swing for hours on a tree swing hung from a huge tree right behind the house. There's no internet or cell signal, so it was just blissful "playing."
Over the next several days, we explored the area, finding plenty of waterfalls to swim at the base of and ample beautiful views.
Eventually, we had to shove off to the next stop, where we would meet up with the 4x4 club for a long weekend of camping, but not before committing to ourselves that this would become a yearly expedition - a week at the farm house in the mountains - exactly what the doctor ordered.
Driving from the eastern highlands to Matopos was the longest (planned) day of driving yet. Thankfully it was paved roads and smooth sailing for the majority of the day. We even got to pass over the Birchenough Bridge, which in its time was an engineering marvel.
When we arrived to Matobo National Park, we were presented with a long, rutted, and severely corrugated road. Us and trailer were both getting tossed around pretty good, but everything seemed fine....until we arrived at camp and I unhooked the trailer.
That doesn't look right...
Welp, the hitch and backing plate are bent...but not much I can do about it right now.
Jeeze, and one of the CV boots is torn wide open
Day 1 was a strong start to the trip. Fully loaded and sitting on 80-series rear springs, I didn't need any pressure in the rear airbags at all and the truck rode great. The border took us less than 2 hours. The road was mostly good, and everyone was fully onboard with side-of-the-road potty breaks. We found our airbnb just as the sun was setting and turned in for some good sleep.
Day 2 we met up with the classic car club at their cars and coffee event, visited some old haunts, and had an amazing dinner at our favorite restaurant, 5 years after our last visit.
Day 3 started strong as well. We were on time for our planned 8am departure, fully loaded, and checking out of our airbnb when my wife said "did you already put my purse in the truck?" "No, I haven't seen your purse." [panic ensues].
We figured the purse must have been left on the back of the chair at the restaurant the night before. Completely forgotten riding on the high of an amazing meal. The restaurant didn't open until 11 and we had a full day of driving ahead of us. We tried every possible method of getting in touch with the restaurant - nothing was off limits. FB messenger, business phone, personal phone of the owner - no dice. We eventually decided to just drive to the restaurant and see if there was any security there.
We arrived at the same time as the staff, about 10am. In what can only be described as a miracle, the server from the night before noticed the purse on the back of the chair, took it to the back room and stored it there. He returned it to us fully intact, not a single item missing.
Ok, so were were a couple hours late...were probably going to arrive at our next stop after dark...so let's get going.
Zimbabwe has a lot of toll booths. As I was pulling away from one of the booths I noticed a bit more of a growl than normal from the exhaust. "Huh. Something to check out later." I thought.
But at each toll booth, the sound became louder and louder. Eventually I knew it was an exhaust leak, so I reluctantly pulled over to investigate.
Hmmmm, that's not good.
I salvaged an M10 bolt and nut from elsewhere on the truck and tightened up this joint (and the other, which was in the same situation).
Late in the afternoon we pulled into the city of Mutare. I had never been there before, but I found a hardware store in the GPS and decided we would stop to see if they had proper nuts and bolts.
We came to this intersection on the main road and turned left on the side road where the hardware store was. We were parking, so I was lining myself up to be close to the curb. And then BANG! We were jerked to a stop. Our left trailer wheel had fallen into this open sewer and stopped us dead in our tracks.
The trailer's weight landed squarely on the propane tank cubby, pushing the bottom upwards. Propane tank itself was unfazed, luckily.
I got the bolts I needed and we were on our way again. The sun set as we were climbing the mountains of the eastern highlands. We passed wild fires that hugged both sides of the road, traversed tight switchbacks while passing extremely slow-moving trucks and things were going as well as could be expected...until the A/T OiIL TEMP came on as we were about to crest a particularly steep pass.
I pulled over and let the transmission cool down. It was after 9pm already, the kids were asleep and I just wanted to get to our destination. After cooling down, we continued on and got to the farmhouse.
The next morning, things turned around. The kids got to milk the cow, feed the chickens and goats, ride the horses around the paddock, and swing for hours on a tree swing hung from a huge tree right behind the house. There's no internet or cell signal, so it was just blissful "playing."
Over the next several days, we explored the area, finding plenty of waterfalls to swim at the base of and ample beautiful views.
