Featured Vehicle :: 1968 Volvo Valp

The first time I set eyes on Rick Schamper’s 1968 Volvo Valp, I was left speechless. Forget unicorns, the Loch Ness Monster, Mokele-mbembe, or Bigfoot; this is the only mythical creature that matters. Rick said it best: “It’s like a caricature of a car, like a cartoon character.” And he’s absolutely right. I’m not sure whether I’m looking at a real truck or one of the vehicles deployed by Thunderbird 2. So, what the hell is the Volvo Valp, and what planet does it come from?

The first edition of the Valp, the L2304, was developed by Volvo as a utility vehicle for the Swedish Army. The truck was later nicknamed the Valp, meaning “puppy” in Swedish because of its clumsy appearance (it’s also sometimes referred to as the “Laplander”). The key build objectives were simplicity, durability, availability of parts, ease of repair in the field, and certainly not speed. The original B16’s naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine produced a mere 66 horsepower and 75 pound-feet of torque, which made for underwhelming performance. Subsequently, the motor was soon replaced with the more powerful 1.8-liter B18, and eventually, the B20 engine (as originally fitted to Rick’s Valp), which offered up to 133 horsepower and 130 pound-feet of torque. A Volvo M40 fully synchronized transmission and two-speed ZF VG 50 transfer case made the most of the available power. The Valp was fitted with Salisbury axles and a rear differential that featured a Powr-Lok limited-slip device. A selection of different body types was available, including a hard-top, half-cab, and soft-top, while a limited number were adapted to mount anti-tank weapons.

Behind the Build

Rick Schamper, an offshore engineer and mechanic based in Norway, is the brains behind this ground-up overland build. His problem-solving genius and ability to completely overhaul a vehicle reminded me of Jannis Josten, whose custom-built Land Rover Defender Ambulance was recently featured on Expedition Portal. I highly respect their shared ability to transform a vehicle—by retaining the good, expelling the bad, and ultimately merging old and new to create something really special.

“I never planned to own a Valp; rather, it came about through lack of options,” Rick explained. “I had a beautiful 2003 TD5 Defender before I moved to Norway, but the import tax was €17,000, which was insane. I was browsing finn.no [Norway’s version of eBay] for Land Rovers and ex-military vehicles, where I discovered the Valp. I bought one with an MOT [a certification that the vehicle is road legal] for €3,000 and took it on a trip straight away. Then it needed work, and I had to decide whether to keep the Valp or trade it in. It was so much fun; I just had to keep it.”

The Truck

Initially, Rick’s Valp was fitted with a low-powered Volvo B18 engine, which produced around 75 horsepower. This motor may have been enough grunt for the soft-top variant, which weighed approximately 1,600 kilograms. However, the performance was not sufficient for Rick’s ambulance edition, which weighed nearer 1,800 kilograms. He then added bigger tires, camping gear, recovery equipment, etc., which meant a grand total of 2,400 kilograms. “It was drinking fuel like a V8, and off-road or uphill, you had to ride the clutch constantly.” This didn’t dissuade Rick from adventure, and after fitting mud terrains, wheel arch extenders, a winch, and a simple interior, he completed a four-week overlanding trip in Iceland.

Back in Norway, he began a complete rebuild, which included replacing the B18 with a more powerful B20 engine (110 horsepower), fitting 38-inch tires, a new interior, and addressing all mechanicals. However, on the Valp’s next adventures to the north of Norway and Corsica, the engine ran poorly. “I decided I no longer wanted a petrol engine, and since I worked on Land Rovers for 12 years, I opted for a 300Tdi.” Rick purchased a used engine online, completely rebuilt it, modified it to fit the Valp, then added a high-performance intercooler and hybrid turbo to boost performance (providing 145 horsepower).

