Thread: Defender 130 Newbie enquiries

Whats your budget for just the rig? This will determine which era you will be looking which in turn will assist member with replying.

I haven't owned a 130 but can answer some questions.

My 110 wagon never leaked dust

It had enough payload for us a family of five.

On my Simpson trip (2A 1C)
92L water
Equilivant 4 jerries diesel
2 x 4kg gas (hell 3 x 9's is a lot of gas)
2 x fridges (1x40L and 1x32L)
2 x spares (one on Bonnet and one on roof rack)
Awning.
You don't mention any other major item you need to carry.

Puma air con is quite good
TD5 air con is marginal
300tdi useless (well on mine anyway)
They might all struggle on a 40 degree day

Re: suspension, are you likely to be loading up to GVM?

Power, puma is good and will speed, TD5 not as good, 300tdi not the best.

Off roading up steep sections low range is always a good option as there is a good chance you have to go down hill

Servicing, I do engine every 5k, all other oils as per manual

Always good to build a good relationship with an independent Landry repairer, just basic servicing any mechanic.

I have built a 130 tourer setup using a removable pod on my new vehicle, link here http://www.aulro.com/afvb/projects-t...ld-thread.html

There are some other very good ideas in the project section as well.

Regards,
Tote

my 130. canvas drop sides with Alu skin roof on canopy. RRT sits on top when the wife comes away or i swag it when solo. the grey container is 70 ltr water. I have the same for diesel on the other side. my spares (x2) are under the tray or 1 spare and space for other stuff like tools and recovery equip.

The canopy frame



now wrapped in canvas





As you will see from my pic the roof doubles as a viewing platform

If you don't plan to do much crossed axle work think about inner air bag helpers instead of the inner coil. That way you can set the PSI according to the weight. Otherwise my strong recommendation is to leave the suspension standard. You'd be better off with lockers and 33" rubber than a lift for a tourer.

I service 10,000kms for engine oil and filters. 20,000 for all transmission & diff oils, fuel filter.

enjoy the journey, plenty of great 130 set ups out there.

As others have said, have a look at the 130 builds and rides here, then pick the things you feel will work best for your main style of use.
There are some fantastic setups and ideas here.
Weekend camping as opposed to Touring camping is quite different particularly if you are away for more than a week.
Ive found this to be the most difficult considerations prior to getting my setup.
I wanted some extra comforts for Mrs Strangy too. After all if she isnt happy, the trip wont be enjoyed and future trips wont be likely.
No matter what you settle on it will be a compromise at one time or another.
I prefer a hard canopy for security and dust, but it costs and weighs more.
In the end I settled for a lightweight slide on camper unit. This gave the best balance of easy setup for overnight or long stay setups for our main camping needs. Its overkill for over nighters- perfect for 7 to 10 day remote stops. but only for 2 people.

Suspension- typically Defenders are well sorted straight out of the box.
A search on suspension for Defenders will provide hours of reading and opinions, however, the general concensus is leave as standard, if not, dont go more than 2 inches lift. You can go more than 2 but costs & mods dont provide any real benefit for the average punter.

Air con- he he he. depends on year model and level of insulation/heat shielding applied by previous owners for older models.

Servicing- no more servicing than any other brand- however- the earlier motor 300tdi does benefit from more frequent timing belt changes compared to others (around 80km instead of 100km)

Performance- whichever model you choose, they are a small motor in a big vehicle.
all can be tweeked easily and cheaply to give better reliable grunt.
The TD5 and 2.2 - 2.4 engines are more powerful in std trim and respond well to a remap.

Originally Posted by weeds

Whats your budget for just the rig? This will determine which era you will be looking which in turn will assist member with replying.

Hi. Not sure really. Was looking at the older 90's models but now the 2007ish might be more better. Haven't really decided on budget.

Originally Posted by weeds

Re: suspension, are you likely to be loading up to GVM?

.

Usually 1100-1200kg for long trips 2people being fully self sufficient. Most of the weight even across the vehicle with a bit more focused on tray area. Which is why I wouldn't want a heavy canopy.

How ever with extra passengers Id say some trips will hit the GVM.

Thanks you everyone who replied. I will keep researching these.

I have just fitted our new tray camper. Very pleased with it. We travel a lot and find this setup very good for us. I keep things as simple as possible.





Cheers,
Michael

I don't own a 130 so the only comment I'd make is the Puma Defenders have six gears, which makes a difference, particularly for very slow climbs/descents and for highway cruising. Pumas also have effective air-con.
Many people say there is no need to lift a Defender as it already comes with plenty of clearance, but you do need a snorkel and to seal the battery box under the front passenger's seat to keep water out when wading.
The 130 already has HD springs as standard. Rather than replacing them, you might just add rear airbags to level up a load. It is working well in our 110 for towing.
Personally, I try to keep the weight down as much as possible.
Have you considered a long range fuel tank rather then fuel containers? Gets the weight down low and frees up space on the tray.
Hope that helps...