Trusty [Archive] - Australian Land Rover Owners

Johnno1969

17th June 2016, 05:25 PM

I nearly always post on the IIA thread as, well, that's my daily vehicle.

But I just had a thought: my other Landy deserves a little space on this forum, though she's not in Australia.

But, technically, she merits a mention on AULRO as she is a Land Rover and her owner is Australian.

Her name is Trusty, and she lives in Tanzania.

Here's a pic of her in 2003 and another from 2009. Since 2009, I have hardly seen her.

I thought I'd introduce her as, with luck, one day there may be some new adventures with Trusty posted here...

Cheers,

John

cuppabillytea

17th June 2016, 10:32 PM

More on Trusty please.

karlz

18th June 2016, 10:29 PM

... Since 2009, I have hardly seen her.

I dont trust the Tazmanians.

Johnno1969

19th June 2016, 08:15 AM

More on Trusty please.

My first encounter with Trusty was sometime in early 2003, when I was bundled into the back of the vehicle for the ride home from a Chinese restaurant in Arusha one evening with a few workmates and various acquaintances. I remember thinking "Nice ute!".

A handful of months afterward, she ended up parked outside my house. She already had her name, which was bestowed upon her by her previous pilot (it wasn't an ironic nickname, either:The vehicle already had a good reputation).

She'd had a pretty varied history, but had survived the previous eleven years pretty well. Certainly a lot of Defenders get considerably more trashed much more quickly in those parts...

So, I got down to checking her over (basically all very sound) and replaced a few bits and bobs (from memory, all the drive flanges, as well as the output gear on the main gearbox) and, of course, the timing belt and idler.

That was was 2003, pretty much. I then did a few trips here and there before changing the bodywork to suit what I wanted a little better.

Next thing was to put a hardtop on her, which I found (in very dinged-up state) at a local safari operator and was delivered to my place on a kokoteni hand cart. I got some safari hatches made, the roof painted and on it went.

wally

19th June 2016, 07:20 PM

Land Rovers sitting idle in far flung parts of the world... Sounds a bit decadent. I'm not even sure I believe you.

cuppabillytea

19th June 2016, 09:44 PM

I believe you. I'd like one parked in all the places I like to visit too.

MrLandy

20th June 2016, 12:50 AM

Not as decadent as a holiday house either.

Johnno1969

20th June 2016, 06:37 AM

Land Rovers sitting idle in far flung parts of the world... Sounds a bit decadent. I'm not even sure I believe you.

I wondered when you'd show up...

Johnno1969

20th June 2016, 06:41 AM

MrLandy

20th June 2016, 07:15 PM

Love your 'decadence' John (anyone who doesn't is just jealous) ...it would be great to hear more about Tanzania too. How often do you get over there now?

wally

20th June 2016, 09:10 PM

Goodo.... Well, decadent extravagance or not, I thought I might post a little on Trusty as it was a rainy weekend and I had just (finally) got around to renewing my AULRO subscription.

I'll put up a bit more of the story if people are interested.

Cheers,

John

Oh go on... you know we're all interested. We wouldn't be anoraking around here if we weren't.
It's the only way I'll get to hear about Trusty or Tanzania.
And it's not really that decadent is it? It's a Land Rover. It's not like you're getting around in a Mercedes Benz or anything.

Johnno1969

22nd June 2016, 05:39 PM

Love your 'decadence' John (anyone who doesn't is just jealous) ...it would be great to hear more about Tanzania too. How often do you get over there now?

Thanks Mr Landy. Yeah, well, I guess there are greater extravagances in the world than a spare intercontinental Land Rover.

I worked in Tanzania most of the time from early 2002 to mid-2009 (with a year or so in Botswana and a six month stretch in Australia thrown in for good measure at some points along the way). When I left my last job there, I couldn't bring myself to part with Trusty, so I put her out on agistment at some friends' place indefinitely. Mind you, it has been a bit more indefinite than they were expecting. I thought I'd be away for about eighteen months, then didn't get back until late 2014 (for only a few weeks). Trusty was (is) still fine, having been well cared for in the meantime (though at one point a flood came along and threw her around the countryside for a little while).

I'll get back there eventually. I would rather like to do a long-ish safari one day...but that may be a pipe-dream. We'll see.

Anyway, between '02 and '09 Trusty went on a few little adventures, so I will get around to posting a bit here soon.

