Overland - Defender, Disco 1 or Disco 2

[Big.Mike]

I just can't decide what one to get, Defender, Discovery 1 or Discovery 2?

I want to go overland to Morocco (and further).

My heart says Defender, my backside says a nice comfy Disco 2 with air suspension and then there's the Disco 1...

I'd appreciate some guidance and your overland experience in your vehicles?

Cheers,

Mike

(I'd really like a Series 3 and make a real adventure of it)

[mmgemini]

A properly set up Defender 300Tdi 110 station wagon is nice and comfortable for two people.

Why does your backside say no to a Defender. Have you only driven hard modified ones ? Wrong springs ? Tyres too hard ? I drove a TD5 110 truck cab on "special" springs with twin rear shockers. It was awful. Rock solid on the road. That was tar. Must have been awful on the gravel.

If you want to travel further. Think Carnet. Think vehicle price, the less the vehicle is worth, the cheaper the bond for the Carnet.

You're welcome to visit me and try mine.

[tacr2man]

If you are only going to Morroco , then D2 . If you are intending to go remote later then start with defender . I agree with MMG a defender set up properly should be as good as (comfortable for long distance travel) if not better than any other 4wd esp in rough conditions .

PS get RAC or ADAC or other such europe wide recovery cover ! JIC JMHO

[mmgemini]

If you do decide Defender. Keep it very standard especially the suspension.

[bishbosh]

There is no way a defender will ever be as comfortable as a Disco, especially if you are over 2'6" and have a right arm. The Defender driving position is truly awful in my humble opinion.

[Orgasmic Farmer]

IMHO... if you are planning on grabbing a couple of weeks holiday in Morocco, or the Pyrennes or Scandinavia then get a D2 since you will have limited time so will have to put in the motorway miles to get there and back. The truck will be more than capabile of any tracks or conditions you will encounter and you will at least have comfort, climate control and decent sounds....

On the other hand if you are taking time out to do a longer overland trip of a few months or more then I would go down the defender route and immerse yourself in the real deal where the drive becomes as much a part of the trip as the locations visited.

My only exception would be if you could stretch to a new Puma with air con, in which case you could get away with the shorter trips (and big motorway miles) and still travel in relative comfort....

[Sirocco]

IMHO... if you are planning on grabbing a couple of weeks holiday in Morocco, or the Pyrennes or Scandinavia then get a D2 since you will have limited time so will have to put in the motorway miles to get there and back. The truck will be more than capabile of any tracks or conditions you will encounter and you will at least have comfort, climate control and decent sounds....

On the other hand if you are taking time out to do a longer overland trip of a few months or more then I would go down the defender route and immerse yourself in the real deal where the drive becomes as much a part of the trip as the locations visited.

My only exception would be if you could stretch to a new Puma with air con, in which case you could get away with the shorter trips (and big motorway miles) and still travel in relative comfort....

Agreed - D2 (if you can afford a good well looked after one) for a few weeks in Europe/North Africa, 300tdi D1 if not.

If your ventureing anywhere else outside the EU or modern world a 300tdi Defender (if you wanted to stay with the 'green oval' that is).

G

[Diff]

Any of those 3 options are perfectly viable whether just to Morocco or further afield. However, the further and more remote you go, the more likely you are to find that spares/repairs will be more challenging for the vehicles with engine management systems and air suspension.

If you are familiar with laptops and software associated with repair of the more sophisticated models then the level of computer management becomes less of an issue (though spares might be).

If you need to rely on bush mechanics for repair, you are better off with a pre td5 vehicle.

The defender (assuming a 110) has more luggage capacity but less comfort than a discovery, though comfort can be improved.

More spares will be avilable for a Defender than a Discovery.

Whichever you choose, I strongly recommend you keep it as standard as possible and resist the temptation to add lots of 'must have accessories' or so called 'upgrades'. They often end up adding unnecessary weight and introducing unreliability and more potential failures.

For overlanding, I would also very strongly recommend you only use genuine Land Rover spare parts. Some pattern parts are fine, others are not, but at the time of fitting, it is impossibe to know whether the particular pattern part is going to last or not.

Genuine parts are usually of predictable quality.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Diff.

[Eightpot]

Well I wouldn't buy a car just so you can go on holiday in it, so buy the one that you like most & that's going to be of most use to you in the first place, then suffer any inadequacies for a couple of weeks if you go away in it.

