| Item |
Description |
| Maps |
We'll need high-detail maps of all the countries we're passing through or alternatively some way to cache Google Maps or something similar on our laptop. See our route page for the list of countries. |
| Fire Extinguisher |
Required by law in Russia. We won't be allowed to cross the border without one. |
| European vehicle insurance |
I insured the vehicle a while ago straight after we got the civilian plates for it. At the time I asked if I could add Ajay later and was told that I could. However, when I phoned up recently to do this I was told he couldn't be added because he wasn't a UK resident. I then spent about four hours ringing around other insurers and couldn't actually find any that would insure the combination of the unusual vehicle and the non-UK driver. This is now a real problem for us as without Ajay on the insurance I will have to drive all the way to Russia myself. We buy insurance for Russia at the border, so we should be OK from that point on. |
| Camping kit |
We'll need all of the following. All non-disposable items will be donated to charity when we reach Mongolia.
- tent
- petrol-burning camping stove
- sleeping bags
- sleep mats
- pillows
- pots, pans, and kettle
- cooking utensils
- cutlery
- plates and cups
- tin opener
- toilet paper
- baby wipes
- solar shower
- water container
- table and chairs
- wind-up torch
- wind-up lantern
|
| Jerry can holders |
We'll need to take at least two jerry cans for holding extra fuel on some of the longer stretches of the drive. These must be stored outside the vehicle. I have bought one military jerry can rack, but it was designed for a much bigger vehicle and may be too heavy for the ambulance. If we can't fit this one then we'll need to get a couple of lightweight holders to fit to the rear doors. |
| Undersealing |
This ambulance will be operating in a harsh climate. We'd like to get the chassis professionally rust-proofed to ensure it has a long life in Mongolia. |
| Tools |
Needed for the journey and will be donated with the vehicle upon arrival in Mongolia. |
| Air conditioning |
Mongolia can experience climatic extremes and in the summer is very hot. We'd like to add an air conditioning unit to ensure that patients being transported in the vehicle can be kept at a comfortable temperature. |
| Petrol |
We are taking the most direct route possible to Mongolia and expect the trip to be somewhere between 4000 and 6000 miles. Although this will consume a lot of petrol it is still actually cheaper to drive the ambulance to Mongolia than to have it shipped there. Ideally we'd like some financial backing to help us cover the cost of the fuel. |
| Reflective vehicle markings |
We'd like to get reflective stripe, chevron or "batternberg" stickers on the side of the vehicle to help complete the transformation into a civilian-looking ambulance |
| Gadgetry |
I'm hoping to rig up three or four webcams which will automatically upload a snap to the website every hour. Additionally we aim to post regular blog articles throughout our trip to keep our friends, family and sponsors up-to-date on our progress. To make this possible we'll need some webcams, data-enabled SIM cards for the countries we're passing through, and ideally a data-enabled satellite phone for the more remote regions. |
| Radio / CD Player |
OK this is just to make our journey a bit more bearable. We'll also need speakers. |
Tow rope |
Just in case.
Update: My dad has secured one. |
Overdrive kit |
Apparently it is possible to retro-fit an overdrive to these vehicles, essentially adding a fifth gear and improving fuel efficiency. Although this may be of limited use in Mongolia where vehicle speeds will generally be lower, it will help us reduce our fuel costs and cut down our CO2 emmissions in getting the vehicle to Mongolia.
Update: Even if we got one of these now we wouldn't have time to install it. |
Vehicle painting |
Although the vehicle currently has reasonable paintwork, the military appearance is not appropriate for some of the countries we'll be passing through. We're therefore looking to have the vehicle painted white before we leave.
Update: My dad has arranged this. He wouldn't tell me how, but I think I owe him - big time. |
European driving kit |
Required by law in France and Germany are:
Headlight adjusters - Update: won't be needed as we've installed left-hand-drive headlightsGB sticker - Update: donated by my dadWarning triangle - Update: donatedReflective jacket - Update: acquired by my dadFirst aid kit (this one won't be a problem!) |
Spare wheel cover |
The bonnet-mounted spare wheel tends to collect rainwater which will likely lead to the hub rusting. A cover should prevent this.
Update: We have bought this. |
Vehicle shelving / cabinets |
The ambulance body currently contains four stretcher racks, but no storage space for medical supplies. We'd like to add some cabinetry that can be used to store the supplies that are typically found in a modern mobile clinic / ambulance.
Update:We've had some medical cabinets donated along with the medical kit. |
12 volt power outlet |
Essential to charge our mobile phones, laptop, etc
Update: We have now bought this. |
12 volt DC to AC power inverter |
We'll want a standard 240 volt power outlet in the back to be used for medical equipment such as the defibrillator, steriliser, fridge, etc. Will also be needed for an air conditioning unit if we are able to secure one before we leave.
Update: We've had a high-spec inverter donated by a new major sponsor! Details to follow shortly. |
Front seats |
The army isn't known for providing the most comfortable vehicles in the world, and with the seats in our vehicle consisting of a vinyl-coated foam block, this ambulance is no exception. We're therefore looking to replace the seats with more modern ones. As the petrol tanks are accessed by lifting up the seat base, only seats specifically designed for a Land Rover Series 3 or Defender will work.
