This started off as a simple idea. Landies with kids will make better travel mates. And so we rounded up Tim/Yvette and Jack/Eng Chin for a short easy trip to Cameron. This is with the assumption that we will all be more understanding of needs like: diaper change, feedings stops, toilet breaks etc.
We meet up at Tuas Drive West at 0530 hrs, just outside the entrance to Raffles Marina. Crossing over via the lorry lane was hassle free this time and soon we were on our way after an obligatory last minute stop at the Gelang Patah.
One new encounter was the need to purchase a Touch 'n' Go card from the first toll booth. While I did not like the idea of a stored value card, not knowing when it will be replaced or expire, it turned out to be quite a useful item as it did smooth out the journey, cutting down on the time wasted at toll booths.
The drive up was generally uneventful. The only real excitement occurred during our run up Cameron via the old road from Tapah. At one bend, before reaching the Lata Iskandar waterfall, we caught a glimpse of a while pick up tip over the end of the cliff and disappear from sight. We stopped to assist only to find the pick up at least 20m down a steep ravine. However, the 2 passengers were fortunately uninjured.
We stayed at the Casa del la Rosa, someway between Tanah Rata and Brinchang. Rooms were clean and adequate with a nice but small garden at the rear for a nice morning stroll the next day.
The 2 days were spent exploring the myriad of sights available on Cameron. However, due to the weekend and school holidays, we spent some time on the roads fighting traffic, usually against our favour. However, the best 2 activities was the visit to the Sungai Palas Tea Centre where we spent a lazy afternoon sipping tea and allowing the kids to play together. The views of the surrounding slopes of the tea garden was gorgeous.
We also had the fortune of visiting Jack's uncle's farm. This was a non-tourist visit to a farm, involving a short route of travel of narrow steep tracks to a couple of vegetable plots high above the main tourist route. We were thrilled by the off-road experience and also pleasantly surprised with the opportunity to pick and eat ripe tomatoes and strawberries right off the vine. It was an unforgettable experience especially for the kids. I am glad we shared the same philosophy that our singaporean children need to be exposed to the outdoors and other experiences far from the urban landscape. The drizzle made the experience so much more surreal. Jack's uncle was very generous and offered us vegetables from his plot. With the landies loaded with vegetables and pots of plants, we headed down the wet slippery slopes back to Brinchang.
Will follow on with another post on trip facts and figures
Showing posts with label Miss Daisy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miss Daisy. Show all posts
Friday, June 18, 2010
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Cendarawasih Off-Road
14-17 Sept 07
10 landrovers departed Singapore in the wee hours of the morning for 4 days of adventure and off-roading in the jungles of Malaysia. The expedition took a total of 610km for the 4 day journey, quite short compared to previous expeditions we have been on.
The journey north took us on the North-south highway till the Yong Peng exit, after which we took the federal highway 1 to Segamat. After an early lunch, we set off the remaining 1 hour journey to Cendarawasih on highway 12 where we met up with our guides at the plantation turn off.
The initial half hour drive was through an oil palm plantation. The plantation then gave way to an old logging trail. After about 2 hours, we came to our campsite, a nice open area just next to a flowing river. This was to be our base for the next 3 nights. This trip was different in that each day was spent moving out from the base camp along the path, tackling different obstacles and learning how to do it right. This included clearing of fallen trees, bridge building, driving over gulleys and bypasses. There was lessons on spotting and hand signals and winching techniques.
The weather was hot and humid with the rain on the 2nd day making the trail all the more muddy and tricky. Through this, we learnt about the limitations of the truck and our driving skills and learnt as much as we can to improve ourselves in the outdoors. Obstacles we encountered were quite tough with log bridges no wider than the width of the tires, log steps, V gulleys with an angle of 60 degrees at the bottom of the V, ensuring that every truck had a bent rear bumper or 2
Some details of the trip below:
2nd Link
Turn off at Yong Peng Exit: Toll 10.70 RM
Highway 1 to Segamat Town
Highway 12 to plantation turn off
Turn Off to Campsite
N 02 48.243'
E 102 56.717'
Campsite:
N 02 44.903'
E 103 07.601'
Total distance 610km
10 landrovers departed Singapore in the wee hours of the morning for 4 days of adventure and off-roading in the jungles of Malaysia. The expedition took a total of 610km for the 4 day journey, quite short compared to previous expeditions we have been on.
The journey north took us on the North-south highway till the Yong Peng exit, after which we took the federal highway 1 to Segamat. After an early lunch, we set off the remaining 1 hour journey to Cendarawasih on highway 12 where we met up with our guides at the plantation turn off.
