What to buy??

[crump]

Ok, I have around 5-6k coming my way to spend on the Defender shortly, and my wish list goes way beyond that figure so I thought I'd float it here and see what I should be prioritising.Most of my driving is trips away, with 2 work vehicles I rarely take the Fender on day to day stuff.So its more of an adventure vehicle then a daily driver and I'm not into hardcore off road, just the usual Cape york, Simpson trip type stuff.So here's the list.
Long Range tank.(mandatory I think)
Suspension Lift.(stock at the moment 40000ks) Thinking OME.
Elec Winch, not top of the line as I dont envisage it getting a lot of work.
Maxi axles.
Air lockers, front, back or both?
Steel rims, thinking black sunnys to replace the alloys.
Tyres. No idea, not happy with the ATs, need something more aggressive, Cooper STT, BFG MTs, Silverstones??? Dunno.
Cargo Barrier(yeh, I know, should already have one.)
Rear wheel carrier.Roof rack already has a mount for a second spare.
Thats probably enuff, appreciate your thoughts and comments.

[CraigE]

No, no no Crump. You do not need any of these.
Bill for this advice is $5-6k, so I can put maxis in mine.
:D :D
I would go Cargo Barrier first, safety priority.
Long Range Tank second.
Suspension third.
Winch fourth
Tyres if needed fith (higher priority if existing tyres buggered).
Maxi drive and axles (fit yourself a lot cheaper and does not appear to be that hard a job.
Rims depends how you want to keep the alloys.
Last would be the wheel carrier if you already have a spot on the rack.
Cheers
Craig
:D :D

[Maggot4x4]

No, no no Crump. You do not need any of these.
Bill for this advice is $5-6k, so I can put maxis in mine.
:D :D
I would go Cargo Barrier first, safety priority.
Long Range Tank second.
Suspension third.
Winch fourth
Tyres if needed fith (higher priority if existing tyres buggered).
Maxi drive and axles (fit yourself a lot cheaper and does not appear to be that hard a job.
Rims depends how you want to keep the alloys.
Last would be the wheel carrier if you already have a spot on the rack.
Cheers
Craig
:D

1 Cargo Barrier
2 LR Tank
3 Suspension
4 Wheels & Tyres
5 Axles
6 Lockers
7 Hand Winch

You will run out of money now :rolleyes:

[crump]

1 Cargo Barrier
2 LR Tank
3 Suspension
4 Wheels & Tyres
5 Axles
6 Lockers
7 Hand Winch

You will run out of money now :rolleyes:

Already got a hand winch and all the recovery gear I'll ever need.(except for an electric winch)

[seqfisho]

Crumpy,

How about a nice new Loomis and Baitcaster + about 4Ks worth of barra lures


If ya have to buy stuff for the Fender than my suggestions are as follows

1. Definate a cargo barrier, nothing worse than and esky with 40 cans landing on ya scone

2. If long trips are your thing then a LR Tank would be handy

3. A good suspension setup is priceless

4. With Cape and Outback corregated roads the replacement wheel carrier for Defenders is necessary

5. Tyres are critical to a happy traveller, would look at something more suitable to the terrain you travel, which may not neccesarialy mean muddies, perhaps FCII's or good AT's as you will still be doing long hiway miles. Would stick with the alloys, LR's are the strongest around.

6. Twin batteries if you havent already got them

7. Good first aid kit, this should be at No 1 actually

8. Comprehensive spares kit

9. Long range communications, if only needed on occasions then hire a sat phone, if used reguarly then HF or sat phone purchase.

[solmanic]

For a relatively small portion of that $5k you could effectively "soundproof" your Defender and make any long distance trip a joy. The necessary components are as follows:

1. 40GB or 60GB iPod ($450 or $600) If you know anybody who is a student or teacher, get them to purchase with Apple's education discount and it is a LOT cheaper.
2. iPod compatible stereo eg. Kenwood KDC-MP40296 (some on sale now for around $180)
3. iPod adapter eg. Kenwood KCA-iP500 around $80

Wire the adapter through to your cubby box - the iPod can sit in there nice and safe and will charge from the car as well as let you browse your library on the screen of the head unit.

