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Aubrey
Member Since: 10 Sep 2006
Location: Johannesburg
Posts: 76
  
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| Mods for D3 needed ...... |
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Just done 3600km with the D3 so noted a few things that needs attention
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1 - That LR spot lights are rubbish compared to the HID headlights. One,
they are too dim and two, they move on dirt roads. So I am looking at HID
lights and Lightforce comes to mind ....... but at 25G's a pair
(http://www.otrtrading.co.za/) not on. Any idea, suggestions on costs for
Cibie, IPF, KC Pods or Hella Rallye 4000's? Where? Contacts?
2 - 19 inch MTR's are not found outside GP. Having the second spare on the
roof takes a lot of space so a rear spare carrier jumps to mind and .......
I have heard that Big Country is now in Strydom Park ...any tel numbers?
3 - Long range tank ....... know Frontrunner makes one but it takes the
whole area of the current spare .... I need a 30-40l only ...anybody know of
one?
Kind regards
Aubrey
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 3rd Apr 2008 9:47 am |
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heine
Member Since: 07 Feb 2007
Location: Midrand
Posts: 4054
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Dude welcome back on the forum 
According to various sources Bruce of Big Country fame has ducked to OZ . But both FR and BRS do their spare wheel carrier.
IMHO you can never have enough beer, money or diesel - so go for the FR tank and get a set of 17 " rims for off road use - that way you don't need to carry 2 19's
Why do you need spots with the HID's already being so awesome - maybe rather get your eyes tested 
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| 3rd Apr 2008 11:37 am |
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Aubrey
Member Since: 10 Sep 2006
Location: Johannesburg
Posts: 76
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Hi Boet
Bruce has indeed ducked to Oz but Big Country was sold and now lives in Strydom Park, Randburg and their rear carrier is better looking than Aneglina. I know the FR one but I have seen it up close and it's flimsy ..... and it rattles.
Re spares and 17 inch ....total waste of money. You need two spares for a start and trust me ....try finding your favourite 17 inch AT in the Northern Cape or Namibia ...... been there, checked and was laughed at. My 19inch are now 50% done so when 25% left, will remove and keep all 4 as spares. Need that carrier.
On never enough diesel ...... man, it is an overland lie that fuel is always better if carried in excess and bulk.  For a start, you find fuel everwhere in Moz, Nam, SA, Bots, Swaz and Lesotho so 85 l at 9.7l/100k gives me a 800km range ...add the two Jerry cans on the roof and it's 1250km about. Fitting that 85l rear tank (15kg) plus add the fuel load of 82kg's makes over 97kg's behind the rear axle that does affect your suspension as Baben has confirmed. The shox cannot cope to damp that mass with all your RR and other stuff carried so beware of spoeg en plak solutions ....... a well engineerde solution is simple and elegant. It will work for desigend purpose with minimum bulk and weight ....... unlike some monstrosities that are bulky, butt ugly and may work but at what weight penalty?
Hi beam is bright but I need a 2 km pendil beam for those crazy wandering donkey's ....... you have been driving a Defender for 2 long. 8)
BTW, low profile winch mount stays ...... adding an ARB does not give me any advantage and I had the Defender drivers in tears where I went with the D3 
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| 3rd Apr 2008 1:12 pm |
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heine
Member Since: 07 Feb 2007
Location: Midrand
Posts: 4054
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Aubrey wrote:
BTW, low profile winch mount stays ...... adding an ARB does not give me any advantage and I had the Defender drivers in tears where I went with the D3
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| 3rd Apr 2008 1:16 pm |
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Aubrey
Member Since: 10 Sep 2006
Location: Johannesburg
Posts: 76
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Yeah, but wife nearly took my head off when she saw the Kalahari stripes .....spent the afternoon polishing but all came out ....except that soft plastic bits 
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| 3rd Apr 2008 1:26 pm |
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Baben
Member Since: 15 Feb 2006
Location: Kyalami
Posts: 2059
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HI Aubrey
Where you been hiding? 
Tyres have been an issue since day dot. I am always agonising over taking that 2nd spare wheel when we leave home. I suspect you would battle to buy anything that fits once outside SA. Not sure what the answer is. Every time I take 2 spares, I never use one of them  What would happen if I took none 
On the rear carrier - the FR one is a lot better than the one I have IMHO. Not sure if it rattles (mine doesn't, and it has been tested in Botswana) but it is a lot less wobbly. They are all a bit ugly and bloody inconvenient if you are opening the rear hatch frequently. My wife just can't operate the RWC, and this cost me a RRS 
Re: diesel I alomst agree with you, but - if you go to Southern Angola, and north western Namibia, depending on the route, you may need to do more than 1000km to get dependable diesel supplies. Granted there are some places in-between that sometimes stock diesel of questionable virtue, but as far as I know they are not 100% dependable. In sand and over rocks, you can battle to average 14l/100km, which means to be secure, you need 140l or 60l more than stock.
I absolutely hate carrying jerrycans on the roofrack. The damn brackets break (100% of the time in my case) and you end up squeezing a smelly jerrycan into the vehicle. Not to mention the hassle and dirt of filling the vehicle from a jerry.
So from that perspective, the long range tank is a winner, but in my opinion it would have been better if it was easily removeable, which would kind of negate the need for the carrier once you are in the city.