The initial half hour drive was through an oil palm plantation. The plantation then gave way to an old logging trail. After about 2 hours, we came to our campsite, a nice open area just next to a flowing river. This was to be our base for the next 3 nights. This trip was different in that each day was spent moving out from the base camp along the path, tackling different obstacles and learning how to do it right. This included clearing of fallen trees, bridge building, driving over gulleys and bypasses. There was lessons on spotting and hand signals and winching techniques.
The weather was hot and humid with the rain on the 2nd day making the trail all the more muddy and tricky. Through this, we learnt about the limitations of the truck and our driving skills and learnt as much as we can to improve ourselves in the outdoors. Obstacles we encountered were quite tough with log bridges no wider than the width of the tires, log steps, V gulleys with an angle of 60 degrees at the bottom of the V, ensuring that every truck had a bent rear bumper or 2
Some details of the trip below:
2nd Link
Turn off at Yong Peng Exit: Toll 10.70 RM
Highway 1 to Segamat Town
Highway 12 to plantation turn off
Turn Off to Campsite
N 02 48.243'
E 102 56.717'
Campsite:
N 02 44.903'
E 103 07.601'
Total distance 610km
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Yaesu FT-8900R FM Transceiver
This is what I need to enhance the capabilities of Miss Daisy, in terms of communications. It will replace the sometimes ineffectual handheld walkie talkies in terms of reliability. with its capability, it can also serve as my ham radio station, although then this past time will have to operate out of Landy, which is not a minus point.
The technical specifications of the model under considerations is included below, including the 4 points below which have surely caught my attention as being vital for my needs.
29/50/144/430 MHz FM Transceiver The FT-8900R is a ruggedly-built, high quality Quad Band FM transceiver providing 50 Watts of power output on the 29/50/144 MHz Amateur bands, and 35 Watts on the 430 MHz band. It includes leading-edge features like cross-band repeat, dual receive, VHF-UHF Full Duplex capability, and over 800 memory channels. And its 10-meter FM coverage brings the possibility of world-wide FM DX-ing to you on your drive in to work!
Convenient Remote-Head Mounting Capability
Having trouble mounting your mobile radio in your compact car? With the FT-8900R and its optional YSK-8900 Separation Kit, mounting is a breeze even in the tightest locations. The YSK-8900 includes a 20’ (6 m) remote cable and a mounting bracket for the front panel, and the microphone jack is located on the side of the front panel, eliminating the need to run a separate cable.
Quad Band Operation
The FT-8900R combines the “traditional” 144/430 MHz local-communications concept with the exciting capability for Sporadic-E or F2 DX on the 29 MHz and 50 MHz bands, for nationwide or worldwide FM communications from your car! The first Amateur Radio FM mobile transceiver providing this capability, the FT-8900R will make you wonder how you got by with a two-band transceiver up to now!
Wide Frequency Coverage
The FT-8900R provides extended receiver coverage beyond the Amateur bands, so you can keep informed of communication activities in the public safety, commercial, aircraft, and government communications ranges. Included is coverage of 28-29.7 MHz, 50-54 MHz, 108-180 MHz, 300-480 MHz, and 700-985 MHz (cellular frequencies are blocked and non-restorable).
Cross-Band Repeat Capability
For emergency work, or to extend the range of a hand-held unit, the FT-8900R includes Cross-Band Repeat capability, similar to that pioneered on our popular FT-8100R Dual Band FM Mobile!
The technical specifications of the model under considerations is included below, including the 4 points below which have surely caught my attention as being vital for my needs.
29/50/144/430 MHz FM Transceiver The FT-8900R is a ruggedly-built, high quality Quad Band FM transceiver providing 50 Watts of power output on the 29/50/144 MHz Amateur bands, and 35 Watts on the 430 MHz band. It includes leading-edge features like cross-band repeat, dual receive, VHF-UHF Full Duplex capability, and over 800 memory channels. And its 10-meter FM coverage brings the possibility of world-wide FM DX-ing to you on your drive in to work!Convenient Remote-Head Mounting Capability
Having trouble mounting your mobile radio in your compact car? With the FT-8900R and its optional YSK-8900 Separation Kit, mounting is a breeze even in the tightest locations. The YSK-8900 includes a 20’ (6 m) remote cable and a mounting bracket for the front panel, and the microphone jack is located on the side of the front panel, eliminating the need to run a separate cable.
Quad Band Operation
The FT-8900R combines the “traditional” 144/430 MHz local-communications concept with the exciting capability for Sporadic-E or F2 DX on the 29 MHz and 50 MHz bands, for nationwide or worldwide FM communications from your car! The first Amateur Radio FM mobile transceiver providing this capability, the FT-8900R will make you wonder how you got by with a two-band transceiver up to now!
