Journey to the Centre in 6 minutes

[Hokoman]

Hi All,

Despite being an Aulro member for ages I'd never noticed this section and it contains some classics alright.
So my little video from mid 2017 doesn't seem to be quite in the style but I thought people who haven't done the Centre or Simpson might get a kick out of it.
I really made it for my family to laugh at but seems a waste not to show it to other Landy owners.
This is a 1996 130 with a HS 2.8 TGV motor that's now done about 60k klms. No dramas as yet, touch wood, although it does run fairly hot on long uphills.
The torque is very nice off-road, very easy to drive.
I'm usually heavily loaded with 150L of water and 140L fuel - putting it between 3.4 and 3.7 tonne I reckon, depending upon what I'm carrying that day.
The suspension is Tough Dog but I need to upgrade it soon - the rear is definitely bouncy. I'm now researching what might be the best options.

Journey to the Centre on Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/228499166)

cheers
Chris

[Tins]

Hi All,

Despite being an Aulro member for ages I'd never noticed this section and it contains some classics alright.
So my little video from mid 2017 doesn't seem to be quite in the style but I thought people who haven't done the Centre or Simpson might get a kick out of it.
I really made it for my family to laugh at but seems a waste not to show it to other Landy owners.
This is a 1996 130 with a HS 2.8 TGV motor that's now done about 60k klms. No dramas as yet, touch wood, although it does run fairly hot on long uphills.
The torque is very nice off-road, very easy to drive.
I'm usually heavily loaded with 150L of water and 140L fuel - putting it between 3.4 and 3.7 tonne I reckon, depending upon what I'm carrying that day.
The suspension is Tough Dog but I need to upgrade it soon - the rear is definitely bouncy. I'm now researching what might be the best options.

Journey to the Centre on Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/228499166)

cheers
Chris

Thanks for that, Chris. Could you tell us a bit about the camper setup?

[Hokoman]

Thanks for that, Chris. Could you tell us a bit about the camper setup?

yes, it's simply a Trayon camper on a tray. Here's a link to my website that will explain more about the car. I set it up for a trip through Africa and it proved excellent.
It was an expensive way to do it and I'd do it differently today in hindsight but isn't that always the way?
Besides, I was living in it for 2 years with my girlfriend so we needed something a little more comfy than your standard tent set-up.
I think the Trayon is an excellent piece of kit, very tough and practical and relatively light.
Of course everything's a compromise in the 4x4 adventuring world, nothing is perfect, but I think the Trayon comes pretty close.
Although the Landy is a bit underpowered and noisy for long distance stuff it proved very good off-road in Africa.
There's something very loveable about these old bangers.
all best,
Chris

The Car - Chris Hooke Oz Blog (https://chrishookeozblog.weebly.com/the-car.html)

[jspyle]

Thanks. That was a great way to demonstrate the beauty of those locations.
can you provide some details of the cameras used?
was it all on an iPhone?

[Hokoman]

Thanks. That was a great way to demonstrate the beauty of those locations.
can you provide some details of the cameras used?
was it all on an iPhone?


All the movie stuff was with an iPhone 6, usually by the girlfriend. The stills were with a Canon 5Dsr body and the Canon 24-70 lens, a great combination.
Glad u liked it, was fun to put together! I just used my Apple Laptop and iMovie.

[Tins]

yes, it's simply a Trayon camper on a tray. Here's a link to my website that will explain more about the car. I set it up for a trip through Africa and it proved excellent.
It was an expensive way to do it and I'd do it differently today in hindsight but isn't that always the way?
Besides, I was living in it for 2 years with my girlfriend so we needed something a little more comfy than your standard tent set-up.
I think the Trayon is an excellent piece of kit, very tough and practical and relatively light.
Of course everything's a compromise in the 4x4 adventuring world, nothing is perfect, but I think the Trayon comes pretty close.
Although the Landy is a bit underpowered and noisy for long distance stuff it proved very good off-road in Africa.
There's something very loveable about these old bangers.
all best,
Chris

The Car - Chris Hooke Oz Blog (https://chrishookeozblog.weebly.com/the-car.html)

Thanks again. I ask because I have a tentative plan to go and live in a car/camper for around 12 months, and am interested in how people go about it. One or two weeks is easy, three or four a little more involved, but I want something I can live in.

