After a world-wide journey, the Oberland truck anchors - Walla! vehicle

2021-06-06T01:27:53.440Z

Turning a truck into a caravan is something we have already seen, to go around the world with it - it is already something else. Now she is waiting for new owners

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Space and leisure

After a world-wide journey, the Oberland truck anchors

For ten years Orit and Elisha Kara traveled the remote corners of the world, on an adventurous journey that has not yet ended;

Fantasies came true and experiences accumulated but it was time to say goodbye to the truck, and embark on a new path.

Get a global summary

A journey across continents

The couple treated crossing Europe as an administrative segment, with their hearts drawn to them to the east.

After the tidy camping scene of Europe, it was refreshing to reach a territory devoid of tidy parking lots.

Orit says: "Most nights we parked near a church, a private house or a farmhouse, after receiving consent from the occupants of the house or the local priest. And more initial experiences.These human encounters became a significant part of our journey and as we progressed east, we realized how fascinating and precious they were to us.

A calm morning near a mosque in the steppes of Kazakhstan, near the railway on which the wonderful book "And Today We Are Not a Bride" is written (Photo: Courtesy of those photographed, Orit Kara)

When we arrived in Mongolia we decided to visit the Gobi Desert and it was necessary to delve deeper into the heart of the desert, to experience the unique attractions of the place.

It was the beautiful hour of the truck that lightly swallowed the rocky and sandy areas.

Thanks to the complete autonomy we spent the nights in the depths of the terrain, without returning to the hotels of tourists traveling in rented jeeps.

We found ourselves secluded among magnificent giant dunes, special rock formations, archeological sites and more, all alone with the Creator.

These are huge spaces in which the movement of nomads is nil, and the experience of the senses is different from what we are familiar with.

The air, the silence, the sights, the sunsets and the sunrises, all these penetrate the soul and the heart rejoices.

In Mongolia we stopped for the cruel winter of 40 degrees, which is not suitable for trips like ours.

To prevent damage to the truck systems, we parked it in a heated hangar.

A magical girl we met in Kyrgyzstan, her gaze accompanies us to this day (Photo: courtesy of those photographed, Orit Kara)

From Mongolia we continued to the magical Lake Baikal (Siberia, Russia), the largest freshwater basin in the world.

We arrived in Baikal a day after the end of the Russians' summer vacation;

Everything was empty and clean, except for a couple of Australians who were traveling in a jeep.

We had planned to stay on the beach for four days, but stayed two weeks.

The combination of quiet and white beaches, dark forests and 5-star living conditions on board, put us in an ongoing state of coziness, tenderness and love.

Ten years we traveled with the Oberland truck, an amazing 130,000 miles.

Africa is the ultimate destination, but so are Mongolia and South America (Photo: courtesy of the photographers, Orit Kara)

From Baikal we traveled 3,000 km to the wild east of Russia, to the port city of Vladivostok from where we sailed the truck back to South Africa; we felt that in previous rounds we had not exhausted the wonders of the continent. In South Africa we traveled with three of our children, including a wonderful trek River. "The family trip created a completely different experience from the wanderings in a quiet relationship - it was three weeks full of noise, joy and laughter, completely different from the calm wanderings in a relationship. Our recent trips to Africa were like 'returning home'

The stunning view of the Andes Mountains elevated us to 4,800 feet above sea level.

The turbocharger provided the necessary power (Photo: courtesy of those photographed, Orit Kara)

To South America, without mochilos

From Africa we sailed the truck to Uruguay, and embarked on a journey of several years in South America.

Uruguay is considered a country devoid of attractions but while we were organizing to immigrate north to Brazil, we realized that the main attraction in Uruguay is the residents.

It was delightful and pleasant to meet locals, chat with them in Spanish, and get to know them in depth.

Instead of continuing north, we found ourselves enjoying Uruguay for another three weeks: we dipped in the hot springs, parked on the farm and went out with horses, passing the cattle herds.

Within tens of kilometers, it's just us and the sheep (Photo: Courtesy of the photographers, Orit Kara)

We continued north to Brazil and visited the Iguazu Falls which were at the peak of the flow.

In the Pantheon Reserve we met anaconda snakes, exotic birds, and enlarged capybaras.

It was the first time we had come with the truck to a steaming jungle, surrounded by wild nature like we had never met before.

In the 'Bonito' Reserve we discovered transparent and clear rivers, which we watched for miles, surrendering to the current that summoned us to miraculous sights, and drifting into a river that is considered one of the wonders of the world.

