With the recent earthquake in Morocco, its reminded me of an underlying ambition of mine. I would like to get actively involved in emergency disaster zones as a charitable act. Me, maybe a few good people, a decent truck and a will to act in helping those in great need.
I want to, purchase a simple yet capable truck - suited for the rough terrains and outback, remote villages in Africa/Asia and other areas around the world. Something that can be used for many roles.
I have next to no knowledge neither much money to get started. Well I plan to get started next year. I understand diff locks, 4/6 wheel drives, raised suspension, snorkels etc - however I don’t have any real world experience of them.
So I would appreciate any advice, suggestions tips etc.
Maybe what Makes/Models, rough estimate of costs involved.
Would a foreign russian truck or something might be more suited? Anything you can suggest I would appreciate. Maybe I should get some off road training? Where would be a good place to start. Gonna start to catalogue all this and anything I come across, and maybe one day act on this.
I know it sounds impossible, but I want to keep the costs down as much as I can. I can’t rely on donations, and I firmly believe/want to use my own hands/time to do this.
The 4624 movements squadron at RAF Brize Norton dispatch Boeing C17 type aircraft and other types of aircraft to disaster zones around the world including islands where you can’t drive a truck to, as in no direct passenger or freight ferry or ship goes there.
By the time you drove from the UK to Africa or Asia or other parts of the world , what you are planning to take there would be already there.
Unless the plan is globally positioning of your vehicles in strategic locations of each country so they are in effect on standby ready for an emergency, then fly drivers out to drive them or pay locals to drive them , but bearing in mind no access to the country if the runway has been destroyed by an earthquake or other disaster.
A noble ambition but sadly this isn’t going to be a practicable proposition. As said above most aid is flown out from the UK. Charitable donations generally rely upon the generosity of hauliers in the fund raising location. Something like this is probably what is needed to cover either the last few miles to the disaster or the miles up to an unloading point. However ex military vehicles are generally obsolete types like this one, meaning they need support. To be of use they would have to be already in theatre, which in many of the potential disaster zones would leave them open to being found unserviceable when needed because of local corruption. The idea of travelling thousands of miles on tarmac roads across Europe in something like this, just to get to the scene, doesn’t bear thinking about - even if you could get permission to run with the trailer at its potential combined gross weight it would be unbelievably slow, that is if it ever managed to reach the ferry embarkation port at whichever point in europe was necessary. There are of course different types of lorry available at MOD surplus sales and dealers but the more suitable drops 8 wheelers are still on obsolete chassis and cannot compete with the load carrying capacity of modern general haulage artics.
Far better to contact the disasters emergency relief committee volunteering your services as a driver.
The pictured vehicle would however meet our dear friend CF’s specification for an ideal vehicle, on condition that he was able to install a ‘Green’ powertrain. Joking aside, in the OP’s pictured scenario those mods and twistlocks would turn this into a suitable vehicle on location.
An astute reply from Cav551 and very perspicacious and sagacious , even if the load, driver, paperwork, vehicle and trailer was 100 % legal, the officials at border crossing points going to Africa or Asia would find something wrong and the truck won’t be moving until they got their bribery and corruption money.
Over land companies do long journeys on flat bed trucks converted to buses, such as Dragoman but the pandemic finished off their business, they use to go from the UK to all the way to South Africa, with the option to circumnavigate the country, the same with India and coincide with any festivals.
They also went from Alaska, down through the USA to the end of South America.
Another trip was the UK to Katmandu and Nepal.
Multiple choices of visiting all of South America.
Maybe to get the travel bug or urges out of the system, is to find an overland company to drive for as they train you to be a mechanic firsthand then a co-driver to one day being a tour leader and driver.
Muddy K:
With the recent earthquake in Morocco, its reminded me of an underlying ambition of mine. I would like to get actively involved in emergency disaster zones as a charitable act. Me, maybe a few good people, a decent truck and a will to act in helping those in great need.
I want to, purchase a simple yet capable truck - suited for the rough terrains and outback, remote villages in Africa/Asia and other areas around the world. Something that can be used for many roles.
I have next to no knowledge neither much money to get started. Well I plan to get started next year. I understand diff locks, 4/6 wheel drives, raised suspension, snorkels etc - however I don’t have any real world experience of them.
So I would appreciate any advice, suggestions tips etc.
Maybe what Makes/Models, rough estimate of costs involved.
Would a foreign russian truck or something might be more suited? Anything you can suggest I would appreciate. Maybe I should get some off road training? Where would be a good place to start. Gonna start to catalogue all this and anything I come across, and maybe one day act on this.
I know it sounds impossible, but I want to keep the costs down as much as I can. I can’t rely on donations, and I firmly believe/want to use my own hands/time to do this.
Thanks everyone.
The answer to all your questions is , volunteer with the United Nations Humanitarian Aid program for a year ( un.org/en/our-work/deliver-humanitarian-aid
I did for a year when I was younger and unemployed. Learning curve steeper than Sutton Bank a wide skills group needed and learnt.
They will have the most suitable type of vehicle for the job in hand , the back up ( this may mean a box of bits or a couple of tyres getting pushed out of a light aircraft door as it flies down the road youre stuck on,Oh and racing the locals to retrieve them before they do !!! )
I have never regretted doing it and it taught me a lot about my self
That sounds very interesting teatime, it situations you have experienced that bring out the best in people hence why National Service should be mandatory in the UK as it is in Europe and other countries, the discipline changes people to make them successful and enriched for the rest of their lives.
Joking aside, in the OP’s pictured scenario those mods and twistlocks would turn this into a suitable vehicle on location.