The perfect Pan-American Expedition Vehicle

[joshoisasleep]

Another thing about the dogs... why not pick up one of the many strays that you'll see down there instead of buying expensive purebreds? Rescued dogs are known to be fiercely loyal and protective of their owners - sometimes more so than dogs that have been babied with a good easy doggy life. Not only will people be afraid to even touch your dog let alone mess with it, but it'll be armed with a tough doggy street upbringing that will mean you won't have to worry about "what's that weird thing it's eating". All that, and your pet will have awesome character... "I found him in Nicaragua..."
Also, it's possible that purebreds are likely to be stolen and may make you more of a target...

 

[sandcruiser]

x2 on the stolen dogs thing, but I would think it is less likely with a fullgrown wolf hound.
You might find that smaller dogs get out of the puppy stage faster too, which will make them better travel companions and guards.

I feel like a lot of us are raining on your parade, sorry about that. Your expedition sounds fun and cool and wonderful! In your shoes I would worry less about theft/seizure and more about daily comfort & convenience. The dangers of all-out auto theft down here are less than most urban USA settings.

 

[n2666s]

Ahhh; brings back memories of the "good ol days" when you could drive from Cucuta through the "Paramo de Berlin" to Pasto unmolested except for police checkpoints............... from there on to Santiago on the "New Pan American" highway......transportation..........a 56 BMW 502...........there was even a road race from Buenos Aires to Caracas where the winning race car was a chevy of all things..........armored cars?, 4 WD? not neede for the regular roads...........incountry?, Toyota all the way; see what is being driven in the gold strike areas of Amazonia.........Toyotas; oil drillers did use Dodge Power Wagons 4WD with a winch around the Rio De Oro, Maracaibo and Eastern Venezuela areas............FWIW ...........

Lou

Lou

 

[n2666s]

security...........long haired northen dogs?!........a medium sized short haired stray local dog will be a much better choice, they are like mules, thrive on anything; all you want it for is for its bark!; for backup; a british Martin Dale or german Corneta Machete............keep it razor sharp...........they are high carbon steel and WILL hold an edge..........locals mow their lawns with them..........+ they are legal! my 0.02

Lou

 

[Malahki]

Hey Jlit, glad to see you are making out better here then on the Benzworld Unimog forum. I would have thought the Unimog crowd would have been much more accepting and positive in their responses. I think the mention of Toyota Tundra's must have put them in defence mode. Don't let those few negative responses speak for all of us Unimog owners.

I just thought I would share a few good examples of Unimog expedition vehicles. They do have their draw back, such as slow speed and expensive parts. On the other hand their off road capability is amazing and they are capable of handling extreme weights on and off road.

 

[Malahki]

Mercedes trucks have been used for all kinds of cross country adventures

 

[joshoisasleep]

I feel like a lot of us are raining on your parade, sorry about that.

x2 on that. At least until I saw the Benzworld unimog forums! Wow those guys are a little harsh. I always hate when someone goes to a forum to do their research and people tell them they need to "go back and do their research"

Nice mog picures... that really big yellow one sure looks like it would do the trick. Although, it really does stick out... might increase your bribe costs...
I'd be really interested if someone could find out how much the 70's are for sale in Costa Rica.

 

[sandcruiser]

there was a built 78 for sale at Purdy Motors in Liberia (Costa Rica) for about $45K last year. It looked brand new and had ARB bullbar, OME suspension, a winch (warn?), ARB roofrack, 1hz motor, ff/rr lockers, 5 speed, 285/75r16 tires on grey split rims, arb snorkel, vinyl interior w/ manual windows...

Great truck! Lemme see if I have a photo anywhere....

 

[sandcruiser]

oops! I misremembered the price!! They were actually asking $67,000 for the built 78. Mid-$40's must be the stock troopy (hzj75). there are several more photos
here

 

[sandcruiser]

and here's another good Mog setup

 

[joshoisasleep]

Nice. That mog looks like it would suit the OP's purposes just fine. Add a roof tent to the front roof rack and comfortably sleep 4!

Sandcruiser: Do you think these are the same re-released 70 series you get in Australia, or the old 70 series still being sold new down there? I had kinda assumed it was the latter...

 

[sandcruiser]

definitely the newer, 78 series. Coil springs up front, 5 bolt wheels.

