Reply With QuoteI remember reading that you still need to account 68kg per seat (occupied of not) and 14kg for luggage.Originally Posted by TB
Do you tow anything regularly?
Master
Had the vehicle a year now, so a few things to report..
Done just shy of 19,000 KM's and it has been solid, cruises nicely and for a large HP engine it has been reasonably frugal,
averaging about 12.6L/100 over the first year. On some trips the economy is at about 10.1-10.6L, on short trips its way
up there in the high teens.
A few niggles, the off side passenger door rear quarter light had to be replaced, original had seals that were manufactured
slightly to thick, and there is an infernal squeaking that requires the seals on the doors to be treated with lubricant to tone
down the noise. The textile elements of the seats go grey with dirt and dust very quickly, a known problem on early models
but remedied in 21 and 22 models.. LR as usual are sat on their harris and will only recommend a clean, apparently all down
to a fire retardant that sucks up dust.
On the weights side, the 7 seater is more forgiving, and as i am due to pick up my off road biased caravan i went to a certified
Qld Govt weigh bridge to make sure i would be in limit. The vehicle with all the options and accessories (e-diff, tow pack, RAI,
side steps, ladder, expedition rack, front protection plate, rear recovery eyes), the wife, myself, full tank of petrol and 20KG of
tools in the back came in at 2.78T, GVM allowed on the 5+2 is 3.25T. Rear axle loading came in at 1.42T vs permissible loading
of 1.9T. This should give me enough for the Tow ball weight, targeting in the range of 260-280 max.
Servicing, i have ignored LR's schedule service (34K/2 years) and stuck to my own, oil and filters change at 12.5K and its
annual is due in about 3 weeks.. so around 20K for next oil and filters change.. there are to many horror stories of oil dilution
and failed SD4 engines for me to "respect" LR's recommendations.
Overall i would say it has been a pleasure to own and drive, 40 years driving land rovers, 10 in the Army so company cars,
and owned for 30 years a number of models, such as the classic RR, Disco's, RRS's (of which the wife still has), and this so
far has been my favourite. Quite a few people come up and want to chat about the vehicle, even Toyo and Nissan fans, overall
comments have been quite positive.
One further comment, on road the wifes 10 year old RRS seems that little bit more comfortable and dynamic from road holding,
whereas off road the Defender feels far more at home and at ease. Our RRS has done the OTT and many other off road areas and
is a beast and handles it well, the Defender just feels a bit more relaxed and capable off the bitumen.
P.S. The real PITA is that the smallest wheels are 19' on the P400 and the Goodyears are pretty soft from a side wall perspective,
so forking out a shed full of cash to undertake the Tuff Ant conversion to 18" which is ADR certified and will allow me to fit LT
based Falken Wildpeak's, so when we do our lap/tour of Oz early next year, i have far more confidence in the tyres that are
fitted.
Cheers all and stay safe
Jim
I remember reading that you still need to account 68kg per seat (occupied of not) and 14kg for luggage.
Do you tow anything regularly?
Master
No, and I was hoping to avoid it. But now I'm contemplating a Stockman Pod Trailer. Mostly it'll just be me in the car for the bigger trips but it's still tight especially when taking into account extra fuel, water, 2nd spare, recovery gear etc.
OldBushie
Its tight on pretty much any vehicle once people are honest about it.
you still run around the 500kg mark which is clos to the norm for many 4wds.. with a bar on the nose etc.
Rightly or wrongly - You'd be very lucky to find a 4wd on a trip that isnt well above GVM.
As for GVM upgrade - find an appropriate engineer, have a chat. If there is no mechanical difference at all between 5 and 7 seat models it should be reasonably easy to recertify.
Member
how have you found the bull bar/winch combo? Easy to use ?
Master
Um, I'm not sure that I've actually "used" the bar, unless you count attaching my UHF antenna to it. And if it's attachments you're asking about I can tell you it's a complete PITA because it sits so close to the body shape. There's a gap of a few mm right where the front corner of the bonnet is that allowed me to put a Stedi light bar clamp that has worked out for my antenna.
The winch I have used. Quarter turn quick release screws to remove the license plate are simple but fiddly and you don't want to drop them in the mud. I've never had a winch before so I can't compare it to anything, but it it has done the job asked of it a couple of times. Couple of areas of potential improvement with the winch remote though:
First, the stupid thing has no physical off switch. It is permanently using power looking for wireless connections and flattens itself in under 2 weeks. If you want to be ready to winch in an emergency, keep your remote charging at all times. Mine lives behind the Pivi screen with a little USB cable attached to it.
Second, the remote once lost its pairing with the winch and it was an adventure trying to figure it out in the bush. It's possible there's a simpler way than this but I had to remove the little mesh grille and reach my (skinny, long-fingered) hand around the back of the winch controller to toggle the remote module off and on again.
Swaggie
I think you will find being monocoque is the issue.
OldBushie
Yes, however the 5&7 seaters would likely be the same mono.
If they are a GVM increase should still be feasible.
Swaggie
I agree 100%,shouldnt be an issue.
It will also be interesting to see the weight ratings of the 130 when it turns up.
In Qld,no GVM increase is allowed on a vehicle with a monocoque design.The Paj owners have been complaining about this for years.
I dont know if its the same in other states.
Master
SubscriberIf you haven't come across them yet, Powerfuluk have a solution to the poor reverse lights (several versions actually - click link) ==> You are being redirected...
There is also a very good YouTube vid to show you how to do the install (or have someone do it for you) - Land Rover Defender L663 Reverse light upgrade v2 - New Plinth + Dual Light Function ! - YouTube
I have only come across these guys in the past six months while looking for accessories that I may need when (and if) my Defender ever arrives! The main man, Simon Jefferson is a bit quirky but thoroughly entertaining and I think actually a competent engineer. He makes plenty of mistakes, but acknowledges and corrects them and shows how to avoid these.
They have developed a plethora of accessories for the new Defender. Worth a look thru their website and also at their YouTube clips.
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