Extended international travel in a RHD Discovery 2a (TD5)

[Entropic]

Hi everybody,

New member here, some great information on this site - thanks for having me!

Just seeking a little advice -

I've been contemplating extended travel, living out of a car, for awhile now. E.g alaska to patagonia or something similar. I own a 2004 D2a TD5 (I'm in Australia) that ive had for awhile, i know its reliable and in good condition and I know it inside out. After seeing some great minimalist camper conversions on here of Discovery's, i started thinking that my car would be suitable. Previously i'd discounted it and planned on acquiring something else, but I do love my disco.

My main concerns are -
- Is it feasible to drive a RHD for such a long period in LHD countries? I drive trucks and machinery regularly and am accumstomed to poor visibility, but dont want to get halfway through a trip absolutely sick of driving due to it.
- Are parts scarce in other countries in the event of a breakdown? What are the main parts shortages, Disco-specific components or TD5?

I've spent 5 months hiking from mexico to canada before, so not unused to adversity or minimalistic living. I feel like I should be comfortable in a compartively small vehicle.

Thanks for your help! Look forward to being an active part of your community.

Pic:

 

[DiscoDavis]

One of the previous (or current) recordholders for the cairo-capetown transit used a td5 discovery 2 with a cage and did just fine with it.

AFAIK the Td5 is good to go, you may be able to carry a spare module or two for the electrics, but mechanically the only big failure point (not really that big) was sometimes they can have thermostat issues that will overheat the motor. A spare t stat is easy to carry.

RHD hard to pass other cars on LHD roads. Try emailing Graeme Bell, he has now done several years with a Td5 vehicle all over the place in RHD.

 

[Entropic]

One of the previous (or current) recordholders for the cairo-capetown transit used a td5 discovery 2 with a cage and did just fine with it.

AFAIK the Td5 is good to go, you may be able to carry a spare module or two for the electrics, but mechanically the only big failure point (not really that big) was sometimes they can have thermostat issues that will overheat the motor. A spare t stat is easy to carry.

RHD hard to pass other cars on LHD roads. Try emailing Graeme Bell, he has now done several years with a Td5 vehicle all over the place in RHD.

Thats good to know, thanks, DiscoDavis.

I'm familiar with the thermostat issues, i've (hopefully) fixed mine and put a digital temperature display with a buzzer on the dash.
It's hard to pass any cars in a Disco

 

[LR Max]

Its fine. You can really use the drive through windows at the fast food restaurants, but if you've got a friend, its fine. I know plenty of people who drive RHD defenders all over the place. No issues. I almost bought a RHD D90 (passed because I didn't need another project).

Parts for everything except your TD5 engine are plentiful in the US. No worries there. I've heard of Roversnorth supporting grey market trucks. They are good at getting stuff. Also the English big parts suppliers (Bearmach, LrDirect, Paddock Spares, Craddock Spares) all ship to the US. I've heard of Bearmach quoting shipping to South America. So while you might not find it on the shelf somewhere, you can pretty much have parts within a week. Here in the US, there are still D2s in junk yards.

You should be fine. Square away your D2, put a new battery in it, rebuild the front driveshaft, and come on over. Plenty of rover shops across the US familiar with the D2 platform and even some familiar with the TD5 engines.

I'd look into extra fuel filtration for South America. Bad fuel can be a problem and can lead to issues. That and carry a few extra fuel/engine oil/air filters with you at all times, should be fine. Easy to repair when you've got the common items on hand.