Replace a Defender with what?

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Originally Posted by martnH

The specs are pretty good.

The engine is almost the same as the one in Colorado/trailblazer and Jeep wrangler 2.8 Lt diesel liscences by VM.

I guess what it reverent to OP is that LDV T60 is is ANCAP 5 star and cost less than $30k...

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But it does not appear to come in a full length hardtop! And approach, departure and ramp breakover angles are not comparable to a Defender.

At least it has adequate load carrying and towing ability. Couldn't see a fuel capacity.

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Originally Posted by solmanic

The G Professional is much more like a Defender. No molded floor coverings, only removable rubber mats and drainage bungs. It's a pity I couldn't drive it as I really wanted to test the cabin noise levels with no underbody sound deadening (again, much like a Defender). The engine noise in the cabin however was a lot less than I remember in my Defender. Yes, driving a Defender is much more engaging but I put most of that down to the fact that it is a manual and very leaky (both hydraulically and acoustically). Being inside the G350 is like being in a mobile bomb shelter with very little road noise and only some wind noise at highway speeds. If you wind the windows down off-road then the G gives you just as much outside sensory involvement with the benefit of an auto transmission. On road the G lets you do 1000km easily whilst the noise in the Defender causes much more fatigue.

I got my G350 for a bargain price and have unfortunately become quite accustomed to the comfy, luxury interior toys. It's going to have to be a really, really good deal from MB to get me out of it and into a professional but I also hold out hope that Land Rover might get the new Defender design right and be worth considering.

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My Puma Defender is not very noisy. It does actually have some noise insulation, and I added more.

From memory the OP said the guy goes cross country surveying for mining companies, who are now insisting their contractors use 5 star ANCAP rated vehicles.
Hopefully the next Defender will meet his requirements.

Beadell Tours : MRF Tyres - Bias & All Steel Radials
Some tyre options

I'm not sure of the logic of requiring ANCAP5 crash protection but insisting on a full cabin layout. Unless all cargo is well secured you will be killed by your equipment bouncing around the cabin in a crash big enough to use all 5 stars. This is perhaps why a separate cargo area is more common with these commercial vehicles?

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Originally Posted by cjc_td5

I'm not sure of the logic of requiring ANCAP5 crash protection but insisting on a full cabin layout. Unless all cargo is well secured you will be killed by your equipment bouncing around the cabin in a crash big enough to use all 5 stars. This is perhaps why a separate cargo area is more common with these commercial vehicles?

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Possibly. But why expect logic? They are requirements from to totally unrelated sources. The full length hardtop is required by the person doing the job, who needs to have the ability to have temporary cabling (depending on type of measurement) between equipment in the back and readouts visible from the driving position, as well as a lockable storage capable of accomodating large items. The ANCAAP requirement is a separate requirement by a small, but potentially valuable proportion of his clients. It is of dubious advantage during actual operation, where speed would rarely exceed 5kph, and is simply there to protect the client for on-road driving.

JD, what his competitions using (assuming he is not the only person offering this service).

I sure there is a work around the need for a Hardtop as there seems to be little demand for them.

As far as I am aware, the technology he supplies is unique, the only service doing this sort of geophysics as a continuous operation operated by one man. Obviously gives a real competitive advantage, but it is a niche market.

Every geophysics/data collection/down-hole survey etc... company I have ever used/seen use Troopies...

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Originally Posted by Shoogs

Every geophysics/data collection/down-hole survey etc... company I have ever used/seen use Troopies...

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Don't think troopies are ancap5, think its only the single cab chassis

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Originally Posted by Vern

Don't think troopies are ancap5, think its only the single cab chassis

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As RM I just sign them off as exempt, like many light vehicles for short term work on mines, the risk profile is low in most instances.