Two Wheels Better Than Four
A trip of two parts. Starting on January 1st, 2018 as a four-wheeled overland journey in a truck camper. Custom built. A home away from home. Every stop allowing us the luxury of our own food, coffee and tea. Every night the comfort of our own bedding and our own bed. The truck camper was a great vehicle, capable off-road and reaosnable on. But things change.
A pandemic happened. Then a month long trip to Pakistan. An accidental rental of a battered Suzuki 150 saw us puttering along the Karakoram highway under thr watchful eye of massive mountain peaks. We were hooked.
The camper was great but the bike was an incredible amount of fun. Much more engaging. Marginally dangerous. The metal cage had been stripped away leaving us to feel, see and smell the landscapes, people and towns we rode through with much more clarity.
The process of selling the camper was a pain, exporting a Canadian vehicle to the US made even harder by the addition of a camper. But it was not long before we were waving goodbye to the camper and heading straght to Kelowna’s bike dealerships.
Bike
After weighing up the pros and cons of bigger vs smaller we decided that our bike should be off-road capable to the extent that we were likely to go off-road. Rutted out trails are not going to be our thing, being fully loaded with a pillion. Dirt roads? Yep.
So, a bigger ADV means we are more comfortable for almost all of the riding we do. We’ll suck up the odd time when a heavy beast becomes an unweildy one.
The bike is a 2020 Honda Africa Twin 1100 Adventure Sport. Having ridden through several thousand kilometres and almost all the countries in North and South America, I can categorically state I would not swap it for anything else. It does everything really, really well.
Parts
MOTOZ ADVENTURE GPS TIRES
CRASH BARS
- Outback Motortek Crash Bars
- Outback Motortek Skid Plate
LUGGAGE
- Outback Motortek Pannier Racks
- Mosko Moto 35L Backcountry Panniers x 2
- Mosko Moto Aux Pox x 2
- Mosko Moto Gnat Handlebar Bag
- Honda OEM Top Box
LIGHTS
- CANSmart Controller
- Denali D3 Driving Lights with Amber Inserts
- Denali B6 Brake Lights
Truck
The base vehicle is a 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 ST. Old enough to use ‘dirty’ diesel rather than the Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel sold in more developed areas and low spec enough that we don’t have much in the way of electronics to go wrong. No power windows, no power seats. It had no central locking either, but that turned out to be a pain in the butt for various reasons so we had it added and can always override it with a key if it fails anyway. The rest we can live without.
We have done various truck modifications to greatly assist?our overland and off-road curiosity. The suspension has been beefed up, heavy duty replacements on all steering components and lockers to ‘lock up’ the wheels on each axle, avoiding wheels spin and gaining grip when required. A bunch of other items either increase functionality, reliability or ease of travel.
Modifying an overland vehicle is worryingly similar to doing a home renovation. It will likely take longer and be a lot more expensive than you had initially planned for. You’ll continually opt for something slightly better than the thing you already decided upon, because ‘you just never know if you’ll need it’. Why not spend another $300 on something which, from the inexperience of home, could mean the difference between starving to death in Mongolia or actually getting your truck out of that muddy bog. It’s also fun.
Parts
Exterior
- Custom Buckstop ‘XP’ Bumper w/ PIAA LED fog and driving lights / PIAA 18″ LED Ligh Bar
- Warn Winch – 16.5ti w/ synthetic cable
- White Knuckle Off Road Rock Sliders
- Bushwhacker Fender Flares (Front)
- Weathertech Window Shields
WHEELS + Suspension
- Fuel Beast Wheels – 18″
- Yokohama Geolandar M/T oo3 tires – 295/70/18
- Icon Vehicle Dynamics – Custom matched remote reservoir shocks and springs
- Deaver Custom Leaf Springs
- Firestone ‘Red Label’ Ride Rite Heavby Duty Airbags
- Hellwig ‘Big Wig’ Swaybar
YOKOHAMA TIRES
We run the rather excellent Yokohama Geolander M/T 003 tires (295/70/18). The 18″ wheels give us a lot more load capacity than 17″ wheels and this holds true for the 18″ tires too. The 18″ Yoko’s are rated to 4080lbs each, their equivalent 17″ tire is only rated to 3,195lbs. A significant difference, especially multiplied by 4 wheels.
The new Yokohama M/T 003 have found a way of considerably reducing the road noise affecting a lot of chunky M/T alternative rubber, increasing durability and also improving performance?when wet. If you want an M/T tire but spend a reasonable amount of time on asphalt then this tire is an excellent option for you.
