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The best LR Defender 110 for Overlanding? The best LR Defender 110 for Overlanding?
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Light Overland Vehicle Tech Tech issues, tips and hints, prepping for travel
Under 3500kg vehicles, e.g. Land Cruiser, Land Rover, Subaru etc.
Photo by Lois Pryce, schoolkids in Algeria

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  #1  
Old 31 May 2008
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Originally Posted by gilghana1 View Post
I fully agree, the romance factor is undeniable. I did not want to start a landrover vs landcruiser debate but was only interested in your reasons... Pretty much what I suspected, and I still think the 110/Defender/Series landrovers will never be replaced in terms of emotive 4x4s. If there is no time pressure and you know the vehicle there is something really satisfying about an old landy onto less travelled areas. I never regretted buying my ex-Ghana secret police Defender, and then spending many hours kitting it out. Living in Ghana all my mods had to be planned months in advance, and I learnt masses from rebuilding the vehicle with a really good local mechanic. The vehicle broke down numerous times, but then which 250,000km car won't? Unlike other LRvLC experiences I ended up leaving an 80 series in Mali and making it home in the 'rover - but the 80 was to be fair a totally under prepared company hack! I ended up buying a new 78 (last of the "old shape") 'cause I was in the fortunate position to get one at a super price and due to work pressures I needed a vehicle for short camping trips and occasional longer ones within Ghana/BF/Mali where I could be fairly confident of being back for work in time... If it wasn't for that I would never have changed! Having said that the troopy is also turning into a labour of love and could do everything I want "out of the tin", but that hasn't stopped me modifying! So I say go for the landy - you already know why you want it and the V8 looks great if you can handle the fuel bills and not expect earth moving power!
Gil
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,
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Hi Gil,

As far as "Which 250,000km vehicle wont break down"

Well I hope I don't jinx my LC120, D4d, but at just 30 months old, she has 320,000km under her reliable belt.

It's when I get questions as to weather I park it on a rolling road at night, that brings a smile to my face.

Another "smile bringer" is when the Land Rover owners know the price of all the parts !

Yes, I just got a big grin.

G.
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Old 31 May 2008
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Originally Posted by uk_vette View Post
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Hi Gil,

As far as "Which 250,000km vehicle wont break down"

Well I hope I don't jinx my LC120, D4d, but at just 30 months old, she has 320,000km under her reliable belt.

It's when I get questions as to weather I park it on a rolling road at night, that brings a smile to my face.

Another "smile bringer" is when the Land Rover owners know the price of all the parts !

Yes, I just got a big grin.

G.
Trust me the Prado driven hard has its fair share of problems as well, but kept mainly on the road it will outlast a LR any day, and will not have all the oil leaks and other niggling LR problems. When push comes to shove you cannot beat a beam axle over IFS for hard offroad use, be it LR or Toyota. In saying that if anything ever happens to my wifes series II Disco I think we will replace it with a Prado as her car does not get driven hard off road just touring, dirt roads etc.





Here is a picture or what happens when the bottom ball joint lets go on a prado, this one had to go home on the back of a recovery truck.
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Last edited by Col Campbell; 1 Jun 2008 at 00:07.
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  #3  
Old 1 Jun 2008
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Lets face it any car can have problems with off road use .
The main thing has to be preparation , loads of checks of known faults of what ever type of car you use .
The other thing worth concidering has to be depending where your going is can I repair it in the bush ? lots of modern cars most people cant ..
In landrovers favour in the UK anyway parts are cheap , and the knowledge base is huge .
Having said all that I for one would still stick to my G wagen ..
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Old 1 Jun 2008
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Prado
With all respect but a Prado is not a real Landcruiser, its basically a Hilux with a hardbody.
The real Landcruisers have beam axles in front, even the very modern and up to date 100 series still has a beam axle. So I think the Prado should not be dragged into the comparison between LC and the Defender.

Cheers,
Noel

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Old 1 Jun 2008
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Noel sorry to correct you mate but the new 100 series has IFS with torssion bars which has now been superseeded by the even newer 200 series which has dropped the torssion bars and is now similar to the Prados IFS, it has not really been released long enough to know if they have any problems with the new 200 series yet. I am not 100% sure but I think the solid axle 105 series cruiser is also out of production, maybe it is available in some markets for the UN etc, but I think not as all the UN cruisers that come through Dubai nowdays which get fitted out are the newer style LC70 5 door troppies.

They are no doubt a fantastic vehicle but look worse than my mother in-law, which takes some doing. The ute versions with a decent bullbar looks OK apart from the front axle being wider than the rear.



You can even see in this photo how the front axles is wider than the rear, how the normally level headed Toyota let this happen I don`t know, wheel spacers on the rear solves the problem, but I am not sure of the legalities of running wheel spacers and if over time that maybe it may increase the loadings on wheel bearings etc possibly leading to a failure on vehicles which have spend most of their life heavily loaded.
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Last edited by Col Campbell; 1 Jun 2008 at 09:40.
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  #6  
Old 1 Jun 2008
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LR - with the heart
nibshis - I hav eexactly the same reasons as you for choosing my Defender. With my heart. OK the head says get a very profitiant LC (more money mind) but as you say everytime I turn the key, or jump on the roof I get an amazing sense of happyness.

And to tell the truth, everytime he breaks down (only twice!) I smile, pat him on the side and tell him I love him!

I'm much happier going with my hear tthan my head. People who go with their, by definition won't understand why us fools go with our hearts, because it's not a rational decision

Good luck anyhow. I love my 180k mile, 200tdi.
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Old 3 Jun 2008
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I know my LC120 has front IFS coils (indipendant front suspension ) and rear solid axles, on coils.
This makes them so strong in my opinion.
Also they ride on coils all round, and if Toyota were concerned about the use of IFS on the front's then I am sure they would have thought long and hard about the newer 100 seies, and the newer 200 series.
All of which have the very same suspension as the PRado ( Land Cruiser 120 series )

I don't know much about the other Toyota's, but the LC 120 would probably take a "real good hiding" before she went down on her knees.

All in all, I believe the 2002 and onwards Land Cruisers are pretty hard to beat as an on road, and an off road vehicle.

On the road, the 3.0 liter D4d will cruise effortlessly, loaded up in the rear.

Fuel consumption at a steady 60mph, (100km/h) on cruise control, is a respectable 30 mpg, with about 300kg load in the rear.
With the 87 liter tank (19.1 gallons) has given me 500 miles with quarter tank left.

So, perhaps the older land Cruisers were thirsty, I know, because my son in law has one, but the newer ones are very economical, as far as 4x4's are concerned.

Graham
Last edited by uk_vette; 6 Jun 2010 at 07:13.
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