Eventually, we had to shove off to the next stop, where we would meet up with the 4x4 club for a long weekend of camping, but not before committing to ourselves that this would become a yearly expedition - a week at the farm house in the mountains - exactly what the doctor ordered.
Driving from the eastern highlands to Matopos was the longest (planned) day of driving yet. Thankfully it was paved roads and smooth sailing for the majority of the day. We even got to pass over the Birchenough Bridge, which in its time was an engineering marvel.
When we arrived to Matobo National Park, we were presented with a long, rutted, and severely corrugated road. Us and trailer were both getting tossed around pretty good, but everything seemed fine....until we arrived at camp and I unhooked the trailer.
That doesn't look right...
Welp, the hitch and backing plate are bent...but not much I can do about it right now.
Jeeze, and one of the CV boots is torn wide open
Diplodocus
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #84
Zimbabwe and/or Bust Pt. III
Camp was good.
In the morning, heading out on the first trail drive with the 4x4 club, we had to traverse the same rutted and severely corrugated road. The group was moving at a really good clip and I was in the middle of the pack.
Soon, something felt off, the truck was acting like it had no rear shocks; extremely soft. It was clearly bottoming out on whoops.
I had another member's kid in my truck (and this group doesn't use radio comms), so I felt like I had to keep up and kept pushing. The truck was slamming onto the rear bumpstops and the nose was pointing toward the sky...but I pushed on, knowing that the paved road was just a "few more minutes" away.
We arrived at the paved road and pulled over. I crawled under the truck to see what was going on.
Anyone remember that "great deal" from post #27 where a local 4X4 shop welded a bracket to my Trail Tailor adjustable rear upper control arms so that I could continue to use the AHC rear height sensor? Well, it turns out that wasn't such a great deal. The weld broke and the rear height sensor was just swinging in the wind, telling the truck that the rear was sky-high when it was really dragging bottom. 4 zip ties and we were back in business.
Not much I could do about a completely missing rear bump stop, though (you can also see where the tire was wearing through the rear liner, rubbing directly onto the auxiliary fuel pump...
Time to explore some more...
The Zimbabwe 4x4 club knows how to roll:
The rest of the long weekend was fantastic. Good people, good times, outdoor adventures (and yummy pizza!).
The trip back home was mostly uneventful and we completed the 2,500 kilometer journey just fine.
I contacted Dissent about the hitch failure and without hesitation Ben dispatched a reinforced hitch and back plate - no charge.
I also figured out that I had mounted the tire and rack to the wrong sides. "Driver side" is not "Driver side" on RHD vehicles - D'oh! All fixed now...
I tossed the Trail Tailor rear upper control arms for some factory units, with a factory-welded bracket (which I bolted a flat bracket to for the sensor lift). I also swapped out the 80's series rear springs for King Coils. The 80's series springs were perfect for when the truck and trailer were fully loaded. Anything less than fully loaded and the ride became slightly bouncy. The King Springs don't have that issue.
I also installed some Perry Parts bumpstops. They are NOT designed specifically for the 100 series (holes in the bumpstop base are offset, while the 100 series bracket holes are centered) but they seem to work OK.
Camp was good.
In the morning, heading out on the first trail drive with the 4x4 club, we had to traverse the same rutted and severely corrugated road. The group was moving at a really good clip and I was in the middle of the pack.
Soon, something felt off, the truck was acting like it had no rear shocks; extremely soft. It was clearly bottoming out on whoops.
I had another member's kid in my truck (and this group doesn't use radio comms), so I felt like I had to keep up and kept pushing. The truck was slamming onto the rear bumpstops and the nose was pointing toward the sky...but I pushed on, knowing that the paved road was just a "few more minutes" away.
We arrived at the paved road and pulled over. I crawled under the truck to see what was going on.
Anyone remember that "great deal" from post #27 where a local 4X4 shop welded a bracket to my Trail Tailor adjustable rear upper control arms so that I could continue to use the AHC rear height sensor? Well, it turns out that wasn't such a great deal. The weld broke and the rear height sensor was just swinging in the wind, telling the truck that the rear was sky-high when it was really dragging bottom. 4 zip ties and we were back in business.
