Discovery 2 question

[jvdk41]

Hi how' s a going?

In april 2009 i'm coming to australia and i'm taking my Discovery 2 from holland as well.

I'm gonna drive from sydney to melbourne to adelaide to alice springs to cairns to cape york to cairns and we're ending our trip in brisbane.

We want to do several tracks.

The discovery haven't got a centre difflock. (yet)

Will this be a problem???????

Hope to hear from you.

Greetings jeroen

Land Rover Discovery td5, 2000, manual gearbox
TJM bumper, winch, Airtec Snorkel, TJM coils and springs,
BF goodrich AT, 2x diff guards

[camel_landy]

Should be fine...

The only tip I've got for you is to pack light. It's always tempting to take far too much on a trip like that but the lighter the car, the more reliable it will be.

HTH

M

[weeds]

the only issue i can see is if you a prop shaft failure i.e. that non greaseable front as you will not be able to continue on in two wheel drive

know the condition of it or have greasable uni's fitted and all should be good

[Piddler]

I would certainly go the centre diff lock and good lights.

cheers

[Narangga]

Good trip preparation is essential and although most of the trip is on bitumen and via large towns and capital cities, the Alice Springs to Cairns would be the section that would require the use of a four wheel drive.

Therefore I would agree with each of the previous 3 posts and if you can afford it then get the diff lock installed as well as a greasable front prop shaft. The amount of wildlife on our roads also means that even in early eveing and early morning a good set of driving lights is also worthwhile.

Sounds like a great trip!

[wardy1]

That sounds like great trip. It's also a huge trip covering a massive area, can I ask how long you are planning to take to complete the trip?
Just one other piece of advice, get some decent tyres under your truck.

[Psimpson7]

Yeah I would say you would probably be ok without it too, with the exception of a propshaft failure, or if you were unlucky enough to break a halfshaft.

However, Cape York, if you do the OTL can be anything between OK and impassable depending on the previous wet season as well as the weather at the time.

If you are on your own, and planning on doing the remoter tracks it may be worth having it I suppose.

[jvdk41]

Thanks for the tips all of you.

Are the lightforce 170's expensive in Australia and is it possible to let theme install in or near Sydney?

What would be the costs to install a centre diff lock in Australia and what sort of CDL do you advice/prefer?

Hope to hear from you.

thanks allready

[jvdk41]

That sounds like great trip. It's also a huge trip covering a massive area, can I ask how long you are planning to take to complete the trip?
Just one other piece of advice, get some decent tyres under your truck.

Hi Wardy,

I'm really looking forward to this trip:)
3 or 4 months for the complete trip.

The Disco is running on 245/75/16 BF Goodrich AT tyre's and i have got 2 spares. Hope this is a good tyre choice?

Hope to hear from you

[scarry]

Those tyres will be fine,2 spares will be adequate,unless you get real unlucky,in fact since having my BFG's,i have never changed one.......yet.

The most important thing on a long trip is to look over the vehicle every day or to,not just under the bonnet,but also crawl under and have a good look at everything.Also check for tightness of all suspension components regularly.
And always listen for any odd noises.

Also take a list of all the private LR repair specialists with you(not dealers),there is something on this site about making up a list ,but i cant find it at the moment.

As for the centre diff lock,i wouldnt worry too much about it.I didnt have one in my old one,didnt have any real trouble.As said get the front drive shaft sorted & you should be OK.

Take as many tools as possible,& as said travel as light as possible,if you only need the front 2 seats,take the others out,i always do this on long trips,they are easy enough to remove.

Good luck

[dmdigital]

Are the lightforce 170's expensive in Australia and is it possible to let theme install in or near Sydney?

