Overland Journal Project Land Rover Discovery 4 (LR4)

[MattScott]

I would also like to see a camping ready wgt with 2 people....it would be funny if it was more than my burb (1 person camping ready 6800lbs, 2 people 7100lbs)

To pull a "Lance"

How does one person need 300 additional pounds of camping gear...?

 

[Breadfan]

Yes absolutely.

thank you sir

 

[EricTyrrell]

Official Land Rover technical document regarding axles:

 

[ZG]

^The second diagram is only true if your independent suspension is not adequate for the weight of your vehicle, or if you're upside down.

 

[PhyrraM]

Official Land Rover technical document regarding axles:

From when?

 

[Scott Brady]

Question:
Did you have to do a four wheel alignment after installing the rods?

Yes, and I would recommend saving yourself the trouble and having it done at a dealership. The local alignment shop got it about 50% correct, then Land Rover Las Vegas got is 100% within range.

 

[Scott Brady]

Official Land Rover technical document regarding axles:

It just depends on the scenario. Sometimes a solid axle is better (primarily in technical terrain) and sometimes independent is better (primarily at speed).

For the Rubicon, no doubt a solid axle is preferred.

 

[discotdi]

Except Land Rover uses cross linked air suspension which mimics a solid axle but allows for even greater articulation.
Genius really. So a new modern LR gives you the best of both worlds. Excellent on road and off.

 

[PhyrraM]

Deeply worn, rutted or muddy "twin tracks" are a pretty common occurance where the newer independant suspension really outshines the solid axles for me. Only bigger tires will help clearance on a solid axle truck in such a situation. The LR3 just raises over the high center that would have gotten my old Montero (w/33" tires) dragging the pumpkin.

 

[nwoods]

Yes, and I would recommend saving yourself the trouble and having it done at a dealership. The local alignment shop got it about 50% correct, then Land Rover Las Vegas got is 100% within range.

Here is the alignment procedure (might be outdated now?)
http://lr3tips.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/new-tire-alignment-specs-for-the-lr3/

 

[1leglance]

To pull a "Lance"

How does one person need 300 additional pounds of camping gear...?

The person them self = 150lbs
Extra food/water to cover 3 days = 40lbs
Sleeping back/pad/clothes/chair = 20lbs
Pop up awning, fire pit, propane tank, and other goodies you bring when your wife is along = 50lbs

So you are right it is 260lbs but I could swear I remember the 6800 & 7100 numbers...so it might have been 6890 or something high and a low 7100's so less than 300lbs.

But I tell you what..... I will throw down a challenge.
I am taking the wife & younger son camping after Thanksgiving. We will have 3 people, gear, food & water to cover 3 days.
If Scott or any other OJ/Expo person will pack up the LR with a 2 person load and wgt it with 2 people I will do the same on my end and we can each post up pics of the wgt tickets.
To make it worth the time I will mail up a goodie pack of cuban cigars for the OJ team

 

[SteveMfr]

As an alternative, or a supplement to the Johnson Rods for the lift, you might look into Gap-Diagnostic II-D Controller, which I have been using on my LR3 for quite some time. It gives full control of the suspension, reads and clears faults, and allows you to see live values, all on the center display above the steering wheel. The LR4 version is in development now, and should have some beta units available if you contact Patrick Melleur. I keep my Johnson Rods available in case of problems, but now have the ability to lift the vehicle when I need to before hitting the trail.

I highly endorse this. I have seen Jim's GAP unit in use and it's fantastic. It's a fraction of the cost of the Faultmate and does everything you need it to do. Super easy to plug into the OBDIII port under the dash, and you control the settings through the steering wheel controls for cruise and volume, and the GUI is the message center right in front of you. I think it's a lot better solution to dial in an inch or so of lift and run 32" tires than to fiddle with a rod and potentially add stress to your CVs if you dont need to. You just have so much more control with the electronic gadget than you do with rods. Plus, you can clear faults, monitor just about everything happening to your vehicle, and change settings and programming on the fly. It is the single best tool you can have in your toolbox if you own and WHEEL in a modern Rover....or get a Faultmate. Those are also awesome, but they are very pricey.

