Today, we have to cope with the ever-increasing cost of petrol, so if there was an alternative that was around half the price, shouldn’t you consider it for your 4×4? We went to visit WCRLPG to find out the latest about this alternative fuel option

Words: Nigel Fryatt
Photography: Nigel Fryatt, WCRLPG

There was something wonderfully appropriate when Mark Wain showed us under the bonnet for our first view of one of his LPG conversions. It was fitted to a lightweight Land Rover of late 1970s vintage; technically simple, and easy to understand and appreciate, the conversion looked as though it was designed to be there. There was nothing add-on about it… apart from the fact that the LPG vaporiser was a little bit cleaner and more shiny compared to the rest of the Land Rover’s hard worked engine. A neat conversion and it had been completed by Mark’s 14-year old son, Joseph.

It was appropriate as the origins of LPG-powered cars are thought to go back to the 1940s and the fuel was being used due to a shortage of petrol. Today, there’s a similar shortage, not of petrol admittedly, but of the cash to pay for it. Not surprisingly therefore demand for LPG-conversions is keeping Mark Wain very busy, and most of that business is on 4×4 vehicles, which is why we were there to find out more. With petrol costs rising inexorably, is this the way you should go with your 4×4? Time for an admission here, this author has little experience of LPG powered vehicles, so we went to Mark’s Norfolk premises with an open mind, and a lot of questions. The time spent there was certainly eye opening and has convinced me that LPG conversions and 4x4s go together pretty well, and that the number on our roads is likely to grow.

It’s not all about satellite phones and high tech GPS devices. Sometimes, it’s just that Morocco’s warm winter sun is so overwhelming. And you can get there with a Land Rover, a compass and a map – such are advantages of back to basics overlanding

Words: Ros Woodham    Photography: Ros Woodham and Jimmy Hayes

Beneath the weight of our expedition gear, the 1984 Land Rover Santana 88in sank onto its rear axle. The rear leaves had long ago lost their significant curve, but she was in good company beside the other ageing and overloaded Mercedes queuing up to cross the Moroccan border.

The idea for this expedition arose as a challenge. My Series III had been off the road for several years and I needed a reason to revive her. My co-driver, Jimmy Hayes, dreamt up the idea and was probably the only other person willing to undertake this journey in ‘Trucky’. To complement our 28-year-old steed, we had decided to use conventional navigational techniques: a map and compass. We believed that travelling in a classic vehicle would help penetrate the cultural barriers that a more modern 4×4 might present, and the absence of technology would promote communication. We planned a loop crossing to Melilla from Almería in Spain and heading south towards the Erg Chebbi dunes in order to spend Christmas in the Sahara. West from Merzouga to the Todra Gorge, where we would travel north crossing the High Altas towards Fes, and our final waypoint in the mountain village of Chefchaouen for New Year. Our return to Europe would be a shorter ferry hop from Ceuta to Algeciras.

For many, there’s only one real 4×4 and therefore only one vehicle that you should consider modifying. Even for those not complete devotees, the Land Rover has to be an ideal 4×4 to get the personal touch – as this Defender owner explains…

Words and photography: Michael Konstantinou

This Defender is a 300Tdi Station Wagon and it serves as a daily driver, a long distance tourer, as well as a weekend toy. The beauty of the Defender is that it does it all, and it does it all so well, you can really get stuck in and personalise, whether that’s for the ultimate cross continent expedition, or just for a touch of occasional weekend mud-plugging. Or even, just because you can!

Taking a look around my Defender, at the front, the TJM Bull Bar was actually fitted by the previous owner. He chose the TJM bar as it accommodated the Warn Hi Mount winch better than the ARB bar. What has been pleasing is that over time, the TJM Bar has proved to have much better rust resistance than similarly aged ARB bars, though the redesign of the later ARB bars seems to have addressed that issue.

Comprehensive guide offering suggestions and advice on what you could do to improve the performance of your 4×4. Go on, indulge.

Words: Rob Hawkins

ECU upgrades

The ECU (electronic control unit) on most engines controls the fuelling and ignition timing, which are essential for regulating the amount of performance produced. However, the settings for fuelling and ignition and timing often have potential for improvement, as they are intended to maximise fuel economy and keep emissions low. They also have to cater for a wider range of climates, so tweaking these settings can often result in better performance and better fuel economy.

There are a number of approaches to upgrading the engine’s ECU. One of the most straightforward is to fit a control unit between the ECU and the fuelling. This is known as a tuning box or tuning module. We assessed Tunit’s tuning module for diesel engines in the January 2013 issue (see pages 77-80), examining how to fit the equipment, how settings can be analysed and modified and whether this upgrade actually makes a difference. Such tuning modules provide a map (settings for fuelling) applicable to the engine that it is intended to be fitted to, which can be further fine-tuned using a dial on the side. Fitting is very straightforward in the case of common rail diesel engines, consisting of a plug connector that sits between the standard connection to the fuel injector rail. This helps to alter the signal to the fuel injection system without causing an error at the ECU.

