The perfect Pan-American Expedition Vehicle (1 Viewer)

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Hello all,

My name is jeff, and 4 associates and I are putting together an expedition from the top of Alaska to the southernmost tip of Argentina. 2 guys will be riding bicycles, I will be filming a tv show, 2 others will be conducting research, and together we will be filming 3 documentaries along the way about the needs of humanity and the environment in Latin and South America. I'm here because we need the perfect expedition vehicle.

We need ample space for 3-4 people, film equipment, expedition gear, bikes, batteries, and 2 irish wolfhounds. As many of you know, the roads through South America will require rugged 4x4 capabilities. In addition, with the threat of armed radicals, theives, and corrupt policia, the vehicle needs to be armored.

Any advice and assistance is most appreciated. Thank you.
 
my vehicle isn't armored and i was fine. if you can find one and it sounds like you have resources to perhaps do so find a 78 series and build it how you want. they are not available in the states and are technically illegal but they would make the ideal truck for an expedition. or go check this thread.

almost all the ambulances south of the US are 78 series trucks and i wish i had one.
dmc
 
The perfect vehicle is a LANDCRUISER! Welcome to MUD!!!!!!!!

I agree with dmc. A 78 series landcruiser is my choice for parts availability, reliability, and capability.

Another choice might be a UNIMOG (curse me....)
 
I have done that trip by public transportation and will be doing it in my 80 series in the future. I really don't think you need armour. If you happen to have the bad luck of getting attacked, then you're going to loose your truck whether or not it's armoured. The kind of people who will amush you have better armed than the military so you're SOL anyway. The chances of that happening are very slim if you're culturally competant and avoid driving highland mountain roads at night. Armouring a truck means that your window glass will be fixed permanently into the closed position. I don't think I could handle driving around in a car where you can't open the windows. What if your A/C goes out?

Any Toyota product will be great. Different countries have more or less of different LandCruiser, Tacoma, or 4Runner versions. For 4 people plus gear, even the biggest LC will be tight. I would go with something that offers some creature comforts like A/C and comfy seats. I choose a 97 80 series with lockers as my truck to drive around the world for it's balance of comfort, reliability, ruggedness, and US legality. Good luck!
 
First and foremost you might want to do a bit more research because I have traveled for years through Central & South America and your reasons for needing an amoured rig is way off the mark....if you do a bit of searching you will read of unsupported bikes, motorcycles, VW vans and every other type of ride making this trek without any major problems.....
maybe a bit of hassle with the police at times but nothing outside the "norm" for that are...
Of course once you realize this then I would say you should look at outfitting a rig in either Canada or Mexico depending on where you are located. The reason for this is that you can many more options for large body, diesel powered Cruisers that would suit a long term long range expedition. Troop Carrier & Ambulance models as mentioned are great options...absolutely diesel and manual trans.
After that you are looking at how you want to equip it...camping vs hotels, bulk storage, keep the wgt low, stay with quality parts so it only cost once...all that sort of thing
another forum I would recommend would be expeditionportal.com
also you didn't mention timeframe of your build, budget range and if you plan to camp/hotel (this is important if you have to give up interior space to water/cooking/food or just all bulk storage)
welcome and keep us posted on the project
 
I agree with the rest, give up on the armor. If you truly want to avoid criminal activity you're going to need one of the U.S. Armies new "V" bottom trucks and that's not going to help you with your documentary! It might not even be enough anyways!

We've been here in Central America with our Land Cruisers most of the time in the last four years.

My recommendation is get a diesel powered Land Cruiser. If you don't need US registration you have a lot you can choose from.
 
We need ample space for 3-4 people, film equipment, expedition gear, bikes, batteries, and 2 irish wolfhounds. As many of you know, the roads through South America will require rugged 4x4 capabilities. In addition, with the threat of armed radicals, theives, and corrupt policia, the vehicle needs to be armored.


I am sorry, but that is a lot of stuff to put in any one passenger vehicle. Two Irish wolfhounds will take up two rows of seats by themselves. Although their size will give you some security, if you take them you will need two Cruisers. When you say fim gear, that can mean a small production video camera or a number of cameras and then the lighting equiptment. Last time I toured a film crew, it was for a promo video for tourism in Alaska and the Yukon. I was driving a twin turbo V8 MCI Bus. :)) fond memories of raw power). Anyways they filled the luggage bays with equiptment. As far as needing rugged 4x4 capabilities, how far off the beaten path are you planning to go? Even off the beaten path places in Latin America are usually serviced by 2WD buses.

