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Thanks for your reply (and all the other people as well).
We always bring our Ryobi tire inflator, and food and water since we like lunch on the road. I agree with you on the tires, and it is true we’ve got wranglers, however the tire shop that fixed our tire after the little incident last time told my dad (the owner of the car) the tires were fine for off-roading with Kevlar side walls :/ So he’ll probably decide to replace them once we’ve got a slashed sidewall.
We do air down our tires for sandy conditions, but afaik not last time (we were in a somewhat rocky forest area).
Our vehicle is equipped with all the off-roading kit, so it does have TR2, air suspension and the locking rear diff. Good to know that the automatic setting isn’t always the best.
Finally, about that ‘bring a friend’ bit, we don’t really know many people that like off-roading. We do have a friend with a Defender, but they aren’t too keen on getting it dirty.
Would an ARB Speedy Seal II Tyre Repair Kit be suffice for tire repair?
We have a few GME radios (UHF) from boating in the past but they are pretty old and we should probably get some new ones.
A set of tools I can get together, with a shovel being pretty easy as well.
We have been quoted $15,000 AU for a winch from LR, so I think I’ll give that a pass.
For soft shackles & other recovery gear, George 4x4 has good gear made in Brisbane.
I’ll definitely have a look into that Ronnie Dahl guy, thanks for the tip.
In terms of recovery equipment a shovel and gloves I think we should already have - because they are just gardening equipment - but in terms of mounting the shovel what would you recommend? We have a rhinorack full length roof rack fyi. I’ve found a ARB tire repair kit, were you talking about the ‘Speed Seal II Tyre Repair Kit’? Air inflation is covered with our Ryobi tyre inflator. In terms of communication I’ll have to have a look. UHF appears to be the close range standard here, so I’ll get some hand held ones for the moment, and car mounted may be considered later. Will look into Garmin emergency signal stuff, however we don’t venture too far out and people come down the trails semi-frequently but as confidence increases so will isolation from the built up world. In terms of tow stuff and its rating, this is what I’ve got: TJM tow bar mounted shackle TJM soft shackle. Rating on label Tow rope (not elastic). Rating on label
Good? I think another soft shackle wouldn’t be in vain.
Now, let’s talk about jacks. What are the benefits to bottle and hylift jacks? Where should I store them? Which one should I have? (Edit: you sort of answered in your post, I looked over it whoops) Asking here because Defender specific info would be appreciated (the jacking points are so stupid!!!).
I don’t have a winch so do I need the xlock and all that other stuff with it?
I think our current traction boards will do ok for now, so if it does break I think some proper ones would be the next step.
Thanks for your reply (and all the other people as well).
We always bring our Ryobi tire inflator, and food and water since we like lunch on the road. I agree with you on the tires, and it is true we’ve got wranglers, however the tire shop that fixed our tire after the little incident last time told my dad (the owner of the car) the tires were fine for off-roading with Kevlar side walls :/ So he’ll probably decide to replace them once we’ve got a slashed sidewall.
We do air down our tires for sandy conditions, but afaik not last time (we were in a somewhat rocky forest area).
Our vehicle is equipped with all the off-roading kit, so it does have TR2, air suspension and the locking rear diff. Good to know that the automatic setting isn’t always the best.
Finally, about that ‘bring a friend’ bit, we don’t really know many people that like off-roading. We do have a friend with a Defender, but they aren’t too keen on getting it dirty.
It is a common misconception that the JLR-spec Wranglers have Kevlar sidewall. They don't. Every other version of the Wrangler Adventures come with layers of Kevlar in the sidewall that do add a lot of strength to the tires. JLR omits the Kevlar to keep the weight down at the expense of durability. The JLR spec is about 20 lbs. lighter than the off-the-shelf Adventures. The normal versions of this tire also have a 3PMSF rating, which the JLR-spec doesn't have. They might look like the normal Adventures, but they are not the same. Hell, even Goodyear themselves categorize it as an all-season. Tires are the most important thing on a vehicle, and having the right tire for the job is incredibly important. The Wrangler Adventures have excellent road manners, and are more than enough for dirt tracks and decent in the snow. Like I said, if you have any intention of going moderately off-road on a demi-regular basis, you will need to get better tires.
I’ve found a ARB tire repair kit, were you talking about the ‘Speed Seal II Tyre Repair Kit’? Air inflation is covered with our Ryobi tyre inflator. In terms of communication I’ll have to have a look. UHF appears to be the close range standard here, so I’ll get some hand held ones for the moment, and car mounted may be considered later. Will look into Garmin emergency signal stuff, however we don’t venture too far out and people come down the trails semi-frequently but as confidence increases so will isolation from the built up world. In terms of tow stuff and its rating, this is what I’ve got:
The ARB kits are first rate. I, and I"ll wager many here, have the same one. I have come to prefer the other brand - GlueTread - as that kit can patch a puncture and a torn sidewall. The ARB kit is essentially a plug kit (I consider it best for punctures only) and it gets really troublesome to try and patch a torn sidewall with plugs (don't ask me how I know). The LRD spare tire is great - until there's no longer a spare as it was needed. Then trip planning can be impacted. From your other posts it sounds appears you're traveling in reasonably frequented travel areas so until you venture further it may be non issue.