THEN load ALL your CDs onto the iPod through your computer. And I mean ALL of them. You will be amazed how some of those old tunes you might have forgotten about get a new lease on life when you hear them in full digital quality in the car. Stick the system on random and let her rip. I guarantee you will crank it up and not even know the engine is running. Doesn't really matter if your speakers are not the best - Defenders have pretty dodgy interior acoustics anyway. But don't under estimate the fun of hearing your entire music collection in random order.

I did this to mine and have to say that whilst the technical gear is nice, this is far more fun and more of a benefit over long distances. Makes trips around town fun too, just have to avoid spending the entire journey working what I want to listen to.

[crump]

Crumpy,

How about a nice new Loomis and Baitcaster + about 4Ks worth of barra lures


If ya have to buy stuff for the Fender than my suggestions are as follows

1. Definate a cargo barrier, nothing worse than and esky with 40 cans landing on ya scone

2. If long trips are your thing then a LR Tank would be handy

3. A good suspension setup is priceless

4. With Cape and Outback corregated roads the replacement wheel carrier for Defenders is necessary

5. Tyres are critical to a happy traveller, would look at something more suitable to the terrain you travel, which may not neccesarialy mean muddies, perhaps FCII's or good AT's as you will still be doing long hiway miles. Would stick with the alloys, LR's are the strongest around.

6. Twin batteries if you havent already got them

7. Good first aid kit, this should be at No 1 actually

8. Comprehensive spares kit

9. Long range communications, if only needed on occasions then hire a sat phone, if used reguarly then HF or sat phone purchase.

I should qualify this, the wish list is the things I dont have, I have every other damn thing you can think of.

[crump]

For a relatively small portion of that $5k you could effectively "soundproof" your Defender and make any long distance trip a joy. The necessary components are as follows:

1. 40GB or 60GB iPod ($450 or $600) If you know anybody who is a student or teacher, get them to purchase with Apple's education discount and it is a LOT cheaper.
2. iPod compatible stereo eg. Kenwood KDC-MP40296 (some on sale now for around $180)
3. iPod adapter eg. Kenwood KCA-iP500 around $80

Wire the adapter through to your cubby box - the iPod can sit in there nice and safe and will charge from the car as well as let you browse your library on the screen of the head unit.

THEN load ALL your CDs onto the iPod through your computer. And I mean ALL of them. You will be amazed how some of those old tunes you might have forgotten about get a new lease on life when you hear them in full digital quality in the car. Stick the system on random and let her rip. I guarantee you will crank it up and not even know the engine is running. Doesn't really matter if your speakers are not the best - Defenders have pretty dodgy interior acoustics anyway. But don't under estimate the fun of hearing your entire music collection in random order.

I did this to mine and have to say that whilst the technical gear is nice, this is far more fun and more of a benefit over long distances. Makes trips around town fun too, just have to avoid spending the entire journey working what I want to listen to.
Hadnt thought of that, and its cheap, I have over 6000 songs saved to the hard drive of this thing at present, gota love Limewire.:D

[solmanic]

I suspected that with a wishlist like the one you posted you might have been overlooking the slightly less hardcore accessories. BTW the Kenwood head unit I listed comes with a remote so it can be operated from the back seat as well but there are others I'm sure.

[solmanic]

I also forgot to mention, there's something fun about the incongruous marriage of a machine like the Defender with a hi-tech gadget like an iPod. Kind of like nail polish on a half-back. With the iPod invisibly hidden in the cubby box I look at the other luxo-barges in the traffic and feel a bit smug knowing while I may 'look' hard, they don't know about this little soft secret.

[dobbo]

If you go for the ipod idea remember one thing. Unless ripped from the original CD, most Mp3/wma files sound like dog@(*% when there amplified.

