newby in Darwin - defender and insurance advice

[mylesm]

hey there,

i thought i would post up here for the first time to introduce myself.

I have been in darwin for close to 2 years now and i have been running around in a mazda 121. Trying to go camping in that things is a pain, despite it's massive ground clearance and low down power ha.

So i have decided to upgrade and i am seriously considering getting a defender 110. Any advice?

Also, i have inquired about insurance to a few places and keep getting knocked back, does anyone know why? What do others use?

This forum is great, and looking through some of the members builds and some of the photos of a defender in the mountains near queenstown almost made me drive to the dealer and buy one straight away.

cheers

myles

[Ean Austral]

Gday and Welcome to the forum :D

Cant help much with the defender as I am a disco man myself :o

Insurance, well I have mine insured thru the 4wd club I was in , as got sick of people like TIO and the like, but funnily enough, I just insured a car with Shannons and they asked if we had another car which is our D3 and they offered me the same deal as the insurer im with but at a cheaper rate, so will likely look closer at it in a month or so when our policy is due for renewal.

Hope you find a defender and get to see some of the great spots around.

Cheers Ean

[mylesm]

Hey Ean, good to see some others from Darwin

Thanks for that, i will have to look into shannons. Never really had much to do with them.

I would love to have the def and go to all the spots in kakadu that i couldn't make it to.

thanks for the help

[BreakingBad]

Hi and welcome to the forum,


So i have decided to upgrade and i am seriously considering getting a defender 110. Any advice?

also consider a defender 130 :D especially if camping is your thing.


Also, i have inquired about insurance to a few places and keep getting knocked back, does anyone know why? What do others use?

Insurance companies assess the risk based on a number of factors including but not limited to age and driving experience, location, car value and most importantly, previous claim history.

Would any of these be a factor?

If you are going off road then make sure you get full off road cover. Most car insurance is for 'gazzetted roads' only and won't cover you for beach or sand dune driving, or 4wd tracks in state/national parks.

Give TCIS a call. 1800 633 745. They are an insurance broker that specialise in 4wd insurance.

[mylesm]

hmm i think a 130 may be too big for me.

Basically the online quote states they can't insure this vehicle etc, but without giving a reason. I am sure if i go with a specialist insurance company i would get better help anyway.

TCIS look good from what i have seen on their website. Might have to delve a bit deeper. Do you know a ballpark figure as to what they would charge a month?

[rutmutt]

hi,

I tried insuring both by defenders with shannons but they wouldn't cover the value of the accessories.

I use affinity 4wd insurance brokers. Covers my car and accessories to my agreed value anywhere. ANYWHERE. Private property, Beach, forest or streets as long as I have the permits or permission. Expensive though. Don't have the ph no handy though.

[Ean Austral]

hmm i think a 130 may be too big for me.

Basically the online quote states they can't insure this vehicle etc, but without giving a reason. I am sure if i go with a specialist insurance company i would get better help anyway.

TCIS look good from what i have seen on their website. Might have to delve a bit deeper. Do you know a ballpark figure as to what they would charge a month?

TCIS is who our D3 is currently insurered with, haven't had a claim yet so cant say to much.

Cheers Ean

[DiscoMick]

The Defender is a great choice, but if you want to save money you could normally get a similar age Discovery for less, simply because there are more of them about, and it probably has similar mechanicals. Just a thought...

Re. insurance, don't forget to try to motoring organizations. We recently moved to RACQ because they gave a better deal. It pays to shop around.
As for coverage, basically you either get gazetted roads or you get anywhere that's on a map. Make sure you inquire into the fine print, which should be available on the websites. If unsure, inquire and get it in writing.

Age can be an issue with younger males, as they have a terrible accident record until about 25. Maybe your family might stand behind your insurance?

[M.Hero]

Hey mate
I'm in Darwin and use AANT and TIO. AANT roadside has been pretty useful on the main roads but i don't expect them to be very helpful out side of the city. I kind of figure that all insurance companies are going to do their best to not help out so make sure you help yourself; take recovery gear and don't leave your car alone on the side of the Stuart Hwy!

You'll probably find it easier to buy a car interstate and bring it up; cheaper and you'll get something that has lived in the territory for less time!

You're welcome to come over and have a drive of my 110 before you start investing too much time in chasing one down. PM me if you're keen...

[dmdigital]

Hi Myles,

If you want to use a broker I'd recommend OAMPS in Darwin. As for insurance TIO isn't cheap but are - as far as I know - the only one who will cover accessories to a value of more than 10% of the vehicle.

[mylesm]

forgive my ignorance, what is the difference between an insurance broker and a normal insurance company?

also, i am looking to buy new, is that smart?

[rutmutt]

A broker doesn't actually insure your car as such.. they use multiple insurance companies to get the best deal/coverage. Even though mine is insured with Affinity Insurance Broker it is underwritten by CGU. but if you ring CGU directly they won't insure it for the value i want.... complicated!

I have a 99 TD5 Defender which i have loved for 4 years... but i Picked up my new '13 TD4 Defender 4 days ago and absolutely love it. Pleasure to drive... although this may only be in comparision to my older one, compared to a prado, it's not as comfortable or powerful.

Buying new is not a bad idea. 3 year/100,000km warranty. Free Roadside assist & Free Towing (including any campers). But I absolutely suggest taking one for a test drive if you haven't already. Many people dislike them after 2 minutes behind the wheel, mainly due to the driving position. If this doesn't suit you... Discovery's look nice.

[rutmutt]

P.S.

Darwin is lovely.. I was there last month.

[mylesm]

anyone have any idea on average yearly service costs?

[mylesm]

so it turns out no 110's are for sale in Darwin, so no test drives.

but it also means that if i do want one, then i would have to buy interstate. Anyone had any experience with buying insterstate and could recommend and quality dealer. I have seen their are a few posts for good dealers but don't even know where to start looking.

cheers

[rutmutt]

I bought mine from Hunter Prestige in Newcastle. Homepage - Hunter Land Rover, Bennetts Green, NSW (http://hunterlandrover.com.au/lr/)

were good to deal with for sales.. can't speak for after sales service as i haven't been back yet.

I would be concerned about your warranty if there are no Landrover dealers (to service it) in Darwin. or is it just no 110's available?

I do know from my dealer that you could order one, subject to a test drive. so you could fly in and drive it before actually commiting and be able to say no if you don't like it. Although they would probably hesitate before ordering it in a custom colour or accessories.. etc. But it you wanted the colour they have in the lot, then no worries.