tweetyduck

Me either. I was thinking of the 300 really. He's not called me back so i might just go elsewhere. Still can't decide if a 110 will do me long term...130's are hard to find.

Its always a lottery. I've just posted a couple of 130 box bodies in another thread. Wondering what everyone thought. If i (they) change the chassis,, at least i shouldn't break that.......although i bet you can if your a complete numptie.I'm already planning the education sessions on the LR. I think i should at least know how it works if not how to fix it. I'm going for how it works first. How to fix it will hopefull follow on. If i change a load of parts that don't need changing at least i'll know how. Might be money 50% well spent. The wife will not agree. I have mentioned i did three weeks in Australia the other year haven't I....so i'm not all green...just mostly completely.

130 Link one 130 Link two What do you guys think? Those that have been following my threads know what i'm planning to do short term (roof tent) and long term (Azalai body) plus all other prep works. Do you think one of these would sort me out for a few trips?

all good advice. I do intend on getting as much experience as i can and will also follow the rule (now called "Mikes Rule") if its just been replaced its less likely to need replacing. This is all over a year away so i will be doing some work myself and likely whatever i get put on the LR will be taken off by me and then put back on even (if its theoretically, what if i had to?) there's been discussions in the household about getting a 130 300 station waggon and a roof tent initially (forgetting the Azalai for now). Getting it full prep'd but only going east as far as Russia on the third shakedown. The shakedowns before that are UK (1 week) and Europe (3 week ish). Once i'm happy we know what we are doing planning the longer one. I'm about to ask...110 or 130...(the 130 is better for the Azalai if we ever decide). Thanks for all the help guys...at least we're back on track.

two posts with i suppose the same answer. Combine overland prep company and pile of bits....(PM'd you my location) with the SVA once its MOT'd first time is it all normal after that or is it a pain in the arris?

I'm doing nothng but reading.... Rest assured i'm not doing this lightly. I might just take a mechanic. I could abduct someone from a show. I really need some training to go with the LR. A lot of things to do. Too many.

Thanks both (three actually). Really good stuff. I still intend to make sure whoever i get the insurance off knows exactly what i'm doing, why, how and where. In writing with proof they accept that i will have no MOT but will have valid road tax. Lets make this clear. Everyone will know what i'm doing. No lies will be told. If the law allows me to get my Tax disk with a MOT with only days left to run (from abroad) and on insurance that will continue to cover me when the MOT runs out then as hobson says all my grey areas will be covered....subject to another 50 hours of research of course! If i can find insurance to cover me that allows for no MOT. If the border crossings never ask for an MOT (indications are not) If i my timeline does everything is think it does. I will have about 23 months to get done what i want to do. In regards to point 2. The EUCARIS system the EU states use to share info doesn't share MOT records (need to confirm this). Plus its only active in a few countries at the moment. Worse that can happen is i get a fine (possibly points). As long as point 1 is sorted then i'm happy to risk having no MOT. As long as the vehicle stays registered in the UK and has Tax i can drive to an MOT station all the way across europe in the allowance of going to a MOT station with a booked appointment. If they want to be picky and say you need an MOT in europe then surely driving to an MOT allows me to get to the UK to get on performed. (a dash from somewhere not in the EU back to the UK)

I recon if i Tax my car in the last week of my previous MOT i'll get tax for the next year. Then once the previous MOT runs out (a few days later) re-MOT the car and leave the UK. That way the new MOT will be running when the tax runs out in 12 months time. So just giving me a few days with a valid MOT to TAX for another year (online). Trouble is the MOT will then expire only days into the second year of TAX. Complicated and it makes my brain hurt thinking about it. With the overlaps i have around 23 months TAX but no MOT half way through. If i follow the same pricipal for insurance i can also get 23 months legally. (as long as the insurance policy doesn't have to have an MOT, everythings fine). So thats a 2 year trip completly legal (minus MOT) . I might have to waste money getting an MOT early but thats nothing. I can refund TAX and SORN the get everything in sync. now thats what i call logic......someone please tell me if this doesn't work. I think it does. My diagram (yes i had to do one) does also. So if i come back in month 23 i can legally drive to the MOT station and do it all again.

Just had time to look at his journey. Thanks for the heads up. Its full of usefull stuff. TA @Leeds. You didn't mention those photos were at Jim Jim. I was there in a Nissan Patrol a couple of years back. Didn't do the tour you did but a zoom from Darwin to the Rock in three weeks. the Nissan was a rental with zero miles...LOL. Not after we'd finished. Didn't stay at Bark Hut Inn campsite did you. What a dump........

