There are important distinctions to be made between an overland vehicle and an expedition truck. The former, as the name suggests, is a “vehicle” that can provide live-in comfort but is generally limited by size and payload. Expedition trucks are better defined as a go-anywhere rolling home with a huge capacity for amenities and comforts. I appreciate these are broad generalizations, so I recommend listening to Principles of Overland :: Expedition Campers on the Overland Journal podcast for a better understanding of these platforms for travel. It’s therefore, perhaps unsurprising that many of these mobile luxury apartments range from a few hundred thousand dollars to over a million (reference the $1,900,000 EarthRoamer HD). While they are prohibitively expensive for most, fear not, as there’s a huge custom-build scene where you can pick up a stunning expedition camper for less than an outfitted Mercedes Sprinter 4×4 van. Cue today’s $80,000 1990 Leyland Daf T244 expedition truck, which is completely self-contained and built from the ground up for remote exploration. In addition, it’s something of an internet star after being showcased on the Florb YouTube channel. I watched Florb’s tour when it was released back in 2021 and was so inspired by this stunning rig that I ended up deep-diving the T244. This inevitably led me to the overland adventures of Matthew Payne in perhaps the most iconic T244 in the world, “Matilda.” If you have any reservations about the reliability, capability, and liveability of these trucks, check out Matthew’s YouTube channel as he takes his DAF through 18 countries over 18 months, including large parts of Siberia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. This is a killer deal for an individual, couple, or small family looking for an alternative to exorbitant rent, mortgage rates, and bills.
From the Seller:
“Welly has been an incredible home on wheels for us over the past 3 years. We love the Cummins 6BT for its reliability, fuel efficiency, simplicity to fix, and ease of sourcing parts. Everything in the build was kept fairly simple to be easily repaired when out on the road. The beautifully refurbished wood interior and custom-built wood stove make for the most cozy cabin feel. The large windows allowed us to enjoy our surroundings, and the spaciousness enabled us to cook great meals as well as work and live on the road long term. We are avid adventurers and love many sports, which means lots of gear! We loved living in Welly as we were able to carry all our road bikes, mountain bikes, rock climbing gear, crash pads for bouldering, backcountry split boards, and three surfboards. We made a few key upgrades, such as building and installing custom wheels with a more universal tire size. Welly does great and can comfortably reach a cruising speed of 90 km/h (55 mph) with an incredible fuel efficiency for its size of 13 mpg.”
1990 Leyland DAF T244
The T244 is powered by a proven Cummins 5.9-liter 6BT six-cylinder motor, which in stock form, produces 145 horsepower and 364 pound-feet of torque (although today’s example has been uprated with a Bosch VE injection pump and intercooler). It’s worth noting that this vehicle averages a respectable 13 mpg, which means a range of 1,300+ miles courtesy of a 100-gallon fuel tank. An exceptionally long-lived engine is mated with legendary capability thanks to permanent 4WD, high and low range, a center differential lock, snorkel with prefilter, and more. The DAF cab interior reflects its military origins and is subsequently function first but does feature the following driver comforts:
- Subaru STI seats
- Back-up camera
- Insulated and sound deadened
- Aftermarket stereo with uprated speakers
- Center console with cup holders
- Interior lights
- Converter for interior accessories, 24-volt to 12-volt
Distinguishing Features
- Starworks custom Hutchinson aluminum wheels with Goodyear G388 tires
- Custom steel bumper
- Freshwater (65 gallons) with 3-stage filtration
- Custom roof rack
- House battery bank (400 amp-hours), 680 watts of solar, 4,000-watt inverter, and more
- Custom wood stove
- Eberspacher diesel heater and Isotemp coolant heat exchanger water heater
- Two MaxxAir fans
- Custom spare tire carrier with hand crank crane
- Nova Kool 80-liter refrigerator with freezer compartment
- Wet bath with Airhead composting toilet
- Custom underbody storage boxes
- Four-bike garage
- Double-pane RV windows
- Dining area with bench seat storage
- Queen-size bed with headboard storage and wardrobe
This 1990 Leyland DAF T244 Expedition Truck is listed for $80,000 USD and is currently located in Ventura, California. Check the full vehicle specifications via the original Expedition Portal forum post here.
Contact information
Email: hi@marce.ca
