Where are all the bush-going D3s?

[morpheus]

Got back from a week up around Marree in South Australia and noticed a distinct lack of D3s on the way up from Adelaide, out on the Oodnadatta, and on the way back. Saw heaps of D4s (hello if it was any of you!), some D2s and of course Defenders, but not a single D3... I see heaps of them in Adelaide but not that many out the back of beyond. Mine was quite lonely.. but happy to fly the flag!

For those interested, I drove it all around my folks property; it performed flawlessly. Very happy with it. I just need to put the GOE rods in. I got so sick of the car bonging at me and lowering...

[Drizzle]

Our D3 was dodging sinkholes today at Inskip Point on the way to the Fraser Island ferry.

We're now camped at Waddy Point [emoji6]


99951

[morpheus]

Glad hear yours survived! That sounded a bit hairy!

[sctsprin]

How is Waddy point, is there plenty of room in the dingo fenced area for two large tents and a 7x5 tarp? we're considering there or dundaburra

any issues getting through indian head fully loaded?

cheers
james


Our D3 was dodging sinkholes today at Inskip Point on the way to the Fraser Island ferry.

We're now camped at Waddy Point [emoji6]


99951

[Jimlr]

Nice solution for storing your Maxtrax - TraxRax I assume? Nice that they sit quite low and accessible.

Our D3 was dodging sinkholes today at Inskip Point on the way to the Fraser Island ferry.

We're now camped at Waddy Point [emoji6]


99951

[Drizzle]

How is Waddy point, is there plenty of room in the dingo fenced area for two large tents and a 7x5 tarp? we're considering there or dundaburra



any issues getting through indian head fully loaded?



cheers

james


No issues getting through Indian head or any of the tracks to Waddy as they're quite firm with the recent rain.

Waddy campsites are undesignated which can be chaotic to find a spot to pitch a tent if busy like now during school holidays. Plenty of room to spread out though if no other campers around.

100025

Waddy is a great area for kids with the protected beach behind the point and the sandhills for tobogganing.

There's also a noticeable absence of backpackers this far north...

[Drizzle]

Nice solution for storing your Maxtrax - TraxRax I assume? Nice that they sit quite low and accessible.


TraxRax indeed. Great for getting the maxtrax mounted off the roof rack so the entire roof rack can be utilised for our roof top tent, or fishing rods in this instance! The ability to attach the integrated shovel holder is a bonus.

[~Rich~]

Mines resting in my garage while I'm in Europe for 5 weeks ;)

[AnD3rew]

Mine is sitting unloved in my driveway until I can find some time where none of the family have other commitments so we can get away:mad:

It has been dropped from daily driver duties by a younger slimmer more attractive model.

[VK3GJM]

Hey ANDREW,

I will love mine a bit, more. The more bite is for you. Heading to Hervey Bay, Fraser, Longreach, Winton, Dig Tree, Birdsville, Tibooburra, white cliffs, Ivanhoe, then back south.

This will put some KM on the new LT D697 on Gordon's rims. Just of to Landrover with a disappointing restricted performance issue again raising it's ugly head 3 days before departure. Bugger. :mad:

[shanegtr]

Over the weekend our D3 took us along the Ashburton Downs - Meekathara Rd. Around 500km worth of dirt road there, and then up the rio tinto access rd from Tom Price to Karratha. Didn't see any other discos or LR's out there at all. Although I did stop to help an 80 series land cruiser driver who had a flat tyre and his jack decided to crap itself

[BMKal]

Over the weekend our D3 took us along the Ashburton Downs - Meekathara Rd. Around 500km worth of dirt road there, and then up the rio tinto access rd from Tom Price to Karratha. Didn't see any other discos or LR's out there at all. Although I did stop to help an 80 series land cruiser driver who had a flat tyre and his jack decided to crap itself

Last time I went up the RTIO access road from Tom Price to Karratha, I very nearly drowned a 100 Series Landcruiser. Some of those creek crossings can be a lot deeper than they appear. :eek:

Great drive though, especially down through the gorge alongside the rail line. :D

[strydes]

Last time I went up the RTIO access road from Tom Price to Karratha, I very nearly drowned a 100 Series Landcruiser. Some of those creek crossings can be a lot deeper than they appear. :eek:

Great drive though, especially down through the gorge alongside the rail line. :D
I've worked for Rio for the better part of a decade and driven the access roads in all season's. Amazing to see it change between dry and wet.

