Suitability of Perentie for Daily Driver?

What is a daily driver??

I was happy with a crappy D1, with windows that didn't work, heating that cooked you in summer but froze you in winter, noisy and primitive, because it got me there, pretty much wherever that may be. The late and much missed Jan preferred the Fairmont Ghia, which was WARM, and cool not so much ( her preferred temp was 26 ) and didn't care for dirt roads. So, DD has different connotations. Jan liked the D2, 'cos it had climate control. I liked it because it could go off road if needed. She didn't want to, but she'd let me... She wouldn't get in the D1. no matter what.

You need to define DD for both of you, or you will either a; own lots of cars, or b; spend lots of time alone..... [bighmmm]

I don't recommend the latter.

I can give a personal perspective from currently owning a range of vehicles you are considering, L322 tdv8 2008, 1998 D1 300tdi & Perentie wagon turboed with lots of sound proofing.

Which is the best for long drives depends on preference and what features you rate highest.

I would not have a perentie unless it was a hard top, turboed, and had power steer. 10 years ago it was my daily driver, but not now. It hardly gets used.

I bought the D1 as a project for my son and it’s a much more practical all rounder but a little underpowered.

The L322 is fantastic as a long range tourer but is very complex like any other vehicle that age, especially compared to the other two.

Ultimately I would get in the D1 or L322 for most daily drives over the 110. I still have an attachment to the Perentie wagons and am about to do another body conversion/restoration, including with a rebuild gearbox I bought off Bearman about 10 years ago. A long term project. [emoji16]

I would double check legal towing ratings of the perentie.....
Other owners may comment here.
If there’s two of you and a dog and you need to tow heavy items and carry heavy items a 110 or 130 Ute/dc Ute might be more appropriate.
No passenger vehicle tows more than 750kg unbraked period.
I believe perenties aren’t even close to 3.5t braked.......

The 4x4 perenties are 1200kg towing capacity and that is only because that is all the ADF needed them to tow. The modified rear end is a lot stronger than a civvy 110 or County that can legally tow 3500kg braked. But to legally tow higher weights you need to buy a rated towbar which some mobs are now making (at a ridicously high price I may add)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Hello All,

I am interested about whether anyone has a Perentie as their main car? As in the vehicle you drive on a daily basis for around town and the only vehicle when you have to take a long interstate trip?

My wife and I are empty-nesters so there is just the two of us; oh and a dog.

My wife has a Toyota Corolla for her runabout. I have always had cars like a Commodore wagon for the long interstate trips and family excursions. You know the type of car you can confidently grab the keys knowing that you could travel interstate at at short notice. My car has been the one that fills the "family" car role.

Apart from the military aspect of the Perentie I also appreciate its Isuzu 4BD1 motor and its towing capacity. However, for the same money as a Perentie I could get a very decent and more comfortable Discovery. Of course they do not have the same motor though.

There is this common sense side of my brain; "get a Discovery". Then there is the "oh but it is a Perentie with a big Isuzu motor that will take you anywhere... "Oh Perentie errr." in a similar style to Homer Simpson's "umm ... doughnuts...". So I am in a bit of a quandary.

Having feedback from someone who a Perentie as their main flagship vehicle would be greatly appreciated.


Kind regards
Lionel

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Hi,
My Perentie FFR is my daily driver and has been for at least 4 plus years now. I have a modified it with a (push button) rooftop tent, a 50 litre water tank with pump and external tap, a 120 litre twin cavity fridge freezer, a 2000 watt inverter running off the installed additional 4 x 12 volt batteries running 24 volts to a 240 volt microwave. I carry a portable 12 volt hot shower with gas bottle and have fitted a 24volt winch to the front. There is a full width curved 24 volt Led light bar on the front bar. I have an annex side tent that fits on a slider on the roof rack. I have just come back to west of Adelaide from Melbourne towing a car trailer with a Jeep Grand Cherokee on the back (needed some parts for a project.) I travelled at 100km/hr plus for most of the trip. I have also travelled throughout South Australia, been to Thredbo with a caravan for skiing, crisscrossed the Northern territory and Victoria, sometimes with a small caravan on the back. Yes the car is noisy, takes a bit of getting used to but it is very simple and reliable. There is no power steering or air conditioning. However, it stays a lot cooler than a standard metal top especially with the tent on top. It pays to seal the canvas once a year with canvas sealer. There is absolutely no computers in it which is scary in later cars. I can fully service it myself without any jacking up. It is good for 750,000 kms if looked after. It is high enough as standard to easily fit underneath for oil changes etc. It resists rusting. You can buy a radio unit with earphones if that is what you need. However, I live on dirt roads in the country and not in a city. It is only a 2 seater but I find the seats very comfortable for l;ong trips. If you live in a city and will not be traveling most of the time, forget about it as it is definitely not a city car. However, if you want a car that is very reliable, stands out in a crowd, be able to service it yourself and if you have a partner who does not mind a a few rattles and is happy to open the front air vents when she wants air conditioning, then it is a far more reliable choice than an equivalent costing alternative. Just my biased thoughts. Cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cavemantoyboy

