Which vehicle?
In these pages you will find detailed information on our vehicle, starting with the search for the chassis through to the construction and selection of equipment used.
It has to be said we have spent a lot of time in selecting the chassis to use. We thought it would be a simple process, but it proved not to be. There were several major factors to be considered early on; the biggest one was probably about weight. If we used a chassis that weighed more that 7.5 ton we would both need a new licence for that class, if only one of us took the test then we would be restricted later on if and when one of us was ill and unable to drive.
MAN 10.224 4x4 converted in Germany by Woelcke individueller Reisemobil- und Sonderfahrzeugbau GmbH & Co KG www.woelcke.de
Also with a larger chassis comes larger engines, more weight and higher fuel costs. Not to much of an issue if you are doing 2-3 months as a one of adventure into Africa, but to full time in a truck for the next 20 years is a different consideration. The terrain we expect to encounter from time to time will demand a four-wheel drive vehicle for sure. We do not intend going sand hopping in the desert, but rough tracks and muddy roads we will be using and to do most of our travelling independently without support means you have to do everything you can to stop an inconvenience becoming a crisis when stuck in a bog. Being able to service, maintain and most importantly repair your own vehicle in far away places is critical. Picking up the phone to a service centre is not an option when in the middle of nowhere and that’s if your phone works.
So after much reading, searching forums on the web and talking to a good pal of mine who operates coaches for a living, we concluded that for a robust chassis that can be serviced anywhere in the world the Mercedes was about as good as it was going to get. But computers frighten me to death when attached to an engine, if you cannot plug in your laptop to diagnose the fault your pretty much stuffed, so we had to find a unit without one.
Now the search was being narrowed down, the 814 chassis was looking favourite. Widely used by other experienced travellers, simple to maintain and under 7.5 ton. If we looked at an early example with the Euro 1 engine, there was not a computer to worry about. The choice was made, but how to find such a rare animal?.
The 'Bedford MJ'
The Bedford MJ was chosen by Steve and Cathy as the most easily servicable and repairable vehicle they could find at a cost they could afford. The MJ series have no complicated engine electronic management systems to go wrong and all mechanicle areas are easy to maintain, There is nothing that cant be repaired anywhere in the world. The spares situation is very good in the UK and in many areas of the globe. Its a tough vehicle as it should be with service in the British military both in the UK and abroad still to this day. for more details see;