D3 in Tassie \ NSW

[djhampson]

I've just come back from a 3 week trip from Brisbane to Melbourne, all the way around Tassie and back to Brisbane with a small side track in NSW.

We did the Balfour Track in NW Tassie which featured a really deep long water crossing. My D3 was fitted with a snorkel and a car bra for the crossing and made it thru with no worries. Once in the water I didn't lift my foot at all hence this video features a lot of rev limiter! NB: you may want to turn the volume down if you don't like the sound of a v6 bouncing off its rev limiter. It makes me cringe but at the time I was so scared about stopping in 1m of water that there was no way I was lifting my foot - so much it took me awhile to realise I'd made it thru and could lift off!

Balfour Track TAS, Australia - Land Rover D3 - YouTube

The cabin stayed dry compared to the Defenders with me that both filled up! Thats also why the D3 floated so much. I don't think I'd do the track again but its nice to know that the car is capable of crossing deep water.

One of the many other water crossings on the Balfour.


We also did the Climies track which involved a little bit of track building to get the D3 over some of the rockier sections.


The dunes at Bridport.


NSW


All in all the car was well behaved and got back 99% in the same condition it left.

My fan has seized on - the Viscous coupling seems to have failed so the fan is always spinning. Going to check for a wiring failure first and replacing the fan if that doesn't turn out to be the problem. At the moment the car runs fine, stays cool but is just a bit noisy as the fan continues to accelerate with engine revs instead of easing off.

I also staked a tyre on the Balfour track but thats probably due to the crappy sidewalls on the Cooper STs. I also ruined another one on the way home by rubbing it up against a rock and scratching the sidewall which looks to only be a few mms thick! I expected better and after doing 3 tyres so far I will be ditching these and buying a set of KM2s next.

A more comprehensive trip report from Psimpson is here - Tassie trip Sept/Oct 2012 (with a bit of qld, nsw and vic thrown in)

[Piddler]

Great Video,
its a great water hole solid bottom. Living in the area I have done it a few times in Hiluxes early crusiers etc but with vehicles so electronic now days I would hesitate in anything electronic its long and deep. Pity you guys didnt go further down the coast to Sandy Cape you would have loved that if you thought Bridport was good the Cape is much better. Congrats for doing Climes that's pretty rough we have a shack at the Pieman Heads and go up the coast at Granville instead of down that's a great trip when you are in the area again.

Cheers
Piddler

[sniegy]

Nice write up & Vid,
Must admit the vehicle looks funny with the BMW rims, just not used to seeing them tho' thats all

Cheers

[djhampson]

Must admit the vehicle looks funny with the BMW rims, just not used to seeing them tho' thats all

You probably can't see but I've covered up the BMW logo now with some cheap LR logo stickers from fleabay. I've come to like the look of them. But I agree they don't look like your normal offroad wheels.

[AGRO]

Great to see use of these vehicles in the real world.

Awesome - though you are much more game than I in water.

I baulked at several water crossings earlier in the year in the Vic High Country.