FridgeFreezer Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 John, I would like something slightly better than a Blog. I have seem a couple of these sites on the net, that cost a few quid a month, and you just use existing templates etc. Would something like this be OK for my needs do you think? Can you post an example or two of what you want your site to look like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godlykepower Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Can you post an example or two of what you want your site to look like? Something like these two. Long Road Trip South or Mat - Africa I would like to be able to have a setcion on the different facets of preparation (vehicle/paperwork etc), route maps that I could update en-route if needs be, a gallery section, contact section etc Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landmannnn Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 What you really really need is one of these: (I doubt if anybody will have one kicking around they want to lend you though) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godlykepower Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Oh, how I have debated the old Overland trailer conumdrum. I would love one (but not the Trek Overland stuff - shabby build quality) prefferably a Conqueror trailer, but they cost the national debt of a small South American country. I debated building my own like Chris's (GBMUD's) rather awesome one. If I did end up getting one, then that would be every penny of my trip fund gone, leaving me at square one....putting the trip off yet again until I have enough money. I have also debated just a plain old Sankey, with a basic adaption on top to allow mounting of a rooftent. I just dont see this being worth it though. And like you say, I doubt very much I would get the loan of someones trailer. Wouldnt really WANT to borrow one anyway. If I were to break something, I would not be able to pay for a replacement, or repairs, and would feel just awful for the person who loaned it to me. Now, if someone (cough, Chris, cough) was to want to sell me theirs for a reasonable amount......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godlykepower Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Guys, myself & the "For Sale" section Moderator (V8 Freak) have decided to split my original thread into seperate parts, as it seemed to be developing in to several different topics. The list of items I have for sale to put towards my expedition fund, will remain in the "For Sale" section. All other replies of support & offers of help, will be coming here now! At this point, I would just like to thanks the members of this forum who have helped out so far. Many thanks to FridgeFreezer for uploading my CD & DVD sale list to a website. Thanks to DC for the offer of brake discs & starting the ball rolling, for me getting this story in the LR press. Thanks to Tombraider110 for the offer of looking around for a Rear Wheel Carrier. Thanks to everyone who has pledged to buy some of my CD's & DVD's.....I have added almost £400 to the fund in the last few days already. Lastly, many thanks to all who dont have the spare cash to buy something, but took the time to offer me kind words of support & encouragement. Now, Chris, as your the Mod for this forum.......feel free to sell me your trailer, or swap it for 20 Black Sabbath CD's!! Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Now, Chris, as your the Mod for this forum.......feel free to sell me your trailer, or swap it for 20 Black Sabbath CD's!! The trailer is 'between' tents at the moment - and is also awaiting some modification to make it more user friendly. I was hoping to get some work done this 'holiday' but other things have got in the way... Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godlykepower Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Go on, sell it to me! You know you want to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8bertha Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 On the subject of racks & tents, if I ended up with a roof tent, would I be able to modify my existing rack so that I could open the tent out? The Brownchurch has a bit around all 4 sides, like a barrier. If I were to have this cut out on one side so I could open the tent, would I need to strengthen the rest of the rack? Martin... Sorry about the quality of these photos, but it's dark when I leave in the morning and dark when I get home in the evening, so picture taking is somewhat awkward! I chopped a side section out of my Brownchurch roofrack, welded up and hinged with a couple of those drop-clip things (sorry, no idea what their proper name is!) This allows the roof tent to sit as low down as possible. Strength-wise, it has obviously made that side of the rack a little weaker, but unless you are going to be using the sides to ratchet strap things to, I wouldn't worry about it. You could wanted, I suppose you could tack in a triangular plate to add some strength, but make sure it doesn't interfere with any of the tent poles. Hope this helps Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted December 23, 2008 Author Share Posted December 23, 2008 hinged with a couple of those drop-clip things (sorry, no idea what their proper name is!) You mean antiluces? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted December 26, 2008 Author Share Posted December 26, 2008 Something like these two. OK, putting my grumpy web design hat on for a minute, neither of those sites are what I'd call gleaming examples although they're both simple enough (which is good) and easily done. A lot depends on your level of knowledge and how you want to go about updating your site, for sheer ease of setting up & updating a free blog site can do most of the stuff you want with very little hassle. That or a thread on the "Getting out & About" forum. The pros are there's zero setup and you can login & post updates & photos from any PC in the world. Also they tend to have pre-set styles to choose from that mean your blog will always look reasonably smart & readable. If you want something a bit more bespoke, you can either learn basic web design (which isn't hard, if I can do it anyone can ) or install one of the many free blog / content management systems such as WordPress, Joomla, etc. although I've found them to be more hassle than they're worth and ended up writing my own slightly