From Fighting Cancer to Great White Sharks: Expedition through Africa with Proven Technology from Webasto

Although usually painted in beige tones, expedition vehicles like the Zetros from Mercedes-Benz are some of the more colorful vehicles on the roads and parking lots of the world. However, here in Catania, Sicily, the striking off-road truck belonging to adventurers Micha and Sabine from Team Zetroszone is a familiar sight. Hardly anyone turns their head anymore. The two belong here. After all, they have been parked right on the beach for a long time – much too long for their liking.

The extended stay has a reason: Almost two years ago, Micha was diagnosed with lung cancer. This shattered all their plans. They were already in Catania at the time but then drove to Milan because there were supposedly better clinics for Micha there. They stayed in northern Italy for three months, but Micha didn't feel comfortable there and decided against having surgery there. He wanted to return to Sicily, back to the sun, and to the warm, life-affirming people in Catania.

"The Sicilians are simply amazing. The nurses actually sit next to you and talk to you for half an hour. They even stroke your head. That gave me a lot of warmth and strength for my recovery," recalls Micha. But there's even more to it: When Micha was in the hospital, Sabine lived alone in the Zetros on a fairly secluded, free beach. "The local police drove by twice a day to check that everything was still okay with me. Many locals helped, organizing shopping for us."

First test after the surgery in the Sahara: Both man and machine are fit

Although Micha already feels in top shape again, the two adventurers are approaching their next big adventure with caution. After the surgery, during which Micha's right lung lobe was completely removed, they spent an extended period in the desert to test whether Micha's lung could withstand temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in the shade. Both Micha's lung and the Zetros held up wonderfully.

Especially in extreme temperatures in the desert, the two must be able to rely on a dependable climate control system for their "tiny home". Micha and Sabine used to be financial controllers and know how to handle money. They live off passive income and later a pension, which they conservatively estimate should last until around their 97th birthday. "Then, however, we'll have to drop dead out of the truck," jokes Sabine. For Micha and Sabine, it's not just about comfort; they need warmth and coolness to survive in inhospitable areas.

Comfortably warm even in the lowest desert temperatures with a Webasto parking heater

"This is our home. And it really is like living in a house. It's always warm here, the air is always fresh. We have underfloor heating supplied by the extremely compact Webasto Thermo Pro 90 parking heater. We don't notice a significant difference; even temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit), like in Turkey, are no problem for us," says Micha. Sabine is impressed by the programming and control options of the parking heater: "With our first Webasto parking heater, which we couldn't program yet, the first person who went to the bathroom in the morning had to turn on the heater. Then it was cold inside the vehicle for a while. Now with the Webasto Thermo Pro 90, it's simply nice to get up and it's already warm. We program the heater to start an hour before. We are then greeted by cozy warmth. It makes starting the day much better," Sabine says happily.

The experienced travelers rely on the quality of Webasto products in various areas: In addition to the Webasto Thermo Pro 90 parking heater and the Air Top 5500 EVO air heater, they use the energy-saving Isotherm Cruise Classic 130 Drink refrigerator and an Isotherm BI53 freezer box from Indel/Webasto. "All devices run reliably and efficiently. We only had to replace the 3-circuit Isotemp Basic 24 TCT boiler from Indel/Webasto recently after more than nine years of continuous operation," explains Micha.

For cooling, Team Zetroszone uses a slightly modified standard air conditioning system, like one would use for a house. Micha: "The air conditioner is a bit oversized for our small living space, but with it, we can achieve refrigerator temperatures within five minutes." As soon as the room temperature is reached, the generator for the air conditioning system is switched off, and the power from the solar system and battery takes over the rest of the cooling.

Next Big Adventure: Africa

Africa has always been at the top of Micha and Sabine's travel list. Sabine is determined to dive with great white sharks in South Africa. The two now want to fulfill this dream. "We want to do Africa while we're still fit. When we're 80, we can still comfortably tour North America," says Sabine.

A lot of improvisation is required for their journey through Africa: "We're checking the situation, whether the western route in Africa is open to South Africa. The political situation is currently critical. Sometimes the borders are closed, sometimes open. But we will definitely make it to the Ivory Coast," says Micha. An alternative would be the eastern route through Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and then by ferry to Sudan - or the classic "overlander" route through Genoa, Spain, Morocco, and along the west coast of Africa. Sabine: "We will decide depending on when we can set off. We absolutely have to consider the seasons. Nobody wants to be in Saudi Arabia or Morocco in the middle of summer."

Throughout their journey, the two rely on their extensive travel experience, which sometimes required nerves of steel. They tell of blocked borders to Libya and Algeria, military operations in northern Iraq, tanks escorting them back to Turkey. Once, only Sabine received a visa for Iran, but Micha did not. They often had to take long detours to speak in person in front of embassies. Fortunately, in Micha and Sabine's lives, there are no detours; the journey is the destination. The two appear relaxed, happy, and continue to be adventurous for the next encounters and adventures - always being able to rely on the cozy warmth and hot water provided by the Webasto Thermo Pro 90.

We wish Micha and Sabine a pleasant journey through Africa and, above all, good health.