You say that you carry 150l of water. In the specs on your blog I see a 40l water tank. Where do you carry the rest of it?

You were lucky finding a big cab 130. I'll bet it made a huge difference.

Once again, thanks for posting the vid. Do you have any from Africa?

[Tins]

You say that you carry 150l of water. In the specs on your blog I see a 40l water tank. Where do you carry the rest of it?



Never mind, I should have looked more closely at the Trayon.

[grey_ghost]

Hi Chris,

Brilliant video - thanks for making it & sharing it.

Cheers,
GG.

[Hokoman]

Thanks again. I ask because I have a tentative plan to go and live in a car/camper for around 12 months, and am interested in how people go about it. One or two weeks is easy, three or four a little more involved, but I want something I can live in.

You say that you carry 150l of water. In the specs on your blog I see a 40l water tank. Where do you carry the rest of it?

You were lucky finding a big cab 130. I'll bet it made a huge difference.

Once again, thanks for posting the vid. Do you have any from Africa?

hi John,

well, you're certainly on the right site for advice. But any advice is just based on our own personal tastes obviously, so BEWARE.
If you're new to 4x4 touring/adventuring and you want to use your rig as a 'home' for an extended period of time you need to firstly work out if you are going to be doing hard 4x4 trails or not.
Because hard off-roading costs a lot of money - to set up your car robustly enough and then to have a camper on it that will also cope is very, very expensive. I'd argue that travelling normal gravel roads and doing difficult and technical 4x4 trails are a world of difference and will cost the owner up to 3-4x more and sometimes make the vehicle more unsafe for normal use, unless they're prepared to greatly compromise their speed.

In terms of living comfort, if there's two of you, there's no doubt that a small off-road caravan or decent camper-trailer is best. They will provide the room you need. Trust me, being cramped is tiring.
The Trayon is JUST big enough in friendly climates. As soon as it's wet or cold it becomes a bit claustrophobic. If you're tall, getting in and out can become a bit boring over an extended period of time. With 2 people it's hard to move without bumping into each other or otherwise developing an intricate dance learned over time. Getting in and out of bed will almost always wake the other person up - and one will have to climb over the other to get out. If you're on your own no problem at all. The great advantage of the Trayon is relatively superb comfort at a low weight, enabling you not to bother with a trailer or bigger truck-like vehicle. The disadvantage of the single unit is when you set up camp your vehicle is 'stuck' until you pack up. Unless you demount the Trayon of course - which you can do quite easily in about 30 mins - it has legs.

Setting up a single vehicle to carry a camper can be as expensive as setting up a vehicle and buying a camper-trailer.
In the single entity everything has to be really well thought out and compact and that usually comes at a price. In the process you sort of destroy your vehicle for the one purpose of camping. Taking it back to original is often too hard.

If you go the camper-trailer route then you can have a 'normal' 4x4 vehicle which you haven't spent the earth on, and make your camper-trailer the focus of your attentions. And the advantage off that is when you pull up for the night it's often quicker and easier to set up camp and your vehicle is always free and ready to go off on safari or to fetch something from the shop that's probably 50 kilometres or more away by now! And good used camper-trailers are very easy to come by relatively cheaply.

Many times I've looked at others rigs where they have a decent camper-trailer or off-road caravan and I'm genuinely green with envy. Yes, there are compromises to be made where you can go but that's where it's impossible to advise others because everyone has a different comfort zone vs adventure zone level.
And at other times I'm just so happy to have the one vehicle/camper which means pretty well nothing stops me.
For example, my girlfriend HATES the idea of a camper-trailer or off-road caravan. She's totally happy with our set-up. It's me that would like more space and to be able to take more toys along but can't because of the weight issue. For example, I'd love to be able to take my 3.3M inflatable and 9hp motor everywhere. But generally it puts us well over the weight limit, especially in the far outback where you need to load up with plenty of water and fuel. And I'd love to have a couple of bicycles on board. But no room. If I had a camper-trailer I'd have no problem being able to take the inflatable/motor and a huge spare fridge/freezer and the bicycles etc etc.
While I think of it, take a look at the ULTIMATE camper-trailer. It's very similar to the Trayon but has a lot more room and much easier to climb in and out of. And it's light.
If you do decide on a single entity I think it's hard to beat the Trayon.

