Defender 110, a Bedford cf and a utility truck walk into a bar...

[Badger110]

The bull bar has a spare wheel attached to it, it’s solid enough in its design and is bolted through the bumper by 8 bolts ( 4 through the front of the chassis, 4 into the bumper ) 

The bumper is a generic, not HD and I’ve welded some 3mm plate across the bottom where the bolts go through as well as horizontally inside the bumper to beef it up abit.

My thinking is, the bars along the wing down to the rock slider will absorb some movement should I bump anything head on as well as provide a wee bit of protection to the wings.

 

lastly, the bars are great for getting up onto the bonnet to access the box up top

[Wytze]

And it looks very cool... 

[landroversforever]

You say you’ve got a spare wheel on it... snatch Land Rover style? I think you might have issues with cooling. Lack of airflow over the intercooler will affect performance too. 

[Badger110]

It is a snatch bullbar  👍

 

As for cooling, i'm not convinced there will be a problem.

I've removed a full sized A/C condenser which was slap bang in front the intercooler and radiator. 

Also i've removed the surround which housed the front grill which took up a large part of the actual area availble for the radiator ( if you take the distance between the front wings, bumper and bonnet ).

I'm not saying it's better, but there hasn't been any difference in temperature that i've registered. 

Snatch landrover bullbars have been used all over the world in all environments and as yet, i've not come across issues with them overheating. Even in NI we used them on 300Tdi's

 

[Badger110]

I stripped the bongo seat for the frame work as there’s some decent sized tube which makes it up.

At the base was a curved piece which would make a good step for the bars

 

cut it out and welded it onto the bar

 

 

the curved seat base had lots welded to it which needed removing, then tidying up. Welding 2 separate thickness bits together was a learning curve but it’s turned out all right. 
 

The horizontal part is a perfect step up onto the bonnet now
 

I’m thinking of welding some loops to the underside of the bar in case I get a moose and need to strap it across the bonnet

[elbekko]

17 hours ago, Badger110 said:

The horizontal part is a perfect step up onto the bonnet now

Looks like it's at the exact same height as the top of the tyre? So why not just step on that?

[Badger110]

No reason why the tyre can’t be used as well 

 

The more footholds the merrier the traveller will be in times of need 

 

 

[Badger110]

A few more bits done to the build, the main one being the heating and shower set up.

 

I have 2 webasto thermo top c's kicking about which i was planning to fit one to the engine as a pre heater and 1 for heating/hot water set up.

 

There are many ways to heat water in a vehicle or a boat or even your off grid spoon wittling shack in the woods and i've studied them all.

 

I took Webasto's idea as it was the more simplier way and reduced a need to fit bulky items and tweeked it abit for my own needs;

Firstly i made a small box in the rear quarter section of the Landy which was previously used to house the Propane bottle.

 

In here i fitted the Webasto, a 12v pump and the heat exchanger. 

 

To the right of the opening, i fitted a bullfinch shower outlet

 

The expansion tank is inside the Landy bolted to the rear panel, it's fairly slim so it's not in the way, this was the one i used;

 

I have also fitted this Fan heat exchanger  (FHE) to provide heat;

 

The entire system is in fact 2 seperate water feeds ( as in the diagram )

The webasto side is pretty much a closed loop with water/anti freeze looping from the Webasto>PHE (plate heat exchanger )> FHE > Expansion tank > then back to the Webasto and so provides a loop.

The shower/pump side is purely based on water drawn via the pump.  The water is heated by passing through the PHE when the webasto is running.

 

The system is designed to be used as;

 

• Heating for the truck ( via the FHE )
• Hot shower using the mixer head
• Cold water feed for collecting water

If we're using the shower outside, we don't have to have the heating on in the truck by not turning the fan on. Hot water circulates around the system but isn't introduced to the living area unless we want it. 

When the heating is on, we isolate the cold water pump to stop any heat travelling from the PHE. 

 

Webasto's have a temperature cut off about 40c and with the shower running, it'll hit this after 15 minutes ( on a hot day ) and cycle down for 10 minutes. 

If we have the heating on , i get 20 minutes of heat and cycle down for 10, again this has been tested on a hot day.  I can lengthen the running times by extending the return pipe from FHE to maybe go outside or even i've considered running it along the floor of the cab to cool it down and provide underfloor heating, but i'm confident at the moment it will good to keep the truck warm through cycling every 30minutes or so.

 

Cheers

 

[Arjan]

You will not be cold.....

Looks good !

[Badger110]

Indeed it is!

 

Fitted the solar panel to the roof and wired that up to a MPPT to the AGM battery.

 

When fitted, the solar panel charges the AGM and the main battery, however i have a VSR fitted between the 2, excuse my ignorance, but does the VSR allow flow both ways?   I understand the VSR opens when voltage hits a certain point ( 13.6v? ) to allow charge to the AGM battery from the alternator, but should it also open if the AGM battery is receiving charge and hits 13.6v also?

When i crank the engine, both batteries drop voltage to 12.6v which shouldn't happen with a VSR fitted.

 

 

[Robert Davis]

I tried to work all this out with my own wiring and relays then finally realized that a special product solution was required.  Look into Redarc as the solar takes priority before the alternator draw takes place with their DC to DC controllers.  They are not cheap, but work flawlessly, and once installed are reliable.  It allowed me to move on to other things knowing the maintenance and charging of the main car battery and auxiliary battery bank were covered, even if you have a large inverter and want to eliminate gas and cook with electricity only.   There units also protect your alternator by limiting the max charge amperage draw to 20, 40 or 50 AMPS max.

