2 up or seperate?

Time's moving on these days, the kids are getting older and within the next 5 years the wife and myself are gearing ourselves up for traveling the great globe we live on.

Chatting about it the other night it occured to me that although my wife at the moment doesn't drive, what would the benefits of doing this sort of adventure with 2 Landy's instead of one?

Pro's for 2 seperate:

If one gets stuck, the other can assist in removal

If one breaks down, the other can be used to source repairs

Overall more storage space ( we're talking a 90 & 110 )

Cons for 2 seperate:

Twice the cost, fuel, service items, wear and tear.

As much as i argue with my lovely wife at times, i would miss having her with me in the cab.




So has anyone here done a trip with their other half and split it between 2 vehicles, if so what were the benefits of it all?

From what i can see, cost will be the main threat to a 2 vehicle team over anything else, we plan to work our way around on the travels.

Can anyone add to the Pro/Con list above

Cheers

Entirely pointless to take two - you doing it to spend time with your missus.

You won't get stuck unless you want to - ie you decide you want to play around in soft sand in the Sahara - go to a pay and play on a sUnday if you want to do this the week before you set off.

If you source repairs off one vehicle then the other will break, DUCY?

More storage? Take less stuff with you.

Rhubarb said:

Entirely pointless to take two - you doing it to spend time with your missus.

You won't get stuck unless you want to - ie you decide you want to play around in soft sand in the Sahara - go to a pay and play on a sUnday if you want to do this the week before you set off.

If you source repairs off one vehicle then the other will break, DUCY?

More storage? Take less stuff with you.

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Your right about the missus though, it is something we want to do in the future, but when people do trips, they usually take their own vehicle and don't pair up no? Yes it is a different situation of sorts, but the pros of 2 vehicles is something we're considering.

As for getting stuck, you never know, i've just read boogers trip to morocco thread, he wasn't expecting to get stuck halfway up the track, but he did and without other vehicles with him he woulda been pretty screwed at that point. I've also read of experiences relating to the most mundane and simple situations turning sour, without an extra vehicle around those people could still be there today

I wasn't saying that sourcing the parts from the other vehicle, more to the point of using the other vehicle to source the parts, ie if the first vehicle can't be moved, you have the ability to go out and search for parts etc or even tow to a safer location.

There are means n ways of doing all sorts, and we all do it differently, i was interested in those who may have done this before and their thoughts. Rather than kitting a vehicle out for traveling with 2 up, spreading the kit around 2 vehicles provides both pros & cons.

Your crazy.

just take the 110 and drive sensibly, your costs for everything will be exactly double (fuel, ferries etc)

Booger got stuck because he's a mental.

Either find another couple who want to go, or prepare your vehicle for (almost) every eventuality. Plenty of people go on their own and I find it more rewarding (but then I am a loner).

G

PaulWilde said:

As for getting stuck, you never know, i've just read boogers trip to morocco thread, he wasn't expecting to get stuck halfway up the track, but he did and without other vehicles with him he woulda been pretty screwed at that point. I've also read of experiences relating to the most mundane and simple situations turning sour, without an extra vehicle around those people could still be there today

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I'm going to agree with Bob (Barb - Rhubarb )

As for me getting stuck, more than once , that's because I planned my routes knowing I had company, and I drove them knowing I had backup. It's pretty easy to plan/drive less risky routes (drive more carefully) as long as you know your limits/those of your vehicle. So do plenty of pay and play before you leave so you can learn those/some recovery techniques.

I think putting your missus in a separate vehicle just so you can have backup you might never need, is probably not necessary, unless she talks a lot and you want peace and quiet

The world is not such a big place anymore, and unless you are well off piste in the middle of the desert, someone will come along and for £50 will tow you just about anywhere, where someone else will fix you vehicle for a little more dosh.

My best advice is have a backup in the UK who can ship you parts whereever you are, find out shipping options beforehand. Then you can get any local bushmechanic to repair you anywhere, and by providing your own parts you are not gonna get ripped off.

Also remember going solo does not mean you can't do the extreme stuff, you will meet other overlanders on your travel, and if you want to belt across some desert you can easily find a buddy to do the scary stuff with..

