Around Australia vehicle choice

[fitzy]

Hi all,
We are seriously contemplating selling up and travelling the country for a year or two.
It will be wifey and myself plus eleven and five year old children, we will be taking a camper trailer. We will travel some of the remote deserts.
I am undecided on what vehicle to use.
What I have been thinking about is the following. This is what we have to play with.
- 2000 td5 disco purchased new with 180 k -stock standard.
-82 2 door range 4.6,zf,lt230 with 30% gears,laminated difs with maxi drive lockers and rotated swivels,bilsteins .
-85 county,3.5,lt95,Salisbury .

The disco is a known good car, but would need a few mods to make it suitable, it is possibly a little bit complicated, and the difs won't swap over.
The rangie is only good for parts but I know them inside out ,
The county was to be my new play car using all the bits of the rangie,
But with a bit of work and a diesel of some sorts I think it would be a more serviceable vehicle.
There is a heavily damaged 2000 defender at auction I was looking at put the engine and gearbox in the county?
Any ideas will be appreciated.
Regards,
Michael

[UncleHo]

I would suggest you use the County,more space for your gear,the LT95 would be one of the better gearboxes,it has good towing capability,easier to work on compared to the D2,any body scratches will not standout as much,the body is narrower than either the Rangie or the Disco,and if something breaks or you get body damage,most series panels will fit and 7"round headlights are easily available,just make sure that you fit a good twin relay for your lights,as it then takes the power draw (amps=heat) from your switch as that is what melts them(you can also do that to your Rangie's lights as I have done),the county will have the heavier suspension capability,and spares places like MR Autos and British Off Road in Queensland will freight spares anywhere,MR will(or used to)do a travel kit of spares,and would credit you with what you returned unused.

They are just my suggestions,that is what I would do.

cheers

[Vern]

Build the county with some goodies from your old 2 door, put an Isuzu in it and your done. Pity you don't have a taper roller lt95 any more though:(

[Chucaro]

Build the county with some goodies from your old 2 door, put an Isuzu in it and your done. Pity you don't have a taper roller lt95 any more though:(

X 2, it is the best option :)

[Eevo]

This might be a dumb question but won't the kids miss a year of school?

[fitzy]

Hi all, thanks for the feedback.
My eleven year old will miss grade six and the five year old will miss prep, but I think they will learn more with the experience.
The Isuzu swap seems a bit daunting at the moment as there seems to be so many hard to find parts required.
I think the county would be the best as I know the drivetrain backwards, have a few good spares-maxi centre and axles,cv's,springs,etc.
We will need aircon and will have to research this.
Damien you must give back that gearbox I loaned you.
I think a manual will be a safer option and I would like to keep my lt230 as it was just rebuilt and has the 30% maxi drive gears.

[DeeJay]

Put the Rangie parts into the County, & convert to LPG. I took my 85 County away to Cooktown & back in 2007 & my kids were that age ( their school subsequently disallowed such absences) and only had to buy 2x DVD players to quieten them down..
David

[Vern]

Hi all, thanks for the feedback.
My eleven year old will miss grade six and the five year old will miss prep, but I think they will learn more with the experience.
The Isuzu swap seems a bit daunting at the moment as there seems to be so many hard to find parts required.
I think the county would be the best as I know the drivetrain backwards, have a few good spares-maxi centre and axles,cv's,springs,etc.
We will need aircon and will have to research this.
Damien you must give back that gearbox I loaned you.
I think a manual will be a safer option and I would like to keep my lt230 as it was just rebuilt and has the 30% maxi drive gears.
I on sold the lt95 as it didn't fit my soft dash:(, now I have a mxa 5 speed:). I don't think you will be happy with your v8 fuel consumption, so installing a diesel will be the way to go and if you are towing it leaves only a couple of choices, Isuzu or tweaked td5. I know which i'd choose:)

[Vern]

This might be a dumb question but won't the kids miss a year of school?
am sure they will cope

[vogue]

What does the Mrs have to say about the vehicle?
From a comfort point of view, i would go the Td5 Disco, put your rebuilt lt230 in that and beef up the diffs with some Ashcroft ATB's.

[vnx205]

This might be a dumb question but won't the kids miss a year of school?

They don't have to. There are a couple of options.