They will all do what you want, but the Disco's will get you there quicker and with a bit of aircon, and more elbow room, handy if you have an account at Greggs. Defenders are extremely practical in every sense, but not as comfy or economical, but no beer tastes like the first beer taken after slithering out of a hot dusty Defender.

If only they'd made a long wheelbase Disco, that would have been a touch.

[mmgemini]

Why knock the Defender. Same chassis. Same springs. LONGER wheelbase gives a better ride.Like I said earlier most people, I'll include the so called preparation companies here, make the suspension too hard leading to broken chassis and spring mounts

I was in Rundu. There was a Belgian guy. Hey know everythinb about overlanding in a MAN converted truck. Truck had an electric lift up step. The only sensable thing I head him say was " The only way to see Africa is with your arm on the door top"

Just as I'm backing the Defender. There's a lot of people now overlanding in the Discovery three and four. Including Kingsley Holgate.

[Yostumpy]

Lro did an article a while back on the D2, owners vehicles. anyway there was one v.good one that caught my eye. It was a v8 D2, BUT it had the v8 removed and a 300tdi fitted ,from a D1 and a D1 dash, box etc, and coils instead of air, nice and roomy, and no frills, no electrics etc, best of all worlds. personally I couldn't think of doing it any thing else but a defender. Its part of it. .

[farmerboy_y2k]

Lro did an article a while back on the D2, owners vehicles. anyway there was one v.good one that caught my eye. It was a v8 D2, BUT it had the v8 removed and a 300tdi fitted ,from a D1 and a D1 dash, box etc, and coils instead of air, nice and roomy, and no frills, no electrics etc, best of all worlds. personally I couldn't think of doing it any thing else but a defender. Its part of it. .

That very nice Tdi D2 was built by York Land Rover Services and it should be at the RGS Overland weekend, if anyone wants to have a look at it. Personally I quite like the seating position in a defender and the standard seats don't make my back ache which most car seats do. I've been to Morocco in a D1 and the extra space of a 110 would have been nice. Everything fits in a D1 but needs to be packed tighter. Also remember the max GVW is quite a bit lower for the discovery's compared to defender and it's easy to go over it when fully loaded.

[wanderlust4ever]

Go for the the defender mate, hope to be off round the world in ours next year.

Good luck with your choice.

[FridgeFreezer]

I would concentrate on what you're happiest fixing by the roadside - the D2 has more to go wrong, none of it is hard to fix IF you are OK with electronic diagnostics etc., but if you're a standard LR-owner-luddite who regards operating a multimeter as on a par with satanic worship then go for something more basic.

Surely there's nowt mechanically/practically between a D1 and a Defender of the same age except a vast cost-saving for a comparable quality of vehicle, and a more comfortable holiday?

Me - if I was being sensible I'd take a diesel Freelander. If I wasn't, I'd take the Series 3 as you say you want to - Series have been everywhere many times over before these modern upstarts were even thought of, and conditions have mostly gotten better since then too.

[Steve King]

I don't find the Defender driving position uncomfortable and I'm 6 foot and built like the brick proverbial!!! I'm now on my 2nd Defender - a TD5 110.

Following a crippling attack of sciatica in 2010, I fitted the Mudstuff bulkhead removal bar and raised the seat on Mud rails -this has made a lot of difference to the driving position, but makes it slightly harder to climb in when my sciatica is playing up.

As far as elbow room is concerned I have my right hand at 2'O clock and my my left at 3'O clock and don't find it too cramped.

Anyway the choice of vehicle is up to you Discos of all ages are very capable off road - guess I would chose a Defender because I love the tradition and the image!!!

[nicks90]

it would have to be a disco1 300tdi manual!

same simplistic nuts and bolts type of vehicle as a defender - they aint that different underneath - but they are soooo much more comfortable and especially if it had aircon too! Bigger fuel tank, slightly better mpg, less likely to attract the wrong attention and you can use it as an everyday car when you get home. Plus its cheaper to buy so the carnet will be alot less.

if there are only 2 of you, then remove the rear seats and the space for your gear is way more than you need. Nice roof rack and roof tent and you're sorted. Although I would be tempted to fit defender springs to it, gives a slight lift unloaded and will increase the carrying capability when you load it up.

