Motorhomers to embark on Mongol Rally charity challenge

A couple of intrepid motorhomers, known as the Comforteers, have signed up to a major charity challenge with the support of Comfort Insurance

The couple – Buz and Shirley Winton – told MMM magazine, Britain's favourite motorhome magazine, that their appetite for motorhome adventures has been fuelled in a major way by the magazine's readers and their motorhome tours and the advice readers have given them over the years.

Now, after decades of motorhoming they are embarking on a new challenge in a Ford Fiesta, with the help and support of motorhome insurance specialist, Comfort Insurance.

The Mongol Rally, which takes place in July 2018, will see them drive the Ford Fiesta from the UK to Mongolia – 10,000 miles through 16 countries over 50 days – all for the chairty Macmillan Cancer Support.

There is no set route and no back up and, of course, the car is totally inadequate for the rally, but then none of the cars will be. That’s why it’s unique.

They told MMM: "We have a lot to thank MMM for. No, really. It was in 1999 that we hatched an idea to drive ‘overland’ from the UK to Australia after watching  the TV series, On The Road Again, with Simon Dring.

"We started buying MMM and had a letter printed asking for advice and had some great feedback, in particular from a family that had recently driven to India.

"Enthused, we then trawled the small ads in MMM for a suitable ’van and spotted one we thought would be up to it – a converted Mercedes 609D. The seller and ’van were just a mile away which we considered a positive sign.

"We gave up our jobs, let the house, took our nine-year-old daughter out of school and got the ferry to Bilbao.

"We then followed the coast through to Italy and caught the ferry to Greece.

"Through into Turkey then onwards to Iran. We were having a great time and the ’van was running sweet. We continued through Iran, Pakistan and into India. It was certainly the adventure we’d envisaged and the journey had been amazingly trouble-free plus we had seen so much and met so many fantastic people.

"In India, we needed to get the ’van to Australia and chose to put it into an open-top container in Bombay for its journey without us to Perth.

"Flying ahead, we planned our route around Australia and down through the middle, too.

"There were so many mini-adventures throughout this journey and we learnt so much during our year on the road.

"Since that journey, almost 20 years ago, we have hardly been without a motorhome and continue to read MMM.
With a few more ‘laughter lines’, we are currently driving Spain’s coast roads in our 2005 Autocruise Starspirit and preparing for our next tour.

"Once again the power of the media has helped us to find a sponsor for this amazing trip. Following our touting on social media, we had a call from Comfort motorhome insurance, our own insurers, to generously offer us some support. We are truly grateful for its assistance.

"Our team name for the rally? The Comforteers!

"Our use of the media has been invaluable and we hope this letter will inspire more people ‘of a certain age’ to realise you’re never too old for an adventure."

You can follow the Comforteers adventures here.