Diesel G-Wagon Colorado to Argentina

[kerry]

Just ordered this book. Thought some other people here might be interested in it.

http://www.amazon.com/OVERLAND-Mercedes-Benz-Journey-Through-Americas/dp/1884886914/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232369096&sr=1-1

[sixto]

Seems less of a challenge after that fellow did California to almost Argentina in a 116 SD

Let me know if this crew charged through the Darien gap or shipped from Panama to Colombia.

Sixto
87 300D

Yeah, I saw that book sitting on the counter of an MB dealer.

The VIN is listed in the book and I wrote it down, let me try to find it.

[kerry]

Ernst Wiese did Alaska to Cape Horn in a 50's MB diesel sedan in the late 1950's , and wrote about it in his From Alaska to Cape Horn, so it's not a completely new undertaking. Interesting nonetheless.

[dbn1066]

Pretty sure this was the guy and story that originally apperared in series form in the Star magazine a few years back- great and inspirational story. Makes one fantasize about doing it too. (with that kind of family fortune behind me!)

[Hatterasguy]

Old but good book. He drove around the world in a highly modified SLk.

[MTUpower]

Originally Posted by sixto

Seems less of a challenge after that fellow did California to almost Argenita in a 116 SD

Let me know if this crew charged through the Darien gap or shipped from Panama to Colombia.

Sixto
87 300D

No one has ever driven from Panama to Columbia I believe. I lived about 40 miles from Columbia in the Darien jungle while working for Tropic Star Lodge and there are no roads going to or coming from either country, and there is close to zero possibility of getting any vehicle through the mountainous rainforest/jungle.
edit- it seems it's been done over land only at least once. Driving to me means driving on land.

[kerry]

Originally Posted by MTUpower

No one has ever driving from Panama to Columbia I believe. I lived about 40 miles from Columbia in the Darien jungle while working for Tropic Star Lodge and there are no roads going to or coming from either country, and there is close to zero possibility of getting any vehicle through the mountainous rainforest/jungle.

The first expedition to drive thru the Darien Gap was a British expedition driving new Range Rovers and an old Land Rover in the early 1970's I think. They came across the remains of the GM attempt to drive Corvairs thru the gap in the early 1960's.

[coachgeo]

This concept is EXACTLY my plans. Starting with US trips using ONLY forrest service roads and back roads. Meeting w/4wheel drive clubs along the way.

Vehicle
1962 Mercedes Unimog converted to Diesel (617A) and fueld on Diesel and WVO

Camper
1981 Scamper 5th wheel mounted on 1962 M105A2(think that's the number) former US Airforce generator trailer. (5th wheel hitch scrapped. That area under it used for storage Rokon, spare tires, later a Dual sport bike.) Camper will be dropped at a homebase before doing more hardcore trails w/the 4wd club.

Both Mog and Camper are under slow (cause Im broke) modifications/reconditioning.

[MTUpower]

It took four attempts before I was able to cross the Darien Gap by motorcycle.

"The first vehicular crossing of the Darien Gap was made in 1959 - 1960 using a Jeep and a Land-Rover. Upton records that the exact route from the Panamanian / Columbian border is unknown, possibly being by boat down the Atrato River.

Around 1962 an expedition sponsored by General Motors failed in an attempt to take three Corvairs, surely improbable vehicles, across the gap.

The British Trans-Americas Expedition drove two Range Rovers from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in 1972. This was partly to promote the recently released Range Rover. They had numerous mechanical problem, breaking differentials due to overloading and the use of over-size tyres on the Darien Gap section. That section was undertaken as a major expedition with British Army support.

Between 1985 and 1987 they completed the first all land crossing of the gap in a 1966 Jeep CJ5 (earlier crossing included floating vehicles down rivers or through the Atrato Swamp)."

here is more info


Clearly a monumental task- and I stand corrected that people have driven across the gap- but the british expedition mentioned earlier did not do so- they floated down a river for more than a portion of the trip. The task of driving from north america to south america is task enough. Make that first then think about the tough stuff.

