You may have heard the term or seen it online in an auto blog, and much as the name suggests, overlanding involves traveling overland in a study vehicle that is designed for all types of driving conditions. This trend has taken off among UK families who see overlanding as a great way to see the far corners of the United Kingdom and much of Europe.
Sourcing a vehicle
If you want an affordable entry into overlanding, you can buy used Land Rover Defenders from Nene Overland, who happen to be a leading UK dealer of expedition vehicles who offer custom solutions. The Land Rover is more than a match for the toughest route, on or off-road, while Toyota and Jeep Wrangler are also big players in the expedition vehicle sector. If you are British, it is hard to look past the good old Land Rover and a used model is a great starting point; they are, after all, built to last!
Kitting out your new vehicle
Once you are the proud owner of a go-anywhere vehicle, you can start thinking about customizing and kitting her out. There are levels to extreme overland travel and if you have access to sleeping accommodation, water and fuel, that makes things much easier. If camping is on the menu, you will need a few racks and frames fitted and maybe some LED spotlights for essential illumination. If you buy your vehicle from a custom dealer, they can add anything you need onto the vehicle; extra fuel jerry cans and water tanks or a sturdy roof rack.
Spare Parts
You should consult your vehicle dealer about what to carry onboard and it does depend on your destination; a drive to Cornwall is one thing, but an overland trip to Greece is something else entirely. You should have a set of drive belts, a winch and a comprehensive set of tools, regardless of the destination.
Planning your trip
This used to be a lot of hard work, but now we have the Internet, it is easy to research any region, find out about the climate and even use Google Earth to view your route. Of course, some say this takes the fun out of the adventure and leaving without a plan is appealing too! Click here for a few vehicle innovations.
Vehicle insurance
Of course, if you are leaving the UK, you should make sure that your vehicle insurance covers overseas travel and if not, remedy that before you leave. Since we left the EU, there is still some confusion about visas and customs. Make sure the vehicle is fully legal before you set off and you should have a great adventure.
There are some great regions of England, Scotland and Wales that you can explore with your new overland vehicle, which can also double up as a family run around. Start with a long weekend to a place a few hours away and see how that goes, before you venture further.
