How is your truck set up for an expedition??

[lostworldexpedition]

This guy has it about right http://www.btinternet.com/~andrew_marshallsay/marshallsay/My_cars/isuzu.htm
Low budget, make it yourself or buy it cheap on the 'bay, think everything through.

I really liked that link... lot of very ingenious ideas in that Isuzu. Thanks.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

That would be venomous snakes. There are lots of venomous snakes, but I can't think of a poisonous one.:sombrero: Still, I'm with you on this one.:smiley_drive:

That's why I live up here, never have to worry about venomous things.

 

[Nonimouse]

I really liked that link... lot of very ingenious ideas in that Isuzu. Thanks.

He's a good bloke; built this to while away the hours



http://www.moglite.com/

 

[Connie]

I would like to remind everyone that we play nice here.

 

[DaktariEd]

I have deleted the personal attacks &/or posts related to those &/or irrelevant to the thread. :ar15:

Please get back on track....:smiley_drive:

"How is your truck set up for an expedition?"

If you have nothing constructive to add, don't post....:ylsmoke:

Cheers!

 

[Chucaro]

It is interesting on the difference in priorities for equip a vehicle in USA and here in Oz

If we have to go to the far outback some of the gear on the top of the list will be:

GPS and hard copy of the main map
GME MT410 Accusato Emergency Beacon (personal location beacon system)
If it is possible a HF radio
Heaps of water
Excellent first aid box
Comprehensive set of spares
And then the rest of gear that you people are using in the outback of USA and Canada

 

[R_Lefebvre]

It is interesting on the difference in priorities for equip a vehicle in USA and here in Oz

If we have to go to the far outback some of the gear on the top of the list will be:

GPS and hard copy of the main map
GME MT410 Accusato Emergency Beacon (personal location beacon system)
If it is possible a HF radio
Heaps of water
Excellent first aid box
Comprehensive set of spares
And then the rest of gear that you people are using in the outback of USA and Canada

Well, it's a little different here.

GPS, check. Maps, as I said aren't so useful. The roads you're on either aren't on the map, or the roads on the map may not exist anymore, and with a GPS, it's really hard to tell where you really are. If you get lost, make camp, wait for help.

Beacon (SPOT), good idea, see above.

Ham radio, working on it.

Heaps of water, up here, you only need water purification, not storage. No end of water here.

First aid, check, thought it was so obvious I didn't post it. My kit never leaves my truck. I've patched up 3 strangers already because of it.

 

[Scott Brady]

Being that this thread was posted in the Rover section, my answer is to keep the trucks simple and light. Outside of the Hi-Cap 110s and 130s, the Rovers do not perform well when overloaded. Making the choice to travel in a vehicle (NAS) with at worst a 93" WB, most likely a 100" WB and at best, a 109" WB is going to demand some compromise in what you can take along with you.

I built my Discovery simple and light, and pack it like a backpacker. It performs great on the trail and highway, and has so far been completely reliable. With this vehicle, I enjoy the simplicity and lack of equipment distraction. It is the YIN/YANG with my EarthRoamer

 

[gjackson]

Scott's on one side of the equation, and I'm on the other. My 110 is a heavy beast, can only cruise at 65mph on the interstate, but IMO is perfectly set up for long range overlanding:

Because I've done a lot of off-road racing I'm pretty adamant about good suspension, so I have an SG stage II JEK that has been heavily modified by Rovertracks to make it work well (thanks Keith!)

More info here: http://www.africaoverland.org/vehicle_iteration2.htm

Everything else comes down to the two 'Ps' protection & packing system. Protection is all about keeping the asset running in the field. We all know that.

Packing is all about taking what you need and making it as accessible as possible and yet as secure as possible. This always takes some pretty large compromises, and is all based on ones own personal preference:

But all in all, it's not about the truck. It's about the adventure.

So pack light and learn as you go.

cheers

 

[sinuhexavier]

Everything you need and nothing you don't.

 

[Chucaro]

Graham I have a Defe 110 like yours and like to take enough gear with me to make the trip comfortable and safe, but having the 110 is like having a big shed, the bigger the more junk that we collect. Its take a lot of self discipline to control which gear we are going to take and which you should live at the shed.

With my wife we traveled for 8 month in a BMW 850R towing a trailer and camping in a tent over night. The gear on the trailer was enough for the 2 of us to travel in comfort.
Now….over 60’s we need the payload of the 110

 

[Nonimouse]

I have followed the build and trips with Graham's 110 for years. Always liked it, some real thought in there. Experience shows through.