[CraigE]

7. Good first aid kit, this should be at No 1 actually



This is true, not enough people carry an adequate first aid kit. The one I carry is fairly extensive. Above all make sure that your partner, kids etc that have access to it let you know what they use/remove from it so it can be restocked. There is nothing worse than going to get the first aid kit and finding the items you are looking for missing. This has happened to me.Always check your kit before going on holidays, do not assume the items are there, just because you have not used them or been told they have been used.
As well as this it is a good idea for you and your family to attend a basic first aid course and if possible do your Senior First Aid course and advanced resucitation. You should be able to claim these courses on tax if your company will not provide them as the are a legitimate tax deduction.
The best type of first aid kit for a 4wd is a soft pack type preferablly in some type of bag. I have a fairly large waist bag with 4 zippered compartments. A decent divided small back pack will also suffice and there are specially dedicated bags available from specialist suppliers, but these can be quite expensive. Trauma pack type bags are great but for most applications are just way too big. The hard case boxes are good as well (I had one for years) but can be awkward. With the waist bag or back pack you have hands free while getting to a situation.
The contents I carry are :
1 x C Collar
Casualty cards (very helpful for paramedics when they arrive as will have alot of details for them and the hospital). If you have a bystander get them to fill these in as you are going. I have made these up for work if anyone wants a copy send me a pm with your email.
Note pad, pens, pencil, marker pen in ziplock bag.
Ziplock bags (multiple uses inc body parts, or 3 way valve).
Cling wrap or plastic (to cover protruding organs, wet with saline first).
Asst medical tape.
Asst bandages Heavy Crepe and Conforming.
Triangular bandages in their ziplock bags (most versatile item).
A triangular bandage made up into a donut wound cover.
Sterile Gauze pads.
Sterile Combine pads asst sizes.
Sterile Dressing pads.
Eye pads.
Asst Sterile Dressings such as Primapore (fantastic), melolin, allevyn and opsite.
Sterile basic dressing pack.
Asst band aid strips, knucle strips, finger tip strips, wound closure strips.
Hypafix or Fixomull woven stretch adhesive strip.
Leather finger cover.
Alcohol swabs - medi prep.
Disinfectant swabs - Chlorhexidene.
Instant cold compress.
Asst tubular bandage.
Sterile cotton buds.
Burn aid cream.
Burn aid dressing.
Saline tubes 30ml.
Chlorhexidene tubes 30ml.
Universal sam splint.
Sam finger splint.
Tweezers.
Stainles steel scissors.
Shears (for cutting material).
Splinter probes.
Needles.
Neuro torch/pen light.
Safety pins.
Painkillers, Nurofen, panadol,
Asprin (good for heart complaints and a pain killer)
Hayfever tablets.
Cold and Flu tablets.
Throat Lozenges.
Gastrolyte.
Deep heat cream.
Voltaren gel.
Dermaid Cream.
Barrier Cream.
Stingose or similar cream.
Eyedrops ( single use).
Emergency thermal blanket.
Tissues.
Sugar sachets or jelly beans.
Medical gloves (very important if body fluids).
I have a tag on each zippered compartment with its contents should someone else need to use it for ease of selection. This all will fit in a bag no bigger than a childs small back pack easily (like the small ones from show bags). If you use such a bag make sure it is clearly marked first aid kit so others will be able to identify it quickly in your vehicle.
If possible the following also come with me:
BP cuff and Stethoscope.
Water (at least 2 litres in the car).
Blanket.
A multi tool (gerber, Leatherman).
A rope rescue knife (good blade, seat belt cutter and glass breaking tool).
I also keep sunscreen etc in a different bag.

This list seems quite a lot, but I carry all of this in minimum quantities, not packets of everything. There is probablly some items that I have forgotten. You should also carry anything required by your famillies special needs.
This type of first aid kit is a neccessity if travelling remotely.
It will cost a couple of hundred dollars to set up properly, but is worth while.

[bluetongue]

For a relatively small portion of that $5k you could effectively "soundproof" your Defender and make any long distance trip a joy. The necessary components are as follows:

1. 40GB or 60GB iPod ($450 or $600) If you know anybody who is a student or teacher, get them to purchase with Apple's education discount and it is a LOT cheaper.
2. iPod compatible stereo eg. Kenwood KDC-MP40296 (some on sale now for around $180)
3. iPod adapter eg. Kenwood KCA-iP500 around $80

Wire the adapter through to your cubby box - the iPod can sit in there nice and safe and will charge from the car as well as let you browse your library on the screen of the head unit.

THEN load ALL your CDs onto the iPod through your computer. And I mean ALL of them. You will be amazed how some of those old tunes you might have forgotten about get a new lease on life when you hear them in full digital quality in the car. Stick the system on random and let her rip. I guarantee you will crank it up and not even know the engine is running. Doesn't really matter if your speakers are not the best - Defenders have pretty dodgy interior acoustics anyway. But don't under estimate the fun of hearing your entire music collection in random order.