It's one of my biggest frustrations having spent a lot of time up there is never getting to Karijini. That'll finally change in April when we head north in the D4 on the lap, hopefully most of the water will have subsided by the time we come through in May.

[Eevo]

i had noticed. there seems to be a less D3's out in the bush, compared to D2's and D4's. did the D3 sell less in general?

[shanegtr]

Last time I went up the RTIO access road from Tom Price to Karratha, I very nearly drowned a 100 Series Landcruiser. Some of those creek crossings can be a lot deeper than they appear. :eek:

Great drive though, especially down through the gorge alongside the rail line. :D

I very nearly washed my first 80 series land cruiser off one of the creek crossings years ago. Started raining on our way back to Tom Price after a weekend in Karratha. 6 crossings in total with the last one around bonnet height and flowing fast. Lucky it was fairly short. Started of on the right side of the road pointing towards the left, ended up back on the right side with not much road left before we where off it. And then about 1km after that the road dried up completely.

[Oztourer]

Would love to get on to the Oodnadatta Teack again - this time in my recently acquired D3. Last time was in 2009 towing a Jayco Expander with my Ford Territory. Not an off roader but it performed quite well on the corrugations! I still remember seeing the International Space Station flying across the star studded night sky one night in Coward Springs - one of my most favourite camp sites. Missed getting away these school hols but have plans for Qld this summer once I finish kitting it out and the high country next Easter.

[VK3GJM]

Love Coward Springs and the surrounding area. My last visit was a night's stop over before heading to the Simpson. The flies were the worst I had ever encounted, could not prepare food, would have been protein overload.

[Narangga]

i had noticed. there seems to be a less D3's out in the bush, compared to D2's and D4's. did the D3 sell less in general?

That would be my assessment too.

[HarryO]

i had noticed. there seems to be a less D3's out in the bush, compared to D2's and D4's. did the D3 sell less in general?

Some D3's are not used as 4x4 shopping trolleys.

I get the lots of strange looks when I take mine into the rough stuff.

I absolutely love the laughs & jeers I get when approaching the challenge and the looks when she crawls up obstacles (they failed at) with no problems (love that traction control)

Had one smart arse chirp "country club's the other way" before the climb and had nothing to say after I finished it!

Love the rough & mud and got the scratches & dents (and repair bills) that goes with them.

[vbrab]

I see messages that some have driven Meekatharra "bush" roads and then Tom Price to Karratha in Pilbara, and didn't see any D3's (even D4's).
Having moved to Karratha, I would estimate that there are possibly more per capita D3/D4's in Karratha than Toorak or Dalkeith...........but the nearest service options are over 1650 K's away,....... so of course we don't drive them far from town.

[Drizzle]

Some D3's are not used as 4x4 shopping trolleys.



That must be why I get the strange looks when I take mine into the rough stuff. I absolutely love the laughs & jeers I get when approaching the challenge and the looks when she crawls up obstacles (they failed) with no problems (love that traction control)



Had one nice chap make a smart arse chirp when he shouted "country club is the other way" before the climb and had nothing to say after I finished it!



Love the rough & mud and got the scratches & dents (and repair bills) that goes with them.


Yep. Did the OTT to Cape York in July and when approaching Palm Creek overheard a comment from the peanut gallery "my hilux didn't make it, he's got no chance". Selected mud ruts and the D3 climbed straight up the bank on the other side to exit to dumbfounded looks.

Here's a pic of the last crossing at Nolans Brook:
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/120913-show-us-your-disco-sport-please-read-first-post-first-89.html#post2417849

[Bytemrk]

i had noticed. there seems to be a less D3's out in the bush, compared to D2's and D4's. did the D3 sell less in general?


