A family camping trip in a series 1

[Ray Hyland]

Do not overload the vehicle,weight limits are king here in Europe, if you have/cause,get involved in a serious accident over here and the authorities deem the weight to be a contribution, you could potentially be in very deep brown smelly stuff.
Plus you'll just cause undue stress on the truck itself.

Agreed, we are trying to be as lightweight as possible, to the point where if there are items that we only need for certain stages, we may just box them up and send them ahead...

 

[Ray Hyland]

A few observations , how long do you think your kids are going to handle hours of slow travel , in an uncomfortable vehicle with little distraction . Putting jerrycans of petrol on the front bumper , is probably going to be a non starter in many countries , diesel Ok , or water . I had a couple of enquiries as to what was in mine travelling in a 109 back in late 60's ! A series with semi floating rear axle goes nowhere without lifting when bearing goes. Travelling with children that are unrestrained isnt allowed in front seats in EU .Series 1 max 1000lbs payload . Good idea electric pet pump to switch on when mech pump heatsoaks at a halt , the mech pump will happily suck thru the other pump , I rerouted fuel pipe to have electric pump mounted low down on front of tank . 750x16 tyres work better than the oe 600x16 . JMHO ps a good long pre trip trip with all concerned probably a good move

Surprisingly, my kids think that is normal. They are used to spending 8-10 hours per day for weeks at a time in a hot smelly noisy 200 tdi defender... They were born into this lifestyle.

 

[danjeep52]

I love this whole idea! Less is more!

 

[JSBriggs]

...I will likely put Series 2 or 3 items in where it makes sense (master cylinders, etc)
...

That's going to take a fair amount of fabrication. Be sure to take plenty of pics of the process.

-Jeff

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I used Datsun master cylinders mounted under the floor, with remote reservoirs hidden under the driver's (left side) seat.

 

[Ray Hyland]

I used Datsun master cylinders mounted under the floor, with remote reservoirs hidden under the driver's (left side) seat.

Nice. Although these days I think it may be harder to find Datsun parts around here than original Series parts...

 

[Ray Hyland]

So I moved the trip planning thread over to:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/131775-A-totally-inappropriate-family-camping-trip

If anyone is curious.

Might come back here with truck-specific stuff.

Cheers

Ray

 

[Ray Hyland]

So, the Rover section is a better place to post this section so here goes:

I am looking to put my Jerry Cans (2 x 20l each) under the truck for more stability.

Has anyone ever put a storage solution of some kind down below, between the frame rails, or between the frame and the side-sill, etc?

Even if I can't fit a Jerry can in there, maybe I can store some spare-parts, tools, other fluids, etc in there.

I am hoping for some thoughts, wishing for pictures, maybe even praying for a diagram or two, before I recreate the wheel...

 

[JSBriggs]

On a S1 there isnt much room, other than possibly trying to use a set of MOD underseat tanks.
http://www.defendersource.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25167

Here are a couple ideas for external mounts.
Front idea: http://www.defendersource.com/forum/showpost.php?p=355813&postcount=13

Front and back: http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/G_HerbZipkin.htm

Back: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/31772-110-ExMOD-Defender?p=1478028#post1478028

-Jeff

 

[Ray Hyland]

Cool shots Jeff, thanks, and thanks for posting the source links, that's super helpful.

Cheers

Ray

 

[MarkIIa]

Not sure about a leaf springer, but above the tailshaft on a 110 there is a fair amount of space that an auxilliary fuel tank could fit in, a friend has a 60litre tank mounted there on his 1986 110. On an 88" Series 2a there is some space above the rear diff between the chassis rails too.
Not suited to jerry cans admittedly, but more fuel storage options all the same.

 

[Ray Hyland]

Yes, and even if I can't fit a jerry can in a place like that, I might be able to fit other gear like tools or spares, which will still help.

 

[newhue]

What about one of those plastic fuel tanks that are wide but thin. Something to lay on the rear floor, or tops of the inner guards, or behind the front seats. Perhaps they can gravity feed into the OE tank. http://www.dolium.com.au/Poly_Water_Tanks.html
Alternatively you possibly can get one made. I have had several tanks made from folded and welded plastic sheets. Boat and caravan builders do a bit of that fabrication, though mostly for water.

I had a 107 pick up I sold to a bloke who drove it around Aus. It had new tubed canvas tires and did the 20K lap without issues. The brakes on that had been boosted with a generic after market booster mounted under the body, something widely available for parts if needed. Also had two coils mounted on the inner guard in front of the exhaust. The vehicle got caught somewhere with a cooked coil put down to heat off the exhaust. So the re fit was 2 for a quick swap over and an easily mounted spare I guess all infant of the heat source.

I believe the 107 was largely trouble free on its trip. All stock gear with the 2lt donk, coils and fuel pump. The owner put an overdrive in it to help with the large distances. I think it gave him an extra 10km/k cruise speed.

Good on you for have a dream, good luck and happy travels to you and the family.

 

[JSBriggs]

What about one of those plastic fuel tanks that are wide but thin. Something to lay on the rear floor, or tops of the inner guards, or behind the front seats. Perhaps they can gravity feed into the OE tank. http://www.dolium.com.au/Poly_Water_Tanks.html
Alternatively you possibly can get one made. I have had several tanks made from folded and welded plastic sheets. Boat and caravan builders do a bit of that fabrication, though mostly for water.

I had a 107 pick up I sold to a bloke who drove it around Aus. It had new tubed canvas tires and did the 20K lap without issues. The brakes on that had been boosted with a generic after market booster mounted under the body, something widely available for parts if needed. Also had two coils mounted on the inner guard in front of the exhaust. The vehicle got caught somewhere with a cooked coil put down to heat off the exhaust. So the re fit was 2 for a quick swap over and an easily mounted spare I guess all infant of the heat source.

I believe the 107 was largely trouble free on its trip. All stock gear with the 2lt donk, coils and fuel pump. The owner put an overdrive in it to help with the large distances. I think it gave him an extra 10km/k cruise speed.

Good on you for have a dream, good luck and happy travels to you and the family.

Was it Gus? http://southby107.blogspot.com/

-Jeff

 

[newhue]

Yes....more adventure than I will ever have. I'm an air con coil loving kind of bloke.