What vehicle for bushcraft?

[Fishd]

While not waging in full-on to the Landrover debate (mine is currently 48 years old and with a little tlc should hopefully be useful once more) I do have a little to say about alternative fuel-sources.

People need to be aware of a difference in diesel alternatives.

Bio-diesel is being used as a generic term when it actually applies to a product created specifically as a vehicle fuel from plant product. This does cause issues that some people have correctly raised in this thread, such as 'could UK farmers grow enough to support UK vehicular use?' and 'how is shipping bio-diesel from countries that destroy rain-forest to grow it considered green?' ...

However, most people tend to use the term bio-diesel to cover the use of 'WVO' or Waste-Vegetable-Oil also.

WVO is taking the by-product of your local McDonalds/Chippy/Chinese, filtering it, pouring it into a pre-heater tank in your car and running on it.*

Now, most local fast food places pay to have their waste oil disposed of, so up to now, they seemed quite happy to give it away. Now however as alternative fuels are catching on, expect them to start asking for a little folding green-stuff in return.

As Red mentioned earlier, carbon off-setting your car is a good, admittedly not perfect but good, way to start going greener! www.carbonneutral.com is an organisation I use currently, others are available including the Woodland Trust I believe.

*Yes, your vehicle will need modifying to run WVO effectively whereas technically it should run on bio-diesel without fettling.

 

[cyclist]

very good points.
A green engine is useless if the fuel production is a problem.

If you modify your diesel engine with an ignition system you´d avoid particles. Particles in the exhaust gas are a result of the self-igniting principle of diesel engines.

To me the "greenest" engine would be the fuel cell (just guess why they are used in submarines now), followed by the gas turbine (Volvo does some interesting experiments) - both connected to electric wheel drives

 

[dave k]

very good points.
A green engine is useless if the fuel production is a problem.

If you modify your diesel engine with an ignition system you´d avoid particles. Particles in the exhaust gas are a result of the self-igniting principle of diesel engines.

To me the "greenest" engine would be the fuel cell (just guess why they are used in submarines now), followed by the gas turbine (Volvo does some interesting experiments) - both connected to electric wheel drives

Rover had a gas-turbine engine they trialled in an old P6 in the late seventies.. It didn't last very long though.. I think the fuel consumption was a bit much, and the torque was too high (it's rpm's are a lot higher than a normal engine)

 

[cyclist]

thousands of experiments have been made with gas turbines in lots of wheeled vehicles (cars, trucks, trains), the main problem was adaption to a mechanical drivetrain resulting in enormous fuel consumption. (Even the turbo-compound truck engine took a good deal of experimenting before Scania offered it - others have experimented as well and got a lot of temperature etc. problems. The trick was the adaption of turbine speed to crankshaft speed. No big deal in giant ship engines ...)

I guess thats why Volvo couples the turbine to a generator, that way the turbine runs in optimal range indepently from vehicle speed (it charges batteries when needed, everything else is electro drive).

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

How about this one ......

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1988-LAND-ROV...7QQihZ014QQcategoryZ29748QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[cyclist]

like most other 4x4´s a Landy has just one engine ....

If you want a real cross country vehicle with font, rear or all wheel drive try to get a Citroen 2CV Sahara www.2cv-net.de/speyer/sahara.htm

Since they are very rare and expensive you could also (with little effort) convert a standard 2CV to a twin engine version

 

[bent-stick]

How about one of these...

http://englishrussia.com/?p=381#more-381

 

[Swede]

Here´s my car. Before:

After:

. This spring I´m going to change the engine because of engine failure. The B18 A engine is 64 hp and I´m going to put in a B20 with 82 hp, WOW! /Swede

 

[havingagiraffe]

Nice truck. Is it the one with portal axles and diff locks?

