Ultra Cheap Traveler
This is the page built for the Ultra Cheap Traveler, or better yet Ultra Cheap Offroad Adventure Traveler.
I often get asked the question,"So whats the cheapest vehicle to travel the world with?".
This question comes to me in email and by people at gas stations about 10-12 times a week. So just for that reason, I decided to see just how cheap it could be done. Im mean really cheap. Could I build a vehicle capable of world travel for under say $20,000? You bet-easily. Could I do it for $10,000? Oh yea! How about $5,000? Yea, getting tougher though. How about $2,500? Yikes, now thats tough.
Sounds good, that would be the challenge! Build a world capable traveler, aka Ultra Cheap Offroad Adventer Traveler (aka UCOAT??weird, but ok!), for under $2500. This price is complete vehicle, ready to go!
Whats needed? requirements?
Obviously your not going to get all the comforts of a five star resort, but it should have the following requirements to be a UCOAT:
Be RELIABLE!
Have parts available in most countries
Parts must be relatively cheap
Good on gas. Cheap does no good if it gets 3mpg!
Capable of hauling one person and all their gear!
Possible Candidates:
The VW Beetle(bug)-Good candidate. Fits most of the criteria and quite honestly was the first to come to mind. But finding a good running bug cheap is getting harder, doable, but harder. They get about 20-25mpg. No fuel injection, but super easy to work on. Parts available everywhere and can do a motor swap on the side of the road with a handful of tools. Thats a plus! As you can tell from the picture here, they can be loaded with everything you can imagine!HA!
A Subaru- Most are cheap and have the added benefit of all wheel drive for the sticky situations! The late 80s or early 90s models mostly sell for less than $1500. Could buy a wagon for added storage or possible sleeping area. Maybe a little cramped? Australia loves them and has a good supply of aftermarket offroad stuff for them. Parts are cheap. Gets high 20s maybe even into the 30 mpg range. Can also find them with a low range transfer case type setup. Handy for slow grunt work.
Toyota Truck-Obviously a great choice. Very reliable and known around the world. Like the two above, can be found for less than $1500, but getting kinda rough in that price range. Also has true 4x4 with 4hi and 4lo. Parts found most everywhere. 4cyl doesnt have alot of power, but dependable as anything out there. Decent gas mileage, 20-25mpg. Maybe less depending on tires. Put a topper on it and sleep in the bed rather easily.
Other Options?:
After looking at the list I started looking around for capable vehicles. And this got me thinking. With the price of gas, even with 20+mpg, a trip around the world can get costly. So what gets better mpg? A motorcycle! Definatly could qualify! Gets good mpg, is capable, reliable, etc. Plus you get the added benefit of cheap overseas insurance. Its cheaper to ship! If it breaks down, you can throw it in the back of a truck and hitch a ride to the next town. There seemed to be endless benefits for the UCOAT! So I started looking at these as well. These newer bikes, that are 1200+CCs, dont get much better gas mileage than the vehicles listed above. So it had to be something smaller! For one person and some gear, you could get away with a 250cc. They get upwards of 60-75mpg. Thats DOUBLE, if not TRIPLE the mileage of the vehicles listed above! Twice the range, half the shipping cost! Sounded great! So here are some good options if your looking in that category:
Honda XR250R:Great little bike with a long proven track record. Can pick these up all day long for under $1000 and tough as nails! I had one and I still regret selling. I couldnt believe that this little package could hold 65-70mph with my big butt on it, but it did it. I would highly recommend looking into one of these if your looking for a cheap dual sport thats dead reliable and good on gas.
Yamaha XT225:Another great bike. This one like others is cheap, under $1000, and plentiful. Parts are easy to get, although not as easy as Honda. This one has a recent track record as "Lois on the Loose" famous trip from Alask to Argentina in 2003. Great read if you have the time. Again a good rock solid foundation thats great on fuel.
Honda CT90: And now if your looking for something really unique, take a Trail90! These little bikes are not as fast as the others, but they have a low gear selection for offroad, and they REALLY shine offroad. Super light and probably easier to work on than a lawn mower. With a base hp rating of EIGHT, dont plan on getting anywhere fast. I dont think these are the best choice for the US roads, as top speed is 55mph MAX, all out! But on US backroads or any other countries roads, this thing shines! Lightest bike of the three and gets over 100mpg.Now thats nearly QUADRUPLE the cars above.But you pay for that with low speeds. You can read of someone elses trip from California to Belize on a pair of CT90s. Another great read!
What did I choose for this project?:
Now these vehicles and dual sports vary for everybody. If you can find a cheap dual sport 650, go for it! My goal here was to find the cheapest! That doesnt mean you wont find a smoking deal somewhere on something that works for you better.
So in my quest for the CHEAPEST I went looking for a Honda CT90 or Trail90. I was searching craigslist for a great buy and came across a CT90 for $100 in running condition! That was a killer deal! I jumped in the truck and went to look at it. Took all of two seconds to realize what a killer deal it was. So heres some pics: Oh and check out the "CT90 Shakedown Ride!" of the new bike!
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