P38A P38 to Norway and back what spares to take next time?

Hi,
Well having changed the rear diff 2 days before deciding to drive to Norway and back (3100 miles in 12 day). I had such an amazing visit thought I might go again next year. But whilst 1500 miles from home a breakdown was of some concern. So I thought about what bits to take next time. I didn't hammer her just sort of 75-80 with the odd skirmish to 100mph in Germany. Drove lovely actually and did a shaded under 29mpg (not in Norway) driving easy, not over taking uphill etc and letting the speed vary up and down hill.

She is a 95 2.5DT with manual box now with nearly 160K miles on the clock and a powerbox fitted. In the five years I have owned her:

Rad, water pump, soft hoses, serpentine belt and idler.
Glowplugs twice (cold start trickery fitted but thinking about tackling the timing of the injection pump?).
Gearbox, clutch, DMflywheel (2nd hand).
Windscreen, rear diff.
Drivers window mechanism.
Track rod end on steering arm.

Spares I thought I might accumulate of the winter:
Starter motor,
Alternator,
Head gasket set,
In tank pump or take a 12v in line fuel pump.

Jobs to do over the winter:
rear brake pipes, might change the discs, Clean and waxoil the rear chassis cross member (high up bit over the axle starting to look a bit flaky in places. Wondered if the head gasket should be done at some point as precautionary (not that I want to do it at all)

Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome.

Just get European Breakdown cover and go and enjoy the trip. You can't cover every single possible problem, so what's the point in taking a few spares when you know that if something fails, it'll be a part you haven't got. Either that or get a large trailer and tow a spares-car and a comprehensive set of tools.

Perhaps a sync-mate for the air suspension? and a fan belt plus some euro coins for the German toilets? update your Garmin? stop off in Denmark to buy wine, beer whisky as boose is expensive in Norway (Denmark is cheeper than UK - example Hardys VP wine is currently on offer at 2.5 kroner per bottle - less than £2.50p !)
Just keep an eye on temp guage and enjoy the trip. I have been to Denmark (from Isle of Man) twice already this year with no issues apart from the portable fridge stopped working due to my stupidity of blocking the airway to the fan (its recovered now!) nothing to do with the car.

I just completed 15000 miles this trip and another 5000 to go Did 2 tyres in Iceland and starter motor played up so when in Germany i got 2 new tyres and a new starter motor
then when I was in Gadansk I parked in the middle of town and went sightseeing and when I got back to the car and started it up there was a big bang and rattle and the alternator fault lit up so I thought serpentine belt but on closer inspection it was the idler pully bracket broken so I was going nowhere.got a hotel in Gdansk and next day phoned land rover dealer and he wanted $200 and a week to get it.Phoned around some more and found British Garage and they suppied me with the part in 2 days and cost $100.
The other damaged was the viscous fan which has 2 blades broken and it dosent work now but i have the mod to make the air con fans manuel so no overheating and the temperature here in Moscow is 30 to 35 C
I carry a firly comprehensive set of spares but its always what you dont have is what goes wrong.
Every year for the past 5 years I have done about 25000 miles in places like mongolia russia turkey georgia and have always made it back

Thanks for the thoughts, very encouraging your mileage ovalandrover. i was thinking that having done a lot of jobs then hopefully less to go wrong and more being on a tight time schedule. I did have european breakdown cover through my insurance but when reading the small print found they would only recover a vehicle if it was worth more than the towage! Certainly will look at AA or RAC next time. Anyway fingers crossed SWMBO will let me go again next year! Just need to start saving.

Jerseyp38 said:

Thanks for the thoughts, very encouraging your mileage ovalandrover. i was thinking that having done a lot of jobs then hopefully less to go wrong and more being on a tight time schedule. I did have european breakdown cover through my insurance but when reading the small print found they would only recover a vehicle if it was worth more than the towage! Certainly will look at AA or RAC next time. Anyway fingers crossed SWMBO will let me go again next year! Just need to start saving.

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I think taking a spare head gasket is a tiny bit of overkill. Have you ever changed a head gasket on one of these? Not a job for the roadside i am afraid.

a hydraulic left leg implant & if not already fit cruise control if poss

If I went again I was thinking the head gasket might be useful to have already in case it went and might be easier to coerce a local mechanic to look at the job. One of the reasons for being concerned was the fact I was traveling with my dog and whilst away realised just how awkward things could have been trying to get home without a car. And my eldest daughter has expressed an interest in coming if I went again, which would be nice........ Hydraulic left leg not in such demand at the moment since replacing the clutch and greasing wherever I could get grease. cruise control would be nice but not an option on my old DT I should think? Probably as someone who only does about 6K miles a year it seemed a long way but perhaps I am over worrying and just need to be happy she is as together as can be before I go again.

I like threads like this! Not to hijack your thread. But I'm going to Monico in the autumn and its good to hear that so many have done these trips without being let down.

Be sensible and carry a few precautionary spares that will keep you going! Like filters, fuel pump and some fuel pipes. Carry a head gasket kit if it make s you feel better and remember that in nearly every country you will find a good land rover mechanic and loads of spare parts. Even if you can't find the bits just have them delivered to you by a good international courier. Sounds like a great trip to go on.

I'm off tomorrow, in basically the same vehicle to go a 2 week 3000 miles trip around europe. Mine is a DSE, although a lot of the extra features dont work, so its basically a DT.

Are you still rolling on air?

And as far as AA/RAC cover is concerned its pretty much useless, they wont bring your car back because the recovery will cost more then the vehicle. All they will do is try fix it at the side of the road or drag it to a garage.

Anthony Day said:

I'm off tomorrow, in basically the same vehicle to go a 2 week 3000 miles trip around europe. Mine is a DSE, although a lot of the extra features dont work, so its basically a DT.

Are you still rolling on air?

And as far as AA/RAC cover is concerned its pretty much useless, they wont bring your car back because the recovery will cost more then the vehicle. All they will do is try fix it at the side of the road or drag it to a garage.

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Which is still better than trying to explain to a local on a push bike that you need a size 13 mm spanner, would he mind awfully cycling the 15miles to town and getting you one?

Littelwill said:

Which is still better than trying to explain to a local on a push bike that you need a size 13 mm spanner, would he mind awfully cycling the 15miles to town and getting you one?

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Who doesn't carry a 13mm spanner on them at all times, i have 7 on me right now... and i'm in the shower

Small nuts?????

Yes still on air but was renewed just before I bought the car 5 years ago (Pump, control block, air bags). Love it on air but will probably live to regret those words! Carry the Schroeder valve things so could pump it up if necessary and get it somewhere. I had real problems when a simple serpentine belt idler failed when staying in a quiet village in France: No internet, had no one to call home to sort out a piece, local garage said they could but no part even when we left and had wanted to charge a lot for the part 3 or 4 times what it would cost at home. Guess an important thing to do is make contact with a good parts supplier who can send abroard. I ended up driving carefully the 40 miles to the ferry car park and leaving it there and hiring a car. I did post the pictures of the failed part and was so lucky it held together to get it home (the bearings had dropped out but it staid together. Good luck with your trip Antony Day.

tarphenry said:

Small nuts?????

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Being that much older, one of mine is UNF & the other AF - in the true LR tradition of using up anything lying around the factory.