Steering
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- Carli Front End Upgrade Kit – Trackbar / Ball joints / Stabilizer
- Synergy Heavy?Duty Swaybar Links
- Mopar Upgraded Steering box
- Synergy Steering Box Brace
- Synergy Heavy?Duty Steering?Kit – Drag Link / Tie Rod / Bracket
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Powertrain
- ARB Lockers – front and rear
- ARB Differential Breather Kit – front and rear
- Yukon Free Spin Hubs
- Titan 60 Gallon Fuel Tank w/ Skid Plate
- FASS Titanium Fuel Pump / Filters
- PacBrake PRXB Exhaust Brake
Accessories
- ARB Twin Air Compressor w/ Inflator Kit
- ARB – Deflator / Tire Repair Kit
- SPod Switch Panel
- SnoMaster CL56 Fridge Freezer
- Jimmy Jammer Door Security Plates
- Tuffy Underseat Security Box
- Camera – Backup and Forward View
- Viper Central Locking and Alarm
Scheel-Mann Seats
We are fortunate to have contacted Toby at Scheel-Mann
Camper
The XP is pretty capable and should provide us with just enough ‘niceness’ to allow us a lengthy and enjoyable trip but more than enough off-road toughness to get us off the beaten path.
The shell is a two-piece fibreglass/carbon composite. In driving mode the top is lowered to just above truck height, improving aerodynamics, lowering the centre of gravity and allowing it access under lower bridges, trees, powerlines etc. In camping, mode the top shell raises via a series of motors creating a 6’5″ interior height.
Inside, several creature comforts have been cleverly?nested alongside each other. There are a ton of features and a surprising amount of storage too. You can cook, clean, sleep, plan, work and relax with ease. Ok, it’s not the largest open plan concept we’ve ever lived in but it should suffice and Claire takes up very little room.
Build
Power & Lights
Power Supply
- 3 solar panels @ 160W ea (480 total) w/30 amp controller
- 4 batteries @ 300 AH AGM 6V ea (600 amp 12V)
- Marine grade cables and connectors
- Marine Breaker 360 – Blue Sea Systems/main shut off switch
- Blue Sea ACL Charge system (
2 way charging system for camper batteries) - 1000w Magnum pure sine inverter w/30 amp charger + battery monitoring system
- 30 amp SmartPlug shore power inlet
- Upgraded to 8awg cables throughout
solar circuit.
Lift System
- V1e Electronic Roof Lift System with manual override.
Water System
- 76 gallon heated fresh water tank with gravity fill
23 gallon grey water tank- Johnson water pump with
prefilter - Webasto Dual Top diesel water/air heater
- 3 stage Doulton water filtration system (1. paper, 2. charcoal, 3. ceramic)
- Outside shower
Amenities
Kitchen
- Countertop – fiberglass with water catch in black
- Faucet – SS, single handle with ceramic valve
- Hands-free electric operated water delivery system
- Stainless steel sink
- 2-way fan over galley
- Overhead cabinet with LED under-mount lights
- Stainless steel hardware
- 4 Storage drawers with ball bearing sliders
- 4.3 cu.ft. (130l) 12V compressor marine fridge with freezer, double locks
- Webasto X100 Diesel Cooktop
Main Cabin
- High grade foam for seats with Sunbrella fabric
- 3 stage telescoping table – converts to bed
- Marine hardware for all hinges and latches
- 3 heat outlets in main cabin
- 2 heat outlets in storage area
- 1 heat outlet in water bay
- 3 LED lights
- Magnetized bug screen for entry door
Bathroom
- Cassette toilet C402
- Shower faucet – SS, single handle with ceramic valve
- Fan to vent bathroom and cabin
- Shower curtain
- LED light
- Toilet paper holder (waterproof)
- Retractable clothing line
- Teak grate
Bed Area
- Under bed storage with custom storage bags
- Gooseneck LED reading light in bed area
- High-grade foam and Sunbrella fabric for mattress
- Front storage area behind tent in front nose of camper
- European spring mattress system from Froli
- Storage pockets above bed
- Large operable skylight with lights, mosquito netting, and sunshade
Windows
- All windows with built-in shades and mosquito netting
- 1 rear large dual pane window
- 1 side large dual pane window
- 2 side small dual pane window (kitchen and door)
- Tent with mosquito netting and removable privacy curtains
- 2 reversible fans in the ceiling
PARTNERS
During the planning of our trip, we have been fortunate to meet people who have shown a great deal of enthusiasm about the expedition and have supported us through products/services or gone out of their way to help in some way. They played a part in helping make This Big Road Trip a reality, are passionate about what they do and passionate about doing it well. If you're in the market for their product or services then we can highly recommend them.