Nearly forgot - the Trayon has a 110L tank for water so that's where the 150L figure comes from. And I have a 120L main fuel tank and a 60L 2nd fuel tank. The Landy is good on fuel off-road. On road, fully loaded, it gets about 12.5L / 100k. Off-road in harsh conditions, like the Simpson Desert crossing, I got 14.5L / 100k which I think is quite remarkable. I've got a Nissan Patrol 3.0L which gets around 11.5 on road but as soon as u hit the rough stuff that can climb to 16-17 very quickly. Landrovers generally are pretty frugal and that can be a real blessing in the outback.

I do have a lot of videos from Africa but I've never bothered to edit them, just can't find the time. If you're interested in Southern Africa at all I've got a website that charts my trip and provides quite a lot of info about the various National Parks. It was a fab trip we did in 2013-2014, a retirement gift to ourselves ! Building the Landy was a big part of that too, expensive and arguably silly, but fun and interesting. And the Landrover bug is real enough. They're not really such a great vehicle to be honest, I think LR quality control is utterly shameful, but I've ended up with 3 on 3 continents !!

Anyway, if you're close to Sydney you're welcome to come and have a closer look at mine. I'm in France at the moment but will be back home by end January.
Oh yes, you really should get yourself along to a 4x4 show - there you can see all the permutations and talk endlessly with other people who will tell you exactly what you should do .... ha ha.
And if you've got a restricted budget you must try to find a rig that someone has already spent the money on. Because starting from scratch is surprisingly expensive, especially if your mechanical/electrical talents are in question, like mine.

Hope all that helps !

[Hokoman]

sorry, I was so busy yabbering on I forgot to include the Africa Blog link :

Chris Hooke AfricaBlog - Home (https://chrishookeafricablog.weebly.com/index.html)

[Hokoman]

Hi Chris,

Brilliant video - thanks for making it & sharing it.

Cheers,
GG.

hi GG,
do u seriously own all those vehicles? At the same time? Cos if u do that must make some sort of record for peculiarity.
I've got 3 Defenders and have nothing but contempt for Landrover quality control (one of them is a Puma, with it's complete joke driveline problems only satisfactorily solved by junking the LR rubbish and installing Ashcroft) so that makes me quite peculiar, but you're in a class of your own - well done !!
Chris

[grey_ghost]

hi GG,
do u seriously own all those vehicles? At the same time? Cos if u do that must make some sort of record for peculiarity.
I've got 3 Defenders and have nothing but contempt for Landrover quality control (one of them is a Puma, with it's complete joke driveline problems only satisfactorily solved by junking the LR rubbish and installing Ashcroft) so that makes me quite peculiar, but you're in a class of your own - well done !!
Chris

Yep - it’s called a sickness!! 4 of them are on the road, one more is about 2 months away, 2 more probably a year long project each... 7 in total - utterly mad!

The 101 has done some big trips - Melbourne > Birdsville and back! And Maralinga.. [emoji1303][emoji3]

[Tins]

hi John,

well, you're certainly on the right site for advice. But any advice is just based on our own personal tastes obviously, so BEWARE.
If you're new to 4x4 touring/adventuring and you want to use your rig as a 'home' for an extended period of time you need to firstly work out if you are going to be doing hard 4x4 trails or not.
Because hard off-roading costs a lot of money - to set up your car robustly enough and then to have a camper on it that will also cope is very, very expensive. I'd argue that travelling normal gravel roads and doing difficult and technical 4x4 trails are a world of difference and will cost the owner up to 3-4x more and sometimes make the vehicle more unsafe for normal use, unless they're prepared to greatly compromise their speed.

