How to plan your self-drive 4x4 adventure Part 1: the basics
If you’re considering a 4x4/4WD adventure, I’ve written a series of ‘how to’ posts to get you started.
There is a LOT of information out there and it can be overwhelming, so I’ll start with the basics for beginners. The next post will summarise what is helpful to take the time to learn about in order to get the most out of it.
In answer to a lot of the ‘how do I’ questions, so often, many of the answers are “it depends”! Even on specialist forums with experts and enthusiasts, there is often no set answer because situations and requirements vary greatly…getting specific will help you enormously.
This blog post is focused on adventures rather than just road trips, and issues particular to trips in these ‘off-road’ vehicles. I love a good road trip and certainly don’t think that these are your only option - many epic journeys do not (thankfully) require more than a camper van, and many 2WD vehicles can do a great deal… which leads in nicely to the first point for planning:
1) Do you actually need a 4WD (4 wheel drive)/4x4 vehicle?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with just wanting one cos they seem cool – I know that feeling! Just be aware that it comes with additional considerations and it can also be far less economical (more on that later).
As detailed in this blog, I got into 4x4 travel after researching epic Australian destinations when I lived there. It seemed as if there were a great number of places that I wanted to go that were most definitely 4x4 only. And the destinations and experiences were epic – and there were far, far fewer people (as it took longer and more effort to get to these places). It is not an exaggeration when I say we were often the only people in a certain place for 24 hours, or the only vehicle on the road – witnessing incredible scenery and seeing wildlife others hardly ever see.
If you want ‘off the beaten track’ proper, then a 4x4 is a good shout. My experiences encouraged me to do more. It also built my confidence massively as it requires learning to drive in a new way and gain more of an understanding of vehicles and capabilities (both yours and the vehicles’!)
They’re good for: deserts (both the stony, rocky type, and thick sand); places where roads are generally pretty bad or heavily corrugated; rainy season trips = mud; mountain terrain; snow driving; accessing places where you may have to cross water. Many of the incredible national parks of the world have sections that are 4x4 only.
When you’re proper 4 wheel driving/adventuring it is a much slower way of travelling – which is also excellent for taking in stunning landscapes and viewing wildlife. Nothing (for me), beats the pace of walking or kayaking and these (clearly) have less impact, but if you’re having to truck along very slowly in your vehicle out of necessity, you do get a good chance to appreciate the reason you’re on the adventure. Which brings us to:
2) How much time do you have?
It is not an exaggeration to say that most 4x4 disasters can be avoided by driving more slowly and carefully (and preparing adequately). Therefore, a 4x4 trip needs adequate time. This is also relevant as many of the countries where you might be adventuring (eg Australia, Argentina, Bolivia, U.S., Canada, India and many African countries), can be vast in size and it is easy to underestimate just how far you might need to drive.
The road conditions mean that you will go far slower and cover far fewer miles than you think in a day. Even getting between destinations on tarmac roads can take longer as they might be in poor condition or go through mountain passes (with awesome views) and require a good deal of concentration.
And also remember that the faster you drive, the more expensive it is – more on that in the budget below. So you’ll mostly want to drive more slowly than usual.
Often, with 4x4 adventures, you’ll be camping. Although not always – there are a lot of destinations that although are 4x4 access only, have luxury lodges or very remote campsites that also have chalets etc – obviously, these are more expensive. So you don’t have to camp (for those with an aversion to it!). But if you are camping, it takes time to set up and pack down camp so you’ll need to build this into your day– and it’s easy to get caught out with little daylight left at the end of the day. Growing up in the UK, I often equate hot/summer with long days, so remember that many countries do not have daylight saving, and whilst, yes, you can get fancy camp lights etc some places you’ll be camping you don’t often want to be wandering about at night (you might get eaten by something large - or eaten alive by small insects!)
3) What is your budget?
Now this is definitely an ‘it depends’, issue! I can give some idea of costs for some trips in a later post, but of course, it’s wildly variable due to which country, which vehicle, how remote you’ll be etc. And if you’re hiring a vehicle that’s clearly a major cost – more on that below. We were told by an experienced overlanding couple that a very average monthly cost for overlanding is between £2,000 - £3,000 per month. But, of course, it depends how many of you there are, where you’re headed etc, so here at the things to look into that will help you build your budget:
· Find others who have done a similar trip (searching: 4x4; 4WD; overland; and hashtags for the country you’re considering or similar on Instagram will pull up loads of accounts). For this trip, I then commented on posts and directly asked them ‘how many kms in total and how much did it cost you in total?’ This was a good gauge for me to start my calculations.
