racingjason
Adventurer
Hello everyone,
As we are now firmly committed to our new rig, we are once again offering up our good friend Higgins, a 1980 Land Rover Series III Dormobile complete with 200tdi transplant, up for sale.
The truck has always served us well and, if you are into overlanding, is truely is one of the coolest Rovers out there. The truck is in great shape, not perfect however, but if you are like us you want a vehicle that you can use. We have spent a lot of time refurbishing (rather than restoring) Higgins in order to travel. We were assisted greatly in this task by a previous owner who went to great lengths to prevent rust and do all the maintence nessasary to keep a 30 year old Rover safely on the road.
The Dormobile kit was refurbished and installed by Dormobile in the UK. All the cabinets were repainted and the seats and cubby box reupholstered. This really cleaned up the interior and while it is not look new it certainly lookes very good. The mechanisms for the “rock and roll” Dormatic seats were refurbished and work perfectly. A new bunk cover was installed on the right side while the original tartan one remains on the other side. The original table is included and even has mounts to use it off the back of the truck. (a great addition for eating outside on nice days) The pinstripe canopy is in usable condition but is the original part and showing some wear and tear. A brand new replacement canopy from Dormobile will be included. There is even an Engel fridge which fits perfectly in the back! For those who have not been in a Dormobile, we were able to live in the truck for over 2 months and found it very comfortable. (I am 6'2" and 200+ lbs) It is not a huge space by any means but if you are organised there is plenty of room for everything you need without the footprint of a bigger rig.
For information on Dormobiles there is no better resource than TerriAnn Wakeman's site: http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/
The 200tdi conversion was performed by ACH Landrovers in the UK. (The Tdi came from a 1993 Discovery). The install was done very nicely and has been the single best decision I have made when building this truck. Fuel mileage basically doubled from the V8 and we averaged 23 US.mpg (27imp.mpg) over the course of a 5000 mile trip. The engine pulls the truck along great; it is not speedy of course but can cruise along at highway speeds without a problem. The engine fires up at just the touch of the key (even after sitting all winter) and the conversion has been very reliable.
So I have built what was my dream truck; a Series Land Rover with a Tdi and the very rare Dormobile package. As I was building the truck as a “keeper” I endeavoured to do everything right: all the accessory wiring was cleaned up with soldered connections wherever possible; good quality parts were always chosen; and considerable time was spent on soundproofing and making the interior space comfortable to live in. Just cruising around town in the old boy makes me smile, it really is a good truck.
At the risk of repeating myself, here are a few of the main features of the truck:
General
- 1980 Land Rover Series III - 109”
- 1993 200tdi engine
- Chassis is solid, free of major rust and is in good condition
- 4 speed gearbox with Fairy overdrive
- Rear Salisbury Differential
- Fairy part-time selectable hubs
- Parabolic springs
- 6 x ANR1534 wheels (130 Defender type - 6.5” wide and strong)
- Rear swing away tire carrier
- Olympic 7.50x16 military tires (5)
- Half roof rack with tool (ammo) boxes
- Lots of chequer plate (love it or hate it, it has its uses)
- Snorkel and K&N filter
- Front and rear diff guards and steering skip plate.
Electrical
- Dual batteries
- Hella Halogen Headlamps
- Hella Supertone Horns
- Kenlowe electric fan
- Blue Sea bus-bar and accessory fuse block
- MudUK Console with 3 std. power points
- Carling Switches
- VDO Tachometer
- EMS-2 Multi-gauge (http://www.madman.co.za/)
Interior
- Fatmat sound insulation throughout the truck
- Custom Sound barrier over gearbox tunnel.
- La Salle fibreglass headiner
- Heavy duty sound deadening floor mats.
- Rally type map light (one of the most useful things in the truck!)
Dormobile Kit
- Reupholstered Dormatic seats that are fully operational.
- Compact table that stores on the back door
- Stainless steel cooker top and heat shield
- Cooker is set up to run on North American propane bottles
- Two Propane bottles (10lb?) and rack.
- Wardrobe and cooker unit were refurbished last year
- New sink insert
- ARB 30 litre fridge with Posi-fit
- Two upper bunks, one original and one with new fabric.
- Sleeping bag straps
- Fluorescent lighting
Extras
I have extra parts and pieces for the truck that I have been installing over time:
- Complete new Dormobile canopy (and instructions)
- Defender front door seals
- Land Rover front bumper recovery rings
I also have a large collection of spares for the vehicle include brake shoes, drums, wheel cyl, etc; drivetrain seals/gaskets, u-joints, steering parts, fuel pump, timing belt, etc. I bought these parts in anticipation of a) having a spares collection for our next expedition, b) getting the thing through the safety inspection when it arrived in Canada. In the end all I needed for inspection was one rear hub seal and a pair of wiper blades!! As I have said before, the truck is in good shape. (I have the records from past MOT inspections for 15 years or more)
We are going to start by asking $23,000. Please feel to contact me and make an offer or simply to shoot the breeze. Pictures and information are available at:
http://web.me.com/racingjason/Dormobile_for_Sale/Welcome.html
There is a possibility that I may be able to arrange transportation of the truck for a reasonable cost to the western Canada or the US. Please feel free to discuss it with me.
