Autism Family Travels
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The F150 comes with a 130 or 140 liter tank. it's huge. No need to add extra there. We get over 1000km to a tank.
Buying a Vehicle for Overlanding
- Thread starter Sailmike
- Start date
Off-Road Ranger I
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Who are most people? I don’t know anyone that has ditched a CAT. There might be a handful of hardcore gear/motor heads, but most people? I drove 18 for 27 years. The three best things that ever happened in the industry? No Idle policy/law. Computerized log books ( E-Logs ) and emission reductions. With each of these major changes my compensation went up, mine and your’s health got better and we are no longer so dependent on foreign oil because each change also led to saving over 6 billion gallons per year. That doesn’t include the major increases in MPG that new diesel technology has provided the industry. Unfortunately, the passenger vehicle Diesel engines are unreliable as the marketer/makers are squeezing every last bit of torque and horsepower out of tiny little engines, rendering them unreliable and requiring more maintenance that a modern gasoline engine.. sorry to the OP for wandering so far off topic, “most people” took me aback.
I need more details on the placement of the water tank please. Down low means at the bottom of the habitat box or below that?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Water tank must go directly behind the cab, in the bed. That's where all slide in campers put it.
Do not expand the tank. Fullsize trucks have large fuel tanks, plan appropriately.
For slide in camper, you want a short bed truck. The rear of the camper hangs off a bit, and has basement storage then. Example Bundutec Roadrunner, Bunduvry, etc. The shorter wheelbase is handy.
For a permanent box type camper, like the earthroamer turds that you posted. Get a 4wd F550 flatbed work truck, as long as you want. Add a Composite Designs box kit. You can also pick out super single Brush Truck Firetruck off road wheels and tires, but regular DRW work trucks are actually pretty capable. At least as capable as a camper needs to be. The box SHOULD NOT extend over the cab, that'll prevent cab off engine repairs.
New trucks are superior since most of the simple reliable Olde school trucks are simply worn out by now. You're right to avoid diesel. New diesels have serious issues that none of the big three have gotten anywhere near to addressing. Ram and Ford are my favorites by far. The Ford has superior gas engines, transmissions, and axles.
My Cummins goes to high idle too long, too loud, for winter camping. And it shakes the truck too much to sleep in. It sprays Def that makes the entire campground area smell like somebody is peeing on a battlefields pile of burning corpses. It's literally that bad. The Ford 6.2 can idle all night without hardly making a peep of noise. I don't idle all night too often, but it is a needed option sometimes.
Personally my game plan is a Ford F250 4x4, cc, sb, Fx4, e locker rear, $38,000. Add a front Yukon Autolocker, add 35" tires, maybe regear to 4.88.
Put a Bundutec Roadrunner on it's back, $35,000. For now, I'm camping in tents, and sometimes in my crew cabs back seat. Not sure if I'll stick to overlanding, so I'm ''roughing it'' on a budget for now. Honestly though, the camper will be mostly for travel, not overlanding. We'll see. Overlanding doesn't always have good bang for the buck, per day spent.
Beware, you're getting conflicting advice from people way to biased by experience. That's OK, but you don't build a truck for North America and Europe. You build a truck only for North America. Sell it, burn it, drive it off a bridge, and build another for Europe. The truck is not the major expense. Overlanding in Europe is best on a motorcycle. Also consider Mark1 hiking boot, and public transportation. I have canceled ALL foreign overlanding plans. Airplanes, hotels, and hiking tourguides beat overlanding dollar for dollar, minute for minute. I can hike and scuba on the island of Dominica for weeks with a pro guide, for what a simple overlanding trip across the border costs, just to get across the border. Never mind staying for a while. I'm very adverse to the idea of traveling in America, the same way as other countries. Each continent has different ways. Select the optimal one.
If you can avoid highways like a motorcycle overlander would, then a Military Truck becomes a very viable north America ride, and well inside your tight budget. Downside, they only go 60mph.
midwestmilitaryequipment.com
Be sure to get some civvy paint so you look a little less crazy. White and black looks nice.
Do not expand the tank. Fullsize trucks have large fuel tanks, plan appropriately.
For slide in camper, you want a short bed truck. The rear of the camper hangs off a bit, and has basement storage then. Example Bundutec Roadrunner, Bunduvry, etc. The shorter wheelbase is handy.