Hi,
My Perentie FFR is my daily driver and has been for at least 4 plus years now. I have a modified it with a (push button) rooftop tent, a 50 litre water tank with pump and external tap, a 120 litre twin cavity fridge freezer, a 2000 watt inverter running off the installed additional 4 x 12 volt batteries running 24 volts to a 240 volt microwave. I carry a portable 12 volt hot shower with gas bottle and have fitted a 24volt winch to the front. There is a full width curved 24 volt Led light bar on the front bar. I have an annex side tent that fits on a slider on the roof rack. I have just come back to west of Adelaide from Melbourne towing a car trailer with a Jeep Grand Cherokee on the back (needed some parts for a project.) I travelled at 100km/hr plus for most of the trip. I have also travelled throughout South Australia, been to Thredbo with a caravan for skiing, crisscrossed the Northern territory and Victoria, sometimes with a small caravan on the back. Yes the car is noisy, takes a bit of getting used to but it is very simple and reliable. There is no power steering or air conditioning. However, it stays a lot cooler than a standard metal top especially with the tent on top. It pays to seal the canvas once a year with canvas sealer. There is absolutely no computers in it which is scary in later cars. I can fully service it myself without any jacking up. It is good for 750,000 kms if looked after. It is high enough as standard to easily fit underneath for oil changes etc. It resists rusting. You can buy a radio unit with earphones if that is what you need. However, I live on dirt roads in the country and not in a city. It is only a 2 seater but I find the seats very comfortable for l;ong trips. If you live in a city and will not be traveling most of the time, forget about it as it is definitely not a city car. However, if you want a car that is very reliable, stands out in a crowd, be able to service it yourself and if you have a partner who does not mind a a few rattles and is happy to open the front air vents when she wants air conditioning, then it is a far more reliable choice than an equivalent costing alternative. Just my biased thoughts. Cheers

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Hi Lionel,

I totally agree with this testimonial above from Cavemantoboy.

I too own a Perentie RFSV and have done for the last 5 years. I love the vehicle and it is my daily driver.

Before purchasing the Perentie, my daily drive was a Stage One Series III Truck Cab. I drove this vehicle for 20 years and was happy it. I still own the Stage One. So as you can appreciate I do love Landrovers

I have always admired the Perenties since first seeing them driven by Les Hiddens on the Bush Tucker Man. When I heard the army was disposing of their Perenties I signed up to Frontline Machinery and was a regular at the inspection days in WA until I finally found the RFSV that I ended up buying.

I am very happy with my RFSV and it suits my lifestyle and use as a daily drive. I have put over 120 000kms on the vehicle since owning it and have found it very reliable and comfortable. They are noisy and slow but it doesn't bother me. I have not had a speeding fine since owning it (touch wood) and I pretty much maintain the vehicle myself.

The 4BD is an awesome motor despite what has been said in earlier posts. I love the fact that they have no electronics and the simplicity of the way they are put together. This was also one of the main considerations for buying a Perentie. The RFSV also has disk brakes on all wheels and power steering as part of their specifications which was another reason for purchasing this variant.

If you are tossing up between a Discovery and a Perentie then I think you should buy the Disco. They are very different animals and I think from what wrote in your initial thread asking the opinion of the forum it sounds like you should go for the Disco.

Best of luck in what ever you decide to do.

Regards Warrick.

