Mongolia · France · Australia · Alps · Pyrenees

Field Tests

MOKUBO Mobile Kitchen
LifeSaver Wayfarer Water Filter

Featured Vehicles

INEOS Grenadier
BMW R 12 S

Travel

Mongolia Ice Ride: Cold Contact
La Couvertoirade: A Village Steeped in Templar Heritage
Australia: Following the Two Boys Dreaming
The Best Part Is the Journey

Portfolio

Australia — Roaming the Deserts

Overland Chef

Loimulohi (salmon)

This issue spans winter motorbike travel in Mongolia, long-distance journeys in Australia, European heritage travel, and practical field testing, with a balance of narrative features, equipment reviews, and photographic portfolios.

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Pakistan · Australia · Albania · Italy · France · Spain · Alps · Pyrenees

Field Tests

YETI Hopper Flip 18 Soft Cooler
iKamper Skycamp 3.0 Rooftop Tent
Opinel Picnic+ Cutlery Set
QUQUQ Camper Conversion for INEOS Grenadier
Blundstone All-Terrain Chelsea Boots
LAYZEE Junior Kitchen Box

Featured Vehicles

INEOS Grenadier Quartermaster

Travel

Crossing Balochistan’s Desert from Quetta to Dalbandin
Australia: Old Ghan, Opals & Homesteads
Overland in Southwest Europe: Italy, France & Spain
Spontaneous Changes in Direction — Best Way Forwards

Portfolio

Albania — Ancient Lands of Rustic Pathways

Conservation

Empowering Communities

Skills

Winter Essentials: Emergency Kit to Keep in the Car

Overland Chef

Crumpets & Creamy Cheesecake

This issue combines long-distance travel across South Asia, Australia, and Europe with in-depth field testing, vehicle features, winter preparedness skills, and conservation reporting, supported by photographic portfolios and practical equipment reviews.

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Italy · Botswana · Syria · Lebanon · Oman · Mali · France · Iceland

Field Tests

SunWare Solar foldable panel
KLIM Krios PRO ECE/DO
LEDLENSER HF8R Signature headlamp

Featured Vehicles

Toyota Land Cruiser 2024

Travel

Syria & Lebanon: A Voyage of Discovery
The Italian Job: Mille Miglia 2022
Trail Terrors on the Falaise de Tambaoura

Portfolio

Latitude: Call of the Wild — Botswana

Conservation

Giving Back: Move For Change II

Skills

LRS Chassis Repairs

Overland Chef

Dutch Oven Chicken Fajitas

This issue combines classic and modern vehicle culture with long-distance travel across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, supported by skills-based technical features, conservation reporting, and location-driven storytelling.

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The post Number 3: Europe, Africa and Middle East. Travel, Vehicles, Field Tests, Skills and Culture appeared first on overland-europe.

It seems that JLR doesn’t want to miss out on the opportunities either as their heritage division, Land Rover Classic, continues to uphold the spirit of the past by introducing handmade limited edition models – some of them powered by the most impressive V8s.

At this year’s Goodwood Revival, Land Rover Classic introduced a curated new collection of original OEM quality parts and accessories for the Classic Defender. Let’s face it, the Classic Defender (with its legacy reaching back to 1948 and no less than 70 years of global expedition history) is surely the original adventure vehicle.

The selection of new parts and accessories was showcased on their stand in the ‘Over The Road’ area of the Goodwood Revival. Five vehicles made up the display, led by the Expedition Camper from Land Rover Classic.  

The ultimate camping vehicle features a new Land Rover Classic approved interior conversion from partner The Ply Guys, and a similarly officially approved new roof tent from TentBox, which will be available early next year, on the outside.

The Expedition Camper by Land Rover Classic was joined at the event by a Black Pack equipped Classic Defender 110 Hard Top, a heritage themed 90 Station Wagon, and two Trophy support trucks clad in accessories from the exclusive Land Rover Classic Trophy I and Trophy II client events.