You are 100% right about the shocks not being able to handle the extra load. My vehicle officially handles like crap with the rear wheel carrier and long range tank. Now that I have the rear drawer system and fridge installed, its just plain dangerous. (the LR shocks were never designed for this extra bulk)
Thanks to Spyros the Greek, I have a set of purpurtedly awesome shocks being fitted next week, which will hopefully fix the problem once and for all. Its not a cheap fix though (think more than R25k TBH once we are done)
Dude, you need your lights adjusting or new specs, or maybe you just need to slow down - I had a set of IFP's that got smashed up when the D3 was crashed. I very quickly realised they are useless against the HID lights. I never drive at night in Africa anyway, unless its an emergency. I have seen too many squashed calves and donkeys and broken vehicles and half-dead people next to the road.
Kalahari stripes are painful, but at least they show others that you actually use the vehicle for its true purpose
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| 3rd Apr 2008 1:54 pm |
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Aubrey
Member Since: 10 Sep 2006
Location: Johannesburg
Posts: 76
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Hi Baben
Ja boet ....... adding that weight does make for serious dents in the piggy bank to fix. I'll wait till OME launches shox for the D3. 25 G does not make it worth while ..... then I buy a 4x4 trailer. Cannot recall any aotomitive negineering of note coming out of Greece so a bit hesitant ...warrantee isseus could be a  breaker.
I am not fortunate enough to spend frequent trips in N-Nam or Angola but I hope to  So once the mods starts, you start paying for keeping it sensible and restoring what the mods mess up.
I don't drive at night unless a crisis but I want the b@@dy HID's spots so you all beter stop trying to destroy this dream with fact 
BTW, the Tyredog works a charm. Rock straight through the tread on the MTR and caught at 1.8 bar... southern Nam last week. Tyre and rim saved with a R 85 repair on tyre. man, best R 1650 I spent in ages.
Cheers
Aubrey
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| 3rd Apr 2008 2:07 pm |
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Baben
Member Since: 15 Feb 2006
Location: Kyalami
Posts: 2059
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OK go get the HID spots then 
You want them, and thats all the justification you need!
Where si you buy the Tyredog? I NEED one. Is the 6-wheel option a reality yet?
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| 3rd Apr 2008 2:17 pm |
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Aubrey
Member Since: 10 Sep 2006
Location: Johannesburg
Posts: 76
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For Tyredog call Bud Morris on 073 255 2108
2 and 6 sender units now also launched ....but ..... I spoke to Heine and unless used on one trailer/vehcile combo, it makes sense to take a 4 and a 2 and just swop display for trailer.
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| 3rd Apr 2008 2:37 pm |
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heine
Member Since: 07 Feb 2007
Location: Midrand
Posts: 4054
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Aubrey wrote:Yeah, but wife nearly took my head off when she saw the Kalahari stripes .....spent the afternoon polishing but all came out ....except that soft plastic bits
You gotta get VPS
Also go for the FR tank and just don't fill it 
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| 4th Apr 2008 7:34 am |
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Aubrey
Member Since: 10 Sep 2006
Location: Johannesburg
Posts: 76
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heine wrote:You gotta get VPS
Also go for the FR tank and just don't fill it
Heine
Man, I know a fool and his money is soon parted but the VPS (How much BTW?) does not protect against rocks and real body damage so works for surface scratches only ......... every time I fit seat covers and baby the Landy and to my delight, the dealers always says "Whow, looks like new!" and give me std. trade in. So now I have decided to hell with babying and I use it .....note, not neglect or break....... use for intended purpose. When I trade it I'll pay to have it polished up
Fit a tank and not fill it ....question is why fit it then?
Cheers
Aubrey
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| 4th Apr 2008 8:09 am |
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heine
Member Since: 07 Feb 2007
Location: Midrand
Posts: 4054
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Uhhm because I seriously don't think you're going to find a 40 l tank. So get the FR one and only put 40 l in
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| 4th Apr 2008 11:27 am |
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Aubrey
Member Since: 10 Sep 2006
Location: Johannesburg
Posts: 76
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Boet
Some people wait for things to happen and some make things happen ... I wait for nobody. I'll get my tank even if it takes a year. Somebody there will be willing to take a stab. There is no way on God's green earth that I pay for a 85l tank, loose my spare and just fill to 40l whilts the handling is more akin to a swaying drunk sailor on shore leave aftre an extended Artic trip  requiring a Greek mod to my shox at many greenbacks.
Aubrey
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| 4th Apr 2008 2:32 pm |
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Getafix
Member Since: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 229
 
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Hi Guys
Sure this has been processed, but in Aus, we have the option of having a carrier on the back (won't mention the brand as i am not sure I am allowed to) which carries a swingaway spare and a swingaway jerry can. These are removable for around town.
This way, around town you have normal handling, and when you head out, you have 2 spares and a 20 litre jerry, and for the "just in case" bung a couple more jerry's on the roof, and you may never need to worry with them. If you do, leave the jerry's on the roof, and syphon down.
Anyway, sorry for intruding into your conversation, just thought I would let you know what is available here. If you already knew, just ignore.
Matthew <*(((<<
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| 5th Apr 2008 12:15 am |
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Aubrey
Member Since: 10 Sep 2006
Location: Johannesburg
Posts: 76
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Thanx Matthew
Looks like I'll add a spare carrier and just carry required Jerry cans. Dec plans are Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi coming back via Mozambique but noticing a palace revolt in the making. Kids and wife ganged up and it now sounds like Thailand In which case I guess it can wait
If I knew how much power my family would wield, I would have considered cotnracts to limit their powers at birth.
Thanx for your input.
Regards
Aubrey
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| 5th Apr 2008 5:40 am |
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