Not much I could do about a completely missing rear bump stop, though (you can also see where the tire was wearing through the rear liner, rubbing directly onto the auxiliary fuel pump...
Time to explore some more...
The Zimbabwe 4x4 club knows how to roll:
The rest of the long weekend was fantastic. Good people, good times, outdoor adventures (and yummy pizza!).
The trip back home was mostly uneventful and we completed the 2,500 kilometer journey just fine.
I contacted Dissent about the hitch failure and without hesitation Ben dispatched a reinforced hitch and back plate - no charge.
I also figured out that I had mounted the tire and rack to the wrong sides. "Driver side" is not "Driver side" on RHD vehicles - D'oh! All fixed now...
I tossed the Trail Tailor rear upper control arms for some factory units, with a factory-welded bracket (which I bolted a flat bracket to for the sensor lift). I also swapped out the 80's series rear springs for King Coils. The 80's series springs were perfect for when the truck and trailer were fully loaded. Anything less than fully loaded and the ride became slightly bouncy. The King Springs don't have that issue.
I also installed some Perry Parts bumpstops. They are NOT designed specifically for the 100 series (holes in the bumpstop base are offset, while the 100 series bracket holes are centered) but they seem to work OK.
Diplodocus
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #85
Stop, Trailer Time!
Back in post #83, I described the incident where the left trailer tire dropped into an open sewer, placing the full weight of the trailer on the propane cubby and bringing the trailer and truck to a dead stop. I am now convinced that it was this incident that bent the Dissent hitch plate. As I was preparing the trailer for its next adventure, I discovered a broken camber adjustment bolt of the trailer suspension - which again must have been from the same incident.
All fixed now, again for free, thanks to the local dealer who supplied a rebuilt camber bolt. At least my stupid mistake wasn't also an expensive mistake
Based on the advanced age of the guests we will have on our next multi-week trip, I decided to utilize the trailer for luggage and food hauling duties, but ditch the rooftop tent, saving an estimated 350 lbs and some wind resistance. This way, 7 people can ride comfortably in the Land Cruiser during the day and we can sleep comfortably at night in self-catering lodges / airbnbs during the trip.
DISCLAIMER: The safer way to do this would have been 4 guys lifting the tent off the trailer and placing it on the table. I do not endorse this sort of arrangement (offroad winches and their accessories are made for pulling not lifting), but I took the maximum safety precautions I could given the equipment available and my lack of willing friends. I made sure I NEVER even got close to being underneath the load. With that said, for your viewing pleasure, my one-man tent removal procedure:
To help the transmission with hauling duties now and in the future, I installed a transmission cooler with parts I picked up at Summit Racing, for about half the cost of a pre-assembled kit from Australia's Wholesale Automatics. The only difference is that I went with a single cooler where their kit uses a double cooler. I used their installation instructions for mounting and hose routing.
Back in post #83, I described the incident where the left trailer tire dropped into an open sewer, placing the full weight of the trailer on the propane cubby and bringing the trailer and truck to a dead stop. I am now convinced that it was this incident that bent the Dissent hitch plate. As I was preparing the trailer for its next adventure, I discovered a broken camber adjustment bolt of the trailer suspension - which again must have been from the same incident.
All fixed now, again for free, thanks to the local dealer who supplied a rebuilt camber bolt. At least my stupid mistake wasn't also an expensive mistake
Based on the advanced age of the guests we will have on our next multi-week trip, I decided to utilize the trailer for luggage and food hauling duties, but ditch the rooftop tent, saving an estimated 350 lbs and some wind resistance. This way, 7 people can ride comfortably in the Land Cruiser during the day and we can sleep comfortably at night in self-catering lodges / airbnbs during the trip.
DISCLAIMER: The safer way to do this would have been 4 guys lifting the tent off the trailer and placing it on the table. I do not endorse this sort of arrangement (offroad winches and their accessories are made for pulling not lifting), but I took the maximum safety precautions I could given the equipment available and my lack of willing friends. I made sure I NEVER even got close to being underneath the load. With that said, for your viewing pleasure, my one-man tent removal procedure:
To help the transmission with hauling duties now and in the future, I installed a transmission cooler with parts I picked up at Summit Racing, for about half the cost of a pre-assembled kit from Australia's Wholesale Automatics. The only difference is that I went with a single cooler where their kit uses a double cooler. I used their installation instructions for mounting and hose routing.