Closing the day with Happy Hour by the lake (Photo: courtesy of those photographed, Orit Kara)

One of the pleasures of an overland truck trip, is the sheer flexibility we enjoyed.

There was no need to plan ahead and book hotels, we were not dependent on restaurants, we had enough water, fuel and electricity on board, for an independent stay of close to a month.

This figure is not just technical - it fundamentally changes the level of freedom we had, and our ability to stay for long days in a place we liked.

This freedom gave the trip a depth dimension that is not available to those who are based on guesthouses, or to a traveler in a regular SUV.

The milk in Kyrgyzstan does not come from the supermarket ... the locals are the real nomads, not us (Photo: courtesy of those photographed, Orit Kara)

But all the freedom and depth disappeared at once, when one had to advance on the Brazilian roads.

Everything is getting crowded all around, there are endless huge trucks, no camping, the country is dangerous to travel, stop, pretty much everything ... We found ourselves sleeping in huge parking lots where hundreds of trucks are parked.

These places are considered safe, and are usually patrolled by armed guards.

We crossed Brazil east and for a few weeks slept along the coast.

We parked with the truck on the water's edge, bathed in the sea, bought dinner straight from the fishermen's devotion.

While the soul relishes, softens and needs all this good.

When the 'regular' tourists returned to the hotels, we were left with all this beauty to ourselves.

Song Kol Lake in Kyrgyzstan (Photo: courtesy of the photographers, Orit Kara)

We continued south to the Land of Fire in southern Argentina.

The atmosphere and scenery have become mountainous with beautiful treks and stunning views, glaciers, and mighty peaks.

We met one of our children who was traveling in South America, came to be pampered with his parents;

How fun it was to meet a child we had not seen for several months, to pamper him with choppers and love.

Occasionally another friend of his joined, we opened a motorized guesthouse.

Some of the backpackers announced that "now we know what will be done in retirement, there is something to strive for."

We were happy to give them intergenerational inspiration.

For ten weeks we zigzagged between Argentina and Chile in snowy mountain passes, which the truck swallowed very easily.

The local food was wonderful and we released some of the cooking on board, for the benefit of the restaurants of Argentina and Chile. "

Laundry day on the shores of Lake Baikal (Photo: Courtesy of the photographers, Orit Kara)

The carter knows the soul of his beast

In the middle of summer our heroes reached a border crossing in the Andes, 4,000 meters above sea level.

At night the temperature dropped to 15-20 degrees below zero, but the insulated caravan allowed a pleasant stay.

At night the heating was turned on, but the problem was the danger of freezing of taps and pipes located outside the truck.

Elisha said: "The extreme cold made me afraid to start the morning. For the first time in our travels, I moved the truck twice a night, to be sure of the morning start."

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To the pools of water

"We arrived at the Colorado Lagoon in the morning, only to find that during the day the color of the water turns from a brush to a bright red. It turns out that when the sun shines, the plankton floats to the water. The flamingo birds come, eat and dance. In the water. The reflection and the pink and blue colors were perfect, it's hard to tell what's down and what's up. We decided to sleep on the beach to enjoy a secluded night. In the afternoon all the tourists disappeared and we were left alone in the middle of this beauty. Watching in amazement the steam rising from the hot springs, flamingos flocked to the shore, ignoring my presence, amazing.

A little color in the eyes, in the passage of the desert of heights (Photo: Courtesy of those photographed, Orit Kara)

We decided not to enter with the truck to the Dead Sea 'Salar', to save her the immersion in the salt deposits. We parked it in the town of Uyuni and hired a local driver to take us to Salar with a 4X4 vehicle, for a beautiful ride on an endless salt surface. From there we continued to beautiful Peru and Ecuador, all the way to mysterious Colombia.

We decided to skip Nicaragua and El Salvador, and sail the truck straight to Mexico. Mexico is considered a relatively dangerous country, but we had a high sense of security. We have no external openings for electricity and water, the front door and caravan are high above the ground. At night we folded the stairs and the feeling of security was good. The caravan windows are made of special double glazing, with a safety lock. Mexico pampered us with an amazing visit to the beautiful Inca sites and special natural phenomena that made us return to it again and again. On the way we also visited Guatemala and Belize, enjoying the jungles and volcanoes, and the dive sites of Belize. "

At Cartera Australia in southern Chile, we skipped between the fjords using local ferries (Photo: courtesy of the photographers, Orit Kara)

The bonbonniere for sale!

The truck spent the Corona period with a Canadian couple in Oaxaca, Mexico, at an altitude of 1,700 meters.

