Andy Cunningham

Friday – it rained most of the day, varying from heavy rain to torrential downpour, which left us fairly disheartened at the prospect of camping for the weekend at the Abingdon 4×4 Festival. But by the time we left at 4pm, the rain had stopped, the clouds had broken, and all looked well.

We hadn’t got 10 miles when the Dakar died. Well, sort of – I lost all power for a second or two, and then it carried on like nothing had happened. Then, when I stopped to top up the petrol, it wouldn’t restart.

After some fiddling and experimentation, we finally got it going again – this turns out to be more luck than judgement, and I foolishly assume we’ve sorted the problem. The trip to Abingdon was something of a nightmare, with the vehicle stalling several times – but restarting each time.

By the time we’ve arrived it’s a beautiful (though slightly chilly) evening and we get the tent up, dinner cooked, and so on. Our first campsite meal was followed by several beers with the Portsmouth contingent of the Pajero and Land Rover Club.

Saturday morning dawns misty and grey, though there’s a certain pleasure in gazing into the mist over a cup of hot coffee – and an even greater pleasure in watching the mist clear and the sun start to shine.

After a bacon sarnie, I move the Dakar round to the Thames Valley 4×4 Club stand, and wander off around the show. Rather conveniently for me, the Dakar 4×4 Club is right next door, so I get to chat to the guys there, too.

Thanks (I think!) to redneck from the Mud Club Forums for this pic!

This didn’t stop some of the other club members pooting around the course without a care in the world!

I’m just getting really stressed that I can’t refit the distributor cover when Jeff Collarbone from the Range Rover Register shows up, and explains that pulling off the distributor arm without holding the shaft in place can cause the weights in the base to slip and stop it returning into place. Oops. So, in the middle of a field, I get a crash course in repairing the distributor. We replace it, and the engine fires. For five minutes.

The sense of acheivement from rebuilding the dizzy is short lived, so we carry on investigations – and fail to find a spare amplifier at the show. By 5 pm I decide on a plan of action for the morning, and we head out with the Dakar club for dinner at the Beefeater. It was great to put some names to well known faces in the club as well as meet some new ones.

By the time we get back, the charity auction is winding down and the disco and Karaoke is in full swing – so we go and join Paul, Carrie and co. on the Thames Valley Stand – and spent the rest of the evening drinking beer and chatting.

Drinking rather too much beer, it turns out, since I end up having to get dressed twice in the night to head to the loo. Oh, well, worse things happen at sea.

Around 7am on Sunday is a bit of a rude awakening – it’s raining. Heavily. We nervously peer into the porch of the tent to discover water dripping in a few places. Knowing we left stuff in the gazebo the night before, I was a little concerned. I reulctantly pulled on some clothes and dashed for the car where my waterproofs were. Everything seemed OK, and it was too much trouble to get back into bed, so I put the coffee on and watched the rain fizzle out and the clouds clear as another nice day came to be.

Neil (aka Thrasher) had parked next to us, and joined us for a coffee before moving to the Mud Club stand. We fiddled with the Dakar some more, and when it ran for 30 minutes straight we decided to try the off-road course again. We made it 45 minutes around this time before it stalled and stopped. And wouldn’t restart.

Oh, the ignominy of it, being towed off the course twice in two days!

At this point I decide I’m in with a chance of driving home, so we wander around a bit more, pick up some stickers, and take some photos of the action on the off-road course. On the way back, I spot a group of people peering into the engine bay of a Range Rover – and struggling to re-fit the distributor cap.

Hmmmm…. says I. This looks like the problem I had yesterday – and within 5 minutes I’m putting my new found knowledge to use and showing someone else how to rebuild the distributor. Well, we got him running again and off on his way home.

Sadly the Dakar made it no more than 1 mile down the A34 before coming to a halt, and this time it’s staying halted. No go. Nada. Nyet. Nothing.

This time we call the recovery service, they pick us up, and tow the Dakar home. And it still won’t start when we get there; I can only hope that whatever has been intermittent for the last few days has finally failed completely and can be properly diagnosed. Time to order some replacement parts and dig out the wiring diagram!

So here we are at 8:45 pm, more-or-less unpacked, showered and about to have dinner. A frustrating weekend – but at least I got some time on the off-road course, made some new friends, and learned something new! And the tent stayed sufficiently dry, too!

More pictures over on flickr.

Probably not, but this post on The Most Powerful Diesel Engine in the World is something to stop and take a look at.

The Campaign against urban 4x4s has to be the most misguided, idiotic organisation ever to disgrace the fact of this planet. I’m not going to legitimize them by linking to their site, but their Top 10 reasons not to drive an urban 4×4 has to be some of the most content free bullshit I’ve ever seen.

“1. You’re not a farmer

Or a tree surgeon, country vet, wind turbine repairer, dry stone wall engineer or mountain rescue specialist. Unless you are (or in a handful of other occupations) there’s really no need for you to get a big 4×4, particularly if you live in an urban area. Four wheel drive gives you better traction in snow or deep mud, and that’s about it. It does not make your car safer, more manoeuvrable, or enable you to stop any quicker.”