The lightforce are readily available. The 170's aren't that expensive. The only ones you need to wait on (pre order) are usually the 240 XGT and HID lights. TJM stores stock them. There is a new Genesis HID light out by Lightforce now too which is slightly smaller and (so I've been told) cheaper than the 240HID. Personally I don't like the mountings on the 170's (or 240 Blitz) lights and I've seen a number fail. Whilst not as good a light as the 240XGT/HID style casings the IPF900XS is a cheap alternative from ARB. Good well sealed casing and more than reasonable light output. I've got IPF900XS on one Defender and they have taken a lot of water and dust without problems. Just installed 240HID's on the other Defender and if you want light, they are the ones to get.

[wardy1]

The BFG's will be fine I'm sure. God I'm jealous as hell! Hope you let us all know when you begin your adventure and post some pics for us as you go. I know a lot of people who have travelled extensively without the CDL and have had no real problems. I had one fited but then, I tow a camper in the Vic high country etc and I find the car just does it easier.

[Narangga]

Thanks for the tips all of you.

Are the lightforce 170's expensive in Australia and is it possible to let theme install in or near Sydney?

What would be the costs to install a centre diff lock in Australia and what sort of CDL do you advice/prefer?

Hope to hear from you.

thanks allready

As Derek (dm_td5) says there are various options for the lights. I actually have 170's on mine for a couple of reasons. They cost me just on AUD$350 but that include freight to remote north Aust.

The CDL will be around AUD$800-1,000 or slightly more with fitting.

[ariddell]

Bit OT - but have you checked you'll be able to legally drive your own D2 over here as i'm presuming it's left hand drive?

Not sure what the rules are on a Carnet De Passage for temporary import, but registering a LHD vehicle in Australia can be a complete nightmare so you may want to be 100% sure before you organise the export of it.

[jvdk41]

Those tyres will be fine,2 spares will be adequate,unless you get real unlucky,in fact since having my BFG's,i have never changed one.......yet.

The most important thing on a long trip is to look over the vehicle every day or to,not just under the bonnet,but also crawl under and have a good look at everything.Also check for tightness of all suspension components regularly.
And always listen for any odd noises.

Also take a list of all the private LR repair specialists with you(not dealers),there is something on this site about making up a list ,but i cant find it at the moment.

As for the centre diff lock,i wouldnt worry too much about it.I didnt have one in my old one,didnt have any real trouble.As said get the front drive shaft sorted & you should be OK.

Take as many tools as possible,& as said travel as light as possible,if you only need the front 2 seats,take the others out,i always do this on long trips,they are easy enough to remove.

Good luck

thanks for the tips, i hope someone else can help with me get the list with LR repair specialists.

I always have all sorts off tools with me just to make sure.

Thanks again for the answers

Jeroen

[Bassifier]

You are not a fisherman are you Jeroen?
Rich.

[jvdk41]

As Derek (dm_td5) says there are various options for the lights. I actually have 170's on mine for a couple of reasons. They cost me just on AUD$350 but that include freight to remote north Aust.

The CDL will be around AUD$800-1,000 or slightly more with fitting.

Stuu thanks for you answer.
Do you know a good adress to let it install near Sydney?
350,- AUD is quit cheap compare to here, In holland they are 350,- Euro:mad:

[Jay]

Hi Jeron,

I agree with the ear;lier post regarding the logistics of bringing your own car. Australia in some areas can have a great deal of red tape. I personally can understand taking a reliable car you know with you on what sounds like a fantastic trip. However you may find it is just not worth it.

Land Rovers in Australia for some strange reason are quite cheep to buy depending on the model. There are a number or reputable Land Rover specialists around who sell good cars at a really fair price.

Knowing what I know now about moving country and driving long distances in that country I would buy a car here. Buy one mostly if not fully set up. It might be cheeper than you think. Unless it is you dream to take your own...... in which case do what you think is best.

Another thing is that Austalia is "Vast". Parts might be harder to get than you think. I would advise you check out some good travel stories on this site and keep asking questions.

Landrover clubs, sites, specialist (Try yellowpages.com.au, this is our phone book) Cross reference with clubmembers in the area.