Update: We have now bought these. |
Blue lights and siren |
Used to let communities know the vehicle is arriving when acting as a mobile clinic.
Update: we now have a blue light, and a siren won't really be necessary. |
High-lift jack |
The clearance on our ambulance is absurd. Most jacks won't even reach the sills, let alone lift it. We need a specialist high-lift jack if we're going to be able to change a wheel on this thing.
Update: We've now had a jack donated to us. |
Self-recovery winch |
A useful piece of kit in Mongolia in the winter. Our vehicle will be serving some of the most remote areas on the planet, so the ability for this vehicle to be able to get itself out of trouble is essential.
Update: We have had a winch donated to us. |
Air filters |
Apparently in the dusty conditions we'll encounter on the way to Mongolia, and once the vehicle is in use within Mongolia, air filters need replacing often.
Update: These Land Rovers use an oil bath to filter the air so "replacing the air filter" is simply a matter of putting new engine oil into the filter bowl. We already have a supply of engine oil for the trip so this requirement is now taken care of. |
Snorkel |
I had always thought snorkels were used only to increase the wading depth of vehicles. However, I've recently learned that they are also used to reduce dust intake by raising the point at which air is brought into the system. This in turn prolongs air filter and engine life.
Update: Not really required as we have now learned that the Land Rover uses an oil bath to filter the air. We can easily replace the oil as often as necessary. |
Ignition system spares |
Although Land Rover is one of the few vehicle manufacturers that maintains a presence in Mongolia, in the remote region where our ambulance will end up access to replacement parts is always going to be an issue. We're therefore looking to take as many spares as possible including spark plugs, HT leads, distributor cap, rotor arm, etc.
Update: We have bought these. |
Brake system spares |
Drums, shoes, cylinders, master cylinder, etc. In the dusty, mountainous terrain of Bayan Olgii the brakes on this vehicle will need replacing more often than here. The more spares we can take, the better.
Update: We have bought these. |
Electrical spares |
We can expect to blow some bulbs and fuses on the journey to Mongolia so we'll certainly need plenty of spares. I'd also like to replace some of the earthing cables as these are showing signs of corrosion. Finally, we'd ideally like to take a spare alternator so that one is available if it fails anytime while in service in Mongolia.
Update: We have now bought most of these. |
Steering and suspension |
Given the rough terrain in which this vehicle will be operating spares for the steering and suspension system are a must. Bushes, wheels, wheel bearings, tyres, shock absorbers, leaf springs, etc would all be useful.
Update: We have bought these. |
General spares |
Although Land Rover does maintain a presence in Mongolia we want to provide as many of the "usual" replacement parts as possible, such as gasket sets, drive belts, etc. The Mongolians are very adept at improvising or making generic replacement parts, but anything that is particularly unique to Land Rovers we'd like to take with us.
Update: We have now bought most of these. |
Wing mirrors |
The glass in the near-side wing mirror is cracked and so this unit needs replacing. Additionally, both mirrors seem difficult to adjust to the correct angle as they do not pivot in all directions. Ideally we'd like to replace them both with newer mirror units that are more freely adjustable.
Update: We have had long-reach wing mirrors donated to us. |
Rear-view mirror |
As it is possible to see out of the back of the ambulance from the cab we'd like to add a rear view mirror to improve visibility.
Update: We've had three brand-new rear-view mirrors donated to us. |
Medical equipment |
We'd like to outfit the vehicle with modern medical equipment including oxygen, defibrillator, spinal boards, etc.
A full complement of medical equipment has now been donated to our project. |
Stretcher |
The ambulance has four stretcher racks, but no actual stretcher. We'd like to equip the vehicle with one removable stretcher so that it can be used as an emergency response vehicle in addition to a mobile clinic.
We have had two stretchers donated to us - one is designed to be carried for use in rough terrain, and the other is a wheeled stretcher. |
Jerry cans |
We'll obviously need these to carry additional fuel on the journey to Mongolia, but they'll most likely also be needed once the vehicle is in service in Mongolia. If the ambulance ends up in the Bayan Olgii province, for example, it will need to cover an area twice the size of Wales in which there is only one town of any notable size.
Update: We've had 6 jerry cans donated to us. |
Sound-proofing floor mats |
While these are definitely a "nice-to-have" rather than a requirement, they will be useful once the ambulance enters service in Mongolia as they also provide insulation, which in the Mongolian winter is pretty essential. There are special floor-mat kits designed for Land Rovers that cover all the floor space in the cab.
Update: We have now bought these. |
Roof rack / roof rack modifications |
We'll need a roof rack to carry our equipment on the journey to Mongolia. It won't be needed so much once the vehicle is in service however so we're not looking for anything grand. We've been given a basic three-beam rack by one of our sponsors, Noon's Car Spares. This will work well, but we need a few more cross-members to be welded on.
Update: We have secured some strong metal "caging" to fill the space between the beams on the rack we have and the army engineering team will fit this for us. |
Passenger's inertia reel seat belt |
The driver's seat currently has a modern inertia reel seat belt, but the passenger seat only has a fixed seat belt. We'd like to replace this for safety reasons.
Update: We have bought this. |
12 volt fridge |
Used for storing medical supplies. ..... Oh ok, and liquid refreshments for us on the way to Mongolia too.
Update: We've had a fridge donated to us by my brother-in-law, Robbo |
