I will add one other thing as a simple observation.....Your driving a flippin car bomb with the extra full and 50 gallon propane......Don't bother with the fire extinguishers.......purchase a good pair of sneakers instead, and run like hell!!!
Unsure of any insurance company that's going to cover you if disclosed, I've been turned down by Hagerty over a rig that looked 'too aggressive' which was simply an M715....stock with jerry cans.

Just a little insight....

 

No need to state any qualifications in front of an honest opinion, because the bottom line is the lot of us are just faceless words on a display

I dont have a winch yet so the only to recovery tools I have are traction tracks and the hi-lift. Imagine the unlikely scenario where I removed the jack and all the other **** only to end up in a ditch or out of gas, with the nearest fuel station hours back... I think Fisheh and other die-hard critics mean well but Im doing what I believe is best for me and my truck. Should I get stuck up there or run out of gas its unlikely you or Fisheh or any other skeptics will come up to "rescue" me. The Alcan higjway is probably a very safe and pleasant road way system but those regions should not be underestimated especially in the months between December and April. British Columbia and Alaska probably have very different climates, weather and road conditions compared to the regions where most of you guys are from.

Keep in mind also that all the investments Ive made and all the **** Ive added or plan to add are not purly for this trip. There will be many more road trips in my future, not many on the paved road systems. The **** Im investing in will come in handy down the road for sure.

On a final note this is my daily driver and my own vehicle. How many folks on these forums can say the same thing? Probably not many.

 

Thanks for the input. But not gonna happen. Remember that each time you enter a kotor vehicle, especially with your family, that you are essentially sitting on a bomb. The D2 has a 25 gallon fuel tank? If my truck erupts in a ball of flames Im probably ****ed with or without the extra jerry cans on the roof. Factor in the engine oil and other lubricants and all the countless flameable parts located all over the vehicle. Nevertheless 4 fire extinguishers will be on hand. Random electrical shorts, stove/grill mishaps or other hazards can occur and its best to be prepared.

 

First off your swear words get censored so either don't use them or add a * in place of a vowel.

Second, I never said don't bring any jerry cans. One can holding 5 gallons should get you about 70 miles. If you miscalculate your fuel consumption that much you suck and should stay home.

Third, you completely ignore my other suggestions regarding ditching the propane and gasoline burning camp stove and sub-zero sleeping bag. You're traveleing cross country in a relatively small vehicle. Space and weight should be a MAJOR concern. Having multiple items that only serve one purpose is wasteful. You need to be looking at consolidating and making some compromises.

Fourth, I daily drive my 1996 D1. It leaks some oil and sips a little coolant, but it runs cool and I wouldn't hesitate to take it anywhere.

And lastly, I actually say keep the HiJack. Its a useful tool IF you know how to use it safely. You can pull the ratcheting mechanism off and store it in the truck to keep it clean and operating smoothly.

 

I personally would rather have my spare tire on the roof (a spare tire is more important to me IMHO) and my HiJack and no more than 2 NATO approved Gas cans. Remember you need water as well. Propane cans come in all sizes. I use the mini size for my coleman. Consider towing a small trailer for sleep and extra fuel, if needed. And get to a Overland Expo for some training from some folks that have done this a few times

 

"No need to state any qualifications in front of an honest opinion, because the bottom line is the lot of us are just faceless words on a display"

I only did that due to being on way to many forums over the years, only to learn that the guy giving advise was 15 years old, this is the only forum I look at any more.

I've recovered with a Hi~Lift before, drove straight into a swamp one night roaming a strange area.....after attempting a reverse winch pull & snapping my cable....I stayed put and slept in the truck. Next morning, out comes the shiney new Hi~Lift......absolute PIA winching the truck out, you need to reattach every 3-4'.....not easy, not easy at all....consider your 1st foot is taking up the slack every time.. Any way, 2.5 hours later, I was out....the jack? The jack was junk in the end, requiring a rebuild...it was raining. I would have been better off walking out the next morning for assistance. You'll need cable and cable clamps, wrenches....all that stuff to recover with a Hi Lift...adding more weight.

I'd consider a winch, even if it's lo-buck.....Hi~Lift recovery is about as much fun as replacing your starter......in a mud puddle.


Oh, almost forgot......I drive the D1- EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK.

 

Again I believe you mean well, and as much fun as it is to argue back and forth with you "my preferences VS your preferences" its not contributing to my build, my experience or this thread. I respect your build thread so please be a mate and respect mine. I can take criticism and suggestions but criticizing everything or most every aspect of my build, my decisions and ideas... ALL THE TIME gets old.