Education Choices While Travelling Australia With Children | Little Aussie TravellersLittle Aussie Travellers (http://www.littleaussietravellers.com.au/2011/education-choices-while-travelling-australia-with-children.html)

Distance Education for Travellers (http://www.travel-australia-online.com/distance-education.html)

[fitzy]

There is a td5 defender at the salvage auctions tomorrow that has had a really hard side hit, I will go and have a look. 138 k on it rego (td54x4 ) maybe someone on here knows of it.
Use engine ,gear box and what ever is salvageable ,although all panels are gone

[KarlB]

Have you seriously looked at the option of selling all of your vehicles and putting towards a new Defender? The security of 3 years warranty and a the comfort of a brand new vehicle would be a wonderful way to start the journey of a life time.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[fitzy]

Great idea Karl I thought of it and then dismissed it early on, but it has a lot of merit.
My wife's disco is staring to get a few faults that are really hard to fix,ie electrical and system faults.
The rangie is a play toy although tough is not suitable.
The county will need a lot of work to make it suitable- find a suitable diesel, make it work, fit an air con system, and a virtual rebuild ie bushes,seals, bearings,hoses, tyres.
If someone said they had a rebuilt 4bd1-t with a 6 spd box with a lt230 adaptor
For sale ready to go I would really consider it.
I found n/a 4bd1 land rover engine for $4000 then the cost of rebuild and turbo and inter cooler and gearbox and all the other things ,allow $10 all up.
Then the a/c and all the other preventative maintenance a new vehicle doesn't seem that bad.
Although I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty and learning during a build is priceless if things do go wrong.

[stallie]

This might be a dumb question but won't the kids miss a year of school?


They'll learn more more than they would at school.

[Vern]

Great idea Karl I thought of it and then dismissed it early on, but it has a lot of merit.
My wife's disco is staring to get a few faults that are really hard to fix,ie electrical and system faults.
The rangie is a play toy although tough is not suitable.
The county will need a lot of work to make it suitable- find a suitable diesel, make it work, fit an air con system, and a virtual rebuild ie bushes,seals, bearings,hoses, tyres.
If someone said they had a rebuilt 4bd1-t with a 6 spd box with a lt230 adaptor
For sale ready to go I would really consider it.
I found n/a 4bd1 land rover engine for $4000 then the cost of rebuild and turbo and inter cooler and gearbox and all the other things ,allow $10 all up.
Then the a/c and all the other preventative maintenance a new vehicle doesn't seem that bad.
Although I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty and learning during a build is priceless if things do go wrong.
Just buy a county already done and then fit your goodies from your rangie, on sell the other cars. Isuzu will be good for at least 500,000k.:)

[UncleHo]

You could always buy an ex-army Perentie,they come with a Izusu 4BD1 and a strengthened LT95 going at the auctions in Brisbane at around 8K then just put the County tub on it,they have galv chassis,under rear spare, then you could fit aftermarket A/C under left dash and bob's your uncle,a good County with a known body just fit a snorkel they have already got a very useable bulbar and and the rest is standard Landrover panels and electrics with a few extras,just look up the website for Graysonline,military vehicles,the Brisbane auction closes on Wedensday from memory.



GraysOnline Australia - Online Retail & Auctions (http://www.graysonline.com.au)


cheers

[MLD]

Sad to say it but for long range small country town touring, consider a toyota. I'm on a return trip from the cape and Toyota's are all you see. You will get parts for a toyota in a 2 bit town and every mechanic knows how to work on them.

After 2 breakdowns on the trip and having spent 5 days in Townsville waiting on a radiator hose to be sent from Melb (not an on the shelf item and Townsville is deemed regional so no courier company with AP worst of all appreciates the urgency) I lament the lack of LR support outside the city.

my 2 bob as I sit in a hotel room watching the parcel tracker number. MLD

[dullbird]

It's unlikely he is going to have your dramas with an older car though and can Likely work on the car himself as its more simplistic, I did see a lot of Toyotas out and about up at the cape but no disrespect they weren't doing anything other than watching land rovers drive through.

[djam1]

This is not a shot at you MLD
I understand the lack of Land Rover support outside of the city as I have lived in isolated regions for the last 40 years.
What astounds me is the continual stream of posts where people are away from home and are stranded because of a menial spare part.
Why don't owners carry spare parts?
I will admit I go overboard but with recent posts with a potentiometer on a TD5 and others with radiator hoses and wheel bearings hilite the fact that people are not being overly wise.
If a vehicle has known weaknesses not carrying the relevant spares is simply silly and not the fault of the vehicle.
I drive a TD5 I carry a Potentiometer, Fuel Pump, FPR, Water Pump, all sensors, a spare of each ECU, wheel bearings all hoses and belts, all filters etc. this and the diagnostic equipment to get me out of trouble.
I agree that Land Rover need their butts kicked for the absence of dealers but having been in isolated areas for as long as I have I am aware that most Toyota dealers will have an oil filter and a belt but they are sadly lacking in their local parts supply.
Why would you wait 5 days for a part in Townsville? establish a relationship with a parts supplier and get them to air bag stuff to you when it goes wrong, from where I live Townsville is on the outskirts of Sydney at least when you look at the transport infrastructure compared to the rest of Australia.