Glen Kelly, Head of Parts and Accessories, Land Rover Classic: “In the Expedition Camper, the team have created a stunning vehicle that showcases the adventure capability of the iconic Classic Defender. Alongside this vehicle, was an impressive display of our official authentic Land Rover Classic parts and accessories, fitted to a variety of different Classic Defenders, all with individual looks to suit different tastes. We are reacting constantly to customer demand for OEM quality items in the aftermarket, and engineer and source our parts and accessories to the highest standards. Both The Ply Guys and TentBox are ideal partners as they both clearly share our commitment to quality, and love the Classic Defender as much as our customers do.“

EXPEDITION READY

The Expedition Camper by Land Rover Classic features several new products available via Classic’s extensive catalogue of parts and accessories – all designed to make the Classic Defender the perfect companion for overland trips. It combines a bespoke approved interior conversion from specialists, The Ply Guys, and a curated collection of official original exterior additions alongside a new roof tent installation from experts TentBox.  

The Expedition Camper’s exterior features a range of accessories designed to enhance the capability and durability of Classic Defender, including a Land Rover Approved TentBox Cargo roof tent. It features unique heritage branding on the front and rear of the tent shell, with unique Desert Sand colourway and branding for the tent canvas, referencing the equipment used in Land Rover expeditions from the past. It will be compatible with both the Classic Defender 90 and 110 when it is launched in early 2024 and will ensure a comfortable night’s sleep, wherever clients choose to set up camp.

EXTERIOR FEATURES

• TentBox Cargo Roof Tent (available early 2024)   
• LED headlamps  
• Sidesteps 
• Black Sawtooth wheels with black centre caps 
• Black exterior pack – grille, headlight surrounds, metal heritage badging – and Black bolt kit 

Other enhancements delivered by the specialist team at Land Rover Classic include a bespoke interior, consisting of premium front seats with contrast stitching in yellow and electric blue piping, tied in with Harris Tweed on the centre console and the rear benches. The fully approved conversion by camper specialists, The Ply Guys, ensures the Defender is ready for anything. The hand-crafted furniture is built with adventure in mind, featuring modular components that can be specified in one of many combinations.

INTERIOR FEATURES

• Land Rover Urlar floor –Black Hexa 12mm with pinstripe detailing 
• Croch Suas ceiling with integrated downlights – 6.5mm Natural Birch with engraving detail 
• Land Rover Torridon Cook Station with slide out storage  
• Gairdean Land Rover Cubby Box – bespoke version for Land Rover Classic 
• Land Rover Expedition Unit – Low level pull out drawer with lockers. In Black Hexa birch ply  
• Land Rover 110 Kitchen Module – Low level worktop with top down access hatches. Flip up prep/work benches.  
• Harris Tweed upholstery – For base cushions and infill cushions

CUSTOM DESIGNED

The Expedition Camper wasn’t the only unique Classic Defender at The Revival this year. It was joined by a Black Pack equipped 110 Hard Top with a combination of official parts and accessories that showcased the level of personalisation possible from Land Rover Classic; including Black Exterior Pack, 18-inch diamond-cut Sawtooth alloy wheels, LED lights, and Expedition roof rack and ladder. Inside, a leather steering wheel and 60th Anniversary edition SVX alloy gear knob and transfer box knob provide a premium finish.  

A 90 Station Wagon with a heritage look provided an entirely different character on the stand at Goodwood Revival. It features bright silver finishes for an understated luxury aesthetic, including the Silver Exterior Pack and silver painted 16-inch Wolf steel wheels. Contemporary LED rear lights and a Rubber Loadspace Liner enhance practicality and protection.  

A pair of Defender Trophy Support Trucks were also on display. Each built to support the exclusive Classic Land Rover Trophy I and Trophy II client events, they are fitted with parts that elevate the capability and enhance the look of classic Defender models, which are now available to customers: 

The Trophy I Tribute Pack includes a Heritage grille with metal heritage badge. A-Frame nudge bar and installation kit, integrated winch and winch bumper, plus distinctive painted 16-inch Wolf steel wheels.

