What's the view/experience on Discovery 3 for 'light' overland travel (morocco, Tunisia, 2-3 weeks).

I was thinking of swapping my 110 to something with more comfort and motorway cruising speed ability...

Hi Camel,

Firstly welcome to the HUBB,

For a quick trip to North Africa where you are not venturing too far from the dealer network and an LR Testbook the D3 is fine.

They are refined on road and will eat up those autoroute clicks to/from North Africa.

The D3 is a very capable vehicle off road, I would be going for the TDV6 auto, in sand, the autobox and terrain response make a great combination.

However, for my money if your driving a 110, then you already have one of the best vehicles for overlanding and the 110 will go places that the D3 will struggle because of its 700 kg heavier kerb weight.

There will also always be the worry of a sensor failure and the possibility of ending up in 'crawl home' mode when you in the middle of a dune field.

Id think about spending some of that considerable D3 cost on making the 110 better, installing D2 high range gears, beter soundproofing, better seats, engine enhancements etc and end up with a great allrounder that you can rely on further off the beaten track.

Also, before you spend your hard earned on a D3 - try a newer Tdci Defender with a 6 speed box- still a higher tech CRD, but the few sensors the Tdci has are generally a lot less prone to off road damage and theres a lot less electrical gubbins to go wrong on the rest of the truck.

That may be a better compromise.

You can also put a brew or a bottle of on the wing without it sliding off.....

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Cheers
Grif

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

There will come a time when we all have to take 'electronic' cars and bikes to the desert! After running Land Rover tdi's alongside a friends TD5 110 in Morocco, Libya and Algeria, the advantages of the modern diesel are without question....

....so I've just "bit the bullet" and bought a Discovery 3 - coil sprung - I don't trust that air suspension gimmickery ;-)

think we'll shake it down in Morocco then maybe a trip to the Gilf...

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Fraser

Well done getting the coil sprung version. It's a great vehicle and very capable offroad. The air suspension doesn't cope well with corrugations. A few years back in Morocco, we had a couple of new Disco 3s with overheating compressors which caused the suspension to drop down to access height. They needed an hour's rest before they would come out to play again.

The roof loading on the Disco 3 is only 50kg offroad, so that's a roofrack a jerry can and er, that's it. The reinforcing brackets above the headlining have a habit of tearing their welds if you overload the roof.

Anyway, there's plenty of room in the back so you shouldn't need much on the roof. If you want a rooftent, put it on a couple of good roof bars.

Remember you'll need to leave access in the back for the spare wheel release. You could mount a Kaymar wheel carrier so you don't have to mess around under the vehicle if you need the spare.

There have been some issues with stray electrical signals interfering with GPS units. I'll need to look back at my trip notes for details.

Happy trails,

Jojo

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Atlas Overland - Specialist adventure tour company providing off-road holidays for 4x4 enthusiasts in Europe and North Africa.
Tours to Morocco, Iceland, Arctic Circle, Portugal, Alps, Pyrenees, Eastern Europe, Corsica, and UK weekend tours.

Thanks for the tips Jojo! Whilst I've been driving and abusing Land Rovers for 20 years, this is a different beast and a step into the unknown!

There is also a lack of information on the web regarding D3's, in terms of who's been where and what fell off!

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Fraser

If you are any good with spanners, I'd be taking a vehicle I can fix without a laptop.

If you have never tried a Discovery 300tdi. Give one a go. You will be very pleased with the gearing and comfort.

If you are no good with spanners, then you are gonna need to find a mechanique in anycase.

In the east of Morocco you are unlikely to find a diagnostics machine tho.
Maybe someone knows otherwise.

I intend to keep using the Tdi for as long as I can buy parts for it - or someone in Brussels decides that I can't drive it anymore...

Yes there are clear advantages with the TDV6 - its has excellent power/torque and good economy, but it is not without problems. I know as I used to work for Land Rover and drive them every day.

Yes the long wheelbase gives a nice smooth ride with minimul overhangs, but on a coiler, you also have a very poor ramp angle without the air suspensions ability to raise the vehicle - Im not a fan of air suspension either, the compressor should be a beefy unit that you can use to adjust tyre pressures and doesnt overheat every 10 minutes.

I havent been in the UK for the last 5 years, but on the first few years of the D3's production, look up under the back bumper and see the steel weights hanging off the chassis - done to try and balance out the engine weight beceause it caused excessive understeer - thats why the thing weighs 2.7 tons.

The disadvantages of a modern diesel are without question too and every vehicle is a compromise - my 90 Tdi is far from perfect, its slow, underpowered and unrefined, but its simplicity and light weight are winners for me -how long I will be allowed to drive it for is another matter.

__________________
Cheers
Grif

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

"Also, before you spend your hard earned on a D3 - try a newer Tdci Defender with a 6 speed box- still a higher tech CRD, but the few sensors the Tdci has are generally a lot less prone to off road damage and theres a lot less electrical gubbins to go wrong on the rest of the truck.

That may be a better compromise.

You can also put a brew or a bottle of on the wing without it sliding off.....[/quote]

Being a Land Rover Mechanic (not franchised!) I'd go for a Disco 3 over a Tdci (Puma) 110 any day. Ask an AA relay driver which white van he picks up most often - Ford Transit with this engine! You can put your , brew, next 10 days rations etc on the wing of the 110 while you work out how to bleed the fuel system when you change the filter. Great! If you're going electric, "in for a penny, in for a pound" as they say. At least be comfortable. If you're slightly taller than average, the 110 dash will make your kneecaps ache on bumpy roads! (Sit in one and see what I mean)
On a short trip, in countries with relatively small distances between settlements and reasonable infrastructure, any well serviced car should see you fine (except a Td5, which I wouldn't take to the shops!) although there's an interesting post about low sulphur diesel elsewhere on the forum. Other than this, the discussion about the most suitable vehicle at this level is, in my opinion, largely academic.