Ids & Lineke
Van der Weij

It’s just a shame that the vehicle is already finished.

It’s just a shame that the vehicle is already finished. You don’t really expect such a statement from someone who became acquainted with Twiga at the end of 2016 and who could only make their maiden trip in May 2018. “The process was so enjoyable; the exchange of technical ideas, the constant anticipation of what was to come and all those skilled and incredibly nice people from Twiga. We’d like to do it all over again!” A week-long test drive with a friend in Malawi was enough to convince Ids. An appointment in Ooy that started at 14.00 and ended at 18.00 with one clear impression: “Why visit other builders when we have such a good feeling about these guys?

Neither Ids nor his wife Lineke had a heavy vehicle driver’s license yet, but their logic was that sometimes in life you, just have to stop thinking and start doing. Actually, the requirements for the vehicle were quite modest: a 1.5 cabin 4×4. A Mercedes-Benz 1117A was purchased for them by Twiga within two months, at a very competitive price. Because Ids is an experienced sailor, he knew exactly what he wanted the interior of the living unit to be like. And that brings us to our first anecdote. “
Every time we had a good new idea during the construction process, the guys from Twiga would nod their heads. Only to fall silent for a moment and then come up with their alternative idea. Their alternatives were always better than our ideas actually. But this was done with respect and both sides learned from it and had a good laugh. We knew that the people from Twiga had a lot of travel experience and we were grateful to be able to make use of it.”

Ids and Lineke opted for a basic version. ‘If something isn’t added on, that means it can’t break…’ But there are more than enough solar panels on the roof, air conditioning in the living unit and a really stunning bamboo interior. This was Twiga’s first vehicle with a bamboo interior. Interestingly enough, there are also two e-bikes custom made by Teun, one of Twiga’s interior builders. Teun is a bicycle maker by trade and designed the bikes to fit perfectly into the truck. We now have two and a half months in the USA under our belts and for heaven’s sake, insurance has certainly become expensive there!

Early next year, Ids and Lineke will continue their journey in the western part of the USA. The plan is then to ship the vehicle back to Europe and drive down to the continent of Africa. And if they ever consider a smaller version in the future, it will also be built by Twiga.

Deze website is (nog) niet geoptimaliseerd voor weergave in landscape modus.
Houd je mobiel rechtop om de staande modus te gebruiken.