met a driver other day say’s he used do uk to south africa and back via middle east crossing over into west africa to run down. did drivers do that or was he pullin my pudding 
funny smell around him i think. though i stand to be corrected.
john od:
met a driver other day say’s he used do uk to south africa and back via middle east crossing over into west africa to run down. did drivers do that or was he pullin my pudding
Stretchy smiley man 
I can’t see how, given the number of wars which various counrties in Central & West Africa have been fighting over the years that North-South African transport could be possible.
Ross.
Ho Ho Ho !!! Santa…
What a load of ■■■■■■■■…! 
Im sure if that was a genuine trip, there would be loads of photographic evidence…
Why would someone come back from SA via Middle-East ■■ its not exactly En-Route is it.
Unless it was an Exodus Overland Tours or similar.
GS
Just had a look at Googlemaps and wow!!!
Somalia, Kenya,Tanzania then either Zambia to Zimbabwe into SA or Mozambique into SA (which looks the longest route)
It would be more like a full on safari rather than Haulage, Imagine how much a trip by road (had it been possible) would’ve cost?? Mind you, with a back load of (none conflict) diamonds there might have been a bit of profit somewhere. 
Sounds like one of those truckstop “ex middle east men” who’ve listened to all the stories from other “middle east men” (who also hadn’t been further south than Ashford) and loved to tell hair raising stories of being shot at driving down the tap line or H4!! 
Ross.
GS OVERLAND:
Ho Ho Ho !!! Santa…
What a load of ■■■■■■■■…!
Im sure if that was a genuine trip, there would be loads of photographic evidence…
Why would someone come back from SA via Middle-East ■■ its not exactly En-Route is it.
Unless it was an Exodus Overland Tours or similar.
GS
Exactly Gavin, a trip on a Dragoman bus probably.
As far as I’m aware it would be nigh on impossible to do a commercial truck run from say Libya, Egypt or anywhere along the north coast of Africa to South Africa mainly because of the volatility of many of the countries en route and any deviation from course would mean all the paperwork having to be changed and the extra time involved would’nt make it financially viable. However I do know that they used to and probably still do run from north to south with overland tourist trucks and back in the early eighties they used old army Bedford 17 tonners with four wheel drive, a lad I knew drove one down with a bunch of aussies and it took him several months.
Chazzer
chazzer:
As far as I’m aware it would be nigh on impossible to do a commercial truck run from say Libya, Egypt or anywhere along the north coast of Africa to South Africa mainly because of the volatility of many of the countries en route and any deviation from course would mean all the paperwork having to be changed and the extra time involved would’nt make it financially viable. However I do know that they used to and probably still do run from north to south with overland tourist trucks and back in the early eighties they used old army Bedford 17 tonners with four wheel drive, a lad I knew drove one down with a bunch of aussies and it took him several months.
Chazzer
Hi Chazzer, is this the kind of ex army Bedford that you were thinking about in the background ?. I think it was the Bedford R.L. 4 wheel drive model sometimes refered to as a five tonner.
The one in the photo was taken on the campsite next to The Kano Club in Nigeria in 1975 and was driven by a Welshman called John Finch Davis. John drove for Encounter Overland who along with a company called Siafu and another one called Kimbla Travel were among the pioneers of Trans Saharan travel in the early seventies.
A.F.A.I.K. with the outbreak of The Angolan War in 1975 which lasted until 2002 it was impossible to drive down the West Coast of Africa.
Taking paying passengers overland was nothing new as one Trucknet member SPARDO was driving coaches overland to India in I.I.R.C. the late 60’s, hopefully he will correct me if it was the early seventies.
The Bubbleman posted a photo only last week on Scrapbook Memories of a company called Sim Jones from Ledsham who said that they were doing a run to Nigeria in a Scania, I did ask if anybody knew if they ever actually went but as yet nobody has confirmed that they actually did.
DREVA posted a copy of a Long Distance Diary ( which hopefully he will repost on here as it’s well worth a second read ) about three of Wake Brothers who went overland to Kano with what sounded like a complete disaster but you have to admire the guys for even trying it.
Another member called Boyzee went to Tammerasset which is about half way across the Sahara Desert in the seventies and he has posted some brilliant photos on a North Africa thread sometime ago ( I doff my Pith Helmet to you Boyzee sir )
I am not sure if there is now a bitumen Trans Saharan Highway and the roads must of improved over the last 35 years but economically, it would be cheaper and quicker to send the load in a container by sea.
Sorry to hear about your pudding JOHN O.D., I hope it’s not too sore 
Hopefully the roads in Cameroon, West Africa have now improved.
SOUTH AFRICA, believe a quarter of what you hear and half of what you see! The rest is (ZB )
( With apologies to Gavin McArdle )
Regards Steve.
john od:
met a driver other day say’s he used do uk to south africa and back via middle east crossing over into west africa to run down. did drivers do that or was he pullin my pudding
Wow……… See things don’t change much; the smallest dog always makes the most sound.
