Long range tanks & fridge

[Defender Mike]

I spent the weekend at Jaybo's place fitting my dual long range tanks ( thanks John for the much apreciated help). yesterday i put 130 litres into the 90 and i already had over a 1/4 of a tank in the main. It filled effortlessly with no blow back. I went for the single filler option same as John as i didnt want to cut holes in the body. This has worked very well and is even better than a standard landcruiser dual divided filler. It is a reasonably difficult job to fit the tanks and i was fortunate to have the John around who had found all the pitfalls previously. Today I fitted the fridge, a Trailblazer 60 litre a rather large unit with 75 mm insultion but the best there is for up North in 40 deg plus heat. The dual battery set up is removable as i like to be able to take it out and run the fridge of the solar panels if camped in the same place for a while. I used a Blue Sea system automatic charging relay under the seat beside the battery with a remote LED so i can keep an eye on the charging. The fridge shuts down at 10.5 volts and the relay will still recognise there is a second battery at 9.8 volts so it should not discharge below a chargable level.Switches for the pumps are genuine landrover and fit in the dash looking very neat.I will fit a full custom drawer system eventualy with a proper bracket for the battery box. I modified the feather light roof top tent a bit and raised it up 30 mm on the front runner roof rack this gives good access to the zipper for the cover which was previously difficult to get at. I used a 50 x 30 mm aluminium box section. Vision LED spot lights from JPL diesel services are amazing with 18 led's apiece and around 5000 looms each they lightb the road for 50 m wide and 500m ahead. great for spotting wildlife and cattle hovering around the edge of the road. We crossed the Nullabour at night using these when towing home the series 1 from Victoria and although there were plenty of roos we could see them from a long way off. A winch is comming soon i dont want to spend 3 grand on a warn and the information on the web is very confusing as to which winch is better. I am seriously thinking about the new iornman with dynema rope as it has a 3 year warranty . It will get used as I am going back to Bachsten camp and Wallcotte inslet again this year after the wet. I dont want to have to get a chopper out this year so will beleaving the KTM at home. It will be nice to be able to relax and have a cold refreshing drinkl at night. Mike

[Defender Mike]

IMG_0910.jpg

IMG_0912.jpgTank pics

[Loubrey]

Mike struggling a bit with opening those pictures of yours. I'm still looking at the fuel options myself and a couple questions if you don't mind.

Did you go for the Front Runner 35 and 45?

Did you get the filler branch from Mulgo?

Thanks,

Lou

[Defender Mike]

I got the tanks and the filler all from Daniel at Mulgo. The tanks are front runner. I just spent the last 3 days down South WA testing it all out very impressed . The left side 45 liltre empties completely if you park up uphill for a few minutes and fills an almost empty main to 3/4 full.The right side gives 1/2 a main tank from same almost empty. I have done 900 ks in 3 days 500 highway at 110/120 kph. and 400 off road sand with some heavy going in low range.I still have over a 1/4 tank left around another 100 ks so with heavy use I can get 1000ks range. a light foot will get 1200 i reckon but hard work in sand might drop to 800.
Attachment 55746

I climbed Caliicup Hill with around 120 litres of fuel plus a full load of camping gear and passenger. It took me 4 attempts and finaly when I thought i was going to have to walk out, i tried a hill start from stall position in 1st low range and it started to move up hill at around 2m a minute for 50 m to the top. I could not believe it, Traction control was going off, revs at 1500 rpm in soft dry sand and it just kept climbing., I have a video if I can load it up later. Both my brother and i were so imressed with the little landy after that. We didnt get stuck at all the wole trip.I stayed in the huts at Gardner River and Fish Creek fantastic place see the pic of Fish creek hut.
Mike

[JayBoRover]

That's interesting about the traction control in the deep sand on steep hill ascent. So low rev's and slow and easy does it was better than a hard charge - if a little slower but certainly safer? Excellent.

I note you referred to the drivers side tank as 45 litres. Both tanks are actually 40 litres with an additional 2 litres to be found in the 40mm filler hose. So your fuel range might be slightly better than you calculated if you based it on consumption of 45 litres.

I'll try and get around to posting the pictures I took of the installation work here later. Unfortunately I didn't take many photo's on the second day and don't have photo's of the finished product, although I guess I could improvise with photo's of my truck, seeing as it's the same below the paint colour.

Cheers
John B

[Defender Mike]

That's interesting about the traction control in the deep sand on steep hill ascent. So low rev's and slow and easy does it was better than a hard charge - if a little slower but certainly safer? Excellent.



Cheers
John B

Yes this blew me away , the video i texted to you shows the hard charge up the hill but the last 50 m was very steep and she just ran out of puff in 2nd low range. After the 4th attempt Pat suggested i just try and take off in low low from were i was stuck. He gave a little push and off she went. I have never had another vehicle that would do this it just plodded away up and over the top. When I emtied the left tank I stopped and parked faceing up hill and pumped until the noise let me know it was empty the second tank i emptied on the go while driving back from Manjinup so was burning fuel while transfering. Had great trip wish i could have stayed longer. if I was with another vehicle i would have tried to cross the Gardner river ,it was just a bit deep to try by myself without a winch. see attached