[Tanker]

Anything Japanese - Landcruiser most probably!!

[Orgasmic Farmer]

If, like me, you choose to travel light, a Disco 300 tdi commercial makes an excellent overland vehicle and with a bit of DIY you can make a nice double bed in the back with plenty of storage. Sleeping in the vehicle has many advantages but is obviously more difficult if you like to carry half your worldly possessions and enough spares to build a second truck! I had a second tank fitted and was getting about 32mpg on longer trips. Don't really know why I sold it as the truck was very good and capable. However, like many, the appeal of the Defender got the better of me and I am now building a 110 camper, which I also plan to sleep inside of.

Some pics

Bed in back with loads of storage underneath including fixed boxes and 4 removable Wolf boxes. The side cupboard hold a 25 litre second tank and has loads of storage too.

Rear door used for cooking at short stops

We also carried a larger pop up tent to use as a place to eat and socialise of an evening. Takes only minutes to put up or take down

[Yostumpy]

Agree with all of the above, BUT buy a defender and you've made an investment, and you'll always be able to sell it, buy a D1 , and well you've bought a defender in rags, a sort of time share vehicle, ie its yours till the scrap man owns it, and it'll be worth bugga all by then. one answer if you want a D1 to use and keep, is a Jap import, totally RUST FREE, low milage, but dearer. i think Algy's auto's sell them, (find them on the classifieds on www.4x4web.co.uk) Must say when I bought my first 110, we were picked up at the station and driven to the yard in a D1, and swmbo was impressed,..... OH ! how all that changed on the 200 mile journey home in an ex-mil 110 ht..........

[jerboa]

I'm fortunate to have done many overland miles in both Discovery's and Defenders. Both of them have their pros and cons.

I would not travel in anything made by Land Rover after the 300TDi generation vehicles. Air suspension? ECU? Electric Fuel pumps? ABS? Trick Electrics? Rather you than me!

An Ex-Family Disco Series One is a very good bet. If you're not going further than Morocco you won't miss the load space offered by a 110 CSW. If you're going further and pack sensibly then you still won't miss the load space offered by a 110 CSW. They're comfortable and quiet, they do everything a 110 defender can off road.

Which ever land rover you get, and having found this bit out the hard way, my advice would be to NOT lift any land rover. Just fit good quality suspension components - think Old Mn Emu. New bushes all round, but don't get the hard ones - they will increase the risk of damaging trailing arms on rocky tracks etc.

The cheaper the vehicle, the easier it is to get a Carnet (which you wont need for Morocco). You can get away with telling the RAC your disco cost £800 (try that with a defender!), meaning your carnet bond for somewhere like Egypt would be around £2000.

**** does happen, think what you'd be less gutted about..!

[reads90]

Well for my bit

I would say a defender or disco . As said they both have their pros and cons

But which ever I would say a 300tdi pre electronics as you can fix them with a hammer and chisel. Don't want to be in the middle if no where with a chip not wanting to play ball.

I drove 25,000 miles around the outback Australia , which is some of the remotest places of earth . My 90 did it great with no real problems .

But as said it is up to you as to what you want from a car . The disco's are a bit more comfortable but the 110 more friendly for the over landing in my option. I have a 110 and a 90 now both set up for overlanding ie twin fuel tanks, twin batteries , snorkel , winch and all the other bits.

But Jon I know you are a Figjam but a freelander come on be serious . Are going overlanding or driving to Rome on road . If I was doing that and staying in a hotel them maybe a freelander but if that was the case I would be in a VW passatt.

[Big.Mike]

Wow, I don't think I have ever posted to a forum and had such a great response.

I think I'm going to go for a Disco 1 with a 300 tdi engine.

I think the kicker is the price.

I'll let you know how it goes!

[Maverik]

Wow, I don't think I have ever posted to a forum and had such a great response.

I think I'm going to go for a Disco 1 with a 300 tdi engine.

I think the kicker is the price.

I'll let you know how it goes!

You can pick them up for peanuts if you're willing to put a bit of time into them, I'm excited for you! its a cool time!

[FridgeFreezer]

In some ways with expedition vehicles you're better off starting with a cheap base vehicle anyway as you will probably end up pulling it apart & rebuilding half of it anyway by means of prep.