I would consider taking two vehicles. You would do fine in a Mitsibishi Fuso 4x4 and a Land Cruiser. Only the single cab version of the Fuso is available in NA. Properly outfited, it would haul all your gear and give you some creature comforts. I would match that to a 78 or 76 series Landcruiser. I would prefer the 76 myself - but that is just me. Check out Expo Portal (Expedition Portal Forums - Powered by vBulletin) and have a close look at the Expedition Campers section and Expeditions and Trip Planning section.

I am with everyone else. Forget the stupid armour. Once discovered by the authorities you'll have Narco written all over your face and you and your crew will be spending some quality time in a Latin American jail until things get figured out. That could be a very long time.

Tint your windows dark and put a hound in each rig for security. Second, don't be to flashy with nice looking gear. The older looking your gear the better. The same goes for your personal appearance. Leave the bling at home, unless your wanting to document a Latin American mugging. Lastly, don't freak out about the security. Lots of retirees have done the Latin American traverse with little if any security problems.
 
Jlit, Dave(dmc) is the perfect person to talk to as he the most recent i have heard of doing this, check out his blog it is facinating.
 
It sounds like a great trip, and the wolfhounds would be good security. Is it going to be a problem bringing the dogs across all of the borders? I know some countries make you leave a dog in quarintine for awhile before it can come into the country. I don't know if this is the case in any of the countries you are planning on traveling through, but you may want to check into it.
 
right on, you guys, I appreciate your thoughts. To note on some of your replies:
Unfortunately, 2 vehicles is out of the question. We need to go with one vehicle because a, it would mean twice the amount of fuel, and b, we don't have the crew for 2 vehicles. I'll be driving the vehicle with two other female researchers inside, and we will have the dogs in the back. I do agree, however, I just don't think a land cruiser would be enough room. Sorry to bring up the F-word, but we're thinking about something like an F-350, turbo (for the higher elevations), crew cab, and having the back for gear stored in compartments and the dogs sit on top.

We're looking at each country's individual requirements for bringing dogs, and shouldn't be too much of a problem with the right vaccinations and prep ahead of time.

A troop carrier could be cool, but again, I wonder if it could hold as much as a truck. Plus, we're looking for more modern simply because we don't have a lot of vehicle repair experience, and i would foresee fewer breakdowns in something newer than 25 years. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the troopy hasn't been made since 1984.

We will be living out of the vehicle; food, water, shelter, all will be stored inside as well. Through cities we will likely be staying in hotels and such, but most of the trip will be in tents.

We're also looking to be as environmentally friendly as possible. We will have a pretty heavy load on electricity as well, and we'd like to use solar to stay as green as possible. 7 laptops, 4 hd video cameras, 5 large still cameras, gps's, sat phone and internet linkup, radios, etc.
 
I'd say you better consider using another F word a lot if you go for that F...... We have had 3 Fs in the family and all were lame. A new F350 blew out a clutch in under 5,000 kms and never towed or carried anything heavier than my two parents and there stuff. My parents were caught in California an extra 3 days. I figure in Bolivia you might say months. Those things just aren't sold or used there. If you are going to use the F word go for a Fuso double cab in a two wheel drive. If you are in Canada, you can import a 15 year old double cab 4x4 fuso with low kms and register it here. The double cab is a bit harder to find. Actually there is one for sale by a guy I know on a couple forums. It is a single cab but only has 3,000 kms. FS- 1991 Mitsubishi FUSO FG (Canter) - Expedition Portal Forums The thing with the Fuso is that they are very dependible, fuel efficient, can haul a lot of crud and are supported around the world. Frankly, I would take a winch equipt 2wd Fuso over any 4x4 Ford, Chev or Dodge product.
 
Jilt,

email these guys....

Feral Green - 4 friends take a green trip in a biodiesel hybrid

i hung out with them a bit in panama as we tried to get around the gap. i don't want to comment on the financials of their trip but they had some issues with their truck. Ford f350 is not common in Panama and the parts had to be flown in from miami. they could have flown to miami bought the part themselves, flown back to Panama and put in on in the parking lot of the hotel for cheaper than they had to pay the dealer to do it. the part? a brake caliper. no need to bring something like that for me since they could be sourced in almost every country along my route.

a new car is good but i'd take an old toyota in the latin world over a new ford any day. hell i do it in the states but even more so down here. i rolled into two shops on my trip. once for tie rods and once for my exhaust. both shops did excellent work, knew and had experience on my type of vehicle. work was done well and cheap on the spot.

