Picking our home
The search for our car started a while ago, but we've had no urgency. Beers in the sun, being knackered and watching Cold Feet back to back after work and most importantly seeing family & friends have all come first. It dawned on us today that we leave in 3 months....3 MONTHS, and we have no bloody car. We're also very aware of the fact that we can get dragged down by the details; we can be too 'perfectionist' (the wedding definitely taught us that!) and this isn't the
time for perfection!
But now, we're in full swing! I think panic has finally set in and the fact that it's the Summer Holidays (so no work for me) might also be helping. Here's a very sweaty picture of me outside of a business park in Stanford yesterday in the lovely 30 degree heatwave we're currently having.
We think we've settled on the make (Toyota) and model (Hilux), we've even learned about generations (we've been advised by my expert brother to go no older than 7th gen), and we're starting to scratch the surface of the export/import market in Africa (much more demand than we thought!). So, we're getting there.
There are a couple of big questions we've almost answered...
1. To roof top tent or not to roof top tent (RTT)? - Seems like the answer is a resounding "yes" according to our friends on the Overland Sphere: comfier, cooler - in temperature - than sleeping inside the car... but also probably style :), safer (than a ground tent) against animals and people...
2. Can we/should we sleep in the car? The cab of the Toyota is too short for us so we'd need to cut through into the back and some how get the seats to fold down. We're then thinking of putting a flat surface on top of some drawers to store our stuff, with a mattress topper to make a bed should we need to sleep inside. We'll likely prefer the RTT though, wherever it's safe.
3. Budget: We've swayed back and forth with this one. Originally we were thinking we'd buy the cheapest car possible, but since our eyes have been opened to overlanding, we're now thinking of investing in something 'better'. We're trying to estimate all the extras we need and how likely it is we'll get anything back for the car when we come to sell it.
Some things we still don't know:
- Insurance...worth it? What happens if it gets stolen in Africa? Are we screwed?
- How far should we go with modifying it?
- When/how/where can we sell our car to get the best return on investment & limit our shipping costs?
Probably all very boring information to most, but helpful to some we hope!
Love, Emma & Ross x