Mike
This requires a long reply - and I'm happy to oblige.
I obtained a basic spec cruiser than had it modded.
Personal preference - I've used BFG now for 5 years in the Sahara. They've never failed me yet, they are the all terrain ones. I started using them on cruisers of my french overland companions - it was due to them that I decided to have BFGs on my own.
The LRFT I obtained as a South African import I believe, but it might have been from australia - the price you quote is about right I think, it seems to be a good price, mine cost about =A3750
The TJM soon to be converted to a double carrier was obtained in Holland through a 4x4 garage that no longer exists as such in the UK. Frogsisland in Abingdon is doing the conversion for me
The bash plate and the front bullbar (its massive and most people find it hard to believe it) - this was sourced from a place in the Midlands. They protect the front and the undercarriage from the worst of the algerian massifs that are as harder than, and quite unlike any other rock that I've had the misfortune to be up against - dangerous stuff. Jean-Pascals LC lost wheel bolts in Algeria, they were sheared clean through, just like a saw blade, it took less than a few seconds to shear through - result a disabled cruiser that we fixed by sawing off the opposite bolt to even it out, to balance it, which then worked fine for the rest of the entire trip.
Before you joined the list there was a thread about snorkels, and the different kinds that are available. If you can access the archive (ask Julian if you can't) then the information pertaining to snorkels should be there - I haven't looked at the archive myself as yet, due to time constraints, but I will soon enough. My one is the Safari snorkel, in my case it doesn't actully cause any drag or additional fuel use. I use it because when I'm in the desert sometimes we have severe sand storms and just before this happens the air between the ground ( a few inches up from the ground) and about to the height of the snorkel is good air, above this and dust swirls around. I still get dust under the bonnet but the filter puts paid to any sand getting into places it really should get. I've used it once for deep water too (to the bottom of the door sill - which is quite deep enough!)
Where have you travelled apart from Oman? I'm really interested in deserts and love both the Kalahari and the Sahara so much some friends of mine say that I should go and live there (!) (they only want to get me out of their hair because I constantly talk about the desert and nothing much else apart from LCs and such) Consequently the pleasures of the desert is experienced by moi, and no-one else...
The roofrack I'm having made especially for carrying two spare wheels but I'm also after maybe instead, getting one from somewhere else and doing the welding bits myself (I now have access to a reasonably heavy duty welding maching which belongs to a mate of mine. I need a functional, workable roofrack that can carry 100 ltrs plus of diesel as well as spare wheels & the tyres and other luggages. If you come across anything like roofracks like this, that are heavy duty, let me know, and if you have any bits that are extranneous to your travels than I'll be more than happy to visit you, and negotiate in payment for their release. But just for the sake of it, there are myself, Roman, Jeremy & Dennis who have experience of the desert in our LCs.
I have a vision of buying another two cruisers that I will have modded also - I want a small fleet of three for trips back to the Sahara and maybe overlanding through Africa. I'm planning a trip to the Sahara in November or December this year through to January 2006.
Some people ask me why I prefer auto above manual - auto has a selection of gear ratios in it, and I will often use the auto gearbox as a manual, so I've got the best of both worlds methinks.
I could talk about the desert for ever and a day but I ought to get back to work I guess, but please, please, do write back. I'm looking forward to hearing from you again very soon.
Regards
Renate
Thank you, Renate
After long loooooking in uk I decided to import. I could not find anything
resembling to your car. So it is a 91 vx auto with 3" lift, rack, (light
bar, which u can have)locks, winch and strange tyres. As i love the desert
very much, I will have to ditch them.(mud stuff) Have you got good experiences
with BFG in sand? Where did you buy long range tank? I was thinking of importing
from australia (254 poundlings) =3D 180 l aux. I ll put the web adress on if
some one wants to join- they also sell a thing called lokka, suspensions,
snorkels etc.
Agggh ya then the devil in form of Jap. agent bit me i bought a 94 manual,
same specs just a bit higher
regards
mike
