[VAC] Re: OVERSEAS Caravans

[wescott50@xxxxxxxxx (Bill Scott)]

The breakdowns were so numerous, axles, shocks, springs, and tow
vehicles, and the progress so limited,  less than a quarter of a mile in
one day, that several people just got sick of it, and gave up, sold
their unit and flew home.  If you want the awful details, read the book,
Capetown to Cairo.  Most of the Caravanners started out with brand new
International 4 wheel drive trucks.  There were some Chevy pick ups with
4 wheel drive.  Most were "new", of course , back in 1959, a brand new
truck would only cost about  $4K.  Even today if you wanted to travel in
Europe, or Eastern Europe, if you had a chevy pick up and  a major
breakdown, in , say Romania, or Bulgaria, you would have a difficult
time getting repairs.   The best alternative is to make arrangements to
rent MBZ trucks or vans for the entire trip.  That way, you wouldn't
have to pay shipping from the states and back, plus, in almost any
European country, it is easy to find a repair shop to fix a Mercedes
truck or van.
Overseas trips are not cheap.   Even today, you would not want to travel
anywhere in the "Balkans", or in many places of the former Soviet Union.
Much of the old Soviet Union has degenerated into extortion, and
bribery, to get anything done, or go anywhere.  Even the old East
Germany of today is still a grim place of hatred and jealously,
grafitti, and lingering Communism.  Many of the old Warsaw Pact
countries are struggling, just to put food on the table.  Such was the
grand experiment with the old Soviet Union.  A Grand Failure.   I
suggest keeping the caravan in this hemisphere, from say "Miami to
Fairbanks", or if the Canadians scare you, try "Seattle to Bangor to
Miami to San Diego". or from Tucson to Punta Arenas.  I think sponsors
would be easier to find, the whole trip is driveable,  South and Central
America, are poised to join "NAFTA", and overall, if you avoid
narco-terrorists, and can speak Spanish, and or English, you should have
no problems.  You should still have a rather new tow vehicle, that can
be fixed anywhere.  Thats my 2 cents.

Bill Scott
Charter Member and Membership Chairman
Washington DC Unit,  WBCCI   #3221
Our Homepage;  http://www.servintfree.net/wbcci-dc/