The base vehicle is a RHD 1995 ex-military Leyland DAF general service truck.

Dimensions: 3.6m high, 2.5m wide and 7m long.
Weight: 9 tonnes unladen, with a MGW of 11 tonnes.
Fuel: 2 x 110l fuel tanks, with a fuel transfer pump connecting the secondary tank to the primary tank, and a further 5 jerry cans in a secure jerrycan rack mounted on the roof.
Tyres: 6 x 14.00R20 multi-purpose tyres, new in South Africa. They are the same tyres the South African army uses, which means they are extremely robust and excellent in sand and mud.

Engine

Cummins B series 6-cylinder 5.9l turbo-diesel engine, generating 108kW at 2500RPM (~137HP)

The engine is in excellent condition. She only had 2500 miles on the clock when I got her, so she was practically not even run in yet! After being bought from the army, the transmission was completely rebuilt, and prior to departure everything was checked over to make sure she was in perfect condition. During the trip we have regularly serviced her (even down to replacing the gearbox oil!), believing preventative maintenance is vital on a trip like this.

She is full-time 4x4, has power-steering, 5 forward and 1 reverse gears, with low-range and high-range and a central diff-lock.

Currently she has only 21 800 miles on the clock. I expect to put on a further 8 000 miles during the remainder of the trip, so she should only have about 30 000 miles on the clock when we're back in England.

The engine breaths through a high-level cyclone air filter, keeping the intake air nice and clean.

We have a full set of army manuals, which makes working on the truck a total breeze.

Cab

She has a day-sleeper cab, which means there's loads of room in the cab. We've removed the original seats and the bunk-bed, replacing them with 2 mechanical suspension seats with armrests and headrests, and a large army-surplus gunbox behind to provide loads of storage.

Between the seats we've built a large general storage box with 2 cupholders and 2 12V cigarette sockets. Behind this we have a 12V thermo-electric cooler box to keep drinks cold while on the road.

We've put in a further 12V cigarette socket in the centre consol, an iPod mount and an input into the 4x100W amplifier. Behind the seats are 2 large midrange speakers which, at full volume, will probably blow your mind!

There are 2 personal fans to keep you cool.

We have fitted sound insulation beneath the cab to keep engine and road noise to a minimum.

Mounting

The living box is attached to the chassis with a torsion-free mounting, the design of which is taken from the Unimog. This both prevents the rigid box from disallowing the chassis to twist, thus reducing off-road ability; and prevents chassis twist from being transferred to the box which could result in the box being ripped apart.

Entry and departure angles

The truck has been designed with large angles of entry and departure, allowing the roughest terrain to be navigated with ease.

Exterior storage

There is a large rear storage area beneath the bed with 2 shelves and a large open area. It easily accomodates the camp chairs, table, 4 storage boxes, spares etc.
There is a large roof-rack / safari roof with 3 tin trunks and a 5 can jerrycan rack fixed to the roof, plus several rings for securing equipment to the roof.