Next up was the issue of the transmission. The 300Tdi engine was originally mated to a 5-speed gearbox (the Valp was 4-speed), but the Land Rover drivetrain didn’t fit. “That took a lot of work and required me to design custom parts using 3D software. It’s now a Volvo gearbox that utilizes a special shortened Land Rover bell housing and clutch pressure plate. It also needed a very specific diameter clutch, which I sourced from an old Bedford.” If that wasn’t enough, the standard gearing was no longer suitable and was therefore replaced with a slightly newer Volvo C202 transmission and transfer case. This setup was able to better handle the additional power while also being geared 30 percent higher.

A glutton for punishment, Rick set about installing a rear diff-lock, which, you guessed it, was a “total nightmare.” The Valp axles are largely based on the Dana 44, so he purchased the compatible ARB locker, but that’s when the problems began. The locker itself “fit like a glove” but didn’t have the necessary 10-spline fitment. In the end, Rick found a company in the US that made special kits to convert the rear axle to 19-spline, which was extremely expensive. Phew, job done. If only. When the part arrived, Rick discovered the half-shafts were too long. Frustrated, but in too deep and possessed by the desire to succeed, he was forced to order custom half-shafts from the US. Finally, one-bajillion Norwegian krone out of pocket, the ARB rear locker was completed and, fortunately, “performs excellently.” It’s also worth mentioning that a Spartan front locker had been fitted at an earlier date, which Rick plans to replace with an ARB once he’s remortgaged the house and sold his non-essential organs.

The suspension was initially stock but has evolved with the build. Stage one consisted of Koni shocks and fitting small springs above the leaf springss for added support. However, the 300Tdi conversion added 100 kilograms of weight, which meant overhauling everything. Hence, stage two entailed replacing the springs above the leaf springs with Firestone airbags and ditching the Konis for heavy-duty Profender 2.5-inch remote reservoir shocks. This resulted in impressive on- and off-road handling, once again put best by our resident wordsmith, Rick. “It now drives very well for a Hobbit car.”

The Valp originally rolled on 900 x 16 military tires, but these were narrow, uncomfortable, and did not perform well while aired down. Subsequently, the tires were swapped with 35-inch Cooper Discoverers that improved ride quality and traction whilst being well-suited to the standard engine and suspension. However, the new, more powerful 300Tdi engine meant Rick could fit massive Arctic Trucks 38 x 15.5 tires (as fitted to the Hilux featured in Top Gear’s Arctic Special), which proved to be unstoppable during a winter overland adventure through Lapland, and will be well-suited to his upcoming trip exploring the dunes in Morocco. (If you’d like to know how Arctic Truck tires perform overlanding, then I recommend checking out David Daigle’s formidable Toyota Hilux Arctic Truck Polar Edition.)

On the rare occasion the Valp gets bogged down, there’s a front-mounted winch. “It’s heavy, but I like that it removes the need to stress the vehicle during recovery,” Rick said. Onboard there’s kinetic rope, waffle boards, and long ratchet straps, which are used in scenarios where there’s a risk of the vehicle rolling. Auxiliary Hella 3003 compact spotlights are fitted up front, while 10,800-lumen LED light bars are fitted to both sides and rear to ensure maximum visibility when navigating trails at night.

Like so many seasoned overlanders, Rick has slowly minimised his recovery gear, instead developing a better understanding of his vehicle’s limitations. “I don’t use the Valp for pay-and-play days; it’s for overlanding. Sure, vehicle travel and hard off-roading sounds very idyllic, but it doesn’t go hand-in-hand. If you insist on doing both, then you’ll spend a lot of time under the vehicle, and that can ruin the adventure.”

The Camper

The interior has been replaced on several occasions, but the key objectives have remained the same: simple, modular, robust, and functional. Space inside the Valp is limited, but Rick has made excellent use of the available real estate. The box sections are steel-framed with wood panels and have been engineered to allow for quick removal while working on the van. These sections are “filled to the brim” with accessories such as an ARB twin air compressor (and two 10-litre tanks), a Webasto heater, auxiliary diesel tank, propane, 220-volt converter, 24-volt to 12-volt converter, batteries, a 40-litre water tank, and more.

