A snowstorm, a breakdown, and a break-in.

As we headed north, winter caught up with us, and the announcement of a heavy snowstorm forced us to long stints at the wheel. The road authority informed us that they would only clear the roads after the storm. However, if we followed the tracks of other vehicles, we would stand a chance to make it to the nearest village. No sooner said than done: just before sunset, we reached the next village, where we just parked on the street and spent the night. 

A few days later, we got stuck on a flooded track. The ground next to the hardened track is simply too muddy, and our Axor slips off. For the first time in a long while, we had to revert to the shovel to free our rolling home. With reduced tyre pressure and activated locks, we manage to manoeuvre the Axor back onto solid ground after an hour. Unfortunately, the plug for the rear axle lock breaks in the process, but luckily the nearest Mercedes-Benz workshop isn’t far, and we can quickly replace the part.

After six years of travelling, we have parked in the most diverse and questionable places. But in the centre of Neuquén, we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. On our return to the Axor, we found that someone had tried to break into the cab. The attempt failed, but the damage was significant – the door was deformed and scratched, and the lock was broken. We returned to the workshop, where they recommended a panel beater and paint finisher. With some luck, we also found a matching door lock there. Despite the quick help, it took over a week before we could set off again. We were lucky in the midst of misfortune, but incidents like these cost time, money, and nerves.  

Since June 2020, Andrea and Mike Kammermann have been on the road in their Expedition‑Axor. From the northernmost point of Norway to the Canary Islands, the Swiss couple has visited large parts of Europe and even made a detour to Tunisia. Distance covered on the road: 83,000 kilometres! Especially due to pandemic-related restrictions, further destinations were unreachable — until now: From now on, Andrea and Mike are discovering South America. Stay tuned to see what happens next! The current tour is the second one that the Swiss couple has embarked on in their Axor. In 2018 and 2019, they travelled to more than 20 countries and covered a good 47,000 kilometres.