I don't have experience with Ryobi battery run kit or tools as I use other brands. If the Ryobi is battery powered you can get to all four tires - if it's running off the accessory outlet(s) make sure the power cord reaches everywhere or the air hose is log enough - better a foot too long than an inch too short. The only issue will be time - the Ryobi will take longer to fill - but that's fine as it's not a race. You can adapt gear if/when your interested in more remote travel increases.
Hand held radios is what I carry and are sufficient for trail use. In a group situation it can get tricky depending on range apart on trail but that's another subject.
You're spot on with the Garmin comment - if you're in frequented areas it may be a non issue until you start venturing further. For what it's worth, we found having the Spot and InReach systems over the years have served us well for both motorcycle (road and off-road) trips and 4-wheel vehicle trips whether they're on or off-road. So that may be a general lifestyle integration discussion as even iPhones now offer SOS functions.
TJM tow bar mounted shackle
worth making sure the hitch pin is also rated as it takes the load. Again, I like the Factor55 ones as if memory servers when I asked them the load rating it was 50000 lbs or more than enough.
TJM soft shackle. Rating on label + Tow rope (not elastic). Rating on label
A tow rope is worth having and can be used for extraction in a pinch - just don't lay the hammer down as it's not a dynamic/elastic rope. I won't comment on rating on labels for ropes or shackles2 as I can't do the conversions in my head anymore :-) LOL Just ensure they are rated/sufficient for the weight of your LRD as it's kitted out
I think another soft shackle wouldn’t be in vain.
More shackles provide more rigging options and options are always good to have. Two is certainly a minimum for single line connections - one at your vehicle one at mine.
Now, let’s talk about jacks. What are the benefits to bottle and hylift jacks? Where should I store them? Which one should I have? (Edit: you sort of answered in your post, I looked over it whoops) Asking here because Defender specific info would be appreciated (the jacking points are so stupid!!!).
I have all three:
LRD scissor jack: I only have it 'cos it came with the rig but it's never my first choice for anything and has never been unpacked
Bottle Jack: I have the bottle hydraulic jack with adaptors that let me lift from the official pinch weld point (now covered by my rock rail mounts), from the rock rails, or from virtually any structural point on the LRD. I have always preferred hydraulic bottle jacks for general vehicle use (spare tire changes etc) as they're more convenient and faster in my experience. The pinch weld lift adaptor was blessing prior to installing rock rails.
Hi-Lift: I would never use a Hi-Lift jack to change a tire (with 'never' being a situational decision) as they're truly not made for that. Advantages to the hi-lift is in it's ability to lift from different parts of the vehicle - from the wheel/rim - from rock rails - from the trailer hitch point, etc, with the correct adaptors that are extra to their general kit. Other benefits are using it as a manual winch or to raise the LRD by its wheel to get a traction board under a tire when in the muck. It's possible uses are almost endless with some creative thinking when in a pinch: Example I've used it at home to pull out tree stumps or lift my garage to reset the wire lift for it's rollers/track. The utility of one's imagination is king :-) However, again based on your use case statements in other message here, it doesn't sound like the hi-lift is essential kit for where you are venturing today.
I don’t have a winch so do I need the xlock and all that other stuff with it?
A winch is NOT required to use the X-Lock nor is the X-Lock required to use a winch or any of the other components being discussed. I listed the winch at the bottom of my 'need' list as all the other stuff is useful together with - or without - a winch. So an X-Lock isn't a minimum requirement in that context, simply something that would be good to have when expanding an existing kit of parts and skill sets in rigging things up.
I think our current traction boards will do ok for now, so if it does break I think some proper ones would be the next step.
We agree as mentioned previously
Overall I will say just get out there and do it - don't over think things but be mindful of the environment you're heading into. Training is always best tied to real world experience. If you're traveling with mates have gear discussions before heading out. If you're traveling in well frequented areas I'll wager folks will always stop to lend a hand (at least that's been my experience).
@Huc , I’ve had a look into GlueTread, they seem like the real deal. But the only stores near me are at the northern and southern coastal cities (Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast for any aussies) which is a bit of a drive - maybe could pick up on an expedition.
The Ryobi battery powered air pump is perfect for doing the tires, we’ve done it several times before and has heaps of battery power - it uses the same batteries as power drills and stuff.
The tow bar shackle has a max load of 4750 kg, and the Defender weighs 2100 kg. Enough tolerance?
Now, on the toe rope, what exactly is a rope rope used for? And, what is the difference between a ****** strap and a kinetic rope?
In terms of jacking with the bottle jack, are you referring to this as the pinch weld?
Thats a silly question. But anyway, where is the pinch weld that you can jack the car from? Also, where do you store your bottle jack in the car? I’m apprehensive about losing the factory styrofoam insert for a metal one because I don’t want everything to be rolling around or something to go wrong and the sensitive electronics beneath get smashed/wet.
I’ll go watch some videos of hi lift jacks now because I don’t understand how they work
Edit: how does that even mount to a defender?
