Just finished a mammoth five days and nights that I won’t get back! It’s been all about trying to turn Land Rover 2 into a mini service station.
Any desert driver will tell you a good way to avoid bogging is to let the tires down. Traction in sand is all-important and the greater the area in contact with that shifting, gritty surface will help propel you over the tiny hills that form in front of the vehicle simply by its weight.
Of course, letting them down is the easy bit. Pumping them up is harder. OK if you have a service station enroute but not many of them in the Simpson! So, well-equipped vehicles have an air compressor built-in powered by an auxiliary battery. In 1989, when they were still writing on slate, this wasn’t part of the specs. But it’s possible since – lots of people on YouTube have done it!
So I succumbed to influencer influence and gave it a go. Trouble is there’s not even a poorly written instruction book. Social media critics are right; what is possible on YouTube in 20 minutes is fake news! Without Harry Potter’s wand, what really happens is much assembling of components, soldering, scratching of head, resoldering, dodging the snake, trials, building it, taking it all apart, more soldering, and rebuilding again.
Finally, though it’s assembled. Courtesy of Moggill’s Genius Bar (not!), two batteries in the space for one, and a converted side locker looking very smart.
For the technically minded (and I said I wouldn’t do this!) time to pump a tire from 20 psi to 40 psi; about 1 minute. Whole vehicle? Time for a coffee.
The Youth Zones that Onside builds give young people time. Targeted at the UK’s most economically disadvantaged areas the zones, and staffed by skilled and dedicated youth workers, the Zones allow young people to take a break from their screens, to make choices for themselves, and support them in taking charge of their own futures. For all our futures, it’s a cause worth investing in, so please help us to support them by sharing the link and contributing if you can.