Camperized off-road vehicles: advantages and tips for travel and adventures, Morocco

E: We have been travelling this way for several years now and we know how to manage ourselves quite well. Every time we leave, we track all expenses and at the end of the trip, we sum them up. Depending on kilometres travelled, etc., we need about €35/50 per day all-inclusive. But since we know very well that these trips are not without their surprises, to be able to cover any inconvenience, when we set a budget for a particular trip, we always consider the maximum daily expenditure multiplied by two. For example, for our 22-day trip to Morocco, we had estimated a budget of €2500, but in reality, we spent only €1160.

E e A: Those who know us know that we don’t love cities, but one cannot deny the charm of Chefchaouen (the Blue City) and Fes. But what will truly remain forever in our memories and what we recommend not to miss for those who love this style of travel – and not just them – is surely the marvel that nature offered us, starting from Erg Chebbi which, although small, offers some worthy dunes; the track where we spent 3 consecutive days that took us from Merzouga to Zagora; and let’s not forget the Middle and High Atlas mountain range with its very generous extension. Seeing is believing!

A: The maintenance part before departure is always as scrupulous as possible. We try to use high-quality products to minimize any mechanical problem. Knowing that we were going to face rough and sandy terrain, we focused on everything that could receive the greatest stress. For tires, we chose BF Goodrich All Terrain, and I must say that even while travelling very inflated on sand, with the car fully loaded, they had excellent grip. We replaced a good part of the front end (heads, tie rods, linkages), checked the bearings and the various CV joint boots. Luckily, the suspension set-up was still in excellent conditions, so we didn’t have to replace anything. Although the vehicle was in perfect conditions at the start, as a precaution, we took along a spare wheel bearing, some heads, linkages – which over the years we understood are the most subject to wear – alternator and pump belts, a diesel filter, and an oil filter. Obviously, along with the spare parts we always carry with us many tools so that we can work autonomously on the vehicle at any time. Before leaving, I always check or change all the oils and antifreeze. Even though the oils weren’t very old, for this trip, where the use of the 4x4 transmission even for long distances was essential, I preferred to replace them all for peace of mind. Starting from the front and rear differentials, passing through the gearbox and the reducer, of course the engine as well, all replaced with Pakelo oils conforming to the specifications of the manufacturer. Last but not least, we also flushed and recharged the entire cooling system with Pakelo Red Coolant coolant/antifreeze.