John

Johnno1969

22nd June 2016, 05:40 PM

Oh go on... you know we're all interested. We wouldn't be anoraking around here if we weren't.
It's the only way I'll get to hear about Trusty or Tanzania.
And it's not really that decadent is it? It's a Land Rover. It's not like you're getting around in a Mercedes Benz or anything.

Heheheheheheehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe..... ..

MrLandy

22nd June 2016, 06:56 PM

Thanks Mr Landy. Yeah, well, I guess there are greater extravagances in the world than a spare intercontinental Land Rover.

I worked in Tanzania most of the time from early 2002 to mid-2009 (with a year or so in Botswana and a six month stretch in Australia thrown in for good measure at some points along the way). When I left my last job there, I couldn't bring myself to part with Trusty, so I put her out on agistment at some friends' place indefinitely. Mind you, it has been a bit more indefinite than they were expecting. I thought I'd be away for about eighteen months, then didn't get back until late 2014 (for only a few weeks). Trusty was (is) still fine, having been well cared for in the meantime (though at one point a flood came along and threw her around the countryside for a little while).

I'll get back there eventually. I would rather like to do a long-ish safari one day...but that may be a pipe-dream. We'll see.

Anyway, between '02 and '09 Trusty went on a few little adventures, so I will get around to posting a bit here soon.

John

Cool. Maybe I should bring my 98 Defender over and park him next Trusty, then we should drive the continent! Long term dream for me too.

OneOff

19th April 2017, 02:08 PM

Jeez Mr Johnno, You're never in a hurry are you??

Where's the Trusty story?

eeyore

20th April 2017, 10:16 AM

Jeez Mr Johnno, You're never in a hurry are you??

You've followed his series rebuild thread then? [smilebigeye]

(I should add that it's actually one of my favourites here!)

Johnno1969

17th May 2018, 10:27 PM

Jeez Mr Johnno, You're never in a hurry are you??

Where's the Trusty story?

It would appear that I'm not, as I have just come back to this thread this evening....

Trusty started life (I think) with the local water board (the governmental body, not the form of torture) in Iringa in southern Tanzania. Well, that's at least what I heard. She began life (I think) as a styleside ute, and that was what she was on the evening when I leapt joyously and drunkenly into the back tub in the carpark of Lui's chinese restaurant (just around the corner from the Impala hotel..... can't miss it) sometime in 2003. She was owned by a Scottish girl who drove Trusty up and down between Arusha and Nairobi quite a bit and, without a spanner to her name and no irony implied, gave the brave little motor car her moniker. Naturally, when I bought her (the Land Rover, not the Scottish girl), the name came with her (Trusty, not Jenny).

Trusty was a life-changer. Instead of my movements being limited to when I could cadge a company car or a lift, suddenly I could roam far and wide, visiting friends, going bush and having debauched evenings of unhinged revelry. Often, I combined all three.

She was also a revelation, in that, after years driving my IIA, I was amazed at how quiet, smooth and fast the Defender was (stop laughing). Of all the cars I've ever had, Trusty is my favourite to drive (though the IIA is pretty nifty and I have this Charger which is a bit of fun too). She does it all: up hill, down dale, tracks, highways, dust, mud, snow (alright, made that bit up) - and occasionally at the heady speed of ninety kilometres per hour.

Now......that's it for the moment. I will post more of the tale soon, complete with piccies, when I get back to my other computer (which has 'em all).

Johnno1969

17th May 2018, 10:38 PM

You've followed his series rebuild thread then? [smilebigeye]

(I should add that it's actually one of my favourites here!)

Hehehehee.... yeah, funny you should mention that: there's more coming on that thread soon(ish). "In the fullness of time... at the appropriate juncture", as Sir Humphrey would have said.

In my defence, sometimes I have let my membership lapse and can't post until I get myself organised to do a bank transfer, sometimes I get distracted by other things, sometimes I forget and sometimes, er, I dunno. Oh, and this one time they closed the bank in my town.

The defence rests, m'lud.

Johnno1969

2nd July 2018, 08:08 PM

Trusty was in pretty good nick. I gave her a good check-over, replaced the drive flanges and the timing belt and she started life with me, pottering around Arusha, visiting friends in Kenya for Christmas, ferrying the local cricket team's equipment to games and having a few bush trips here and there.

It was during all this that I started to sort out the hardtop so I could travel and sleep in the back. I also had some really nifty safari hatches cut into the roof....

