A blank canvas

[Big Waz of Oz]

My first post so please be gentle...

First of all, G'day!

I have had my 2009 D3 SE petrol V6 for almost 12 months now. Whilst I would have liked the legendary TDV6 I grabbed an opportunity to get into a D3 when it was presented to me. After 12 months of planning, dreaming, following your forum discussions and most importantly saving the $$$ I am now ready to start turning my tarmac trapped Disco into the tourer I have been dreaming of.

I want the end product to be capable of towing my camper trailer on a 7 day trek through the Vic high country.

So my question to you all is what MUST I have. While I have compiled a pretty impressive shopping list of my own and trawled through plenty of forum discussions I would like to hear the passion fly and hear about what a D3 really needs to become the ultimate tourer as opposed to what is just nice to have.

I live in Victoria so any advice on after market specialists that accommodate D3s would also be great.

Thanks!

[Bytemrk]

A compressor guard... something like this:

Green Oval Experience Land Rover training, Range Rover modifcation (http://www.greenovalexperience.com/#!protection-plates/c1t9f)

'cause bouncing your car and compressor on a big rock in the high country is gonna ruin your day....:p

Decent AT tyres.

I'm sure folks will help the list grow rapidly....but I'd have both of those high on the list.

The line between need and want blurs very easily in this territory. ;)

[jon3950]

The only must have is a decent set of tyres. For a week in the High Country, everything else is a nice to have.

And welcome.

Cheers,
Jon

[Geedublya]

Decent tyres, some means of raising the suspension such as GOE rods or LLAMS and either a D4 hitch or Mitch hitch to gain more clearance for the tow bar if you are intending taking the camper trailer into 4wd territory.

If your camper has batteries and a fridge I would be thinking about some sort of controller/isolator to allow them to charge while traveling and isolate your car battery when stopped.

If you are travelling with other vehicles a UHF is very useful it can be vehicle mounted or a handheld.

Anything else you want to add would be either for added protection (front bar, compressor guard, sill protection, rear bar), more range (long range tank and rear wheel carrier), greater carrying capacity (drawers, roof rack) or self recovery (winch).
The priorities will depend on where you intend on travelling, who you travel with, how much stuff you intend taking and how difficult the tracks you intend to travel are.

[jon3950]

Let me expand a little on my previous post.

I visit the High Country regularly and would have no issue at all with taking a standard D3 or 4, with a decent set of tyres, for a weeks touring. In fact after many years doing it in more modified vehicles, my current D4 is essentially just that.

As for tyres, the High Country is definately MT territory. If it's at all wet you will be very grateful you have them. However, most of the time decent ATs are just fine and are a better compromise unless you have 2 sets of rims.

Two things you must take with you though, are some recovery gear and common sense.

Recovery gear which I think is important includes:
A decent jack - you cannot change a tyre safely in the rough with the standard jack.
A means of operating the spare tyre winch without taking everything out of the back - this can be done using some sockets and extensions.
Shovel - preferably long handled, but short will do.
Saw & axe - the biggest problem up there is fallen trees
Drag chain - for pulling bits of tree off the track
Snatch strap & rated shackles - for when you need to recover someone else
A winch is nice to have but not essential
I like carrying Maxtrax - have proven useful for getting out of mud
A UHF is handy, not only for travelling in convoy, but for listening out for other vehicles

A map is essential of course. I use the Hema High Country plus the topos.

There are a few things you can add which will make your camping easier. The first is a cargo barrier. This is essential to me if you are carrying anything heavy in the back. The second is a dual battery system to run the fridge off - Traxide (Drivesafe on here) does the best kit for a D3. I also have a drawer system and water tank which makes life easier, but again not essential.

With a petrol motor towing a trailer, you will need to give careful thought to fuel management. You can be a surprisingly long way from fuel up there, so you need to plan your route accordingly.

