Ex-military vehicles often look the part, but in reality, many fall short of the mark in terms of real-world dependability and usability. An army mechanic once told me that in the field, they expect 40 percent of their vehicles to experience some form of breakdown (even over relatively short distances) and that generally, they’re not vehicles he’d entertain for long-term travel. That said, there are exceptions, and the Leyland DAF T244 is one of them.
A stock DAF T244, which features a robust Cummins 5.9-liter turbo-diesel engine, can be picked up here in the UK for under £6,000 (just over $8,000), making it one of the most affordable base vehicles for a family-sized overland rig. Senior Editor Ashley Giordano listed this fully built 1990 T244 classified last summer (priced at $75,000 OBO), with an accompanying Tiny House Tour created by Florb Productions that provides a fantastic vehicle overview. At such a low entry price, it’s fair to assume the truck is cheap for a reason, but that’s simply not the case. Sure, the T244, like any overland vehicle, is not without its foibles, but all-in-all it’s a dependable workhorse, and very few individuals have proved the DAF’s dependability and capability more so than Matthew Payne.
Matthew, a British adventure filmmaker, photographer, explorer, and overland truck builder, is someone of many talents, but he’s perhaps best known for his adventures in “Matilda,” a beautifully outfitted DAF T244. Today we’re taking a look at his time in Mongolia, where he tackled extreme cold, challenging trails, documented stunning landscapes, and crucially crossed the Gobi Desert. If you’d like to know more about Matthew’s adventures, visit matthewpayneadventurer.co.uk.
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