Best overland vehicles driver#
Best overland vehicles registration#
Best overland vehicles windows#

A truck can feel smaller inside because the cab is separate, so you loose the ability to make the driver and passenger seats part of the habitation arrangements.īut some trucks have enormous footprints due to the overall vehicle size and maximum allowable mass that comes with heavy goods vehicles.Īn overland truck is likely to have a much larger water tank (400 litres is not uncommon) with multiple solar panels and large battery banks (ideally lithium for longevity) offering 800+ amp hours, allowing the truck to exist off-grid for weeks.įuel sources for heating and hot water may not be the traditional motorhome gas or EHU (electric hook up), but diesel, which is readily available around the world. Useable square footage tends to be similar to that of a motorhome. The truck cab is usually separate from the habitation body, with a crawl through or escape hatch, between the two. Most of these trucks will have a gross vehicle weight of at least 7.5 tonnes – in fact, 7,500kg is a pretty small overlander! There might also be a towing winch at the front, ideal when you’re stuck and travelling in convoy. Overlanders often carry a motorbike and their spare tyre high on the back of the vehicle, this means a winch needs to be fitted to lower these heavy items. The vehicle tends to be much higher off the ground, with large, off-road tyres (which can weigh upwards of 150kg), and storage bins under the body. It may have a body and sub-frame which move independently, allowing rough terrain to be crossed. sleeping accommodation which may be converted from the seatsĪn overland truck will have four wheel drive capability as a minimum, and ideally it will have the capacity to reduce gear ratios and lock differentials.a high-top roof (this does not include a pop-top elevating roof).Īlso, all of these internal features have to be present and must be rigidly fixed (although the table may be designed to be easily removable).an awning bar attached to either side of the vehicle.motor caravan-style graphics on both sides of the vehicle.A window on this door counts as a separate window on the main body. a separate door which provides access to the living accommodation of the vehicle (this excludes the driver and passenger doors).

Best overland vehicles windows#

two or more windows on at least one side of the main body (this does not include windows on the driver or passenger doors) to provide a reasonable amount of daylight into the living accommodation.To be classed as a motor caravan, the vehicle body is also required to display some of the following external features To qualify for conversion, your base vehicle must have been one of the following Ex-military vehicles are robustly build, well maintained and usually have very low miles. Many expedition vehicles start life in the military, and make for some of the best overland trucks. It is this converted bracket that most expedition trucks and overland vehicles fall into, as they are built on a base vehicle that has usually (but not always) been something else in a previous life. The reasons for re-registration are to take advantages of lower tax rates for non-commercial private HGV or light goods, and lower rates of vehicle insurance. I say “can” as it is not mandatory to do this. If you convert (or commission a company to do this for you) a truck, lorry, van or any other vehicle for the purpose of living in it, then the vehicle can be re-registered as a motor caravan with the DVLA. What is an Overland Truck?Īlthough a motorhome and converted truck both fall into the same motor caravan category on the V5, and for tax and insurance purposes, they are both very different vehicles.Īn overland truck is simply a converted truck base with a habitation area affixed to the chassis – the same principle as a motorhome but with some key differences. If you buy a new motorhome or campervan from a dealer, it will be registered with the DVLA as a motor caravan from new.

Best overland vehicles registration#

Most motor caravans are now referred to as motorhomes, however the term continues to appear on V5 registration documents to describe vehicles which have a motorised vehicle and living area combined. The term ‘motor caravan’ is somewhat old-fashioned and really only used by the DVLA these days. Both are classed as motor caravans, so how are they different and which one should you choose? What is a Motor Caravan? There is a huge choice of leisure vehicles on the market these days, including overland trucks and motorhomes.

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