American Scott Brady is a highly experienced overlander and expedition leader. Buying a second-hand UK registered Suzuki Jimny, unseen, and driving it across Europe and along Asia’s infamous Silk Road made his eyes water at times…

Words: Scott Brady Photography: Scott Brady and Charles Nordstrom

Carbon monoxide poisoning is not a good way to die. It is relatively painless, sure, but hardly glamorous. The symptoms begin with lightheadedness, which we began to feel after a few minutes of being trapped in the longest tunnel in Central Asia. We had just cleared the border with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and somehow had picked up a Russian school teacher who was hitchhiking along the route. We managed to stuff her into the back seat of our Suzuki Jimny, but I think she was just happy to not be walking… at least until we entered Anzob Tunnel. The tunnel, a joint project with Iran, is more commonly known as the ‘Tunnel of Death’, or for the more optimistic Tajik, the ‘Tunnel of Fear.’ Supposedly finished in 2007, completion seemed more an indicator of running out of money than anything worthy of a ribboncutting ceremony. The tunnel was a critical project, as before its completion the northwestern corner of Tajikistan was cut off from the rest of the country throughout winter. For us, the tunnel meant access to the ancient Silk Road

For many, this is the ultimate dream for any real off-roader. The great thing, however, is that this is available to all. Get yourself to Moab, Utah, hire a Wrangler and hit the rocks…  not literally, of course

Words: Kev Baldwin Photography: Wayne Mitchelson

Imagine, being able to drive say, the Scottish Highlands or the Lake District and drop by the local information centre to pick up the National Trusts’ guidebook on the best places to drive off-road within the respective National Parks. Guidebook in hand, you drop by the local store for supplies before heading out into the wilderness with mile after mile of empty tracks to explore at your leisure. If you opt to camp you can be gone for days with just you and your 4×4 for company. Too good to be true? Of course it is… It’s never, ever, going to happen in the UK or anywhere else in Europe for that matter, but in the American state of Utah, things are a little different.

This is a unique off-road event, where teams from the public match up against the best from the Armed Forces. And it’s not all extreme off-roading either, this can be a family event too – provided you can read a real map!

Words and photography: Alan Coutts

Mudmaster delivered the kind of experiences that crews won’t stop talking about for weeks. It’s an MSA-approved navigational trial event, appealing to a wide cross section of 4×4 users, from out and out road legal challenge vehicles to family weekend offroaders, plus, of course, teams from the UK Armed Forces. Held at sites across Central Scotland with the aim, according to the organisers, of “improving road safety, developing both on and off-road driving and map reading skills”. In reality, it was much more exciting than that.

Some have the view that BIG is always BEST! When it comes to off-roading, it doesn’t get much bigger than this. Welcome to the Europa Truck Trial. Words and pictures: Toby Savage.

Words and photography: Toby Savage

Like big beer festivals, Boule and Bridget Bardot, the Truck Trial has largely stayed on the other side of the Channel, but this year there was an event just an hour’s drive south of Calais, putting it within easy reach of the UK. Thiembronne is a small village to the south-west of St Omer, a boule’s throw from the A26 autoroute and set in a region that is deeply French in character – tourists from northern Europe tending to speed straight past in pursuit of sun in the south. But the sun shone brightly all weekend on the large gathering of trucks and supporters spread out along a wooded valley on the edge of the village.

Last month in our Atlas Overland adventure to the Mediterranean island of Corsica, our 4×4 convoy explored the central wooded lowlands and scaled the heights of the magnificent Monte Cinto. Now the tour heads north towards the stunning coastline and glorious beaches

Words and photography: Hils Everitt

Having basked in the glory of an ascent up the magnificent Monte Cinto in the central region of the tiny island of Corsica the previous day, our tour then journeyed to the north of the island.

This meant, sadly, that we had reached the final two days of 4×4 adventure company Atlas Overland’s two-week tour of the lovely island that sits in the Mediterranean in between the south coast of France and west coast of Italy. Due to its position, Corsica has influences from both countries. Politically a province of France, its language, however, derives from its Genoese occupation and is very similar to Italian. Dialects do vary from area to area, even village to village, but if you speak some basic French you’ll get by. Luckily, Atlas’s Peter Girling is a good French speaker, so when we tried to get a replacement tyre for the Discovery 3, that had suffered a puncture the previous day up the mountain, he was able to discover that the required Pirelli 19in would not be available in time.

A superb destination for a 4×4 adventure, and one that is often overlooked is Corsica. Nestling in the Mediterranean Sea off the coasts of southern France and western Italy, it offers plenty of challenges and fantastic vistas. We joined Atlas Overland to explore the island.

Words and photography: Hils Everitt

Nestling off the south coast of France and also very close to the west coast of Italy, is a small island rich in history and culture, but often overlooked as a tourist destination. Yet it is wonderful place to visit and an ideal destination for a 4×4 adventure holiday.

Corsica came fully within French jurisdiction in 1769, after a bloody war of resistance followed the 1768 Treaty of Versailles which first decreed it should be under French rule. But it has many lingering Italian influences in its culture, geography and architecture. And it also offers a fine array of off-road tracks that have open access – well, as long as there is no repair or maintenance going on – and provide an array of first-rate driving experiences through beautiful, rugged territory with simply stunning views.