Which Defender as long-term touring vehicle

DiscoMick · 5th October 2014, 02:29 PM

Hi guys, I don't know a lot about Defenders, so I'm seeking some advice on which Defender to buy and set up for long term touring and towing our camper trailer.

Long story short, the wife has agreed that we ought to look at a Defender to prepare it for when we quit work and wander off indefinitely, probably in about 3 years.

While our D1 has been a good thing, by then it will be 22 years old. Also, Defenders have much more space between the rear seats and the rear door than our D1. The fact a Defender would be more basic than our ES Disco is an advantage, as we want a utilitarian, practical, reliable workhorse, not a city runabout.

So it has to be able to tow our camper trailer, cope with being loaded up with stuff, have a durable interior, survive being bashed around the worst roads in the country, not use too much fuel, have reasonable air con, be acceptably reliable and capable of cruising at up to 100 km/h for long distances. It should remain a viable vehicle for about a decade. It won't be used for commuting. In other words, we want a marathon runner, not a sprinter.

We haven't firmed up our budget yet, but I think a 3-5 year old vehicle might be possible, or we could go for something older and spend more preparing it.

So, which engine - 300 Tdi, Td5, 2.4 or 2.2?
Which body? I'm assuming a110 wagon, but should we consider a dual or single cab plus a canopy?
How much should we budget to buy and prepare it?
Should we buy privately or look for a vehicle which has been refurbished by a LR specialist?
What other factors should we consider?

Would appreciate your collective wisdom.

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**LoveB** · 5th October 2014, 04:31 PM

Not sure if youre interested in one now, but i have a td5 tourer for sale anyway. lol

from what ive heard 300tdi's are good because of less electrics. but I think if td5's are maintained you wont have any problems. My technicians td5's have 400t Kms and still go strong.

I also have a 2.2 but have not owned it long enough to know how it will last lol

**Iain_B** · 5th October 2014, 05:12 PM

Having lived out of a 110 Defender with a roof top tent for 3 months, and I think you would be better off with a 130 Dual cab, and a decent canopy. The 110 is just big enough, but we were loaded to the max all the time. Towing a trailer you might not need the extra 500kg, but it would be good to have it.

We have a Tdci, and with the BAS remap and uprated intercooler, we have enough power for cruising at the speed limit in most places, but generally stuck to the dirt roads running about 80-90kph. I had 255/85R16 on, and would recommend them as the extra inch of ground clearance over nearly everything else on the road makes a big difference on soft sand tracks. Tyre are not that easy to come by in that size, but nor were 235/85R16s in any of the places we stopped.

**Psimpson7** · 5th October 2014, 05:15 PM

You can narrow it down pretty quick...

Do pretty much everything on your list

tdi/td5/2.4/2.2

want to tow comfortably at 100

Td5/2.4/2.2

Good air con

2.4/2.2

and out of those 2 to me, the 2.2 seems a better option as its newer.

**vnx205** · 5th October 2014, 05:20 PM

It sounds as if you already have a camper trailer and it may suit your needs.

Have you considered other possibilities, such as a cab/chassis with a slide on camper?

Different people have different needs, but my setup is vastly superior to a camper trailer for my needs.

Some of the advantages are:
No extra rego to pay.
No extra tyres, suspension etc to maintain.
Less total weight.
Most important of all is the fact that there are places I want to go where towing a trailer would be forbidden, impossible or a nightmare.

Of course there are disadvantages, but at the moment the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.

I'm not trying to talk you into it. I'm just mentioning it in case the thought hadn't crossed your mind.

**PAT303** · 5th October 2014, 06:54 PM

If your selling your Disco because it will be 22 years old there's no point in replacing it with a Defender thats 22 years old.The 2.4-2.2 TDCi's are the only vehicles that suit your needs.Personally I'd sell both the Disco and towed camper and get a 130 with slide on as vnx has posted. Pat

**manic** · 5th October 2014, 11:21 PM

If you are only going to tour around Australia and have a wife that needs to be kept cool, the 2.2/2.4 Puma is the way to go. Go for a 130 - take it all!

Puma 'electrical wizardry' should not be an issue if you take a diagnostic tool, familiarise yourself with common issues and carry appropriate spares. Perhaps look at additional protection from bad fuel (water in fuel sensor, traps). ECU away from water etc.... plenty of puma folks on here to guide you.

**cewilson** · 6th October 2014, 01:53 AM

Originally Posted by Psimpson7

You can narrow it down pretty quick...

Do pretty much everything on your list

tdi/td5/2.4/2.2

want to tow comfortably at 100

Td5/2.4/2.2

Good air con

2.4/2.2

and out of those 2 to me, the 2.2 seems a better option as its newer.

Agree totally. And in reference to 110 vs 130 - there's no need to get a 130 if you are towing. We've been using a 110 for years and we tow with a family of 6. And once the kids grow up we'll still be towing, just with a lot more room in the cabin

**Blknight.aus** · 6th October 2014, 07:29 AM

What you buy depends on your strengths.

Good mechanically, get a tdi
Good with electronics get a td5

But get a dual cab 130 if you have kids.

**landy** · 6th October 2014, 07:36 AM

As soon as I read 'reasonable airccon' and '2-3 years old' I thought the decisions been made. It has to be a Puma 2.4 or 2.2. And I totally agree with 22 yo disco/22yo Defender reasoning.
However. I have a 99my Td5 110 and so far (touch wood) have had no issues and we use it to tour. But we don't have kids anymore. It does sometimes get a little packed if we use the RRT but no probs towing the camper.
I can't comment on the 300Tdi but they do have an excellent rep. But they (and the Td5) are too old for your needs.
IF you go the Td5 route get it chipped. It's the best thing I've done. I don't know why they weren't tuned this way from the factory.
There are some well set up rigs out there. Save some serious money and buy someone else's dream and go from there!

Cheers

Nino.

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