[kerry]

Originally Posted by MTUpower

Crossing Panama's Darien Gap
Battling 200 Miles of Jungle by Two Wheel Drive Motorcycle

If it were not for the Darien Gap between Panama and Columbia, one could drive a motor vehicle from the northern edge of Alaska to the southern tip of South America. For engineering and political reasons, the 200 miles of jungle and swamp between Panama and Columbia has never been tamed. I decided to be the first to drive a motorcycle through, what is known as The Darien Gap.
It took four attempts before I was able to cross the Darien Gap by motorcycle.
The first vehicular crossing of the Darien Gap was made in 1959 - 1960 using a Jeep and a Land-Rover. Upton records that the exact route from the Panamanian / Columbian border is unknown, possibly being by boat down the Atrato River.

Around 1962 an expedition sponsored by General Motors failed in an attempt to take three Corvairs, surely improbable vehicles, across the gap.

The British Trans-Americas Expedition drove two Range Rovers from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in 1972. This was partly to promote the recently released Range Rover. They had numerous mechanical problem, breaking differentials due to overloading and the use of over-size tyres on the Darien Gap section. That section was undertaken as a major expedition with British Army support.

Between 1985 and 1987 they completed the first all land crossing of the gap in a 1966 Jeep CJ5 (earlier crossing included floating vehicles down rivers or through the Atrato Swamp).
here is more info


Clearly a monumental task- and I stand corrected that people have driven across the gap- but the british expedition mentioned earlier did not do so- they floated down a river for more than a portion of the trip. The task of driving from north america to south america is task enough. Make that first then think about the tough stuff.

I've read one of those accounts of the British expedition and I have no recollection of them floating down a river. They crossed a lot of rivers but to my knowledge no one disputed the 'crossing' on the grounds they floated thru. I think the earlier expedition was one by Kris and Whitefield but I haven't found any accounts of it.

edit: I just dug up my 100 Days book and looked at the map of the route. They did float down a river for a short distance but it was in a generally east/west direction just putting a 'jog' in their land route as opposed to making forward progress thru the gap.

[Phil]

" My Mercedes Is Not for Sale: From Amsterdam to Ouagadougou...an Auto-Misadventure Across the Sahara
by Jeroen Van Bergeijk

About this title: With the wit and insight of J. Maarten Troost's "Sex Lives of Cannibals" and Tony Horwitz's "Baghdad Without a Map," this is a rollicking tale of an innocent abroad that also vividly portrays the impact of globalization on Africa through its thriving car culture."


I just finished this book and it's a good read.

[mplafleur]

Originally Posted by MTUpower

It took four attempts before I was able to cross the Darien Gap by motorcycle.

"The first vehicular crossing of the Darien Gap was made in 1959 - 1960 using a Jeep and a Land-Rover. Upton records that the exact route from the Panamanian / Columbian border is unknown, possibly being by boat down the Atrato River..

No doubt about it. According to Patricia Upton:

"About 12 miles were traveled with the Jeep tethered and lashed to the top of two local piraguas (dugout canoes) through the Atrato Swamp area of Colombia - thus not an all-land crossing. "

[mplafleur]

Not for the feint of heart, it took over 2 years to get through the gap.

"a total of 741 days to travel 125 miles, from the end of the Pan-American Highway at Yaviza, Panama to the beginning of a road system in Colombia at the town of Rio Sucio on the Atrato River, all on land."

There were 7 river that had to be crossed that were too deep to drive through. They were either ferried across or built log bridges.

[pelon]

I recall a gentleman and his son from Corrales, NM who drove a model A with a camper body from NM to Prudhoe Bay, AK then to Tierra del Fuego. It was in the 70's and they had quite an adventure. I'm sure they had to float part of it. I remember they had almost no valves left in the engine due to poor gas.
Not diesel but i think one could run kerosene once it was heated up.
(Of course that was back when Ford was a good car).