# Drive to and around China 2012



## Wilbur (Apr 11, 2006)

My first thought was to drive overland in 2012 from Europe to Singapore and take my motorhome on to New Zealand via Australia, I ruled this out when I looked at the cost of converting the left-hand drive over to a right-hand drive vehicle and the differential in cost between buying a European motorhome in New Zealand and mine would make it not worth the bother.
This meant I had to take my European motorhome back to Europe so I started off looking at spending a month in China and when I saw how little I could see I quickly realised that 90 days was the minimum if one wanted to see a reasonable amount of China. It is not until you start planning the trip around China, that you realise just how large the country is and the distances required to travel, yes, the trip can be made shorter, but exactly what you not want to see?
I looked at ways of getting to China and ruled out Mongolia because of the lack of roads and the fact that Perestroika Tours place the motorhomes on their tour going through Mongolia on the train.
I ruled out Tibet because of my angle of departure of the rear of my motorhome and whilst others have done this route in similar vehicles I considered foolhardy to rely on somebody else towing you out of the problems caused by your choice of vehicle.
I considered having a four-wheel drive, what I call, " serious motorhome" built but the length of time required for delivery coupled with my age did not necessarily make it a wise investment.
Therefore any travel I did, had to be done on my current motorhome, with whatever minor modifications I can make, to suit the area that I am going.
This meant the travels through China had to be that of a front wheel drive normal motorhome and every other service I required for the motorhome like fuel and water had to be available with the normal tanks I have on my normal motorhome.
The entry point into China was settled upon by the guide that we will employ to guide us around China as being an entry point where the customs deposit is one that can be handled by the company with us paying interest on that money...... more

For the whole story see http://www.ivan.co.nz/China Tour.html


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## dawnwynne (Nov 14, 2009)

Hi Wilbur,

Sounds like a very fascinating trip. The preparation involved is unbelievable but probably well worth it in the end. So have you actually done the trip now, I wasn't too sure.


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

dawnwynne said:


> So have you actually done the trip now, I wasn't too sure.


Yes, Dawn.

:: link to map ::

Gerald


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## dawnwynne (Nov 14, 2009)

Thanks Gerald I thought that was just the map that the tour guides provided for the tour. Didn't realise it was completed. Sure would like more details on how it went.


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

Now thats what I call an adventure well done!


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

dawnwynne said:


> Thanks Gerald I thought that was just the map that the tour guides provided for the tour. Didn't realise it was completed. Sure would like more details on how it went.


Gah! I think you're right - he hasn't actually done it yet. Silly me.

Gerald


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## dawnwynne (Nov 14, 2009)

LOL Gerald, thought I was losing it there for a moment...wouldn't be unusual for me! :lol:


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## PAT4NEIL (Jul 21, 2007)

Australia is on our list of places that we are going to visit in our self build truck. What do you mean about having to convert from left hand drive to right hand drive to get to Australia and New Zealand.

We know several people that have gone to Australia in a Left hand drive vehicle.

Pat


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## Wilbur (Apr 11, 2006)

No I have not done the trip yet it is for 2012 if you check out the web site.

LHD and NZ ..... if you are a visitor no problems, if you live here normally you can not drive it even from the wharf.....


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

Wilbur said:


> No I have not done the trip yet it is for 2012 if you check out the web site.
> 
> LHD and NZ ..... if you are a visitor no problems, if you live here normally you can not drive it even from the wharf.....


The Itinerary is so well thought out it must have taken a lot of planning and has made fascinating reading.


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## CurlyBoy (Jan 13, 2008)

love to do it but I would want one of these for the trip. Being Russian, parts would be easy and it will run on any fuel, or even a mixture.
curlyboy


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## dawnwynne (Nov 14, 2009)

Wilbur said:


> No I have not done the trip yet it is for 2012 if you check out the web site.
> 
> LHD and NZ ..... if you are a visitor no problems, if you live here normally you can not drive it even from the wharf.....


Hmmm...I hope you didn't mean that to sound as I read it as it came across rather rude to me. I did check out the link you posted and didn't notice a date. Looks like an interesting trip you have planned good luck with it but I won't post anymore on it.


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## grizzlyj (Oct 14, 2008)

Hi

Sounds like a fab trip! Good luck!

Can I ask why you ruled out 4x4 due to build time? So new only? There are nearly 300 used 4x4 campers on Mobile.de at the moment!

http://www.mobile.de/home/index.html?lang=en

Jason


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## Wilbur (Apr 11, 2006)

grizzlyj said:


> Hi
> 
> Sounds like a fab trip! Good luck!
> 
> ...


Yes I am aware of those, I was looking at getting a new one built and there are problems in registering & Insuring if you are from outside the UK. I would have only needed 4x4 if I was going thro Mongolia or Tibet and the Carthago will handle the roads for my route OK so I will go with what I have.


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## Wilbur (Apr 11, 2006)

dawnwynne said:


> Wilbur said:
> 
> 
> > No I have not done the trip yet it is for 2012 if you check out the web site.
> ...


You should not be so sensitive and see a slight where there was none intended, written words always have a harder impact than soft spoken words!


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## waz (Jan 5, 2008)

dawnwynne to be fair to Wilbur, he does start his post with the date 2012

Waz


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## billym (Dec 17, 2005)

Great trip.

Sorry to go a little off topic but do you know whatever happened to 
2escapees who set off for Pakistan and India in Nov 2009 , they posted quite a lot on here at that time, but haven't heard anything of them since.


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## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

Hello Wilbur,

I've just come across this thread, and you've brought all my memories flooding back.

I agree, if you take the "Golden Road" you must visit Bukhara, if only to stand on the square where Nazrulla murdered Stoddart and Connolly. In fact, when I visited five years ago, a colleague said after Bukhara, you might as well just return home. I loved Uzbekistan, and to listen to their national anthem played at a magnificent show in this oasis town on Independence was a memory for life.

I travelled through the Torugart Pass into China (not in my motorhome) and it is a long but incredibly beautiful road. Absolute peace and quiet in a rarified atmosphere amongst snow covered mountains. The roads are steep and poorly constructed in places, but OK with care.

Crossed China through the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert from Kashgar, but I cheated and went by train.

Would I go back to Central Asia.................Absolutely...!!!

I wish you well and many happy memories.


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## hblewett (Jan 28, 2008)

billym said:


> Great trip.
> 
> Sorry to go a little off topic but do you know whatever happened to
> 2escapees who set off for Pakistan and India in Nov 2009 , they posted quite a lot on here at that time, but haven't heard anything of them since.


I followed them, having taken up the offer, on Facebook. Yes, they got to Pakistan India and Nepal. Quite a few adventures but all sorted out OK.


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

Reading an account of someone who did it in 2002 I'd not want to do it alone and I'd either want to drive or at least have in my convey a decent 4x4:

http://www.xor.org.uk/silkroute/china2002/index.html


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## sander4709 (Feb 17, 2008)

Hi Ivan,

Excellent planning as always for what will surely be a major adventure.

Where to this year?

Kind regards,

Simon
p.s. We're not going anywhere this year, although I'm starting to wish I could get away from all these aftershocks.


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