Maybe the guy was doing some discreet business planning ready for 2010. You know, fill the truck with football supporters…….Well maybe not a bad thing…
Reddesertfox:
john od:
met a driver other day say’s he used do uk to south africa and back via middle east crossing over into west africa to run down. did drivers do that or was he pullin my puddingWow……… See things don’t change much; the smallest dog always makes the most sound.
Maybe the guy was doing some discreet business planning ready for 2010. You know, fill the truck with football supporters…….Well maybe not a bad thing…
Red, I never thought of that picking peoples brains for a business opportunity.
You are not thinking of doing bed and breakfast for soccer fans are you .
Regards Steve.
Been offered 350 GBP per day, about 4500 ZAR……….But guess what the answer was still noooooooo.
Must be all that money we all made doing UK — ME — RSA — UK 
ha ha
I bet it was “South African George” having a “Dodgy night out”…
bestbooties:
I bet it was “South African George” having a “Dodgy night out”…
I bet George would need a bit more than his old Bowie knife to feel safe nowadays
Once did an overland trip with Dragoman.Camping and budget hotels.Cape Town to Harare.Four and half weeks trip.Lady driver and lady trainee driver.Started off ok,till the then banned anti-malaria drugs kicked in with bad side effects,think it was called Larium.Was in the tent,which was on the edge of the sea,had a nightmare,that the tent and me,was sliding in to the sea,i must have blanked out,due to the malaria pills,but i woke to being in a neck brace,from my tent buddy,who was in the Norwegion army,as he thought i was an intruder,and he nearly killed me,as i panicked from the nightmare.
The personality clashes and very large egos,became intolerable at the end,2 guys left early.My job was to unload all the ruck sacks and cases from on the top of the truck twice daily.No one got anything out from their ruck sacks until the last day,when we dressed up for the last meal at the trip ending in Harare.Trip highlights were swallowing the gravel from the bottom of a river rafting trip in Swaziland,being an high alltidude in Lesoto,staying at a hotel in Mozambique that had been left in ruin,without water and power,it was a time warp,from the war there.European style bars in Maputo,Portuguese colony.Saw a lot of amputees there too.
Somehow my kitty money had gone missing,2 were in charge to take care of the safe on the truck/bus,the guy in charge did a runner the last night,stayed in a posh hotel.Think he said he was a manger for the euro tunnel in the uk.Slippery character.In October,South Africa,can be quite cold at night,depending on how high in the mountains you are.
Proposed venture was probably the result of smoking too many illegal substances
Have done a fair bit of African driving all of it military though but I certainly would not be tempted in to trying it in anything less than a 6x6 or 8x8 configuration and accompanied by other vehicles
Reddesertfox:
john od:
met a driver other day say’s he used do uk to south africa and back via middle east crossing over into west africa to run down. did drivers do that or was he pullin my puddingWow……… See things don’t change much; the smallest dog always makes the most sound.
Maybe the guy was doing some discreet business planning ready for 2010. You know, fill the truck with football supporters…….Well maybe not a bad thing…
I was just wondering , how long will it be before The Sun or The Daily Mirror start running one of their sensational, exclusive stories about soccer mad English fans setting out in their 1980 Volkswagen Combi on their way to see The World Cup Finals in South Africa. Of course, there will have to be photos taken of the van covered in Union Jacks outside the lads local pub after watching the films Ice Cold In Alex and Zulu which will set them in good stead for the journey.
If somebody post’s something on here asking where they can get a 250 gallon belly tank for a Ford Transit be careful who you are dealing with .
Project Bertha is coming along nicely 
, I wonder when it’s finished if Lucy will let me road test it for several months .
Lucy might not agree with the paint job though, white with a big red St George’s cross .
Dont forget your wellies lads you will need them in The Congo.
mushroomman:
Reddesertfox:
john od:
met a driver other day say’s he used do uk to south africa and back via middle east crossing over into west africa to run down. did drivers do that or was he pullin my puddingWow……… See things don’t change much; the smallest dog always makes the most sound.
Maybe the guy was doing some discreet business planning ready for 2010. You know, fill the truck with football supporters…….Well maybe not a bad thing…I was just wondering
If somebody post’s something on here asking where they can get a 250 gallon belly tank for a Ford Transit be careful who you are dealing with
Project Bertha is coming along nicely
Lucy might not agree with the paint job though, white with a big red St George’s crossDont forget your wellies lads you will need them in The Congo.
250 Gal belly tank on a transit, could be practical if filled with Windhoek Lager
250 Gal belly tank on a transit, could be practical if filled with Windhoek Lager
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Very good Red most things seem practical even when you are full of Lion .
Do you remember that scene in the bar in Ice Cold In Alex what eventually became an advert for Carlsburg ?.
Well I have re-enacted that scene many times with Windhoek Lager .
Regards Steve.
Mmmmm…What a terrible picture your comment draws
mushroomman:
250 Gal belly tank on a transit, could be practical if filled with Windhoek Lager
Very good Red most things seem practical even when you are full of Lion .
Do you remember that scene in the bar in Ice Cold In Alex what eventually became an advert for Carlsburg ?.
Well I have re-enacted that scene many times with Windhoek Lager .
Regards Steve.
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