After many months of searching I have finally found a half decent D2 to use as a base to build up an overland rig. Still kicking myself for selling our original D2 which was pretty much mint except for the blown engine. Anyway I have found a 2004 with a top hat engine that has approx 80k on it. The rest of the truck is at 200k. The body is in good shape and no clear coat issues. The frame is good except for the rear which will need to be replaced at some point but is not too bad yet. I plan on stripping this truck down and going through everything and replace parts that need it. The previous owner took good care of this vehicle and had most service records going back years since it was purchased by him in 2006.

The plan is to install at least a 2” lift, dual battery setup, roof rack and tent, 33” tires, front and rear steel bumpers and rock sliders to start. Really liking the bumpers/sliders that Dark Crow Designs is putting out but haven’t 100% decided yet. Anyway first thing first, to get the truck in order and make sure it’s running good before any goodies are added.

I have begun the interior strip out, removing the 3rd row and will delete the rear AC. The transfer case is leaking pretty bad so I will be pulling that to reseal it.



The rear floor is in great shape no rust to be found.


Driver side plan under the plastic threshold is not looking good. I have a 2003 donor vehicle I can possibly cut out the sections I need.


Passenger side is not nearly as bad.

There is no evidence of water intrusion. I think this is just from 16 years of salty snow boots.

 

Looking forward to following along.

Brian.

 

For those of you thinking about removing the 3rd row jumps seats it is a fairly straight forward job, there are just a few details to note besides the obvious jump seats and interior panels. The biggest challenge will be removing the air AC. I have not completed this step yet myself but there a places that sell the kits to cap it off. Once I complete this step I will post back the details. Once the AC is out there are a few plugs that you will need to keep water out.


in this pic you will need the black plug in the center bottoms of the picture. You will also need the steel mounting bracket in the center of the picture.


These is a plug above the weather stripping on the rear door on each side to cover the hole where the head rests mount the frame. This probably is not completely necessary but these vehicles leak enough already.

Next step for me is to purge the AC lines. If anyone knows a good mobile mechanic that does this in eastern Massachusetts that would be helpful.

 

Are you planning to remove the rear AC because you need the headliner/evaporator space that it's currently using? If you plan to use the truck in the summer you might want to consider keeping the extra horsepower - from what I've heard, the front-only AC can be a bit anemic in sunny/hot conditions. Seems like a long walk for a short drink of water in order to remove it unless you really need that real estate.

 

Trying to maximize my rear cargo size as much as possible. With an ARB fridge, potentially onboard air and camping supplies for 2 adults and 3 kids that space will get used up quickly. I was looking for a non 7 seater but it seems every truck that went up for sale that was in decent shape had the 3rd row. Since my non running parts truck is a 5 seater I will take the opportunity to swap everything. I have nothing but time now with all this quarantine business Also gives me an excuse to fix up the sunroofs with the headliner out.

 

Have been through this exercise a lot in the last 12 years Xterra, Pathfinder and now Disco I have a few suggestions.

Start here will you be remote camping for numerous consecutive days more than say 4 - if you answer is yes then your needs change as compared to 2 or 3
So let's assume yes

Fridges are nice to have but take up a large volume of space, for small storage. Would a good quality 5 day cooler suit you better.
Food storage gets tough for 5 but that is a case of necessities over variety I find a single tub carries me for 7 days. The big thing is to get rid of all the store packaging it is up to 70 % waste. Cereal, chips all of that type of stuff is better in reusable containers.
Clothing is a bit more difficult but a couple of good sized duffles should do

I strongly suggest before building or buying anything:

• Pack for 7 days clothing, food and activities for the kids (travel and camp)
• Mock up a space for cooler/fridge out of cardboard if possible

The see where you are at, then start paring down, looking at what you forgot etc. Go through 3 or 4 times after that you will be ready to build.