 

[Swede]

Hi! Thanks! This model has no portal axles and no diff locks. It´s the model after, Volvo TGB 11 (C303). Mine is only equipped with a diff brake in the rear axle which only work if I travel straight forward. The gear box has got four gears and the distribution gearbox: 2 wd (rear axle), 4 wd high, neutral (for the winch) and 4 wd low. Maximum recommended speed is 90 km/h (approx 56 miles/h). But then the steeringwheel has been shaking for a while since 70 km/h (43 miles/h) . This car is just for fun. I´ve got a Toyota Corolla Touring '88 which is also an 4x4. It´s necessary when you live in the woods . /Swede

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Me like that truck lots

 

[firebreather]

i own a suzuki vitara and drive it daily as well as go off roading. It always puts a smile on my face when it goes places where it should not be able to. The weak point in my zook is me. they are great off road buit limited in space for people and kit so i got some roof bars and a box .Problem solved Cheap as chips lol
never underestimate the small guys !

 

[Bhod]

I'll give up my 34 year old ex-mil airportable Land Rover when you can prise the keys from my cold dead fingers.

Truck Utility, 1/2 Ton, Rover, Series III, 4x4, the original fly drive vehicle
:You_Rock_

 

[saffy]

I'll give up my 34 year old ex-mil airportable Land Rover when you can prise the keys from my cold dead fingers.

"cold dead fingers" ? more like "dead cold fingers" from pushing the thing up the M1 not so long ago

the original fly drive vehicle

Yes, air transport is the only way your truck can currently move You should unbolt the floors like mine and pedal it around Freddy Flintstone style. Get that spare gearbox fitted!

 

[Bhod]

"cold dead fingers" ? more like "dead cold fingers" from pushing the thing up the M1 not so long ago

Git

Yes, air transport is the only way your truck can currently move You should unbolt the floors like mine and pedal it around Freddy Flintstone style. Get that spare gearbox fitted!

Git, git

 

[havingagiraffe]

Hi! Thanks! This model has no portal axles and no diff locks. It´s the model after, Volvo TGB 11

That's the one I was thinking of. Even without portals and lockers it'd probably still eat my Defender for breakfast... .

 

[Swede]

@ havingagiraffe

Hmm, I think both our cars have advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage is that it can roll over easily. Think military Hummer, they won´t. Mine is high with a metallic top wich give a high centre of gravity. One advantage is that the spare parts are easy to find. Many parts are from Volvo Duett and Volvo Amazon (both cars from the 60's). If I could afford, I would buy an old Land Rover (serie 1 or serie 2). /Swede

 

[havingagiraffe]

@ havingagiraffe

Hmm, I think both our cars have advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage is that it can roll over easily. Think military Hummer, they won´t. Mine is high with a metallic top wich give a high centre of gravity. One advantage is that the spare parts are easy to find. Many parts are from Volvo Duett and Volvo Amazon (both cars from the 60's). If I could afford, I would buy an old Land Rover (serie 1 or serie 2). /Swede

Hummers are too wide and uneconomical for European or Scandinavian roads...but ideal for wide open, oil rich desert areas....

If you really want an old Land Rover, this one is still available...although it'd be a very long drive back to Sweden http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=13623 I've since swapped the Td5 I mentioned for a Tdi (and a pile of cash )but the 88"'s still here.

 

[Swede]

@ havingagiraffe

Right, my car is ideal for sneaking around in the forest were the Hummer just would stuck.

The Swedish military decided to purchase a 4x4 from South Africa:
http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/bil/story/0,2789,664261,00.html, Galten (the Boar).

I want one..... /Swede

 

[havingagiraffe]

@ havingagiraffe

Right, my car is ideal for sneaking around in the forest were the Hummer just would stuck.

The Swedish military decided to purchase a 4x4 from South Africa:
http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/bil/story/0,2789,664261,00.html, Galten (the Boar).

I want one..... /Swede

Looks very tasty. http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59688
I think they used to have something similar based on the Bedford MK chassis with an inverted triangle shaped floorpan to divert the force of landmines if they exploded beneath the vehicle. I'm not a big fan of violence , but I have to admit that military vehicles :BlueTeamE fascinate me.