Diplodocus
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #86
Let there be Light
To continue the theme of delayed gratification / million dollar build, I finally received the LB Builtworks lights I ordered back in December 2021. I opted to have LB build them instead of just using his bracket and doing the work myself, since I needed new housings in any case and didn't have the time to do all the research and build everything myself. I wanted a simple bolt-in solution and was willing to pay for it. It took him 17 months, but he delivered exactly what I ordered.
Installation was quick and straightforward. I zip tied the ballasts to nearby looms and bolted the relays to the radiator support.
We had talked about how when he sets up his builds he sets them up for left-hand drive countries (like the US). Since I will be bringing this truck back to the U.S. when I finish this tour, we figured better to just annoy fellow drivers for a couple years in Africa instead of in America for decades to come.
Well, as it turns out, having them set up for LHD really annoys Zambians. To the point where every single car flashes their brights at me (thinking my high beams are on) and some say "that will get you shot eventually if you keep running your lights like that." The lights do, in fact, light up oncoming drivers interiors like a paparazzi blitz. I can see how that would be annoying / blinding considering the impressive output of these lights.
Add on top of that the fact that the D2S low beams are only slightly better than my RIGID 4" round SAE-compliant (AKA non-blinding to other drivers) spot lights, and my solution for now is to just run the parking lights and spot lights for "low beam" driving and only employing my $$$ LB Builtworks lights for high beam duties.
Parking lights & RIGID 4" round SAE-compliant spot lights only:
RIGID 4" round SAE-compliant spot lights and D2S lowbeams:
RIGID 4" round SAE-compliant spot lights, D2S lowbeams, and RIGID 3x3 flush mount "ditch lights" that came with Dissent bumper:
RIGID 4" round SAE-compliant spot lights, D2S high beams, factory high beams, and RIGID 3x3 flush mount "ditch lights" that came with Dissent bumper:
To continue the theme of delayed gratification / million dollar build, I finally received the LB Builtworks lights I ordered back in December 2021. I opted to have LB build them instead of just using his bracket and doing the work myself, since I needed new housings in any case and didn't have the time to do all the research and build everything myself. I wanted a simple bolt-in solution and was willing to pay for it. It took him 17 months, but he delivered exactly what I ordered.
Installation was quick and straightforward. I zip tied the ballasts to nearby looms and bolted the relays to the radiator support.
We had talked about how when he sets up his builds he sets them up for left-hand drive countries (like the US). Since I will be bringing this truck back to the U.S. when I finish this tour, we figured better to just annoy fellow drivers for a couple years in Africa instead of in America for decades to come.
Well, as it turns out, having them set up for LHD really annoys Zambians. To the point where every single car flashes their brights at me (thinking my high beams are on) and some say "that will get you shot eventually if you keep running your lights like that." The lights do, in fact, light up oncoming drivers interiors like a paparazzi blitz. I can see how that would be annoying / blinding considering the impressive output of these lights.
Add on top of that the fact that the D2S low beams are only slightly better than my RIGID 4" round SAE-compliant (AKA non-blinding to other drivers) spot lights, and my solution for now is to just run the parking lights and spot lights for "low beam" driving and only employing my $$$ LB Builtworks lights for high beam duties.
Parking lights & RIGID 4" round SAE-compliant spot lights only:
RIGID 4" round SAE-compliant spot lights and D2S lowbeams:
RIGID 4" round SAE-compliant spot lights, D2S lowbeams, and RIGID 3x3 flush mount "ditch lights" that came with Dissent bumper:
RIGID 4" round SAE-compliant spot lights, D2S high beams, factory high beams, and RIGID 3x3 flush mount "ditch lights" that came with Dissent bumper:
Doesn't the 100 already have a pretty substantial transmission cooler? Are you running the aftermarket one in parallel to the factory cooler?
Diplodocus
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #88
The only factory transmission cooler for this truck is located within the radiator. This auxiliary cooler is run after the radiator cooler, before the fluid returns to the transmission.