Sad to say it but for long range small country town touring, consider a toyota. I'm on a return trip from the cape and Toyota's are all you see. You will get parts for a toyota in a 2 bit town and every mechanic knows how to work on them.

After 2 breakdowns on the trip and having spent 5 days in Townsville waiting on a radiator hose to be sent from Melb (not an on the shelf item and Townsville is deemed regional so no courier company with AP worst of all appreciates the urgency) I lament the lack of LR support outside the city.

my 2 bob as I sit in a hotel room watching the parcel tracker number. MLD

[Eevo]

I drive a TD5 I carry a Potentiometer, Fuel Pump, FPR, Water Pump, all sensors, a spare of each ECU, wheel bearings all hoses and belts, all filters etc. this and the diagnostic equipment to get me out of trouble.

or just take a reliable car?
(and im not having a dig at TD5's for once)

[djam1]

I think you missed the point exceptionally well
ANY vehicle has weaknesses and I am not here to defend a TD5s
I have driven hundreds of thousands of Ks in different brands they all have their issues.
The point was you need to be smarter when traveling in isolated areas than you do in the city.



or just take a reliable car?
(and im not having a dig at TD5's for once)

[isuzutoo-eh]

I'm with djam1, even though I have an Isuzu County...
I still carry a radiator hose, wheel bearings, a couple of different seals, fan belt, four varieties of oil, a uni joint, fuses and a few other miscellaneous bits and pieces. Then there are things like rescue tape, fencing wire and epoxy putty that come in handy.
Just because you have Michelin/BFG/insert-fav-tyre-brand doesn't mean you shouldn't carry a spare tyre, right?
Prior prep for preventing **** poor performance includes carrying spares for things that will stop you!

[DiscoMick]

If it was me I'd sell both the older vehicles and spend a bit of the money thoroughly preparing the D2. Its a family trip so it has to be comfortable for the whole family. A lot of your gear will be in the camper so the D2 should have enough room if you fit a well-thought out set of drawers and shelves to the rear. The Td5 is relatively economical and should have no worries towing a camper around the country. It doesn't have to be an off-road weapon to tour the country, it just needs sensible suspension, tyres and other bits. Build it up and then take it to a reputable LR expert and get them to go over it from front to rear bumper. Preparation is the key. I'd happily take my D1 anywhere around the country with suitable preparation.

[Sleepy]

Get the disco serviced, good tyres and take that.

What you cant carry you probably don't need,
The kids will be more comfortable. (Get them portable DVD players- unless you have a HSE??)
The Disco will take you where you need to go
Get yourself the top of the range roadside recovery if the worst happens.
Td5 will be relatively economical at highways speeds - which is where most of your kms will be.


Sorted ....next.:p

[Yorkie]

Get the disco serviced, good tyres and take that.

What you cant carry you probably don't need,
The kids will be more comfortable. (Get them portable DVD players- unless you have a HSE??)
The Disco will take you where you need to go
Get yourself the top of the range roadside recovery if the worst happens.
Td5 will be relatively economical at highways speeds - which is where most of your kms will be.


Sorted ....next.:p

Agree, just pondering long term touring and have no hesitation taking our d2 with 290kkm on the clock. :)

[Yorkie]

After 2 breakdowns on the trip and having spent 5 days in Townsville waiting on a radiator hose to be sent from Melb (not an on the shelf item and Townsville is deemed regional so no courier company with AP worst of all appreciates the urgency) I lament the lack of LR support outside the city.

my 2 bob as I sit in a hotel room watching the parcel tracker number. MLD

Which hose, the top one with the bleed screw? Have 2 spares here but that is a bugger having to wait. :(

[fitzy]

The disco was our first thought but it is starting to become unreliable. Three amigos, blowing fuses ,intermittent electrical problems.
On the reliable side I have 8 flipped disco steel rims, laminated front axle housing with rotated swivels, heavy duty steering linkages ,county cv's and rr cv's maxi locker with axles, rear laminated housing, maxi locker 2 sets of axles,1 spare centre with locker. 2 sets bilsteins, cranked arms.
If these could be swapped over it would be better.
Just getting steel rims for d2 is hard.