Wide Frequency Coverage
The FT-8900R provides extended receiver coverage beyond the Amateur bands, so you can keep informed of communication activities in the public safety, commercial, aircraft, and government communications ranges. Included is coverage of 28-29.7 MHz, 50-54 MHz, 108-180 MHz, 300-480 MHz, and 700-985 MHz (cellular frequencies are blocked and non-restorable).
Cross-Band Repeat Capability
For emergency work, or to extend the range of a hand-held unit, the FT-8900R includes Cross-Band Repeat capability, similar to that pioneered on our popular FT-8100R Dual Band FM Mobile!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
6th Landy Improvement
What else could I possibly add to Missy Daisy, you would ask.
LIGHTS!
This has been on my list of things to add. And after a couple of night off-roading sessions, I was convinced that lights will be a definite help in my quest for a better experience. So once again, trooped down to Nam Seng to take a look.
So I made the following purchases:
1. Hella Ralleye 1000 x 4 pieces (mounted on the front of the Roof Rack)
2. Hella Comet 550 x 2 pieces (mounted on the rear of the rack)
Decided to go back to Specialists Audio at Bukit Merah for the installation as they were most familiar with Land Rover electrics, therefore least likely to mess up. Took about 4 hours for them to rig up the lights, connecting it to my 2nd battery, controlled by switches on the dash.
Now Ms Daisy looks like a fully equipped Land Rover.
I shall add photos soon
LIGHTS!
This has been on my list of things to add. And after a couple of night off-roading sessions, I was convinced that lights will be a definite help in my quest for a better experience. So once again, trooped down to Nam Seng to take a look.
So I made the following purchases:
1. Hella Ralleye 1000 x 4 pieces (mounted on the front of the Roof Rack)
2. Hella Comet 550 x 2 pieces (mounted on the rear of the rack)
Decided to go back to Specialists Audio at Bukit Merah for the installation as they were most familiar with Land Rover electrics, therefore least likely to mess up. Took about 4 hours for them to rig up the lights, connecting it to my 2nd battery, controlled by switches on the dash.
Now Ms Daisy looks like a fully equipped Land Rover.
I shall add photos soon
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Back from the East Coast
After a short but intense 4 day drive up to Malaysia, we are back in the safe comfortable confines of home as of yesterday.
Covering a total of 1909.5km in this short 4 days, is really quite something. The journey took us across the main range to the town of Kuantan on the east coast. From there, it was northwards as far as Kuala Terengganu before the return leg home. Along the way, we soaked up the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of what the East Coast had to offer and I must say it was really quite an adventure.
With us, we are always covering a wide range of activity and this trip was no different. We stopped at a drop of a hat, at the slightest indication that a place was interesting and off-beat enough. We bought Lemang and Satar from road side stalls and consumed these in a picnic by the beach at Kemasik. We probed and came across a fishing jetty in Kemaman where fishing boats berthed to off load their catch of the day. There was also the eccentric old Malay gentlemen who showed us a conch shell with the animal still in it, this among drying starfish and shell sculptures.
During our stay in Cherating, we had the chance to visit a turtle hatchery and hold one of those small creatures in between our thumb and index fingers, while it squirmed to escape. There we came face to face with the Green Turtle in all its majesty. How anyone can harm these majestic creatures is beyond us.
Our second stop in Rantau Abang saw us putting up at a quaint little place called Awang's. It was clean and had basic amenities but the most important of all, it was a step away from the beach. The beach there stretched both north and south as far as the eye could see. Waves crashing on the sand created a fine mist that blanketed the coast. The sand, though not fine and powdery, was coated with arches of sea shells. Due to the unique gradient of the beach, incoming waves from the South China sea broke and dumped on the steeply sloping beach. The undertow was severe and one could very easily get swept away if one was not careful.
But it is precisely this gradient that made Rantau Abang one of the hottest spots for the annual egg-laying by the sea turtles. Through drastically reduced in number and having fewer pristine spots for laying eggs, the turtles have still be known to come back and if one is lucky, have the opportunity to witness this magical event. Unfortunately, the sky did not smile on us and dumped about 4-5 hours worth of rain come evening. This effectively ended any plans on our end to scour the beaches and chance upon an egg laying turtle.
The return journey was an adventure by itself with us wanting to take a different route from the one we travelled up from. This entailed going further north to within 50km of Kota Bharu before coming down through highways 4 and 8, passing through Gua Musang and Kuala Lipis before finally joining the NS highway at Bentong, near KL.
