Description

1994 Iveco 4x4 Camper

No Reserve

A unique 4x4 go-anywhere two-berth camper conversion; based on a military paramedic vehicle; a fascinating history of global trekking; its time for your adventure to start

First registered in June 1997, this very tough vehicle will need minor recommissioning. It has been sitting unused for some six years having been parked up in very good condition and with only 101,000 kms on the clock. It started straight away and runs and although the brakes work, they will need some attention. The accommodation equipment may need further refurbing too, but everything is there. It comes with a large history file.

Fitted with a 2,500cc turbo-diesel engine, with options for 2wd, 4wd and 4wd low ratio operated by one lever, it has sepearate rear diff locks and front diff locks, both operated by independent levers so you can have one, or both engaged e.g. for soft sand etc….

This vehicle is one of only seven of similar type, all of which were slightly different in their military purpose. L586 RYD was the only 4x4 paramedic vehicle. Like the others, it had been built speculatively by Iveco to tempt the British Army into choosing their vehicles. This did not happen, the Army remaining loyal to Land Rovers, and the seven vehicles were never used. Two ended up in 1997 with a specialist dealer, Frog Island 4x4’s of Wallingford, Oxon, where the second owner purchased what was essentially a new vehicle, and the only owner to ever actually use the vehicle to date. The invoice for this purchase at £14,687 is included with the sale.

He set about converting it into a camper for cross-continental touring with a capability for rough terrain. This gentleman had grown up in Africa and wanted to return to reach many far-out locations of the continent. The rear section was re-engineered by Essex Bodybuilders and included raising the roof height for standing purposes and fitting windows. There is a detailed invoice from Essex Bodybuilders of all works. It was then fully kitted out, mostly by himself and a friend in the business, with a focus on function rather than decorative form, with two bunks, sink, cooker and toilet. After the fit out, it was repainted from its original army green with red cross to the current beige sand upper with black lower. Some neat detailing took place; when new the whole vehicle was army green. During repainting all the grills and body edges, wheels and fittings were contrasted in black, with the Iveco grille badge singled out in contrasting beige sand.

Over the intervening years, the Iveco has been on some amazing adventures with this owner and his wife. An expedition to Africa in 1999 was undertaken, with the Iveco being shipped to Mombasa. It was left professionally stored in Africa for several years while the couple returned to the UK for a period, then returning to Africa to continue their adventure. In some remote locations, even Land Rovers and Toyota Land Cruisers came to grief; not so with the Iveco, as it stormed past them, never embarrassing itself, although always graciously coming back to pull the inferior vehicles out! The Iveco is not fast, but is a bulldog of a truck.

After the Africa trip, the Iveco was shipped back to the UK. The couple went to collect it to drive it back home, only to find it damaged by the shippers. Again, only specialist vehicle repairers were selected, and professional repairs involved removing the body from the chassis.

Another expedition was to Australia in 2005, again with the Iveco being shipped out, this time to Perth. The plan was to arrive in Brisbane, having crossed the Nullabor, to meet up with his son and family who had emigrated there. The pre-arranged month arrived but there was no sign or message from the couple who, in true pioneer-style, travelled without any modern communications media. The family started to get concerned that they were lost/stuck/kidnapped etc. Eventually, after a four-month delay, the elderly couple (now in their 70’s) rocked up in the Iveco in Brisbane, quite matter of fact. "Oh we just decided on an extra little detour". This vehicle’s owner, as you can now imagine, was quite an independent, determined, and physically robust gentleman, and had clearly bought and built a vehicle of similar characteristics!

The vehicle was always maintained by specialists and mostly by Reg Vardy Iveco-Ford and Renault Trucks both in Reading. Most of these invoices are supplied along with many camper-related invoices. The last two MOT’s, show passes with no advisories, expiring in December 2015.

A full set of operating manuals, tarpaulin, a range of tools, some for the vehicle, some not are included. The Iveco tells an amazing tale with a unique start to its life, an amazing life-story since, and some photos before and after camper conversion along with its shipment to Mombasa.

This vehicle makes almost all other 4x4 adventure campers look like a wet weekend. If you seek the real wilderness, this impressive and comprehensively thought out and tested camper is exactly what you need - and if that isn't tempting enough, it is offered at No Reserve so the best bid on the day buys the truck..

For more information - contact nigel.mainard@brightwells.com


nigel.mainard@brightwells.com