How far do you drive your defender for work?

[bluetongue]

Time has come.

I'm looking for another job. At the moment I work in Alexandria (Sydney)... about 5 minutes walk from Graheme Coopers actually (... which of course is quite handy considering my luck with d-fender so far).

I live in Padstow.

Anyway. Now I'm looking at a job up in Chatswood...
- an hour plus on the train
- or probably the best part of an hour in the landy (... this assumes of course I can get parking somewhere)

Basically it'll be 40 k's door-2-door each way
At present it's about 20 k's each way

I love driving the landy, I don't mind the traffic, I'm sure peak-hour will get to me at some stages (mainly p-platers-tailing-my-a-hole), but I'm sure it won't be so much of a big problem...

Thing I'm a bit worried about is putting on those extra k's...

I've got about 117K so far... and this'll just rack up more - all on friggin bitumen!

So... here's what I was thinking... if you guys out there are doing more-or-less the same or more, I'd like to hear from you and like to know if it's kind-of-p1ssing you off... or if it's no worries........

At the moment I enjoy my drive-in to work, I've driven alot of cars old-and-new and by far the fender has been the most enjoyable... every morning I get up and actually look forward to jumping into the drivers seat: rain-hail-or-shine...

But unfortunately I need to leave and upgrade the job for various reasons... public transport is fine, but I'm also a bit worried about leaving the landy sittin at the train station each day...

Oh yeah, I already asked the missus if we could move over to the north-side and it's a no-go.

Thanks to y'all...

... Scott

[sumo]

Mate the more you use the fender the better!! I bought mine three years ago use it every day a couple of small issues ,but it luvs to keep going!!

Cheers Sumo:)

[chunk]

:burnrubber: hi scott, i travel from wollongong to st leonards to work almost 90 km each way, it takes between 1 1/4 and 2 hrs each way driving. if i go by train it takes at least 2 1/4 hrs each way. give the train ago but you will be a lot happier if you drive. at least you will get to work on time and you wont have to stand up all the way there. plus its nearly all express way from padstow to chatswood.

jeff
:burnrubber:

[Mudnut]

Scott,

I have about the same commute travelling across Melbourne to get to work. Sometimes I do it on the motorbike, but more, and more I'm doing it in the Defender. Like one of the previous posts, I look forward to jumping in and just driving the car. I have never had a car that I look forward to driving as much as this one. One thing I have just installed is a cruise control, as about 2/3 of the commute is freeway. Makes it much more enjoyable, and don't have to worry about speed cameras. It will also come in handy for the longer trips that I got the car to go on. I don't drive with the mud tyres, as they only go on when I'm off to the bush. Makes the ride quieter. You talked about fear of leaving it at the train station. If you do, make sure that there is nothing for anyone to steal. I know from personal experience that a 40l Engel fridge can fit through a smashed sliding side window. As for normal wear and tear, there are lots of TD5 Disco's out there that do much more traveling, and they are still plugging away strongly.

Just enjoy the drive,
Ken

[CraigE]

I drive about 50kms each way to work. Not a real issue in the Defender as all country roads at 110kph. Would not want to be doing it in a sedan at 0500am. The extra kms clocking up on my vehicle do annoy me and with the price of fuel at the momment is costing a damn sight more than it was at this time last year.
:(

[DirtyDawg]

I tow a trailer and average about 60km per day..whats the point of owning it if you dont drive it:)

[rick130]

my 'fender is my work vehicle, doing currently 6-700km a week.
Just don't talk about fuel. Currently paying 153.9c/l. You fella's in the big smoke don't realise how well off you are.......

[discowhite]

living at revesby and working at milperra, i dont have far to go at all. about 5min drive.

scott, you could always park your 110 at my place and walk/catch the bus to the train?? i drive the missus to the train at padstow every morn at 6.40am.


phil

[George130]

I drive mine every day. It is my commuter and I do 80km each way. Most of it is freeway and highway travel and I would agree about the early late travel feel better in the fender than a sedan at those add hours and in the thick fog. The defender is so much more enjoyable than the ford and the hours travel time is great for stress and thinking over those issues from the days work. I normally get my best ideas on the drive home and due to the noise I don't get the help desk mobile as much these days.

[DEFENDERZOOK]

hey buddy....i live in illawong and was working in neutral bay.....7 days.....
that was 35kms each way......35 mins to get to work...the long way.....
about an hour to get home.......
lurch only ever complained when i didnt go to work for a day or two....

(i use to go straight to the hume....then left on frederick and right on the city west link.....
it was quicker and cheaper than the M5....cost no tolls to get to work....
$3 to get home.....if i used the M5 it would cost me $150 per week just on tolls......)

the only thing is that you will need to change the oils a bit more often cos the service intervals are more frequent.....
i managed to clock up about 60,000kms in 2 years of this trip.....so its really only about
10,000kms per year more than average......

the other option is to get a small 4 cylinder drifter for work......