In terms of living comfort, if there's two of you, there's no doubt that a small off-road caravan or decent camper-trailer is best. They will provide the room you need. Trust me, being cramped is tiring.
The Trayon is JUST big enough in friendly climates. As soon as it's wet or cold it becomes a bit claustrophobic. If you're tall, getting in and out can become a bit boring over an extended period of time. With 2 people it's hard to move without bumping into each other or otherwise developing an intricate dance learned over time. Getting in and out of bed will almost always wake the other person up - and one will have to climb over the other to get out. If you're on your own no problem at all. The great advantage of the Trayon is relatively superb comfort at a low weight, enabling you not to bother with a trailer or bigger truck-like vehicle. The disadvantage of the single unit is when you set up camp your vehicle is 'stuck' until you pack up. Unless you demount the Trayon of course - which you can do quite easily in about 30 mins - it has legs.

Setting up a single vehicle to carry a camper can be as expensive as setting up a vehicle and buying a camper-trailer.
In the single entity everything has to be really well thought out and compact and that usually comes at a price. In the process you sort of destroy your vehicle for the one purpose of camping. Taking it back to original is often too hard.

If you go the camper-trailer route then you can have a 'normal' 4x4 vehicle which you haven't spent the earth on, and make your camper-trailer the focus of your attentions. And the advantage off that is when you pull up for the night it's often quicker and easier to set up camp and your vehicle is always free and ready to go off on safari or to fetch something from the shop that's probably 50 kilometres or more away by now! And good used camper-trailers are very easy to come by relatively cheaply.

Many times I've looked at others rigs where they have a decent camper-trailer or off-road caravan and I'm genuinely green with envy. Yes, there are compromises to be made where you can go but that's where it's impossible to advise others because everyone has a different comfort zone vs adventure zone level.
And at other times I'm just so happy to have the one vehicle/camper which means pretty well nothing stops me.
For example, my girlfriend HATES the idea of a camper-trailer or off-road caravan. She's totally happy with our set-up. It's me that would like more space and to be able to take more toys along but can't because of the weight issue. For example, I'd love to be able to take my 3.3M inflatable and 9hp motor everywhere. But generally it puts us well over the weight limit, especially in the far outback where you need to load up with plenty of water and fuel. And I'd love to have a couple of bicycles on board. But no room. If I had a camper-trailer I'd have no problem being able to take the inflatable/motor and a huge spare fridge/freezer and the bicycles etc etc.
While I think of it, take a look at the ULTIMATE camper-trailer. It's very similar to the Trayon but has a lot more room and much easier to climb in and out of. And it's light.
If you do decide on a single entity I think it's hard to beat the Trayon.

Nearly forgot - the Trayon has a 110L tank for water so that's where the 150L figure comes from. And I have a 120L main fuel tank and a 60L 2nd fuel tank. The Landy is good on fuel off-road. On road, fully loaded, it gets about 12.5L / 100k. Off-road in harsh conditions, like the Simpson Desert crossing, I got 14.5L / 100k which I think is quite remarkable. I've got a Nissan Patrol 3.0L which gets around 11.5 on road but as soon as u hit the rough stuff that can climb to 16-17 very quickly. Landrovers generally are pretty frugal and that can be a real blessing in the outback.

I do have a lot of videos from Africa but I've never bothered to edit them, just can't find the time. If you're interested in Southern Africa at all I've got a website that charts my trip and provides quite a lot of info about the various National Parks. It was a fab trip we did in 2013-2014, a retirement gift to ourselves ! Building the Landy was a big part of that too, expensive and arguably silly, but fun and interesting. And the Landrover bug is real enough. They're not really such a great vehicle to be honest, I think LR quality control is utterly shameful, but I've ended up with 3 on 3 continents !!