Earlier in this thread, you'll see two instances where I overheated the transmission fluid at inconvenient times. Mobil 1 ATF is expensive and I would rather keep it in the transmission for longer than a few thousand kilometers before the next fluid exchange. I hope this auxiliary cooler will keep me from overheating the fluid again.
Diplodocus
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #89
Thieves Suck
This "gentleman" gave himself a self-guided tour of our landcruiser while my wife was at the hardware store this week. He pulled up in the white camry, came out, busted my drivers side door lock and went in through the back door. He crawled all over inside the truck two times looking for anything to take. Luckily we only had our first aid kit strapped to the center console Victory 4X4 MOLLE mount. He opened it up and took some bandages. Thankful that he just busted the lock cylinder. My friend had this lock cylinder destroyed, but their tool broke off inside it, so they broke his window too.
Thankfully (?) the local locksmith is highly experienced in repairing this exact issue. He says he does multiple every day. 45 minutes and $12 later, the lock cylinder was repaired and I was on my way.
This "gentleman" gave himself a self-guided tour of our landcruiser while my wife was at the hardware store this week. He pulled up in the white camry, came out, busted my drivers side door lock and went in through the back door. He crawled all over inside the truck two times looking for anything to take. Luckily we only had our first aid kit strapped to the center console Victory 4X4 MOLLE mount. He opened it up and took some bandages. Thankful that he just busted the lock cylinder. My friend had this lock cylinder destroyed, but their tool broke off inside it, so they broke his window too.
Thankfully (?) the local locksmith is highly experienced in repairing this exact issue. He says he does multiple every day. 45 minutes and $12 later, the lock cylinder was repaired and I was on my way.
Sucks, but wondering if your locksmith will make a house call in Brooklyn NY. I need my driver-door cylinder re-keyed and I like his prices!!!
Hey @Diplodocus, I'm going to be taking an LX470 to the other side of AF, and wanted to pick your brain on a few things. I can't PM you, can you shoot me a PM please?
Diplodocus
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #94
Yes they are factory. This part is just the step, you would also need end caps and potentially mounting brackets...5178260151 - Running Board (Left). Floor, FRONT, Interior - Genuine Lexus Part - https://parts.lexus.com/p/Lexus__/Running-Board-LeftLeft/63047646/5178260151.html
Diplodocus
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #95
History Repeats Itself
My wife is lucky I love her so much. Just like our last cruiser, she managed to crash this one. Rear-ended someone in broad daylight and clear weather because the person stopped completely in the middle of the road (as Zambian drivers are want to do whenever a pothole or speed bump appears in front of them). Uggh. Luckily the local insurance came through and it seems we will only be out of pocket a few hundred dollars after it is all said and done.
I sent the busted headlight housing back to LBBuiltwerks and Lou put the guts into yet another brand new housing and got it back to me quickly. Dissent aluminum bumper was completely unfazed; A quick blast of semi gloss black, some new LED turn signal bulbs, and it looks like new. Ordered a brand new hood and related trim pieces from Partsouq, a new side marker lamp from Amayama, and waiting on a used fender to arrive from Japan courtesy of BeForward before it goes off to "the best" body shop here...but even they admit the lower-quality paint they use will only last 2-3 years :-(
Still plan to keep it forever even though it's not as pristine as it once was.
My wife is lucky I love her so much. Just like our last cruiser, she managed to crash this one. Rear-ended someone in broad daylight and clear weather because the person stopped completely in the middle of the road (as Zambian drivers are want to do whenever a pothole or speed bump appears in front of them). Uggh. Luckily the local insurance came through and it seems we will only be out of pocket a few hundred dollars after it is all said and done.
I sent the busted headlight housing back to LBBuiltwerks and Lou put the guts into yet another brand new housing and got it back to me quickly. Dissent aluminum bumper was completely unfazed; A quick blast of semi gloss black, some new LED turn signal bulbs, and it looks like new. Ordered a brand new hood and related trim pieces from Partsouq, a new side marker lamp from Amayama, and waiting on a used fender to arrive from Japan courtesy of BeForward before it goes off to "the best" body shop here...but even they admit the lower-quality paint they use will only last 2-3 years :-(
Still plan to keep it forever even though it's not as pristine as it once was.
awesomeissquid
SILVER Star
That bumper held up great! Glad you are doing okay and can get back in motion quickly.