less complicated version. The same goes for gallery scripts (which I also ended up writing my own of ) although the pukka ones let you login & upload images from anywhere and all that jazz. Whatever you do on the DIY route you'll want a domain name & some webspace, should you wish I'll happily donate as much webspace as you can eat, which can include a Joomla, WordPress, or SMForum install, or the same noddy homebrew CMS & gallery scripts I use for the HOFS site. If you do it as a static site that you write yourself, then you'll need to be able to FTP into it to update it which isn't always doable from computers which aren't yours. Ask away with any questions - my tea's ready so I'm off now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godlykepower Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Right John, I dont really understand much of what you described there! I think I know what FTP stands for (file transfer protocol?) but I dont know what it means to the average computer user. I really appreciate your offer of the web space, but once again, I dont know what that means entirely. I know I need a domain name (thats the www.com bit right?) but how do I get a fancy name of my own, then utilise that in conjunction with your offer of web space?? My knowledge is a fraction over zero, and I dont have the time nor the inclination to learn how to do anything technical. In an ideal world, I would want something with a cool name, that I can get for about 4p a month, something that I could log into from wherever in the world & provide an update to readers, including pictures. It does not have to be really fancy with flash animations & sound effects all over the place etc. Just something that looks professional yet simple. Why I want an actual website rather than a blog, is that if I do end up trying to gain some sort of product support from manafacturers, then having a website of my own with which I can give them some free advertising with links to their own sites, then it will have a bit more gravitas & professionalism about it. Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted December 29, 2008 Author Share Posted December 29, 2008 OK, the way it works is: You buy the name, for example whatever your want .co.uk will cost you £10 (ish) for a year's registration. The same deal for a .com is £20 ish. That buys you a name, nothing more. Then you need somewhere for that name to point to - which is web hosting, which is what I can offer you for nowt. That's where all the files of your website live, and any scripts such as gallery generating scripts, blog scripts, or even forum scripts. The server runs these, serves out pages & pictures, etc. and generally does the web thing. The address you have bought then points to the server, so that when people type the address in, they are directed automagically to where your website is. The way you get files onto your web space in the first place is with FTP. If you have a swanky script on the server you may be able to upload files online with the script through a web browser - for example, like how you can attach files on this forum. That is one of the advantages of a scripted site. Other advantages are that, for example, a blog script will automatically make each page every time you add an entry - you don't have to make a new web page, upload it with FTP, add a link to it from the first page, etc. - you just login, type your post like you'd type a reply here, and just hit "save", and voila! It's online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godlykepower Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Been doing a bit more research into this website building thing....think I may be getting somewhere! Bit stuck for a domain name though! I want something that is not hard to remember, is catchy, is not only specific to trans-Africa (thinking of future expeditions) and is easily readable ie all the letters dont stumble over each other when written down. Does that make any sense? I dont want to end up with something like the website for Pen Island...penisland.com! C'mon all you imaginative people, help me think of a cool name. Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike4444244 Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Hi Martin, Perhaps the best way of boosting your storage space and keeping the budget dent free would be to buy a standard sankey as suggested above? It wouldn't take you long/cost much to add a simple roof to it to put your tent on, and if you added a piano hinge (beefy one) and some gas struts oyu could still easily access the internal storage. It seems to my (untrained) eye that the biggest difference in the overland trailers is having all the gas/water etc plumbed in so you can have taps etc? If you could do without these luxuries and just put your gas bottle/jerry cans/water can 'loose' inside then you could always reconfigure your contents as its needed? I was just thinking that its like me going climbing... I dont have my stove/water etc piped up in my rucksack (though that would be cool ) When you reach your destination you can just sell the trailer off and stick the tent on your roof rack? Just thinking out loud really.... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godlykepower Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Bit stuck for a domain name though!I want something that is not hard to remember, is catchy, is not only specific to trans-Africa (thinking of future expeditions) and is easily readable ie all the letters dont stumble over each other when written down. Does that make any sense? I dont want to end up with something like the website for Pen Island...penisland.com! C'mon all you imaginative people, help me think of a cool name. Someone must have some imagination! Pete suggested www.offtheroadagain.com, which I think is quite catchy. Lets have some more suggestions. Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krissvdh Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 www.landrover-allover.com Good luck with your travels! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike4444244 Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 errrr how about 'goingdown.com' actually maybe not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Twig Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 godlyoverland.com? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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