This web site focuses on Series Land
Rovers, conversions and modifications to Series Land Rovers,
Land Rover caravans, Series Land Rover expedition preparation,
and has Land Rover related photo galleries. There
is some contents relating to Land Rover Defenders, but most
everything is Series Land Rover focused.
The Essential Guide to Overland Travel
In the United States and Canada
Soft bound, heavy paper, color, 352 pages, over 159 photos and illustrations
A Girl and Her Land Rover
An Auto-Biography
Soft bound, 127 pages, 36 B&W photos
To learn more about these books and make a purchase, please visit my book web site
Also available through Amazon US, UK, and Europe
Signed copies available directly from the author
Because the world beckons and life waits for no one
"A
Land Rover is less of a car than a state of mind."
from review of the 1964 Series Land Rover by Car
and Driver magazine
I own
a 1960 Land
Rover Series II 109 that I purchased in
1978. I have named her "The
Green Rover". During the years that
I have owned her I have learned her mechanical
limits and my driving limits. With practice
I've learned to expand my driving limits and have
modified
my Series Land Rover's limits where needed for
the type of travel I like to do.
I
originally purchased my Land Rover to work as
a ranch vehicle but as wanderlust set in she spent
more time traveling than working on the ranch. After
a while I gave in, sold most of the livestock and transformed her into a long range
expedition style Land Rover equipped for extended primitive travel and camping
I tend to travel alone with an Irish Wolfhound, good
books, and a camera. I'm prone towards a gypsy style
of travel where destinations are optional and not necessarily
desirable. Some days I stop in one location and wait
several hours for the sun to move into the right location
for a picture and other days never break camp because
I'm trapped in a good book. About the only time
I pay attention to schedules and preplanned routes is
when I'm leading a tour or just traveling with others.
Over
the years My Series Land Rover, dogs and I have meandered
through North America, East - West from coast to coast
and North - South from about half way up Canada to
the Mexican border. The majority of my Land Rover travels
tend to be in the greater Four Corners area. The
longest I've been out on a single Land Rover camping
trip so far is 3 months.
During the years that I have maintained
and traveled with The Green Rover I have learned
and experienced a number of things I would like to
share. There is lots of good stuff here including some nice scenic pictures.
"For some reason
every time I start reading her site, I have the uncontrollable
urge to just get in my
truck and drive, or wrench on it or kiss it." Tim
Smith 2007
The Aluminum Workhorse was the news letter of the now defunct Land Rover Owners Association (LROA). Started in 1984, the LROA was meant to be many things - a local club organizing trips and social events for local members, an umbrella organization for chapters of the club across the US, and a channel for Rover owners to meet and share data about all sorts of subjects of interest.
Part of the organization's value to the members was the club newsletter, called the "Aluminum Workhorse". The AW was the channel which the members used to communicate with the club and each other - sharing tips, tricks, and the thousand and one different pieces of information that can help an owner to live with a car as unique as an old Land-Rover.
Land
Rover Caravans - Dormobile, Carawagon, Park-Ranger, Land-Rover
Explorer and X-PANDA-CAB
Land Rover based camping conversions manufactured
by Martin Walter Ltd. The Green Rover features
a Dormobile conversion kit rescued from a wrecked
Land Rover Dormobile.
Land Rover based camping conversion made by R.J.
Searle Ltd. Includes model identification and copies
of sales brochures showing "Standard" model configurations.
Pop up roof conversion with optional interior
furniture made in Colorado, USA.
Early style Land Rover Dormobile wing badge
The following is from a 1966 Dormobile brochure
with minor revisions:
Freedom
WHEN YOU BUY A DORMOBILE CARAVAN YOU BUY A NEW WAY
OF LIFE
Consider these 10 DORMOBILE Freedoms:
FREEDOM to ignore holiday hotel worries - and bills
FREEDOM to live comfortably and easily in the open
air, out on the trail
FREEDOM to decide and then go - straight away -
for a month, a week, a day
FREEDOM to drive without tiresome towing, preplanned
end of day destinations or even paved roads
FREEDOM to tour - Moab or The Badlands - and take
your home with you
FREEDOM to take advantage of those spare moments
- those crisp, clear winter days - when owners of
other 4x4's stay at home
FREEDOM to eat what you like, when you like and
cooked how you like it
FREEDOM to sleep - comfortable and secure - at
the end of an exciting day
FREEDOM to enjoy outdoor interests - fishing, boating,
climbing, photography, walking, beach combing- or
just looking ABOVE
ALL
FREEDOM to relax, in your mobile home, away from
the everyday routine and stress of modern life.
MARTIN WALTER LTD.
A high percentage of the Land Rovers taken around the
world are Dormobiles. On a per model basis I strongly suspect
that Dormobiles are the most traveled model of Land
Rover. Every
person who purchased a Land Rover Dormobile from Martin
Walter had travel in mind, often long distances to
exotic locations. I'm
always happy when I see another Land Rover caravan
out on the trail still exploring the world.