Now thats what i'm talking about. If they made those ready to go in the UK i'd probably buy one. Of course the green one. I wish i had the time to do it myself and the experience. I'd get a 130 tomrrow and start it but its just out of my league. :-( I'm toying with paying a mechanic to get me a LR 130. One of the specialists. They would surely source of for me if they got quite a bit of the renovation work. Suggestions welcomed.

Road Tax or Vehicle Excise Duty. beat me to it.....hehe

Thanks for that. Trying to play it safe....its not easy! Just wasted another 3 hours calling the DVLA and various other agencies. Never ending rubbish from the DVLA which they can't back up with statutory Instruments. Conflicting info and conflicting forms. I will insure my ride based on the VIN not the reg and probably not in the UK. There are some offshore palces that will. Either that or i'll get country specific insurance in different places when on trip. The vehicle will be registered in the UK (under the silly continuous registration carp) and i now reccon i can get 24 months TAX done before i need to SORN (whilst out of the UK for 23 months). The MOT will run out at month 12 but i'll still have a V5 and a valid TAX disk. This is by overlapping the MOT and TAX. By then we should be in Aus or USA. Only problem with this is the (online) TAX applicaion for year 2 will need UK insurance (or do it over the counter with paper at the PO). Thus i'll have to send MOT and INSURANCE back to the UK to do over the counter (family member). I think i can get a copy insurance document and leave the MOT certificate in the UK so it should be OK over the counter and leave me with origional insurance. This is all still highly dubious as officially export is the only way to go except you can't register the vehicle anywhere else without a perm address. More research is needed.....this isn't what this thread was meant to be about either! oh well. Not sure if the MOT certifiate would ever be needed at a border but since Mike's spit his dummy out can't ask him.

Its not illegal Mike. As "off road" means off any UK road, which it would be (see below link). There are many vehicles out of the UK for over a year that do this. Insurance should not be dependant on a MOT if its arranged. If they want to know where it is I can tell them. It just won't be in the UK. The carnet doesn't need stamping into the UK only out of the last country that needs one so any (resonably official of course) proof its in the UK will do. Usually easier for the customs stamp but no reason why the MOT wouldn't do. SORN info on the DVLA I'm not trying to dodge paying for an MOT or VED as you seem to suggest . The UK have no facility to provide for anything else than SORN a vehicle when off the UK roads. I'd gladly pay the c.£300 for both VED and MOT as it would make life a whole lot easier. So the only option is tell them its gone permanently (which it almost is) and worry about bringing it back into the UK later (if we ever do). I've not got much intention of coming back to the UK full time though. Europe or Northern America might end up being a permanent home and i'm not going to ship it (vehicle) to the UK just to get my carnet bond back when I hand over the last book. The last carnet will be posted from Europe or the USA which is perfectly normal containing the last country exit stamp.

I'm planning on using SORN when out of the UK once the tax runs out. This is, by all accounts, normal for the long trips. How many issues it will cause will no doubt show up when i'm at the first border where they know what they are doing...rather than just trying to extort money from you. A combination of both might be costly. The UK MOT (pass or fail) is also a good way to get proof that the vehicle is back in the UK at the end of the trip as well. I'm still going to go look for a LR then. Thanks for the advice on the other options.

Thanks guys. All good advice. The reason for not wanting to get an expensive one firstly is the carnet would be based on that (possibly as its not an exact science). The carnet although only runs for a year can be pre completed for a multi year trip and all the paperwork Fed-Ex'd from where ever i am (if needed). The tip might not last 3 years or then again it might but the servicing every 6000 now worries me as this is something new. I can't really afford to get the carnet on something newer and the availabilty of parts for a LR means its a safe bet that wherever we are it can be fixed. Even if i have to ship the part from the UK. That Nissan is looking more attractive...The shorter initial trips will certainly iron out issues with whatever i buy. I've made a note of those web sites and will be visiting tomorrow. Thanks Again.

If i got my self a 300TDi and spent say £8-10K on it with 100-130K miles could i get this to a almost as new state by spending another £5K? replace chassis, bulkhead, suspension, etc, etc, What else should i do and how much approx including labour from a prep place? I want it to need nothing doing for a long time. At least no service items. I'd get belts and any service item replaced. If i needed to get clutch, gearbox done and even a full rebuild i would. Am i mad? Is this even possible? Can you go out and by a wreck of a LR 130 300 and make it into one 10 years younger. Buying new is not an option due to carnet cost. Could i even get a scrap 130 and buy all the bits new for someone to do it for me? I know i sound like i'm made of money (i'm not) but were gonna live in this thing for three years ! Is there somewhere that would do this for me? thanks guys. one of these day i'll be able to offer help and not just ask......