Johnno1969

16th November 2019, 03:16 PM

Righto..... I got back to see Trusty this week, for the first time since New Year 2014-15. I didn't know how she'd be looking or if my friends who'd been keeping her had got sick of her and pushed her into a river. Instead, it turns out that they've recently had her painted, put on five new tyres and had the head overhauled - which kind of takes care of a few jobs I was planning upon doing....

Yesterday, I started to check her over. Spent a fair bit of time cleaning out the battery box (handful after handful of dust) and the box under the driver's seat. A few tools and bits appear to be missing, but I might still track them down somewhere around here.

wally

18th November 2019, 05:51 PM

Keep that sticker on there. 4RR might ring and you could win a prize.

Johnno1969

22nd November 2019, 03:45 AM

Keep that sticker on there. 4RR might ring and you could win a prize.

Trouble is, I've been answering the phone for thirty-one years with "4TO's my station" in the hope of winning a different prize. I'm stuffed either way.

Actually, yeah, bugger it......surely 4RR owes me something for promoting them in Africa for well over a decade. I don't see anybody else here putting in any effort for them. Half the people in South Sudan haven't even heard of Aitkenvale.

Johnno1969

23rd November 2019, 11:20 PM

Here are few more photos of how Trusty's looking at the moment.

Basically, this week I have just checked her over a bit and started to get a list of spares which I need to collect.

I installed an Engine Watchdog a few days ago to keep tabs on the engine and transmission temps and oil pressure.

John

Johnno1969

29th December 2019, 11:58 PM

Righto....

A handful of weeks ago, I took Trusty up to Kenya. But before I left, I fitted her with new drive members. When I took off the old ones, they were actually not that bad - but I replaced them anyway, with nice new ones with screw-on hubcaps. I don't know if they are anything like the quality which I have seen in similar items sold in Australia, as these ones are kind of no-name brand.....but I will give them a go, I guess.

Whilst changing the drive members, I found that the splines on the inner end of the rear left halfshaft were pretty badly worn. So that got replaced too.

Johnno1969

30th December 2019, 12:12 AM

The run up to Nairobi was really only a short highway trip, but it was good to get her out on the road again. The old girl trundled along happily and it was nice to have a bit of a drive after so long.

Once I got to Nairobi, I took advantage of the greater ease in procuring bits and bobs for motor cars and set about doing a few little jobs.

First thing was to get some plywood and build storage areas combined with a flat deck for use as a sleeping platform whilst travelling. It was good fun to get stuck into the job: years ago, I used to travel extensively in Trusty and it was always a pain in the arse to move various cardboard boxes, milk crates and the like around each day and make room for my swag if I needed to sleep in the vehicle.

The result is hardly the standard of finish of some camper conversions, but the bare plywood, a few hinges and a lot of wood screws do their job.

Basically, now I have a flat floor with one of the spare tyres and any recovery gear stored underneath, as well as plenty of space for spares and, as I currently have it set up, my tuckerbox (accessible through a hinged panel). At one side, I have a large plywood box for storing oils, fluids and any other yucky stuff.

Here are some photos of the building process.

Johnno1969

30th December 2019, 12:16 AM

A photo of the finished deck/floor and the cargo box. The hinged lids sit nice and tight in their fastening bolts and don't clatter or move when I hit bumps.

Johnno1969

31st December 2019, 04:57 AM

While she was in Nairobi, Trusty enjoyed hanging out with some old friends.

Johnno1969

2nd January 2020, 05:06 AM

I had a look at the safari hatches and the edges were badly rusted..... Years of water lying between the pinchweld seals and the steel. The framework in the roof had also suffered from a lot of water ingress going unchecked. None of it ever used to leak when it was all new - but rust kind of changed that.

P.S. I have no idea why these photos keep turning on their sides when I attach them.

Johnno1969

3rd January 2020, 05:05 PM

So I set about doing something about the hatches. I didn't have time to organise completely replacing them, which would be the preferred option, in the time before heading off on a Christmas safari, so I decided to clean up the rusted bits, hit them with red oxide and then cover them with aluminium angle to give the hatches new edges which would resembled tiger shark teeth slightly less.

Trouble was, I couldn't find the angle I needed in the time availavble and opted to use the only thing I could find: strips of plastic. All I needed them to do was to provide a new, less lethal, edge and not necessarily any structural strength. So, using approximately forty imperial gallons of silicone sealant and about seventy-five thousand rivets, I made new edges for the hatches then reattached the pinchweld seals. I also cleaned up around the openings in the roof and sealed any cracks as well.