Nearly everyone who buys a Ferrari isn’t a racing car driver, either. 4 wheel drive gives you better traction under acceleration in any conditions. This is a non-sequitiur. It doesn’t following that I should have to have a professional need to justify my choice of vehicle.

“2. Your family fits into a saloon car or people carrier

Most families and their luggage can in fact fit comfortably into a small hatchback. Even if you have lots of kids (and a big dog), an estate car or MPV often has more space than a 4×4 and can fulfil all your daily needs. What did your dad drive you around in when you were small?”

I don’t fit in a small hatchback. The seats are too small (I’m 6’3″) and there isn’t enough headroom. I get back ache bending down to get into the seats. I feel uncomfortable not having a decent view of the road. Again, why should I just buy the smallest car I need. I want comfort, I want to enjoy the journey. And I’d look silly in an MPV without kids.

“3. You will breathe cleaner air

Pollution studies have demonstrated that, in slow traffic, the dirtiest air isn’t being breathed by the cyclists in the gutter or the people waiting for the bus on the pavement, but by those inside the cars in the middle of the road.”

Regardless of what car you’re driving.

But tell me this – would you rather be in a small hatchback sucking air in from the same level as everyone else’s exhaust, or a 4×4 with the air intake 3 feet off the ground?

“4. You will save money

Data at www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk show that it costs around £100 more per month in petrol costs alone to run a 4-litre Range Rover compared with a 2-litre estate car. “

And my 4 litre range rover runs on LPG, costing less per mile than a 2 litre petrol estate car. I might save money if I bought a diesel and chucked out carcinogenic particulates all over the road behind me.

“5. You won’t have to lie to your grandchildren

Our descendants will be left to deal with the effects of climate change caused by our profligate use of fossil fuels. Drivers of 4x4s should start editing their photo albums now.”

I don’t have children, so I won’t have to lie to them. But, by and large my nephews and nieces rather like “Uncle Andy’s cool Range Rover.”

“6. You will be less likely to kill a pedestrian

Most accidents involving pedestrians are caused when they stray onto the road without warning, so your superior driving skills may not help to avoid an accident. However, a better designed car could make all the difference to their survival chances. The greater height and weight of 4x4s, as well as their flat fronts and stiff bonnets, means they are bottom of the class in Euro-NCAP crash tests for pedestrian safety.”

If I am unfortunate enough to kill a pedestrian, it will be down to whether they are stupid enough to walk in front of the car, or whether I’m observant enough to predict what’s going to happen and avoid it. It’s not going to make the slightest bit of difference whether I’m driving a Range Rover or a Mondeo.

“7. You might see a small child early enough to avoid backing over them

Big, tall 4x4s have far bigger rear blind spots than normal cars, making it impossible to see a child for more than 15 feet behind them”

If I can’t see behind me, I get out and look. I know there’s a blind spot and I compensate for it – unlike a smaller car where I’ll not think about it.

“8. You will be less likely to injure people in other cars

The high bumpers on 4x4s can override safety features on other cars, such as side impact bars and crumple zones, and the extra weight of big 4x4s is a hazard in itself. The spare wheel on the back of many 4x4s often takes the place of a rear bumper and increases damage to other cars and the 4×4 itself in a ‘shunt’ incident.”

Actually, the one time I was in a shut incident, the car I got pushed into was the one that wasn’t damaged. The extra weight of the 4×4 absorbed the force of the car behind, saving the driver in front from damage.

“9. You will have a better time driving

Big 4x4s are notoriously difficult to park due to their poor visibility close to the car. When cornering, the high centre of gravity of a 4×4 reduces the responsivenesss and takes all the fun out of it. Don’t expect to nip away from traffic lights either, due to all that extra weight.”

I enjoy the 4×4 better than any other car I’ve driven. I’ve got a better view, nice clear views of the straight sides and corners, and I’m not tempted to drive inappropriately fast.

“10. People won’t think you are an ‘idiot’

In an ordinary car, you won’t get dirty looks from all and sundry when you drive around town, won’t have to avoid eye contact with bus passengers, and cyclists won’t mouth obscenities as they squeeze past you in a queue of traffic. As an extra bonus, other drivers might occasionally let you pull out ahead of them.”

No-one gives me dirty looks, not even when I’m driving the Dakar. I might get envious ones, waves from other Land Rover drivers, and plenty of other drivers let me out. I think I might stop letting narrow minded cretins out, though.

A great day out with the TV 4×4 Club (that’s Thames Valley, not Transvestites!)

Pics here and here – I was too busy having fun to take many pics today.

This has to be one of the best sites I’ve been to – what a day! Shame it took me two hours to get home from Bicester.

Thanks to Alan (owner of the pink “Mange Rover”) for the pic.

