carrying bikes and a family in an LR3

[phobucket]

I posted here about a year ago as I started following the overlanding scene, but I was unable to move on a vehicle because I had too much time left on my current lease (Mini Cooper Clubman). Well the least is finally nearing the trade in point and I found what looks to be a really clean LR3 for sale locally and I'm going to check it out on Saturday morning. I have a few questions before I go....

2007 LR3 SE V8 $12K @106K miles with all maintenance records, 7 seats, and no nav. Reportedly owned by little old lady etc. etc. For sale by owner.
Seems like a good deal assuming condition is good, right?

I'd love to have solid nav, bluetooth connectivity, and possibly Pandora.
Can I add an aftermarket nav and radio without messing up the electronics?

We are planning to use it for family camping - myself, girlfriend, 2 boys (8,5), and 2 dogs - and eventually going further off road. I ride my bike to work, so it probably won't rack up mileage very quickly - maybe 8K per year. If we get into it, the build will probably have a Johnson lift, 32s, a roof rack and RTT.

How much can I pack in supplies on the roof without really hurting the driveability?

I am trying to figure out how I'm going to carry bikes in addition to the family and camping supplies.
A hitch bike rack seems like a reasonable solution, but will that still work if I have to add a tire carrier to the back to accommodate the larger tires?

On the flip side, there is a very nice 2005 LR3 already built with 124K in the classifieds section here. It doesn't have a roof rack, but it just looks so damn capable and cool in every other regard.....hmmm

Lastly, given my goals, are there questions I should be asking that I am not? I know that is really vague...


Thanks everyone. Looking forward to becoming more officially part of the community!

 

[srschick]

from what I've learned, doing anything to the ICE is going to be a daunting task, as the system is linked by a MOST fiber optic bus. If one part is missing there'll be issues. But it can be done. Best site I've seen for ICE upgrades is the disco3.co.uk forum.

as far as off-road upgrades, remember if you have 32s and a rod lift, you'll be in trouble if there's a EAS fault and it lowers to the bump stops.
myself, I went with 31.5 (285-60r18) without a lift kit. but mine is a DD.

 

[srschick]

Also, if you plan to off road it, look for one with the HD kit, that provides a rear electronic locking differential (and a full sized spare).
It's not super important, as the LR3 is still quite capable without, but nice to have!

 

[srschick]

ad as far as the bike carrier, you can get an extension for the hitch if you get a rear tire carrier. something like this:
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-hitch-extender-69882.html
a bike rack isn't too heavy and it should be fine.

 

[calicamper]

Good friend got an LR3 some time ago. He explained that the one thing that needs to be checked is they had a wiring harness issue if the issue has not been addressed via I think a recall new harness you could be in for some heart burn dealing with that. In his case he had an auction buyer who specialized in Range Rover rigs find one over a three month period. He still has it zero issues its been a good truck. They are narrow and short which is why they are popular in places with tight parking like say San Francisco where my buddy lives. We bought our 1993 Land cruiser for the same reasons parking space the LC could fit in the same tight spaces as our Subaru. The LC is dramatically larger interior and wider than the LR3.

I have two kids and 1 dog. The Land Cruiser was workable for that situation however we also have local grandparents which case we soon found the LC to be too small. For our typical family of 4 camping trip with dog, to give you some rough ideas our 75lb Doberman at that time would get shoved into a small spot in the back with the packed gear. He knew the drill where his bed was wedge was where he wedged in for the ride. No way we could do two large dogs plus all the camping gear and kids toys and stuff in just the LC or our 2010 Subaru OB which is not dramatically different than the LR3 regarding packing options. In the case of the Subaru we tow our 4x6 Life Time Tent trailer when we go camping. I can put the bikes on the roof of the car, I have a 42inch/42inch Target roof bag that we strap to the top of the trailer full of gear, dog has room in the back of the car along with some gear and old Coleman metal type cooler (smaller than most today) Then we often strap the kids wagon, or extra cooler even bundled fire wood or additional water etc to the trailer also.

If your hauling two dogs, two boys, two adults, + food, + tent and comfort stuff I think you'll find that your packing very very very carefully and will be bursting at the seams. Just a warning camping gear seems to produce more camping gear as you go. I just spent last years Bass Pro shops Xmas gift certificate on a portable heater for the wife and one of those really cool Bass Pro shop folding kitchen setups. Just more crap we need to pack!!! But both items will help keep the wife interested in camping due to addressing two of her complaints - being cold some times and often having no good cooking food prep space.

 

[DVD]

I don't have the spare on the rear bumper, but I did pick up a CL deal on the LR bike carrier. It has a swing out to allow the rear door/hatch to open, so it might suit your needs. Here's a photo as we're loading bikes and gear after last year's ragbrai.

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

If you are referring to the silver truck in the classifieds, ... it is a nice truck. You can't build one for what he has dropped the price to.
I have found that you can safe a ton of money if you buy a nicely sorted, built truck.