Griffdowg said:

Booger got stuck because he's a mental.
G

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I'll take that as a compliment, Thanks

Look at it this way, your missis doesn't drive so she will have to pass her test first, then you are expecting her to drive round the world in a fully laden land rover with no experience of how the vehicle will handle with the added stress of navigation and how to react to circumstances or terrain she will come across whilst attaining what we take as normal driver skills.

One thing that you may want to consider is an Sankley Trailer, that way you have more storage and can take more parts....

Use the money saved from not lugging round a second chance of a vehicle breaking down, and the money saved from not having a divorce settlement to buy a satphone if you are that worried and use that to get help parts etc . JMHO

I never knew my missus had so much support

We're covering all alternatives, it's not like i sat down and told her you're gonna learn to drive, then follow me around the world, it was as much her idea anorl. She'd like to have some independence with her ' own ' Landy and is more than willing to learn as much as i am with P&P's beforehand etc to prep ourselves.

This isn't a short few months trip, this is our lives ahead of us after the kids have moved on, we're not for sitting around working and seeing the same **** everyday, we want to go out and enjoy what this planet has to offer, given this, a 2 vehicle set up is still an option for us. This will be a fairly long journey, covering we hope, approx 10-15 years, but could be longer or shorter depending on what we find out there.

Before we set off though we are looking into smaller trips to give us an idea into the whole scenario and what vehicle set up will suit us, whether a FC set up may be better with a trailer, 130 or 110 with trailer or even these with a secondary 90.

It's still some time before we go, years in fact, but that gives us time to prep and prep makes your life a little easier. The wife has driven for a few years in the past and she wants to retake her test for her own benefit and peace of mind, no matter what set up we use, having both of us able to drive is common sense.

Cheers

Not sure if you are a mental, but apparently I am, and even I would not consider a land rover for such a long adventure. I'm also planning on some extrended travel, so been looking at forward controls (mainly out of land rover loyalty), but they are a bit on the small side/getting long in the tooth.

I pretty much have my heart set on an expedition truck. Currently the Mercedes Atego 4x4 as used by the German Army is looking like the base vehicle, and a custom body with ideas stolen from :

bimobil von liebe gmbh - wohnmobile reisemobile pickup caravan camping gebrauchte

and

UNICAT® - going there is half the fun

4x4 motorhome expedition campervan on eBay (end time 03-Nov-10 19:05:48 GMT) cheap enough to buy a 90 to go with it

goonarmy said:

4x4 motorhome expedition campervan on eBay (end time 03-Nov-10 19:05:48 GMT) cheap enough to buy a 90 to go with it

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FFS it's a bitsa A Renault body on a dodge chassis with a perkins injun how the fook would ya order parts for it if it broke down??

french motors dont brake down thems is reliable!DUH!

goonarmy said:

french motors dont brake down thems is reliable!DUH!

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Not with a Perkins diesel & a spicer gearb ox fitted they int.. :doh:

We're looking at other ' vehicles ' as well, but i don't want anything larger than a 130, Landies are exceptionally simple things when you get down to the crux of it, and there is no way in hell we're gonna be sat in a motorhome of the likes you see on the roads these days.

Some of them expedition vehicles look interesting though Booger

There was a nice grey defender 130 in LRO a few months back equipped to travel round the world if you got a copy it might give you some ideas. I reckon you'll find 2 vehicles far too much, you will get lonely and it might get boring. Plus I bet there will be times along the way where you dont want to drive any more. Letting someone else take over would be a nice break for you. She will definitely miss out if she doesn't learn to drive before you leave on your expedition. I know you dont see so many but id probably reccomend a 110 hard top over a 130 as it would be smaller and more manouverable, and if its just the two of you when are you going to actually use those back seats?

Jack

A 110 or 90 with trailer is all you really need

G

Hi Paul.

We will be leaving in 28 months time ( sounds less than 2 1/2 years ) > We will
be doing our RTW trip in a 130. All the best of luck with your planning mate

Paul, if you have any doubts; take a look at some of the books from people who have travelled on their own. I'm a littl e biased because I've met and really respect the guy, but Tom Shepard's books really do illustrate that doing the journey as a single vehicle isn't that big a deal as long as the planning is right.

Having said that... I readily admit that I know nothing about overlanding beyond what I learnt from here and from reading... but those books do contain some great advice and information.