I almost volunteered to join an 'adventure' in north Africa because the chosen vehicles were diesel Land Rover's. I don't remember the reason for the adventure now, something along the lines of 'because we can', but in the end I decided against it. I still think that was a wise decision.
I'm lusting after a diesel G-wagon now, fortunately I'm already fully employed with my '95 E300 project so I can't get too serious about looking. -Max -----Original Message----- From: mercedes-boun...@okiebenz.com [mailto:mercedes-boun...@okiebenz.com] On Behalf Of Rich Thomas Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 11:07 PM To: Mercedes Discussion List Subject: Re: [MBZ] 4 wheel drive On our recent trip to Ecuador, and then reading about a guy who wanted to take a motorcycle from Alaska to TdF, it got me thinking about what kind of vehicle I would take to do that trip. 4x4, some kind of diesel truck probably to haul spares, tents, cooking stuff, etc. and reasonably comfortable. I sorta came down to some kind of Toyota truck or SUV thing as my understanding is that they are fairly bulletproof (so to speak) and your average 3rd worlder fixes them every day with parts sold at the local tiendita. Then the other day on NPR I hear a story about the Talibans or Alkadas or some of them getting a whole load of Toyota 4x4 trucks to go after the Russians back when, and completely falling in love with the things for the thrashings they could take, the ease of repair, and general utility. Apparently the donation was arranged by Japan and ended up promoting their brands big time in the 3rd world to the point where they are dominant today, not only among your casual and dedicated rabblerousers but the population in general too. So a diesel Toyota 4x4, basic model, big tires, maybe a mild lift, winches, cowcatcher, and off-road stuff. Or maybe an older Hyundai, they licensed the Mitsu vehicles, which seem pretty sturdy, and built them for awhile until they got their act together to engineer their own. I don't think I would want to rely on a Benz unless I had a factory support team along. --R OK Don wrote: > What's the issue with the ML's? All I remember is everyone describing > them as trash. > > As I get closer to retiring, and thinking of where I want to go to > take pictures, 4 wheel drive and a bit of ground clearance are > becoming appealing. However, I'm an MB snob/addict so the ML series > looks like an option. > > I suspect that the GL's are way out of my price range, but then again, > I haven't even started shopping yet. > > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