· Fuel is going to be your biggest cost. If you’re going to hire a vehicle (more on that below) one of the questions to ask those you’re hiring from is ‘what is the fuel consumption fully laden with x passengers and provisions?’. That’s your starting point. Then, it’s not simply a question of working out how many miles you’re going and how much the fuel is per litre (although you need that, too). The terrain makes a massive difference to fuel consumption – sometimes you can use as much as twice the ‘normal’ consumption, or even three times the amount. Anywhere that has thick mud or sand will very much drain the fuel. As will driving above 55mph/90kmph. As will going very slowly up hills. Anything that works your vehicle hard will guzzle the gas. Also, the more remote you are, the fuel costs can go up dramatically – this was certainly the case in Australia – so dig around and see what you can find out.
· Do NOT assume that just because you are camping it will be cheap – or, that if you have a rooftop tent (or even a ground tent) that you will be able to ‘wild camp’ wherever you like to keep costs down. Do your research from guidebooks, blogs etc and find out what is possible. In certain areas of the world, an unlucky and ill-placed wild camp can have serious and dangerous repercussions (either from weather, wildlife or humans).
· Regarding camping costs, again, dependent on where you’re going and what equipment your vehicle has you may be able to get a few powered sites on your route, but you may not. For example, if fitted with solar panels you won’t really need powered sites at all as your fridge and other vehicle electrics can run off that power and therefore you can go more remote. If you don’t have solar or another source, you will need to find powered sites if you are not driving every day – and I highly recommend that you don’t! Powered sites are more expensive. Remote sites can be more expensive. Almost all camping sites now have some form of internet presence so you can extrapolate a good cost base from those.
· National Park/Reserve fees. A lot of these places that you might wish to visit are enormous and still quite remote despite being national parks, and sometimes the costs are also vast! Just because you might be potentially in a less prosperous country, it won’t necessarily be cheap. In certain African countries the costs can be very high (often for good, conservation-based reasons). For example, Botswana is very expensive in the national parks/reserves (whereas Namibia can be half the cost) – there are entrance fees per person, per day, camping fees (per person), tourism levy, and fees per vehicle. Be sure to check if the costs are per person OR per site – as if you get that wrong that can dramatically affect your budget!
· Another useful source of info on costs and budget is to join Overlanding groups on sites such as Facebook (in my opinion, this is what FB is great for – community groups) or dedicated forums. They are a hive of useful information and you can ask questions for up-to-date information on costs and state of roads etc which will all help in your budget planning.
4) What vehicle will you use?
Another debate that could go on for days, but here are the basics of the options available to you:
· Buy and take your own.
There is a higher upfront cost with this, and you will need to tax and insure it etc. Although, many overlanders use old but decent vehicles, and you can get good ones for a very reasonable amount. If you are intending to do a longer-term adventure (more than a few weeks) and more than one trip, this is a favourable option. The huge pro (in my opinion) is that you get to know the vehicle – the quirks and particulars, the fuel consumption, how it feels loaded and its capabilities. You also get to train and practice with it and properly learn how to use it in a relatively safe environment (we did a fair bit of practice and had some excellent training with John Morgan down at Slindon Safari for our recent trip and I previously had a great weekend training with Vic’s team at Great Divide Tours in Aus when I lived there). You have time to make mistakes, to get a feel for how to drive and assess situations and this doesn’t eat into the time you’re on your trip.
Another cost (if you aren’t driving to the destination that you will start your trip) would be the shipping. Although, depending on where you’re going and how long for, it is far less than the cost of hiring a vehicle for a few months.
The paperwork cost – you will most likely need a Carnet de Passage , which is basically a car passport. The actual documentation isn’t a huge cost but you usually have to pay a deposit – most of which you will get back – and the amount of the guarantee deposit is calculated based on vehicle’s make, model, motor power and final destination of the journey. (So, there is an advantage in having an older vehicle – as long as it is reliable and trusty! – as the value is calculated as less = less deposit). I’ll cover some of the logistics in more detail in a later post.
Another pro of an older vehicle is that they tend to be much more basic mechanically (although there’s still a lot going on with a 4x4). This means that they are cheaper and easier to fix than a newer vehicle with many electrical elements and computerised systems. If you’re going remote, most mechanics will have skills and tools to fix the older vehicles, but it could get complicated (and potentially more pricey) with newer ones. It also can be easier to learn how to do basic checks and fixes yourself.
· Hire in country
There are many variables in this option and if you are simply doing one long trip in one country, that’s great. It can become more complicated if you’re crossing borders, so look into this carefully.
Pros include: someone else has paid the initial costs, there is less paperwork, you have a number to call in an emergency and help with repairs (and hopefully they will help/cover costs, although not necessarily)…beware that in some remote places, just because this is an option, it could still work out very expensive for you and it can take a long time for someone to reach you.