[Vern]

I'll say it again, buy a stock good county (diesel), put all your goodies in it, some comfier seats if you have to and your done. Plenty of room, doesn't matter if it gets a scratch, easy to fix, looks cooler (important:)), blah blah blah

[2stroke]

An older guy I used to know once said to me, "lad, the best car to take is the one you already own". Though owning a vehicle for a while has lots of benefits, I don't think a petrol of any kind would ever be my first choice as a tourer. I've had many reliable outback kilometers in my Tdi 130, to me it represents a good compromise between simplicity, reliability and economy. I value economy pretty highly as it a big part of fuel range. I've owned this 130 for just over 10 years and though she shows her age I know her well enough that I shouldn't expect surprises. Also 10 years is plenty of time to get the setup right, as in tanks, compressor etc.
5 weeks and counting till this year's Canning and Simpson trip.:D

[MLD]

Which hose, the top one with the bleed screw? Have 2 spares here but that is a bugger having to wait. :(

Hey Liam, the hose was the lower one that comes off the water pump going to the thermostat. It split on the vulcanised T junction for the return hose. I have rescue tape but didn't trust getting a good bond to drive 2,200 kms with it in a compromised state. I replaced the hose you referred to and the broke hose and the thermostat for good measure.

Problem is there is a limitation on what you can carry on any touring trip. I carried suspension parts, filters and other bits and bobs. Sods law it was a part i was not carrying. Long and short, new or old if you do enough kms touring you will inevitably brake/wear out something. It's a risk and part of the experience.

MLD

[fitzy]

I have found a diesel county for sale and I am going to have a look at it today.
Can someone give me a few pointers in regard to what to look for especially the engine and ancillaries. It's n/a 1987 that is showing 300 k's with lt85, the gearbox I was told has had a rebuild.
Regards,
Michael.

[Vern]

Gearbox is a week point, but will have all the bits needed if you decide to put an mxa Isuzu box in:)
Don't expect it to be a power house, that's what the Turbo and inter cooler are for. Your mainly looking at the body and motor then as the rest you have on your 2door.

[UncleHo]

G'day Fitzy

If it is an original 87 it could well have an Izusu 4BD1 in it,the same as the Army Perenties,a brilliant motor,but they are noisy vibrate,but will sit at 95-105 all day,they were available as a civilian "County" from around 83 onwards to qualify the army vehicles for ADR's "Incisor" the administrator had one fitted with a turbo,a very good vehicle it was too.


cheers

[fitzy]

It is a 4bd1, what should I keep my eyes and ears out for with an engine inspection, I know it will be noisy . Is there any known areas where a fault will show up.
Cheers.

[Vern]

Not that I'm aware of, pretty bullet proof things, very easy to work on, I guess just fire it up and take it for a spin. As I said, ignore the power, Turbo will definitely make a huge difference.
Do you have a link to it so we can have a looksy?

[fitzy]

Sorry I don't know how to post a link from an iPad . Carsales vic 110 county.
Any way went and had a look and I was quite impressed with the way it drove,
It has plenty of torque off idle and quite smooth a lot better than the new generation of turbo diesels in jap utes on the market that do nothing until they reach boost at 1900 rpm and then you have to Change gear and do it all again.
The gear box seemed tight and quiet, it was quiet comfy although the front shocks were gone it handled o.k.
There was a fair bit of rust in the usual places which is my biggest concern.

[justinc]

1987 Land Rover 110 County (http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/land-rover-110-1987-14575139)

This is likely the one?

JC

[fitzy]

Yes that's the one.
Thanks jc

[Vern]

What's it like body wise compared to the one you have?. For that sort of money a better one could be out there, but I haven't seen it to actually se how bad the body is.

[fitzy]

There is rust coming through at the windscreen hinge points in the firewall, door frame sills and foot wells , a bit in the rear crossmember. The v8 county I already have would have to become a donor car and would not be saleable after maybe 3-4 k worth. There is not a lot out ther for sale to compare with.

