My Overland preparation

[Nonimouse]

A second spare is a requirement by law in certain places - some Australian deserts for example. In reality it's easier to carry a spare carcas, tyre pliers, a repair kit and a few inner tubes, along with some Belzona liguid plastic. The carcas is light enough to go on the rack and the rest stows easily

Lift kits, bigger tyres than OE, kitchen sinks etc are all just a waste of time and money

A shower for example - £4.99 buys a solar shower that works perfectly well. £1.99 buys a bucket - it's a washing up sink, a washing sink and in an emergency a toilet (just don't use it for whaing up again okay)...

An awning - why not just get a tarp cut to size and stiched on the seems, then go down to your local caravan emporeum, buy some second hand poles and some guy lines... It's last longer, work better and if it gets stolen you won't care so much

I use ex mil water cans. They carry 20ltrs and weigh less than 20kgs full. If needs be I can carry one to a well or a tap. I can clean it out easily when it gest contaminated. They stow easily, nice and low down over the back axle....

 

[Sirocco]

Luke - If you want to fit a TD5 rear tank then you can use my thread here: http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f38/f...nk-into-tdi-90-part-1-a-82957.html#post830368

If you want to swap ideas on storage/90 set-up etc take a look at my site www.siroccoverland.350.com and drop me an email.

and in defence of the RTT, when you move on everyday the Maggiolina is much simpler to use than a ground tent and worked fine in the Alps I understand your point about having to pack it away each day etc. but overlanding is not like a holiday, you tend to move daily and usually finish up late. We used ground tents in West Africa this year for 5 weeks nearly everynight in a new place... I missed our RTT.

some good advice here.

G

 

[Nonimouse]

Afternoon Gareth

 

[Sirocco]

Afternoon Gareth

How do old chap :ylsmoke:

 

[LUKEY]

Wow, thanks for all the Replies

A few Bits have to be cleared up :wings:

The Awning I have made, it uses old tent poles, Home made brackets and at the moment a blue tarpaulin, If I can find something better to use I will, If not it will stay as it is!

Twin Spare wheel carrier, I was going to look at making up, this is what it would look like IF I did

I will need to store an Odd Jerry Can if that if once I have fitted the TD5 tank too so no fuel on the roof

As for water, I have looked about and seen a nice contraption that bolts to the rear bulkhead, very thin and not overly expensive either!

I want to have the least ammount of weight on the roof as other's have said!

I can get a TD5 Bulkhead complete with dash etc cheaper than I can buy a new bulkhead and bits to replace my worn out stuff so its a no brainer really

As for tents, this is still a working progress, I use a quechua tent at the moment, I would like a roof tent though

Disco Axles - I will look into this with the defender axle, so thank you you for your comment :sombrero:

The Wheel on the bonnet may be a bit of a problem for me as I have 265 75 16's and are rather large, although I may be able to get something like an XZL Michelin for the bonnet, as long as its the same height it shouldn't make much of a difference??

Springs and Shocks, Mine are worn out so on the look out for replacement, I thought with all the kit Im carrying Id need HD springs and damper's but others seem to think I dont?

What are you suggestions?

I was thinking

Genuine rear 90 springs up front
Genuine HD 90 Rear springs
Standard damper's ( or a better copy)??

Luke

 

[Gren_T]

billing...

Oh Lord what a can of worms..!

I too was at billing, lots of nice trucks and lots more that were so wrong it was laughable.
so many have jumped on the overlander theme, without any idea what they are doing
I blame the mags this quater its overlanders last year it was challenge trucks..etc

my advise for what it's worth is :
take your car and drive it cheap as you can,:smiley_drive: dont buy farckle.!
save your money for repairs and fuel, as everytime you travel in your car it will develop and it will get to the point when its right for you.
other people's trucks are right for them.

example..
I'm working on a storage draw for my 90 .. why not buy one? well i want a draw that is only 150mm high as the full height ones waste so much space.
everything i want in a draw is not taller than 100mm when laid flat so why waste so much space? easy... most companies just copy & dont think about whats needed first.