A central table is supported with roof-mounted chains to remove the need for legs and is lowered to create a 1.2-metre double bed. A compact yet well-considered kitchen area consists of a propane oven, two-burner stove, sink, and Engel fridge. The Valp was factory-fitted f with two heaters, but Rick wanted to upgrade these for the freezing Scandinavian winters. The standard front heater has been updated with a Kalori Hercules ED6, while the stock option in the rear is now accompanied by a Webasto Air Top Evo. Finally, an electrical heater is kept onboard as an emergency backup and is used when connected to main power. Fuel lines, a pump, and a designated diesel tank are stored inside to prevent any part of the system from freezing. Power is currently provided via two 150-amp-hour batteries and will be accompanied by solar panels at a later date.

Life on the Road

The Valp has already traversed Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Austria, Italy, Corsica, Spain, and Portugal, but Rick is just getting started. This year he hopes to head to Morocco and Southern Italy and has begun researching the long journey to Mongolia. “I’ve built a lot of vehicles over the years. In the past, I’d move onto another project when the existing vehicle was completed, but not this time. Instead, I want to use it for its intended purpose and see as much of the world as possible.”

Specifications:

  • 1968 Volvo L3314

Power

  • Land Rover 300Tdi
  • Hybrid turbo
  • Allisport uprated intercooler
  • Allisport roof-mounted radiator with Davies Craig electric water pump
  • Volvo M45 4-speed transmission and Volvo FD51 transfer case (transfer case is pneumatically controlled to shift between high and low)

Suspension and Drive

  • Heavy-duty leaf springs
  • Firestone sleeve airbags
  • Profender remote reservoir shocks, 2.5-inch
  • Rear axle converted to fully floating via custom half-shafts from Dutchman axles
  • 5.38 Diff ratio
  • ARB rear locker
  • Spartan front automatic locker

Wheels and Tires

  • Arctic Trucks AT405 38/15.5R15 tires
  • Bart Super Trucker 15-inch 14J wheels

Recovery and Armor

  • Superwinch EPI9.0 24-volt with braided Dyneema and remote control
  • ARB heavy-duty diff covers
  • GRP waffle boards
  • Winchmax kinetic recovery rope
  • Winchmax snatch block
  • Plenty of slings and shackles

Accessories

  • ARB twin air compressor, two 10-liter tanks
  • ARB compact compressor for locker actuation
  • Webasto Air Top Evo diesel heater
  • Kalori Hercules ED6 cab heater
  • 24-volt to 220-volt converter
  • 220-volt to 24-volt charger
  • 24-volt to 12-volt converter
  • Engel fridge
  • Propane oven and two-burner stove
  • Hella 3003 compact spotlights
  • LED light bars both sides and rear, 10,800-lumen
  • Front Runner Outfitters roof rack
  • Two 150-amp-hour auxiliary batteries
  • LCD TV, 20-inch
  • Ram mount and iPad for navigating

Fuel capacity

  • Fuel tank, 45-liter
  • Jerry cans, 40-liter

Water capacity

  • 40-liter

Weight

  • 2,400 kilograms (5,291 pounds)

References

Instagram: Henry the man cave camper

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No money in the bank, but gas in the tank. Our resident Bikepacking Editor Jack Mac is an exploration photographer and writer living full-time in his 1986 Vanagon Syncro but spends most days at the garage pondering why he didn’t buy a Land Cruiser Troopy. If he’s not watching the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, he can be found mountaineering for Berghaus, sea kayaking for Prijon, or bikepacking for Surly Bikes. Jack most recently spent two years on various assignments in the Arctic Circle but is now back in the UK preparing for his upcoming expeditions—looking at Land Cruisers. Find him on his website, Instagram, or on Facebook under Bicycle Touring Apocalypse.