I did this to mine and have to say that whilst the technical gear is nice, this is far more fun and more of a benefit over long distances. Makes trips around town fun too, just have to avoid spending the entire journey working what I want to listen to.

The bloke I bought my Defender from had spent about 4500 bucks on the stereo system. He did an awsome job, he installed it in a way that no-one would really know when looking inside the vehicle.... It's got tweaters, sub-woofer, amplifier and other stuff I've got no idea about. I would never have installed it myself, but I tell you what, when that baby is fully cranked it sounds like you are at a concert... kicks ass for the foo-fighters, metallica and oh yeah, the wiggles for my young girls.

The only thing I need though is an ipod or something so the tracks don't jump when I'm off the bitumen.

Scott

[dobbo]

Blue tongue

Before you fork out for the ipod download a few mp3's, burn them onto a C.D. and play them in your car around 70% of the time all you'll get from the tweeters is ticking or hissing. An mp3 or wma (from my understanding if I'm wrong please tell me) is not just a compressed music file it also cuts out the higher frequencies and lower frequencies out of the aural spectrum. Therefore when it is played through a descent system i.e. one you just described in your defender the sound quality will deteriorate considerably all the mid range will sound o.k but the subs and tweeters will sound awful. If you can live with it go for the Ipod but beware of Lars Ulrich he might just come for you. I have found that Mp3's Wma's ripped directly from c.d's do not do this though perhaps a lack of interferance.

[JDNSW]

Ok, I have around 5-6k coming my way to spend on the Defender shortly, and my wish list goes way beyond that figure so I thought I'd float it here and see what I should be prioritising.Most of my driving is trips away, with 2 work vehicles I rarely take the Fender on day to day stuff.So its more of an adventure vehicle then a daily driver and I'm not into hardcore off road, just the usual Cape york, Simpson trip type stuff.So here's the list.
Long Range tank.(mandatory I think)
Suspension Lift.(stock at the moment 40000ks) Thinking OME.
Elec Winch, not top of the line as I dont envisage it getting a lot of work.
Maxi axles.
Air lockers, front, back or both?
Steel rims, thinking black sunnys to replace the alloys.
Tyres. No idea, not happy with the ATs, need something more aggressive, Cooper STT, BFG MTs, Silverstones??? Dunno.
Cargo Barrier(yeh, I know, should already have one.)
Rear wheel carrier.Roof rack already has a mount for a second spare.
Thats probably enuff, appreciate your thoughts and comments.

If you are not into hardcore off road, why the suspension lift? Heavy duty suspension possibly, particularly if you are carrying heavy loads, but the ground clearance and approach/departure angles on the Defender are already better than almost anything else, and the ride/handling on road will be worse.
Again, maxi axles are probably not necessary for you planned use, but would provide assurance against breakage. Needed if you fit air lockers, but again, not really necessary for your planned use.
Steel rims are probably nearly as easy to damage as alloys, but the damage is less likely to be terminal, and can usually be hammered back into useability on the spot. But not really necessary.
Do you really need more aggressive tyres for your planned use? Certainly good tyres; why are you unhappy with the ones you have?

I would put long range tank at the top, followed by the wheel carrier and the cargo barrier.

I would add a water tank if you can find somewhere to put it.

Other useful bits I have are central locking and cruise control.

[Ace]

Hi Crump, bugger the electric winch and just use the hand winch when you need it, sure less energy is involved in using the electric one but it is heavier, at least double the price of the cost of your hand winch and the hand winch can be used on the front and rear of the car if needed. Save the money and buy your tyres.

Ok what i would spend the money on if it were me;

1) Cargo barrier- safety
2) LR tank
3) Lift and tyres- good tyres are everything without them a 4wd is half as good, and lockers are a waste of time if your tyres are crap and dont have traction anyway. No idea on what type of tyres i only have retread muddies for weekend play, they are the same tread pattern as BFG muddies and they are great.
4) A snorkel, out in the desert these are good for keeping your air intake up high and out of dust clouds
5) good first aid kit.