Next forget about steel bumpers and dual batteries for now, they are the last thing you get.
Think vehicle load (weight) and roof loading:

• RTT's are heavy the bigger they are the heavier they get it, affects vehicle handling.
• All the gear and passengers also affects the Disco handling and braking

That get us to suspension,tires and braking:

• You may need to upgrade your brakes SS lines, better pads and rotors.
• Tires need to rated for the load, and you might need a stiffer sidewall
• Suspension and lift are the most difficult, you need very good set of shocks and springs designed for both the lift you want and the load you are carrying. The difficulty here is you need good hiway handling as well as off road abilities. It is very hard compromise. Make sure to consider the added weight of bumpers and winches.

On suspension and tires think simple where are you actually going to take your family. Even here on the west coast of Canada where we have literally 1000's of miles backcountry gravel very little requires a highly technical suspension setup. A good solid 2 inch lift carries me everywhere I need to go, I do have to stop and turn around once and a while but that is life.

After you get all the basics sorted then look at your bumpers, winches, dual batteries

 

Richard,
Thank you for the very well thought out tips, I think they are very helpful. I should clarify my opening post to this thread. My build will be done in phases over the next year maybe year and a half so the equipment I mentioned won’t be purchased all at once. There will be some trial runs with the D2 in more or less stock form after I ensure everything is mechanically sound. First planned trip will be up through Maine and into Canada then back around through Nova Scotia and take the ferry back to Maine. I think this will be a good test to help make any adjustments to future upgrades. My second trip will be next summer to Big Bend. Before that trip I think I will be adding at least the front bumper and possibly rock sliders. I don’t plan on remote camping for more than 3 days on any of my trips in the foreseeable future. I don’t think I can convince my wife for anything longer than that
My dream is to make it out to Colorado/Utah some day and visit Moab and other interesting trails. I am not interested in any crazy rock crawling but want to build something capable enough to make it to some remote places over rough trails.
I really like the idea of an onboard refrigerator and the convenience it can provide. I have been camping for many years and while ice works well, probably just as well as a refrigerator, its just a PITA for me. Not to mention all the food that has been ruined by water leaks over the years. I still have more research on what brand/model to go with.

Rich

 

@zski128 I get the fridge, but as I camp in Black bear/Grizzly country everything is about airtight food storage which for me led to water tight containers so the cooler works.

Given your plan I would sort my suspension out 1st. The stock suspension in my Disco was pretty shot after a year, to fair it was not great to start with. You can do some general research on spring rates and spring types on any overland forum, ignore the heavy medium stuff it is actually a little more complex.

Here is a good place to start on springs,shocks are a lot tougher but I Iike OME myself

TerraFirma Springs

TF023V Medium Load Rear Specification: 300-340 lbf/in, free length driver's side 420mm, free length passenger's side 410mm.
TF027V Heavy Load Rear Specification: Spring rate 360 lbf/in, free length driver's side 420mm, free length passenger's side 410mm.
TF042 Medium Load Front Springs Specification: Spring rate 180 lbf/in, driver's side free length 385mm, passenger's side free length 375mm.

OME

2762 Rear Spring rate 300/340 Driver side 420 Passenger side 410
2777 Front Spring rate 180 Driver side 395 passenger side 375 spring rate 180

Explanation of Spring rates
https://offroadpowerproducts.com/blo...-coil-springs/

 

Thanks for the part numbers and the advise on springs. Suspension rebuild is on my list of things to do for sure. Right now I am focusing on stripping down my parts truck to get it out of my driveway. Almost the entire interior has been removed. I am prepping the engine for removal now. I have removed the cooling system and working on the bottom end tomorrow. Once the engine is out transmission and transfer case to follow.

 

@zski128 I noticed I forget to mention, once you have it sorted out the Disco can take you some pretty nice places. They are solid trucks that just kind of eat up the road.

I run Terrafirma MD springs and OME Nitro Charger shocks ,they were a gift from ACG on here and have served me well so far.

I am in the process of adding a roof top tent myself, me and 4 days of stuff on the inside gets a little crazy. The picture below is packed for a 4 day trip, sleeping on the right side, I travel solo a fair bit.