OVERLAND TRUCK BUILD - Lets Talk Money
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- čas přidán 27. 04. 2024
- Lets talk moneyBuilding an overland/expedition truck for £100K was always going to be a challenge. But with only three months into the build, we've already blown 70% of our budget.
It turns out that sheet materials, labour and life back in the UK (post BREXIT & COVID) is somewhat more expensive than we had hoped for.
Will we bring it in on time, and more importantly, on budget?
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Those months ago when you said your budget was £100k, I thought that was too light - to better the great truck you already had was going to take more than that. I finished our truck early last year (see vids), and to repeat the build now would be a good 40% more - the price of materials and components have skyrocketed. Looking forward to watching more of your build, and have been following your travels for a couple of years now, very inspirational.
Don't fell too bad. For overspending.
I've spent £115k ($220k AU) on a Landcruiser 79 build.
I can relate to the costs of using custom items.
I got a 60Ltr water tank made from stainless. So I could utilise the space perfectly. Costing $950 about £500 it was mostly labour.
You are right. Its all the little things that add up. It gets out of hand very quickly.
But purchasing quality items. Is worth the investment. Especially for long term living.
On the positive side of fabrication costs what you are also buying is your free time to do other jobs. Its a big project and for one person will seriously extend you time line to finish. Thanks so much for sharing. Its a really interesting series. I'm in year 5 of a Unimog self build doing all jobs so that's the trade off.
Keep the faith guys. You’re doing amazing and it will 100% definitely be worth it in the end. Not to mention the fact that it will be such an awesome achievement. Building your own over landing truck. Just wow
I *AM* having a winch! :D
Very interesting - but to keep this in perspective for other viewers your budget of £100k is HUGE. I’ll be building mine - including the Daf T244 base vehicle - nearly finished, and will be done for £30k.
In fairness this is with little fabrication - apart from roof rack and motorcycle carrier I’ve done everything myself. No torsion subframe, no bespoke steps…I really appreciate how all this pushes the costs.
We will also be living in ours, but we don’t have the budget for someone to build the furniture - so I did it all out of plywood.
Electrics will be Victron, but with Fogstar battery is another example of how a compromise can be made without detracting too far from the goal.
Incidentally all the Victron came from Paul and Energy Monkey, great service, includes a wiring diagram and all connections, plus a video call walk through for the set up, which will be a massive help.
Thanks for the tip on this :)
Hi Rob, big thank you for sharing this.
I take my hat off to you cos although £30k is a lot of money, it’s nothing when building an overland truck.
Some of the costs are what they are, no discounts or deals ... the Outbound windows are a good example, we knew we wanted glass and the price was the price, take it or leave it.
But yes, it’s the bespoke fabrication work that's also pushing up our costs and although I could do more, there's only so many hours in the week, and we don't want the project carrying over into next year.
Cheers Rob 👍🏻🙏😀
I feel your pain guys, it never ends
Phil, Izzy, I feel your pain with the budget, but do like your positive attitude. The truck is looking great and you must already be feeling the satisfaction (outwith the cost). I am looking forward to the future winch installation :-). Will you need a custom bumper? Keep believing. Ian
Better to be right for the years of use ahead, than be on budget just for stubbornness. All good, keep cracking on!
Cheers Kev, we absolutely agree 🙏😀
Great video. So Informative, and food for thought on my project. Keep up the great work and videos. Matt
Appreciate the candor. Any project with so much bespoke work is going to be difficult to keep in check. But, as you pointed out, it will still be much cheaper (and better) than buying off the lot.
Thank you. The bespoke work is what's doing it.. but at least we'll have the truck we're after 🤞😀
Thank you for sharing your story and the numbers. I'd like to get the full breakdown if possible please.
And after having done my due diligence as far as ascertaining the COST of an overland vehicle x the VALUE of an overland vehicle, I believe you're doing quite well. Godspeed with your build.
