Africa Overland with a Jeep Wrangler: Lost in HDR
- Thread starter zeroland
- Start date
ryanh1006
Kyrgyzstan Expat
Exotic vehicles are always a risk, but there is no vehicle (at least none sold in the US) that has universal support. (The one exception might be a diesel Land Cruiser troop carrier with 750x16 tires.)
As noted by the Howes, who have taken their Tiger to over 50 countries, and confirmed my my personal experience of owning two Blazers in Africa for decades, things aren't as bad as you may fear.
-- Your truck won't stop running just because you took it outside its original sales zone.
-- You WILL have to pay attention to stocking/carrying all of your consumables - filters, belts, etc. Similarly, you will have to have specialty tools and shop manuals. (For example, the wrench needed to service the bearing on a Dana 44 front axle.)
-- The engine is the least important part of the truck, as it is the least likely to fail.
-- Most failures will be auxiliary systems, like batteries, wires, tires, brakes, etc. Third World mechanics are well used to cobbling up repairs for such things.
-- You will need to plot your travels to hit countries with real dealers or low customs duties where you can arrange to receive shipments of spares. This can be true, even in the US; I just met a French couple who had to ship tires for their Iveco Daily 4x4 based camper from France; they could find none in the US.
I was about to tow this vehicle to Europe when the carburetors tore their diaphragms in southern Algeria. (The crisis was averted when the owners found a wrecked Range Rover in Tamanrasset and bought the carbs for $500.)
MY problem, was tires:
Started with seven and arrived in Genoa with three and a half! (And I bought new ones off of a Jeep CJ-5.)
So, if you like Jeeps, go for it.
Very, very true. We're running Jeep Grand Cherokees in Kyrgyzstan with 2.7 CRD (actually 2.7 CDI Mercedes motors). Parts for the motors are easy to find, and unfortunately that's what's been the most needed
We stock belts and most suspension parts since they take too long to order when they fail. Fantastically comfortable vehicles for travel, and pretty strong too. We get lot's of raised eyebrows about our choice in this part of the world, but they a far more practical and therefore worth the headache of getting parts for.