Just a note to all: My '02 arrived intact and undamaged after being hauled to Baltimore on July 9th, sitting on a dock for a couple of weeks, then a container ship across the Atlantic that moored somewhere off the coast of Spain for about two weeks, and then into the Port of Tunis where it sat in the container for another 3 weeks awaiting customs clearance.

First trip to Black Point (avatar pic) last weekend. Nasty, path to the coast but worth the drive. Gonna 'desert up' my rig for a trip to the south. Any tips appreciated!

 

Get some pics up!!!

 

lots of water

 

My suggestion to you: Next time you decide to take your vehicle across the ocean for a run to the desert, pack your parts etc before you ship it.

I would have packed the following as a minimum:
spare belts, hoses, water pump,an extra spare tire, water, fuel, sand matts, coolant, survival kit....etc, etc.
This would have been a good site to consult before you left:
http://expeditionportal.com/

Good luck

 

Thanks for the tip re the 'shoulda packed' - I didn't make it clear that a) I will be living in Tunisia for at least the next three years, and b) that I did ship most of the items mentioned, including shovels, a GPS, an Iridium satphone, and a section of steel matting (which I'm not sure was worth the hassle - especially since 'sand mats' were mentioned and these might not be the basic 'Marston matting' used to construct temporary airstrips. I'll be surfing the expeditionportal asap. Thanks again for the clues. Pics will follow, mainly from the North and coastal areas for now until I complete my road trip planning for December to the South. Thumb pic taken heading towards the Algerian border last week.

 

Get yourself a snorkel. Dusty, sandy roads clog your air cleaner in no time, a snorkel will help immensely.

 

SNORKEL: Because I have to shop online (there isn't a decent anything 4X4 or off-road business in Tunisia, any recommendations to cut down on my site surfing for a quality, bolt-on snorkel at a decent price - would be appreciated!

 

Air down to widen you tires foot print on the loose stuff. Carry extra air filters, if using the rechargable once they clog with dust they're worthless and let dust into engine.

And post pics, like to see what your part of the world looks like, especially from the cockpit of a 4wd.

Welcome.

 

For a snorkel, I would purchase here: www.sierraexpeditions.com They have great service.

 

you can save a lottt of money by building your own snorkel

 

As I'm sure you are aware, the only manufactured snorkel for the 3rd gen 4Runner is the Safari Snorkel that suits 95-04 Tacos. A few mins searching here will give you all the info and details you would need.
BTW, there is a used one on ebay at this very moment. Its not mine in case your wondering...

 

So far, and according to the good info from techno, Sierra and others, can't provide a snorkel specifically built for my '02 4Runner. Vendors say: "fits" or "uses" or "requires" when a snorkel for an earlier model or Taco is listed. HOW MUCH modifying is required? The idea of plenty of spare filters is sound and, I appreciate the idea re a home made snorkel - but - I'm a drill and bolt-on level mechanic.

 

Things I'd bring into the desert include:

Water
Food
Gun
Spare tires
TP, since there really isn't anything out in the big sandy desert that you can substitute for it....

 

very cool to hear the truck made it safely. Yes I have seen people construct home made snorkels out of drainage parts at their local Home Depot.My attitude is they look home made. You got what you paid for.

Think long and hard before you go cutting a hole in your upper fender, I have to think the antenna gets in the way....there are a lot of issues here-part of why I have never done one. You'll have even less resources to fall back on, I am guessing, never been there.

Do they have auto junkyards in Tunisia? Get to know one and just roam around if they will let ya. I do my best mod thinking in junkyards.

Thanks for keeping us updated-we love the pictures and stay safe over there.

 

One thing is for sure - no need for guns in Tunisa. Maybe Algeria, but not Tunisia. I'm also re-thinking the snorkel because of the exact issues raised about cutting into the fender & the antenna. As for junk yards: The average Tunisian drives the car until its a rolling junkyard - and then when the banger dies, what's salvageable is immediately parted out and reused. A Peugeot 4X4 truck (POS) might have parts from a Citroen, a Fiat or even a VW bug attached to it. Parts stores are mostly dudes that 'specialize' in windshields, fenders, bumpers, doors, carbs, etc. operating out of a very small garage or even a mom & pop grocery store! Here's a couple of pics taken on 10/12, in a ville (Nebeur) about 150 miles outside of Tunis. I combine my road trips hunting for Roman and WWII souvenirs.

 

a couple of more pics from the Nebeur area

 

and another

 

How much did it cost to ship your truck overseas?

 

FORTUNATELY, the outfit that I work for paid the 'freight' to shipping my 4Runner to Tunisia. Most vehicles shipped to Tunisia come from Europe via 2 or 3 ferries that operate between Spain, France & Italy. These can cost upwards of $300 EACH WAY. It's a reasonable alternative to renting but spaces are booked long in advance of the summer season. MAERSK Lines operates most of the container ships from the U.S. to Tunisia and is reliable (although their fleet is a bit long on the tooth).

 

thanks for continuing to share pics with us. What an adventure and you are getting paid to be there? such a deal...

Don't understand the guns comment....I am not packing myself...just not understanding the context of the comment.