Interesting watching your vids (said before we are British couple building Unimog in Australia) I have built everything from 1950s classic caravans to expedition habitate boxes, Obviously easier for me and cheaper as i form all my own composite doors/windows and make the box from scratch, along with all the interior (started life as a cabinet maker and have full workshop with machinery) but you have to balance quality with cost i tend to go for high quality and it looks like you both do as well, If i can give any advice its try to keep your systems simple don't go for electric motors everywhere keep the plumbing system simple fill one tank (i use 600ltrs and use sediment and carbon filters then final UV filter to kill all bacteria, have all the fittings from the top of the tank so if any fitting in your system fails you don't loose your water and make it so your pump can not run when your traveling you only need an open tap to devastate your home) I use Truma's D6 or Eberspacher hydronic if i am connecting to the cooling system of the vehicle, try to keep your living storage space for personal items (don't fill with boilers & electrical) have all items like this accessible from outside access doors) By the way Gas in on board cylinder tank is good when you can fill but give yourself an option to change supply to bought cylinders as every country in the world uses gas cylinders and not every country will allow built in gas tank! Japan only allow gas cylinders (i was corgi /gas safe registered in uk) Some ferries require empty gas tanks and will take your gas cylinder off you and give back when ferry has finished Tazmania for one. Try to use drawers fridges as it stops things falling out when you open the door after going off rd, install a catchment tray under the washer (so if it leaks it drains to outside or wast tank) as washers are very common for leaks in vehicles. Im sure you have looked in to how much electric as i know you want Air Conditioning as a necessity!!! Take along a small generator so that you can plug in if you need to top up batteries there are times you are in a great spot but running out of electric ( it could just be shade or snow that stops you charging!) We will keep watching with anticipation and who knows we may meet somewhere around this small globe we live on!
'when do you stop...' hahahah, I know that feeling so well.....
Very interesting results you made public regarding costs .we all know things have increased in price but this really hits home how much they actually have is quite frightening
I hope you can keep your budget downwards of £130 but being realistic the way things are heading it looks like it's going northwards
Stay safe
Regards Fiona and Gordon fae bonnie Scotland
100K ... got to love optimists :) .. Once you start riding the truck, prepare for some costs as well .... one day , you ll sell it ... that s when you ll know how much it cost... build well and use top components as sell swiftly for a good price ... go cheap and see what happens ...
Great vlog folk don't understand how much our trucks cost to build iam selling my factory built truck cheap at £85k and just keep getting idiots saying it's worth £30k when a custom built box now is £30k + empty with no truck 😂
Once mine sells. Iam off to Bulgaria and building a new truck out there but buying a house 1st as EU base
Your truck is awesome mate and hang on in there . A buyer will come along I am sure
It's a difficult one, you'll always get those people chancing their arm (no intention of ever buying).
But I think serious buyers know just what it takes to build one of these, part of the problem is the market in the UK is very small, l but there's a buyer out there for everything, just hang in there and it'll happen.
Good luck in Bulgaria 👍🏻😀
Keep up the good work guys...still cheaper than a house and you can move it around. :)
thank you, so true 😀😀
Excellent vid once more, and thanks for sharing
Thanks Meurig 😀
Another excellent video 👍..
Thanks Neil 👍🏻
I think you are doing a fantastic job. Vary rare for anyone to complete a project of this size on budget so no shame there. Love the way you just get stuck into the jobs when many are very daunting and would stop many of us in our tracks. Sure the final result will be superb 👍👍🚛 look forward to meeting you on the road.
Thanks for the breakdown. 😊 Congratulations on breaking everything down and working up a good plan that still remains a bit flexible
💪💰👍🧠🛠
Did you ever think of building it in Turkey to save on labor and fabrication costs?🤔
Our pleasure, we'll share more (probably autumn) as we assess the bank account damage 😂🙏
Hi great and interesting content every thing is more expensive nowadays, another view is to look at it as an investment We have upgraded our motorhome and the prices are scary.
you hit the nail on the head - its a tiny house so very important that you have ALL that you need in it (included the green kitchen lol) an overspend over the many many years of use and travel will soon be forgotten about. would love to buy a coffee or 2 for you guys - have you considered setting that up?
Thanks for sharing. We are in the budget stage now, so this is very informative. You gave us the overland truck bug in Croatia :-)
Ohh great, good luck with the build 👍🏻🙏😀
One life ..live it !... keep er lit guys!
will do 😀
it's really appreciated how open you are being with your build. We have a similar-sized vehicle and have seen costs spiral, and for reasons outside our control, we are behind your build time even though we've had the bugger for 9 months... Our budget was similar to yours, but looks like we will also exceed it too. However, as you say, it is a full time home and has to be right!