I would guess that there is room in that mog pop top to sleep 4 adults already. You could probably rig a fifth (and/or 6th) on a cot or two inside as well. Maybe not, not clear how big stuff is. But adding a 2- 4 person rooftop tent would be trivial.

 

[canucksafari]

I think you got some very good advise here and on Expo Portal. I think you need to spend less time worrying about your vehicle and more time learning about where you are planning to go by others who have been there. There are lots of web sites and good books out there. I would concur with the others about not needing a 4x4. The short school bus would be a better runner, less noticeble than a new Taco, would take all your gear and get you pretty much everywhere on a reasonable budget. The only way a LC or a Hilux is going to work for you is if you have two of them.

 

[mikeincognito]

My 0.02

Maybe the school bus idea with aussie flavor will be better.

Seriously i live in Latin America and the most reliable vehicle you can have here is a LC (either 78 or 80).

And about the security, don't worry about the dogs, unless they are bulletproof as well, I don't see how can they protect you if the delincuentes are carrying guns. Just use common sense, don't be too flashy and relax.

 

[n2666s]

and a mog smells, no, it reeks of money..........in countries where a days salary is 10$ and you are gringo's and flashing a mog........hehehe, did someone say target along with a couple of expensive looking long haired dogs............might be looking at spending a few years in a FARC rest camp bad guys carry cell phones and can set up a roadblock easily,,,,remember..the bad guys do and can wear military uniforms............just cause you arrive at a checkpoint and the guys there all are wearing uniforms it does not mean they are there to defend you; YOU might be the target..........low key is the way to go........subdued colored medium size bus or a cpl of landcruisers..my 0.02 good luck

Lou

 

[Jlit]

Yeah, dude, now there's a school bus I wouldn't have minded riding to school every morning. No traffic either...

Those are some really cool unimog setups for sure, but you guys do bring up very good points. I've pretty much ruled out unimog for that reason specifically, too much attention, plus financial reasons to get the right setup. We were thinking of going with tundras over tacomas mainly because of the power it's going to take to get through mountain ranges like those in bolivia, plus we need the maximum possible amount of storage space for all our gear. Film gear, communication gear, expedition gear, all-in-all, a metric s*** ton.

However, I think 3 important factors we would like for our vehicle are reliablility, diesel (if possible), and fixability. I thought a newer toyota would be best because it would have fewer breakdowns in the course of 3 years, please correct me if I'm wrong. Is the Hilux diesel? Also, we are setting up one large insurance plan here in california to cover people, equipment, and vehicles, and would it be an issue to register the hilux here in the US? I hear I can get a new one from guatemala, but where is the closest?

Also, I've barely heard anyone mention Land Rover. What do you guys think of newer rovers? Considering petrol, reliability, and fixability, do you think a land rover discovery is a good option? Or any other land rover option for that matter? I really question whether it could be enough space.

Two smaller vehicles or one larger? What do you guys think? There are many aspects of the short bus that I really like, however, over the course of 2 years down there, we'll be going through 2-3 rainy seasons which (to the best of my understanding) means slippery roads, dangerous ditches, and probably fording rivers when necessary. We are thinking a bus couldn't make it, or would offer too many problems. I feel I would rather go with 2 of something newer and more versatile, and save the hassle. There are serious benefits either way.

 

[joshoisasleep]

Hilux:
diesel - yes
ideal - yes
register in US - not likely
Really I think of the hilux as being to the consumer toyota trucks (like the ones you get in the US) what the landcruiser is to say a RAV4

That is a point on the bus. Recently I've driven through some washed out mountain highways that I don't think a schoolbus would feel as safe on... with cliff edges collapsing and lanes disappearing my 60 felt a bit tight. A bus should be excellent in mud though I would think with dually rear tires, long wheelbase and plenty of weight. With a big winch I wouldn't worry so much about getting it stuck.

