Driving a Tacoma around the world

I saw your write-up on your blog and was so worried you had a frame issue, was happy to see that it was just the mounts!

 

i was sure it was the frame as well. It’s weird that four of the six bed mounts Toyota installed are directly bolted on top of the frame, but the front two are welded to the side of the frame.

Photos to come here with some better internet

 

That truck has definitely built up a tremendous amount of soul!

 

Here’s the problem, both sides have the front mount completely detached.



Toyota only welded inside of the “U”.


Finally all happy! Welded on the inside of the U as well as on the outside of the bracket



Before the fix, the camper nearly resting on the truck’s roof



Happiness is a large gap!


Some of the roads traversed that day, ridiculous

 

That entire post is full of but that road...

!

 

Andy - thanks for posting! And thanks for the “accelerated life-cycle testing” you are doing on this trip. That weldment is not an optimal design (shame on Toyota) and your photos are a great PSA for the rest of us.

Glad to hear you were able to make repairs and continue your journey. That road reminds me of something from my travels in Panama - at least it’s still recognizable as a road. Safe travels to you and Dawn!

 

I'm Glad Andy got it fixed, but calling it a suboptimal design and attempting to shame Toyota is a bit much tbh.

First off, that weldment is designed to fail/bend/tear off in the event of a major collision. Keeping the occupants of the inside of the cab alive is the top priority. Having that mount shear/fail/bend increases the unsupported length of the bottom of the bed, making it easier for the sheet to buckle, rather than pushing into the cab of the truck.

Also, the Tacoma is being used way outside of its intended design. This is a weight that people like Andy and I have to carry ourselves, when we modify our trucks to these lengths. You can't get upset that a hook rated for 5 lbs fails when you try to lift 100 lb. with it.

 

nice also do you have carpul tunnel? picture 2,3, and 5 your hand is in a funny position

 

I don’t think until now i called it suboptimal, but I think mounting this bracket directly on top of the frame like the others would prevented this. I also think Toyota has enough smart engineers that this could have mounted on top of the frame while also providing for crash safety, but hey I’m not an engineer.

You’re correct in that I’m running our truck through stresses that Toyota USA probably never planned on but I’m confident that the Hilux had these loads in mind. Every day here in Africa I see cars and pickups loaded far above what they’re rated for.


This car must have 100 10 liter jugs of gasoline/diesel. But, hey its a Toyota!

Don’t worry, I’m not dissing or upset with the Tacoma. I either need to shed weight, drive smoother roads, or slow down; I’m choosing the latter.

 

Ha! No I don’t, just bending my wrist trying to show my fist as a scale.

 

Cameroun, Gabon and the Taco Taco


Road from the Nigeria border to Banyo in Cameroun. Truck-swallowing potholes.

We were grateful to enter Cameroun on a bright and sunny morning with the roads still dry. Much of our West Africa timeline had been based on a race to ensure we got through Cameroun and Gabon before the monsoon season, typically in April. We knew that roads could easily become impassable once the potholes were filled with mud. Because of our unexpected visa delays on the way, we opted to pass through Cameroun quickly. Later, the timeline became even more accelerated as we ran into major problems with the truck - the Tacoma started to fold like a taco in Gabon and we had to have repair work done in Libreville. But it is all part of life on the road.

Cameroun

We fully admit we did not do the country justice. But, similar to when our two years driving around in Europe was coming to an end and we had lost our capacity to continue appreciating cathedrals, castles and ancient druid sites, we were ready for our next phase of African adventures.

West Africa is about enjoying people and culture. There are beautiful landscapes and animals here, but that is not the primary focus. The eastern and southern areas of Africa have vastly more accessible wildlife viewing opportunities. West Africa is alive and vibrant with people gathering at bustling outside community markets. Routes bisect villages with people gathering along the road enjoying each other’s company and watching life go by. The culture is people-oriented and the cultural standards of closeness and staring are very different than what we are used to. It is not unusual for our truck to be surrounded by people wanting to talk, or even just staring to see what we are going to do. There is this fascinating dynamic of how we see the people here and how they see us across racial and cultural divides. We want to take pictures of people carrying loads on their head, (endlessly and beautifully intriguing for us to watch this graceful practice) or gathered at a riverbank doing laundry. We refrain because it feels rude and definitely not the cultural norm here. The people here want to watch us setting up camp, preparing food and see inside the truck. Sometimes they will sit and watch us read our kindles. It is both unnerving and strangely touching. We have had children open the door after we have retired for the night because they want to keep watching us.

Being the introverted types that we are, the constant attention and curiousity from people has started wearing us down. We have been driving on the highly populated coastal route as opposed to passing inland through countries with greater security concerns (Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso). Heat was also an ongoing battle for us and our bodies reacted differently. Andy found himself soaked through with sweat on a daily basis and Dawn’s face would turn bright red. Finding sites with some cooling breeze and without people gathering around was a constant challenge.