None of my business really but I would hate to see you on the dock ready to go and you can't bring your car in. :eek:

But I am sure you guys will have a fantastic time. Get a Telstra 3G card for your laptop and stay connected to us on your travel. Make sure you send us some "Pics" we love those the most!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best of luck to you :) It is a fantasticlly beautiful country and well worth the effort!!!

[jvdk41]

Bit OT - but have you checked you'll be able to legally drive your own D2 over here as i'm presuming it's left hand drive?

Not sure what the rules are on a Carnet De Passage for temporary import, but registering a LHD vehicle in Australia can be a complete nightmare so you may want to be 100% sure before you organise the export of it.

Arridell it shouldn't be problem, but thanks for the suggestions.

Yes it is a LHD.

I've checked it and it's not a problem when you have the Carnet.
The only thing that is bit off a problem is the insurance, but that's going to be okay as well. I've got several adresses allready.

[jvdk41]

You are not a fisherman are you Jeroen?
Rich.

Yes i am, that's one of the first things i'm going to buy when i'm arriving in Australia. This year we caught two sharks and a cat fish at 80 mile beach:)
And that was very near to the beach.

In Europe i always fish on Carp.

[jvdk41]

Hi Jeron,

I agree with the ear;lier post regarding the logistics of bringing your own car. Australia in some areas can have a great deal of red tape. I personally can understand taking a reliable car you know with you on what sounds like a fantastic trip. However you may find it is just not worth it.

Land Rovers in Australia for some strange reason are quite cheep to buy depending on the model. There are a number or reputable Land Rover specialists around who sell good cars at a really fair price.

Knowing what I know now about moving country and driving long distances in that country I would buy a car here. Buy one mostly if not fully set up. It might be cheeper than you think. Unless it is you dream to take your own...... in which case do what you think is best.

Another thing is that Austalia is "Vast". Parts might be harder to get than you think. I would advise you check out some good travel stories on this site and keep asking questions.

Landrover clubs, sites, specialist (Try yellowpages.com.au, this is our phone book) Cross reference with clubmembers in the area.

None of my business really but I would hate to see you on the dock ready to go and you can't bring your car in. :eek:

But I am sure you guys will have a fantastic time. Get a Telstra 3G card for your laptop and stay connected to us on your travel. Make sure you send us some "Pics" we love those the most!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best of luck to you :) It is a fantasticlly beautiful country and well worth the effort!!!

He Jay,

I know it's bit hard to take my own car with me but i also think it's still quit hard to buy a descent 4wd in Australia that is why i'm still doubting.
But me first choice is still bringing my own D2. When you bring your own 4wd or car one off the hardest parts is that it has to be clean from the bottom till the top (like new) the other things are just paperwork.

Taking my car to Australia is going to cost me about 4000,- Euro.
Is it possible to buy a good 4wd for that money??????????

Is a Telstra 3G card going to work on a mac book as well do you think and is it expensive?

Off Course i'm gonna send some pics off my trip by that time,no worries:)

It really is a fantasticlly beautiful country that's for sure.
A lot and a lot better than Holland

Speak to later.

Jeroen

[ariddell]

Sounds like you've got it sussed, out of interest how much are they wanting you to lodge as the security deposit on the Carnet?

When i looked into it as a backup plan for getting my TVR in before i had the personal import approval fully in place they wanted me to lodge $60000 for the duration of the Carnet. Made it a bit less attractive a proposition.

For $7500 (roughly 4000Eur) you'd probably get a reasonably well set up early D1 but nothing like what you've got currently I wouldn't have thought. But then again the purchase price probably isn't the biggest thing to compare it to, you might be better considering the loss you'd take on buying something else for the duration of your trip and then selling it again at the end as a more important comparison.

I doubt you'd lose $7500 buying something ready set up over here and then selling it again a couple of months later if you chose carefully, but then you'd also have the trouble of selling it again with the used car market not being the best out here at the moment.

