Truck Across Africa 1959

I have attended a talk by Mr and Mrs Zapp, and read one of their books. They knew absolutely nothing about cars and even referred to the Graham Paige as a Burro. (donkey) They begged and borrowed parts and managed to talk many people into repairing the car before and during their trip. They sold all the spare parts they were given, many of them unique to a very rare car. Remember it was a 1928 model of a car that was never plentiful and they travelled in the 1980's and later. Their first Journey was from the tip of South America to the very Northernmost point, travelling, in parts of South America, where locals had never seen a motor vehicle before. They relied on the generosity of strangers for food and accommodation and copied crafts they were shown to make items to sell as they went along.

I believe they were very lucky to have survived.

Yes, it was a great adventure. They set off in 2000 and are finishing for good right at the moment.

I think travelling to parts of South America where nobody had seen a car before in the 2000's is a flight of fancy but it adds to the interest of their talks. Americans might believe it.

I may be cynical but having a tribe of kids traveling the world in an old car is a good marketing exercise to encourage publicity and support.

Lang

Some additional info'
Have been in touch with Collyn who was one of the crew in this epic journey. He has supplied me with more details regarding the jeep and the Canter story about Ali and Julians travels. Details are attached below.

TDU

Thank you for that

Have read the reference - the video was made by Tony with who I am in constant touch. I do have it as a Hi-Def DVD and will be putting that version (or Tony's) on my own website around June.

An interesting thing not mentioned is that we towed that b- y useless Forward Control Jeep (that's briefly shown) all the way back across the Sahara. It was stranded in Kano (Nigeria) and broken almost everything except front wheel drive.

The QLR is one tough truck. It had a 3500 km fuel range (7 tonne when laden) and that Jeep weighed over 7 tonne. So 14 tonne being drawn by a 3.5 litre motor - but with a 101:1 bottom gear in low range.

I attempted to join that HV forum and respond but it appears to require some sort of thingy that my computer does not have - so can only read it. The Canter mentioned is owned by Julian (another long term friend of mine). Maybe you could mention that for me. (I did contact them some years back to see if there was any interest but did not receive any reply.)

Am a tad lighter now than in that video - but still fit and active. (Tony I fear is very large!)

Collyn has just sent me some more info, posted below. If you would like a link to Collyns writings, send me a PM.

TDU

Driving across Africa – Jeepers creepers
In Kano, we encountered two forlorn Americans. They were attempting to drive a forward-control Jeep around the world. This had suffered by their not knowing how to change into the (non-synchromesh) first gear whilst moving. Nor that, by double declutching, it was possible. Constant use of second (of a four speed gear box), when first gear was sorely needed, had taken its toll. A smashed rear differential left with only front wheel drive.

This was far from their only problem. Despite being less than half way, the Jeep had broken virtually one of everything. All that worked was the drive to the front wheels. And (usefully!) its power winch.

Africa - jeep close up on tow

Not a happy Jeep!

‘Would you allow us to travel with you across the Sahara – there’s a Jeep agent in Algiers’ (5000 km south!) they asked. For reasons that now escape us, except temporary madness, we agreed. ‘Travelling with us’ proved to be pulling and winching this barely mobile wreck across most of the Sahara.

Cola-colonised
Whilst lacking the needed Jeep agent, Kano was Coca-colonised. The Jeep jockeys’ perks was having it free. Six cases, all in glass bottles, were loaded into the QLR. Most broke within hours, flooding the truck with a syrupy glug that’s probably there to this day. (We didn’t even like the stuff!)

That 104:1 low-range gear was used a lot. But, apart from seven tonnes of QLR towing five-tonne of useless Jeep with our 58 brake horse power, the Saharan return crossing was uneventful.

Africa toureg on roof plus Jeep small

Another picture that Jeep lovers prefer not shown! The Toureg on the roof of the QLR is Akhakmadu.

We stopped about 1000 km from the next closest human beings to assuage the motor’s increasing appetite for exhaust valves. Their re-grinding had become routine every 10,000 km. Various bits of engine lying around freaked the Jeep drivers. They temporarily ceased their personal re-enactment of the American Civil War, presumably to contemplate their assumed demise.

That Jeep
The Jeep saga has a curious sequel. Unknown to us, around 1965, world-wide promotion (showing it) boosted the great American know-how that had allegedly enabled that (seriously troubled) machine to circumnavigate without breakdown.

In early 2013, Anthony (now owner of world famous Fleming Yachts and living in California) located one of the Jeep’s drivers. He revealed that the Jeep had broken down time and again. He had seemingly raised such a storm that not only was the promotion halted, but the (Forward Control) Jeep ceased production. Curiously, it now has an iconic (ironic?) following in the USA, presumably amongst those unaware of that debacle. And not, presumably this article. Nor its pictures.

Our QLR – a truly great truck
Apart from consuming exhaust valves like carrot sticks, the QLR performed superbly. It hardly put a tyre wrong in over 60,000 km, of which only 15,000 or so was on surfaced roads. The QLR traversed tens of thousands of kilometres of tracks that make the Gibb River Road and the top end of Cape York seem like bitumen highways.
Africa WEB Exiting the Sahara pdf

On the way back, it travelled virtually the whole width of Africa in low-range four-wheel-drive, ploughing through deep mud. It survived the return Saharan crossing, at times pulling the over five tonnes behind it through soft sand. It was one tough truck.

Years later I realised what caused its exhaust valve appetite. Seemingly, to limit water cavitation around the valve guides, the cooling system needed to run (at what was then) quite high pressure. We had experienced problems with the radiator cap pressure valve even in the UK. We later adapted a Schrader tyre valve to hopefully do the job. It now seems likely header tank pressure was too low. Consequent cavitation around the cylinder head prejudiced cooling.

Given a bigger engine (preferably diesel) and appropriate gearing, a QL would be an excellent machine today. The Bedford ‘R-type’ was its later civilian and armed forces successor. It was less unsophisticated, at least having synchromesh and more power. I felt however, it lacked the very real personality of the QL. In many ways the Australian designed and built OKA is more the QL’s spiritual successor.

The QLR’s ending
The QLR came to a curious end. It was bought, for a nominal price, without previous sighting, by an English aristocrat to transport guest shooters around his country seat in Leicestershire. I suspect he’d thought it was smaller. Apart from other curious habits, upper-class Poms shoot unfortunate birds bred for the purpose. They are directed to fly across their path (but only at a certain time of year).

I last saw the QLR being driven behind the good Lord’s Rolls Royce. His clearly bemused and somewhat snooty chauffeur was audibly encountering a non synchro-mesh gearbox and a close to negative power/weight ratio for the first time.