Suggestions for making my Series III ready for overlanding?

[lrover52]

Hi there,

1/ I have a (well travelled) Series III that is 38 years old!

Have a look below at some of the trips I took with my Series III...

http://landroamer.blogspot.ch/2013/04/overland-trips.html

http://bsalzmann.blogspot.ch/2012_04_01_archive.html


2/ In my opinion, a roof tent is the best option



3/ An electric winch is the best solution



It's a great small car, keep the weight down and enjoy being different !

Look at my blog (signature) to see what can be done with a 4x4...

 

[lrover52]

Oops,

Forgot to specify that even with a winch, one needs to have a Hi-Lift jack and "sand ladders".

Those two items are the most important kit when venturing off-road!

 

[LR Max]

Here. Get this:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/143131-Fleetwood-Neon-Available

Its in GA, but I'm sure in the coming months you can find someone traveling west and can pay a bit of $$$ for fuel to get it most of the way there. Or drive out to get it. Or arrange misc transportation. For what it is, the price is not all that bad...

 

[Sleam]

Hi there,

1/ I have a (well travelled) Series III that is 38 years old!

It's a great small car, keep the weight down and enjoy being different !..

This s great inspiration - thanks. I will read all about your travels with glee!
s

 

[Sleam]

New Tires!

 

[Antichrist]

2/ In my opinion, a roof tent is the best option

What winch is that on it during your trip through Zaïre? It looks like maybe a Land Rover hydraulic, but I can't really tell.

 

[lrover52]

Hi Tom,

Good spotting, good question.

Negative, for many years I had a PTO winch made by "Fairy" in the UK.
Good part is that it has a huge drum and I had almost 50 meters of steel cable (the norm in those days) on it.

Used it a number of times to pull myself out of mud holes and/or to pull people.

Then one day, in Africa, I rode in a friend's Land Cruiser and used his Warn 8274 - I was blown away !!!

After my overland trip to Switzerland, I removed the PTO winch (had no winch when I went to Tunisia) and fitted recently a Warn 8274.

IMO an electric winch is far superior for off-roading.

Ha, ha, complete winch and PTO is for sale !

 

[Antichrist]

Ah, ok. Yeah, the spur gear 8274 is much faster than a worm drive, which I'm pretty sure your PTO is.
I actually prefer PTO or hydraulic because of the 100% duty cycle and ability to adjust the line speed.

 

[LR Max]

In regards to electric winch vs. manual winch, on Saturday I was in a stuck situation. Long story short, steep + wet + lose rock/soil = No-go. I used my electric winch in 2 pulls (I'd say...125 feet total?).

Stuck by Max Thomason, on Flickr

If I had a manual winch, this would have taken half a day and would have been scary as all get out. Heck with the proper equipment it was scary. Also my winch is slow so both pulls took forever. Overall I say I ended up spending about an hour getting up the hill.

What does that have to do with anything? Well, if you see yourself in this position often, then yes. You need a winch. Preferably one that is fast and reliable. However if you aren't stupid like me and avoid these situations then no, you don't need a winch.

 

[Antichrist]

If I had a manual winch, this would have taken half a day and would have been scary as all get out. Heck with the proper equipment it was scary. Also my winch is slow so both pulls took forever. Overall I say I ended up spending about an hour getting up the hill.

Yeah, not a place you'd want to use a come-a-long. I've been in similar, and it was so steep and slick that after I did the first pull I had to anchor the Rover to re-rig, otherwise it would have slid down the hill. I would have hated doing that by hand, and there would have been no choice since the trail ended at the bottom around a bend.

 

[alaskantinbender]

Great ideas on this thread and very enjoyable reading. For solo travel the inside bed sounds like a great idea. Also a very good option in foul weather.
The roof top tents are great for sleeping in off the ground but a bit of a pain to fold up with a taller truck.
There are several company's selling awnings with attachable rooms/tents that are pretty quick set up and tear down with out having to use a ladder. I echo the electric winch idea. Pto is very nice for working but for occasional use the electric is great. The come along is just more bulky weight to store someplace while the electric is on the front bumper out of the way and ready for use. I like the shorter 88 for exploring but my 109 sure carry's more junk.
Here are a few pics to keep the thread going.

The roof top tent



ARB awning and tent.




Solo bed in the truck for bad weather can be converted to more of full size when needed.
Provides a great storage area for more gear than i really need.



I had a Koenig pto winch but went with an old electric warn when I fitted my overdrive.

 

[alaskantinbender]

I started daily driving the 109 just to work out more bugs. That has been extremely helpful and has allowed issues to be discovered 5 miles from the house instead of 50.

Dunno, just some ideas for you.

This is a tremendous idea for working out the bugs in your truck.
Also when working/repairing your truck use just your truck tool kit. Add any additional items and remove the unused tools.
It will over time have everything you need in it.

Jim

 

[Sleam]

This is a tremendous idea for working out the bugs in your truck.
Also when working/repairing your truck use just your truck tool kit. Add any additional items and remove the unused tools.
It will over time have everything you need in it.

Jim

That's a great idea about the tools, i'll start today. We're going to the lake later, my brother in my Series as he's visiting from the UK for his birthday. What do you keep in your own truck kit?
Sarah

 

[Sleam]

Great ideas on this thread and very enjoyable reading. For solo travel the inside bed sounds like a great idea. Also a very good option in foul weather.
The roof top tents are great for sleeping in off the ground but a bit of a pain to fold up with a taller truck.
There are several company's selling awnings with attachable rooms/tents that are pretty quick set up and tear down with out having to use a ladder. I echo the electric winch idea. Pto is very nice for working but for occasional use the electric is great. The come along is just more bulky weight to store someplace while the electric is on the front bumper out of the way and ready for use. I like the shorter 88 for exploring but my 109 sure carry's more junk.
Here are a few pics to keep the thread going.

View attachment 286158

I love these photos! Thanks for the detailed one inside. The awning tent looks better and stronger than Id imagined. Hmm! While my brother's here I'll brainstorm with him too about the way it's set up inside. Right now I've put the dog bed(s) on a platform that rests on the back seats and store tools, water etc underneath. The RTT I'd had on the 4Runner scared my one dog and he'd run away, maybe because it was an old thick chunky kind. Perhaps the Columbus style wouldn't be so intimidating? The tent of the side looks great though, I'll check that out.
Part of this process is the dream of big trips again like I used to do alone in a VW beetle, fearless and silly in the mountain passes, crossing paths with the Jeep Brigade much to their amazement!
I turn the Big 50 in a couple of years and would love to take time off to play.
Anyway, thanks for the ideas!
Sarah

 

[LR Max]

I like that setup. I've got a box in the back of mine that makes the entire back flat. However I'd like the ability to have a rear bench seat again and to have some depth again.

I do the same, I like sleeping in the back of the 109. No tent to setup/take down/dry out later. Good for solo travel.