That would be my assessment too.

I'd suspect that Land rover sold far more D3's than D2's.... just look at all the awards they won and both models spanned a similar time span. (My guess rather than fact)

It might just be the age of the vehicles.... Many that had D3's have moved on to D4's, yet it only seems reasonably recently that a lot of D2 and D2a drivers have started to move.

You only need to look at how many here like me, moved for D2 or 2a to D4.

There is still that irrational fear that you cant take these cars full off electronics bush. I think that is why many with older vehicles like the D2 have held off updating.

Love my D4 out of the city - best thing I ever bought!

[Bytemrk]

Would love to get on to the Oodnadatta Teack again - this time in my recently acquired D3. Last time was in 2009 towing a Jayco Expander with my Ford Territory. Not an off roader but it performed quite well on the corrugations! I still remember seeing the International Space Station flying across the star studded night sky one night in Coward Springs - one of my most favourite camp sites. Missed getting away these school hols but have plans for Qld this summer once I finish kitting it out and the high country next Easter.

Do it Oztourer ;)

I have done the Oodnadatta a few times in both the V8 D2 and TD5 D2a.

Earlier this year I did the lower half (down from William Creek), out to Halligan Bay on Lake Eyre and a lot more of SA in the D4....it was just a pleasure to drive.

[shanegtr]

I see messages that some have driven Meekatharra "bush" roads and then Tom Price to Karratha in Pilbara, and didn't see any D3's (even D4's).
Having moved to Karratha, I would estimate that there are possibly more per capita D3/D4's in Karratha than Toorak or Dalkeith...........but the nearest service options are over 1650 K's away,....... so of course we don't drive them far from town.

I've noticed that there's a few more in town since the last time I was here. But then again I didn't have a disco last time so I probably notice them more.


Sent from my GT-I9505 using AULRO mobile app

[Narangga]

I'd suspect that Land rover sold far more D3's than D2's.... just look at all the awards they won and both models spanned a similar time span. (My guess rather than fact)

It might just be the age of the vehicles.... Many that had D3's have moved on to D4's, yet it only seems reasonably recently that a lot of D2 and D2a drivers have started to move.

You only need to look at how many here like me, moved for D2 or 2a to D4.

There is still that irrational fear that you cant take these cars full off electronics bush. I think that is why many with older vehicles like the D2 have held off updating.

Love my D4 out of the city - best thing I ever bought!

Fair enough assessment and was what I had thought of too.

However some like me would go D2 to D3 due to the capital cost of a D4.

Will be interesting to find out how many other D3's we encounter once we start traveling in ours :)

[Bytemrk]

Fair enough assessment and was what I had thought of too.

However some like me would go D2 to D3 due to the capital cost of a D4.

Will be interesting to find out how many other D3's we encounter once we start traveling in ours :)

I think there are more and more now starting to go D2 to D3 at the k's rack up on the D2's and the D3 prices drop.

I am sure you will love yours when you get travelling - D4 and D3 are not that different , they are an amazing vehicle

[scarry]

Yep. Did the OTT to Cape York in July and when approaching Palm Creek overheard a comment from the peanut gallery "my hilux didn't make it, he's got no chance". Selected mud ruts and the D3 climbed straight up the bank on the other side to exit to dumbfounded looks.

Here's a pic of the last crossing at Nolans Brook:
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/120913-show-us-your-disco-sport-please-read-first-post-first-89.html#post2417849

Two guys in LC tray backs said that about my D4,at the base of the difficult track that goes up Big Red.

It was fully loaded and flew straight up.They couldn't believe their eyes.:o

[morpheus]

I found it intriguing. A lot of the D4s I saw were newish too. The point made about fewer D3s sold vs D4s is an interesting point - I just checked on Car sales and there is more than twice the amount of D4s available than D3s.

Anyways, I have driven up to and around Marree for about 30 years. The times I have done it in the D3 have by far been the most comfortable and effortless.