How are you planning your living arrangements, inside or in a tent?
Stephen
Steven - Thanks for the comments - I am looking at live inside only - I currently have roof tent (HTT) see photo - and while happy to do 6 or 8 week trips with that - this would be 6 or 8 months worth. So live inside is the only thing I'd consider - both for comfort and security.
I've told the wife this would my last trip away (crossed fingers behind my back) so I need to make it worthwhile. For this to work comfortably for me I'm looking around for a new LHD truck to convert. I've considered a brand new one (Troopie - more space) but not liking the current engines offered. (euro6 v8D engines or the 1HZ) - I know Toms (and others) do a very good conversion on the HZ but I've shy'd away as I have also seen the damage caused by the conversion if not done properly. I'm also considering a new troopie (HZ) and dumping the engine and sticking a refurb'd 1HD-FT in it - as I move this forward I'll make my mind up.
I'm a bit fussy with my engine choices as I know that I will be highly dependent on them. I like the 24v 1hd-ft as I've severely hammered mine at times and it's always hung together and it's just the comfort factor I like - yes I do understand they can all go wrong at sometime or other. Another consideration for me is the high sulpher fuel is different countries and the issue this causes on some of the modern engines so I'm going backwards (in years) on engine choice.
I'm in no rush - my timing for this was 2017 in my current truck but happy to spend a year and the money required to get this correct for a 2018 June/July start in a new refurbished truck. I'm getting on a bit in years now and want to do this trip before I get to damn old to do it - and enjoy it.
I've looked at Toms Trucks - Custom Campers etc. and like them a lot, very nice and good facilities for a single traveler - so that's the direction I'll probably go. I've crawled all over one, both inside and underneath to see how it was put together and done a nice little test drive in one.... very nice. Driving a LHD truck in the UK was strange though...
As I've had this done this twice already - had it built once - totally trashed it in Libya and had to get it all rebuild again (good opportunity to take out the crap that didn't work) without the wife knowing about it (else she would never let me out again) - so I have a good idea of what I want, need and what actually works.
I've even looked at larger (much) trucks but moved off that track when I saw one guy spending 2 hours digging himself out of mud that a Toyota would not have sunk into... and another 2 hours to change a wheel that he couldn't lift without a base pad. Plus you are severely hampered on where you can go with a large truck - hard to park in a campsite sometimes... and hard to get through a town center with small streets. I've looked at the 6 wheel Multi Drive extended Toyota chassis etc and discounted them as I don't need that space (another reason why the big trucks got canned)...
RHD in S America - yes I've heard it's not a problem - sometimes - and others it's 'the computer says no'. As this is such a one off trip for me I just don't want the additional issue (there will be enough of them elsewhere I'm sure) of a discussion at a boarder crossing. Plus a lot of the other countries I'll be passing through will be LHD anyway... so it will just make my life easier anyway... AUS and NZ being the exception..
Ho-humm - The thread delivered in so much that I got some good web site links and some good comments (yours included) on the question and requirements..
Thanks - Denis