Member Since: 09 Feb 2009
Location: Thessaloniki
Posts: 8
A Discovery 3 retiring after an Around the World trip...
It has been more than three years we are back from our RTW trip.
Yes, our Around the World trip in our green Discovery3 TDV6!
It was a sponsored expedition by a Greek car magazine, two radio stations, different technical suppliers and Land Rover of Greece.
Our expedition lasted 1177 days, roughly three and a half years. We were just two of us, Akis and Vula. We covered 168.000 km (OK, 100K+ miles) in 67 countries in 5 continents. For 700 nights we slept on our roof tent. We had a broken engine in Sumatra and a nasty accident in Mississipi. A broken shock absorber in Australia and a broken coil spring (heavy duty from OZ) in Bolivia!
We changed the handbrake unit 6 times (all under warranty), the clutch slave cylinder 4 times (2 times at 10.000 km), the master cylinder 3 times but the high pressure diesel pump only one time at 95K miles in Chile. Eh, we also changed one stop bulb and we never changed the first LR battery that still ran till winter 2013!!!
The only electronic problem was after the accident: the tank gauge went crazy and the altitude sensor as well. Over 2000 mts. the engine turns to safe mode some times. You reset it turning the engine off and well it goes!
I am not sure but this was the very first Disco 3 that attempted and completed an RTW adventure. Please correct this if we are wrong.
We love our Discovery3 and we still have it in Italy where we live. We had named the Disco3 "karibu" from the Swahili "welcome" word. It is not just the car of our lives, it is our third companion in the best period of our lives. This car has seen and be seen more than any other Discovery 3 in history. We still receive messages about it.
Now, we have it parked under our house and some times think about selling it to a collector or to a guy who would like to take it around the world. Then we change our minds and we say "no, this car must stay with us for ever, its a part of us".
This is the first time we upload some of our pictures on the Disco3 forum just to thank you all guys for the help during our trip. Several times I remember visiting the forum to get advise for a technical issue or a spare part.
And of course, a great THANKS to Land Rover. If I remember well, we had a brand new engine under warrantee flying cargo fro GB to Malaysia in January 2009. If you guys want to see our adventures, visit our old website www.theworldoffroad.gr. Or the brand new we create now only with photo galleries @ www.theworldoffroad.com
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50934
Fantastic adventure ...thanks for sharing 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
2nd Jan 2014 11:58 pm
stew 46
Member Since: 01 Dec 2011
Location: cornwall
Posts: 10146
great trip and great pics thanks for sharing -------------------------------------------------
if you cant hold on dont let go , it ill come in handy for something even if you never use it.
D3 SE 05,
110 s wagon 300 tdi SOLD
h top transit
crew cab transit
transit connect
ausa dumper, muck truck .
peljob 2.5 digger
06 L 200 crew cab
2nd Jan 2014 11:59 pm
Cellerdweller
Member Since: 05 Oct 2012
Location: Macclesfield
Posts: 1315
Wow ! What an adventure You're not afraid of the dark are you ?
3rd Jan 2014 12:01 am
GLYNNE
Member Since: 06 Oct 2006
Location: KENT
Posts: 4645
looks absolutely fantastic
You must have so much to share, so feel free
3rd Jan 2014 12:03 am
theworldoffroad
Member Since: 09 Feb 2009
Location: Thessaloniki
Posts: 8
DG wrote:
Fantastic adventure ...thanks for sharing
Thank U for the hosting! I got nostalgic and remembered you guys. We actually miss traveling...5 continents, 67 countries, 1177 days, 167.500 kms., 2 people, 1 LR3!
3rd Jan 2014 12:06 am
Dave
Member Since: 08 Mar 2006
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 2462
Awesome! Looks like the trip of a lifetime. To suffer the mechanical issues must have been a draw on patience but overall, no different to another vehicle, perhaps even less issues than a less robust vehicle.
Did you take any diagnostic equipment?
3rd Jan 2014 12:06 am
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 13901
You lucky, lucky b ds
Looks like a fantastic trip and one we would all love to do.
3rd Jan 2014 12:08 am
theworldoffroad
Member Since: 09 Feb 2009
Location: Thessaloniki
Posts: 8
The car had two weak points: handbrake and clutch slave cylinder. Engine failure was provoked by turbo change without oil change. Yes we had a factory tester that helped a lot. And Skype as well from which I had long connection with our chief mechanic in Athens.5 continents, 67 countries, 1177 days, 167.500 kms., 2 people, 1 LR3!
3rd Jan 2014 12:09 am
AIRBORNE MEDIC
Member Since: 21 Feb 2012
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 603
"AWESOME MATE" "Your mind is like a parachute! It will only function when open"!
Kenny
3rd Jan 2014 12:15 am
Iguana
Member Since: 14 Oct 2013
Location: 'Sunny' Zomerset
Posts: 9402
Brilliant story and pics....what an adventure! Iggy/Ieuan
Current LR =
2015 RR Sport Autobiography
&
1992 Land Rover Defender Camper
- Gone but not forgotten:
MY10 D4 GS
MY05 Disco 3 'S'
MY14 FL2 HSE manual in Blue
MY15 Disco 4 HSE Lux in Santorini Black
MY08 Disco 3 SE manual in Buck Blue
1960 Series 2 88" (No idea why I sold it!)
3rd Jan 2014 12:15 am
highbayrack
Member Since: 09 Jul 2008
Location: Northamptonshire
Posts: 2776
Adventure of a life time for you both Thanks for sharing
P.S, don't sell it On a mission to find the perfect Pork Pie. Just Found it (I think)..(Yes I have)
Official product sponsor for "Bloodhound SSC" 1000+ mph world land speed record
3rd Jan 2014 10:22 am
character
Member Since: 01 Jan 2008
Location: wiltshire
Posts: 5779
"loan" it to Gaydon Museum, next door to LR technical centre so we can all pay homage to it
Member Since: 30 Jan 2012
Location: St Ives
Posts: 877
An amazing trip I would love to do something like that, below is the itinerary of a friend of mine who has recently completed driving “around the world†(well the interesting bits although the notable exception seems to be Australia & New Zealand) however he did it in stages using the same car.
Each year he would complete a stage leave the car parked in the last country and fly home to return a while later and complete the next stage.
The car was a Toyota pick –up (of Top Gear fame) with the only modifications off-road tyres and a bull bar at the front, other than that completely standard. During the journey it only used standard service items e.g. filters and oil changes and the only thing that went wrong mechanically was a broken steering rack.
The car has Gibraltar plates (it is still alive and well over here) and the only hassles he had from the authorities at the various borders crossed were limited to ‘where on earth is Gibraltar?’
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ds 