The Trophy II Tribute Pack includes an adventure front grille and metal heritage badge, complemented by black Defender script and headlamp surrounds. There is also an eye-catching full Expedition Camo wrap, with black 18-inch Sawtooth alloy wheels, an integrated winch and winch bumper, and mudflaps with white heritage logos.

This collection of unique, individual vehicles showcases the full breadth of the Land Rover Classic parts and accessories catalogue, catering for customers who demand OEM engineered parts in the aftermarket, that deliver the opportunity to customise and enjoy the Classic Defender as it should be.

LAND ROVER CLASSIC

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The Birdsville Track – Birdsville to Marree – 527km

The Birdsville Track was opened in the 1860s to walk cattle from northern Queensland and the Northern Territory to the nearest railhead in Port Augusta, which was later moved to Marree. Percy Burt was the pioneering drover credited with establishing the track. Burt set up a store at Diamantina Crossing, (Birdsville), and used the path to bring cattle out of the Channel Country to the railhead at Marree that was completed in 1883. Using this stock route was at least 1,000 km shorter than the alternative path to Brisbane. It crosses three deserts – the Sturt Stoney, Strzelecki and the Tirari deserts. By 1916 bores were sunk accessing the Great Artesian Basin about every 40km to make droving cattle and sheep easier.

DAY 12 | 120 KM

It rained from about 3am – mostly soft, light rain – enough to make everything wet. I set off ahead of the team, while they paid one last visit to Don Rowlands for one final interview. This time, I had a raging tailwind and had covered over 50km before any of the team caught me. After 85km, just as I left the parallel sand dune country and entered the gibber plains of the Sturt Stoney Desert, the wind seemed to switch abruptly and I was suddenly struggling into a very strong cross-head wind where I was only managing 12-13km/hr. I struggled to the end of the day with aching knees, worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up the same pace. The team found some rare tree cover in the form of a dry soak which was well sheltered from the wind.

DAY 13 | 92 km

This ended up being a very slow day, pushing into a head wind in mostly gravelly, corrugated surfaces. I was unable to get any momentum all day over the loose stones. Towards the end of the day, I reached the turn off to Warburton Crossing and Blood Creek and we found a campsite 2km further along from there. I only averaged 13.3km/hr for the day!

DAY 14 | 106 km

It all started well, on some beautifully smooth surfaces and even some wind assistance, but after 25km, the track swung more to the west and the wind picked up.

Although slow, the highlight of the day was the last 25km into Mungerannie where I passed through a beautiful range, mostly covered with gibber stones with some yellow ochre pits. Mungerannie, basically a pub/restaurant and camping area, was a welcome site. A good meal, a shower and watching my football team win on the satellite TV made a satisfying end to the day.

DAY 15 | 104.5 km

Mungerannie is situated at about the same latitude as the most northerly point of Lake Eyre. From here it was generally flatter with a few parallel sand dunes and low vegetation. 

As I was about to set off, I noticed my bike was extra hard to push and quickly realised that my rear brake was rubbing. We loosened it off but noticed the rotor was a little bent and probably the cause. I pushed on for about 25km, but the extra resistance returned. After further inspection, we noticed a hairline crack indicating that the disc was weakened, probably causing the bend. Unable to bend it back and reduce the friction, all that was left to do was remove the brake entirely and get in touch with my bike shop in Melbourne. A new part will be sent to Coober Pedy, but meanwhile I must manage with only the front brake. Removing the brake, I was able to cycle about 1.5km/hr faster – very significant over a day. I think I may have been affected by this issue for several days and that explains why a seemed to be struggling to cycle at my usual speed and getting heavy legs by the end of the day.

Lunch (@69km) was spent at Coopers Creek. The crossing was several kilometres wide and dry when we went through, but in times of flood, this was one of the most difficult sections to get through. To my surprise, at the top of the next hill to the south of the creek lay a monument – a small barge, the MV Tom Brennan, used to ferry people, supplies and mail across flood waters and to assist drovers with the crossing of cattle en route to the Adelaide market. I cycled until after sundown to reach our camp. A beautiful evening though it is getting pretty chilly the farther south we go.

