I don't think it was long after returning from South America that Peter said he would like to go back. Now I did love Gerty (our Landrover Defender 110) but it was a little cramped and as Peter could not be trusted to stay holding a bath towel around me whilst I showered outside I agreed to the second trip on condition that we got a bigger vehicle so that showering and cooking could take place inside.

What to get? We wanted a 4x4 with sufficient headroom for Peter to stand so the choice was limited. We came across an Iveco Daily 4x4 (now named Arthur) that had just returned from Africa so went and looked it over and bought it. Peter was intending to just tidy it up a bit but once he started stripping bits out he couldn’t stop so its interior has been almost completely remodelled. As far as the mechanics of the vehicle go there has been quite a bit of huffing and puffing (by Peter not Arthur) The work Peter carried out included:


Replacement steering rack

Refurbished front callipers

New rear brake cylinders

New cambelt and tensioners

Lots of cosmetic bodywork welding

New tyres

Wheel bearings greased

All oils changed and good service

Lots of other stuff including a fresh coat of B&Q paint by brush and paint pad.

Whilst we covered a lot of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Southern Peru on our last trip we still had lots of places we wanted to visit. I particularly wanted to get to the Valdes Peninsula to see whales and to see the pre Inca sites in northern Peru. We were thinking of going into Ecuador but what with the problem of the vehicle insurance and Shipping from the west coast we are going to give that a miss.

My first task was to get us over to South America. Gerties travels in a container had been relatively easy to organise but Arthur is too big for a container so we have to go RO RO ( roll on- roll off, basically a trans ocean car ferry). I soon found out that RO RO to east coast ports is no problem but if you want to return from the west coast it is not so easy to find a company and the couple we did find cost nearly double that of returning from the east coast. The decision was therefore made for us and we will be starting and finishing our trip at Montevideo in Uruguay.

My next job was to find a shipping agent. There are quite a few but not all could get us RO RO to S America from England. We have ended up using Trans Global Logistics UK Ltd (Karen and Will have been very helpful). For Marine Cargo insurance we have used Peter Lole & Co Ltd. We did have a bit of a problem finding a shipping agent in Montevideo but came up with ILS Uruguay www.ilsshipping.com (Fabian Torres Logistic Manager). The actual carrier was a company called Grimaldi.

For our last trip we had third party vehicle insurance through a Dutch company called Allessie but they have lost the underwriters who provided this cover so we had to look elsewhere. This proved very difficult. I think I must have emailed around 25 companies but no luck. Finally I found an Argentinian company (Gdansk Group www.gdanskseguros.com.ar) who will provide cover for overlanders travelling around Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia and Peru. Only problem is you have to go to Buenos Aires to pay in pesos and to collect the policy. The advantage of this policy is that it will be in Spanish and our Alessie one was not and did cause few funny looks when it was requested.

We took a Carnet with us last time but were never asked for it and as it was quite expensive (you do get most of the money back when you bring the vehicle back to the UK) we decided to forget it this time.

We have applied for IDP’s (International Driving Permits) and an ICMV (International Certificate for Motor Vehicles) from the AA. Again we were never asked for them but they look good and cost less than £20.

At some borders we were asked for proof of ownership of the vehicle and as the UK V5 document specifically states that the document does not prove ownership Peter made one up and that satisfied everyone.

Other than those mentioned above we just took the usual documents and photocopies including Passports, flight tickets, UK drivers License, birth and marriage certificates, vaccination cards, medical and travel insurance policy, Doctors letter detailing prescriptions I was carrying and a few passport sized photos.

As far as other equipment and clothes etc. we defiantly went over the top last time so have really cut back. Also we found that throughout all the countries we visited, especially in the bigger towns and touristy destinations, you can find most things you are likely to need even Heinz Baked Beans.

The day came to take Arthur to the port. They tell you the vehicle must be empty but that's not very realistic when its a campervan so Peter had put in a temporary wooden partition between the cab and the rear of the vehicle and effectively sealed everything up. Hopefully that would be secure enough.

The process at Tilbury went quite smoothly although they did ask us for a number and bar code we didn’t have on our customs clearance document provided by the agent. The lady in the office at Tilbury did get this sorted so all was okay. Arthur was measured and weighed (they allow you 100Kg over the weight you state on the customs clearance document). No one asked to look inside or even what was inside. There was a long list of requirements regarding the vehicle such as minimum petrol/diesel in the tank, working hand brake, no gas cylinders etc.

We waved goodbye to Arthur and went off to have a coffee. The first hurdle successfully taken.

On one of the many ship tracking websites Peter saw the Grande Africa set of and a few days later we received the Bill of Lading from our shipping agent, so Arthur was on board. Our Uruguay agent Fabian was now able to send us details of other charges so hopefully we are all sorted.