Packing it all in with 5 in the car and offroading

EasyDeluxe; I read your and Russ280's posts with interest regarding power and the G. I also converted over to the G from the 110 for reasons of comfort and rear space: we always take our three kids with us.....and we pack a lot of stuff. I'm not particularly proud of this, but with kids its an entirely different ball game. Unfortunately one ends up with more weight than one wants but we must all compromise somewhere if we are to have a family holiday........not that this stops us offroading the G.....and this is where my post perhaps becomes more relevant to you. Like I said we do pack weight, have five people in the car, fridge, roofrack+boxes (no roof tent - we too have to think about weight - we have a ground tent/sleeping bags/mattresses). This year we went to Greece and did some very steep uphill climes along the firebreaks in the (unfortunately and most devastatingly) forest fire mountain areas - of two years ago - in the Peleponissos peninsular. All the lockers were engaged, low box+gear (1st in low box, yes mine is an auto box) and we barely made it up! These are not soft sand slopes but loose scree intermingled with the odd rather large bolder, but very very steep. I have a 3litre petrol engine and have to say that it coped well, but it really had to be revved to get the power out of it to get up to the top of the slopes. On our return through Germany I met a couple of G-fans who had been to Libya where they encountered sand galore. Their verdict for sand was that nothing touched the old (i.e. pre-2000; read - relatively little electronics and good electronics at that) G500s......hence their incredible prices even today. I don't know whether this is because the G-Klub chaps and chappesses just like to drive up the dunes rather rapidly or whether they truly feel that to get these rather heavy cars up the slopes you just need a lot of juice. I did the same firebreaks in my 300TDI 110 in Greece a few years back and I must say that it never felt slightly better...but maybe this is where the low-down torque of diesels is just far superior to super-smooth-free-reving-straight-six petrols. However, the trek back across Europe was unparalleled for comfort: I was glad to be in the G and not the 110....also no dust! the G is sealed which is more than I can say for our old 110! Good luck on your travels. Below are a few pics just to give you an idea of the stuff we packed on the G. ph