Not to volunteer too many of the people on this board but you'll never find a community in the f350 world like you will in the land cruiser world. i've been in it for almost 10 years, long before IH8MUD but all i've learned on my trip is land cruiser people are special everywhere and are more than willing to go out of their way to help out. take it for what it's worth. if you are limited in skills a new car may be the best option. however if something goes wrong it will cost you considerably more. one other thought is if you have plans to visit the altiplano, salars, lagunas and andes of southwest bolivia/northeast chile you will see one type of vehicle. Land Cruiser. that is both an endorsement for the brand and also a recommendation that in the most remote, desolate and rugged portion of the continent you'll find people who know your truck and carry parts if need be. i saw only 3 other cars in 2k miles. both 80 series and both well equipped for the terrain. a breakdown out there could be disastrous.

i should add, i'm biased. but i guess you knew that.
dmc
 
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Is this a scam????

I believe I received a letter from these people. In it they asked me to provide them two dogs of a certain breed. I am a hobby breeder of a specific breed. Later in the letter they told me why they thought the breed was the right breed for the trip, but they had the name of a different breed in that sentence.

Now I see in their posts here that they are saying they plan to bring wolfhounds, which was not mentioned in their letter.

BEWARE!
 
Uuuhhh I don't see how it could be a scam they're on here asking for advice. I don't really get your dog thing...


First off, as others have said, I would imagine far more breakdowns in a brand new Ford than an ancient beat up 70 series. Seriously, an old cruiser or rover is far superior for your purposes... it's what they're made for... Fords are made for hauling.
Secondly, You're going to have to face the facts that for this type of expedition and your purposes, you either need more than one vehicle, or you need a Unimog or big old army truck as a platform. I would seriously consider two vehicles for many reasons.
1. I imagine a truck that size would use almost as much fuel as the two smaller trucks
2. Shipping. Two smaller trucks should able to squeeze into a 40' container (possibly as low as $2,000)... a tall truck like a mog would not be able to ship container, and reportedly costs about $3,500 to get around the Derian Gap each way.
4. Redundancy... if one truck breaks down or gets stuck, the other is always there.

I am currently doing this trip... it is just me and my girlfriend and we are small, minimalistic people... trust me a 5 person film crew and two large dogs cannot do it in one truck... think of the times when you'll have to haul the cyclists and their bikes/gear... it WILL happen.


As far as armour... I don't think it's ENTIRELY a silly idea. What I would like is a polycarbonate shield that could fold up (instantly??) in front of my windshield to protect from rocks on rough roads and determined thieves... also would be bullet-resistant. I recently had easily removable (with the doors open that is) steel bars made up for the side windows with bug screens for when we're sleeping (mozzy's and baddies stay out, nice cool breeze comes in!), and also for a bit of extra parking peace of mind.

I think there are lots of not too rediculous and lightweight ways to armour up a landcruiser a little bit.

My vote also goes with two diesel 78s. And someone on here recently told me they could be had brand new somewhere down south (they definitely can in Australia). Failing that, HJ60's (just saw one with a factory 1HZ!) or landrover 110s would be my next choice.
 
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Uuuhhh I don't see how it could be a scam they're on here asking for advice. I don't really get your dog thing...


First off, as others have said, I would imagine far more breakdowns in a brand new Ford than an ancient beat up 70 series. Seriously, an old cruiser or rover is far superior for your purposes... it's what they're made for... Fords are made for hauling.
Secondly, You're going to have to face the facts that for this type of expedition and your purposes, you either need more than one vehicle, or you need a Unimog or big old army truck as a platform. I would seriously consider two vehicles for many reasons.
1. I imagine a truck that size would use almost as much fuel as the two smaller trucks
2. Shipping. Two smaller trucks should able to squeeze into a 40' container (possibly as low as $2,000)... a tall truck like a mog would not be able to ship container, and reportedly costs about $3,500 to get around the Derian Gap each way.
4. Redundancy... if one truck breaks down or gets stuck, the other is always there.

I am currently doing this trip... it is just me and my girlfriend and we are small, minimalistic people... trust me a 5 person film crew and two large dogs cannot do it in one truck... think of the times when you'll have to haul the cyclists and their bikes/gear... it WILL happen.