DAY 16 | 104.5km 

To Marree

With a worrying forecast for rain in the area, we left camp earlier today. I for once had favourable conditions all day. One of the most interesting places was when we crossed the Dog Fence – the world’s longest fence, 5400km all up, it was built to protect Australia’s livestock industry and native wildlife.

About 35km from Marree, I stopped to check out the ruins of a date farm. This would have been to satisfy the early Afghan cameleers, a large population of Afghans were living in Marree.

I was pleased to reach Marree in good time, cheered on by a few travellers at the town shop. Marree is an historically interesting small town. Situated at the rail head, it enabled produce to be shipped off to market in Adelaide and supplies sent by camel, horse and finally vehicles to all stations on the way to Birdsville.

I cannot mention Marree and the Birdsville Track without mentioning the name Tom Kruse, father of the Birdsville Track mail run, who delivered mail, medicine and supplies to outback stations from the 1930s to the 1960s. He was considered by locals as “the lifeline of Birdsville”. He made his first mail run at 21 years of age.

To the people living on the Birdsville Track, Tom was much more than just the mailman. It was something they looked forward to – finding out what was happening in the outside of their isolated existence, a friendly face…they would have been waiting for a month to receive supplies, stock, machinery and much more. They depended on him.

The news I received in Marree on arrival is that the forecast rains were going to be extensive over the whole region. Both the Birdsville Track, now behind me, and the Oodnadatta Track, where I planned to go next were just closed. The news got worse – all roads in the region except the one that heads south to Port Augusta, are likely to be closed for 1-2 weeks. This weather is highly unusual for this time of year and nothing I could have planned for. It’s crazy! We are stuck and after taking a day to work everything out, have no choice but to head south to Port Augusta and then back up the Stuart Highway to get to Coober Pedy – a ride of 900km (over 500km extra distance) and no fun on a fatbike built for the sand! 

The post Breaking the Cycle Across Australia #5: The Birdsville Track appeared first on overland-europe.

India · Alaska · Iceland

Field Tests

Synthetic-rope Winches
Camp Blankets
Solar Panels

Featured Vehicles

1984 Mercedes-Benz 508D
Expedition Overland 2021 Toyota Tacoma

Travel

The Lost Tusk: India Burns a Place in Your Heart
Lost and Found: The Alaska Marine Highway by Ferry

Portfolio

Latitude: Iceland

Skills

Water Sourcing, Filtration, and Storage

Overland Chef

Moroccan Spiced Chicken

This is the first issue of the re-styled OverlandEurope magazine, establishing our global approach to expedition travel, vehicle features, equipment testing, and practical skills with long-form storytelling and photographic portfolios.

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I interviewed Twiga Travel Car’s sales manager, Geert van den Broeck, himself an experienced overlander having lived in his 30-year-old MB-1017 for four years during his travels.

Since its foundation in 2005, Twiga has produced more than 100 vehicles for a group of individuals the company refers to as friends as opposed to customers. An endearment with good reason: Twiga opens its arms to all travellers and has created the Twiga Travellers Network, a place where people can pose their questions and call upon the experience of other like-minded adventurers. But that’s a topic for another day.

Twiga Travel Cars is based in Ooij, which is six kilometres northeast of Nijmegen in the Netherlands.

What sets Twiga apart from the growing population of expedition vehicle builders?

In three words: travellers are individualists.

We respect that and invest a lot of time in getting to know them and their goals. Despite their adventurous ambitions, all overlanders look for the balance between the cost of their vehicle and their overall travel budget—and this is where we excel. At Twiga, we don’t build vehicles in series. Instead, we sit down with a blank piece of paper and listen carefully to the criteria which will ultimately define a unique, purpose-built vehicle. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about a luxurious truck with high-end equipment or a no-nonsense spartanly accessorised winner.

The client’s budget is our starting point. We work equally well with brand new vehicles as we do with pre-owned ones, and we will step in to assist during the process of sourcing and purchasing the best solution.