Thanks for looking.
As we are now firmly committed to our new rig, we are once again offering up our good friend Higgins, a 1980 Land Rover Series III Dormobile complete with 200tdi transplant, up for sale.
The truck has always served us well and, if you are into overlanding, is truely is one of the coolest Rovers out there. The truck is in great shape, not perfect however, but if you are like us you want a vehicle that you can use. We have spent a lot of time refurbishing (rather than restoring) Higgins in order to travel. We were assisted greatly in this task by a previous owner who went to great lengths to prevent rust and do all the maintence nessasary to keep a 30 year old Rover safely on the road.
The Dormobile kit was refurbished and installed by Dormobile in the UK. All the cabinets were repainted and the seats and cubby box reupholstered. This really cleaned up the interior and while it is not look new it certainly lookes very good. The mechanisms for the “rock and roll” Dormatic seats were refurbished and work perfectly. A new bunk cover was installed on the right side while the original tartan one remains on the other side. The original table is included and even has mounts to use it off the back of the truck. (a great addition for eating outside on nice days) The pinstripe canopy is in usable condition but is the original part and showing some wear and tear. A brand new replacement canopy from Dormobile will be included. There is even an Engel fridge which fits perfectly in the back! For those who have not been in a Dormobile, we were able to live in the truck for over 2 months and found it very comfortable. (I am 6'2" and 200+ lbs) It is not a huge space by any means but if you are organised there is plenty of room for everything you need without the footprint of a bigger rig.
For information on Dormobiles there is no better resource than TerriAnn Wakeman's site: http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/
The 200tdi conversion was performed by ACH Landrovers in the UK. (The Tdi came from a 1993 Discovery). The install was done very nicely and has been the single best decision I have made when building this truck. Fuel mileage basically doubled from the V8 and we averaged 23 US.mpg (27imp.mpg) over the course of a 5000 mile trip. The engine pulls the truck along great; it is not speedy of course but can cruise along at highway speeds without a problem. The engine fires up at just the touch of the key (even after sitting all winter) and the conversion has been very reliable.
So I have built what was my dream truck; a Series Land Rover with a Tdi and the very rare Dormobile package. As I was building the truck as a “keeper” I endeavoured to do everything right: all the accessory wiring was cleaned up with soldered connections wherever possible; good quality parts were always chosen; and considerable time was spent on soundproofing and making the interior space comfortable to live in. Just cruising around town in the old boy makes me smile, it really is a good truck.
At the risk of repeating myself, here are a few of the main features of the truck:
General
- 1980 Land Rover Series III - 109”
- 1993 200tdi engine
- Chassis is solid, free of major rust and is in good condition
- 4 speed gearbox with Fairy overdrive
- Rear Salisbury Differential
- Fairy part-time selectable hubs
- Parabolic springs
- 6 x ANR1534 wheels (130 Defender type - 6.5” wide and strong)
- Rear swing away tire carrier
- Olympic 7.50x16 military tires (5)
- Half roof rack with tool (ammo) boxes
- Lots of chequer plate (love it or hate it, it has its uses)
- Snorkel and K&N filter
- Front and rear diff guards and steering skip plate.
Electrical
- Dual batteries
- Hella Halogen Headlamps
- Hella Supertone Horns
- Kenlowe electric fan
- Blue Sea bus-bar and accessory fuse block
- MudUK Console with 3 std. power points
- Carling Switches
- VDO Tachometer
- EMS-2 Multi-gauge (http://www.madman.co.za/)
Interior
- Fatmat sound insulation throughout the truck
- Custom Sound barrier over gearbox tunnel.
- La Salle fibreglass headiner
- Heavy duty sound deadening floor mats.
- Rally type map light (one of the most useful things in the truck!)
Dormobile Kit
- Reupholstered Dormatic seats that are fully operational.
- Compact table that stores on the back door
- Stainless steel cooker top and heat shield
- Cooker is set up to run on North American propane bottles
- Two Propane bottles (10lb?) and rack.
- Wardrobe and cooker unit were refurbished last year
- New sink insert
- ARB 30 litre fridge with Posi-fit
- Two upper bunks, one original and one with new fabric.
- Sleeping bag straps
- Fluorescent lighting
Extras
I have extra parts and pieces for the truck that I have been installing over time:
- Complete new Dormobile canopy (and instructions)
- Defender front door seals
- Land Rover front bumper recovery rings
I also have a large collection of spares for the vehicle include brake shoes, drums, wheel cyl, etc; drivetrain seals/gaskets, u-joints, steering parts, fuel pump, timing belt, etc. I bought these parts in anticipation of a) having a spares collection for our next expedition, b) getting the thing through the safety inspection when it arrived in Canada. In the end all I needed for inspection was one rear hub seal and a pair of wiper blades!! As I have said before, the truck is in good shape. (I have the records from past MOT inspections for 15 years or more)
We are going to start by asking $23,000. Please feel to contact me and make an offer or simply to shoot the breeze. Pictures and information are available at:
http://web.me.com/racingjason/Dormobile_for_Sale/Welcome.html
There is a possibility that I may be able to arrange transportation of the truck for a reasonable cost to the western Canada or the US. Please feel free to discuss it with me.
Thanks for looking.
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