landcruisingadventure.com

As for generic welding or fixing a leaking radiator, I prefer finding a place to spend the night, disassemble the part and hop in a bus or taxi to the nearest shop that can tackle the issue. After the customary showing of our Land Cruiser and the in South America ubiquitous shocked response to our car having a diesel engine, there followed a couple of speeches and exchange of gifts. It was also the first place on our journey where I saw a plasma cutter and TIG welders using a clean, copper earth clamp instead of the more commonly used rusty, scarred hook full of welding pockmarks. To achieve this, Karin-Marijke and I emptied the Land Cruiser from all its contents in order to access the bolts behind the wooden panels of our living-room-cum-office-cum-bedroom.

The manager or director, on the other hand, is more likely to hang on my lips when I tell them stories of exotic destinations and show them the map of our route on the door of the Land Cruiser. The most common car parts we’ve needed during our twelve-year journey are oil filters (every 6,000 miles) and tires (every two years), which we have all easily sourced in the 30+ countries we traveled, either original or aftermarket When we had a leaking rear-brake cylinder, and although the Brazilian Toyota Bandeirante looks similar to our car, no part of the – until 2001 – locally produced model will fit our Land Cruiser. Meet the Brazilian Land Cruiser Some of the more difficult parts to get are engine mounts for our 3B diesel engine as in South America you see only the FJ –

With the start of autumn, Covid-19 stats rising every day and the Netherlands going into semi lockdown, we suddenly had time on our hands. With the help of a couple of friends who are so kind to proofread the draft and help me decide which stories fit and which ones don’t, the book is getting its final shape as we speak. Fortunately we got a press release saying that within the customs union of Russia/Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan, all vehicles in this situation (stuck because of Covid-19) will automatically be extended until March 31. And so winter project 3: getting our personal paperwork organized and getting married.

To get to know the ins and outs of our vehicle and to get an understanding of its basic maintenance I sought help from Rocco, a well- known figure in the Land Cruiser community of the Netherlands, where we lived (find Wheels Unlimited here). Even though Rocco prefers staying home with his horses over traveling, he shares bewildering stories about bush mechanics all over the world, told him by clients who have returned from their roaming adventures. When my car friends heard we were going to set off in an old, battered Toyota, they gave lots of advice on which spare parts to bring. Tip: To avoid the debate on modern vs. old cars: If your vehicle has a CPU, know it is a vital part and it may be far from evident that you’ll find it in other countries.