For a permanent box type camper, like the earthroamer turds that you posted. Get a 4wd F550 flatbed work truck, as long as you want. Add a Composite Designs box kit. You can also pick out super single Brush Truck Firetruck off road wheels and tires, but regular DRW work trucks are actually pretty capable. At least as capable as a camper needs to be. The box SHOULD NOT extend over the cab, that'll prevent cab off engine repairs.
New trucks are superior since most of the simple reliable Olde school trucks are simply worn out by now. You're right to avoid diesel. New diesels have serious issues that none of the big three have gotten anywhere near to addressing. Ram and Ford are my favorites by far. The Ford has superior gas engines, transmissions, and axles.
My Cummins goes to high idle too long, too loud, for winter camping. And it shakes the truck too much to sleep in. It sprays Def that makes the entire campground area smell like somebody is peeing on a battlefields pile of burning corpses. It's literally that bad. The Ford 6.2 can idle all night without hardly making a peep of noise. I don't idle all night too often, but it is a needed option sometimes.
Personally my game plan is a Ford F250 4x4, cc, sb, Fx4, e locker rear, $38,000. Add a front Yukon Autolocker, add 35" tires, maybe regear to 4.88.
Put a Bundutec Roadrunner on it's back, $35,000. For now, I'm camping in tents, and sometimes in my crew cabs back seat. Not sure if I'll stick to overlanding, so I'm ''roughing it'' on a budget for now. Honestly though, the camper will be mostly for travel, not overlanding. We'll see. Overlanding doesn't always have good bang for the buck, per day spent.
Beware, you're getting conflicting advice from people way to biased by experience. That's OK, but you don't build a truck for North America and Europe. You build a truck only for North America. Sell it, burn it, drive it off a bridge, and build another for Europe. The truck is not the major expense. Overlanding in Europe is best on a motorcycle. Also consider Mark1 hiking boot, and public transportation. I have canceled ALL foreign overlanding plans. Airplanes, hotels, and hiking tourguides beat overlanding dollar for dollar, minute for minute. I can hike and scuba on the island of Dominica for weeks with a pro guide, for what a simple overlanding trip across the border costs, just to get across the border. Never mind staying for a while. I'm very adverse to the idea of traveling in America, the same way as other countries. Each continent has different ways. Select the optimal one.
If you can avoid highways like a motorcycle overlander would, then a Military Truck becomes a very viable north America ride, and well inside your tight budget. Downside, they only go 60mph.
1994 Stewart & Stevenson M1079 2 1/2 Ton LMTV 4x4 Camper Truck
Shop the 1994 Stewart & Stevenson M1079 2 1/2 Ton LMTV 4x4 Camper Truck at Midwest Military Equipment. Low mileage, excellent condition, and ready for work or play. Call now!
midwestmilitaryequipment.com
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Would you mind explaining in more detail why not do a cab over design? I plan to build all the cabinets out of foam and fiberglass or carbon fiber sandwich panels to keep the overhead weight down.Water tank must go directly behind the cab, in the bed. That's where all slide in campers put it.
Do not expand the tank. Fullsize trucks have large fuel tanks, plan appropriately.
For slide in camper, you want a short bed truck. The rear of the camper hangs off a bit, and has basement storage then. Example Bundutec Roadrunner, Bunduvry, etc. The shorter wheelbase is handy.
For a permanent box type camper, like the earthroamer turds that you posted. Get a 4wd F550 flatbed work truck, as long as you want. Add a Composite Designs box kit. You can also pick out super single Brush Truck Firetruck off road wheels and tires, but regular DRW work trucks are actually pretty capable. At least as capable as a camper needs to be. The box SHOULD NOT extend over the cab, that'll prevent cab off engine repairs.
New trucks are superior since most of the simple reliable Olde school trucks are simply worn out by now. You're right to avoid diesel. New diesels have serious issues that none of the big three have gotten anywhere near to addressing. Ram and Ford are my favorites by far. The Ford has superior gas engines, transmissions, and axles.
My Cummins goes to high idle too long, too loud, for winter camping. And it shakes the truck too much to sleep in. It sprays Def that makes the entire campground area smell like somebody is peeing on a battlefields pile of burning corpses. It's literally that bad. The Ford 6.2 can idle all night without hardly making a peep of noise. I don't idle all night too often, but it is a needed option sometimes.
