. . . LAND ROVER OVERLAND EXPEDITION
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Africa
1999 |
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Around-the-World
2001/02 |
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Panamerican
2003 |
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Various
Trips |
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Planning
an Expedition |
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THE
ROUTE THE
CREW THE
VEHICLE THE
GEAR THE
FINANCES PROFESSIONAL
HELP
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VALUED SPONSOR |
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Recommended Vendors A collection of vehicle, equipment, and repair garages that I have used
over the years and can personally recommend. There are many more, but lost journals and just plain sloppy record keeping
has left them lost in the mists of time. To suggest additions or changes,
please email me at: jeffwillner@yahoo.com Customized Land Rover Defender I ran across Foley
in Zambia on my 1999 expedition and they treated me very fairly
for several repairs. So when preparing for my RTW expedition, I
contacted their shop in the UK and asked them to track down a clean
vehicle with a 1985 chassis that would be suitable for import to
Canada at the end of the trip. I purchased the vehicle through
them, and they did a pretty good job of doing the vehicle modifications
(though
their
shop
seems
to
be
perpetually
busy and they were delayed). Foley really shines in customer service. They were
able to troubleshoot the vehicle via satellite phone several times
on our trip. After our catastrophic accident in Patagonia we shipped
the carcass to Foley in Africa and they completely rebuilt the
truck in three weeks! Now that my vehicle is in Canada, they are
my primary source for spare parts - and will be the supplier for
my next expedition vehicles. Highly recommended. Contact: Paul or Stuart Foley Providers of satellite and cellular equipment, I purchased my Iridium
phone from them for two expeditions. They have flexible airtime plans
and good purchase prices - they also have rental options. Originally I had hoped
to be able to submit web updates via satellite, but it became quite
impractical. First, the bandwidth available from a sat phone is
pretty narrow. And internet cafes have pretty much taken over the
third world. We found it much easier to simply log in at the next
internet cafe, check email, and post journals. The phone did come
in handy for emergency calls, text messages, and the occasional "I
miss you" to significant others. Most importantly,
when we were stranded it was a vital lifeline to the outside world. Cost of a renting an Iridium
handset is about $200 for the first week and $7/day after that.
Airtime is $3/minute - though
it is important to note that people calling you from a different
satellite network can be charged up to $19/minute. Expedition Insurance AON, in conjunction with the Royal Geographic
Society, has put together a special expedition insurance policy.
Though a bit more expensive than a backpacker policy, it has extra
features that are uniquely suited for a vehicle-based expedition.
Contact AON for policy details. Contact: Dominic Jervis Vehicle Insurance The Insurance Exchange Online Finding vehicle insurance for a foreign country
vehicle-based expedition can be a challenge. We used the Insurance
Exchange to get a policy underwritten by AIG. To insure the Land
Rover at a value of $20,000US for one year cost about $2700. AIG
has offices all over the world and gave us great service when we
made our vehicle claim in Argentina. Contact:
Kim Michaels Ethiopia Ultimate Motors Pvt. Lt.d Co. |
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