Overview

What is the saying? There is no such thing as a stupid question.

This page is a continual work in progress. In the interest of sharing as much information and hopefully assisting or inspiring someone else, we will continue to add to the questions below.

If you have something specific that you would like to know about our preparation, the vehicle, our route or about the team we have provided a form below.

When was this trip planned?

The short answer is it has been considered for nearly 25 years- from the original beginnings of Drive The Globe.

What is the goal of the trip?

Simply put. Explore. Inspire. Share.

Is this overlanding? Is it vanlife? Is it an adventure travel expedition? or Is it a road trip?

Yes! It is all of the above & to some extent none of them. To be clear each of those definitions tend to be a little restrictive in their approach. Overlanding to us is simply exploring the world under your own direction & control. Truthfully it could be on 4 wheels, two wheels, pedal power or even walking. Van Life to us probably addresses the self control of your sleeping & living quarters more than anything else. So from that sense, yes we will be living the Van Life. Adventure travel is the what & why of the story. It is the sights, the people, the cultures & the challenges we encounter. It also is the hiking, the backpacking & cycling adventures we do along the way. And finally, yes- it just might be the ultimate road trip- especially when you consider we are doing it in a 40 plus year old Mercedes Unimog or a 1994 Stewart & Stevenson.

Are you looking for sponsors?

We are approached frequently by various companies, distributers & product manufacturers to promote their products. Due to our social media influence & the number of visitors that check out our website this is understandable. Actually, it’s probably just the bright orange truck, huh?! The quick answer is yes but… In the past we have repped various brands. Our requirement is simple. It has to be something that we genuinely use, believe in & can be proud to show off to millions of people around the world. We are willing to test new to market items but we will ALWAYS be honest and our findings will be reflected in our commentary. If you are interested in working with us please contact us HERE.

How long will the journey take?

That is the one question that we will NEVER answer. We do not know & it is not part of our trip plan to set a predetermined time frame. Suffice to say, it will be awhile.

What vehicle are you using?

As of the Spring of 2021 I moved into a 1994 Stewart & Stevenson M1079. This former military truck was converted into a 4x4 global expedition RV. Prior to this vehicle I spent 12 months on the road full time in a 1979 Mercedes Unimog 416 DOKA U1100 turbo diesel. Read more about these trucks HERE.

What camp trailer were you using?

2018 Unimog Xpedition Trailer (UXT 1102). Based upon a Schutt US Military M1102 HMMWV Trailer, designed, fabricated & outfitted completely at Drive The Globe. Read more about the trailer HERE.

Are you on social media?

Yes we are. YouTube is where you will find our Weekly Epic Travel Series hosted as well as many other videos that we have produced over the years. We plan to upload a new episode most Tuesdays at 2pm EST (-5 GMT). We also frequently update Instagram & Twitter. We also feature exclusive content and other member benefits on Patreon.

Why No Facebook?

Ha, ha! Cause it is the next MySpace?!, we hope anyway… Actually, we are on Facebook too. We just don’t focus on it because honestly it seems more of a place for people to rant about politics & fake news. Not into it- never will be- sorry! The other platforms are more positive & better suited to the adventurers in us.

How many continents will you visit?

The plan is to visit all seven continents that make up this great place we call the Earth.

What is your proposed route?

Very roughly speaking the plan is: North America to Central America and following the Pan American highway to the tip of South America. Visit Antarctica, ship the vehicle to Southern Africa and complete a Trans-Africa crossing. Ferry on to Europe and from there cross Asia and finally end in Australia.

How many miles is your proposed trip?

That is a tough one, probably in the plus or minus 220,000 mile range! We will post total miles driven and days on the road as we proceed.

How many people on board?

There will be two of us. Both the truck & the expedition trailer & the Stewart & Stevenson have been designed to carry two people for an extended travel.

Will your Epic Overland Travel Series feature anyone else?

We hope so! One of the goals of this trip is to share the adventure with both other overlanding travelers & of course our followers at home. Collaboration is a big part of the story. Stay tuned, you may see other familiar faces & other expedition vehicles collaborating with us on various parts of the trip.

How will the truck get to each continent?

Because of the size (primarily height & length) the truck will be shipped via ocean transport with the roll on roll off method (RORO) rather than being containerized. Because of our proposed route we will only need to ship 3 times (South America to Africa, Asia to Australia, Australia returning to North America) We will need to ferry from Central America to South America around the Darien Gap and from Africa to Europe across the Straight of Gibraltar (Mediterranean Sea).

Is the Unimog the right truck for this kind of trip?

No…….. Seriously, though, No! Well, maybe…. at least parts of it. Bottom line: There is no perfect vehicle. Learn more here: Choosing The Right Vehicle For Your Adventure The Unimog is an extremely capable overland vehicle. It is generally very robust, very reliable and can carry and pull enormous amounts of weight. The downsize it that it is kinda big, heavy and may not be allowed in certain places due to size (game parks in Africa as an example). Developing countries horrible bridges & infrastructure may prove too unstable for the weight. The Unimog is slow- real slow. But then again, we are not in a rush.
The trailer also has its advantages and disadvantages. It affords us with a relatively easy set up and take down of camp, a hot shower & a comfortable weather free sleeping area. It is however, hard to navigate through tight areas, heavy, difficult off road & in the tight city areas. Read more here: Overland Adventure Trailers: The Good, Bad & Reality Of Pulling Your Mobile Camp

What gear do you use to produce your video content?

The gear that we use can be found HERE.

What travel shots or vaccinations are required?

Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid, Cholera, Yellow Fever, Rabies, Measles-Mumps-Rubella, Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis), Meningitis and a few other routine ones that you might get in the States anyway like Influenza & Shingles.

What does your cooking gear consist of?

Honestly, most of our cooking is done on a Tembo Tusk Skottle. No pans to clean, no mess, easy clean up and we can cook just about anything on it. We also have two backpack style burners for boiling water and in case needed while setting off on the two footed style adventures.

How much does a trip like this cost?

That is tough to answer as there are so many factors. We will be publishing a log as we go on our Patreon page. The single biggest expenses are fuel, food & vehicle maintenance.

What navigation do you use?

We primarily use Gaia GPS on our iPads and Garmin Overlander. In addition we carry printed maps for some continents and use the iOverlander app.

The website displays total distance travelled & total distance cycled. Huh??

One of the goals for this trip has always been about exploration- whether that is by 4 wheels or 2. As avid cyclists we hope to ride as much as we drive. In fact, you may rarely see us move more than 100 miles a day in the truck. Although this is one epic road trip- it is not about being road warriors. We will take our time!

Why all the quotes on your website?

The quotes inspire us. Many have gone before us, they remind us to always be humble.

Covid-19. Thoughts?

Many thoughts. This has obviously deeply affected this journey. More importantly though, it has changed the world in so many ways & probably will continue to be a reality for years to come. This pandemic has altered life for everyone on Earth, time will tell how we recover and move forward. In the short term it has closed borders, caused a multitude of restrictions in nearly every corner of the world and has economically & environmentally impacted over 200 countries. We continue to actively monitor the situation, we are in contact with friends, fellow travelers & organizations on every continent- collectively & together we wait & work for a better future. In the short term we are on the road- staying safe, visiting places that are open & locales that we will not negatively impact the infrastructure.