While no longer available, over 500 adapters were manufactured so there are a lot kicking around out there. I have a page that provides background information, information about the adapter and pilot bearing and a PDF copy of the latest version of the installation instructions
Covers Series and coiler Land Rover gearboxes,
popular conversion gear boxes, overdrives
and Ashcroft high ratio transfer case
109 rear propshaft
lengths measured at
half extension on the sliding joint: For Rover
diff - 41 13/16" or 1062mm, for Salisbury
diff - 40 1/16" or 1017mm. The
difference between the two shafts is 1.75" or
45mm. A stock Series III 109 rear propshaft
is the Salisbury type since a Salisbury rear
diff was standard fitment on a series III
109.
Suspension data
and modification for leaf sprung Land Rovers
This section presents my personal thoughts and current
understandings on the subject of optimizing leaf
springs and suspension for expedition travel. These
pages are grouped together because each one adds
something different to the subject of Land Rover
leaf spring suspension.
Spring bolt lengths for North American local ordering (by Geoff Tobin) The bolts used in spring bushings on most IIA (Suffix B onwards) and III trucks are 9/16 -18 UNF Grade 5. The inner shackle are threaded. Therefore the lock nut acts as a jam nut
Length of bolt at front of spring 537741, 4 Required, 4 1/4
Length of bolt rear of front spring, 537742, 4 Required, 5 1/4
Length of bolt rear of rear spring, 537740, 4 Required, 5
4 1/4 and 5 1/4 are odd lengths in the US. Order 4 1/2 and 5 1/2.
How I converted my Series Land Rover 109 from front
drum brakes to disc brakes using the series Land Rover
disc brake conversion kit from Torrel Industries
New Series bulkheads and repair sections are no longer available. This link takes you to a web site where Nick Kilvert shows how to convert a Defender bulkhead to fit a Series truck. This conversion is easier if you also convert to power steering as the Defender foot wells are deeper and interfere with the Series steering box mounting location. It is also easier if you score a Defender accelerator pedal and convert to cable linkage.
Pre-metric Series Land Rovers have a combination of British Standard Fine (BSF) and Whitworth (BSW) fixings. This page helps sort them out for you and suggests Whitworth sizes to carry for drive train work. Ever wonder what size wrench to use on a mystery bolt? Calipers and this chart gives you the answer.
Below are important hard to find bits of information that are just too small to warrant their own web pages. So I put them here for future reference.
Wheel stud thread sizes - Series I/II and early IIA 9'16ths BSF (16 TPI) Late IIA, SIII. Range Rover Classic, Discovery I & US spec Defenders M16X1.5
Roof rivets - attaches gutter to roof -
Semi-tubular truss head rivet, 5/32 dia,3/8 length. To seal the gutter use 3M Self Leveling Seam Sealer. It's paintable, can be applied with a squeeze hand gun or pneumatic air gun. It levels by itself, just wait for it to dry and your good.
Some people have asked where I have Driven my Dormobile so I thought I would add a map.
Up until recently my truck has been based along California's Monterey bay so most of my travels have been in the Western US and Canada. But we have spent some time traveling and exploring out East.
The Green Rover camped at Kane Creek just outside Moab
Learn about the mendo.recce Land Rover based email list:
The Mendo recce mail list was created in 1994 to plan for an exploratory trip into the Mendocino National Forest. This temporary list has since grown to become a Western US focused Land Rover discussion group and the original exploratory trip has become an annual gathering of list members. While most list members are located along the Western US coast, there are members across the US and Canada. Over the decades we have grown into an extended family. Children have been born and have grown up as we shared more than just Land Rover tech information. We have grown into what could be called an extended Land Rover family, though some members no longer own a Land Rover, they keep the extended family connection. Our annual gathering is the last full weekend of April, come sun, rain or snow. New members are always welcome, and you can participate as much or as little as you wish. Though it would be nice if you introduce yourself when you join just so we can welcome you to the group.
HOW TO JOIN:
Go to groups.google.com Search for mendo_recce, or try this link. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/mendo_recce Request membership. Then answer the questions about Land Rovers in the request. This is to determine if you are a real person. If you look to be a real person and not a bot, Ben, the list administrator, will add you to the group.
OUR ANNUAL GATHERINGS:
Our annual gathers during the last full weekend in April are usually at the Cedar Camp campground in California's Mendocino National forest. But due to forest fire activity the location is subject to change. We have a potluck meal Saturday evening and gather for a campfire afterwards. Most people arrive and set up camp Friday so as to be ready for a trail drive Saturday morning. Some arrive a day or two earlier to secure a prime camp spot. This is a family event and children are welcome as are well behaved and socialized dogs as long as they are under control. Camping is primitive so be sure to bring your own water and to pack out your own trash.