GO OFF ROAD

Back in 2008 when I began to commute down the A34 from Bicester to Didcot, it seemed every other car transporter I passed was laden with shiny new Land Rovers and Range Rovers of all types and colours. When the credit crunch was followed soon after by the start of this terrible recession, the lack of car transporters carrying ANY new vehicles was quite startling.  Recently I’ve begun to see a noticeable return of the Landy laden trucks, albeit not to the same levels as in early 2008, but none the less, it’s good to see.

Land Rover bosses and Unions have agreed in principal to work together to secure jobs at Solihull and Halewood for the next two years, concentrating collective efforts on reducing costs and lobbying the Government to safeguard jobs.

In these tough times, it’s good to see long term strategic thinking by these two former adversaries. I’m not sure it’ll be enough, but it’s a good start.

First job has got to be to shift the thousands of vehicles waiting to the shipped to dealers and ultimately customers. If the number of Land Rovers I recently witnessed parked up at Gaydon is anything to go by, this could take a while, after all Land Rovers aren’t cheap at the best of times and this certainly ain’t the best of times.

Good Luck Land Rover.

The transformation from tarmac living, caravan pulling, family car to green lane tool has begun. First off the Discovery2 to go were the side steps, one eBay and £75 in pocket later they’re now driving round somewhere else in Milton Keynes.

Today saw my 2000 MY TD5 re-shod in General Grabber AT2’s, this time I was buying from eBay and for only £235 for four. 

An unexpected refund for being mis-sold PPI on my credit card means the next lot of kit, Diff guards, Fuel Tank guard and Steering guard is now on order!

It was interesting to see recent reports during the bad weather, that local authorities, social welfare groups and even the emergency services called upon 4×4s to get them to where they needed to go. It is a pleasant change that, when conventional cars struggled in the recent deluge, the often demonised 4×4 reigned supreme.

I personally assisted a van and two cars that were stuck fast and did my own little bit of PR for the movement. Just waiting for the floods now to see who else me and countless other 4×4 drivers can help out.