Batedbreath. Thanks for the advice. I have quite a few kms under my belt too. Scandinavia, Canada, The length of the Pyrenees, all over Europe, Thailand, bits of North Africa. But I consider this trip to be "The Big One". Mainly for the remoteness of some the places I plan to go. Ideally I would ship my Unimog over, but the import cleaning is a nightmare. Get just one small thing wrong and you're in for thousand of dollars of steam cleaning at a quarantine station. So it's fly and buy and then resell when I leave. I had already decided on a diesel. Preferably a Hilux ute extra cab. Whether I can get hold of a pre-computer model that will last the trip is another matter. On the other hand, a chip failure in the middle of the Pilbara doesn't bear thinking about, there's only so much of my own urine I'm prepared to drink! A dual battery system is desirable but not essential as I travel electronically light and would rather rely on block and tackle and a high lift jack if needed than a winch. Anyway I've got a few months to research and plan yet. Cheers.