When it's dry, driving up there is easy. However, if it changes it can turn to pooh very quickly - and the weather can change very quickly up there. This is where you need common sense. Keep an eye on the weather, both visually and the forecast. If it looks like its going to turn nasty, be conservative and head down to shelter. A bit of a blow overnight can mean a couple of trees down and the tracks out are blocked. A decent dump of rain can mean that steep track you came up to get to your camp site is now impassable.

Personally, I don't think the High Country is a place for towing trailers. However others will disagree. Again, you need to think about your route and try to avoid the steeper stuff, especially if its at all wet. I would suggest base camping at a few places and doing day trips up some of the steeper stuff, such as Billy Goat Bluff. I have taken people away with me who have towed using the standard D3 hitch without problem (driving carefully), but the D4 hitch is better and by all accounts the Mitch Hitch is the best option - I have no experience with it.

If you want to add lots of accessories to your Disco for the fun of it, then go for it. Just don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to do it to get to places like the High Country. I would suggest you are better off doing it when you have a few trips under your belt and a better understanding of what you want/need. Remember too that weight is your biggest enemy.

Just get out there and enjoy it - the only essential is common sense.

Cheers,
Jon

[Redback]

Let me expand a little on my previous post.

I visit the High Country regularly and would have no issue at all with taking a standard D3 or 4, with a decent set of tyres, for a weeks touring. In fact after many years doing it in more modified vehicles, my current D4 is essentially just that.

As for tyres, the High Country is definately MT territory. If it's at all wet you will be very grateful you have them. However, most of the time decent ATs are just fine and are a better compromise unless you have 2 sets of rims.

Two things you must take with you though, are some recovery gear and common sense.

Recovery gear which I think is important includes:
A decent jack - you cannot change a tyre safely in the rough with the standard jack.
A means of operating the spare tyre winch without taking everything out of the back - this can be done using some sockets and extensions.
Shovel - preferably long handled, but short will do.
Saw & axe - the biggest problem up there is fallen trees
Drag chain - for pulling bits of tree off the track
Snatch strap & rated shackles - for when you need to recover someone else
A winch is nice to have but not essential
I like carrying Maxtrax - have proven useful for getting out of mud
A UHF is handy, not only for travelling in convoy, but for listening out for other vehicles

A map is essential of course. I use the Hema High Country plus the topos.

There are a few things you can add which will make your camping easier. The first is a cargo barrier. This is essential to me if you are carrying anything heavy in the back. The second is a dual battery system to run the fridge off - Traxide (Drivesafe on here) does the best kit for a D3. I also have a drawer system and water tank which makes life easier, but again not essential.

With a petrol motor towing a trailer, you will need to give careful thought to fuel management. You can be a surprisingly long way from fuel up there, so you need to plan your route accordingly.

When it's dry, driving up there is easy. However, if it changes it can turn to pooh very quickly - and the weather can change very quickly up there. This is where you need common sense. Keep an eye on the weather, both visually and the forecast. If it looks like its going to turn nasty, be conservative and head down to shelter. A bit of a blow overnight can mean a couple of trees down and the tracks out are blocked. A decent dump of rain can mean that steep track you came up to get to your camp site is now impassable.

Personally, I don't think the High Country is a place for towing trailers. However others will disagree. Again, you need to think about your route and try to avoid the steeper stuff, especially if its at all wet. I would suggest base camping at a few places and doing day trips up some of the steeper stuff, such as Billy Goat Bluff. I have taken people away with me who have towed using the standard D3 hitch without problem (driving carefully), but the D4 hitch is better and by all accounts the Mitch Hitch is the best option - I have no experience with it.

If you want to add lots of accessories to your Disco for the fun of it, then go for it. Just don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to do it to get to places like the High Country. I would suggest you are better off doing it when you have a few trips under your belt and a better understanding of what you want/need. Remember too that weight is your biggest enemy.

Just get out there and enjoy it - the only essential is common sense.

Cheers,
Jon

X2:BigThumb:

[Bytemrk]

Great advice Jon.

[Big Waz of Oz]

Thanks for your great advice guys...especially Jon! Great to know there is a forum here full of people who are generous with their time and advice.