Go Back   Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB > 4 wheels > Light Overland Vehicle Tech
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 Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



Like Tree4Likes

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10 Dec 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: granada,spain
Posts: 349
Crap Build Quality

I am currently in Eastern Turkey 4000km into a journey from Dubai to Spain.

My LRDefender Puma is 12 mths old a so far this trip the:

a)Passenger door handle has come off.

b)The rrear door lock is jammed and operates on manual key only

c)In temperatures of -23C night and -6C day it will not start before 11am in direct sunlight(don't blame it for this one to much!).

d)Gaps in door panels on passengers side have my navvo(wife)constantly sitting in a draft.

I love LRs and have owned Disco's and driven Defenders for years. When I bought this 'bells and whistles'one in Dubai I thought the build quality may have improved but if anything it's worse.

On the plus side we have now been on some icy tracks in the mountains that I would only have ttrusted in a Def.

On a lighter note I am getting 8.4 k er l at 2400m altitude and approx 9.5 k per l below 1300m so this is good.

I am very sad that LR cannot improve the build quality on this otherwise superb machine. I can only put this down to ongoing lack of respect for their customers.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10 Dec 2011
chris's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: GOC
Posts: 3,335
Without wanting to to be flamed by the LR-mafia, you're surprised by the poor build quality by the Pride of Longbridge (or is it Cowley?)?

Have you checked your glow plugs (I presume it's a diesel)? Maybe try replacing them. Talking of flaming, have you tried preheating your motorblock by lighting your camping stove underneath? I used an electric blower heater on my diesel VW van engine outside my house and this worked.

Also did this on my m/c in the snowy Moroccan Atlas:




Bike started first time. Matey next door in his 4x4 took an hour.

cheers Chris

Last edited by chris; 10 Dec 2011 at 21:51. Reason: grammar
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10 Dec 2011
spooky's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Utopia/Germany
Posts: 279
well.. yeah Land Rover... trusty old bugger.. can't help you with the drafty doors.. it's a Land Rover, that wants to breath...

being a petrol head my self, used to drive a ex-MoD LR101 3.5Lt V8 petrol Soft-top from 1975 for 15 years on SU-carps... never encountered starting problems like you described, not even in Scandinavian winter, unless the battery was flat... sound's like you are pushing a diesel... hopefully not a TDI...

one tip.. if you want to hit the snow covered roads before 11am, even witout waiting for the sun to come up...well do what the local HGV driver do... make a fire in a bucket and push it under the engine sump to pre heat the engine.. sound's like you got non-winter diesel in your tank, where the diesel starting to get stiff and sluggish under constant sub-zero conditions.. you may mix some small amount of petrol or clean petroleum (but not the nice smelling flavoured one) in to the tank too..

about the rear door... grease in the door lock went stiff regarding the low temperature, which is normal in winter... don't worry about that...

hope that helps..
take care on the icy roads...

ps...
can't help my self, but have to declare the following:
Petrol is good for driving vehicles, may else...
Diesel is good for heating houses, may for ships as well...
LPG is good for cooking only (but not outdoors in winter), may useful for nice blow-up cine explosions effects as well..
__________________
The trouble is that he was talking in philosophy, but they were listening in gibberish.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11 Dec 2011
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: N.Yorkshire
Posts: 336
landrovers need leaky doorseals, to let the water back out, or else they would fill up in a rainstorm. A petrol stove well below the sump for an hour before starting would help it, also keep the battery warm, they hate the cold.
At -35c oil starts turning to rubber, don't attempt to cold start an engine then. Landrovers have their place...... but I wouldn't have one with any electronics, especially lucas.
__________________
Harley Davidsons,
The most effective way of turning petrol into noise without the side-effect of horsepower
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11 Dec 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: J10 M40 UK
Posts: 362
a thermotop fuel heater would be the thing you should have fitted as they enable the engine to be heated without it running . can also heat inside of vehicle as well including battery compartment . Unfortunately as Landrover has become seduced by modern motoring bling requirements , they as well as other so called SUVs have lost the plot . My 85 110 handles extreme weather far better than the newer ones . If you want to know what to build a extreme vehicle look at Tatra and Zil for ideas. JMHO
__________________
Current : 2007 Mowag Bucher Duro 6x6 Motorhome , 2006 Sedici 4x4, 2007 Range Rover supercharged
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11 Dec 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Wiltshire,UK
Posts: 288
From following threads on the Defender2 forum, it seems that the latest (past year or so) defenders seem to have increased in quality...slightly.... a little bit.


So there's hope yet!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12 Dec 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: London
Posts: 621
When I saw the 'Crap Build Quality' title of this thread, I wondered momentarily if the whole Land Rover Overland Tech forum had been renamed to something more apt
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12 Dec 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: J10 M40 UK
Posts: 362
Crap build quality is always the reason whatever toyota, nissan land rover etc has let you down , its never the ones that do the job no probs which is the majority
__________________
Current : 2007 Mowag Bucher Duro 6x6 Motorhome , 2006 Sedici 4x4, 2007 Range Rover supercharged
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 13 Dec 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 194
-23 shouldn’t be such a big deal, sounds like you may not have winter diesel? You can get additives but I for one would be very wary of adding any significant amount of petrol. Common rail diesels (Puma engines) are very susceptible to injector pump and or injector damage if they have poor quality fuel or petrol in the mix. Big bucks to fix, in to the thousands.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 13 Feb 2013
roamingyak's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Portugal
Posts: 1,134
For the door there are some seals that you can buy - good for dust, noise reduction etc. From a South African forum:

"I then found the part numbers (see below) got onto Britcar and ordered them.