It seems to all be holding together alright, though of course that rust will come back. Hopefully, I get myself organised to just completely replace those hatches one day.

Here are some more 90-degrees-skewed photos. Possibly this keeps happening because they were taken close to the equator.

Johnno1969

4th January 2020, 07:35 PM

So, Trusty headed off to Tsavo for Christmas. Time for a bit of time in the bush. Tsavo West (and for that matter, a hell of a lot of Kenya) was looking very lush after the rains (which were still lurking) and grass, shrubs and thick growth abounded. The first part of the drive didn't afford much in the way of views, but once the thick Commiphora scrub gave way to more open country and the topography got a little more bumpy, the vistas were wonderful.

Rhino Valley (which these days is more valley than rhino, sadly) looked gorgeous.....

Johnno1969

6th January 2020, 05:09 AM

During the Great War, fighting ranged all over the shop in East Africa and down into present-day Zambia and Mozambique as the British parried with Paul Von Lettow Vorbeck's small column of German troops and African Askaris. One place that saw a bit of a stoush was Tsavo.

This is the view from the hill of "Crater Fort", which the British used to keep an eye on the area and engage Von Lettow Vorbeck's force if it sought access to the Tsavo River.

Johnno1969

6th January 2020, 05:14 AM

Surrounded by all this interesting history and wonderful country, Trusty settled down comfortably for a few days in camp.

Johnno1969

6th January 2020, 05:52 PM

The next few days were kind of a combination of sitting in camp talking nonsense, a few drives around and serious daily consideration of where to have sundowners.

The lush growth from the rains meant that game was scattered and/or difficult to see, but that was no great hardship. The nice thing was just to be in the bush. Trusty enjoyed a few ambles on various tracks here and there and it was very enjoyable to just see the old car potter happily along at extremely civilised speeds.

Boxing Day meant exploring some amazing ash-cones (don't know if that's the right term....but they were hills of volcanic rubble) and some beautiful views around the area.

Johnno1969

15th January 2020, 10:48 PM

Meanwhile, back in camp...... clothesline duties....

Johnno1969

17th January 2020, 05:09 AM

Boxing Day meant a trip to Mzima Springs. If you've ever seen documentaries with hippos and crocs swimming around in crystal-clear water, odds on it was filmed there.

It's a gorgeous spot, with clear cool water arising from springs bringing water from the Chyulu Hills, where rainfall percolates down through the volcanic rock and ash and makes its way underground from there. Of the famous crocs and hippos, I only saw one of each.....but I did see the bluest catfish I have ever seen. Must have been Persians.....

Mzima Springs was wonderful. Only problem was I was unable to get any news of the Boxing Day Test Match there.

Johnno1969

18th January 2020, 02:27 AM

Game viewing wasn't maybe at its easiest, given that the rains had made for a lot of very thick vegetation, long grass and water everywhere. But we did see a handful of Lesser Kudu, Fringe-eared Oryx and Kongoni. On top of that, Dik Dik aplenty appeared to be enjoying all the long grass and thick cover. I didn't get many wildlife photos, but here are a few.

P.S. Yes, this is still a thread about a Land Rover

Johnno1969

29th January 2020, 01:44 PM

After five or six terrific days, it was time for Trusty and I to reluctantly drag ourselves out of Tsavo.

In the end, I headed back to Arusha via Taveta and Moshi and began contemplating the next move.

Here are some photos of a Land Rover in its natural habitat.

Johnno1969

1st February 2020, 09:17 AM

Traffic's got increasingly mental over time in Tanzania and the country has now been overrun by motorbikes (cheap imports from China, I believe). Driving in town now is bit like a dogfight, with motorbikes zipping in every direction on whatever side of the road seems useful, passing on any side the rider feels like and occupying every available bit of airspace. So, I decided to do something which I would never have imagined: fitted a dashcam. This little jobbie has lenses facing forward and rearward and a G-force sensor which is supposed to detect a crash and will automatically save any footage around that point.

The front camera just attached to the windscreen and I made up a wee bracket for the rear camera to peep out the back window, where it will hopefully pick up any Messerschmi- uh, motorbikes approaching at speed behind me.

That's where we'll be leaving the Trusty story for at least a while. Hopefully more later in the year...

Johnno1969

9th December 2022, 12:05 AM

Reunited with Trusty today. [smilebigeye]

I did think I would be back to drive her again in mid-2020, but, er, well, we all know what would have happened to that plan.

