Hi Brack, Juddian, thanks for the advice. It's appreciated.
I'd already seen a few videos from "softroadingthewest", which were very helpful, especially the build walk round. Certainly worth considering.
I've also been looking into the Outback - theres a few videos up on youtube as well - and I reckon I might go in that direction - especially the H6 engined one, Juddian.
After many hours trying to make my way through the maze of getting insurance in Canada it seems it might be easier and cheaper to buy a vehicle here, ship it over drive round for a year and ship it back! The problem with the Canadian insurance is lack of any no claims on Canadian roads so quotes are likely to be in the region of £4k. RoRo shipping to Baltimore is in the region of £600 each way and I'm waiting on a response from a US insurance broker recommended on the Overland Association website. It also takes the pressure of finding a vehicle - I can take my time getting just what I want over here., rather than feeling railroaded into buying something there.
Thanks again for the help