The return journey took us longer longer than expected at about 14 hours of driving, including a couple of rest and dinner stops. This exciting journey home saw us coming into contact with logging trucks hauling enormous sawn tree trunks along narrow, wet and undulating precipitous routes through the mountains. It was a continual drive with one's heart in the mouth as drivers jostled to overtake these slow moving behemoths. The highlight had to be the time when Fran exclaimed "Elephant!!" True enough, by the highway in a clearing of Taman Negara, a male elephant was taking a dip in a mud pool just a couple of hundred metres from the main road. It was a beautiful sight and warranted a U-turn and an unplanned stop of about 10-15 minutes to admire this amazing creature in the dimming light.
We arrived at the ungodly hour of 0300 hrs on 1 May 2007, having left in the evening of 27 April. It was a good trip and will remain in our memories for time to come. This is almost the anniversary of our last mega-trip to Ao Nang, end April 2006.
See here for a photographic account of our trip. Enjoy it as we did.
Covering a total of 1909.5km in this short 4 days, is really quite something. The journey took us across the main range to the town of Kuantan on the east coast. From there, it was northwards as far as Kuala Terengganu before the return leg home. Along the way, we soaked up the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of what the East Coast had to offer and I must say it was really quite an adventure.
With us, we are always covering a wide range of activity and this trip was no different. We stopped at a drop of a hat, at the slightest indication that a place was interesting and off-beat enough. We bought Lemang and Satar from road side stalls and consumed these in a picnic by the beach at Kemasik. We probed and came across a fishing jetty in Kemaman where fishing boats berthed to off load their catch of the day. There was also the eccentric old Malay gentlemen who showed us a conch shell with the animal still in it, this among drying starfish and shell sculptures.
During our stay in Cherating, we had the chance to visit a turtle hatchery and hold one of those small creatures in between our thumb and index fingers, while it squirmed to escape. There we came face to face with the Green Turtle in all its majesty. How anyone can harm these majestic creatures is beyond us.
Our second stop in Rantau Abang saw us putting up at a quaint little place called Awang's. It was clean and had basic amenities but the most important of all, it was a step away from the beach. The beach there stretched both north and south as far as the eye could see. Waves crashing on the sand created a fine mist that blanketed the coast. The sand, though not fine and powdery, was coated with arches of sea shells. Due to the unique gradient of the beach, incoming waves from the South China sea broke and dumped on the steeply sloping beach. The undertow was severe and one could very easily get swept away if one was not careful.
But it is precisely this gradient that made Rantau Abang one of the hottest spots for the annual egg-laying by the sea turtles. Through drastically reduced in number and having fewer pristine spots for laying eggs, the turtles have still be known to come back and if one is lucky, have the opportunity to witness this magical event. Unfortunately, the sky did not smile on us and dumped about 4-5 hours worth of rain come evening. This effectively ended any plans on our end to scour the beaches and chance upon an egg laying turtle.
The return journey was an adventure by itself with us wanting to take a different route from the one we travelled up from. This entailed going further north to within 50km of Kota Bharu before coming down through highways 4 and 8, passing through Gua Musang and Kuala Lipis before finally joining the NS highway at Bentong, near KL.
The return journey took us longer longer than expected at about 14 hours of driving, including a couple of rest and dinner stops. This exciting journey home saw us coming into contact with logging trucks hauling enormous sawn tree trunks along narrow, wet and undulating precipitous routes through the mountains. It was a continual drive with one's heart in the mouth as drivers jostled to overtake these slow moving behemoths. The highlight had to be the time when Fran exclaimed "Elephant!!" True enough, by the highway in a clearing of Taman Negara, a male elephant was taking a dip in a mud pool just a couple of hundred metres from the main road. It was a beautiful sight and warranted a U-turn and an unplanned stop of about 10-15 minutes to admire this amazing creature in the dimming light.
We arrived at the ungodly hour of 0300 hrs on 1 May 2007, having left in the evening of 27 April. It was a good trip and will remain in our memories for time to come. This is almost the anniversary of our last mega-trip to Ao Nang, end April 2006.
See here for a photographic account of our trip. Enjoy it as we did.
Friday, April 06, 2007
5th Landy Improvement
The latest in the line of Miss Daisy improvements...
A spanking new Safety Devices Land Rover Roofrack installed on 4 April 2007.
This was a day after I got a call from Nam Seng informing me that the roof rack had reached our shores. Therefore, after mulling about it for a day or tow, decided to take a look at it and finally make a decision. One of the most difficult things to resolve was the fact that after installation, Miss Daisy may not fit into our own multi-storey carpark.