Leave the axles you have in the vehicle for now and get you monies worth, just wait till you brake them then replace them, if you are worries about being stranded then buy the stronger ones and carry them as spares till the old ones brake. Matt

[crump]

If you are not into hardcore off road, why the suspension lift? Heavy duty suspension possibly, particularly if you are carrying heavy loads, but the ground clearance and approach/departure angles on the Defender are already better than almost anything else, and the ride/handling on road will be worse.
Again, maxi axles are probably not necessary for you planned use, but would provide assurance against breakage. Needed if you fit air lockers, but again, not really necessary for your planned use.
Steel rims are probably nearly as easy to damage as alloys, but the damage is less likely to be terminal, and can usually be hammered back into useability on the spot. But not really necessary.
Do you really need more aggressive tyres for your planned use? Certainly good tyres; why are you unhappy with the ones you have?

I would put long range tank at the top, followed by the wheel carrier and the cargo barrier.

I would add a water tank if you can find somewhere to put it.

Other useful bits I have are central locking and cruise control.
I suppose I should have said upgrade, not lift,I generally travel solo without particularly heavy loads and find the standard suspension overly firm, would be looking at improving the ride over corrogations more then anything.I like the idea of Maxis as its one less thing I have to worry about in the middle of nowhere, probably overkill,but I'm annally retentive when it comes to reliability.Steel rims for the same reason, but if the standard alloys are as good as it gets I'm happy to stick with them and just buy a second for a spare.Lockers are definitely over the top, but those switches on the dash look pretty cool.(yeh, I'll just buy the switches and save a heap:D ) I found the ATs on a recent trip along the Creb track just filled up with clay and slid all over the place, not happy.But have had no qualms with them on gravel or sand.

[Greylandy]

Tyres. The single most important upgrade on any stock 4WD. Go for muddies, STT’s or BF MT’s .. stay away from AT’s .. they belong on road cars. :cool:
Cargo Barrier (Milford or Ausguard) a must!
Suspension upgrade. (King Springs with Bilstein shocks)
Long Range Tank
Rear Wheel Carrier (Bearmach variety)
Maxi Axles
Rear Air Locker
Front Air Locker
Steel Wheels
Elec Winch
Follow this list until the money runs out .. you should get past the rear locker with $6K. Some thoughts on the above .. if you are not doing hardcore mud plugging you don’t need lockers and a winch. It is a good idea to replace the shafts with Maxis but since yours has only done 40k km’s .. why not leave it for another 40 to get some value out of the stock ones.

Sorry, but in my opinion an elec winch is a waste of time .. especially if you are not hardcore. Why put $2000 worth of gear on your front bumper that will add to your fuel bill, shorten the lifespan of your front suspension, needs regular maintenance, can only pull you out in a forward direction… all for the once a year when you do get stuck. You’ve got a hand winch … your good!

Steel wheels ... not needed! Unless you sell the alloys and use the cash to buy steels.

Rear wheel carrier = $450 … a new rear door colour matched with trim, glass, wiper and motor = $1400 .. cheap insurance! Of course, the hinges might never break off on that Cape York trip but that can be said about stock suspension.

Enjoy the shopping! :D

[crump]

Hi Crump, bugger the electric winch and just use the hand winch when you need it, sure less energy is involved in using the electric one but it is heavier, at least double the price of the cost of your hand winch and the hand winch can be used on the front and rear of the car if needed. Save the money and buy your tyres.

Ok what i would spend the money on if it were me;

1) Cargo barrier- safety
2) LR tank
3) Lift and tyres- good tyres are everything without them a 4wd is half as good, and lockers are a waste of time if your tyres are crap and dont have traction anyway. No idea on what type of tyres i only have retread muddies for weekend play, they are the same tread pattern as BFG muddies and they are great.
4) A snorkel, out in the desert these are good for keeping your air intake up high and out of dust clouds
5) good first aid kit.

Leave the axles you have in the vehicle for now and get you monies worth, just wait till you brake them then replace them, if you are worries about being stranded then buy the stronger ones and carry them as spares till the old ones brake. Matt

Thanks Ace, snorkel is a done deal as is dual batts, roof rack, lighting,Hi Lift, shovel holder, underbody protection, straps, shackles, snatch block, draw system,chip upgrade, towbar,recovery hooks,hand winch etc.The list I posted was just the things I dont have:D , this thread has been good though as I hadnt considered stereo and cruise control, both would make those long days a lot more pleasant.

