The Rover that went halfway around the World

[jp-]

The Rover that went halfway around the World

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[jp-]

The Rover that went halfway around the World

This past fall, my father, two uncles, and myself went down to see (and retrieve) a very rare Dormobile that had traveled the world and ended up in Louisiana. The trip took seven hours from Olive Branch, MS. In Madison, MS my father and I met up with my uncles to convoy the remaining distance to Baton Rouge.


The History: As recounted by my Uncle and the owner Mike

This Dormobile was ordered by an eccentric millionaire in Canada who believed we would annihilate ourselves. He had a good deal of land in Vancouver and figured that he would need a special vehicle to travel / live in after everything else was gone. The Rover came with a Euro 6 and was fitted with ENV diffs, big brakes, and all the Dormobile accessories. After driving the Rover for some time (and deciding that we may not kill ourselves after all) he decided to travel the world. The Rover went with him. I do not know if he recorded his travels, but the Rover bears the name of every country visited. The list is extensive: England, Scotland, Switzerland, Wales, France, Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Austria, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, & Saudi Arabia round out the listed names.

[jp-]

{My text keeps getting cut off!!!!} {There is much more to this story.}

[leafsprung]

and was fitted with ENV diffs

Both? This yours now? congrats.

[jp-]

Eventually the man returned to Canada and the Rover lived out the remainder of the man’s life on his large estate, until his death sometime around 1990 -91. The Rover was then purchased from the estate by Green Road Wilderness Expeditions. GRWE was in the business of tours and used Rovers extensively at that time. GRWE primarily took used 109 pickups and outfitted them for touring. Recognizing the history of the Rover, GRWE decided not to “chop” up the Dormobile and instead put it up for sale after little more than 1 year of ownership. In 1992, Mike, a good friend of my uncle, found out about the Rover through a Hemmings motor news ad and both of them flew in to see it. Mike purchased it on the spot and borrowed the use of GRWE’s shop to install new brakes and put on new springs (the originals severely sagging from all the use) and they set out for Louisiana in the Dormobile. At the Canadian border the border guards did not want to let them pass as the Dormobile still bore Canadian plates and both the occupants were Americans, on top of this the Dormobile was full of all its accessories as well as the luggage of both men. The border guards asked if they could search the vehicle. Mike accepted, to which the guards declined.

[jp-]

I don’t know much about the trip from Canada to Louisiana, but since neither Mike nor my Uncle have recounted any harrowing tales, I must assume that it was uneventful (at least in the way of mechanical failures). [An odd parody should be noted here, that is the recounting of our fondest Rover memories based on mechanical failures. My own is the loss of our brakes in the 109” coming off the Smoky Mountains with my father at the wheel, but that is another story.]

The Rover took Mike on many trips and even on his honeymoon. Sometime around 1995 the fuel pump went out and Mike, in the midst of many other projects, let the Rover sit. (It did not help any that the pump was the odd six cylinder unit.) And there the Rover sat for the next 12 years.

In 2007 Mike lost his wife in an instant to a brain aneurysm. A month later one of his two daughters was killed in a car wreck. In the weight of these two tragedies, Mike decided to part with his collection of Rovers and British cars.

My uncle accepted the Dormobile to repair and return to Mike if he should want it back. I purchased a 109” pickup, and later a TR4A, and MGBGT.

Pulling the Dormobile from its home under the lean-to revealed one stuck brake, causing the left front wheel to drag. A wheel chock did nothing to unstick it; it just bounced over it and kept sliding. Only when the Rover was pulled backward, did the wheel break free.

The well traveled 1967 Dormobile now resides next to a restored 1965 Dormobile, both in the garage of my uncle, Richard Poole.

[Mike’s last name has been withheld as a courtesy.]

Rover’s North, you have my permission to reprint this story and photos in the newsletter, if you so wish.

-John Poole

[jp-]

In the first photo, the TR4A is on the left under the pile, the MGB to the right.

Also, the Arabic writing on the side is said to translate to "Praise be to Allah, don't shoot."

[4flattires]

Thats interesting.

Jeff

[leafsprung]

Both?

Nevermind, noticed the rover front. Good read, thanks for posting, too bad no pics of the original trip! I had an 88 that had been to 37 countries (down through africa and up through SA. It had a list of everywhere it had been behind the seats. The owner also boasted that it had been to over a hundred "dead" shows. Definately well traveled

[O'Brien]

so what's the deal with the front bumper set-up there? im particularly curious about that bowed cross piece visable between those super rare jerry can holders. anyone know???

visable in this image: http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/2818/rovertrip07ot4.jpg

i ask because my bumper is spaced away from the body, i have wing top lights, and im guessing (based on holes) that my rover used to have these jerry can carriers.

hey ike... wanna make some repro's of those carriers?:D

[jp-]

so what's the deal with the front bumper set-up there? im particularly curious about that bowed cross piece visable between those super rare jerry can holders. anyone know???

The front bumper was extended for some reason. Bolted to the underside of it are spare "helper" leaf springs.

[O'Brien]

jp -

man, what a great place to store that as a spare! my guess on the bumper extension: you would probably rather bump something with the bumper, than possibly crush the jerry can holders and rupture the cans?

such a great story, and i can't tell you how happy i am to see those great, and detailed, photos!:thumb-up: thanks so much for sharing!!!

[LaneRover]

Bolted to the underside of it are spare "helper" leaf springs.

Are they spare helper springs or spare main spring leafs? If I remember correctly sometimes folks on a multi country trip would take a spare main leaf along to avoid having the weight of a full extra spring or two. What a great old Rover!

[lrdukdog]

This story and photos reminds me of Mr. Herbet Zipkins 109 SW that had made some fantastic road trips doing his photography and film work.
Jim Wolf
Elvenwood Kennel

[jp-]

Are they spare helper springs or spare main spring leafs? If I remember correctly sometimes folks on a multi country trip would take a spare main leaf along to avoid having the weight of a full extra spring or two. What a great old Rover!

Spare Main leafs, you are correct.

[TSR53]

Rover’s North, you have my permission to reprint this story and photos in the newsletter, if you so wish.

-John Poole

Got it! Thanks jp-

[Momo]

Interesting how the wingtop lights are actually marine marker lights rather than the typical style lamp assy installed by Martin-Walter.

[jp-]

Interesting how the wingtop lights are actually marine marker lights rather than the typical style lamp assy installed by Martin-Walter.

Yes, it is interesting, but I am certain they are original, as is almost everything on the Rover. There are no additional holes in the fender tops.

My uncle's 65 has the normal style dual wingtop lights.

[phoenix]

sorry if i double pst.
some time ago i read somewhere maybe th guinnes book where someone traveled extensively around the world in a series rover they called " la cucaracha feliz" or "the happy bug" or "the happy cockroach" any one ever heard of such.

[Linus Tremaine]

Does it work now? This has to be my favorite dormobile story. Has it been returned to service yet?

[Bostonian1976]

weird - I'm helping someone sell a Saturn on Ebay and there's a Richard Poole inquiring about the car in NH. any remote chance?

[jp-]

Bostonian, I doubt that, as my uncle lives in Mississippi.

Sorry I haven't gotten any updates from my uncle. I'll talk to him this week and update you guys.

[Linus Tremaine]

Will you please beg him to sell it to me? Ill work on your land rover for free for the rest of my life!

Its just a great story, and I was curious what the continuation of the rovers life is going to be.

Seriously though, if he ever wants to sell it, Ill be waiting.