If you’re doing a few weeks (perhaps up to two months, depending on location), it can work out more economical than buying and bringing your own. Another pro is that they usually come with equipment (such as a fridge and recovery gear) and camping set up (or at least the opportunity to hire extras). Check the mileage extras – you might be going long distances and the extra miles on top of the basic hire costs can add up.
Technically, the vehicles are maintained by the company and someone who knows what they’re doing, but as many people will attest (even when hiring a regular vehicle), this isn’t necessarily a given. They might be newer and maybe more reliable, but again, not necessarily.
Check the small print carefully and go with recommended companies from those on forums and groups who have had good experiences (of which there are many). A major potential con is that, if you are after real adventure and remote locations, despite the capabilities of the vehicles, some companies will not allow you to actually take the vehicles where the best 4 wheel driving might be! Even with a camper van, I’ve had experiences where very few companies would allow me to take it on an (in country) ferry. Check all of this with your ideal destinations in mind.
Remember that if you are hiring it is a good idea to build in a few days to test out the equipment and how it handles fully loaded in tough terrain etc – and, perhaps most crucially – how you will feel and react in situations that require some dealing with? Yes, I know that this is probably rare and most people just ‘hire and go’ and hope for the best…but if you want adventure, do you really want to be figuring out exactly how to use the vehicle and where recovery points are when there’s a lion prowling around or you’re beginning to dig further and further into thick mud and it’s getting dark and time is rather of the essence?! Your call.
Another pro with hiring can be the one-way hires – less looping back and allowing you to explore more/further afield.
· Buy in country
This option can work really well – depending on your visa status, the time that you’re there for and in-country regulations (which vary hugely). You save on shipping costs, but perhaps you ‘pay’ for that in ‘how long will it take me to sell it and will I definitely be able to’ related admin? It could be really easy, or not. Very hard to tell.
It was very easy when I lived in Aus for two years and so many people do this – I did have to build enough time into the end of my trip to allow for arranging the sale (and deal with all that admin etc), and I did find it a little concerning to worry about would I be able to sell it before I had to leave (due to visa expiry). It all went fine and for many it will. If you have a much shorter timescale this may not be something you want to deal with.
Many people may say “it’s fine, so many people looking for vehicles etc you’ll have no problem”. But, with Covid, there are currently FAR fewer travellers and overlanders, so just weigh this up. If you’re on a longer term trip I think it could work well – of course, all dependent on exactly where you’re travelling.
· Buy back
This arrangement can work well if you want to save a bit on hire costs as – for longer term- it is often more economical than simply straight hiring, and of course, then the vehicle is yours – with the responsibility.
One option we looked at was where the supplier ‘sold’ you the vehicle on the understanding that they will buy it back again, minus a monthly fee and the maintenance required to bring it back up to the same level of roadworthiness it was when you bought it.
Again, dig into recommended suppliers.
· Hire from another overlander
I have seen this option in various forums and Facebook groups – those wanting to have a break from the overlanding life for a few months, sometimes offer their vehicles for hire to others. It seems to be cheaper, although of course it is an entirely private arrangement with the associated risks that come with this.
5) What sort of experience do you want?
If you’re a complete beginner, do you want to throw yourself in at the deep end or gradually do more and more exciting trips?
Some countries are, perhaps, ‘easier’ to learn and grow in confidence in (depending on your language abilities, paperwork and bureaucracy are certainly easier if you can understand the language!)
If you buy your own vehicle, a tag-a-long trip or tour can be a great way of having an adventure before you set out on your own. You can learn so much, make friends, have the security of being with others. Whether a weekend or a week or two, it can feel (and be) very exciting and help whet your appetite for more.
Be prepared for the work that is involved – at the risk of sounding patronising, adventures are not the same as holidays! It is one of the reasons we built a week holidaying in South Africa at the start, easing gently into things before the ‘adventure’ starts. There’s quite a bit of thinking, decision-making, risk assessing, administration and maintenance required. Which is all hugely rewarding and satisfying and I love the entire experience and the (often greater) rewards that come with these trips. But I also love a good old no-thought-required, easy and chilled holiday – different things for different needs.
I hope that you’ve found this useful – let me know if you have any questions on any of it.
My main top tip to leave you with – start planning early. So much changes with these sort of trips (dramatic weather events, political or safety situation in country; currently Covid and border crossings, visa requirements etc), the earlier you start looking into what you can do, the sooner you know what your options are and, (for us mortals), how long you’ll need to save up for it!
In the next ‘how to’ post, I’ll write about what to learn and what skills to develop to get the most from your adventure.
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P.P.S. If you haven’t checked out our beloved Penelope yet, the YouTube channel has an introduction to her and our set up.