[VladTepes]

Hadnt thought of that, and its cheap, I have over 6000 songs saved to the hard drive of this thing at present, gota love Limewire.:D

Yeah but that takes a while. I;d rather have a mate who wanted to keep a bakup of his music collection on a few DVD's at my place. PM me and I'll send you my postal address ;)

[spudboy]

Because you are not using it as an everyday vehicle, you can go more hardcore with your tyres. Think about the original fitment Michelin XZL (well, they were original on my 130) on Wolf rims. Fantastic in Mud. Good in Sand. Last forever. Not too noisy at 110. Rims - unbreakable!

Not first choice for tootling around the city, but just the thing to go to Cape York etc.

[solmanic]

Blue tongue

Before you fork out for the ipod download a few mp3's, burn them onto a C.D. and play them in your car around 70% of the time all you'll get from the tweeters is ticking or hissing. An mp3 or wma (from my understanding if I'm wrong please tell me) is not just a compressed music file it also cuts out the higher frequencies and lower frequencies out of the aural spectrum. Therefore when it is played through a descent system i.e. one you just described in your defender the sound quality will deteriorate considerably all the mid range will sound o.k but the subs and tweeters will sound awful. If you can live with it go for the Ipod but beware of Lars Ulrich he might just come for you. I have found that Mp3's Wma's ripped directly from c.d's do not do this though perhaps a lack of interferance.

Most MP3s you would find on-line are ripped straight from CDs. No-one really bothers with any less than CD quality in my experience. Any compression or high/low frequency cutout in CD rips is negligable and you would need to have the hearing of a bat to tell the difference.

[solmanic]

Just to clarify something - you can't have those little tweeters without a full amplifier. Most head units can only effectively drive 4 speakers, and if you put tweeters in they get the full range off the front speaker feeds which is not right. This is where most people encounter sound quality problems with golf-ball style tweeters - I did with my previous setup and that's how I learnt this.

To summarise (I know it is off topic a bit, but if sound is on your shopping list it's worth noting) - standard head unit + 4 x full range speakers (big 'uns in the back) OR standard head unit + amplifier + tweeters + low-range in front & full range big 'uns in the back + subwoofer if you want to scare the poop out of that guy next to you in the "rice rocket".

[crump]

Just to clarify something - you can't have those little tweeters without a full amplifier. Most head units can only effectively drive 4 speakers, and if you put tweeters in they get the full range off the front speaker feeds which is not right. This is where most people encounter sound quality problems with golf-ball style tweeters - I did with my previous setup and that's how I learnt this.

To summarise (I know it is off topic a bit, but if sound is on your shopping list it's worth noting) - standard head unit + 4 x full range speakers (big 'uns in the back) OR standard head unit + amplifier + tweeters + low-range in front & full range big 'uns in the back + subwoofer if you want to scare the poop out of that guy next to you in the "rice rocket".

You dont happen to work in the industry, do you?? Sounds:D like I should just come down and let you do the job.:D

[Ace]

Thanks Ace, snorkel is a done deal as is dual batts, roof rack, lighting,Hi Lift, shovel holder, underbody protection, straps, shackles, snatch block, draw system,chip upgrade, towbar,recovery hooks,hand winch etc.The list I posted was just the things I dont have:D , this thread has been good though as I hadnt considered stereo and cruise control, both would make those long days a lot more pleasant.

No worries Crump, if you can go into an ARB shop with the 6k and give them a shopping list, if you buy the lot from one supplier your 6k will spread further, if they dont want to bargain tell them the place up the road or in the next town is willing to do it, they will come to the party and you will get more of the things on your list with your 6k. Matt

[JohnM]

1. First Aid kit
2. Fridge (For medicinal purposes) (Since I don't see a fridge on your list I assume you have one. Gotta keep the beverages cold .....)
then all of the above, but what about dedicated tool set ????? GPS???

[solmanic]

You dont happen to work in the industry, do you?? Sounds:D like I should just come down and let you do the job.:D

Nope, just did a lot of research when I fitted out my vehicle and very happy with the results. No shortage of "experts" in the car-sound industry.