Here's a completely different approach to G-wagen adventure travel.
Billionaire Jim Rogers made a fortune in international investing in the 1970s. Rogers retired in 1980, and proceeded to ride a BMW motorcycle around the world. Rogers repeated his long-distance ride in 1990, logging more than 100,000 miles on the road.
Rogers got the travel bug again in 1997. For this trip, Rogers wanted a combination of sporty car luxury and off-road competence. Rogers' design team noticed that the 1997 Mercedes SLK two-seat convertible and the shorter Gelandewagen share the same wheelbase. The body of the SLK was adapted to the G-wagen chassis, and a small trailer was designed.
Rogers and his companion (later wife) Paige Parker started their trip in 1999. By 2002, the pair had traveled 152,000 miles and visited 116 countries
While Rogers was treated like royalty whenever he visited a capital city, his trip also involved plenty of nights in marginal accommodations, and camping.
Rogers has a web site that talks about the trip
http://www.jimrogers.com
The book, "Adventure Capitalist," describes the trip in detail.
Chip Haven