Anyway, if you're close to Sydney you're welcome to come and have a closer look at mine. I'm in France at the moment but will be back home by end January.
Oh yes, you really should get yourself along to a 4x4 show - there you can see all the permutations and talk endlessly with other people who will tell you exactly what you should do .... ha ha.
And if you've got a restricted budget you must try to find a rig that someone has already spent the money on. Because starting from scratch is surprisingly expensive, especially if your mechanical/electrical talents are in question, like mine.

Hope all that helps !

Thank you for all that. Quite comprehensive.

First thing, I will be solo. My long term partner won't be making it, which is sort of the reason for the 'escape'. I have zero interest in towing a camper, and as a solo traveller it would make no sense anyway. I was torn between a pod, one of Daniel's Mulgo conversions, or something from Alucab. I have been following Andrew SP White and his troopy ( ducks for cover ), and like his setup but do NOT want a Toyota. Then I saw yours, and was interested. I am still leaning towards a Mulgo, but Trayon is on my list for sure.

As for cost, I don't care that much. I intend to sell my house, and once Jan's kids get their share I should have around $600k to use to buy a bit of land with a shed, a tourer, and a plan. Then I can just go and look around. A 20' container will hold all the stuff I want to keep.

I would be very interested in your experiences re Africa. I reckon that would be about the ultimate experience I could have in the time I have left. That sounds a bit morbid and defeatist, I guess, but mortality has been rammed home for me. Best I get on before it catches up. ASPW has quite a few vids on southern Africa, but I'd like to hear something first hand.

I appreciate your offer. I will not be going anywhere more than an hour from home short term, but in the mid term Sydney is no distance for a former interstate truckie. I might even fly. The Mulgo thing is up there too.

[Hokoman]

Thank you for all that. Quite comprehensive.

First thing, I will be solo. My long term partner won't be making it, which is sort of the reason for the 'escape'. I have zero interest in towing a camper, and as a solo traveller it would make no sense anyway. I was torn between a pod, one of Daniel's Mulgo conversions, or something from Alucab. I have been following Andrew SP White and his troopy ( ducks for cover ), and like his setup but do NOT want a Toyota. Then I saw yours, and was interested. I am still leaning towards a Mulgo, but Trayon is on my list for sure.

As for cost, I don't care that much. I intend to sell my house, and once Jan's kids get their share I should have around $600k to use to buy a bit of land with a shed, a tourer, and a plan. Then I can just go and look around. A 20' container will hold all the stuff I want to keep.

I would be very interested in your experiences re Africa. I reckon that would be about the ultimate experience I could have in the time I have left. That sounds a bit morbid and defeatist, I guess, but mortality has been rammed home for me. Best I get on before it catches up. ASPW has quite a few vids on southern Africa, but I'd like to hear something first hand.

I appreciate your offer. I will not be going anywhere more than an hour from home short term, but in the mid term Sydney is no distance for a former interstate truckie. I might even fly. The Mulgo thing is up there too.

Ah, I see u r based in the Dandenongs. My best 4x4 mate is based in Croydon and I'll be down there late Feb for a Highlands camping trip we'll be doing so we can meet up for a drink if you're around and you can see the rig then. He was a truckie - I took him to Namibia in 2015 (in my old Landy TD5 I keep over there) while he was recuperating from chemo after he was hit by a throat cancer that nearly did him in. He slept a lot in the car but it quite amazing how he recovered. After 6 weeks of hard tent camping, sometimes in zero temps which he found very hard, he looked so much better!! He doesn't look it but is as tough as. His stories of being a truckie in Central Oz had me enthralled. He had the honour of driving the biggest truck to come to Oz at the time, I think it was a giant Kenworth with 36 wheels. He had a Defender 300Tdi that just went forever, towing a huge caravan thru the outback for 2 years whilst he was a salesman. He reckons it was because he was a truckie and knew how to nurse it. He sold it with over 400k on the clock with the original donk and one gearbox change. And the new owner has done plenty of k and is loving it.
Yep, you gotta get out and do it whilst u can - and the camping life keeps you young, of that i'm convinced.
Africa is fascinating and has got access to lots of wildlife that is obviously missing in Oz - but you just can't beat the freedom, safety and beauty of Australia. It's utterly unique.