Our route through Cameroun and Gabon

Humidity, relentless sun, challenging dirt roads, constant police and military stops, and navigating crowded markets to negotiate for food are all part of the West African experience and we had accepted the challenge joyfully for the first four months. But the newness and excitement from the constant sensory overload was wearing off. We were feeling a little exhausted and looking for the next experience to inspire and re-motivate us. Travelers must be content. All this to say, we chose to pass through Cameroun and Gabon fairly quickly with a goal of getting to the mountainous regions of Angola and then on to the National Parks of Namibia that we were excited to experience.


Unpaved road after crossing the Nigerian border into Cameroun


Arriving at the official border into Cameroun

We had learned how to take border crossings in stride, working our way from one official to the next, sitting on wooden benches as our information was painstakingly entered by hand into huge logbooks. But our vigilance was a little down in Cameroun and we ended up paying $12 for a vehicle import permit that should have been free. The amount sounded reasonable and we were tired so we just handed over the money. Oops. We were also re-entering a French speaking country and once again language-challenged.


First water crossing, but still mostly dry roads


Beautiful tropical grasshopper


Our first night in Cameroun - peaceful and cool wild spot with mountain views, and no people!!!


Traditional villages along the way


Men gathering at the Sultan’s Palace in Foumban

We stopped off in Foumban on our way south, reputed to be an arts and culture center. There is a large history museum (shaped like a spider) which is not open yet. The Sultan’s Palace was closed because of an official ceremony and the arts village was a dusty shell (probably a Covid casualty) so all around a bust. The final straw was as we were waiting to see if the ceremony at the palace would end and we could enter, a man came up to Dawn and yelled at her in French. It took a while for us to understand but apparently he was telling her she was not allowed to sit with her legs crossed. We have no idea why, she was wearing a long dress that came down to her ankles. It made us feel uncomfortable so we continued south to Yaounde.


Switch to paved road - what a relief!

We worked our way south, noticing the country became less tradtionally Muslim as we did. Clothing styles changed and instead of mosques, we would see churches. The scenery was lush and green, covered in rainforest. We spent our last two nights in Yaounde, securing our DRC visas. The city felt relatively prosperous and modern but lacking in obvious cultural sites. Onwards.

Gabon

Entry into Gabon was uneventful. We were back on guard now so when the immigration officer asked us for $25 to process our passports we reminded him it was free and he just waved us on.

Our first impressions of Gabon were huge rainforests, lots of active logging and a surprising number of military and police checkpoints. They actually felt as frequent as Nigeria and more serious as they were actively blocking the road and asking to check passports. We also noticed that people were not dressed in the bright fabrics of Benin and Togo. Women carried their wares in large baskets on their backs instead of on their heads. Homes were built in more contemporary styles, mostly square with tin rooves.


Decent paved roads and lots of green


Lots of active logging - huge trees. Andy, a lifelong forester, was saddened not to see any signs of replanting


Entering the long bumpy road to Lopé National Park


Still grateful for dry roads! But something is going on, all of a sudden the truck is clanking weirdly when we go over bumps. We cautiously continue.


Appreciating the views along the river


We can see why the road gets impassable in the wet season

But the strange noises are getting worse and we decide not to continue on a remote road with minimal infrastructure. So we turn around and head for Libreville.


On a close inspection at dusk, we can see the truck is folding up in the middle and the top of the camper is almost resting on the cab (normally there is a 5” gap).


On the road to Libreville, metal drums signify something for sale, much of it a variety of bush meat. We’ve made it a policy to only eat chicken or beef


A wild assortment of animal meat

The Taco Tacos

After the bone-jolting roads of Taraba state in Nigeria and the truck-swallowing potholes of the rough 4x4 track crossing into Cameroun, we had put our overweight truck through its paces. As we continued on our way and hit our next rough track in Gabon, we knew by the noises we heard something was wrong. Our fairing that is attached to the overhang of the camper started to hit the top of the cab. Andy removed it. Next, the smaller cylinder that holds our mosquito netting started to hit. Finally we noticed the gas filling pipe that sits between the camper and the cab on the driver’s side starting to hit the side of the cab.


Gap between the top of the cab and the camper shrunk from 5” to 2”

Not sure what was going on, but sure it was not good, we made the nerve-wracking 200 km drive to Libreville. Not sure if the truck was going to break in two on us, we creeped along at minimal speed.

When we stopped for the night, Andy did a more thorough inspection and figured out what had happened. Thinking that the truck’s frame was breaking, Andy discovered the problem. There are six mounting brackets that connect the flatbed and camper to the truck frame. The welds on the front two brackets had broken.


Andy’s fingers between the mounting bracket and the black truck frame. Flatbed is the bright aluminum above


Found an Airbnb while we researched and dealt with the problem - kitchen window view.

