THE TRUCK

The Leyland DAF T244 was chosen for our build because: it’s mechanically simple and reliable, there’s a good parts supply, it’s acceptably comfortable to drive, it’s reasonably competent in tough terrain, it’s just about small and compact enough to get to most places, and it was excellent value for money. The entire build was - and continues to be - steadfastly underpinned by the philosophies of simplicity, reliability, durability and multifunctionality. The truck is mainly about function and for the sake of my sanity is conceived, built and used as a means to an end; albeit a sympathetically driven and maintained one.  I discovered decades ago that concours and overlanding are ill-suited bedfellows. We find little appeal with fads, gadgets or bling.

Current Dimensions, Specifications, Equipment and Systems

 

Vehicle
Base vehicle	Leyland DAF T244 General Service (GS) truck Fitted for Radio (FFR) variant (twin alternators / battery banks) Right-hand drive
Cab modifications	Lined with various kinds of soundproofing material and cosmetically improved Engine / transmission 'hump' carpeted KAB 414 mechanical suspension seats installed 24V and 12V (via DC-DC converter) sockets installed to run / recharge devices 2 x cooling fans fitted
Drive configuration	Permanent AWD (4x4) Open diffs on front and rear axles - not lockable
Drivetrain	Turner T5-350 gearbox with 5 speed + 1 reverse Hi and lo-range Getrag transfer box (lockable) gives a total of 10 forward and 2 reverse ratios
Engine	Cummins 6BT 6cyl 5.9litre turbo diesel Euro 1 Compliant Very lightly modified (Bosch fuel pump tweak) to produce approx 160BHP
Fuel capacity	Approx 250 litres giving a range of around 500 - 800 miles, depending on conditions
Officialdom	UK registered with body type 'Motorcaravan' Re-categorised by DVLA to Class M (passenger) from Class N (goods) Subject to annual Class IV MoT testing
Overall dimensions	Length: 7.18m Height: 3.43m (plus 90mm locally for vents) Width: 2.44m
Suspension	Parabolic leaf-spring / conventional dampers
Weights	Maximum Authorised Mass: 11600kg (downrated to 7500) Gross Train Weight: 16260kg (downrated to 11000) Axle 1: 5000kg (downrated to 4400) Axle 2: 7500kg (downrated to 4800)
Wheelbase	3950mm
Wheels and tyres	Standard three-piece split rims running NATO MIL 14R20 tyres
Year of manufacture	Base vehicle manufactured in 1994 Overlander build done in 2010 / 11 - tweaks ongoing…
Habitation Box
Construction	Five-element professionally laminated composite panels comprising: GRP - plywood - extruded polystyrene foam - plywood - GRP Overall thickness ranges from 54mm to 64mm (approx) Timber inlays and rebated peripheral frames included for extra strength Bonded together with Sikaflex 252
Crawl through	Purposefully omitted
Dimensions	Length: 4.29m (bottom) / 4.87m (top) Height: 1.98m Width: 2.34m (all external)
Layout notes	Separate beds: one front, one rear - both transverse Main seating: 2 x feet-up chaise-longues style sofas Separate quiet seat with flip-down table for reading / laptop use etc Fully enclosed dedicated shower cubicle - no shower curtains! Fully enclosed bike garage to keep bikes clean, safe and out of sight
Paint colourway	BS381c 285 Matt NATO Green RAL9016 Gloss Traffic White BS381c 642 Satin Night Black
Subframe solution	Standard LD 244 (stripped) load bed retained, modification to forward mounts of  bed affords very slightly increased articulation / separation at this point
Windows and doors	Windows: Dometic Seitz S4 Doors: Locally manufactured
Equipment & Systems
Ablutions	Simple, totally portable 'porta-potti style' cassette toilet (Dometic 972)
Battery charging	24V side: charged directly and solely by the truck's twin alternators 12V side: charged by Durite 24-12V Battery-to-Battery charger No hook up, no generators, no wind turbine - but, one 100W 72-cell solar briefcase panel is carried for emergencies in case we lose the ability to charge from the engine, or (if required) on the very rare occasions we stay in the same place for more than one night. The fully portable nature of the panel enables maximum efficiency as we can 'track' the sun at all angles. It also enables parking in the shade whilst the panel sits in full sunlight, both massive pluses
Cooking	36 litre Thetford Duplex oven with dedicated burner for grill Two-burner CAN hob with one medium and one slow burner All appliances powered by LPG Manual ignition systems chosen for both devices
Cooling	Fans and plenty of exterior ventilation Window configuration means the truck can be cooled whilst driving
Electrical supply	24V side: 2 x Yuasa 12V AGM batteries in series rated at ~95Ah @ 24V (or ~190Ah @12V) 12V side: 1 x Yuasa 12V AGM battery rated at ~95Ah @ 12V 230V ac: Provided by 1800W quasi-sine wave inverter (rarely used - usually only once every few days for a hair dryer) No central electronic control panel or monitoring systems, simple manual switches and distribution boxes preferred. Altogether, this is a simple and purposefully low-capacity but easily-properly-fully-recharged system (unlike many larger systems) that works very well given our preferred travelling routine of moving on most days
Furniture	Vohringer furniture board with beech structural / decorative components
LPG system	2 x refillable portable cylinders with float gauges and 80% max-fill safety cut-off giving approximately 50 litres capacity One or both cylinders can be filled in-situ from remote externally mounted  fill-point Option to remove one cylinder to enable refilling away from truck On-cylinder regulators used in preference to remote (bulkhead -mounted) types for reliability and compatibility reasons
Refrigeration	Waeco CRX 110 compressor fridge with small freezer compartment
Space heating	Two interlinked systems: 2kW Webasto diesel-powered blown air heater 2.4kW Truma LPG-powered blown-air heater Both heaters feed into a common ducting system delivering hot air around the truck and can be used independently or together Micro ducting feeds underfloor area to protect water tank / supply system from icing up / frost damage Separate TrumaVent booster fan fitted to further circulate warm air as desired
Water capacity	Approx 330 litres
Water heating	15-litre calorifier primarily heated by circulating engine coolant 4kW Eberspacher hydronic furnace plumbed into same engine-coolant circuit can also independently heat water stored  in calorifier. In extremes of climate, this furnace can also be used to pre-heat the engine coolant to ensure reliable starting performance, plus a pre-heated cab! 750 watt 230V ac electrical element within calorifier acts as a back up heat source (ie can be powered from inverter when stationary and engine running) Thermostatic mixer fitted to calorifier's hot water outlet to regulate temperature and maximise capacity of stored hot water
Miscellaneous
Happy with the:	1. Aluminium window guards fabricated primarily to protect vulnerable acrylic windows, but which also provide extra security and privacy 2. Clear polycarbonate thermal shields to prevent condensation forming around hatch and door frames. These can also be deployed with doors / hatches open to allow in lots of light but keep out wind / cold and insects 3. Diesel heater exhaust routed through steel external locker to assist with gentle drying of wet and muddy boots 4. Permanent folding seat mounted on top of cab for extended, comfortable wildlife viewing 5. Conversion to 14R20 tyres gives much improved performance across the board 6. Tambour overhead-locker doors used extensively - simple, reliable and light 7. Rear access door design maximises interior space and obviates need for usual, often problematic, ladder-assisted high-level entrances
Next time I'd:	1. Build slightly smaller height-wise (50mm at least) 2. Use 2 x chest-style fridges (one performing refrigeration duty and one for simple storage / backup) 3. Build a large opening wall-hatch to enable clear wildlife-viewing during rain 4. Retain existing capacity but have two fresh-water tanks instead of one, including incorporation of a rainwater scavenging system