Diplodocus
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #97
Its Called Overlanding, Bro....
Over the past couple months we drove over 2,000 miles around Zambia and Zimbabwe, exploring new and remote places all while having a fantastic time thanks to the reliability, durability, and capability of the Landcruiser.
One area we visited is called "The Corner" because it is a piece of Zimbabwe that juts into Mozambique in the Chimanimani mountain range. The mountain tracks were fun to drive, the air crisp and clean, and the views unforgettable.
Back in Zambia, we explored Kasanka National Park during the largest mammal migration on earth...where 10 million bats migrate from DRC to Zambia to feed in fruit tree groves in this one specific area in Zambia.
You can only see the bats at dawn or dusk and I think most people who visit the park just hang out at the lodge all day between the viewing times...we certainly didn't see anyone else doing self-drive safaris during the 3 days we explored the park. The trail system was very overgrown, but luckily I have a handy helper when it comes to obstacles!
Deep in the park and not signposted in any way is the tallest tree in Zambia, rising somewhere between 40-65 meters tall. Here is a pic of the Landcruiser parked next to it. Pretty impressive, actually! The story goes that the area at the base of the tree was used as a royal burial ground hundreds of years ago, so the locals simply never cut this one tree down and it grew to this extreme height.
The camp spot was nice, with a "boma" structure and a camp attendant who would boil water for us to use for showers (not that we needed to rely on that, since the trailer is equipped with a shower setup including an instant propane water heater and 120 liters of water). There is no cell phone signal in this area, no electricity, and definitely no internet...so it was the perfect first test run for our mobile Starlink setup. See if you can spot it in this pic...
Yup, there it is...
Not bad for an obstructed view in the middle of extreme wilderness!
Over the past couple months we drove over 2,000 miles around Zambia and Zimbabwe, exploring new and remote places all while having a fantastic time thanks to the reliability, durability, and capability of the Landcruiser.
One area we visited is called "The Corner" because it is a piece of Zimbabwe that juts into Mozambique in the Chimanimani mountain range. The mountain tracks were fun to drive, the air crisp and clean, and the views unforgettable.
Back in Zambia, we explored Kasanka National Park during the largest mammal migration on earth...where 10 million bats migrate from DRC to Zambia to feed in fruit tree groves in this one specific area in Zambia.
You can only see the bats at dawn or dusk and I think most people who visit the park just hang out at the lodge all day between the viewing times...we certainly didn't see anyone else doing self-drive safaris during the 3 days we explored the park. The trail system was very overgrown, but luckily I have a handy helper when it comes to obstacles!
Deep in the park and not signposted in any way is the tallest tree in Zambia, rising somewhere between 40-65 meters tall. Here is a pic of the Landcruiser parked next to it. Pretty impressive, actually! The story goes that the area at the base of the tree was used as a royal burial ground hundreds of years ago, so the locals simply never cut this one tree down and it grew to this extreme height.
The camp spot was nice, with a "boma" structure and a camp attendant who would boil water for us to use for showers (not that we needed to rely on that, since the trailer is equipped with a shower setup including an instant propane water heater and 120 liters of water). There is no cell phone signal in this area, no electricity, and definitely no internet...so it was the perfect first test run for our mobile Starlink setup. See if you can spot it in this pic...
Yup, there it is...
Not bad for an obstructed view in the middle of extreme wilderness!
First off, NICE that the bumper held up perfectly...second, JESUS that's some great interwebs...I live in a small town where numbers like that seem like a fantasy unless it's Musk-O-Net.
Excellent pictures!
What type of tent is that, it is like a palace!
Diplodocus
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Yes, known to other campers as the "Taj-ma-Tent" or "Royal Palace" it truly does sleep 7 in total comfort. The tent is custom made for the trailer, which is an Echo4x4 Tec2.
This guy is the distributor for north america. In this video he doesn't install awning sidewalls but you get an idea of how much space there really is....it's glamping at its best.