nonimouse & snagger spot on..:bowdown:

sorry to preach not my intention go slow it will happen.. had my 90 12yrs and following a complete not and bolt rebuild to what i wanted & i'm still fiddling.

as for springs and dampers buy the best gas dampers you can and use genuine springs, i have a list of the LR springs which includes the length and rating
you can use this chart to work out what springs to use for your application & they wont sag after a years use.
let me know if you want it and i'll mail it to you


we'll have meet for a beer & a laugh at the next farckle fest.

regards all
Gren

 

[ColinTheCop]

I'm gonna go against the flow here.... I love my rooftent, it's the best thing I've ever bought for my truck.

Yes it was a little pricey and a bit heavy, but mine goes on the rear bed of my L200 so COG doesn't really come into it.

I just love the speed of it, the fact it has a mattress and all the bedding lives in it.

Park, unzip the cover, fold it open and it's sorted for a good nights sleep.

And add an Engel to your list, for trips away it's a must-have.

 

[Snagger]

The Wheel on the bonnet may be a bit of a problem for me as I have 265 75 16's and are rather large, although I may be able to get something like an XZL Michelin for the bonnet, as long as its the same height it shouldn't make much of a difference??

Springs and Shocks, Mine are worn out so on the look out for replacement, I thought with all the kit Im carrying Id need HD springs and damper's but others seem to think I dont?


Luke

I don't really know anything about coil springs - I have a RRC with police spec springs on the back end which are great, but other than that, I'm a leafer driver!

Wheels and tyres are a big issue, though, and I think that with the exception of driving soft desert sand, you have a problem. It's no accident that LR and the MoD have used 7.50s from the 1950s to the present day, be it on commercial vehicles, farmers trucks, Wolfs, WMIKs or Camel Trophy vehicles - they give the best grip (they cut through surface mud, snow and slush to firm ground beneath and have much better resistance to aquaplaning on wet tarmac), they have lower steering loads tangental loads on the stub axles/wheel bearings, so do less wear and damage to the vehicle and give the best feel, and have the least rolling resistance, giving the best performance and economy. 235/85s are the closest metric tyre and fit 7" rims a bit better, but going wider than that is not a good thing on an expedition vehicle or even a UK trialler - the big tyres are all about looks and not about performance, and if you watch the big tyred vehicles on UK trials, you will see them get stuck where more moderately shod vehicle plod happily through. You should also avoid aggressive tread patterns on an overlander - they're poor on road, make a lot of noise and will give poor grip on anything but mud, digging you into sand and slipping across gravel or snow; you need a set of ATs, like BFG ATKOs or General AT2s, Avon Rangers or Michelin XZLs. Avoid MTs, including BFGs, Generals and Michelin G90s.

More moderate tyres will not only benefit the vehicle's handling, performance and reliability, but they will also allow a bonnet spare (I have a 235/85 on a 7" rim on my bonnet with no problems for me or my 5'4" wife) and will, importantly, be more easily and cheaply sourced away from home. I'd recommend you buy a set of six from Vass in Ampthill - you could get a set of unused XZLs on 110 or Wolf rims very cheaply from them. Since you already run BFG ATKOs, you're not badly compromised and needn't worry too much, but when you do need to replace them, buy some 235s or 7.50s. In the mean time, don't bother with that double rear carrier - it'll be a nuisance and will make the handling horrible (dangerous even on slippery surfaces).

 

[DividingCreek]

Gren

Ah -theres a picture of that bonnet I lust after....

 

[Nonimouse]

Things to think about tyres:

Availability world wide
Strength of side wall
Fixability
Durability
Legality
Cost
Tread pattern.

Not what's at the very last - the least important

The best general purpose Overland tyre for the 110/90 (and series) was for years and years the Avon Rangemaster in a 7.50x16. Possibly the most unattractive, un-aasuming tyre ever made. It was proof to most acacia and spiniflex and it had grip that by the laws of physics it shouldn't have had.