As for newer/older trucks. A landcruiser is designed to last forever with correct maintenance, and a bloody long time without. Many newer vehicles (even Toyota ones) are not designed with an intense 3 year adventure in mind... your newer truck will be great at the beginning, more comfortable and perhaps maintenance free. Towards the end though an old cruiser will be much the same as it was at the beginning, whereas your new truck may just fall apart entirely before then. It's little things like my ancient 3b engine having a timing cog instead of a chain or belt. I've heard of 3 year old vehicles blowing a timing belt... do that somewhere remote and it's no fun.
Fewer breakdowns in the beginning? Maybe. Over the course of 3 years daily driving in the US? Maybe. On an intense 3 year offroad adventure being beaten to death, loaded to the gills over some of the harshest terrain you could take it? I wouldn't bet on it.

Landrovers. To me a discovery looks like any other SUV. What you want is a Defender 110... they still sell them new (and better than ever), just not in north america. I've been constantly eyeing up defenders while on this trip... they come with intense factory extras like massive cage protection and built in roof racks. They appear to have superior weight handling.
Cons - parts are available but probably more expensive. Not as easily available as cruiser parts. I'd seriously consider diesel defender 110s as an option if it's in your budget and US registration isn't a necessity.

If you're seriously considering the bus, here's a suggestion. Take the bus, and tow either a Suzuki samurai or FJ40/BJ40 behind it with a roof tent. Go anywhere, AND have a massive basecamp. That bus can get to 95% of places you'll ever want to go, and the 40/samurai can get you where it can't. Also, now you have a round town runaround that's not a yacht to park... this is a surprisingly MASSIVE benefit. With rolling shop window covers, the bus is easily made impregnable. Hell you could park a samurai INSIDE the bus... or 3 on the roof... or anywhere - those things are tiny, cheap and not to be underestimated. Both 40s and samurais are everywhere down here. I think for your specific purposes having a large vehicle is going to be far more of a benefit than a hindrance. Take it from me... living in a car IS living in a car.

Oh and don't worry so much about power on mountain ranges. You'll always get over them, and most of the time you'll be going 30kph behind a big ancient truck full of cows anyway.

Sorry for another massive post in this thread... I'm addicted to it!

 

[canucksafari]

I can't believe the term Land Rover actually made it in a tghread were dependability is key. They are horrible for quality - especially their electrics and oil leaks.

I have been on "roads" in Bolivia in Bolivian buses which scared the crap out of me. BTW, the Bolivian mini-buses all have bald tires. One place was well over 13,000' - a pecarious switch back climb from about 7,000'. I was actually seriously considering walking an old Inca trail on the return trip down. What I could see of the Inca trail looks a lot better than the road. The big suprise was an about 45 passenger school bus broken down at the top. Every switch back he had to do like a 12 point turn just to make the corner. Every turn his passengers behind the rear duallies were sitting above a lot of empty air. He was broken down at the top because his rad had developed a hole. The amazing thing is he had riden down to the town in the valley ( they carry an old bike just for this possibility). He called another bus to come get his passengers, then got a rad patch kit and four liters of water. When we met up with him, he was just putting the water in and was getting ready to go back down the mountain. When I asked him about the 4 liters being enough, he said it is a diesel, it doesn't need much water going down hill. Sure enough he made it, as his bus was in the town when we returned later. The moral of the story is that these old diesel school buses are a lot tougher then we give them credit. If you can buy one off a school district which runs and maiantains its own fleet, then you will probably find it to be in excellend condition.

As for the power, even a new gas truck is gonna suck at 13,000' unless some adjustment is made. If you are running a non-turbo diesel, you will want the fuel turned back by a pro before doing a lot of high alt travel. If it is turboed, well the turbo will ensure the volume of air is sufficient.

 

[mikeincognito]

The closest to US you can get the HILUX is Mexico. Its sold all over the world where a reliable workhorse is needed. It comes mostly Diesel and dual cab. Maybe you can consider 2 of those and the remover the bed and buy an Australian camper for them. There you go with all the gear and stuff for the expedition. For maintenance, everybody that have an almost decent shop here will take em apart piece by piece and put it together again. It's a common vehicle among farm owners here. Actually my brother-in law have one, ill post pics later.

 

[cruiser_guy]

The Tundra is a US market Toyota that are not found elsewhere in Latin America. NOT a good idea for your trip. If you take a Tundra it will have as much problems finding parts as a domestic pickup.

You can get a gas powered HiLux in Mexico, I have not seen the diesel powered HiLux in Mexico but they are available in Guatemala as a double cab intercooled turbo diesel.