Thanks for the kudos, guys. I am actually quite happy to see it mentioned here on ExPo. We at GAP-Diagnostic are a bunch of LR enthusiasts - and using the IIDTool in this sort of environment is exactly what we had envisioned when we created it. Modern LR's are fantastic vehicles but traveling to remote places without a dealer nearby to help with vehicles stuffed full of electronics can be daunting. Even having to carry a PC (as with most diagnostic systems) is a bit of a risk.

The IIDTool for the LR4 has not yet reached production status, but we do have quite a number in beta test use. Functionality on the IIDTool has been increased dramatically over the past several months as well: as of the coming firmware release there is not much that a Faultmate or even LR's IDS/SDD can do that an IIDTool won't be able to do.

I'd love to post a quick vid of the latest functions displayed in an LR4 cluster, but we are not (yet) sponsors here on the board. I've sent the link to MattScott and if he feels it's appropriate, he can post the link.

Scott, I love the OJ LR4. I was given the opportunity of test driving one at the LR Experience Center in Germany a couple of weeks ago (my first drive in an LR4) - very impressive. It really makes it all extremely easy. And while the merits of a simple vehicle as in your first post in this thread (solid axle, coil sprung, next to no electronics, etc) in overland travel are obvious, there is also much that speaks for the modern vehicles precisely because they are stuffed with electronics: comfort, economy, safety, and less pollution. These are all no longer in the same ballpark as on older vehicles. Making the electronics compatible with harsh environmental conditions and no local service/support is a challenge, though. I am very curious to see how you progress with your travels in the LR4. We (wife and I) would like to take our RR L322 down through Africa to Namibia in a year or two...

NWoods, I remember reading on your site a couple of years ago when I first joined up here (really enjoyed your travel logs). Just out of curiosity: why are you Roverless at the moment?

 

[Scott Brady]

But I tell you what..... I will throw down a challenge.
I am taking the wife & younger son camping after Thanksgiving. We will have 3 people, gear, food & water to cover 3 days.
If Scott or any other OJ/Expo person will pack up the LR with a 2 person load and wgt it with 2 people I will do the same on my end and we can each post up pics of the wgt tickets.
To make it worth the time I will mail up a goodie pack of cuban cigars for the OJ team

Deal! So we put two people and all camping gear in the LR4 or just the two people?

 

[nwoods]

Deal! So we put two people and all camping gear in the LR4 or just the two people?

I believe he said 2 people + gear:

If Scott or any other OJ/Expo person will pack up the LR with a 2 person load and wgt it with 2 people ...

 

[nwoods]

NWoods, I remember reading on your site a couple of years ago when I first joined up here (really enjoyed your travel logs). Just out of curiosity: why are you Roverless at the moment?

Thank you. While my trip reports have all been retired with the closed down websites, I have reposted the technical content to "lr3tips.wordpress.com", which is now looking for a new evangelist to keep the database current......my old (and current) photos are still available through "nwoods.smugmug.com"

Why am I Roverless? I ask myself this almost everyday ... There are 2 reasons:
1. Money. In 2008 the architectural profession was hit hard by this economy, and non essential expenses, such as the LR3, were unsustainable. We sold everything, hunkered down and did our best just to survive.

Things are a little better now. We have a deep hole to climb out of, but we are climbing. I could possibly afford a used 2006/2007 LR3 right now, but....

2. Money. 12-14mpg of "Premium only" does not work well with my +25,000 mile annual usage. Plus, the accessories I need to properly protect the LR3 from the way I'd use it all cost more than I can afford now. And the simple fact that the LR3, while very reliable, is not inexpensive to own, maintain, and operate. I just can't afford to drive one, even though I could maybe afford to purchase one.

I wish I could. I miss my 3 every single day. By far the best, most pleasurable vehicle I've ever owned, but its not on my horizon for a while. Total cost of ownership is just not viable yet.