After ten years of wandering, Orit and Elisha decided to change the style of their trip;

They plan to sell the truck, and open up a new way.

The decision to break up with the truck was not an easy one, but the follow-up plans bring the couple new energy, which is just waiting to be released.

Kruger Park's giraffes look at us with great interest, they are the only animals that can watch on the roof of the truck (Photo: Courtesy of the photographers, Orit Kara)

Unusually we allow ourselves to put up a kind of 'board ad' here; The motor revolution the couple read may be the big opportunity for anyone eager to discover the world aboard a professional Overland truck. As someone who has been hiking for years on a motorhome road, I can attest to how wonderful it is through this hike: it combines free and flexible wandering, with a high level of indulgence and complete independence. The low cost of living in a motorhome makes it possible to embark on long journeys that are not possible, when based on hotels and restaurants. It is also a "home away from home", with your regular belongings and a sense of intimacy, which you can not get in hotels that change every day. The truck's off-road capability and tremendous loading capacity give the traveler real freedom. From an in-depth acquaintance with Elisha and Orit, I can attest that the truck is maintained to the highest standard. Are you interested in trying this way of life? Maybe this will be the new adventure of the rest of your life?

The truck was a great attraction for the local children, here at the border crossing from Kenya to Ethiopia (Photo: courtesy of the photographers, Orit Kara)

Around the world, in numbers

Two and a half years in Africa, in three different rounds: 900 days in total, 40,000 miles.
Three years in Europe and Asia: 540 days, 45,000 miles.
Three years in South America: 500 days, 35,000 miles.

The traveler on the Dead Sea stage Dankil (Ethiopia) may think he has stumbled upon a distant planet (Photo: Courtesy of those photographed, Orit Kara)

The Truck:

From the beginning, the couple was looking for a truck that would suit Overland travel in the most remote places.

After careful examinations they purchased a MAN 14.225 4X4 truck, model 2002. It is a model with a minimum of computing, an important feature for globe travelers;

Every remote mechanic knows how to repair it, without the need for exotic parts.

From day one the truck was intended for the purpose of overland, it has no history of trucking.

UNICAT, one of the leading German manufacturers in the Oberland world, built the caravan and adapted the truck to be used as an Overland Expedition Truck.

The route in Africa provided us with interesting terrain challenges, this is the place where it is worthwhile to travel with another Overland truck (Photo: Courtesy of the photographers, Orit Kara)

Dimensions and figures:

Permissible weight 14,000 kg. Net weight including living unit, 8,650 kg.

Weight including equipment and fluids, 10,300 kg. Length / width / height: 6.96 m / 2.38 m / 3.49 meters. Wheelbase, 3.6 meters. Ventilation space, 42 cm.

Engine:

6-piston turbo diesel, 6,870 cc, maximum power 220/2400 hp.

Manual 6-speed ZF gearbox, with 'power' gear and rear differential lock.

Average fuel consumption, about 4.5 kilometers per liter.

Current mileage of the truck, 320,000 miles.

With 385/65 tires, R22.5 rims, a 42-inch wheelbase, rear lock and power transmission, the truck easily coped with the South African terrain routes (Photo: courtesy of the photographers, Orit Kara)

Tires, fluids and batteries:

Michelin XZY Tubeless size 385/65 on R22.5 rims, + two spare wheels stored in the trunk.

Two tanks of 300 liters of diesel each, sufficient for a driving range of about 2,400 km. Water tank with a volume of 440 liters. Two 12-volt batteries for the car, connected in parallel. The car is fed using four 12-volt batteries, AGM320AH.

The caravan provides all the necessary indulgences, with an autonomy of up to a month (Photo: courtesy of those photographed, Orit Kara)

The most advanced is the most lucrative

Compulsory insurance starting at NIS 54 per month

By the insurance company WE SURE

Purchase >>

Residential caravan: Unicat Terra Cross

The caravan is mounted on a unique sub-frame to prevent damage from the twist of the chassis, with insulated walls 60 mm thick. There is a double bed 200X140 cm, another bed that opens into the dining area.

Shower and toilet with diesel heating, and a micron filter that allows water to be pumped from lakes and rivers.

Two cooking containers for gas, a 140 liter refrigerator and a 40 liter freezer, kitchen cabinets and clothes.

Seating area and dining area for four people, table and folding chairs.

Equipment and tools for repairs, rescues, spare parts.

For details and contact: Phone 054-4233004, 054-8182665 Email oekra2@gmail.com

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Source: walla

All tech articles on 2021-06-06