Dutch camper finds a home in Oregon

haven

Expedition Leader
DAF-YA4440.jpg


Gary Wescott has written an article for Motor Trend describing a Dutch DAF-YA4440 with custom camper. The vehicle is owned by a couple who live in Oregon, who have driven it up the Dempster Highway to Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Read the article here.

http://www.motortrend.com/features/consumer/1103_daf_ya_4440_expedition_truck/

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[url]http://www.motortrend.com/features/consumer/1103_daf_ya_4440_expedition_truck/photo_01.html#photo

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bartheil

Member
Drove the its younger sibling the YA4442 for six months when I was drafted in the Royal Dutch Army. They are awesome trucks. The 4442 has all the goodies of the 4440 plus a 6 speed synchronized gear box.
There is a good reason that DAF was did so well in the Paris-Dakar rallies in the 80's and 90's
 

gene

New member
I used to see these behemoths and others like them in the Sahara. Frankly they look rather foolish. Actually they are rather foolish. And the Dempster? I've driven it three times in a rental car.
 

LukeH

Adventurer
I used to see these behemoths and others like them in the Sahara. Frankly they look rather foolish. Actually they are rather foolish. And the Dempster? I've driven it three times in a rental car.

Thank you so much for your factually supported insight into the usefulness of the DAF versus other potential overland vehicles.
Very constructive, now I know not to buy one.
I don't know the dempster highway but I'm certain that if you were to do all the things they were able to do in their truck in your rental car you would wake up very stiff (I don't believe your rental had a permanent double bed) and the rental company would charge you extra cleaning and sanitising fees; after all taking a dump or having a shower in a rental is not advised.

Sorry it's Monday morning.

In my search for a platform I tried to stay away from the 170 hp trap. All across Europe that generation of military vehicles were all specced to 170HP and even though the engines are always torquey, I found them just too sluggish even unladen. Sure you can soup it up but I'm not enough of a tuning expert to feel comfortable travelling long distances with non standard stuff. (says the guy who's built a double cab from a single).
And that's not to mention all the green that I would have had to paint over. But that's just a matter of taste. Some people like using military green in civilian applications; it makes them feel like something they are not.

Good to see anyone who can actually get out and go.
 

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