RichardAllen

The Goodwinch spec for a TDS quotes about 350A for rated load. It also recommends fitting an isolator switch. I am having trouble finding a winch rated for 350A. Clearly running a winch at rated load for any long period is a bad idea, but so is fitting a switch of too low a rating. So who makes a switrch which can handle 350A 12V ? For example Vehicle Wiring Products heavy duty is only rated to 250A continuous.

I am looking at a Goodwinch TDS, not least because of an number of posts on here recommending them for what I want - greenlaning, occasionally more ambitious off-roading, but not competition. Are there any pro's and con's reagrding a low profile model v a bridge model. I would be fitting it onto a 300TDi 90 probably on one of their BRB Defender bumpers. ? All advice gratefully received as always.

There is a view that if you need it to come apart use copperslip, if not use the right Loctite for the application

My 90 300TDi CSW has a spare wheel fitting on the rear door. I am now looking at fitting out for relative light expeditions. Is the combination of Land Rover fitting and door hinges sufficiently strong, or is it worth removing the Land Rover door fitting and putting in a Mantec type wheel carrier ? All advice gratefully received.

I would just like to set out my understanding of the main relative merits of hydraulic and electric winches, in big handfuls: Pulling power - no difference, you get the one you need Ease of use - electric dependent on battery capacity, hydraulic dependent on engine operation, hydraulic slower line speed Price - electric cheaper, especially if you already have a dual battery system Ease of installation - electric somewhat easier Ease maintenance - eletric easier Waterproofing - hydraulic a bit better My use will be for greenlaning and light expeditions in a pretty standard 300TDi , not competitions Is there any main factor i have missed out ? Is an electric winch really as much of a no-brainer for my needs as it appears ? All advice gratefully received Richard

In my calc I guessed a 20% reduction on the quoted amp-hours figure, ie 100 amp hour battery can effectively deliver only 80 amp-hours in practice. The calculation on this link uses a reduction of 16.6666%, ie a 100 amp hour battery can effectively deliver only 83.333 amp-hours in practice. So the claculations pretty much agree.

PS Had ywo beers and decided to try the Sigourney Weaver suggestion. Received a more than usually withering glare. Oops. Richard

As always, loads of good stuff there guys. I already have a 2000W inverter because I got a new one (relatively) cheap and I want to run a drill / angle grinder in the field separastely from going camping. The hair dryer stuff was a bit flippant, but gave rise to really innovative ideas. Best of all it is good to know on my own part that the setup I have in mind is not only similar to that chosen by people with lots more knowledge and experience than me, but is also borne out by re4asonable quality calculations on the load I am expecting Thanks again Richard

Other electrical drains such as two striplights, 8W each mean that one hour's lights trades off against almost 2.4 hour's fridge, so no great deal. However, showering is a new question. I have no figures for a Brownchurch shower kit. Does anyone know what current the pump draws ? This becomes an issue with a wife and 2 daughters ! Not to mention the hair dryer which I guess may pull 150A out of an inverter. So which is it to be dry hair or cold beer. I am designing this system, so do I get the casting vote ?

I have just spotted the Waeco 35l fridge spec which runs on average 15% at 20deg C. By the same calculation, assuming a deep cycle battery and ignoring the voltage drop-off that gives 13.5/15% = 90 hours. This may well be optimistic and assumes no use of lighting, camera battery charger, water system etc etc, but gives me feel of being on the right lines I am currently trying to design the detail of a dual battery system and spotted in some issue of LROi what I think is the setup on Vince Cobley's white 110 truck cab. He had two Odyssey PC1500's. I think Odyssey's being dual purpose is a useful backup for engine starting and this size allows space in the battery box for fuse/distribution boxes to keep the wiring neat, out of the way but accessible, and therefore fixable. The PC1500 is 65AH and the largest long term drain is see is the fridge hence the calculation.

I am trying to work out what capacity battery I need for the leisure battery in a dual setup. To get a handle on it I have worked out the following schoolboy physics problem: Question: If I have a 12V systems with a 65Amp-hour battery and it powers a single fridge which takes 45 Watts, for how long will a fully charged battery power the fridge ? Answer: The battery stated capacity is 65 Amp Hours. Reduce by a nominal 20% to allow for battery not in reality being either fully charged or fully discharging, gives an effective capacity of 65 x 80% = 52 Amp-hours Fridge consumptions is 45Watts, for a 12V fridge this means it takes 45/12 = 3.75 Amps Therefore the battery will power the fridge for 52/3.75=13.87 hours say 13.5 hours to be on the safe side. Is this a correct calculation, or have I fundamentally failed to understand something about vehicle electrics ?

