Overlanders' Handbook

Chris Scott is a veteran travel guide author, adventurer and tour leader. He s made films of his rides in the Yukon (Call of the Wild, 2001), Desert Riders in the central Sahara (featured on National Geographic Channel) and Gorge Riders in north-western Australia (2005). He's the author of Sahara Overland, the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook and Morocco Overland also for Trailblazer.

INTRODUCTION (1) PART 1: PLANNING & DOCUMENTATION 1.1 A Plan (The Overland Zone, Which Continent?, Useful Languages, Seasons And Climate, Vehicle-Dependent Overlanding - What Are The Alternatives?, Time And Money, Fuel Prices Around The World 1.2 Getting Information (The Internet, Embassies And Tourist Offices, Government Overseas Departments, National Motoring Organisations, Travel Guides, Oncoming Travelers) 1.3 Travel Documents (Passport, Visas, Local Permits, Travel And Medical Insurance) 1.4 Vehicle Documents (Vehicle Ownership Document, Driving Licence, Idp And Icmv, Back-Up Documents, Carnet De Passages En Douane (Cdp), Third-Party Motor Insurance) 1.5 Money (Best Currencies, Credit And Debit Cards, Travelers' Cheques) (2) PART 2: CHOOSING A VEHICLE 2.1 What Car, Van Or Truck? (Regional Differences, What's Available?, The Rental Option, Vehicle Budget, Daily Travelling Budget, Size Of Group, Itinerary And Duration, Space And Comfort, Payload Or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (Gvwr) , Image And Other Preferences, Manual Or Auto Transmission, Mechanical Simplicity, Ecus And Can Bus Technology, Availability Of Parts And Know-How En Route, Build Quality, Ground Clearance, Improving Ground Clearance, Shipping Limitations, Buying And Equipping A Vehicle Far From Home) 2.2 Which Fuel? , Diesel Engines, Diesel Quality And Modern Low-Emission Engines, Petrol, Diesel Or Petrol: The Pros And Cons) 2.3 Two-Wheel Drive: The Road Less Travelled, 2wd Or 4wd: Some Key Differences, Road Cars, Vans And People Carriers (Mpvs) , Buying And Running An Old Van, Engine Rebuild In India, Cab-Over Flatbed Pickups - A 2wd Diy Option, Case Study - A 7.5t Cab-Over, Dual-Wheel Rear Axles, Towing Trailers, Across Asia Towing A Horizon Trailer) 2.4 Ready-Built Recreational Vehicles , A-Class Motorhomes, C-Class Motorhomes, B-Class: The Campervan, Mountable Cabins For 4x4 Pickups, Gross Vehicle Weight (Gvw) And Licensing Issues) 2.5 4x4s, The Mechanics And Electronics Of 4wd, What's The Differential? , Four-Wheel Drive Systems, Read This First: Transmission Wind-Up, (3) PART 3: 4x4 SURVEY, (4x4 Body Types, Short-Wheelbase 4x4s, Hardtops Or Station Wagon, Tailgates Or Doors, Pickups, Toyota Land Cruisers, Which Model? , History, 60 Series: Early Station Wagons, 80 And 100 Series, Yes But Which Land Cruiser? , The 70 Series: Pickup And Hardtop Workhorses, Prado 90-Series And Other Toyota 4x4s, Best North American Overlanders, Pinnacle Vehicles, Best 4x4xfar, Best Pinnacle Vehicle, Larger Us-Built Trucks, Land Rover Or Toyota? , Land Rover Defenders, Body Styles, Living With A Landie, Which Land Rover To Avoid? , A Short History: The First Coilers, Defenders: Tdi Engines (1990-98), Suggested Land Rover Spares, Defenders In The Us, Defender Heaters And Draughts, Coming To Your Sensor, 2.8 Tgv Engine, 2.4 Puma-Engined Defender (2007 To Date) , Travels With A Puma, Land Rover Discovery: 1989-2004, Nissan Patrol, Swapping Engines And Bigger Intercoolers, Mercedes G-Wagens, The First G, Double Cab Pickups, 4WDTrucks, Trucks: What's Available, 4wd Truck, Eastern Bloc Trucks, The Red Stars, Unimogs, Iveco Daily And Wm/Vm90, Isuzu Nps And Mitsubishi Fuso 6-Tonne Trucks, Mitsubishi Fuso, Fg Or Canter; What's The Difference?) , (4) PART 4 MODIFYING OR CONVERTING A VEHICLE 4.1 Engine 4.2 Transmission 4.3 Suspension, 4x4 Suspension (Parabolic Springs) 4.4 Tyres & Wheels 4.5 Recovery Equipment 4.6 Converting A Vehicle (Sleeping, Eating & Washing, Access And Storage, Long-Range Fuel And Water, Long-Range Fuel Tanks, Water Capacity, Where To Sleep, Ground Tents, Roof Tents, Roof Tent Styles, Sleeping Inside The Vehicle, Is It Safe? , Awnings, Three Way Awn, Principles Of Packing, Roof Racks And Roof Bars, Keeping Cool And Being Discrete, Elemenatary Electrics, Alternators - The Charging System, Electricity - Don't You Just Love It, Batteries, Charging And Managing Multiple Batteries, Voltage Sensitive Relays, Calculating Electrical Consumption, Calculating Fridge Consumption, Cooking On The Road, Stoves And Ovens, Fridge-Freezers, Cooking Utensils, Travels With My Trusty Pot, Camp Lighting, Building A Cabin, Grand Designs For The Open Road, Don't Build, Buy! , Not Buying But Spending, Getting It Made, Self-Build Strategy, Designing A Cabin, Fabricating The Box, Aluminium To Steel Corrosion, Cold Bridges, Fabrication Materials - Comparative Weights And Prices, Grp Panels, Sikaflex And 3m Sealants, Mounting The Cabin Shell, Insulation And Lining, Electrics, Plumbing And Heating, Hot Water And Heating, Case Study - Man 8.136 (5) PART 5: LIFE ON THE ROAD 5.1 Setting Off (No Turning Back, Street Wise Manifesto, Hassle, Personal Conduct In Muslim Countries) 5.2 Borders And Checkpoints 5.3 Changing Money Bargaining 5.4 Driving Abroad 5.5 Maps, Route Finding And Navigation, Paper Maps, In-Car Satellite Navigation (Sat Nav) , Gps Devices, Navigation, Not Getting Lost, Driving Women Crazy, Why Does The World Drive On The Left Or Right? 5.6 Keeping In Touch (Emergencies - Eprib Versus Spot) 5.7 Health For Overlanders (Pre-Departure, On The Road, Common Health Problems, Road Traffic Accidents And Other Severe Traumas, Malaria, Heat-Related Illness, Back At Home, Reverse Culture Shock, Useful Contacts 5.8 Honey Let's Take The Kids 5.9 Food And Shopping 5.10 Filming Your Trip, Editing, 5.11 Wild Camping, 5.12 Vehicle Maintenance And Troubleshooting, 5.13 Kit List, 5.14 Off Road Driving 5.15 When Things Go Wrong (6) PART 6: CONTINENTAL ROUTE OUTLINES 6.1 Asia 6.2 Africa 6.3 Latin America (7) PART 7 TRAVELERS' TALES FROM THE ROAD (8) APPENDIX (9) INDEX