YOLO - SG to Europe in a $11K van

[Shibadog]

2 hours ago, BanCoe said:

The girl does not know how to drive manual not ‘dare not drive manual ‘ ...... a lot of difference here bro ....... and that too in an unfamiliar surrounding / culture / terrain 

for such an epic road trip, it would have been good for her to learn manual as part of the preparation. Rather than to depend solely on the guy to drive all the time.

 

or get an auto trans vehicle.

[Throttle2]

May i remind everyone that this is YOLO trip,  cant care for so much, just hit the road.

 

of course its poorly planned .  Hopefully they learn to be more streetsmart and return safely.

[Philipkee]

1 minute ago, Throttle2 said:

May i remind everyone that this is YOLO trip,  cant care for so much, just hit the road.

 

of course its poorly planned .  Hopefully they learn to be more streetsmart and return safely.

Point is, there must always be a risk assessment done.  When you posted this I remember when I went to israel. I talked to a fellow volunteer about my trip so far and that my money was stolen in amsterdam.

Me:  And my money was stolen in Amsterdam 

Volunteer:  Well, be careful next time.  I guess this is your first trip

Me:  Actually I have been travelling a lot prior to this trip over the years.

Volunteer:  But I guess you never faced a tough time or trip like soldiers

Me:  Actually I served 2 1/2 years as a combat soldier in the army as national service 

Volunteer: But you were never a boy scout.  Their motto is "be prepared".

Me:  Actuallly i was a cadet scout during my school days 

Volunteer:  It gets better and better.  WTF WTF

So sometimes I read the posts on their trip and I remember.......   lol.   Time flies.  2004 until now.

[Lala81]

14 hours ago, Sosaria said:

Wow really yolo. While we like to condemn youngsters as strawberries, here are two that really defy our stereotypes of the young always seeking comfy life. But still dreaming too much though and not enough focus on practicalities.

 

But you are right, toyota, isuzu, and all these jap brands should have good support even in rural areas as the vans, pickups are in daily use for farming and agricultural activities.

that's in asia man. In mongolia or russia, i really doubt they drive toyotas there. 

[Lala81]

14 hours ago, JohnSHL said:

maybe they divided Thailand into (1) Bangkok; (2) outside Bangkok

 

there are a lot of large towns outside of BKK where they can seek mechanic support. Between Ranong (where they are) and Bangkok, there are Chumphon and Prachuap Kiri Khan. At least these are the ones I know of. Surat Thani is quite near too.

 

In fact, along the highway to Bangkok, they will probably see a lot of showrooms for Toyota/Isuzu/Ford/Mazda at the forementioned towns    

 

Hope they keep calm n work things out.

haha honestly most of these places in thailand, if i never read this MCF, i won't even know. Beyond phuket, ko samui, phuket, pattaya, BKK and chiangmai.

[Throttle2]

2 hours ago, Philipkee said:

Point is, there must always be a risk assessment done.  When you posted this I remember when I went to israel. I talked to a fellow volunteer about my trip so far and that my money was stolen in amsterdam.

Me:  And my money was stolen in Amsterdam 

Volunteer:  Well, be careful next time.  I guess this is your first trip

Me:  Actually I have been travelling a lot prior to this trip over the years.

Volunteer:  But I guess you never faced a tough time or trip like soldiers

Me:  Actually I served 2 1/2 years as a combat soldier in the army as national service 

Volunteer: But you were never a boy scout.  Their motto is "be prepared".

Me:  Actuallly i was a cadet scout during my school days 

Volunteer:  It gets better and better.  WTF WTF

So sometimes I read the posts on their trip and I remember.......   lol.   Time flies.  2004 until now.

Dont get me wrong, i fully agree with you and the planning required to stay safe and on track

but sometimes the best way is to go out and do it without planning too much.

YOLO trips are like that.  Done with a spur. If plan too much becomes free and easy trip

if plan like crazy become like going with tour group.

 

the once in a lifetime experience that they will get includes highs and lows.

they know they are taking a risk and they are willing to take it.  YOLO bro

 

 

 

[1fast1]

They're young. They'll bounce back. YOLO. 

Also young people have lots of creative ways of making money now. They can monetize videos, instagram, become social influenza and spread everywhere, etc. 

I just hope the "ok looking wife" (as someone else put it) doesn't have to resort to anything crass like homemade (or van-made) porn to sustain their travel habit.

And I really hope it doesn't end up in a crowdfunding campaign because they ran out of money halfway. They must at least have the good sense and dignity to know when to cut losses and have an emergency fund to get back home safely.

[Throttle2]

17 minutes ago, Turboflat4 said:

They're young. They'll bounce back. YOLO. 

Also young people have lots of creative ways of making money now. They can monetize videos, instagram, become social influenza and spread everywhere, etc. 

I just hope the "ok looking wife" (as someone else put it) doesn't have to resort to anything crass like homemade (or van-made) porn to sustain their travel habit.

And I really hope it doesn't end up in a crowdfunding campaign because they ran out of money halfway. They must at least have the good sense and dignity to know when to cut losses and have an emergency fund to get back home safely.

Yah nowadays these young folks just insta here and there and make money liao.

i hv to bloody resort to selling my personal assets to survive.

i think its time for me to do some social media and hopefully earn some money.

life is hard down here

[Soya]

Wah sei...you all say YOLO here, YOLO there like dem shiok liddat

Makes me wanna try YOLO..................

