DII overland prep

[SMD]

Hmm, not sure how much of this you'll want to consider since the majority of my experience is with a '99 DI; did have an '04 D2 for a few years, but didn't off-road it.

Focus on spare cooling parts! An overheated LR engine is bad. The spares are really quite small, too.
- thermostat
- viscous fan clutch and the appropriate size wrench to remove the fan
- replace the engine cooling hoses, but for space savings you might consider not taking spares. You could take some hose repair tape.

On my 4.0L, the viscous fan clutch went out around 110k (IIRC). Belt tensioners can go bad - also a relatively small part. Thermostat went around 140k.

Water pumps seem to go around 100k. I pre-emptively changed mine at that time and keep the old as a spare.

Appropriate spare seals/grease/washers to re-pack your wheel bearings. Seized wheel bearings on this SA trip might be a bit of a bummer.

Take a few spare fuel filters, as I believe someone already mentioned.

The D2 folks will have to chime in regarding the need for ABS sensors and such.

I take a few large Pelican/Storm cases of parts with me on trips and have rarely used any of them. Lots of space that could be put to better use... but based on my personality it works because I feel more secure in the belief that I can get home, which in turn leads me to a more relaxed and enjoyable trip.

Have fun. We'll all be here waiting to read about it and see the pictures! :victory:

 

[sinuhexavier]

Here's a link for you...

 

[KingSlug]

This might sound a bit strange, but I wouldn't take a vehicle south of the border that I wouldn't mind leaving.

My brothers and I did a trip south one summer during high school in a late 70s ford bronco. We were gone for 2 months and had a blast but in Nicaragua we had an accident that would be fixed in the location we in so we boarded a flight home.

If you are looking to have fun I would rock the trip in a Baja Bug or a VW Bus; you could do it in a Series Rover or an older 4x4 but parts are iffy, simple is better. Heck I would do it in an iffy vehicle and leave it with a church or charity that way you have more time to explore rather than driving home. Stay in small hotels/hostels with the money you have saved. Enjoy the D2 when you get back home.

Jared

 

[R_Lefebvre]

In that vein, probably the ultimate vehicle to take for this trip is an old F150 truck right? 2WD even. Simple, inconspicuous, available parts. If anything goes wrong, just walk away.

 

[FortyMileDesert]

Sinuhexavier - -

I do tread lightly - Those are all real trails; all on topo maps. Mind you some of the areas in northern Nevada haven't been re-mapped in 80 years so the trails may not have been used in a dozen years or so....

 

[Alaska Mike]

I don't think I could "walk away" from any vehicle. Donating it to a church or charity would be an interesting idea.

As Mercedesrover said earlier in the thread, and old 2WD diesel pickup probably would be a great platform for the trip. Blends in, easy to find fuel/parts/service for...

Then again, the OP said his goal was to take a Disco II on the trip. He might have to take some extra precautions about where/when he travelled, and have to keep a close eye on the vehicle, but I think it's certainly still very possible. Keep the expedition bling to a minimum and make the vehicle as stealthy as possible. Add some cow print seat covers and call it good.

 

[superpowerdave]

I don't post much, but I read a lot ... and one thing I am continuing to see (9 pages later) is that folks are still going on about what truck this guy should be taking on his trip.

He didn't ask anybody if they felt the DII was a good idea. He asked what folks with experience would do to prepare a high mileage DII for an overland trip. That's all. If you think a 2wd pickup or an Isuzu is better for this trip great, but if you don't have anything to add that's useful for the OP keep it to yourself.

OP - aside from required maintenance with a high mileage Disco you need to worry about the things that will cripple the vehicle until the failed component has been replaced. Lots of stuff can break and the truck will limp you home. But there are a few sensors and components that, when they take a dump, will leave you stranded. Crankshaft sensors are one of those things that brake and the truck won't run anymore (ask me how I know). Get with an Independent mechanic that specializes in Land Rovers, pay them for their time and ask what sensors and components typically fail in the mileage of your trip. Get a list of things he sees regularly on high mileage Discos and plan and prepare accordingly.

Buy those parts, and replace them in your garage. Yes, replace them. Keep the old ones for spares. It's a lot easier to figure out how to fix something in the comfort of your garage than on a rocky hillside somewhere south of the border. Almost everything is easier the second time. Parked on a cliffside somewhere in the middle of the night is not the time to figure out what size bolt it is holding that failed sensor in place that you can't even see.

The Rave CD is awesome but laptops break - print a copy if you have to, but have a paper copy somewhere.

 

[stevenmd]

Excellent points Dave. I gave up on following this thread after seeing it was full of off-topic comments and opinions until I saw you were the last poster when I clicked on "New Posts".