The Build – What’s New

There's two parts to an Overland truck, the truck and the habitat. After getting a few quotes we quickly decided that building our own habitat was going to be the way to go. The lead time, especially during the pandemic on finished boxes was more than a year, and it…

After inspecting the disassembled brakes, it was clear they were in pretty good shape and didn't have that many miles on them. Yes, they hadn't been used extensively recently but they only needed cleaning and a little tlc. I took the drums to Seattle Brake and Clutch, they did a…

Take your time - You can do it in a long weekend, but you do not need to. Working with Sika skin time, coordinating 3+ people and moving 8-foot plus panels is stressful. You can do the build in 10+ discrete steps, spread over as long as you want. You…

We knew when we purchased a 30-year-old truck that it would require a bit of effort to turn it into an Overland Truck. Initially we thought we'd give it a fresh coat of paint and a 'major' service. However, on our first two drives we broke down with what was…

Before I start - I made friends a diesel mechanic (who made friends with an x-military mechanic) he helped me with all the brakes work to ensure it was done correctly. When everything is done, I have found a local truck repair company who will be giving everything a once…

Our DAF was built in 1990, so it came with the Lucas CAV injector. Later versions of the DAF (so called Euro-1 and Euro-2) came with a Bosch VE Injector, which is significantly more superior. In the US, they only fitted the CAV to farm vehicles, with puts its abilities…

An engine requires oxygen to burn the fuel, if you reduce the flow of fresh oxygen rich air into the engine then it will slow down. An Exhaust Brake is one of the most popular upgrades because when activated it restricts the flow of air out of the engine. The…

When you install an exhaust brake you also need to upgrade the valve springs. This is done to ensure they stay closed when the brake is active. The brake stops the engine expelling air through the exhaust, so it increases the overall pressure inside the engine. The recommendation is to…

Cleaning up the wheel nuts is probably the best example of how effectively you can restore 30-year-old rusty and painted parts. The first step was cleaning them up, which involved plenty of SmartStrip Paint Stripper, an overnight bath in Evapo-Rust Rust Remover, followed by a couple of hours in a…

There's a lot of debate about the Cummins 5.9 Killer Dowel Syndrome. There are definitely cases where the dowel between the engine and timing cover comes loose, falls into the engine and causes chaos. However, DAF owners have not reported this happening, and inspection of the dowel shows it's still…

Having decided I wanted to upgrade to larger tires I simply copied Nic's Overland Truck Bucky and brought a set of custom wheels from Stazworks. He takes US military wheels designed for an MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle, adds a custom-made mounting ring and powder coats them. They are exceedingly…

The Bosch VE Injector allows the engine to be revved up to 2,500 rpm. By changing the spring in the injector, you are able to rev the engine to 3,200 rpm. What that means is you can stay in gear long, which is particularly helpful on a hill. This is…

The Bosch VE Injector comes with a guide pin and diaphragm that restrict the fuel delivery until there is sufficient air to burn the fuel. Replacing the guide pin increases the fuel delivery for the same boost pressure, thus improve your engine performance. That adds around 30hp and 50 lb-ft…

As the RPM of the engine increases there is less time for the fuel to burn. The dynamic timing advance in the injector compensates for this by injecting the fuel into the cylinder earlier in the cycle. This spacer provides more room for the dynamic timing advance to travel inside…

The Leyland DAF T224 is a fantastic base for an Overland Truck. It's built to stand the demands of the military, so largely overbuilt but also easy to maintain in the field. Unlike most modern vehicles, the electrical system is very basic, it does not have an ECU and only…