Thanks for sharing your lives, it's both inspiring and helpful when you show the realities of these projects 😄
Hello and our pleasure, yeah that sounds frustrating.
Keeping the budget in check is almost a full-time job, bespoke fabrication costs have been our downfall.
Good luck with the build and I hope it doesn’t spiral too much more 🙏🍷
I think you guys are doing a fantastic job!! My husband is a fabricator and has always talked about how consumers very often underestimate how much time and work go into bespoke components.
Hi Carrie, thank you.
It's true, and I suppose being at the yard helps me understand the thought process and time involved when working out solutions. Cheers 🍷
Keep going 👍
Cheers Mark 🙏😀
Thanks guys for being so honest . However such a bespoke project will always push the limits. For most people it is difficult to consider such a project. Another aspect is the ongoing running costs post build. I have had truck envy from your previous truck and the idea is still in the back of my mind. Looking forward to the next update. Thanks Dave
Hi Dave, the budget was always ambitious 😀.
I suppose we went into this with our eyes wide open, and indeed we did spend a small fortune running and maintaining Tonka.
It was a bigger consideration, a bigger truck means bigger running costs, time will tell.
Although the way we travel moving forward will differ.
Cheers P&I 🍷
Phil, Izzy, thanks for being so honest with this, I'm pretty good at pricing up jobs, etc, but I was a good bit out on our van build 6 years ago. I hope that the final figure isn't too painful, but we're only here once, do what you want and pay the price because if you don't, you're going to regret it.
It's never going to be cheaper than it is now!
Thank you, we agree... life is for living 🙏😀
Thanks both, I'm in the process of converting a LF Daf myself I had a 20k budget and I'm now realising it's not going to be anything like enough. So having just seen your experience, I don't feel quite as daft , thanks guys, can't wait to see your finished truck. John
Hi John, thank you and fair play, as £20k is a proper challenge, good luck with the build (and budget). 👍🏻😀
I'm working on building an house truck on an M927a1. Every time I turn around I need a new tool or some new supplies. It keeps adding up.
Nice rig, I hear you... it soon adds ups 😀
I always felt £100k was ambitious, but if you complete such a large build for (and can afford) £130,000, then that has got to be a great result. As you quite rightly say, that is far far less than a commercial build and you have the satisfaction of something that is bespoke to you.
I entirely agree about not compromising on the electrics as, by doing anything less, is a false economy.
Thanks Peter, I think we always knew it was ambitious but you gotta start somewhere.
The fabrication work is expensive and I suppose we want the best of everything (within reason), part of the problem is these projects tend to grow arms and legs and suddenly, £10k becomes £20k.
There is an element of... do it once, do it properly.
Cheers P&I 🍷😀
I entirely agree with do it once, do it properly. I have spent a lot of time and money over the last couple of years changing items that, with hindsight, I should have done first time around.
You can do it as we did as well (also 20% over budget). Greetings from LionFamilyOnTour
Hi, thank you... I'm feeling better already 🙏😀
Very interesting video. I'm about to start a new overland truck build on a MAN 18.220, planning for a similar sized box. Using quality gear, it's frightening how fast stuff adds up, and totally understand what you mean about the front-loading of costs, something my wife's just getting used to. Will be well worth it when finished, we'll be moving in full time on completion, though is a few years away yet.
Hi Joe, good to hear from you.
It will unquestionably be worth it, but it feels like a long hard road right now 😀
Cheers and good luck with the build 🍷👍🏻
Love watching your vids.
If I lived near I would give you a hand.😊😊
Cheers Mario, no worries...appreciate the support from afar 🙏😀
even at 130k or 30 over the budget your still getting a great deal. most 4x4 used expedition type rv starting price is 150k and up. they are smaller then what your building rt now and yours is basically all new and mechanically sound. umm are you thinking you might go through deep water ? if yes raise your axel breather tubes 5ft higher and air intake for the engine and any seals below the 4ft range need checking
Hi Ron, this is all very true... costs are a little silly right now.
The air intake is good (back of cab 2m high) and breathers are at chassis level, I don't anticipate going deeper than that. 🙏😀
Great, video hope you aren't too tired , just think what it would cost if you put in a commercial labour rate, I have finished my Iveco would love to meet up in Norfolk PM .