 

 

 

.......for dinner later https://yolofood.com.sg/

 

Edited September 4, 2019 by Soya

[Stratovarius]

Nice. I applaud what they are doing. Like many others, it's one of my dreams to go for an extreme roadtrip with either a good friend or a small convoy. But my partner should be a confident driver as well. I can't be the only driver since one needs a contingency/backup in times of a crisis.

Actually I think they've did some planning by not going through Afghanistan/iran/irag.  But then, Mongolia and Russia are not easy too. I hope they have heater in the van. One big mistake is the vehicle they choose. Other than ensuring the engine is in great condition, I think they should have chosen a 4X4 or AWD vehicle which are more robust and more capable and reliable on uneven terrain. Forgo accommodation in vehicle. The vehicle should be loaded with batteries, spare tires and other important spare parts and supplies since your life on the road depends on the vehicle. To me, a diesel van will not work.

Still, I hope they can fulfill their dreams by overcoming all the obstacles. It's not easy when you are out there on your own. A cool mind is very important.

[Ender]

Encounter problems and failure is part of the Yolo spirit. Simi must plan and made reservation to minimise first?  Like that not yolo liao. 

And some of them will die, and it's part of yolo. But we will say they are stupid. Lol. BTW I am not yolo, everything must plan swee swee, if not I will stay at home watch travel documentary and read other people travel blog. 

Edited September 4, 2019 by Ender

[TameDriver]

4 hours ago, Lala81 said:

haha honestly most of these places in thailand, if i never read this MCF, i won't even know. Beyond phuket, ko samui, phuket, pattaya, BKK and chiangmai.

Their knowledge of geography may not be that good too.  Instead of looking to tow their van to nearby Chumpon or Surat Thani where there are plenty of motor workshops, they look for tow all the way to BKK.  

 

 

[BanCoe]

Maybe in the good 'ol days it was a challenging sport to drive from London to SG , i know of one Englishman whom just left Sg about 10 days back  to retrace his trip which he did over 50 years back (now he is 87)  in his so called  Landie (land rover) and now he is taken ill in some part of Myanmar, anyways he is SOLO and not YOLO and at age 87 whats to be expected ?? He failed,  but his machine did not fail him     

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/a-nostalgic-british-pub-send-off-for-singapore-to-london-overland-team

A nostalgic British pub send-off for Singapore to London overland team

Edited September 4, 2019 by BanCoe

[inlinesix]

1 hour ago, Stratovarius said:

Nice. I applaud what they are doing. Like many others, it's one of my dreams to go for an extreme roadtrip with either a good friend or a small convoy. But my partner should be a confident driver as well. I can't be the only driver since one needs a contingency/backup in times of a crisis.

Actually I think they've did some planning by not going through Afghanistan/iran/irag.  But then, Mongolia and Russia are not easy too. I hope they have heater in the van. One big mistake is the vehicle they choose. Other than ensuring the engine is in great condition, I think they should have chosen a 4X4 or AWD vehicle which are more robust and more capable and reliable on uneven terrain. Forgo accommodation in vehicle. The vehicle should be loaded with batteries, spare tires and other important spare parts and supplies since your life on the road depends on the vehicle. To me, a diesel van will not work.

Still, I hope they can fulfill their dreams by overcoming all the obstacles. It's not easy when you are out there on your own. A cool mind is very important.

Do you mean pickup truck?  As in Hilux, Triton or Ranger.

It is way more ex than van le.

[Shibadog]

Thailand have a lot of "pimp my ride" style HiAce, usually used for tourists. One can often see them zooming along the Thai highways (on the fast lane, no doubt) and stopped at the usual tourist spots. Some also venture to Msia (Penang, Cameron, Genting etc.)

Those usually hv different configuration (longer body for more passengers and maybe taller roofline). Not sure if engine and drivetrain

are similar.

 

[Shibadog]

1 hour ago, BanCoe said:

Maybe in the good 'ol days it was a challenging sport to drive from London to SG , i know of one Englishman whom just left Sg about 10 days back  to retrace his trip which he did over 50 years back (now he is 87)  in his so called  Landie (land rover) and now he is taken ill in some part of Myanmar, anyways he is SOLO and not YOLO and at age 87 whats to be expected ?? He failed,  but his machine did not fail him     

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/a-nostalgic-british-pub-send-off-for-singapore-to-london-overland-team

A nostalgic British pub send-off for Singapore to London overland team

 

I recall reading somewhere that the old guy didn't go for the drive, but sent his grandson in his place?  Now he fell ill in Myanmar? ouch... hope he gets appropriate medical attention there.

[Shibadog]

1 hour ago, TameDriver said:

Their knowledge of geography may not be that good too.  Instead of looking to tow their van to nearby Chumpon or Surat Thani where there are plenty of motor workshops, they look for tow all the way to BKK.  

 

true

 

however it would be unrealistic to expect them to be very familiar with all the countries they are planning to visit. However, a simple scan in Google Maps will show the large population centers/built up areas  (as opposed to farmland/mountains) and they could have identified closer places to seek help.

 

or maybe the guy already tired of driving, so get a longer tow instead LOL

[Adrianli]

Can anyone who know them send them a link to my road trip thread to BKK? Hope it will help them.