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alantd

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  1. Sorry for the delay - just saw this. I got it from www.safari-equip.co.uk
  2. You're fine, honestly. If you've not got a snorkel then you'll only be going in to a certain depth anyway (which can be more that 500mm with decent technique). That's sensible too - unless you want to go swimming at a P&P site, you shouldn't be chancing rivers and tides above that height anyway. You've extended your breathers, which is a bonus. The original placements would have worked but you now have contingency
  3. Good idea. It's a 10 min job to whip the cubby box out. Seat the fridge and see whether it's even realistic. The actual mounting shouldn't be an issue - just make a fram or brackets that screw into the floor.
  4. 255/85 would be perfect. If you're keeping the MT's for playing then I'd go for something a little more road biased - BFG AT? You could stretch to 265 but recommended on a 7" rim. You'll get away with it though - especially if you're not doing crazy offroad in them (where they might be subject to enough latteral force to pop the rim). People run 285 on 7" without any issues. Personally, 255 AT would be the way to go.
  5. I can confirm that the Puma engine pulls like a train. With the addition of the super-low 1st gear you'll have no problems. 110 is definitely the better choice - especially if you're going to pull a caravan long distances. The interior is much better. The seats are better and the heating actually works If you were to go for an XS (a it steep £££) then you'd also find that the aircon works! Imagine that - in a Defender Service interval is every 12m.
  6. Yup. I prefer my 110 to my previous 90. More practical for everyday use, more seats, smoother ride. I too put a 2" receiver in place of my old adjustable tow hitch to give a better departure angle. I can now go where any 90 can.
  7. Interesting. The Puma Defender has already got a solid flywheel - it's one of the modifications they made when they put the engine in. I guess they saw the heavy workload coming and opted for the stronger route.
  8. Very interested in how you get on. Just picked up a Sankey myself this weekend and will use it for carting stuff about before ultimately converting for expedition use. I was thinking of trying to build an expedition set to drop into the current body so I can preserve the trailer for lugging at home and still have the expedition setup for touring.
  9. No experience with the Safari one I'm afraid. Most folks I know have fitted the Mantec. It took me about 90 mins to fit the Mantec one and that included a tea break whilst my cordless drill recharged. Dead easy. Only thing to look out for is that the wiring is out of the way on the A pillar and behind the wing.
  10. This is a very pertinent thread. I'm just about to mount my NATO hitch and was wondering how to support it best. I was intending to make a spreader for the front but hadn't worked out how I'd access the rear. Because I want to maintain the ability to tow normal trailers without having to continuously strip the NATO hitch and remount something else (currently have OEM variable height ball and pin) I thought I'd just add a 10mm spacer plate behind the NATO so that it is flush with my existing plate. It'd be about 200mm wide, though so would work as a spreader.
  11. He He. Great adventure. I did a similar thing - 4 adults and a 2 year old + luggage up to the roof - up to Scotland and back. Just over 1200 miles round trip with no issues. Everyone loved it and it was much more fun than traveling in a convoy of cars.
  12. I'd go with a Td5. They've proved their worth. Both have an ECU so there's not that much electrical stuff difference. I would have thought that any early problems (dual mass clutch was an issue) would have been solved by previous owners by now.
  13. V8 sounds the business, but If you're planning to do any wading in it (there's quite a bit of river crossing in Africa) then you'll want a diesel. Both fuel types are readily available in Africa but generally diesel is considered the overland default. If you want to avoid electrics then don't go for Petrol (early carb version won't be that fast - 113 bhp and 185 lb ft vs 107 bhp and 195 lb ft for the 200 tdi) but go for a 200 tdi or early 300 tdi. You'll also not have to waterproof the distributor. Both will be fun, though, to be honest.
  14. Agreed. Not worth the risk. 2T is very low if you're pulling out of mud. The safety factor is there for when they've been knocked about a bit (inevitable) and if there's any shock loading. The 2T rating is a static figure. 4T definitely.
  15. Update: Now 18 months in. Mine's an early one so I had the usual PAS pump failure. No big deal - replaced under warranty. Also I've got the wrong sump on mine so that'll be changed when I get the next oil service done. Knocking on overrun does seem to be a hand brake problem. The dealer checks it every now and then and I'll stick in an X-brake at some point. Power steering hose came off and dumped fluid all over my drive. Sorted by LR assist (5 min job and 90 mins of LR chat) Leak in the front windscreen seal - fixed under warranty. Corroded headlights; intercooler grille; rear step - all fixed under warranty (surely Wipac lights shouldn't corrode so quickly!) Overall, very happy with it. We've done major distances with a 2 year old without any issues. Hot weather is a dream with air con that works; cold weather is no problems with a heater that is too efficient and heated seats. You can even hear "the wheels on the bus" go round and round on the CD player thanks to the 6th gear. I'd not have been able to keep Mrs D so happy with the Td5 so definitely the right move. There are a few known faults (PAS pump, clutch plate springs) that are new to the Puma and some that people have encountered that are in common with the previous version (weak diffs, leaking swivels, poor fit and finish...). Some of these might be exacerbated by the increased torque and the slightly increased angles through the UJs. There are also one or two lemons out there but then that's nothing new - generally it is an improvement IMHO.
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