“I’ve been in some wonderful cars, and I’ve been in some real sheds, but I’ve never been in a car that turned so many heads”.

— My Dad, after a ride in the Dakar.

Well, I got the spanners out this morning!

After my success yesterday at tracing the wiring fault on the Range Rover, I decided to tackle some of the outstanding little jobs on the Dakar today.

• Speedo not working traced to a broken cable. Need to order a new one.
• Tightened the handbrake as much as I could; it’s either a cable stretched beyond use or the shoes are too worn to have any useful effect. Need to remove the housing to check, which is a job for another day.
• Figured out how to fit the storage boxes, and Hammerited them in silver. Oh, and fitted them.
• Tracked down the noise on full left lock to the steering pump drive belt slipping. The drive belt seemed a little slack, so I’ve tightened it up and we’ll see if that fixes it. If not, I suspect I have something more serious to investigate.
• The gas strut holding the bonnet up has given up the ghost. Time to order a new one.
• Found the cause of the noise from the heater fan – a plastic tray from a packet of biscuits had fallen into the intake. I wonder how that got there (since I always throw mine into the back!)

I’d been mulling over getting a nice secure box for the back of the Dakar, but it was looking a little expensive.

Anchor Supplies have got some ex-military ammo boxes going for about £6 each. Several of these will make a more than adequate substitute, methinks. I’ve bought some, and some silver Hammerite to make them look a bit less military. I just need to figure out how to mount them, now.

Prompted by a question on the Mud Club website today, I wrote a quick summary of the options for installing a dual battery setup. This is a slightly longer version of that.

Like all things, there’s no one right answer to this. The right dual battery configuration depends on what you want to do with it, and what vehicle you have.

What’s it for?

Typically, a second battery is used for one of a few applications:

1. Lighting, radios etc when parked up.
2. Winches
3. Fridges or other in-car appliances which may be left running when the vehicle is unattended.

Winches are the biggest challenge, with high current draw and often needing to be recharged quickly.

Second Battery Location

The biggest constraint is where you place the second battery. On some Discos, you can turn the main battery around and fit a second one. Some Classic Rangies have space under the air intake. Under the spare wheel works on a P38A. In my Dakar, there are twin battery boxes in the back of the cabin. Find a spot, and secure the biggest battery you can find.

Type of Battery

The other important decision is what type of battery. For most purposes, a deep discharge type is better than a starting battery. Starting batteries produce higher current at peak load, but can be damaged by deep discharging (e.g., running a fridge all night). If you’re not getting into huge demands on the winch, a starting type battery may still be OK – and cheaper – than an expensive Yellow Top Optima. Which leads me on to battery types: Optima are held up as the gold standard for both starting (Red) and deep discharge (Yellow) types. But they’re expensive – over £125 each. You can throw away a £40 cheapy every year for the duration of the Optima warranty for that. So think before spending the money.

Dual Charge Control

The final decision to make is what kind of control circuitry you want. There are a few options again.

1. The simplest option is just to wire the batteries in parallel. +ve to +ve, -ve to -ve. Job done. Each battery will drain and charge more-or-less equally. But there will be slight battery drainage when left unused as imabalances develop and drain the batteries. This isn’t likely to be noticeable in normal use, but it’s worth disconnecting either or both if you’re leaving the vehicle for any length of time.
2. The mid range solution is to use a high current relay, powered by the alternator, to switch the second battery on when the engine is running. When the engine is off, the main battery and the vehicle is dead, and a separate isolator controls power to the accessory circuits. This can be augmented by a voltage controller for things like a fridge which will kill the power once the battery discharges to a certain level to avoid completely draining the battery.
3. The high end solution is a dual battery controller and monitor. These are best kept for expendition vehicles, since most people can find better ways to spend £300 or more.

Alternator

Ok, so there’s one more thing to think about, especially on older vehicles. With two emtpy batteries there will be a huge load on the vehicle’s charging system. You may need to think about either uprating the existing alternator, or fitting a second one.

So what did I do?

My requirements were pretty straightforward. I wanted to power a winch, and provide secondary power for a radio, external work lights and a fridge without discharging the starting battery. I added the largest standard car battery that would fit, with the X-Charge relay. The work lights, dash power to the CB and +12v sockets, and +12v sockets in the back are all connected to the second battery isolator. I’m going to add a bypass alternator at some point, and possibly a set of X-Jump leads for easy jump starting of other vehicles.

The Dakar has landed.

What a blast.

I took the Dakar to a “pay and play” day at Speen, near High Wycombe yesterday. A great day out was had by one and all.

I was pleased at the Dakar’s ability (and I think I can flatter myself that a little driving skill helped, too). I pretty much drove everything I attempted, though it took a couple of attempts to judge the right amount of power to climb out of some of the holes.

I did decide discretion was the better part of valour on some of the obstacles, and declined to attempt two of the “bomb holes” – one that I hadn’t seen anyone drive out of, and the other that seemed to be a little tight unless you had one of the little Suzukis.

In the undergrowth