Legality wise, LR homolagated your motor for five sizes of tyre; 6.50x16, 205/80x16, 7.50x16, 235/85x16 and 265/75x16. For the 110 you can add 255/85x16 and lose 6.50x16. Of these sizes 255/16 is the best but is now being phased out accross the world, is not homolagated for the 90 and never was that easy to find....

I would stick with the 235/85x16 as it is easier than the 265/75x16 to find in the boonies. It's cheaper as well.

Avoid remoulds for the big trip - they don't like heat and they wear quickly.

I like Hankook RT03's, Maxxis Buckshot Mudders, Yokohama Geolanders, Mud Duellers and Grabber AT2's. Note most of my choice are MT's rather than AT's - however they are all VERY good multiterrain tyres. Deserts are mostly stone, shale, gravel, rock, dust, salt or a mixture of all the previous. Sand generally found in places you don't want to be unless you really know what you are doing... I don't like BGG KM2's they are well advertised though. BFG AT's are good but are too soft on certain rocks - like every damn rock in Ethiopia for example.

Avoid alloys. Go for cheap steel modulars with a zero offset. Not as strong as a disco rim but they give you a wider stance. Avoid spacers - you lose the ability to adjust the bearings with the wheel on the vehicle.

A TD5 tank is a good idea - however I would spend money on a decent steel long range tank for the rear and keep the underseat tank. I dislike fuel in the vehicle as it always smells/contaminates stuff.

What you save on not buying an RTT buys you a lot of stuff you need.

Note: a fridge is a luxury not an essential. Cold beer soon runs out. An electric cool box will do for most EU countries except in the height of summer. Having said that a fridge is very nice. Only buy an Engel - no other firdge is as good.

A wheel and tyre weighs a lot. I don't like a spare on my bonnet. It obscures the view but worse it makes the bonnet too damn heavy and bl**dy dangerous

Your design is great but two spares on the back is crazy - you will need such HD springs that it will make the ride truly awful...

Also note: The heavier duty the spring is the less it will 'flow' accross the terrain. Sudden jars and impacts put huge loads and high wear on halfshafts, drive members and diffs. Look to get a progressive spring, preferably OE - say yellow/yellow for the rear or white/white for the front then prep the vehicle to the springs capacity. Spend you money on a good gas shock with decent bushes. Only ever fit SuperPro bushes by the way...

The standard two pinion diff is still a good diff. Learn to drive off road properly, get some training. Refurb both diffs, get them pegged. Fill on a slope so you slightly overfill the pumkin - this prevents oil starvation on slopes.

 

[nick disjunkt]

Another point that might be worth mentioning is that you absolutely don't need 4x4 capability to travel in Europe. You also don't need the space a 90 gives you but that is a personal preference and being that I now travel in an 18t truck I certainly can't preach about living sparsely.

I have travelled in Europe many times and always in 2 wheel drive vehicles, including vans and cars. In 2007 me and my girlfriend spent about 3 months in Europe and visited France, German, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland and Italy in a Peugeot 106. We camped every night and wild camped about 80% of the time. We drove through the Alps twice on the mountain roads and spent many miles on forest tracks and unpaved roads in Germany and Italy.

I think it is fair to say that in most places in Europe you would have to actively seek out places to warrant the offroad capability of a landrover. Even the 106 we used was perfectly capable of taking us to remote lakes and woods and there was only one occasion (large rocks) which made me wonder whether I should turn back. We had plenty of space for camping equipment which included a 6kh propane bottle, a 2 burner cooker and grill, a box of pots and pans, 40 litres of water, a 4 man tent, an air matress and pump, etc.