Regarding roof rack: Don't overload it past the weight capacity. Most make the weight limit known.
Regarding Dogs: The OEM dog guard is a great asset. It keeps items from flying forward in a sudden stop, and will keep dogs isolated. There is also an accessory divider that you can add that will keep the dogs in one half the back allowing for gear to be sorted in the other half.
Regarding Bike Racks: There are myriad racks available for this. If you buy the silver truck, go with one that mounts to the rear swing-away mounted spare tire. If you go with one that mounts in the trailer hitch, get a hitch like the one rover racks is making that doesn't break the bank or hang down like a harrow on a tractor!

You'll love the amount of cargo space and "green house" affect the LR3 offers. Because of the dual sunroofs and the glass roof over the rear, it "feels" much larger.

D

 

[phobucket]

Thanks for the thoughtful responses everyone. Looking forward to checking out disco3.co.uk and seeing what I can do about adding Nav.

I didn't know about bike racks that mount on tires or the swing out trailer hitch versions.

A roof rack and bag might be the starting point, but I could also see the need for a trailer in the not too distant future if this really gets going...or maybe my girlfriend will get a JKU in addition and we will have more room for everyone :smiley_drive:

Or maybe we'll just have to pack less or put the boys on the hood.

 

[bentonrover]

Understandable about the nav and bluetooth but for the possible headache of potential issues a portable fit perfectly in that cubby space.

 

[Colin Hughes]

A software update will allow the bluetooth to work. Did it on my 2007 when I bought it. I find the factory hitch sits too low, gets bunged up with crap, etc. I'm going with a Curt hitch come the spring for my swing away LR bike rack. Jury's still out on a rack. Might just stick with Thule bars as I can put them on and take them off as needed to hold stuff, Rtt's, etc. The offroad screen is nice but the map software is already way out of date and there are no updates coming. I still bring my Garmin with me on trips.

 

[PhyrraM]

The factory Bluetooth only works with phone calls. It will not stream audio. You can tell if it has it by looking for the phone answer (green) and hang up (red) buttons on the steering wheel. It usually needs a software update to work with modern phones. This can be done with a Faultmate or an IIDtool, or the dealer.

There is a factory "auxiliary in" that is able to be used for audio through the factory stereo. What I have seen from some is to use a smaller tablet in the cubby where the navigation would go and plugging that into the AUX in. That covers music, navigation and whatever else you would like.

I, personally, use bluetooth for phone calls and the headphone jack (on the same phone) plugged into the AUX in and it works well.

There are devices out there designed to hook into the MOST bus ring and provide USB, bluetooth, streaming audio, and even the ability to send steering button signals (next, back, etc) to the phone app. They are expensive and I have no experience with them. Google MoBridge for an example.

 

[huskyfargo]

You'll love the LR3. I have Tactical 4x4 front/rear bumpers, and Voyager roof rack/ rock rails. This is the best vehicle I've ever owned, with the small exception of the inability to upgrade the audio/nav system. As above, I have a Nuvi mounted to a pro-clip on one side of the radio, and my iPhone on the other side. The iPhone is plugged into a USB/aux jack splitter that plugs into the back of the console. This allows me to charge and play, using all my music apps and stored music. It does pretty well, but it would really be nice to have a touch screen with a better read-out in place of the 6-disc changer.

 

[iowalr4]

I have been working on my LR4 camping trip setup for awhile. We have myself, my wife and two younger kids (car seats)... and that already seems tough. Adding dogs and bigs sounds difficult.

I have a full voyager rack and some massive 1730 pelican cases to pack the light stuff into. 4 sleeping bags, pads, pillows, etc... tent poles, goes up top. But I can't fit much more than that up top. Keep it light though.

I have the cargo barrier behind the 2nd row, and then kitchen, tent, cooler, and the rest have to pile up back there. Next time we do a trip I will have to remember to document what the pack out looks like.

 

[huskyfargo]

My buddy and I have traveled to nearly all 48 continental states in this rig over the last 4 summers. He and I travel with 3 large labs in the back, all tools and recovery gear in the space where the third row used to be, a Yakima skybox on top for luggage, and we towed my Outlander Sherpa II with all the camping gear.
I recently sold the Sherpa, and we'll be heading to Bellingham, WA this summer to pick up my VMI Alpine XL.
Here's a photo of the dash setup I mentioned earlier:


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TomOwen]

Great posts here, wow. Another thought, Check out Northern California Land Rover Club @ NorCalRovers.org and or Facebook. More that a few LR3's and 4's from bone stock hse (with muddy tires ;-) to well kitted overland rigs. Very well thought out and a lot if experience. Coincidentally, there is a club gathering tomorrow in Hollister OHV and a dinner on the 18th in San Carlos. Take a look and reach out to the club, lots of additional info there too