I have a Perentie survey as my daily driver, 100% standard although next week ill be fitting some 255/85r16 tyres. I love driving it, I drive 35km each way to work and am often away in the weekends doing a 5hr trip each way.

My evaluation as a 24 y/o who only owns one vehicle: 1988 Perentie GS (Daily commute time - ~1 hour each way)

Top of my priority list when I first got the vehicle: hardtop conversion! This cost me approx $3,500 incl. seals and A LOT of patience sourcing parts. Was it a necessity? I would say the hardtop is a fantastic investment for peace of mind & security as I no longer worry about parking with valuables in the car. It is also a point of pride on my vehicle and I can point to it and show others what I've achieved.

As for power-steering? I was 'lucky' that my truck came with a power steering conversion; lucky in the sense that I was not fussed either way, but the next owner (if that sad day comes) may decide it adds value to the sale-tag. Power steering is a luxury (and another point of failure in the system should it decide to pack-it-in). Remember, a few decades ago no-one had A/C or power steering or radios and they enjoyed vehicles just as much as we do. On this point, you will learn how to regulate your own temperature and the joys of evaporative cooling. In summer, I would wear a bandana around my forehead soaked with cool water. I will eventually look into adding some form of A/C into the truck (I've even designed a few cool-suits) however again, not a necessity. At the other end of the spectrum, I'm currently in the market for some driving gloves as my hands freeze when I leave the house at 6am.

I have also fitted with auxiliary battery, fridge, & bed. The reason I mention this is, as others have mentioned, these trucks are designed to carry weight. I used to bounce around a lot before adding all this in the tray and bolting it in. Now the ride is more docile and the vehicle feels better planted on & off the road.

You also cannot be afraid of servicing these trucks yourself. I spin a tool on mine at least once a week (for example, yesterday I replaced the combination switch so I didn't have to flash my hi-beam to get my low beam to come on). It's a learning experience, but the best part is these vehicles are basic: designed to be repaired in the middle of nowhere with basic hand tools. I would recommend for the first month or two of ownership have an overlap of vehicles. I bought and began driving my Perentie while I was still selling my last car. This gave me a safety net in case something happened while I was sorting the truck out (new oil & filters all around, etc.).

Penultimately, you may have picked up on my excessive use of the word "truck". These vehicles are trucks, they are industrial vehicles, they are rugged vehicles, they are (for want of a better term) rough vehicles. If you like playing the "man's man" and feeling a little tough (let's be honest, the thought creeps in for all of us from time to time) then this is the truck for you.

Lightning Round:
Will there be little challenges along the way? Yes. See these as a learning point. If you want a vehicle you can ignore and just drive from A to B for the next few years, get a Corolla.
Is it a reliable vehicle? Yes. Again, take care of it. Oil & filter changes as required.
Are they hard to drive? What's hard? Harder than a RAV4? Yes. Harder than a prime-mover? No. Somewhere in-between. (Note: Be gentle with your gearbox, those synchros are getting tired)
Will people stare at you? From time to time. (I love it when kids wave and get excited. Now I mention it, I've seen grown men and women get excited too!)
Can you fit into normal carparks? No. Mine's sitting at a 2.2m limit. Anything less I wouldn't be game to try. Google Maps helps to find open-air carparks.
Do I regret it? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

I would consider on for a DD - have driven 100's of KM in a day in them and they are easy to drive in general - as other have mentioned, there are draw backs, just a matter of what you want from your DD.

I don't find them particularly difficult to drive without power steering - they are way easier than a 101 for example but if your plans included shopping and parking at the local Woolies on a regular basis, then it may become a bit tiring - but this is an easy fix and there are plenty for sale at the moment with this already done - personally I wouldn't bother with how I use a vehicle.

My biggest issue to having one as a DD would be AC - I am a bit of a sook when it comes to heat so I'd work on this in favour of PS personally but depends where this lands on your list.

Security could be an issue as mentioned, but again, for me the soft top wouldn't worry me or what I do.

They drive fine up to the speed limit and I don't find them uncomfortable at all - in face a far better ride IMO than my Hilux if it's empty, so that side of things isn't a worry either. Would I hop in one and drive it 1000KM interstate as needed - yep, no dramas.

If you don't mind unrefined and noisy, they would make a good DD no dramas - if you're looking for creature comforts, then look elsewhere.