The 90 is certainly a good vehicle for travelling but you could get a newer van for the same price which give more space and would be more than adequate for visiting Europe and North Africa

 

[Nonimouse]

Most of my early forays (back in the days of black and white) were in a 504 pickup or on a Triumph Daytona (the real one)

 

[Snagger]

Dave, I'd say that high quality poly bushes for the dampers are OK, but for the suspension arms and links, genuine metelastic bushes are the best - they are bonded, so keep all the crap out which poly bushes are push-fit with poor tolerances, allowing abrasive dirt and sand in, quickly damaging the bushes or the bolts/studs/brackets. That's why Tomcat and Bowler still use them, having done extensive testing on various brands and compounds of metelastic and poly bushes. Damper bushes are constructed the same way, whether they're genuine rubber or after-market polyurethane, so the poly is better tin that application.

Having tried spacers, I can't agree more with your condemnation of them. As for the wheels themselves, I'm switching to alloys because my existing steel wheels have too much negative offset (too far outboard), so they'll stick out beyond the wheel arches once I finish my axle swap (110 axles onto a 109), looking stupid, being illegal, damaging the paint, etc, and the standard offset will reduce steering loads (manual steering on a 109). I went for alloys because I won't be doing extreme excursions and the vehicle is mostly used for my work commute, so reducing the weight on the rear door and bonnet will be of benefit. The bonnet spare does make lifting the bonnet an effort, but as long as you carefully check the condition of the bonnet prop and make sure it's properly engaged when in use, I don't consider it dangerous. At least you'd never have to worry about a bonnet catch failure allowing the bonnet to flip up on the motorway...

 

[southpier]

great information in this thread; thanks all

 

[Nonimouse]

Nick

We'll have to agree to disagree on the bushes

There are polyeurethane bushes and then there are polyeurethane bushes

Back in the dark ages when Polybush first appeared I was going through my racing phase - comp safari as we call it. Very fast, short course off road racing - quicker than the American stuff on the flat but with more slow speed tough stuff. Unlike the big boys in the US we had small budgets and very little stuff to spend what we had on. OE metalastic stuff died a death every event. So the idea of this new Polybush stuff went down well. It was a disaster. Far to hard and no give as it was hot poured polyeurethane which is not an elastomer. It was good on the panhard rod though..
I moved on to non LR stuff, then realised it was a similar sport to standing in a cold shower, flushing money down the toilet whilst someone threw mud and stones at me. Added to the fact that travel was more interesting.
Over the years I have cursed OE metalastic bushes for thier short life and lack of field changing.
Then back in 2001 SuperPro turned up in the UK. I was given a set to try as I was writing for a rag called Total Off Road at the time. That set are still on the vehicle I fitted them to. I did 140k in it and it's present owner has added 50k more. The bushes are fine - they still have the original grease in them. Now that not just road miles. That's Russia, Europe, N. Africa, The Pelopanese; winter and summer.
I'm good friends with the guys at SuperPro now - hell I live next door but one to the General Manager and they are based in my village. That friendship came about because every vehicle I have fitted a set to has never let the owner down (about 50 odd in all).
One chap even fitted a set to a Proto class Ladoga and Vepski competion vehicle. He would use upto 8 sets of metalastic bushes in an event - a set of SP's would last a season! Even better the boys at SP back the product up with a decent warrantee!
Also worth bearing in mind that SP bushes are fitted to all QT Wildcats, they are now service parts on Subaru and Isuzu and they are the largest aftermarket service bush in mainland Europe.

Oh and they are field serviceable if the unthinkable happens and one fails!

On the wheel front - try a Disco steel. Rated to 1660kgs, plus 33mm offset so nice and inboard; and about a FIVER for a decent one

Love the safety idea of the failed bonnet catch. Many years ago I had a Lightweight (with a 3.0ltr V6 ) It had a bonnet spare and one day I knocked the miss placed bonnet prop. The pain of that bonnet hitting my head and shoulder was not a thing to forget. The bonnet catch caught me just forward of my collar bone :Wow1: To add insult to injury, having my face forced down on a hot engine was less than fun...

I love the 109. It's my favourite LR after the 110. One day I will have another one. 200Tdi, Parabolics, LT77, power steering, triple tanks, tropical roof, eberspacher... One can but dream