[jmkoffice]

Just a thought and it may have already been covered in this thread - if you decide to bring over your own vehicle to face Australian conditions, you may want to consider flashing your ECM with a local fuelling map, this assumes you have a flashable ECM.

Cheers

[jvdk41]

Hi Arridel,

I did a lot off research. And normally you have to pay about 1500,- euro but you can also get a bank guarantee via Germany and then you won't have to pay anything. Only the costs of the carnet off course and that's about 150,- euro

Selling it after a couple monts is going to be the biggest issue i think.

But do you know any good internet adress near Sydney to look for some 4wd's

Hope to hear from you and thanks again.

[jvdk41]

Just a thought and it may have already been covered in this thread - if you decide to bring over your own vehicle to face Australian conditions, you may want to consider flashing your ECM with a local fuelling map, this assumes you have a flashable ECM.

Cheers

Thanks for the suggestion,

By the ECM you mean the computer under the bonnet i suppose?
For different diesel types with more water or something like that i fitted a Delphi water filter like the following link.

VIS' Landrover supplies (http://www.vislandrovers.nl/modules.php?name=accessoires2)

And i'm not sure it can be flashed as well.

[ariddell]

Hi Arridel,

I did a lot off research. And normally you have to pay about 1500,- euro but you can also get a bank guarantee via Germany and then you won't have to pay anything. Only the costs of the carnet off course and that's about 150,- euro

Selling it after a couple monts is going to be the biggest issue i think.

But do you know any good internet adress near Sydney to look for some 4wd's

Hope to hear from you and thanks again.

Nice one, sounds like a much easier process than from the UK! :)

Main website to have a look at would be Used Cars - New Cars - Search New & Used Cars For Sale - carsales.com.au (http://www.carsales.com.au) - this will allow you to search based on location and for dealer/private sale vehicles. Worth a look to see what's out there but i think you've got it sown up with the Carnet to be honest and then you'll be driving a vehicle you know and trust for the trip rather than an unknown one you just bought.


Sure you'll get a few strange looks and interested comments driving a LHD truck on foreign plates around the country, not something you see often over here! :)

[Phil633]

I'm fairly certain the ECU on a 2000 model is not flashable, unless you have updated it.

Sounds like a great trip, hope you enjoy it and can't wait for the pics.

Did i read you had been to 80 mile beach. So you have been to Oz before?

[wardy1]

"In Europe i always fish on Carp."

hmmmmm..... over here if you catch one you can actually be FINED for putting it back!:nazilock:

Carp are a vermin fish here, easy to catch though...... please catch as many as you can and take them back to Holland:D

[jvdk41]

Thanks for the link for the used cars Arridel, now i have an idea off the prices in australia.
I hope people will help me when i'm in trouble when i'm driving around in my car?
But i think that shouldn't be a real problem.

[jvdk41]

I'm fairly certain the ECU on a 2000 model is not flashable, unless you have updated it.

Sounds like a great trip, hope you enjoy it and can't wait for the pics.

Did i read you had been to 80 mile beach. So you have been to Oz before?

My ECU isn't updated as far as i know, so it can't be flashed.

I have been at 80 mile beach this year, we have driven from Perth to Darwin with a rental 4wd with pop top roof.
We both loved it and it's a complete different world compare to holland.
One off the most spectaculer things i have seen was the bungle bungle area(purnulu) .
We also did a lot off offroad tracks on this holiday:)

It really was a fantastic trip

[jvdk41]

"In Europe i always fish on Carp."

hmmmmm..... over here if you catch one you can actually be FINED for putting it back!:nazilock:

Carp are a vermin fish here, easy to catch though...... please catch as many as you can and take them back to Holland:D

Maybe you can send them to my adress, but i'm not shure they will fit in a box.
Look at the sizes off it at:
Edens Lakes Photo Gallery - September 2005 (http://www.edenslakes.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=10&page=3)

I don't think so:D