My 90 has a Tomtom bluetooth GPS receiver, about the size of a computer mouse, which I have attached to the sunroof with velcro for really good reception. It has a 3.5mm 5v dc power socket with a cable to a special cigar lighter adaptor which reduces the 12V down to 5v. At the moment the cabling goes through a PDA cradle which I no longer need. So trying to neaten up the wiring I need a dc power cable with a 3.5mm power plug on one end for the GPS and just about anything else on the other end to wire into a hidden away cigar lighter adaptor. The cable needs to be long enough to go from the sunroof, across the sun visor, down the A post, behind the dials and down into the central console / fuse box so I can wire the GPS in permanently., Say 2m long for luck. But I cannot find any such thing anywhere I cannot be the only person in England needing a longer power cable for a GPS receiver, and one of you guys must have fitted one in neatly. Any suggestions ?

Anyone been to a 4x4 plyground next to a campsite called La Solitude, about a mile outside Boussay in Loire-et-Indre ? It's in the sticks a bit, towns nearby are Preuilly-sur-Claise and La Roche-Posay. I am on holiday near there and spotted the sign on the way to get the morning's bread and croissants. It looks like a woodland setup on the side of a hill. Unfortunately, family requirements mean the Landy is at home and I only have my wife's Volvo, so I have had a go. We will be returning to the area so it would be good to know if anyone has tried it. All the best Richard

I can back the screwfix set. Cheap and cheerful, no breakages yet. Rather odd choice of metric/imperial sizes though. For wheel nuts, given that it will likely be important when I needed it, I went for a Halfords Professionsl with 2ft bar.

Loads of help lads, thanks. I'll have a go at Mk2 in due course, with lots of annealing included. Anyone had a go with one of these: http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axminst...orker-23170.htm ?

Today I made a simple fitting to hold a tablet pc on a bracket just in front of the stereo on my 90. It is a simple plate bent at 90 deg twice at the bottom, to form a backplate with a channel which the tablet rests in. I got a small bit of chequerplate, cut it to size, and bent it by gripping it between two hardwood blocks in a workmate and bashing it with a hammer. That chequerplate is pretty tough stuff. The chequerplate looks like it has been in combat and the folds are not accurate. 3/10 at best. To do a better job: 1. Should I use a different technique ? 2. Should I use something other than chequerplate ? 3. If I got a £60 folder from machinemart, or similar, would I easily get better looking results, and can these folders make a 26mm wide channel ? As a complete novice to sheet metal work, I enjoyed the task, but the results need to be better. All advice gratefully received. Richard

Following a tip on here, I got a tablet TC1100 off gleeway (£200) which talks to my bluetooth GPS. It runs PC Navigator for on-road (full Europe) and Memory Map for laning (full UK at 1:50,000) and very nearly all UK at 1:25,000. I still have the PDA as backup The installation and setup is very easy fixing it in the dash for easy removal is a bit noddy and you have to do then pen lefthanded, but I found laning with a small PDA screen difficult. And I am typing this on the same tablet in our sitting room through the tablet's Wifi. As a computer engineer for the last 25 years, I am astonished at the versatility and capability of a £200 machine. Richard

keeping to the plot has never been something I have found easy

Hiya everyone, I've just had a really great day out in Patsy the Defender, on what Daddy calls the boulder-crawling-deep-mudhole-extreme-winching-challenge that is the Fosse Way near my house in Gloucestershire. As navigator and winch-girl, we set up the route in Dad's satellite system with maps in it; loaded up with water and snack bars and headed off towards Kemble Airfield. Daddy's route was rubbish as we tried to start on the wrong side of the airfield. I soon put him right and we went down Stonehill Lane which no one has been down for really ages, and joined the Fosse Way. Being a stubboron old bugger Daddy insisted on going back up to the airfiled boundary even though he knew he would just have to turn around and come back. Anway way we carried on for the rest of the afternoon going very gently till we got to Long Newton. It was straight, flat and sunny, there weren't any boulders, hardly any mud, and we didn't have to do any winching. This was lucky because I had left my gloves at home and Patsy doesn't have a winch anyway. At Long Newton, I reminded Daddy that I have my tea at 5 and Mummy had promised chilli and rice, so we headed off for home. On the way I spotted a Homebase and got Daddy to go in and buy a pruning saw for Patsy's tool kit. Then we got home and I had a great tea. Thankyou to everyone on here for inspiring Daddy to get off his fat arse and take me out for my first day's greenlaning. Night-night Lucie Allen (18 months)

Nige I am trying to something almost identical with a tc1100. Do you have any details on your ali mount and how you fixed to your vehicle ? Regards Richard

My mate and I pulled out 3 very stubborn stumps from an awkward bit of his garden yesterday. We used the 90 mostly as a fixed point, and pulled them out using the hi-lift as a winch and some strops fixed to the tow ball and much digging and root cutting. At one point the hi-lift was pulling the chocked, braked, in-gear 90 along the lane. Once each stump was close to free I then just drove away with it. It would be good to know how much pull we were exerting with the hi-lift. The pin shears at 7000lbs, and we did not manage that, so I reckon you need to be pretty strong to do so using it as a winch.

Given the fragility of key fobs and immobilisers, I was thinking of putting in some permanent cabling with key switches to bypass the immobiliser and go straight to starter solenoid and fuel cut-off. From the wiring diagrams it does not look too difficult. Anyone done this ? Any tips, snags etc ?