Landcruiser. Dakar.

[Olivero]

Driving to Dakar...

Later on in the year I am going to drive down to Dakar (and further until I run out of funds and/or sanity) because it is there. Spain - easy. Morocco - mostly fine for 90% of the country. Further south - err, a bit sandy.

Everyone so far has recommended a Toyota Landcruiser as it should be rugged enough and parts are easy enough to get hold of. I have been looking at something around 1997, 3.0 turbo diesel, automatic with a/c! Just happens that most of what I am looking at is automatic, wouldn't really be my first choice but there you go. Bearing in mind that I am going to be going at a gently pace and sticking to "roads" as much as I can what do you think I can get away with? Will take with me a full tool kit, sand planks, gps, tow ropes and all the usual stuff you would expect. Some spare parts but not go too overboard. My main alterations will be to fit a proper roof rack and rip out the back seats to fit a bed.

Is there really that much I need to do in terms of making it tougher, higher, better off road? Any particular year or model you would go for?

[SystemParanoia]

Tyres. These have thicker sidewalls than the AT's, and almost last forever, may be very useful feature when facing the unknown.

[Olivero]

SystemParanoia said:

Tyres. These have thicker sidewalls than the AT's, and almost last forever, may be very useful feature when facing the unknown.

Yeh, the first thing I would change over (once I got the Spanish roads out of the way)

[BigLepton]

Forget BFG's and the like if you are overlanding mainly on roads you want something much tougher than that. The overlanders favourite is the Michelin XZY. It's actually a lorry tyre that happens to be available in 750R16 size and on vehicles the size and weight of LC's or LR's it is just about unbreakable. They are virually immune to punctures and damage and shrug off the largest, sharpest thorns. Without a doubt, the best tyre for your trip.

http://www.destoop.com/trip/1%20PREPARATION/2%20Ve...

[Silent1]

On sand here in Oz we use either Bridgestone Desert Duelers or Olympic Overlanders.

Both fitted to landcruisers around the farm, we fit wider tyres as well, nearly double the standard width, that's more for sliding around on grass when we round up cattle though so we don't bugger the fields.

[pugwash4x4]

don't get a prado or colorado

you want an 80 series or a KZ70

have a chat with the guys at www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb or www.innovate4x4.com!

[mechsympathy]

BigLepton said:

Forget BFG's and the like if you are overlanding mainly on roads you want something much tougher than that. The overlanders favourite is the Michelin XZY. It's actually a lorry tyre that happens to be available in 750R16 size and on vehicles the size and weight of LC's or LR's it is just about unbreakable. They are virually immune to punctures and damage and shrug off the largest, sharpest thorns. Without a doubt, the best tyre for your trip.

http://www.destoop.com/trip/1%20PREPARATION/2%20Ve...

They're fapping pricey though. We did 23k to Cape Town on BFG all terrains and only got one puncture. From chatting to people the mud terrains are betterin sand though.

[BigLepton]

mechsympathy said:

BigLepton said:

Forget BFG's and the like if you are overlanding mainly on roads you want something much tougher than that. The overlanders favourite is the Michelin XZY. It's actually a lorry tyre that happens to be available in 750R16 size and on vehicles the size and weight of LC's or LR's it is just about unbreakable. They are virually immune to punctures and damage and shrug off the largest, sharpest thorns. Without a doubt, the best tyre for your trip.

http://www.destoop.com/trip/1%20PREPARATION/2%20Ve...

They're fapping pricey though. We did 23k to Cape Town on BFG all terrains and only got one puncture. From chatting to people the mud terrains are betterin sand though.

They're about £150 new or about £75 ex-military from places like LW Vass. Bloody good price for tyres than can last 80k in Africa IMHO. Don't know who you chatted to but MT's are absolutely the worst possible tyres in sand as they dig straight down. The less aggressive the tread, the better on sand. The XZY is reasonable on sand but nowhere near as good as the old master of sand driving, the Michelin XS Sahara. Sadly they are very difficult to get nowadays.

[pugwash4x4]

BigLepton said:

Don't know who you chatted to but MT's are absolutely the worst possible tyres in sand as they dig straight down.

Bit Hocum that one

Both Tom Sheppard and Chris Scott (both very experienced desert travellers), agree that in the right situations MTs can be very helpful- particularly in churned, Chott and Feche Feche

[mechsympathy]

BigLepton said:

Don't know who you chatted to but MT's are absolutely the worst possible tyres in sand as they dig straight down.

A couple of guys who run trips in Libya, but I heard the same from more run of the mill travellers.

[BigLepton]

pugwash4x4 said:

BigLepton said:

Don't know who you chatted to but MT's are absolutely the worst possible tyres in sand as they dig straight down.

Bit Hocum that one

Both Tom Sheppard and Chris Scott (both very experienced desert travellers), agree that in the right situations MTs can be very helpful- particularly in churned, Chott and Feche Feche

If my own practical experience is hocum compared quoting other people, then so be it.

How much of your overlanding is on churned chott and feche feche? Sand that soft that has also been churned is a very small part of the average desert journey. For the most part you're better off with a less aggressive tyre. A Michelin XS will out-perform an MT on just about any sand. Suffice it to say when I was in Dubai there isn't much of a market for MT's except for posing.

[Andy Sargeant]

We have 200 750R16 Michelin XZL's in stock at keen prices, most are on "WOLF" Defender steel rims, all new.

Also Goodyear G90's on "WOLF" rims, will split.

Andy.