[Tins]

hi GG,
do u seriously own all those vehicles? At the same time? Cos if u do that must make some sort of record for peculiarity.


I guess from that that you have yet to meet Homestar, or, even more so, Mick Marsh!

[Hokoman]

I guess from that that you have yet to meet Homestar, or, even more so, Mick Marsh!

No, but I'll definitely check them out when I get more time !!

My Puma in France has a pop-top done by a German company called Ex-Tek. I bought it used. Pretty good and very fast to set up and put down. Totally weather-proof.
Not that great in wind.
I believe the Mulgo fitting is v good quality and good service too. I have a ZA mate with the AluCab and it's impressive but the interior design was weird. And it's all very heavy.
From the little I've read I'd go with the Mulgo.
You can't really compare the amount of room though with the Trayon - the Trayon is a small house, the Mulgo set-up is very much a 'camper'.
But still excellent. We have both and we prefer the Trayon by miles. Probably a higher investment but if it's home, what the hell?
By the way, I fitted a gas heater to the Trayon. My girlfriend thought it was stupidly excessive and expensive (around $2500 from memory incl fitting) but it soon proved its worth.
All depends upon where you're spending your time. Just google TRAYON and u will find the website.

[Tins]

Cheers, Chris. Croydon is about 15 minutes away ( 25 in the D1 ), and I would really like to come and see your rig. I have been around 4WDs for a long time, and LRs for ten years this stint ( I was a RAEME mech in a past life ), but I have never been touring, or 'overlanding' as Andrew calls it. The opportunity has never arisen. But, you mention cancer. Jan has maybe a couple of months. There is no "fighting", it's over. So, I will need some time out, and I have a choice of drinking myself to death, or doing something else. I want to see my grandkids grow up, and I reckon a circuit breaker like a long trip would be ideal to keep me interested.

I hear you re Aus. I have travelled a fair bit, in coaches and trucks, and I haven't even scratched the surface. The place is incredible. I would like to see Africa though, as it is also unique. Nothing to say I can't do both. Apart from courage and motivation, of course. I am 64. If I don't go soon I never will.

[Hokoman]

Yep - it’s called a sickness!! 4 of them are on the road, one more is about 2 months away, 2 more probably a year long project each... 7 in total - utterly mad!

The 101 has done some big trips - Melbourne > Birdsville and back! And Maralinga.. [emoji1303][emoji3]

CRIPES - impressive. VERY impressive !! Good for you.
I saw a 101 with a Peugeot donk in it (I think it was a Peugeot) up in Sydney. It looked fantastic. I would have bought it in a flash but I'd just built the 130/Trayon combo and wasn't about to flog it.
Probably should have !

[grey_ghost]

CRIPES - impressive. VERY impressive !! Good for you.
I saw a 101 with a Peugeot donk in it (I think it was a Peugeot) up in Sydney. It looked fantastic. I would have bought it in a flash but I'd just built the 130/Trayon combo and wasn't about to flog it.
Probably should have !

101 Owner’s soon learn to have an intimate relationship with the petrol pump... Mine being an Ambulance body - it’s not really light or has a good CD... Averages 25-28 L/100km...

“One life - live it.”

[Hokoman]

Cheers, Chris. Croydon is about 15 minutes away ( 25 in the D1 ), and I would really like to come and see your rig. I have been around 4WDs for a long time, and LRs for ten years this stint ( I was a RAEME mech in a past life ), but I have never been touring, or 'overlanding' as Andrew calls it. The opportunity has never arisen. But, you mention cancer. Jan has maybe a couple of months. There is no "fighting", it's over. So, I will need some time out, and I have a choice of drinking myself to death, or doing something else. I want to see my grandkids grow up, and I reckon a circuit breaker like a long trip would be ideal to keep me interested.

I hear you re Aus. I have travelled a fair bit, in coaches and trucks, and I haven't even scratched the surface. The place is incredible. I would like to see Africa though, as it is also unique. Nothing to say I can't do both. Apart from courage and motivation, of course. I am 64. If I don't go soon I never will.

