I found Matt s (think that’s his name ) comment about London to Cape Town being paved funny
. When he gets his Grenadier and decides to drive through Africa he’s going to get a big shock. It is possible in a two wheel drive apparently, but you’re going to miss all the best bits. Certainly from what I’ve seen you need a 4x4
A positive review though. A box on wheels built for overlanding. That pleases me
Some great observations in that video.
Haven't done Africa (yet) but this rings true: we were racing to cross Siberia before the road was fully paved (when we went through, I think only ~140kms remained to be sealed).
Basically everywhere in the world the locals are using
common-or-garden-variety 2WD vehicles - ergo a transcontinental expedition can be done in/on
pretty much anything.
What you say however is ALSO true. If you want to...
...experience the most remote locations (and what little wilderness remains)
...avoid potentially lengthy stops for repair/waiting for parts
...travel in all seasons (low temps in the North, equatorial monsoon)/aka lengthy stops waiting for different road conditions
...minimise your reliance on local populations/resources (eg carry your own food/water/hygiene needs)
...live on- or in- (as opposed to alongside-) your vehicle
...be able to carry cargo + passengers (as opposed to cargo OR passengers)
...then a vehicle closer to the Grenadier specification is a better choice.
Our experience is that the advance of tarmac is a threat to the diversity of lifestyles on a par with climate change/habitat loss. If you want to see these places/people for yourself best get out there stat.
For us, changing to the Grenadier can be partly understood as a product of being financially affluent but time-poor, a description which one suspects would fit many members on the Forum.