Oh, so many vehicles…
Details on each one are below, but first a listing of which trip used which vehicles
- Westward Ho (September 2016)
- 2016 Subaru Outback
- Boston to Arizona (May 2014)
- A 1982 VW Vanagon diesel camper van
- Nova Scotia (August 2013)
- A Ural Patrol & One of our BMW F650 GSs
- Colorado Ho (July 2012)
- A Ural Patrol & One of our BMW F650 GSs
- Usuaia Ho (December 2010)
- Two BMW F650 GSs
Vehicle Details
2008 Ford E-450 Ambulance
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A 6.0L Power Stroke® V8 Turbo Diesel behemoth weighing in at ~11,500 lbs (5,216 kg). There’s a lot to be said for why we chose an ambulance, but the short version is we missed many of the creature comforts we had in our Vanagon, but wanted something that could hold up to rough roads, pull itself up a mountain, and had replacement parts available.
Ambulance Build Thread
- Build Post 1 Cleaning
- Build Post 2 Counter Prep
- Build Post 3 Cutting Counters
- Build Post 4 Lighting And More Counters
- Build Post 5 Cutting, Drilling, Switches, and the Head Unit
- Build Post 6 Fridge And Lights
- Build Post 7 Exploration
- Build Post 8 Routing Toxic Materials, Counters, Oven, and more
- Build Post 9 Holes And Formica
- Build Post 10 Flooring And More Holes.
2016 Subaru Outback
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Sam is a 2016 2.5i Premium Subaru Outback. Kay and Dachary were lured in by the Outback’s reputed reliability, reasonably competent offroad AWD, high ground clearance and impressive carrying capacity.
To date, Sam the Outback has remained essentially stock, with only the following mods/upgrades:
Further updates are being considered, such as roof tent and potential suspension upgrades, if the Outback remains in the stable and becomes a true overland travel vehicle.
Nargo
Nargo is Dachary’s company vehicle. Nargo is a black 2007 BMW F650GS. Dachary has made many modifications to prepare Nargo for travel, including:
- ZTechnik V-Stream medium touring screen;
- Wunderlich Wind Deflector;
- BeadRider beaded motorcycle seat;
- Touratech fairing guards;
- Touratech engine guards;
- Touratech fork guards;
- BarkBusters hand guards;
- Touratech large sidestand foot Custom sidestand foot welded on in Colombia;
- Fastway F3 Footpegs;
- Loobman chain oiler - bit the dust;
- Touratech chain guard;
- Touratech rear brake master cylinder guard;
- SW-Motech Evo Quick-Lock Side Carrier;
- SW-Motech Alu-Rack Toprack;
- TraX 37-Liter ALU-BOX Cases;
- Scotts Performance reusable Oil Filter - alas, a dealer stole it;
- K&N reusable Air Filter;
- 5-Function Digital Meter Complete and Utter POS;
- Odyssey PC310 Drycell Battery;
- Wolfman Rainier Tank Bag;
- Ohlins Custom Rear Shock;
- Race Tech front fork springs.
Horse
Horse is Kay’s company vehicle; a yellow 2003 BMW F650GS with similar modifications:
- BeadRider beaded motorcycle seat
- Touratech fairing guards
- Touratech engine guards
- Touratech large sidestand foot
- Touratech chain guard
- Touratech Radiator Guard
- Touratech fork guards
- BarkBusters hand guards
- Fastway F3 Footpegs
- Loobman chain oiler
- Happy-Trail 38L Teton Panniers
- Modified with Carry handles, Touratech 2 Bottle holder (MSR Bottle and Fire Extinguisher), and Touratech 2 liter Canister holder (emergency emergency fuel).
- Happy-Trail SU Side Racks
- Wolfman Rainier Tank Bag
- Oxford Heaterz Heated Motorcycle Grips
- Scotts Performance reusable Oil Filter
- K&N reusable Air Filter
- 5-Function Digital Meter
- Odyssey PC310 Drycell Battery
- Denali LED Lighting Kit
- FuzeBlocks FZ-1 Fuze Block
Stravinsky (Retired)
aka Dog Mobile
Stravinsky was a 2013 Ural Patrol, purchased explicitly to carry our canine interns. We sold Stravinsky after several large trips when we decided to move to a campervan vehicle style. To add to the comfort of our interns (and riders), Stravinsky had the following mods:
- Bar risers
- Givi Windscreen
- RotopaX Gasoline and Water Packs (1 Gallon Each)
- Twisted Throttle DrySpec D38 Rigid Waterproof Motorcycle Dry Bag
- Twisted Throttle DrySpec D28 Dual-End Waterproof Motorcycle Dry Bag
- Outdoor Carpeting to Insulate the Sidecar
- Custom Sidecar Cover for the Interns
- Custom Memory Foam Cushion for the Interns by Riddle’s Custom Upholstry
- Sidecar Door
Sally (Retired)
Sally was a 1982 VW Vanagon camper van, diesel, with a high top. We flew out to Arizona and bought her sight unseen, and committed to making her road worthy for our next big trip. We modernized and updated her camping interior, but she was never quite the reliable road warrior we needed her to be, so we ended up selling her and buying Sam, our Subaru Outback. Sally had many modifications, including:
- Solar panel charging a completely independent house battery
- MANY electrical upgrades, including a completely separate house system that could jump start the Vanagon
- Propex propane heater
- TruckFridge refrigerator
- Completely updated water system, from tank to pump to faucet to sink
- Custom gray water tank
- Custom center console
- Extensive soundproofing in doors and chassis body
- Pergo flooring
- Updated radio and speakers
- Custom slide-out wood block cutting board work surface
- Inverter and interior 120v power outlets which included USB charging outlets
- Carbon monoxide detector & propane gas detector
- Modified closet with original trim side entrance for easy access
- Custom sunroof
