Driving a Perentie.

[landy]

Well, today I drove my first Perentie in almost two years of driving G-Wagons. Now first off I should say I own a Defender (Td5) I've driven Perenties for 15 years, 4x4s and 6bies and I drove Series 3s and early 110s in the British army.

But bugger me, today it was ****** horrible. Why, why, why would anyone want one. And tell you how good they are!!! It rattled, it bumped, it growned. Admittedly it wasn't the best example but it was horrible..

Discuss!

[Ashleylipus]

Ok so you listed all the good things. What about the bad?

[landy]

Ok so you listed all the good things. What about the bad?

Hahahaha. I've got nothing. Well done. They are horrible but you can't but love them can you.

[rangieman]

Hahahaha. I've got nothing. Well done. They are horrible but you can't but love them can you.

It`s no different to a series

[Paultan]

Nothing that a set of ear plugs can't cure !!

[MVFrancis]

Because you feel alive! You have no choice but to take in your surroundings to the point most people would call uncomfortable, at times you have to wrestle it and even the simplest trips feel like an adventure. Nothing makes you appreciate a nice campsite like 2 hours of corrugations in a perentie to get there.

I swapped my mate for a few hours on my last trip with his gq patrol. Similar set up, non turbo 4.2 diesel. Both did everything asked of them, but i just felt empty and unsatisfied in the patrol.

I stagger out of the perentie at the end of a long day deaf and shaken to bits, but theres always a big stuid grin and a sense of achievement to go with it!

[DazzaTD5]

When customers see an ex-army Land Rover 110 in my workshop the first thing they say is "ohhh whats it like?" (and said with such excitement).

I say..... Have you ever been on or driven a 1950 massey ferguson tractor?....
Its a tractor with a fancy body.

to some up (only the 3.9lt Isuzu powered models).
*grossly overpriced for what they are.
*You are better off getting a civilian Defender and fixing that up.
*noisy rattly slow.
*most dont have power steering as standard.

*huge amounts of torque.
*Extremely reliable engine.
*pretty well bullet proof (no not literally, there is no armour)
*Hose out the inside/outside whatever

*Realistically its a perfect remote travel vehicle, no electronics, no computer, in fact doesnt even need a battery, once running, just like the same engine in generators I used to work on, if the battery dies, simply disconnect the linkage from the external fuel solenoid to the mechanical shut off on the injector pump and jump start.

While I find the Merc G wagon a great vehicle and the 6x6 version awesome and both are really really good specs. Realistically what a ridiculous vehicle for Military use, might as well use a Discovery 4 or a Range Rover for all the use it is.

Regards
Daz

[JCR]

I love mine, I take it for what it is and don't pretend it's something that it isn't.

With the low floor compared to a tray back, I can go without a trailer for taking my dirtbike camping or taking another bike to the race track. It's great to drive with the sides up / roof off.

It's NOT a substitute for a disco or anything else, but there's few LWB topless 4x4 out in the market.

[PAT303]

The biggest trouble is the fatigue behind the wheel,I can drive my Tdi/TDCi for 12hrs no problem,do that in a Perentie and your done. Pat

[carlschmid2002]

I have driven an Army 110 from Townsville to Darwin and Cape York. I have also clocked up probably 100000kms in BJ 40 Land Cruisers travelling around this country. Now I have a D3 nothing feels comfortable except a D4. We get old and soft. I grew up in FNQ and I don't think I ever travelled in a air conditioned car except a taxi until I was 30. I have test driven a few dual cab utes and except for the coil sprung Navara I was horrified. I would rather drive my D3 than the F6 Typhoon. (Well not all the time, that much power is a little addictive) Nowadays I do a trip and wind up the windows and put on the aircon and listen to music. It is rather serene, but I can't help but feel we have lost something.