February 2021
For Diane and me, buying an expedition truck was a massive financial and lifestyle commitment. Finally, we were ready to sell up everything, move full time into a motor home and set off to explore the world. We had experience of a wide range of camper vans and smaller expedition vehicles so we brought with us a long list of requirements and a possibly longer list of things to avoid.
Meeting up with Unicat was quite a revelation. They had customers doing what we wanted to do and trucks travelling where we wanted to travel. This experience is vital. A fully-fledged expedition truck is a sophisticated and complex beast. It is not enough to have an extensive workshop and skilled crafts-people; you also need the right mix of knowledge, innovation and experience.
Building Baloo took three years. Initially there was considerable discussion, lots of explanation and choices. This was the start of an on-going and very positive relationship with Unicat that continues to this day. They take great pride in the trucks they build and have a genuine interest in their customers. We felt involved in every stage of the creation of our dream truck so when Baloo was finally ready it really felt like our truck.
Nearly three years and 60,000 km down the road and we are happier than ever with Baloo. It has taken us from the frozen Arctic to the heart of the Sahara reliably and comfortably. Once the Covid problem has gone, we will get on with exploring the rest of the world.
Simon & Diane