Personally my game plan is a Ford F250 4x4, cc, sb, Fx4, e locker rear, $38,000. Add a front Yukon Autolocker, add 35" tires, maybe regear to 4.88.
Put a Bundutec Roadrunner on it's back, $35,000. For now, I'm camping in tents, and sometimes in my crew cabs back seat. Not sure if I'll stick to overlanding, so I'm ''roughing it'' on a budget for now. Honestly though, the camper will be mostly for travel, not overlanding. We'll see. Overlanding doesn't always have good bang for the buck, per day spent.
Beware, you're getting conflicting advice from people way to biased by experience. That's OK, but you don't build a truck for North America and Europe. You build a truck only for North America. Sell it, burn it, drive it off a bridge, and build another for Europe. The truck is not the major expense. Overlanding in Europe is best on a motorcycle. Also consider Mark1 hiking boot, and public transportation. I have canceled ALL foreign overlanding plans. Airplanes, hotels, and hiking tourguides beat overlanding dollar for dollar, minute for minute. I can hike and scuba on the island of Dominica for weeks with a pro guide, for what a simple overlanding trip across the border costs, just to get across the border. Never mind staying for a while. I'm very adverse to the idea of traveling in America, the same way as other countries. Each continent has different ways. Select the optimal one.
If you can avoid highways like a motorcycle overlander would, then a Military Truck becomes a very viable north America ride, and well inside your tight budget. Downside, they only go 60mph.
Be sure to get some civvy paint so you look a little less crazy. White and black looks nice.1994 Stewart & Stevenson M1079 2 1/2 Ton LMTV 4x4 Camper Truck
Shop the 1994 Stewart & Stevenson M1079 2 1/2 Ton LMTV 4x4 Camper Truck at Midwest Military Equipment. Low mileage, excellent condition, and ready for work or play. Call now!
Many overlanders talk about carrying extra fuel and expanding the fuel capacity. Also, I’m thinking of adding a hydronic system.
[QUOTE="Many overlanders talk about carrying extra fuel and expanding the fuel capacity. Also, I’m thinking of adding a hydronic system.
[/QUOTE]
If your range is 500 Km and you plan to cross (for example) the Simpson, SW Bolivian, or Sahara Desert, then you need more fuel capacity. If your range is 1000 Km then you can cross pretty much anywhere with no problem. Hence my question. Now if you plan to head into the Central Kalahari for a month without returning to Rakops for fuel every couple of weeks then you might (!) need extra. So, I’m interested in your plans.
[/QUOTE]
If your range is 500 Km and you plan to cross (for example) the Simpson, SW Bolivian, or Sahara Desert, then you need more fuel capacity. If your range is 1000 Km then you can cross pretty much anywhere with no problem. Hence my question. Now if you plan to head into the Central Kalahari for a month without returning to Rakops for fuel every couple of weeks then you might (!) need extra. So, I’m interested in your plans.
You blow a head gasket somewhere in Kansas. How are you going to get the trucks cab off to access the engine?
You can't just pop the hood anymore, the whole cab has to come off.
If your range is 500 Km and you plan to cross (for example) the Simpson, SW Bolivian, or Sahara Desert, then you need more fuel capacity. If your range is 1000 Km then you can cross pretty much anywhere with no problem. Hence my question. Now if you plan to head into the Central Kalahari for a month without returning to Rakops for fuel every couple of weeks then you might (!) need extra. So, I’m interested in your plans.
[/QUOTE]
I don’t know yet if I’ll be able to travel any of those places you mentioned. My spending limit on gas is about $800 a month, which would require staying 3-5 days in some places. I plan to experiment by traveling across the US and Canada. Maybe I could stay some places a few months or so to save up some money for gas. That wouldn’t work in Europe or anywhere else due to the limits on staying without a visa. I believe the British Isles allows Americans to stay for up to 12 months without a visa, so staying someplace there for some months to save gas money might work. I’m guessing.
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The only country in which we’ve found petrol markedly different (poor quality) is Venezuela. With modern “smart” engines the engines adjust for fuel quality (and altitude etc.) so variable quality is not noticeable.