Hi Simon, I'm playing catch up on here as usual 🙈
This is very true ££££.
It'd be great to meet up, I've got another two full on weeks (before it goes in for paint) and hopefully we can sort something out 🙏 P&I
Hi I was going to mention that Phil could make a water tank out of copper with his plumbing skills look like he's going to have too to get that winch 😂
Cheers Alan, now there's an interesting thought... a copper tank in an overland truck 😀🙏
All I’ll ask is did you ever need a winch on the last vehicle? Good luck with the build, following with interest, not that it’s something I would consider, I don’t have your skill or determination.
2140 for a fridge freezer?...Our advice?...We have been on the roughest roads in our Sprinter, our ICEKING mains fridge freezer has survived 40 deg plus in Turkey. Four years full time, serviced and cleaned regularly...Cost from Curry's...120 quid. How many of those can you buy for your budget?...Fridge mounter 1m off the floor, sliding-out shelves and cupboard below. We put four computer fans behind the fridge, pull in cooler air from the floor skirting, exhaust the hot air right by the fanlight, and the fans are controlled on a thermostat...We use an induction hob running off our 400 amp hour battery bank, and 900 watt roof-mounted solar array. Portable gas cylinder in reserve, as well as a small generator. I think you really need to hammer these costs down by choosing lower-cost hardware, and maybe get some jobs done in cheaper countries...We have rattan panels in ALL our cupboard doors, zero dead air anywhere. We had our awning and upholstery, soft furnishings and curtains done in Turkiye and Georgia, and as cheap as chips. Best wishes... :)
Never underestimate the overland tax that companies put on everything.
We don't, that's why we're building our own 😀.
Having been to the Abentuer & Alrad show last year, it was evident how much profit they're making.
Hi to both of you, have you considered a Truma 6e diesel heater or do you want to keep water and habitat heating seperate. I am not a lover of Chinese diesel heaters if you are thinking along those lines I would always have a spare.
I installed Victron systems into my builds however if I was to build again I would seriously consider Renogy inverter/chargers and Lithium batteries, they also have a sale on at the moment with very good prices.
Build another ? Yes indeed !
Hello, we have indeed considered the Truma 6e and every conceivable option out there, but having lived with the Eberspacher (water heater), we're happy to go with it again, it's not the quietest but it is mechanically simple, proven, efficient and you can get parts/ maintenance everywhere (as we found out).
We intend to have underfloor heating with rads and also link a heat exchanger all running through a calorifier.
I hear you re. Chinese diesel heaters, I was exactly the same (incredibly sceptical), but in all honesty I fitted one (£115) and used it a lot over a 2.5 year period, and it was faultless.
We will go down this route again (and keep a brand new spare).
Regarding Victron, we've had Victron in the last few set ups (+ our house) and rate it, we've gone down the cheaper battery route and it's been ok, but to keep warranty and support, we'll stick to one brand.
I feel I have a Unimog or preferably a Zetros in me, but don't tell Izzy 😂
@@TheGapDecaders Yep good thinking, well researched and if it's worked for you that's good. A Zetros hmmm that would be interesting.
Hi , great video as always . I’ve just watched tonight’s video regarding costs . I work for a company delivering bathroom & kitchen items . I can purchase items at cost price + vat and I’d happily get a price for any goods you may need (fridge freezers , sinks , taps , shower trays , shower screens etc ) . If it’s something you are interested in let me know and I can send you some broachers so you can look through . Not sure how I can get them to you but I’m sure I can arrange something . I can send you more details through email if you are interested 😊
Hi Neil, apologies...I'm only just catching up at this end.
Thank you so much, that's an incredibly kind offer and one that I might well take you up on.
It feels a little way off (as I'm dealing with everything structural and external) but in reality it's not.
We have the fridge already and a few other bits but I'll have a think and potentially come back to you.
Very much appreciate the offer 🙏😀
@@TheGapDecaders Hi Phil , No problem at all . The offer is there should you decide to go down that route 👍😊
Hey! Why not use the knowledge you've gained to build second truck and sell it at a hefty profit! That way you'll come in under budget😊😊😊
That's a great idea, shame there's only 24hours in a day 😂👍🏻
😂😀🇬🇧👍❤
thank you 👍🏻