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What next?


chip

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ok.. i've got a 94 disco 300tdi

(i recently read the gutless disco threads and i think it's suffering from something somewhere... motorway inclines leave me in 4th doing 60mph.. anyway, that's not the subject of this thread)

I've got a few quid spare and can't decide what to get.

so far i have added

SD roof rack

qt diff guards

extra electrics - sockets/lights

cb

jate rings

and homemade boot shelf/thing

my aim is to have a all round touring vehicle - good for camping trips and capable off road. I don't need a off road megatruck, but i'd like to be able to get myself out of trouble.

so what would you go for next?

rock sliders

winch and/or bumper

suspension lift (do i need this?)

fancy new battery for starting & deep cycle

or anything else!?

thanks...

chip

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Starting with the basics (which you may already have) I'd look at hilift, towing rope, strops and shackles and then the sliders (before you start to damage your panels).

Beyond that I'd use it and see what's lacking. Nicely fitted fridge and gas rings might get more use than a winch but it does depend on what you are doing with it.

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right... stuff in the back.

so far 2 man tent (the 5 man one goes on the back seats!) , various tarps, 2 chairs, a rug, a blanket, 1 gas stove, 1 parafin stove, 1 table, toolbox, a saw, fuel bottle, and enough food and kitchen bits to cook up a 3 course meal for 4.

i have a got a little 12v fridge - just a cheapy one, but it does the job for weekends away.

and in the useful bits box,

jump leads, 4.5 ton tow strop 2 shackles, goves, torch, haynes and various bits of carp.

so you'd put a hi lift - 'hi' on the list?

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Hmm, with all that culinary capability you should have no bother finding mates to wheel with you :)

Sounds like you have a good start. Yes a hilift and shovel (even just a small folding one) are good basic (self) recovery tools. I'd also take a look at Mikes' defender in the members area, he's done some great mods which might suit you well, simple stuff like checker plate rear door liner but with the very well thought out fold down shelves and cargo nets.

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Be nice to have a deep-cycle battery on a split charge that you can run the fridge and other things like lights and a 240 volt inverter off of. Then they can be kept running overnight and the motor will still start in the morning. ;)

Thought about a roof access ladder for the rear door?

A Hi-Lift is a good investment, provided you've got lifting points on the Disco that will take it, otherwise it's an expensive & heavy bit of kit that you can only really use as a makeshift winch.

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I've been looking at the Odyssey batteries - deep cycle and starter combined. has anyone tried these out?

I have got a leisure battery, but there is no room to fit it without chopping up the air intake.

a ladder would be nice, if only to use a makeshift washing line :)

that's a good point about the hi lift - without sliders it's not much use, my rear bumper is standard, and the steering guard doesn't have jacking points.

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  • 2 weeks later...
I've been looking at the Odyssey batteries - deep cycle and starter combined. has anyone tried these out?

got 2 x PC1700 's in my 110, got them from here Dave knows his stuff, very helpful :D

got loads of grunt, I use 1 for the vehicle & the 2nd just runs the winch & jump lead sockets [when I fit them] both charged with a 100amp marrelli alt & LR genuine split chrage system.

have a look here as well Odyssey Factory site

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've got a steering guard on there, but it's got no jacking points which i now realise would give me more than just the tow bar to lift from.

My thoughts on a snorkel are that if i'm deep enough to need it them my kit in the boot will probably be wet. I would love a snorkel, but then there is nothing to stop me being stupid :)

thanks for a battery links, i'll look into that...

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Howdy chip!

I'd think about tyres first, then recovery gear, then protection, then tarting up (winches etc.) :P

Oddyseys (sp) are bleedin' expensive, the Exide Maximas are good for the price. For a split charger look at the X-Eng one.

Talk to Ashley about your lack of performance, he has sorted a few club TDi's.

Stuff in the boot should be OK when you go wading, the door seals usually keep water out fairly well, and if you're moving forwards you're fine anyway. Ask Mike Brown, he drove his Disco through all sorts (forwards and backwards!) and I don't think he ever filled the boot up. The snorkel is a good precaution whether you intend going really deep or not.

For protection, steering guard is a good start, diff guards are cheap these days, and for the fuel tank guard the southdown ones can't really be beat - look at Mike's one next club meet. Rock sliders would be a good idea if you want to keep it looking nice, don't know how hard they are to make 'cos they still seem to be quite pricey. Pick ones that stick out a bit to protect the doors. Oh, and get something soft wrapped round the top of the hi-lift, otherwise it digs into the door skin when you jack it up :( I believe Mike found that one out the hard way :rolleyes:

I have a proper fridge (not cooler) and the difference is amazing - they use much less power and can keep things frozen for days in swealtering heat. You can have a borrow of it if you like.

As Trev says, after getting a few basic bits sorted (recovery points & gear) the best thing to do is drive it round and see what happens - see what others have got, how well it works, etc. you might find a mod that someone else swears by is totally useless for what you use the vehicle for.

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