Olazz
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2010
- Messages
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My initial interest began last year, when along with "Jerman" and "Stockton" we visited the Abenteur Allrad
show in Germany and saw the many different ( and some spectacularl, but eye-wateringly expensive) overland vehicles.
During our last drive from Cape town to Kilimanjaro earlier this year, we met several travellers with different vehicles and solutions, but none of them were what I felt were suitable as a base vehicle.
After a chance encounter in Botswana with a chap nicknamed "Mr Dakar"... ( he'd completed in 17 Paris-Dakar races), I decided after hours of discussions with him, that perhaps a vehicle made for serious off-road rallies would be a good base, from which to start a project. It has so very many advantages, and few disadvantages.
So after weeks of searching and many visits to Europe, these are my new Overland wheels.
MAN 18t.
Professionally built by MAN for the rally. Extensively uprated and improved with twin shocks all round, Full roll cage, special diffs with lockers, gearbox, H/L range, parabolic springs, and a host of other super- technical stuff including a 6,000km range. (expensive to fill up!)
16 speed manual; central tyre inflation system, ( 12 settings which allow inflation and deflation of all tyres simultaneously while on the move from 0.5bar to 5 bar)
520HP & 2900NM torque
Top speed limited to 220 kph scary stuff !!!
The idea is to build an overland truck (motorcaravan) with comfortable living accommodation at the rear. Final goal for the weight is 11t wet, with a GVM of 14t
As this is not a TOYOTA, there may be little interest in a build thread on here... but if there is, shout and I'll post more.
Lazz
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