first Land Rover????

[J!m]

Love 'em or hate 'em is very true. If its not obvious yet I am in the first category.

The design constraints were not for payload but for air portability.

My mistake. I'm not the expert on "why"; however I have worked on every system of the 101 (against my will) and have to say there were quite a few things which could have been done more intelligently and still work as needed...

The strip down capability was to reduce weight to permit underslung load by the helicopters of the day which were underpowered compared to the current offerings.

My understanding is that they broke down to stack more easily, as with the air-portable 88", to ship more in the same space... I doubt it was to save weight because those parts would have to get to where the tuck is eventually... Did they have all the cab tops and hoop sets in another helicopter for several trucks???

Like all Rovers there are design issues but they are well documented and easily fixed.

Well documented, maybe. Easily fixed? Thad depends greatly on your skill set and bank account...

This vehicle is really no more complex than a series and share a lot of components. As you say - kit bashing - but then look at most British cars of the seventies and you will find the same.

Agreed... No more complex in construction, but I'd rather work on a series truck than the 101... I have worked on both, including the frame-up on my series.

Tyres are easy - Buckshot mudders are popular in the US and if bar grips are your thing they can be had from Denman or Speciality Tires although they are not very cheap.

Mike had the buckshot mudders. He rolled his truck because of them (WAY to bouncy to be safe). They ride horribly, are noisy and not cheap, not to mention no longer made. He now has military surplus Michelin 11.00-16's and they are far superior to the crappy mudders (don't ask how much...). Bar-grips are fine to drive off a trailer onto the show field ONLY. Absolutely useless for anything else; ESPECIALLY a cross-continent expedition. Ask anyone who's tried it, like Shane for example...

Lot of people have used them for trans continental expeditions so the comfort can't be that bad. If you are under 6' (I'm 5'11'' and 180lbs.) and you can put up with a series truck then a 101 should not be a problem.

I HAVE used a series truck for a trans-continental expedition. I will never do it again! I bought my 110 because of that trip! The 101 actually has the potential to ride better than a series truck (and according to Mike his does after several years of tweaking), but I still would not suggest it to anyone thinking of doing a big expedition.

Due to the aforementioned parts commonality ownership costs are not too high compared with many other military vehicles.

I'm with you half-way here. Many of the parts interchange, but an equal number do not. Let's take a look at the cables for the parking brake, high-low range and diff lock for instance... Price any of these lately? and no, they don't interchange with anything else...

If a 101 is what gets your juices flowing there is no need to be any more afraid than buying a regular series truck. Join the club and the Yahoo group and you will find lots of support and a good safety net.

Mike is a member of these groups and still comes to me with problems every trip that cannot be solved by anyone else. At this point, Mike's truck is more custom than stock, and we improve whenever we can, as the stock 30+ year old parts are crumbling into dust as I write this. More parts every day become "NLA" and you are out of luck. PLEEAASE think it through carefully, and if you have zero experience with a series truck, don't expect this to be an "easy" truck to deal with. I still strongly suggest NOT getting a 101 as a "first Rover". You will be put off to the brand for life.

I'm done now. In fact, I'll even refrain from saying "I told you so" if you do decide to get one and learn the hard way...