1 x LR029307, LR029307 WEATHERSTRIP - DOOR – LOWER (Rear)
1 x LR029308, LR029308 WEATHERSTRIP - DOOR - LOWER (Rear)
2 x LR029309, LR029309 WEATHERSTRIP - DOOR – LOWER (front)

The front doors are interchangeable. The rear doors have to be ordered as a right and a left."

Too late now I guess - but it's common in colder countries like Russia to heat up your fuel tank and maybe sump in cold conditions before starting. Your oil (from Dubai?) and remains of diesel might not be for colder climates. Also check your water/coolant balance is the maximum for coolant (in my older model it's 50% according to the book).
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 27 Oct 2014
Gold Member
HUBB regular
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 89
Quote:
Originally Posted by tony johnston View Post
I am currently in Eastern Turkey 4000km into a journey from Dubai to Spain.

My LRDefender Puma is 12 mths old a so far this trip the:

a)Passenger door handle has come off.

b)The rrear door lock is jammed and operates on manual key only

c)In temperatures of -23C night and -6C day it will not start before 11am in direct sunlight(don't blame it for this one to much!).

d)Gaps in door panels on passengers side have my navvo(wife)constantly sitting in a draft.

I love LRs and have owned Disco's and driven Defenders for years. When I bought this 'bells and whistles'one in Dubai I thought the build quality may have improved but if anything it's worse.

On the plus side we have now been on some icy tracks in the mountains that I would only have ttrusted in a Def.

On a lighter note I am getting 8.4 k er l at 2400m altitude and approx 9.5 k per l below 1300m so this is good.

I am very sad that LR cannot improve the build quality on this otherwise superb machine. I can only put this down to ongoing lack of respect for their customers.
A door handel had fell off and a lock froze and a bit of a draft, get a life its an adventure, you make me sick or get two wheels.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 28 Oct 2014
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Oxford UK
Posts: 2,116
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thefastone View Post
get a life ..... you make me sick

Friend of yours is he?
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 1 Nov 2014
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 1,232
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thefastone View Post
A door handel had fell off and a lock froze and a bit of a draft, get a life its an adventure, you make me sick or get two wheels.
bit of unnecessary trolling that
__________________
1990 Landcruiser H60. Full rebuild completed 2014
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 3 Nov 2014
Gipper's Avatar
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Saltspring Island,Canada/Poole,UK
Posts: 1,081
Quote:
Originally Posted by moggy 1968 View Post
bit of unnecessary trolling that
Yes, well said Moggy.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Thefastone View Post
A door handel had fell off and a lock froze and a bit of a draft, get a life its an adventure, you make me sick or get two wheels.

Perhaps if Thefastone had spent a big chunk of cash on a new "two wheels" and parts started to fall off after 4000 kms he would be slightly "pissed off"......???

Land Rover Defenders are not cheap vehicles, lots of us on here travel on 2 and 4 wheels, sometimes we need to carry family and pets and/or do charity work carrying equipment - please keep it polite and respectful - or go elsewhere.

Any updates on your trip and how the Landy is performing Tony ?
__________________
Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca

Last edited by Gipper; 3 Nov 2014 at 05:02.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 3 Nov 2014
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: SW France
Posts: 304
Is it build quality or fundamental in the design. Defenders are a rugged go anywhere vehicle, comfort is very low on the list of priorities as are door locks I suspect. Whilst I agree it is galling to spend a lot of money on a new vehicle which has or soon develops annoying faults and bits start dropping off but would anyone buy them if they were as faultless as the Japanese models - where would the fun be in that!

In this day and age it's all become too easy and, to be honest, if the door handle and a draft are your biggest issues, it is pretty easy. This is why so many overlanders are rebuilding older vehicles and rising to the challenge of keeping the thing going along the way.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
On the road fuel quality Jtw000 Route Planning 2 4 Nov 2011 22:06

 
 

Announcements

Thinking about traveling? Not sure about the whole thing? Watch the HU Achievable Dream Video Trailers and then get ALL the information you need to get inspired and learn how to travel anywhere in the world!

Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's the list of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now
, and add your information if we didn't find you.

Next HU Eventscalendar

ALL Dates subject to change.

2025 Confirmed Events:

  • Virginia: April 24-27 2025
  • Queensland is back! May 2-4 2025
  • Germany Summer: May 29-June 1 2025
  • CanWest: July 10-13 2025
  • Switzerland: Date TBC
  • Ecuador: Date TBC
  • Romania: Date TBC
  • Austria: Sept. 11-15
  • California: September 18-21
  • France: September 19-21 2025
  • Germany Autumn: Oct 30-Nov 2 2025

Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!

Questions about an event? Ask here

See all event details

 
World's most listened to Adventure Motorbike Show!
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...

Adventurous Bikers – We've got all your Hygiene & Protection needs SORTED! Powdered Hair & Body Wash, Moisturising Cream Insect Repellent, and Moisturising Cream Sunscreen SPF50. ESSENTIAL | CONVENIENT | FUNCTIONAL.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.

Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.

Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!


 

What others say about HU...

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia

"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK

"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia

"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA

"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada

"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa

"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia

"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany

Lots more comments here!



Five books by Graham Field!

Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook

"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.



Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!

New to Horizons Unlimited?

New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!

Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.

Susan and Grant Johnson Read more about Grant & Susan's story

Membership - help keep us going!

Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.

You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.




All times are GMT +1. The time now is 15:56.