On another note, I am looking for a set of folding seats for a project.  If dormatic seats came in your Bedford and you would consider selling them, please keep me in mind.

 

 

 

[FridgeFreezer]

I looked at the Redarc stuff, it's insanely pricey, I ended up building a similar system for less than £50 using cheap eBay bits.

[Robert Davis]

Were you able to figure out how to use the solar as a priority and limit the DC to DC at a fixed amperage?

I wasn't able to do it.

[Badger110]

it's been a few months dealing with family matters, but the build is back on.

 

We took the truck to Scotland for 3 weeks and it performed great.

 

Sitting in the evenings with the bushpig burning away and a few jars inside me, i began to consider upgrading the running gear of the truck.  Long term we wish to use this world wide in all areas and environments, possibly towing a trailer and with a little money in the penny jar at the moment, now is a good time to spend it.

Firstly, everything is standard underneath.

I'm running tubed 7.5 x16 tyres at present and i'm happy to keep the size as they've proved pretty good so far.

Rear axle first;

Ashcroft LD, CV's replace ( abs version ) and rear shafts

Front axle;

Ashcroft LD, CV's replace ( abs again ) and front shafts

Also i might have bagged some HD props from Def2 forum, but we'll see.

Ashcroft do the service of fitting the lockers into my casings, however i think i should be ok to do it myself.  Is there anything i might likely need to replace or consider replacing at the time? It does look like a good idea to peg the diff, but this does look beyond my capabilities! Am i likely to find a non pegged diff an issue or is it a belt n braces approach to have it pegged....?

The first real stumbling block ( for me )  is fitting the air lines and hooking up the compressor ( T-Max )...do i need to run a seperate small tank?  I don't think i do...but i'll go with those with knowledge/experience

Also can i rig it so i can still use the compressor for normal tyre duties? I was thinking a t piece valve with a lever to direct the airline to an external adaptor to plug a line into for the tyres if and when needed and then moved back to supply the tank

The axles will be dropped out and put on a bench if i decide to it, at this time should i be looking at anything else?  Are axle casing strengtheners worth it?  Will it hurt to weld them on anyway as it'll all be out and on the bench.

 

[landroversforever]

IMO whilst building a diff looks like just nuts and bolts there is a fair bit of setup involved. For example checking and setting pinion height needs specialist stuff. 

I'd personally box them up and send them to Nigel at Xcess4x4... otherwise known as @Hybrid_From_Hell. I've no link to him other than as a satisfied customer and what he doesn't know about diffs isn't worth knowing.

[miketomcat]

My question is why? The only time I've had a locker was when I did ladoga. Yes there has been a couple of times it would of been nice to have one but certainly not on an overland truck. Because I can or want to is a perfectly good excuse but I just don't see the gain on your truck.

Mike

[Blanco]

1 hour ago, miketomcat said:

My question is why?

... Mike makes a good point,.. and  up to a point he is right of course. Having said that I miss my Detroits a lot and the number of times they saved me from going in search of help on the sticky French clay is anybody's guess, but then I was hauling timber and there wasn't any choice of route or destination in my case, that is perhaps less so when over landing.  The only answer probably is that he wants to be as independant and self reliant as possible. Mustn't forget either that we are Land Rover owners, common sense and minimalism are second string priorities??

[Blanco]

PS Really recommend the simplicity and  fit and forget nature of Detroits when you are far from civilisation.

[Snagger]

I want improved diffs for winter roads, with snow and ice.  The rear ETC on my RRC kept me going in UK snow when everything else on the road was stuck, so a couple of ATBs will give even better capability in poor weather.  It might not be a frequent problem, but that’s now - the frequency of bad weather events only seems to be increasing.  Plus I’d like to do a couple of Artic trips, all the way around Scandinavia in winter and Iceland.  Locking diffs or LSDs aren’t only about being up to your eyeballs in mud.

[Nonimouse]

Interesting argument with the diff locks/LSD

I keep thinking about it, then I remember that the only times I've got stuck, in the last ten years, was when I drove something I knew I shouldn't.

My Disco does everything I ask of it, even in snow and ice.

As for the standard drivetrain. I would stay as standard as possible - parts are simpler to get then.

The last 110 I built up for a client, did 36K around Europe and the former USSR. It had one drive train problem - some b$st$rd nicked one of the HD drive flange ends!  Craddocks got a replacment out to Mongolia in three days.  All the rest of the drive train was standard - just checked and double checked prior to departure (by me). Tyres were 235/85x16 Continental Cross-Contacts. The client got stuck once. 

Simple rule of thumb when off exploring the far reaches of the world. If you are vehicle dependent, treat your vehicle as your life support pod. You are not on a pay or play site, nor are you ever in a rush. So drive with your brain, not your backside

[elbekko]

Indeed. Plus lockers just help you get stuck further in.

I'd split the difference, fit ATBs and a winch if you don't already have one.

[landroversforever]

12 minutes ago, elbekko said:

Indeed. Plus lockers just help you get stuck further in.

I'd split the difference, fit ATBs and a winch if you don't already have one.

That’s precisely the reason I’d fit a selectable type locker and NOT an ATB/Detroit or any other kind of LSD. Selectable you’ve got the option of engaging it to get you out. LSDs will potentially get you further in and you’ve then not got anything in reserve to get you moving short of having a winch. 

[elbekko]

That's a good point. Engage brain before lockers I guess

[landroversforever]

4 minutes ago, elbekko said:

That's a good point. Engage brain before lockers I guess

It was always my get out of jail free card when laning alone! 

[Nonimouse]

Or learn to read the ground and know your limits, whilst spending your money on fuel to get further