Our first stop was the Toyota dealer in town and they were awesome. Despite a huge language barrier (our French is atrocious), they immediately understood the problem and assigned someone to help. He took Andy to a local automotive shop that specializes in 4x4 trucks and they agreed to work on it the next day.


First step removing weeks of heavy red mud. The truck had never been so clean.

The folks at Cartech in Libreville were fantastic. They made time to jump on the problem and carefully worked through it with us.


Side view showing how the bracket is no longer attached to the frame on the driver’s side.


Passenger side bracket, weld is broken but bracket still resting in place

Our first challenge was that we thought we would have to find someone to remove the camper and flatbed with a forklift in order to re-weld the brackets.


At the time of starting the repairs, the camper had sagged onto the cab so the shop used a jack to lift it into place.

Once the camper was lifted into place with a jack, they realized that the brackets to be welded could actually be accessed by removing the flatbed lock boxes so no need to find a forklift - phew!

Second jack precisely aligning camper and flatbed back to correct position before re-welding


Repair in action


Thank you to the crew at Cartech - they came in on a Saturday to get us back on the road

There is a lot of discussion in travel and overland forums about the wisdom of placing a camper setup like ours on a midsize truck. We knew that we were taking a risk with weight but felt it was worth it given the Tacoma’s proven ruggedness and because it was the standard size we wanted for world travel. We found the weak spot! The original Toyota welds gave way, but the welding was limited to the inside of the bracket. When we had the repairs done, the welds were completed again on the inside but in addition on the complete outer circumference of the bracket, stronger and better suited for the weight we have on them.

We are also impressed with the robustness of the flatbed itself and are glad we made the investment in Norweld. When the front brackets gave way, it put stress on the remaining brackets and the flatbed frame itself that was overhanging with no support. In the end, the flatbed frame did not have any damage or warping. The other takeaway is for Andy to slow down more on the many big bumps.

Gabon Part 2

Feeling strong and confident again with our truck back up to speed, we decided to re-attempt the road to Lopé National Park. The rains had come, but it was still very driveable.


Mostly hard packed gravel


And, of course some mud


The truck had been clean for a grand total of 24 hours

We had tried to research Lopé National Park in advance but it was difficult to find information. Because of our inability to speak French we never like to try to call in advance - phone calls are excrutiatingly awkward. So we decided to just show up at the main park lodge where we heard they organized tours and see if we could arrange something. Naturally, the road was a little longer than we had planned so we were pulling into town at almost dusk. And the lodge was closed. So using iOverlander, we drove by a couple of other lodges/areas to camp - also closed. On our last attempt, we drove by a hotel and were greeted by Musa who came out of his home and agreed to let us camp on the grounds for a fee. There were no other guests. He also agreed to call a guide for us - what a bonus!

Donald, the only English speaking guide in the park, showed up an hour later and we made our plan for the next day. He explained that the train that connects the town and park to Libreville had been broken down for several months so no one was coming. That explained why it felt so shut down and deserted. People were struggling without the visitors coming and without easy transportation to work. A country like Gabon has so little transportation infrastructure that when it breaks down, the consequences are harsh for people. The fallback is minivan taxis, typically crowded with passengers bumping along the challenging roads

We had a super morning with Donald in the park, a lot of excitement when we were tracking an elephant in the forest, but we never spotted him. We had seen elephants from our vehicle in the past, but it is a different feeling following one on foot in the forest. The park and surrounding area was stunning, a beautiful mix of savannah and forest.


Our first new wildlife sighting - African Forest Buffalo


Lots of monkeys!


Beautiful day for a hike


And then we got back in our truck to (very carefully) travel the rest of the muddy road and prepare to enter the Congo.



Verging into wet season

Another mixed bag of adventures. We were feeling confident about the integrity of the truck and this shook us a little. On the upside, maybe we found the weak spot and all is good. Or, when feeling pessimistic, we think this could be the first sign of a series of stress problems. We hope not. Either way, we are ready for what comes ahead. Thank you for reading and next up, the Republic of Congo - hoping for gorillas!

 

ohh that makes sense lol

 

Amazing adventures, thanks for sharing and safe travels on the road ahead!

 

this is the best thread on this website, thank you so much for sharing and hoping you guys have lots and lots more fun safely!

 

That road though

 

Many thanks for sharing and allowing us all to daydreaming of doing something like this ourselves! Glad your issue was fixed somewhat easily.

 

Sure thing! Hopefully it’s entertaining. The amazing thing was the repair shop people were fabulous, they didn’t even want to charge us anything. I insisted that they take a $100 bill. Will post up our next driving adventure through the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo in a few days.

We’re now in Angola! Which means we’ve officially driven through what people consider is the West Coast of Africa. Should be easy peasy from now on!

 

And we will keep watching - thanks!

 

Narrator: "Or so he thought. But there was trouble brewing on the horizon."