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Morocco 2017

Simon5030

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The festivities are over (almost!) and my best prezzi is my book, Morocco Overland by Chris Scott (that i have only read the first few pages so far and am hooked!)

So i am deciding to dip my toe in the water and plan a trip to Morocco for 2017 for 3 weeks (yes it takes me that long to plan!), ferry to Santander then take it from there, lots of great posts that i am trawling though and some raise a few questions that i would like to put to the experts! I am not planning any wading or anything that may even need the low box but its there if i need it!

I am quite a conservative 4x4er but not as far as Sunday shopping trips syndrome! Visited Kirton off road centre for a days playing and never again am i going through those muddy puddles! Went with a friend in his Disco and we couldn't work out why all the people there just drove round these great muddy puddles that looked like soup! After spending the next 4 weeks cleaning every nook and cranny, stripping parts off to clean them it was very clear why they had avoided them!
My 120 has no mods other than lots of TLC after a series of mods (see My New Purchase thread) but i am now at a stage when i am confident its stable enough to do a bit more than a few country lanes! so to the questions in my early planning

1) Having started reading there is suggestion of upgrading the suspension being a benefit, i assume this will be shocks and springs, how critical would this be?
2) As a first timer would you recommend this be done solo? Always happy to have some experience on board if anyone is interested?
3) Sump guards, very hard to assess the criticality of this one, if you have them and don't need them then great, if you don't and you hit a random rock then it could be end of game not to mention cost! I understand that with most things its better if you have got it but there is always a cost implication and i am relying on peoples experience that have maybe seen whats out there first hand and better understand the risks.
4) Would i be correct in thinking a fridge is essential? I know most of you will say yes for that critical end of day cold beer but unfortunately i don't like alcohol so have to settle for a cup of steaming hot Yorkshire tea!

Just putting feelers out at this stage and appreciate and feedback

Simon
 
Hi Simon,

You'll have seen the forum trip report so you'll know we've done a recent trip :). I've done 5 4x4 trips now and been visiting Morocco for 15 years so anything you need to know ask away and I'll happily provide advice and guidance.

Chris Scotts book is a great start but keep an eye on route updates things change quickly in Morocco and a lot of good pistes are being paved. Best place for route updates is over on the Morocco Forum on the Hubb and particularly this thread.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/morocco/route-conditions-send-your-updates-80051

With you first questions


  1. Suspension up grades are not necessary. If anything more ground clearance (bigger tyres) is more valuable than suspension mods, of course this depends on the load you are carrying. I run standard Toyota suspension except a dodgy lift on the rear the Moroccans fitted for me.
  2. Solo is fine depending on where you are heading and taking proper precautions but its more fun in a small group plus you have added security if something does go wrong
  3. Sump Guards etc again not really needed. My 95 just has the standard guards (not sure of the 120 has similar). Careful driving works just as well.
  4. Fridge - well personal preference here. I use a WAECO Tropicool Box and its fine for keeping drinks cool. Big question here depends on the planned route, if your self catering a fridge is nice so you can carry more perishable food, but if your going to be in towns most evenings you could probably do with out.

Key requirement is good AT tyres and a well maintained vehicle

I'll be heading out again in 2016 and also 2017. I usually go in October but want to do a Spring trip but that won't be next year due to other commitments. If you'd like to join up your more than welcome.
 
Last edited:
Mark

Thanks for the info and quick reply, although this is still in embryonic stages I would like to tag along for 2017, Your vast wealth of experience would be more than beneficial!
On the fridge, does it not drain your battery overnight?
Noticed quite alot of snow on your pics! when you go in those temps do you find camping warm enough? As a Scout leader i have camped quite alot but my good lady is not akin to the cold, we spent a week in the back of the cruiser up Scotland and it worked out great!
I have glanced over your post but not read it all yet! what accommodation did you use? was it all camping?

Simon
 
Mark

Thanks for the info and quick reply, although this is still in embryonic stages I would like to tag along for 2017, Your vast wealth of experience would be more than beneficial!
On the fridge, does it not drain your battery overnight?
Noticed quite alot of snow on your pics! when you go in those temps do you find camping warm enough? As a Scout leader i have camped quite alot but my good lady is not akin to the cold, we spent a week in the back of the cruiser up Scotland and it worked out great!
I have glanced over your post but not read it all yet! what accommodation did you use? was it all camping?

Simon
 
Simon, re fridges. It all depends what you get. A proper expedition style unit will work all day from free from the alternator of course and then be thermally efficient enough at night when it's cooler of course to only pull a few amps from your battery. Typically when running, a Waeco pulls 4 amps, but over an hour ticking in and out, it only consumes 1 amp. With the protection level set on the fridge in a worse case scenario (lid left open) it would switch itself off when the battery dropped to around 11v.

If you go with a Halfords coolbox that runs ALL of the time, not only won't it be a particularly good fridge but it will put quite a strain on your battery, yes. Something like Mark's Tropicool is a more sophisticated type of cooler and far more efficient. I don't know what the consumption figures are on that.

As Mark says, you could do without and just shop every day locally for fresh stuff. But that eats into the day, is a bit of a chore and you might not actually find somewhere to shop! I took a fridge and a freezer on the Morocco trip just to see what worked best. When I got home, I actually bought a National Luna combined fridge freezer. Having the freezer for ice, spare UK milk etc was well worth it. But I did take too much frozen stuff for sure. I never got around to eating it. I don't think I could have managed without the fridge though, but you don't need a whopping 80 litre thing.

Personally I wouldn't sleep in the Cruiser. Just had 3 nights of that up in Scotland and thought it was pretty miserable. It was like living in a mobile wardrobe. You either need to take virtually nothing with you or be incredibly organised. I couldn't have been more comfortable in the roof tent.
 
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Mark

Thanks for the info and quick reply, although this is still in embryonic stages I would like to tag along for 2017, Your vast wealth of experience would be more than beneficial!
On the fridge, does it not drain your battery overnight?
Noticed quite alot of snow on your pics! when you go in those temps do you find camping warm enough? As a Scout leader i have camped quite alot but my good lady is not akin to the cold, we spent a week in the back of the cruiser up Scotland and it worked out great!
I have glanced over your post but not read it all yet! what accommodation did you use? was it all camping?

Simon

My set up follows the KISS principles, so my 95 has the standard twin batteries which I've added isolators so overnight I disconnect my starting battery completely and run everything of the aux battery. The flasher fridges use a lot less power than my glorified coolbox but I turn that down overnight and have never had a problem with batteries. Prolonged stays would cause me a problem and a proper fridge is on my list next mostly because of the power drains and also so I can carry more perishable foods ( Seeing Pete pull Smoked Salmon and Camembert out of his fridge 2 weeks into the trip sold them to me!)

My pics with snow were taken on my first trip in 2011 and early December, tbh I didn't camp in the snow but it was only cold at altitude. That late in the year the temps drop quickly at night so a warm jumper an jacket was needed but I was still sleeping in a 2 season sleeping bag overnight south of the High Atlas.

This years trip we camped everywhere except 3 nights in Hotels, either wild camping or formal campsites. Some of the formal sites are probably rougher than wild camping though. I sleep in the back of mine and it works well for me, but it helps to travel light and have a well planned packing system. I built a platform and everything except sleeping gear stays underneath that, which works great on my own but it theres two of us in the vehicle it works less smoothly.
 
Cool :) always good to have a small group
 
2017.. might join you too. Its a bit far to plan against yet.
 
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