I also think it's worthwhile looking at where and what you do - note the difference between what you need in Oz and North America/Canada. Things change again for Africa (North and South differ), Eastern Europe and the old USSR. I have been on trips where water really was becoming a big issue despite good planing and others where we prayed it would just stop raining for an hour!

Weight is the big killer. Graham has had to go for a special system - very good in it's design - due to weight. My 110 is the same base vehicle but weighs in fully laden at 200kgs under the maximum weight - so I can use OEM springs - Standard Red/Red rears and Disco1 V8 rears on the front. I am trying out the new Terrafirma shocks (Dobinsons UK branding IIRC) and SuperPro bushes. Minor mods like Disco1 spring seperators on the front and HOFS trailing arms (standard length and straight but sooo much stronger!). All this is field repairable in Ulan Bator on a Friday night and costs less than one modified radius arm!

Like I said before, I like drawers but they don't work for me AND they are heavy compared to a simple modular system. RTT are the same - so damn heavy that they put a standard 110 beyond its roof design carrying load (150kgs). I use a quechua (but one of the three man ones with the porch) for short stop overs and a canvas ex mil vehicle shelter of long stops. Ex mil cots for comfort and light weight; or a thermarest and a RMC all season on the roofrack for warm weather

I was chatting to the guy who delivers our groceries the other week and commented on the useful looking plastic bins they use in the delivery truck for storing food. His response was 'How many do you want?' - I've got ten in the garage now, 8 for parts as they are stackable and 2 for the 110 for a simple idea I have in mind. Staples do a tough plastic box (see through) that can be dustproof in North Africa if you add some bath room sealant to the seal - cost £12 so say $18-20, tough enough to survive three africa trips and my kids yet half the weight of a Pelicase...

It's that difference in outlook that develops upon where you are based, where you travel and what's in the bank.

Couple of examples:

UK insurance becomes invalid if take the vehicle beyond it's factory spec load - so if my 110 goes over 3005kgs it's uninsured, I am then liable to prosecution. If I have an accident and someone is killed I will do time. Prison food and the need for soap on a rope doesn't work for me! No matter what I do to the suspension my vehicle's max load is 3005 unless I modify it, get an SVA test (no hope there) and change it's specified use, tax bracket etc.

My first trip round Europe and Yugoslavia back in the mid '80's was on a 1971 T100 Daytona. I had a back pack, a '58spec sleeping bag, a 12'x9' basha, sleeping mat, Trangia and a new set of Eagles. Oh and my faithful Barbour. Over 4 months and 10k - what a trip! I miss that bike. Those of you who have read Jupiter's travels will know why I did it.

Back to the original post. Keep it simple, keep it light, keep it cheap - if it doesn't work then don't use it next time

 

[emmodg]

I suppose I'll get in trouble for this but for a "Certified Overland Master Trainer" Person that is a VERY unsafe way to use a Hi Lift!

1) Hi Lift, as well as others, NEVER intended the jack to be used as a vehicle stabilizing jack - you should never work under a vehicle solely held up by the jack alone! "Well, I wasn't all the way under the truck." isn't an excuse. I guess you might have to learn the hard way....

2) Only in extreme cases should a Hi Lift be left alone ESPECIALLY with the handle down and not held against the stanchion. That's a "loaded weapon" right there. If you have to leave the jack wrap a tree saver around the handle to hold it against the stanchion. (The only time I instruct a student to leave a Hi Lift unattended is on the battlefield!)

Who is "certifies" these "Certified Instructors"?

 

[TeriAnn]

I have deleted the personal attacks &/or posts related to those &/or irrelevant to the thread.

Thank you for doing that. I didn't see the deleted posts and I prefer not to have seen them. I guess a lot of LR forum users are more in tune with the "live to flame, flame to live" forum style.

<<SNIP>> my answer is to keep the trucks simple and light. Outside of the Hi-Cap 110s and 130s, the Rovers do not perform well when overloaded. Making the choice to travel in a vehicle (NAS) with at worst a 93" WB, most likely a 100" WB and at best, a 109" WB is going to demand some compromise in what you can take along with you.

I don't think it is quite as simple as all that. Take a Series III 109 stationwagon for instance (Because I have the factory tech specs book for SIII).