From a production point of view, our planning and construction strategy ensures our budgets are super sharp and the quality of our end products is considered to be among Europe’s best.

Creating individual vehicles requires a team of people who can compliment one another and their skills. Tell me a little about your crew and how many vehicles you produce.

When we started, there were just two of us full-time. Today, we have a passionate team of ten including industrial engineers, a specialised welder, electronic technicians, and fitters. Because each process is structured according to the experience we have acquired over time, we are able to work on several vehicles at a time and can complete between eight and ten per year.

Taking the client’s requirements into consideration, we can produce a bare cabin on our famous sub-frame fitted with windows, doors and hatches within six to eight weeks. A large adventure-ready vehicle fully equipped with electronics and every other luxury you can think of will take around nine months to complete.

The biggest challenge with any vehicle is determining the perfect layout. Beginning with a sketch, we create a comprehensive 3D drawing before again listening, discussing and adjusting for as long as it takes until the client is 100% comfortable with the concept.

Which vehicle categories do you cater for?

We can break this down into four main categories:

Small 4x4s, which include Jeeps, Land Rovers and Toyotas. The most important detail to consider here is weight. Look at most travel-ready vehicles in this category when they’re packed with luggage and you’ll find that they are above the legal weight. Twiga has developed a cabin which weighs less than 160 kg (including windows but without the interior). We’re seeing more and more requests for lifting tops in different configurations: hinged, full lift, manual, or automated.

Vans We love them and have already converted several 4×4 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters into capable expedition vehicles. If the headroom isn’t sufficient, we can adjust it. We have even converted one for a disabled driver with a lift to enter and exit by. In our minds, Sprinters make ideal expedition vehicles…it just takes a bit of imagination and there is plenty of that at Twiga.

Trucks up to 7.49 tons This is an important category in the Netherlands and a number of other countries too. At Twiga, we can produce a cabin, fully fitted with all furnishings, electronics, and a bathroom below 7,500 kg. Obviously, the weight of the base vehicle has a huge impact on what’s possible, but that’s why we’re here.

Trucks above 7.5 tons The sky’s the limit. You want to take a quad or a motorbike with you? No problem. You’d rather have 6×6 instead of 4×4, we can show you several options. The bulk of the trucks in this category are from either MAN or Mercedes-Benz due to the global spare parts availability, but we have also built on Scania, Unimog, and even the occasional IVECO.

If you consider the different vehicle categories, why do you think Twiga has become a strong contender amongst the expedition vehicle manufacturers?

We have learned a great deal over the years and have more than 100 vehicles that prove our concept works. However, there are two features that we believe make us stand out.

Firstly, as with every house, the foundation must be solid. We have our own patented sub-frame. For the less experience traveller, it can be hard to imagine the stress the vehicle has to cope with on a serious off-road trip. Our subframe is rally proven and can cope with wheel travel of up to 70 cm (depending on the vehicle) without any torsion. Essentially, this means the cabin remains straight and intact. We also integrate the subframe into the floor of the cabin to minimise the overall height of the vehicle.

Secondly, our panels are unique and specially developed for Twiga. Our range starts with an exceptionally light 30 mm honeycomb structure and ends with super-insulated 60 mm panels which can withstand any weather conditions.

Can you guide me through some of the key components you integrate into your cabins?

One of the hottest topics in the Internet forums is windows, doors and hatches. We’ve seen and tried enough to say that our concept includes two manufacturers: Dometic for the lightweight vehicles and Outbound when weight isn’t so critical.

Another important detail are the entry steps. We have a wide range which include platforms, with or without ground contact and with or without a handrail. If the customer needs something different, we’ll figure it out. It gets our creative juices flowing.

Ultimately though, Twiga prides itself on our innovations which are often the result of a client not accepting “no” as an answer. We communicate our innovations internally every quarter and are astounded by the numbers. Twiga is built upon individuality and versatility is our expertise.

The Netherlands have always been known for international trade. Do you service customers abroad as well?

