Morocco Desert Storm - Final Preparations
Posted on Wednesday, October 03 @ 17:14:00 BST
Topic: Trips
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 Well, its 7 days to go until departure. We are all now just wanting to get going. It is actually quite stressful trying to think of everything, and we are in danger of over-preparing.
The past 2 weeks has seen a number of incidents any one of which would have been a problem had they occured on the event.
First thing to happen was Robs Disco blew a gasket and expired in a cloud of steam on Motorway. The head gasket had failed. This was fixed and the vehicle serviced by a garage recommended by Dave Shearer, and they seem to have done a good job.
The second thing to happen occured on a training run I did in the Peaks last weekend. Betsy was going great, and was soaking bumps up with ease on her parabolic springs. Thats until the front left spring decided it did not fancy going to Africa, and snapped in two! The thing about parabolics is that they have few leaves, in my case only 2, and 2 leaves had snapped. The spring was held together by the clamp bolts and u bolts. We drove home very carefully.
A few phone calls later, I established that my car needed 3 leaf heavy duty springs on the front, because the winch weighs rather a lot. CP Components express delivered a pair, and they were fitted same evening. The result is that the car now sits level, and whilst its a bit firmer, there is no evidence of the springs bottoming out anymore.
Betsy is now fully kitted out, the equipment list is long, but consists of Tool box, spares chest, 2 spare wheels, flight cases, 60 ltr water in 3 jerry cans, 80 litres of petrol in 4 jerry cans, new strops, ropes, shackles, snatch blocks, ground anchor etc. etc.
The cab has now got a RAM mount for the navigator to mount the laptop, there is a screen placed in front of the driver to display the laptop screen, the Etrex has a holder, there is a lockable cubby box containing a stereo (!) and a CB radio. We have a load bay protector grille, to which are attached first aid, fire extinguiser, emergency escape hammer & hi-vis jackets.
Outside she has 4 x Lightforce 140 spot lamps, a Mayflower PTO winch modified to take a plasma rope. Sand ladders mounted on the side, with custom made lockable alloy mounts. All the doors have locks, and with the load grille actually makes the cab reasonably secure.
She has had a new radiator and hoses fitted, all the brakes have been renewed and new propshafts have been fitted. Also she now has a twin battery system with an uprated alternator.
Robs preparations are equally impressive. He has got a twin battery setup, a custom made load system in the boot, with accessory sockets and load nets on the insde of the rear door. He has also fitted a half length roof rack and this carries the second spare wheel plus the waffle boards. He also has CB radio, and carries extra water and fuel too.
We have tried to avoid duplication on certain items, such as the sand ladders and waffle boards. There is no point in both vehicles carrying both items. Whist we both have Hi lift jacks, I have an air jack too, and a hi capacity compressor for inflating tyres etc.
Matt has sorted out first aid kits, and Nick has even got some 'Team Iron' shirts and shorts made upso we will at least look the part whilst we wander aimlessly around the Sahara desert!
Anyway, we leave Stockport at 10am next Thursday the 11th October. We are Rendezvous with the other UK teams at a hotel in Esher, then we convoy down to Portsmouth docks. We catch the 9.30pm ferry from Portsmpouth to Bilbao. The crossing takes 32 hours, so plenty of time to party and sleep no doubt.
After we dock we plan to drive as far as Jaen near Madrid, about 450 miles. There is a hotel for the night. From there we drive to Algeciras for the short ferry to Ceuta (Spanish Morocco). We are staying a night in Ceuta, before doing battle with the border, and making our way to Meknes. The event starts from Meknes the next day, and from there its anybodys guess!!
We have a satellite phone, and will probably get mobile service in towns, so a few text messages may be sent with progress.
I have put some more pictures in the Desert Storm gallery.
To be continued on our return....................
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