The Vehicles

The road to Bagdhad, Syria 1998.
Photo D Romano

Crossing the continent of Africa from East to West is not to be undertaken lightly. This expedition is hampered by the fact that it is a private journey. Two vehicles are involved. B577WKJ a 1985 model 2/25 litre petrol 110 hardtop and A XXXX a 1985 model 130 station wagon that has been converted to a 300 tdi diesel.

Richard Clow eyes up the mess during a Weasel clear out in Kampala Uganda 1998
Photo F Jah

Due to the difference in engines and fuel systems each vehicle has to be able to operate completely independent of the other. Neither vehicle is new. They are both veterans of two years in Africa and a number of expeditions. They recently required extensive re-furbishing and servicing.

Both vehicles have been fitted with supplementary fuel tanks under the front seats, invertors, spare batteries, and internal cupboards. The vehicles carry additional water and fuel jerry cans. Due to the personalised nature of the conversions, the exact layout of the vehicles is not re-produced here.

For further details, the reader may contact either owner of each vehicle. Save to say that the minimum requirement was to be able to cross 1600 kms of reasonable terrain without refueling. Off road this minimum should be 1000km.

Tete crossroads. Northern Mocambique 1999. The weasel decides to go to Malawi rather than Zambia
Photo F Jah