Offroad kings

I stand there in awe, surrounded by a column of off-road trucks whose tires are covered in Saharan dust. The sun bathes the landscape in shades of orange and gold as I approach a group of Overlanders and speak to them. “And have you just come from the Sahara?” I ask curiously. “Yes, with all these off-road vehicles here,” replies a friendly young man with a Dutch accent, pointing to the off-road kings.

My gaze glides over the expedition vehicles gleaming in the sun, some of which are not for sale for less than a million euros. “Wow, you could buy half a city in Africa with that kind of money,” I say jokingly. The man replies with a smile. “And you drive the MAN KAT over there?” “That’s our service vehicle. We need it in case one of our customers breaks down or needs to be pulled out of the soft sand,” he explains. “It’s hard to imagine that a four-wheel drive monster like that can get stuck,” I wonder. “It’s easier than you think. Some of the behemoths here weigh over 22 tons. Even something like that can easily get stuck if you make a driving mistake.” “Thanks for the information,” I say and continue on my way to film the impressive kings of the desert.

This really is a Who’s Who of all-terrain expedition vehicles: a Zetros 6×6, built by Mercedes, with a long-hood cab whose engine is easily accessible for maintenance work without tilting the cab. It has permanent all-wheel drive with three differential locks – front axle, longitudinal and rear axle.

I walk past a MAN KAT1, which has been in service with the military since the 1960s and makes the hearts of many off-road enthusiasts beat faster. A black Mercedes-Benz Arocs seems to look at me skeptically with its headlights, a MAN TGS 4×4 and a MAN 6X6 each have e-bikes and a motorcycle stowed on the loading ramp. “You could easily get jealous here,” I whisper as I walk past a bright yellow, brand-new Unimog 4×4 with a container cab. Fortunately, I am very happy with our bimobil EX 420 on IVECO Daily 4×4.

I continue my tour via the campsite not far from the city of Marrakech. Toyota and Land Rover vehicles with roof tents can be found here in various setups and modifications. The creativity and ingenuity of the individual drivers make each motorhome unique.
“I built it myself,” the Englishman tells me with obvious pride. “It turned out great,” I praise him. “Toyota is very reliable,” he continues. “

It has some modifications, but most of it is standard, so the weight is not very high. You can have the vehicle repaired anywhere, and spare parts are readily available. People here love Toyota, even if we take it to a Land Rover garage,” he laughs. We talk shop about roof tents for a while, then I say goodbye to Barry.

On the way back to our Terra Love, I meet a wood artist who has his stall here at the campsite and is passionate about his work.

I watch in amazement as he creates artistic woodturning works with simple but ingenious tools. In Morocco, many artists learn their skills from generation to generation, and the art of woodturning is often part of a family tradition.

Moroccan wood artists often use traditional materials such as high-quality woods that are native to the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, such as cedar, rosewood and olive wood. Elaborate inlays and carvings are characteristic of Moroccan carpentry and are often used in furniture, doors and other woodwork. Typical motifs include geometric patterns, arabesque designs and floral ornaments.

Thoughts:

Since Tanja flew to Germany three weeks ago for family reasons, I’ve been holding down the fort here and can hardly wait until she’s back with me. Sometimes I sit on the roof of our expedition vehicle and watch the off-roaders, overlanders and expedition vehicles set off every day. Each individual vehicle represents its own story, a journey into the unknown that fascinates me and increases my anticipation of Tanja’s return. As the engines start and the travelers take down their tents, I feel a strong wanderlust and a deep longing for freedom and adventure.

The thoughts of distant places, unknown roads and the uncertain future make my heart beat faster. Perhaps you know the feeling you get when you see driving scenes like this? This mixture of excitement, the desire for freedom and the insatiable longing for new horizons.

In these moments, I remember the many unforgettable moments Tanja and I experienced during our own travels and look forward to sharing these experiences with her again once she returns. The idea of continuing our journey together drives me forward and makes me look forward to the adventures ahead.