[olbod]

Gawd !
Iv'e been reading this thread and it makes me shudder.
I feel sorry for you blokes that live in those sort of places, jeez,
if we see more than half a dozen cars on the road its a traffic jam !
I havent been to the big smoke for about 13 years and I dont ever wanna do it again.
I like me towns and suburbs to be at least a couple of hundred K's apart.

Do agree with driving your Defender every day tho, thats good advice.
When your doin that you can imagine and feel like your someplace else and not behind a smoky bus in lines of traffic.
Cheers.

[gruntfuttock]

I walk out the back door, across the lawn and into the shed then I am at work 15sec in all:p :p :p

[dobbo]

I walk out the back door, across the lawn and into the shed then I am at work 15sec in all:p :p :p


That makes me sick you lucky #######


Bluetongue,

I used to work on Padstow station admittedly a few years ago. The multistory there is monitored via cameras but I'd still be causious about parking there

Saying that I don't think I could commute through Sydney traffic on a daily basis. I tried the commuting earlier this year Lake Macquarie to Liverpool every day including work was at least 12hr's driving or 13hr's + on pubic transport.


I wouldn't do it again

[rangieman]

well i drive about 24 ks each way to work 48 ks aday
on a country hwy at 100 km/h :D

[discowhite]

The multistory there is monitored via cameras but I'd still be causious about parking there



and they dont work! and if your car dose get pinched/broken into the cops dont care! but yes i would never go anywhere near the multi level car park.
at least 6 cars per week get broken into or pinched:mad:

phil

[bluetongue]

Thanks for the feedback guys...

That's what owning a fender is all about... you drive to work and on the off-chance you see another defender going the same / other way... you wave... they wave back... you can't get that on a train...

Phil... thanks also for the offer to park at your place in revesby.... I'll see how I go (... got to get the job first, so wish me luck for that).... I might just take you up on it. Might be moving to picnic point also, so that'd be real handy.

... Scott

[DEFENDERZOOK]

from picnic point you can ride a pushbike to padstow.....

[RobHay]

Well the smart way to go is to buy your Land Rover on Salary sacrifice and that way you get your fuel , tyres and maintainence all paid for on pre-tax dollars, and you MUST do the kilometres each year, that way instead of worrying about clocking up the miles, you can worry about not clocking up enough:D

[tombraider]

Man, relax and enjoy the drive.

I was driving 1100+kms every week for work.

Did that for 4 months :eek:

In fact, "Lara" racked up over 40k last year alone.
Heres to another 50k+ this year ;)

Tombraider

[gruntfuttock]

That makes me sick you lucky #######




It does have it's drawbacks though. In a small town like where I live, if you are at home, then you are a work and SWMBO thinks I should do all the housework as well :mad: :lol2::bat: . But on the upside, I get to see the kids off in the morning and I am there when they come back as well. Also if you are having a bad day when all is going aft about you can always mow the lawn, pull some weeds or a million other things. All in all it is a pretty good situation.

[Wortho]

1782k's last week but usally around 1,100-1,200k's p/w put nearly 40,000 on the disco since december bloody diesel prices are killing me.Nearly $250 last week alone.But i love those moments when you see a track off to the side of the road and you think i wonder whats down there and because i'm in the landy i can have a look.

[cols110]

I drive about 20ks each way, but the price of fuel is is about 85/c/l for diesel and 65 for petrol.

Sad thing is, its cheaper to run my misses V8 disco than it is to run my TD5 110, its a shame they still dont make 4lt defenders, that way I`d have the best of both worlds.

[mr_sav]

Hi, It can get to you after a yeaar or so, the driving.

I up until recently was driving similar km's for just over a year. Don't get me wrong, nothing to do with being in the 110, more just the mundane start/stop of lights etc. Being in Adelaide, I have to compete with Traffic Lights that are not synched, Train lines across our major arterial roads, and a single tram line that manages to have a tram crossing more times than not as you are approaching.

The advantage of a 110, is you can see what is going on up ahead, and whilst largish can often jump lanes before seeable problems.

You also mentioned weather. Well the 110 is not fussed, and is comfortable doing the same pace across most conditions.

The advantage of driving a 110 in Adelaide is the bitumen is not much better than NSW's diminishing dirt roads.

So, the 110 was not fussed with the distance daily, but I was after a year, so I bought 5 mins from my work.

Now, some years ago I was working in sydney and living in the country, and was driving 10 days about each way in a SIIA on approx 90k per hour give/take down and up hills. It was a 7-8 hour drive each way. I did that for a few years (from memory).

Anyway congratulations with your job, and I hope it all works out for you.

Cheers.

mr_sav.