Anyway, she's looking pretty good. I haven't driven her again yet, but odds-on she'll be fine.

John

Tins

9th December 2022, 02:56 PM

Johnno1969

16th December 2022, 12:03 AM

I didn't know Fringe-eared Oryx had tusks...

Sorry, a little late I know. Good thread.

Is Trusty still on The Dark Continent?

Thanks. Yep, she's in Tanzania.

Johnno1969

16th December 2022, 12:11 AM

A few days ago, I sat in the back of Trusty, thinking about ways to store things.

When I made the wooden floor thingy a few years ago, there was a little dead space between the two big underfloor spaces and I had been planning to cut out some access holes in the vertical supports so that I could stow bits and pieces there (thinking.....spares and service items and suchlike).

Then a thought occurred to me, I whipped out the jigsaw and, through occasional power cuts, cut two openings which allow me to store two Jerry cans under the floor, nice and snug between a heavy storage box (where I'll now put all the parts and stuff) and the divider/support to the rear of 'em. I've left a bit of timber to keep the spout-ends up as they rest on their sides.

It isn't pretty and it's pretty agricultural - but it works.

Johnno1969

16th December 2022, 12:41 AM

P.S. Trusty made a special new friend down at the shops the other day. I will post a few photos on the Series II&IIA forum.

Johnno1969

21st December 2022, 05:29 AM

Righto. Today, I went out and bought some stuff. I'm going to make some things.

Admittedly, this may not make for the most exciting thread in the history of AULRO (maybe I should have called it "A Bloke Mucking Around With Plywood"), but hopefully somebody gets a small glimmer of joy from it....

Johnno1969

21st December 2022, 05:36 AM

Can you see what it is yet??*

182599

*Is it still OK to make Rolf Harris jokes.....?

Johnno1969

22nd December 2022, 12:31 AM

Can you see what it is yet??*

182599

It's one of two little tuckerboxes which I'm making. Here's a photo of the first one. The reaon I will have two little boxes is that I want to be able to easily stow them above the gear-locker on the left hand side (I really want to go full-anorak and say "nearside") of the tub and make space for sleeping.

It's a nice little box, though I was only able to get thin ply - which has necessitated lots of reinforcing with various scraps of timber and it has a bit of a Frankenstein look with all the screws in it. If I can find some cheap aluminium angle (not that likely), I will trim it to cover all my messy work so far....

Tins

25th December 2022, 11:46 AM

and it has a bit of a Frankenstein look with all the screws in it.

Do you get much lightning there??

Johnno1969

28th December 2022, 04:15 AM

Do you get much lightning there??

Funnily enough, we have had a few storms in the last few days......

Johnno1969

3rd January 2023, 08:44 PM

The tuckerboxes are (mostly) finished and I've got busy with one or two other things as well. I've made a frame to go over where I store the water containers so that there's a nice little "bedside" table for when I'm camping in the vehicle. In a way, it's kind of unnecesary construction (and weight), but the additional shelf has already proven very useful (see photo).

The tuckerboxes stack neatly on the gear locker running down the side of the tub when I want them up and out of the way. I'm also making a drop-down table for the rear door.

One other thing is a frame and mossie-screen which drops over the top of the safari hatch if I want to leave it open to stay cool at night. It hooks up neatly into the ceiling of the rear of the compartment when I'm not using it.

Tins

3rd January 2023, 08:47 PM

Love it. TIA.

Johnno1969

3rd January 2023, 09:00 PM

Trusty's been pottering around in the bush of late. Here are a few sights from yesterday...

Johnno1969

3rd January 2023, 09:08 PM

She even made some new friends.

The vehicle on the far right of the group photo is an interesting one. A hybrid - and I have no idea where the running gear comes from. I might post some photos of it elsewhere.

Tins

4th January 2023, 08:37 AM

I love those high canopy touristy things.. Keeps the sun off and lets the lions in.

Johnno1969

6th January 2023, 02:08 AM

More from "Adventures in Plywood".

I made a little drop-down table for the rear door. It should be useful for cooking on the camp stove or suchlike. At present, it's held in place by a strip of rubber when folded up, but down the track I will sort more permanent fixings. That's pretty-much it for the latest burst of carpentry. Probably not the most interesting stuff anybody's ever posted on this forum, but the little additions lately are very functional - even if they look a little agricultural. What a difference marine carpet would make! Great way to hide my errors, too.....

Mind you, I rather like the simplicity of the timber finish. Hopefully it will serve for years to come.

John