sabconsulting wrote: Back in the camp ground we decided to have a look around the 2nd show - the camp ground is equally as impressive as the show itself - except many times larger with many more vehicles - here is a typical Australian style
That is a on the roof type unconventional TC. You have ones where you sleep in the back and too the side.
Sorry for a slight delay in the report - spent yesterday and today at our 4x4 club's off-road play ground - took the truck camper too to sleep in - much better than a tent
So, on with the show pictures:
Janina and Joerg at breakfast:
We left them to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, as our time was more limited - as Joerg said "next time, bring more time"
We got onto a coach to the show. Because we had wrist-bands for 2 days we didn't have to queue up at the ticket booths, so we went straight to the gate - that is when we realised we had been a bit too keen and it was still 20 minutes until the gates opened, so we all hung around for a bit (the guy with the hat looked particularly displeased with the waiting):
Finally they let us in and it was time to rush around looking at as many toys as we could in the time available - we wanted to be away around lunch time because we had a lot of driving to do to get back home.
I love these sliding kitchens:
An interesting concept for a pickup canopy:
Nice LT45 - I don't think they make these any more
Interesting truck camper concept - sort of in between a regular truck camper and a built-on like a Tiger:
Quite Ikea inside:
The truck bed this fits on - you could imagine having a number of different back bodies to fit onto this - very very short bed though, so ultimately not that useful:
This looks like some sort of South African anti-mine vehicle:
Actually the inside looks a bit like an anti-mine APC too, albeit one with minimalist styling and soft furnishings:
More of the seriously expensive toys:
You could also ride on some of the big offroad trucks:
Another nice classic Toyota:
Who are "Camp Crown"? I haven't heard of them, but it had one of those Made with pride in the USA stickers:
Interior was quite light:
This has been fitted to one of those incredibly short-bed double-cab compact pickups. The location of the COG sticker says it all (the front of the vehicle is to the left ):
No Sally, you can't have one of those...
Maybe one of these is more in our price range:
Interesting little trailer with demountable bed options:
Oh yes:
Back to Felix' stand - this is one of his campers, but in this case it is just a bare shell:
You start thinking "I could put this here and that over there...":
Felix demonstrating an egg and a leaf that were coated in the same flexible coating that is used on his campers:
You've already seen the very nice photo that Maria took of the three of us - after that we bade farewell to Felix and headed off back to the camp site so we could get on the road again heading west:
Passing Frankfurt airport:
We drove all the way across Germany in the afternoon and into Holland where we found a camp site. A long afternoon's drive, but made easier by listening to a John Grisham book on CD while we drove.
Last day coming up...
'07 Ford Ranger XLT Supercab diesel + '91 Shadow Cruiser - Sky Cruiser 1
'92 Suzuki Samurai 4x4 1.6
'09 Fiat Panda 1.2
'10 Citroen DS3 1.6 turbo
On the road with the John Grisham CD again. The Dutch countryside (notice this part of Holland isn't actually flat):
A quick stop in Belgium on the edge of Brussels at the Atomium - I'd always wanted to see this since I was a child:
Rather than rush across the channel we decided to stay one last night on mainland Europe, at the same campsite we used when returning from our trip to the Alsace last year:
Then an early start the next morning and we were back home by lunch time.
An excellent little trip - about 2000 miles, 10 days, but demonstrates why I like these touring trips. Apart from Prague (which justifies flying in and staying in a hotel - many people do long weekends in Prague), the other places we visited would not have been individually worth travelling to in that way, but when touring with the camper we can string many of these interesting locations (that foreigners wouldn't normally get to visit) together into a wonderful trip.
Steve & Sally, so many compliments for this great trip report.
And we feel with you that you have discovered so many "hidden secrets" of the world !
cheers Felix & Maria
The 2012 Overland Expo was recently held here in Flagstaff where I live - although the vehicles differed somewhat (particularly since Euro TC type vehicles are much more compact) the ideas were essentially the same - get away from it all!
I remember thinking it should have been called the "Drool Festival" since that is what it made me do. I had to keep telling myself how much I loved my paid for truck and camper, and not to be too envious of the all the exceptionally cool campers and toys on display. I'll bet you felt the same.
Thanks again for the extensive coverage of your trip. It was very interesting in every respect.
The 2012 Overland Expo was recently held here in Flagstaff where I live - although the vehicles differed somewhat (particularly since Euro TC type vehicles are much more compact) the ideas were essentially the same - get away from it all!
I remember thinking it should have been called the "Drool Festival" since that is what it made me do. I had to keep telling myself how much I loved my paid for truck and camper, and not to be too envious of the all the exceptionally cool campers and toys on display. I'll bet you felt the same.
Thanks again for the extensive coverage of your trip. It was very interesting in every respect.
Hi Eric,
We are actually contemplating using some air-miles next year and visiting Overland Expo - I might have this year, but work got in the way. If we do we'll hire an RV and do a bit of the south west as well since it is 12 years since we were last in Arizona.
The 2012 Overland Expo was recently held here in Flagstaff where I live - although the vehicles differed somewhat (particularly since Euro TC type vehicles are much more compact) the ideas were essentially the same - get away from it all!
I remember thinking it should have been called the "Drool Festival" since that is what it made me do. I had to keep telling myself how much I loved my paid for truck and camper, and not to be too envious of the all the exceptionally cool campers and toys on display. I'll bet you felt the same.
Thanks again for the extensive coverage of your trip. It was very interesting in every respect.
Hi Eric,
We are actually contemplating using some air-miles next year and visiting Overland Expo - I might have this year, but work got in the way. If we do we'll hire an RV and do a bit of the south west as well since it is 12 years since we were last in Arizona.
Steve.
That would be great if you do - the venue will be the same as this year, and I'll be going again for sure. It would be fun to meet you and Sally in person, and I'll bet Whazoo will be there as well. Maybe we should plan a pre or post Expo Rally!
We are actually contemplating using some air-miles next year and visiting Overland Expo - I might have this year, but work got in the way. If we do we'll hire an RV and do a bit of the south west as well since it is 12 years since we were last in Arizona.
Steve.
That would be great if you do - the venue will be the same as this year, and I'll be going again for sure. It would be fun to meet you and Sally in person, and I'll bet Whazoo will be there as well. Maybe we should plan a pre or post Expo Rally!
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