I must say my favourite day to day thing of living in Aus was driving down the freeway to go to work and looking at all the Land rovers, land cruisers and patrols all kitted out for the bush
Thank you Johaness. It is really the only club I've had much interest in belonging to for decades...unless of course I can get the Landy a mile off the ground. 😜
I have an old Land Rover, it's a 1961 series IIa . Considering the existing condition, the restoration needs to be done before upgrading that monster ....
Thanks for that info Mike that’s good to know. I have the radio code and log book etc and I can see it was always serviced however not much since so some repairs and maintenance required to bring Dennis back up scratch. We’re thinking Dennis the Defender. lol. Good times ahead in this great rig. Anyway Mike thanks again for help. All the best brad. PS I’ll try not to bother you too much more haha
No problem Brad. Certainly there is always something to attend to on every 4B and the green oval probably more so. Just some feedback as you can see from the vids “Dennis” was used, and well used, for its intended purpose, but always well prepared afterwards. It has never, not once, failed to proceed or had any issue of reliability on our Australia wide jaunts. It was originally intended to be our “forever” vehicle but as I am know looking down the barrel of retirement, and with Defenders no longer made (not really) I opted to update mainly from a servicing/spare parts position as we still do a lot of remote touring. Big advantage for you being on the tools! , Mike.
Nice rig mate ,great video got some good pointers ,I've got a 90 MY12 limited space in back looking at the side windows as we speak so I can leave my Weaco cfx 95 in the back permantley and access it from the side.i keep saying to the wife that's it ,it's finished yeah right I'm sure you know what I mean anyway safe travels
I recently bought me first td5 2000 defender. Will take inspiration from ur build :) could u advise what i could do for pullin out bit more power off the engine
Thanks Rusty. Have added some very nice kit (e.g. full cover black chequer-plate kit, air bags, 400ah AGM batteries etc.) since I made this video and may even do an update at some point. Cheers, Mike.
Thanks Rusty. Added a full black one piece checker plate bonnet cover, with wings about 18 months back. Looks good and soooo much more practicle for roof rack access. Cheers, Mike.
Hello, we have friends that have trekked in that part of the world...it looks fabulous ! They did an off-road motorcycle video of their adventures and it was very good. Fabulous planet...shame the people are making so many places no go zones. Cheers M.
Very impressive set up, just putting the finishing touches to a self build set up myself. Maybe give us an update to if you have found anything that is missing or you did not need after all.
Hi. There has been a few additions since I filmed the short vid...mainly tweaking...eg. rear airbags, seperate pump for shower etc, but can honestly say not doubting any additions so far. Buy the best you can afford is my advice. Have just, literally returned from several days coastal camping in heavy conditions - sporadic driving rain, 30-40 kph winds...loved it! Dry, comfortable, well lit and meal prep out of the mailstrom.
Yes, all filmed on a GoPro Hero 3. Also used it for all our stills. Doesn't cover all bases but saved me taking my usual full blown camera bag...room was tight!!
i think you have way more than the recommended and legal KG load of 110kg on the roof of your wagon! which means its not covered by insurance if anything goes wrong!
Great video and well delivered! Questions I had is what brand of roof top tent did you go with? And what did the cost of the auto electrical components come to? I’m looking to build my own tourer soon too
Hi Mike great little vid, I love seeing how people set up their trucks/landys. A quick Q re the diff Defender Models, you said you have had a 300tdi and Td5 and now the Puma, which do you rate as the best out of them all. I'm diving back into the world of defenders but have only had 300tdi's and a RR V8
G'day. Everyone has their opinions but the Td4 (Puma) is by far the most enjoyable to own & drive for me. The engine is proving to be a pearler. I do lament all the electronics that the Tdi didn't have to worry about but that aside the Td4 has been fabulous.
05:26 How do you lift that jack? With that position, you would need two people at least weather to install or to take it off. I don't think it's safe to put it up there.
Looks amazing! I've got a 110 300tdi CSW, I really like the side gullwing doors, but here in the UK they are expensive! are they really worth the investment?
G'day Philip. I really have little choice due to the draw system. Without the gull wings getting gear in and out would (and used to be) very tedious and never really made good use of the space. Now heavy toolboxes, large tables etc. straight in the side...worth every cent!
Beautiful defender man!!! Ive got a 2012 Jeep Wrangler CRD that I'm slowly modifying. Its on 33's with a 2 1/2 inch lift atm, barwork all round etc etc. Very expensive hobby we have! I've been tossing up with the idea of getting myself a HF ham radio along side my CB radio for emergencies and the CB is full of crap here in Melbourne. Do you think its worth all the hassle and licensing to get the HF radio?
Hi There. Either SatPhone or HF. Both have their pros & cons as you can read on the net. For truly remote trips I take both but have always enjoyed the "people" element of the HF. You really should have some insurance in the bush...even if you just end up using it to help others.
No worries Kurt. I hope you share your project when you get the chance. Most have a passion for something...Defenders are as honourable, and probably far more practical than many...IMHO. 😊
Hi Brad, I’m a long way from being an “expert” but understandably over a few Defenders and 20yrs I’ve accumulated some handy bits and pieces of knowledge. Happy to assist if I can. Regards, Mike.
G’day Mike pleased to meet you. Yes I’m the new owner of your 2010 expedition defender. Nice rig mate. This is my 3rd Landy but the first one with electronics and computers! So I’m a little concerned about the engine immobiliser system as I have to change out the start battery and I don’t have the engine key access code or EKA code. I am hoping you may have a record of this code otherwise I have to take it to a dealer to retrieve it. Being a mechanic by trade I know they will charge me well for that service and I prefer to avoid dealers if possible. Thanks heaps for your help. By the way did you have a name for him?
Hi Brad. Firstly congrats on the Defender. Clearly I have no idea of what has transpired since I sold it but it has always been well maintained and should have many, many years of great service ahead. I don’t think you need the code? I have never had/used such a code. I have done all the electrical “tinkering”, swapped different batteries in and out etc. and never needed a code except to reset the radio. No name on this one other than Landy…not quite original. We did have a chat on the day of sale and I thanked him for his service.
To clarify, unlike many vehicles with newer electronics you don’t need to use a “battery saver” or similar to keep power to the module when the main battery is disconnected. 👍
How do you find the Puma compared to the TD5 you had previously Mike? I have thought about a newer version of the 110 also but after investigating various aspects in the Puma like internal clutch master cylinder and more complex engine electronics combined with a few other build changes I decided to keep my 2002 version instead. So far 16 years and still very happy with my old girl now with a Canadian Roverdrive unit to give me 2000 rpm ant 100 kms plus a few more ratios in between also good for towing my 20 ft van in 4th gear with overdrive to save wear and tear on 5th gear.
Hi Peter. I haven't had any real issues with any of the three. As per my above comment I do like the Puma best to drive. I put my TD5 in some water (bottom of dashboard) in Central Australia some years back and totally killed the main ECU/electronics which then were under the drivers seat (now at the top of the firewall under the bonnet in the Puma). Killed the vehicle and I had to be towed 1000k's to Alice Springs for repairs. That's the downside to all the tech. Current wagon only has 120k so just run in. So far so good.
Hi Jimbob. The old adage of drive to the conditions. So many variables, but on good blacktop the 6spd box gives 100kph @ 2000rpm. Admittedly, the rear airbags give extra stability.
Love the Land Rover the way you've set it all up always a huge fan of the Land Rover. don't know yet thinking about maybe getting a130 series myself last of the ones with the Ford Transit Motors very solid Tuff Truck keep up the good work looks fantastic top marks