Brake pads need to be replaced and luckily I already have a full set of EBC pads still in box, probably throw them on tomorrow night. I also picked up a bunch of camping gear to be tried/experimented/fine tuned over the next 3-6 months. A small portable propane 2 burner stove, 1 pot and 1 pan, cooking utensils, some small and large tubberware bowls, 2 small plastic tubs for washing dishes and bathing/hygene, 2 small propane canisters, 1 150 watt power inverter with dual usb slots, 1 enerplex jumpr stack 9 power bank, 2 pillows, small throwover blanket, several UV/heat reflecting sun visors and 3 gallons of cheap spring water.























For the duration of my "visit" here in New England Ill be conducting an experiment. My Discovery 2 will be the laboratory. Ill be camping out of my truck and living mostly self sufficient. Everything like cooking, eating, sleeping, personal hygene, going to the bathroom, getting ready each morning for work, entertainment, keeping my electronics charged etc will be based out of my vehicle. Many challenges and its tough on the mind. Many benefits and the savings Ill earn vs renting an expensive room/apartment will be sevenfold. This experience will prepare me most effectively for the road trip to Alaska. Everything will be fine tuned and Ill be able to finalize a list for what I really should bring with me and what I should ditch. Today I took all my **** out of the truck, vacumed, consolidated and threw afew boxes of **** in the trash. No my truck is more efficiently organized and better suited to camp in. I also ditched the bulky coal grill. Even as a small grille its bulky, loud when its sitting in back of truck bouncing around, takes to long to setup and heat the coals etc. The propane dual buner stove folds up like a suitcase and propane fuel means no charcoal or fluid and less time with setup and cleanup.

What Ive learned so far:
- FedEx Kinkos is a great solution when you dont have a shipping address and need supplies/parts shipped to you. This is a great resource in the event you need a part while far from home.
- I need afew water jerry cans to replace several plastic jugs of water that take up valuable space in the vehicle. I dont want to throw anymore jerry cans on the roof and really dont want them taking up room inside the truck either. Looking for suggestions regarding a holder mount that attaches to the spare tire. At least 1 jerry can.
- I need to find a better way to wash. A portable 2 gallon shower system for $70 is a possible solution.
- My manual dishwashing sink is to bulky. Im using small plastic tubes that take up valuable space inside the truck. Im curious about those clumsy foldable duel sink kits as a possible solution.
- Coleman propane caniters dont last long when using the space heater and the take up valuable space when you consider all the empty canisters that will quickly build up and the frequent trips to the store to buy more. A 30-50 gallon propane tank will last longer, can be refilled for cheap throughout my journey and no empty canisters to worry about.
- The second row seats folded up still does not give me enough room to lay comfortably and the metal clip on the bottom does well to reshape my dam skull every time I smack my head off it... Will the seats gone Ill have several extra inches of room to lay comfortably and more room to to store supplies. Subtract the weight of the rear seats to offset would be added benifit and it will be easier to traverse between the front cabin and the cargo area.
- UV/heat reflecting shades need to be setup for all the windows past the cabin (excluding the alpine windows and sun roofs) and removed before driving. Sealing up the 2 rear most side windows would offer more privacy and reduce setup time each night. FiseH suggest Plasti Dip as a possible solution. Walmart stores in area only stock clear coat and white dip so will order some offline. Not sure if I can just spray the black dip directly on interior side of windows or if Ill first need to treat the windows.
- I need to consolidate my tools and look for a more compact lightweight tool box solution.
- I would like to get a list of all the recommened tools needed for all the most common DIY repair jobs for the D2, then compare the list to my inventory and consolidate as needed.
- I need to make a DIY clothing hanger for the interior of my truck. Ideal for drying off damp dowels. Cant visit the laundromat multiple times every week...


Ill take some pictures of my current camp setup and share tomorrow.

 

I was going to ask how tall you were, lol.....no way I fit back there. Dumping the seats, create a platform would be the only way, gain storage!
I have one of those stoves, works great!
Don't laugh......scentless baby wipes are like a shower in a box! Very popular on past 3 day outings among the crowd.....2nd best thing to a real shower!

 

heh Julian!
My Baroud rooftop tent is ~140 pounds. Due to the way the SD rack works, its mounted on cross bars fitted to the top rail of the rack. Very sub optimal and kills my fuel economy. With my RRC Classic build, the tent mounts directly on to the Pioneer platform as I mentioned earlier. It's just a better design, although it doesn't have the appropriate "vintage look".

Here's a shot that shows how high my tent is off the roof on my D2.



... and here's the Rhino Rack Pioneer Defender Rack on my RRC Classic. The tent bolts right on, as does the Awning.

 

If you plan to drive up north in the winter, a water jug on the outside won't work out so well. At least not if you plan to use it for anything other than keeping things cold. Also bear in mind that anything on the outside of the truck is likely to get filthy pretty quickly.

I also saw you posted hat you plan to buy different tires. You should look at tires that work well in snow. I have been blown away by the winter performance of DuraTracs. They accept studs as well. I have used BFG's and they didn't work anywhere near as well.