It’s true that most of our customers are from the Netherlands, but Germany and Switzerland are close behind. Recently, we have met new clients from France and Italy and have even shipped to markets as distant as the US, Israel, and Africa.

TWIGATRAVELCARS | TWIGATRAVEL

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Until now, Frank Oechsner developed and produced exclusive custom-built technically capable vehicles, with handcrafted interiors of impeccable design and durability, for a financially blessed clientele. However, he has been nurturing an idea to create a new breed of adventure sports vehicles for an enthusiastic customer group.

CONCEPT

Using the increasingly popular IVECO Daily chassis fitted with a purpose-designed 3-point subframe, the vehicle is completed with an ultra-light GRP cabin. In order to streamline production and reduce lead times, there will be a shortlist of interior layouts the customer can choose from. Some interiors are designed around a lift bed and a retractable dinette designed to easily clear space for sports equipment (motorcycles, mountain bikes, and other voluminous items) which can be loaded through an expansive door in the rear wall.

Q&A WITH FRANK OECHSNER

To what extent can the customer influence the specification of the interior?

We won’t offer more than four standard Lightline configurations. We are still in the development phase and, to be honest, we had hoped to use interaction with customers at the 4×4 Rhein Waal to add definition to our own thoughts. Here are a few of the examples of what we have in mind, each of which pivots around the ability to quickly convert from comfortable accommodation to a spacious storage bay and back again.

If the customer would like to have a more personalised solution, then FüsSlightline will supply the empty cabin and leave realisation of an individual design to Füss Mobile GmbH. This will, of course, incur more time than the standard concept.

What materials will you use for the cabin construction?

We’ll stick to what we know: GRP sandwich panels and aluminium profiles; 60 mm floor and ceiling, 40 mm walls, all with 1.4 mm skins inside and out. The aluminium profiles are 120 x 80 x 3 mm and overlapped at the corners in accordance with the proven strategy employed on all Füss cabin builds.

How will you minimise the weight of the interior furnishings?

I don’t want to disclose too much at the moment, but as far as our standardised Lightline interiors are concerned, we are going to use a super-light material with a high pressure laminate surface and finished with either plastic or real wood edging.

Where does the table disappear to when the seating area is folded away?

Trust me when I say you’re going to be impressed. But for now, it’s a secret.

Are you going to standardise the cabin sizes, or can the customer be creative?

If the customer chooses a standard Lightline cabin, then it will come in predetermined sizes, otherwise our pre-configured interior design concepts won’t work. However, we will supply custom-built cabin sizes either as self-build projects or for completion by Füss Mobile. Pricing will vary according to the customer’s expectations.

How much does a 3.80 m cabin weigh?

The 3.80 m cabin weighs 400 kg including the entrance and rear doors plus 230 kg for the subframe. The 4.60 cabin weighs 530 kg plus 325 kg for the subframe. Hatches and doorframes are made by Hünerkopf.

Can you give me an estimation of basic costs?

Prices for the newly developed 3-point subframe with a fully equipped (but not lavish) Lightline cabin begin at €120,000 excluding the cost of the vehicle. There will, of course, be a list of optional accessories and it’s up to the customer to determine how far he needs or wants to stretch his budget.

An empty shell (3-point subframe and a door) can be as little as €25,000 depending on the size.

When will you make the FüsSlightline series available?

There’s no time like the present. With COVID-19 disrupting the shows, our marketing plans have been shaken up so we are focussing on some online advertising and editorials.

Currently, we’re putting the finishing touches to the interior of the 3.80 m cabin which is on the IVECO Daily Crew Cab equipped by Achleitner Allrad. The factory Iveco Daily 4×4 is available either with the empty cabin or fully fitted.

Both vehicles are for sale now. A second 3.80 m cabin is also under construction and will be prepared for mounting to a factory IVECO Daily.

We’re ready to continue building as soon as the first order comes in.

Despite the COVID-19 lockdown, we can still be reached by telephone or e-mail.

FüsSlightline | Füss Mobile | info@fuess-mobile.de

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