As far as armour... I don't think it's ENTIRELY a silly idea. What I would like is a polycarbonate shield that could fold up (instantly??) in front of my windshield to protect from rocks on rough roads and determined thieves... also would be bullet-resistant. I recently had easily removable (with the doors open that is) steel bars made up for the side windows with bug screens for when we're sleeping (mozzy's and baddies stay out, nice cool breeze comes in!), and also for a bit of extra parking peace of mind.

I think there are lots of not too rediculous and lightweight ways to armour up a landcruiser a little bit.

My vote also goes with two diesel 78s. And someone on here recently told me they could be had brand new somewhere down south (they definitely can in Australia). Failing that, HJ60's (just saw one with a factory 1HZ!) or landrover 110s would be my next choice.

i almost split a 40'container with 5 people on bikes. $1800 was the quote for the container plus port fees Roll On Roll Off was quoted $4k. so i agree with that 100%

security film used on bank teller windows and casinos would be an ideal way to add extra security to the truck. i had a lead on some but it fell through with too much last minute prep i went dark as possible on normal tint. bars or expanded metal inside the window would also work very well. yep another project i didn't have time for.

Jilt if you need someone to drive a second truck who knows the route and has experience let me know. i'm sure i could free up my schedule. :cool:
dmc
 
wow. thank you guys for the replies. unfortunately right now I'm heading out shooting for the weekend, but I'll be back in communication on monday. Thank you guys very much.
 
i almost split a 40'container with 5 people on bikes. $1800 was the quote for the container plus port fees Roll On Roll Off was quoted $4k. so i agree with that 100%

This is a common thing I've seen. Almost everyone is told that RORO is really expensive. My theory is that either shipping agents don't make any money on RORO, or they are just referring to flat-deck RORO with those prices (for oversize like mogs, loaded on a big palette I think). It's almost impossible, but I managed to ship RORO Costa Rica to Ecuador for $550 all-in! Don't feel bad though, as I'll probably go container on the way back so I don't miss Colombia and Panama.

disclaimer: shipping RORO was a HUGE last minute gamble/risk. I was barely a nose away from paying exorbitant prices to buy a new ticket back to ecuador, shipping container from Panama anyway, and delaying our trip about a month with my girlfriend and I on separate continents. Not for the faint of heart!! Oh and also the truck wasn't secure and I was forced to leave a bunch of stuff in it, the most valuable of which was stolen.
 
If you take a Ford, or other American make, make sure you take along a complete set of the OEM shop manuals and the name of a parts guy that can get your parts to you anywhere in Central or South America. Parts for Japanese imports are much more readily available and mechanics are much more familiar with them too.

Folks in Central America do not want American cars. You'll quickly see that when you arrive at the Guatemalan border called El Carmen (the main border between Guatemala and Mexico) where there are lineups of used vehicles being imported into Guatemala from the US. 95% of them are Japanese and the other 5% are school buses!
 
We need ample space for 3-4 people, film equipment, expedition gear, bikes, batteries, and 2 irish wolfhounds. As many of you know, the roads through South America will require rugged 4x4 capabilities. In addition, with the threat of armed radicals, theives, and corrupt policia, the vehicle needs to be armored.

Any advice and assistance is most appreciated. Thank you.

For your needs, I recommend the Unimog 1250 with the long wheel base. The truck has a spacious platform with room for your crew, dogs and gear. In addition, the truck is very heavy duty and can be fitted with guns and armour to satisfy your international travel paranoia.
 
Given the incredible amount of gear you're going to be carrying, I think you really only have one choice and that's a big yellow school bus. The most common one I've noticed down there is BlueBird. You can buy one of those at auction in the states for really cheap. Get the engine, tranny, and chassis checked out and rebuild where necessary, Gut the inside of all the kiddie seats and put in a kitchen, bunk beds, couches. For security, tint the windows and weld on some rebar and your set. The whole build up would be pretty affordable and it solves all of your problems: spares parts are everywhere, security by virtue of blending in with the other million school busses on the road, tons of space, and they go anywhere - you don't even need 4x4. Plus you can airbrush all sorts of cool colors and designs on the outside and decorate with velvet and tassles like they do in Guatemala and elsewhere. Shipping the Darien would be more costly, but otherwise you're golden.
 

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