[Sitec]

I saw the heading for this thread and thought instantly 101 ambo diesel.. Then I read the first post talking about the two youngsters.. Bang goes the 101. I'm now 50/50 on the two suitable vehicles you have. The 110 fits the bill but you'll spend as much on it fitting a diesel and A/C as you would selling it and finding one to suit your needs.. Not knowing your budget limits our suggestions. The Disco would seem to be the logical choice with the family in mind.. Fuel economy, aircon, comfort etc, and as someone said before, get the best RAA rescue and allow time for an issue. I've heard loads about Discos and the electrical issues with the 3 Amegos, but ran a Defender Td5 for several years and had no issues... Might be suggesting something silly here not knowing Discos, but could a Defender ECU not be fitted and everything else simplified? All in all I'd be selling the V8 110 and throwing some cash at the Disco changing anything that might be a 'problem area' and taking the working bits you removed with you as spares. That includes hoses, belts, sensors, injector loom, and a few other things! Sounds like a great trip too!!!

[fitzy]

The disco was our first thought, although the ongoing electrical dramas, (it failed to start yesterday and was towed by racv) auto trans that got to hot to easily on Fraser Island, alloy wheels, no spares and the fact that I know my may around rrc and defender drive trains and have spares.
We are looking at getting a camper caravan crossover, that has a pretty large price attached so can't afford a new vehicle as well. I really want to do a lot of the remote desert stuff so reliability has to be a high priority.

[superquag]

Consider this.... the best vehicle to take is one that YOU want to take...
Why?
- Because if you are happy / keen / fixated on it, the you will forgive all and every breakdown it suffers, and cheerfully pay whatever it takes.

As a leading WA winemaker advised us, "the best wine in the world is the one you like, right now. - Your palate will change in time, or not. Just don't force it and drink stuff you don't like..."

If taking a bootload of spares/tools/Diagnostics annoys you, then trade in the lot for a near-new Differant Brand 4WD. - At least you're assured of minimal silly failures... simply 'cos it's newer and carries a warranty. No comment on design or build-quality or materials selection.... :angel::angel::angel:

Anyway, what percentage of km's & time is going to be spent traversing moonscapes & mud in the outer boondocks? - and how much on highway, byway and gravel road. ?
You may be better off in a vehicle that's comfortably pleasant - for you AND the Wife AND the kidlets - rather than a Every-Other-Brand-off-road-slayer... for the low (?) % of off-road bragging.


My 2p's worth from a card-carrying Silly Old B.....

[Vern]

The disco was our first thought, although the ongoing electrical dramas, (it failed to start yesterday and was towed by racv) auto trans that got to hot to easily on Fraser Island, alloy wheels, no spares and the fact that I know my may around rrc and defender drive trains and have spares.
We are looking at getting a camper caravan crossover, that has a pretty large price attached so can't afford a new vehicle as well. I really want to do a lot of the remote desert stuff so reliability has to be a high priority.

Just keep an eye out for the right isuzu county, it really does fall into the KISS category, and from what I gather that's what you want.:)

[fitzy]

The decision has been made. The trip is on.
We are buying goingbush's td5 defender as its already set up, the rangie has been dismantled and the drive train has gone into the county, it will stay as a play car or daily driver if needed when we come back. The disco will stay as it is a known good thing and wifey loves it. We have a Camprite on order that is due late Jan.
My thoughts at this moment are to head west and hang around the south of W.A. until the weather cools down and then head through the deserts, the Kimberley, the north and then the top end.
Cheers Michael

[Bigbjorn]

Consider this.... the best vehicle to take is one that YOU want to take...
Why?
- Because if you are happy / keen / fixated on it, the you will forgive all and every breakdown it suffers, and cheerfully pay whatever it takes.

As a leading WA winemaker advised us, "the best wine in the world is the one you like, right now. - Your palate will change in time, or not. Just don't force it and drink stuff you don't like..."

If taking a bootload of spares/tools/Diagnostics annoys you, then trade in the lot for a near-new Differant Brand 4WD. - At least you're assured of minimal silly failures... simply 'cos it's newer and carries a warranty. No comment on design or build-quality or materials selection.... :angel::angel::angel:

Anyway, what percentage of km's & time is going to be spent traversing moonscapes & mud in the outer boondocks? - and how much on highway, byway and gravel road. ?
You may be better off in a vehicle that's comfortably pleasant - for you AND the Wife AND the kidlets - rather than a Every-Other-Brand-off-road-slayer... for the low (?) % of off-road bragging.


My 2p's worth from a card-carrying Silly Old B.....

An air-conditioned Cadillac and a good credit card, and don't bother with lesser establishments, only 5 star or better.

[stallie]

Your kids will love it. Mine still talk about our trip 18 months ago, they were 1,3 and 5 then. They always draw pictures of camping in the desert in Art in school.

We're pondering another year off - Long Service Leave and a bit more. Overseas this time.... :cool: