Got the option of fitting a roof tent with all associated HD gear for a 110 or maybe 130. Estimated weight of fully loaded LR over 3000kg.
Alternatively, remove half the weight and take a trailer with a roof tent weighing in at about 1500KG.
So, do I load the LR to near max and scrap the trailer
or
Lighten the LR and take a trailer?
Not going too far off road, used trailers for years so 'qualified' to drive/reverse one!
Any suggestions as to which might be a better set-up?
Cheers
Nige

Are you driving to Tesco's or Cape Town?

Certainly not Tesco's! Fortnum and Mason's maybe...

Route from Oman via Tanzania to South Africa. Working in South Africa and after that...Maybe South America or India and points east.

Can see advantages in both a trailer and lighter vehicle or no trailer and heavier vehicle.

Or maybe I should just get a Unimog?

Absolutely forget the trailer. Those few who have travelled with them across Africa usually regret them. You will (probably) lose all sense of exploration and it will just be a burden in so many ways.

They are better for holidays where you will stay in just one or two places.

Most landies when packed up are around 3,000kg. Drive slowly and you'll be fine.

Fair enough. Was thinking along those lines - whilst used to having a trailer, it does cause problems, especially city parking.

Right, loaded Landie it is.

Thanks very much for the advice - just needed a nudge in the right direction.

Cheers

Nige

If you took a trailer you'd probably end up ditching it in frustration. As RY says it is great for a two week trip to a game park so you can "set up camp" and drive away each morning but otherwise it will be a huge pain.

Think carefully about what you take. You simply can't win trying to pack for every eventuality (and trust me we tried!). The rule is whatever breaks will be the only thing you don't have a spare of. Our Land Rover was nearer the 3500kg mark and it was amazing what we DIDN'T use. Also think very hard about how you organise what you do take. Accessibility is everything for everyday stuff (not so much obscure spares which you can bury). You just won't use what you can't easily access which means you may as well leave it behind.

.
Hi Nigel,

Firstly, sack the trailer off.
Secondly, ditch some of the weight.
3000kg isn't bad, but it is far from good.
In the 3000kg, what weight is Land Rover, and what weight is "extra stuff"

vette

Youve done some great research, which will always be beneficial to you.

the Answer is buy a small 4x4 trailer in SA, and go with a roof top tent on the car getting there.

As youre still figuring out the car, I suggest the Station wagon the side access doors being really useful. 300tdi, because its the most suited... but make sure its fully serviced and has a history, recent replacements. A new car is likely to not be sucha good idea and / or meet budget

Sounds like youre going to use it as a main vehicle when you get to SA in which case be wary of modding it to the point where its impractical to use when you get there as an everyday vehicle.

My pointers are that a Trailer is excellent in SA, as long as youre not going on any trails. If youre going to bring it into Kenya from the North, its basically not going to work at all.
I know I have had my trailer overtake me twice, once with my ball hitch attached to it, and once without. A trailer is useful, to put a roof top tent on and to store a few very light weight bits and bobs, as someone else says, great for leaving as a camp whilst in a safaris park so you can drive off and come back each night.

Essential gear:
>Heavy duty battery. (possibly twin batteries split charged, but I've never seen the need)
> if for whatever reason you are really draining batteries rather get one uprated amp alternator than two. You only need two alternators if it is running something else like a Unipower welder / generator
>Hi Lift Jack, with purpose built jacking points all round the car. Standard Defender bull bar and side is not suitable for jacking it up. Mount it securely, and preferably on the front bumper (move weight forward.)
>Jackable side sills
>Internal / External roll cage which you can mount the Roof top tent onto as well as too much weight up high!
>Twin shocks all around
>Upgrade the suspension system with HD Springs, do it properly, not just a 2 inch lift, get springs that are harder to compress rather than giving more lift.
>Discovery UJ's or at least 1 spare UJ the Disco rubber ones are lighter and are great.
>Two spare wheels, one on bonnet, get as much weight up front as you can, one off rear swing away gate (aids lockable security) make sure you have a third spare tyre if not putting 2 spares in the back. (although wolf style side tyre mount has many benefits)
>Make sure that you know how to, and can change a tyre, I am not convinced that split rims are a good idea given the likely hood of you needing to repeatedly change tyres. By the end of my 2nd Nairobi to Cape town trip, I could switch tyres on the rim in under an hour. I have awesome experience with tubeless tyres, but always carry spare tubes as well. still wouldnt use split rims
>Built in spare fuel tank under front seats.
>Jerry cans red for diesel and blue for water, take more than you need, I make sure that I have 40litres of jerry can diesel, 40 litre diesel under seat spare and 60 litres of water. then spare oil, 2x10 litres and spare hydraulic fluid - thats 300Kgs just of dead weight liquid.
>Improve the cooling system.
Landrovers are built for the UK, where its not traditionally very warm, nor is the altitude anything to write home about. The route you're going on, will challenge the Turbo diesel engines to the max, low speed, high torque, high revs.
Kenlowe fans or similar will help, but improving the intercooler and oil cooling system is a better idea. To help cool the engine, pop the bonnet when resting, or running high revs at low speed.
>I would suggest bonnet latches too, these prevent the bonnet from rattling around too much on hard hits
>Panga and Spade. Absolute must.
>Sound system, a waste of time 95% of the time.
>Heavy duty tyre spanner, and a replacement
>If necessary inverter for general charging (12v - 240v)
>Solar panels to top up the Battery. Dont need much, its a contingency only
>Roof hatch into the rear of the roof top tent is surprisingly useful. WHY? so you can get from the tent into the car without getting onto the ground when a lion is sleeping around / under your car.
>Canvas seat covers, or anything similar.
>Side awning really makes a small difference.
I am a fan of the SAFA roof top tents, they started it and have every option covered, I've used Ezi Awn and Hannibal, but the biggest ones are the coolest. You dont need one, its lighter to just put a full length plywood on the roof section roll cage and then pitch a normal tent up there. But the speed of putting up a roof top tent cant be beaten when youre exhausted and just want protection.
Have the Roof top tent fold forward over the bonnet onto the front bull bar, so you can drive around for better positioning without taking it down.
>You can make a full length bed arrangement out the back by folding forward the rear seats, and having slats that run the width of the Landy, or a Hammock type arrangement, but though enhanced safety, it gets really hot
>If its really really hot a hammock tent cannot be beaten for a cool nights / Afternoons sleep
>12v Fridge, I favour Minus 40, because they retain their temperature over Engels, but the 40 litre engel is legendary, and probably the best bet given its physical size. learn to use it efficiently.
>Diff locks - if you get one fitted, take a spare (the short one) half shaft
>Snatch (dynamic) rope and pulling points more useful than a winch
>2x 70m + of nylon braid rope. uses range from extending the length of a winch cable - hanging showers from trees every use you can ever imagine, and a million you can't. try to get a rope that doesnt stretch
>Winch Personally I choose the hydraulic ones, and have used everything from a manual one (necessary evil) to tir-for's to a block and tackle system to electric winches. (I know Hydraulic ones dont work unless the engine is running, or useless in a flooded engine situation)
4000lbs is more than suitable for overlanding what you will need to use it for, the 8000lbs winches are great for competition use, but not worth the extra weight for overlanding alone. I would rather have a 2500lbs winch than an 8000 one, given the weight on the bumper.
>Pulley block and bumper mounted D ring to double up the capacity.
>If you are going into a desert with a winch, a suitable sand orientated ground anchor is a must, otherwise youre in for a bad wake up call.
>12v Strip lights with 10 meters cable, and a red filter
>Decent 12v spot light with enough cable that you can cover all the way around your vehicle. Rechargeable are more hassle than their weight is worth, and reliability is shaky at best (after 1000kms of african roads)
>Gas cylinders preferably mounted externally.
>Anything mounted externally should be lockable, lots of padlocks one key system. This is a stalling tactic rather than ultimate preventative, to prevent opportunistic theft.
>The window cages are useful, again they prevent hands liberating you of things whilst you are not looking, but ultimately will not help you whilst you are away from the vehicle.
>Fuel transfer / cut off switch thats hidden is not great particularly if you forget, and is just another thing to go wrong. Same with electrical cut off switches.


It all boils down to how much you want to modify an existing vehicle into a dedicated overlander, rather than having a normal car at the end of it.
Additional fuel tanks jackable sills, bull bar, and roof rack / roll cage about the most that you can do without starting to loose value on the car.

> if you're car jacked and then it breaks down 100m away from you, and you were lucky enough to get out safe and (stranded) sound, its not going to end well, rather the bad people are as far away from you as possible with all your stuff.

>Not essential, but built in rear water tank is really useful, in my experience I used water drums more than the tank, but on a few occasions I diddnt get water where I had expected to, and the 40litres under the rear load bed was a life saver. So use this as a reserve rather than your budgeted water supply