Jeez, that's no good. I'm so sorry.
I know the feeling - had a partner who passed from cancer in her early 40s in the UK. Just seems so bloody pointless and unfair and annoying at the time. She was way more stoic, in the Brit fashion, than I was.
Well, if it's of any use, the absolute best time I've had is when I'm in the outback. Better than Africa or Europe, better than everywhere and my job took me to many places.
The camaraderie among Landy owners is legendary and it just works. And the spirit of the Grey Nomads in Oz is really special. So is South Africa for that matter, there are many similarities.
If u ever do get to Sth Africa I can give u many contacts. Whatever u do, don't go to the expense of shipping a vehicle there. Just buy one there. The 4x4 community there are really helpful.
And Sth Africa, whilst having some huge problems, is a great country. Let's just hope that the Zuma types are ousted and they get decent leadership.

I'm trying to find out why my Puma glow-plugs aren't working!! I didn't realise they weren't until I tried to start the car in -6C temps in the Alps. It started 3rd go reluctantly.
Then when I connected the two batteries together I noticed there was no current draw when I switched on the ignition (I've got a voltage meter on the 2nd battery), even though the glow-plug light shows up on the instrument cluster.
I've checked the main 100amp fuse under the seat with a multi-meter and it's fine. Next up is to check the relay but I've got to find the bastard. I'm Googling it furiously.
I suppose the good news is that the car started in -6c without glow-plugs, something to be thankful for !!

[Hokoman]

John, I sent u a PM with my contacts - hope it works, not sure I've used the PM thingy before.

[Tins]

John, I sent u a PM with my contacts - hope it works, not sure I've used the PM thingy before.

Works fine, Chris. I replied. Thank you.

[Tins]

“One life - live it.”

Always though that was a bit trite, a little bit smug perhaps..... I know better now. Thanks, Tom. I'm going to have a go.

[Tins]

Jeez, that's no good. I'm so sorry.
I know the feeling - had a partner who passed from cancer in her early 40s in the UK. Just seems so bloody pointless and unfair and annoying at the time. She was way more stoic, in the Brit fashion, than I was.

Stoicism seems to come to people when they face death. My brother ( I know this only second hand ), my sister and now my wife all faced it, or are facing it, head on. I only hope I can find the same courage when it's my turn. 40s seems a bit harsh, but then my brother was nine. Time waits for no man.



Well, if it's of any use, the absolute best time I've had is when I'm in the outback. Better than Africa or Europe, better than everywhere and my job took me to many places.
The camaraderie among Landy owners is legendary and it just works. And the spirit of the Grey Nomads in Oz is really special. So is South Africa for that matter, there are many similarities.
If u ever do get to Sth Africa I can give u many contacts. Whatever u do, don't go to the expense of shipping a vehicle there. Just buy one there. The 4x4 community there are really helpful.

Thank you. I totally agree about the LR community. This forum has chipped in to help people they only know from this forum. One of those helped is me. I will always stop to help. Well, I was a truckie, so perhaps that's expected, but LR owners stop also. It's an amazing thing.

I might just take you up on the SA contacts thing, but really, I don't know yet what I am going to do.



I'm trying to find out why my Puma glow-plugs aren't working!! I didn't realise they weren't until I tried to start the car in -6C temps in the Alps. It started 3rd go reluctantly.
Then when I connected the two batteries together I noticed there was no current draw when I switched on the ignition (I've got a voltage meter on the 2nd battery), even though the glow-plug light shows up on the instrument cluster.
I've checked the main 100amp fuse under the seat with a multi-meter and it's fine. Next up is to check the relay but I've got to find the bastard. I'm Googling it furiously.
I suppose the good news is that the car started in -6c without glow-plugs, something to be thankful for !!

Ahh, the Alps. Can't help you there. I've only been into that particular hell in something labelled Scania. Many times, so many in fact that if I never see snow again it will be too soon. Enjoy...