The factory specs for 100% stock factory configuration are:
Running weight with 5 UK gallons of petrol - 3752 lbs, 1702Kg
rear axle weight - 2013 lbs, 913 kg
front axle weight - 1739 lbs,789 kg

Max. gross weight cross country - 5705lbs, 2590kg (1953 lbs, 888kg max carrying capacity)
Rear axle max load - 3565 lbs, 1620 kg (1552 lbs, 707 kg max carrying capacity)
front axle max load - 2140lbs, 970 kg (401 lbs, 181 kg)

A few things jump out from these numbers. A Series rig is designed to be able to carry a lot of weight cross country but most of it on the rear suspension. A big winch up front, a heavy front bumper or brush guard, bonnet mounted spare, two people in the front and you come close to maxing out the stock front suspension. Add weight to the front of a roof rack and you can overload the front suspension (Why you sometimes see half roof racks mounted on the back half of a Series rig).

Different models of 109 have different load capacities. This is due mostly to the springs fitted to the truck. At the high weight end, the factory used stronger axle assemblies and reduced gearing to go along with their stiffer springs.

While I agree with you that light weight always works; less stress on the drive train, more flexible suspension can be fitted, better power to weight ratio, easier travel over less solid ground, I believe that Land Rovers can do more than carry minimal weight dependably.

When you start thinking about modifying a Series Land Rover (probably the others too but Series are all I know) for expedition style travel I think the primary focus should be on centre of gravity management, staying within the off road limits of your suspension, not overtaxing your drive train, having an acceptable power to weight ratio and the carrying capacity of land you intend to drive over. Once you have your truck set up and know your axle weights THEN you pick your springs to match your truck weights. I've seen way too many people start with springs without giving vehicle weight & distribution a thought. And I have never seen weight & load specs for parabolics.:Wow1:

I'm going to use my truck as a real life example of what I mean. I'm a believer that the more comfortable your camping situation is and easier it is to set up at the end of a day the more apt you are to enjoy being out on the trail for long trips. My truck is targeted for mostly firm soils. Travel in the Pacific North West include rains that sometimes lasts a week.

To meet my comfort goals I have chosen to build my truck into a class B RV with minimal outside camp set up and comfortable inside living. I also required interior space for a giant breed dog.

I personally prefer to have my vehicle's centre of gravity to be as low as possible, centered side to side and a little aft of centre front to rear so the vehicle is a little more apt to stay with the rear wheels than the front, the stronger rear suspension can handle a little more than half of the work and so that the rear wheels have a little more weight for traction.

To this end I added 2 additional fuel tanks for a total capacity of 42 US gallons of fuel at frame level. I have a 15 gallon stainless steel water tank sitting directly on the frame a little aft of centre on the left side. To balance the water weight, both of my batteries are at frame level on the right side as is my horizontal mount 5 gallon propane tank and my refrigerator (15 inches above frame top level). Every attempt was made to put as much of the added weight in the rear 2/3rds of the truck, as low as possible and evenly distributed side to side.

My truck, fully loaded for a trip including 40ish US gallons of fuel, full water and propane with normal roof rack load weighs 5790 lbs, 2630kg. Loaded front axle weight is 2460 lbs, 1117 kg. Loaded rear axle weight is 2980 lbs,
1353 kg. The ruck is well within the load range of stock 109 station wagon rear springs but the front overtaxes the stock front springs. So I fitted the heavier duty one ton springs to the front.

So the truck has as low a centre of gravity as I can achieve with the expedition (camper) gear, the slightly aft centre of gravity that I prefer, is just a tad heavier then the factory maximum specified cross country weight for a stock 109 stationwagon (well below maximum cross country weight for a One ton) but the extra weight on the front axle is compensated for by the heavier duty front springs.

At this point I have what I consider a balanced truck with decent c.g. that has a suspension matched to the vehicle weight. But the power to weight ratio is crappy, the vehicle weight is a tad higher than the maximum the drive train was designed to handle and that the brakes were designed to handle. So I added front disc power brakes to handle the extra weight. Swapped in a more powerful engine to provide a better power to weight ratio than a stock empty vehicle and uprated every part of the drive train, except for the transfercase to handle the extra power and weight.

To my mind this is the heart of fitting the expedition (camping) gear you want into a truck and ending up with a reliable truck that handles well.

We each have different gear requirements to meet our perceived needs. We each have our own ideas of what constitutes a good camping/travel experience. The gear you carry needs to address these needs for you and your passengers. No two people are likely to find the same set up to be optimal. The real key issues are where do you put/secure it for both convenience and for optimum vehicle centre of gravity, setting up your suspension to best handle the weight you are carrying through the intended driving terrains and having a drive train that can reliably haul your gear leaden truck.

 

[Connie]

having the 110 is like having a big shed, the bigger the more junk that we collect. Its take a lot of self discipline to control which gear we are going to take and which you should live at the shed.

:xxrotflma SO True!

Everything you need and nothing you don't.

Something I will probably spend the rest of my life trying to figure out!