Thanks, Ideas Galore !

Thanks for the advice. We're certainly going to do a few shakedown trips for the resons you describe and for a few of the other obvious ones. We were planning a short UK and then a longer UK one. A month or so in Europe (likely to be three weeks first) and then a longer one (possiby 3 months). I'm spending at least a year getting ready before we even start thinking of the first trip. The vehicle is a sticky one and you're correct that it will draw attention and we could make do with a pop up. I'm still carefully considering it. The options are endless and your advice is welcomed. Based on what you say i'm going to look at pop up roof systems again. I looked at the pricing this morning for the Azalai and its hugely expensive to do one fully loaded. I'd love a 4x4 camper but can't find any. Any suggestions? Part of the reson for starting this thread is to get you sensible people involved in my madness. Feel free to keep advising me! I'm off to Belgium....see you on the weekend. Train... :-(

I've been Carnet De Passage hunting today. HSBC = 0.5% per quarter (2% annual) of the value of the Carnet. Barclays = 1.5% annual plus a £25 admin fee and they use their own forms not the ones off the RAC website. You need to get them off their Intranet (in branch) The deal seems to be the same with both. You can either put the money in the bank for them to "raise a charge" on it or they effectively loan it to you and probably secure it on something like your house. I get the feeling the "loan" option would be painful unless yopu already bank/have a mortgage with them. Seems like Barclays will raise the change on a savings account which is excellent if true. Note that all three banks didn't have a clue what i was on about but they all do it. Now you're probably wondering where the third bank is. Lloyds didn't understand and after 45mins of explaining i gave up. I know they do them (and have a small team like Barclays) and i've heard they are free ! I will try another branch of Lloyds another day. This in all took well over 30mins per bank. We also tried Santander and the Alliance and Leicester. A&L said no and i saw him look. Santander didn't even try and by that point i'd had enough. I might try HBOS one day. With any look this will show up on a search for other people as i've found little info on doing it via a bank bond.

Spent hours yesterday working out what we spend now and trying to work out what we might spend on the trip. We currently spend on average £14.14 per day on food and about £19.5K per annum on everything and I mean everything. So i followed through on that and did £11 per day food (cutting down on booze) £8.50 on fuel and £11 cash. I have left allowance for the UK bills such as insurance and all sorts of things like servicing. That works out to £14.5K pa allowing £3K fuel and £8K living with £3500 for other stuff as mentioned above. That’s based on what we do now and calculating £1000 in diesel will get me 5000Km approx i think that’s fair (probably 100% conservative) . Note I’ve allowed 15000 km for the year which should give me a good tour round Europe. If my fuel lasts longer (and i think it should) then we might get 25-30,000km. Is 8.5 litres per 100km for a 300TDI OK? That’s about 33mpg and that’s about £500 per 1000km and I’ve allowed £1000 or 17mpg.

didn't see anything in the same league but did see something(s) that would do. The LR ambulance guys has some nifty conversions but you'd have to fit a pop up roof to stand up. One nice bloke I spoke to had a roof light which opened and when he stood next to the sink his head could be mostly out of the van. He didn't put it there for that but he said it ws the only place he could stand up. Because you can't stand none of them had a internal shower areas although most had toilets. For the cost of a old ambulance and the bits to outfit one it would be a good project. Saw some removable (on the flat bed) options but they seemed tricky to attach unless you have very thin arms and they didn't integrate with the vehicle in the same way. They did seem as spacious though and the fact that you can remove them is convenient. They are also cheaper although everything is cheaper than the Azalai!

downsize viewed...Shes actually been talking about what it would be like to move in. I'm still not sure. I'm in a crawler gear at the moment. If you've seen the (her) rabbit eyes in the headlight you know what i mean. I think the realisation that its happening is there. She doesn't realise its coming at 90. oh golly.

Just spoke to the RAC and i've found out how to get round the Carnet, MOT and VED issues. That bloke Paul at the RAC is just so helpful. Nearly on par with you lot! (actully on Carnet he is the man, quite literally) I'm excited about seeing the Azalai in Saturday and looking at the other rides. I've actually seen another Mog for sale. Still keep coming back to the Azalai though. Its the price that scares me. Its just too expensive. Thanks for all the pointers at info. I'm not a book reader at all but they have stuff on the web, i'll read that. If i need to read the book, I'll give it to the wife to read for me. hehe. Second thought if it has pictures i might manage a read. Off to see the downsize....at 6pm.