The rack was big, black and a beauty...even in the box. It was sleek and it was the original Land Rover G4 roof rack. The lower, sleeker profile boasts minimal addition to the overall height of the vehicle. RIchard assured us that after adding the roof rack, 2.15m carparks should pose no difficulty.
Installation was a breeze, the rack fitting easily onto the rain gutter and clamping it down to the vehicle with rubber clamps. All in all, it too about 30-45 minutes to fit and secure the rack to Miss Daisy. The weight was surprisingly light and it could not have weighed more than 20kg.
The only drawback was the price which was quite hefty at $2400. Considering that the rack would have cost about 600 pounds and taking into account conversion rates and shipping charges, I felt it was a fair price albeit a little steep.
Land Rover Defender Expedition Roof Rack
LR 004101
SGD 2400
PS: I still park in my own carpark
See how Miss Daisy looks with the rack.
This was how she looked without the rack.......
See My Flickr for more photos.
A spanking new Safety Devices Land Rover Roofrack installed on 4 April 2007.
This was a day after I got a call from Nam Seng informing me that the roof rack had reached our shores. Therefore, after mulling about it for a day or tow, decided to take a look at it and finally make a decision. One of the most difficult things to resolve was the fact that after installation, Miss Daisy may not fit into our own multi-storey carpark.
The rack was big, black and a beauty...even in the box. It was sleek and it was the original Land Rover G4 roof rack. The lower, sleeker profile boasts minimal addition to the overall height of the vehicle. RIchard assured us that after adding the roof rack, 2.15m carparks should pose no difficulty.
Installation was a breeze, the rack fitting easily onto the rain gutter and clamping it down to the vehicle with rubber clamps. All in all, it too about 30-45 minutes to fit and secure the rack to Miss Daisy. The weight was surprisingly light and it could not have weighed more than 20kg.
The only drawback was the price which was quite hefty at $2400. Considering that the rack would have cost about 600 pounds and taking into account conversion rates and shipping charges, I felt it was a fair price albeit a little steep.
Land Rover Defender Expedition Roof Rack
LR 004101
SGD 2400
PS: I still park in my own carpark
See how Miss Daisy looks with the rack.
This was how she looked without the rack.......
See My Flickr for more photos.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Fourth Landy Improvement
Today marked another landy improvement project, the 4th in the series so far. I have long eyed a change in shock absorbers. There was an earlier plan last year to bring in some shocks from the UK but the plan fell through. So once again the hunt for new shocks led to Nam Seng, who carried a pretty good stock of Koni Shock absorbers.
After much consideration, I took the plunge at got in installed today. See below specifications of the ones I installed.
KONI Heavy Track™ SPX Performance Shocks
Tested in the rough deserts of Morocco, Heavy Track SPX Performance shock absorbers ensure greater stability and greater stamina for both drivers and vehicles off-road. On the road, you can count on greater comfort, a higher level of safety, more stability and better road holding. In short, Heavy Track SPX Performance shock absorbers are perfect 'all road' shock absorbers, regardless of driving conditions.
KONI Heavy Track™ SPX Performance Shocks Offer Additional Features:
Compress-to-adjust design allows adjustable dampening for on or off-road conditions.
Twin-tube design improves ride quality and durability.
Steel stone guard for maximum protection of piston rod and seal.
Damper characteristics specially tuned for off-road use.
Specially set bottom valve for 4x4 use.
Larger reservoir with more oil for improved heat transfer.
The bright red shocks look quite good
Verdict so far: money well spent! the ride is smoother and soaks up most of the minor irregularities on the road. The car is slightly higher than before, giving the Landy a good ride height. Actually, it did not raise the truck just rather bringing it back closer to original.
Now I wonder when and what will be the 5th landy improvement.
After much consideration, I took the plunge at got in installed today. See below specifications of the ones I installed.
KONI Heavy Track™ SPX Performance Shocks
Tested in the rough deserts of Morocco, Heavy Track SPX Performance shock absorbers ensure greater stability and greater stamina for both drivers and vehicles off-road. On the road, you can count on greater comfort, a higher level of safety, more stability and better road holding. In short, Heavy Track SPX Performance shock absorbers are perfect 'all road' shock absorbers, regardless of driving conditions.
KONI Heavy Track™ SPX Performance Shocks Offer Additional Features:
Compress-to-adjust design allows adjustable dampening for on or off-road conditions.
Twin-tube design improves ride quality and durability.
Steel stone guard for maximum protection of piston rod and seal.
Damper characteristics specially tuned for off-road use.
Specially set bottom valve for 4x4 use.
Larger reservoir with more oil for improved heat transfer.
The bright red shocks look quite good
Verdict so far: money well spent! the ride is smoother and soaks up most of the minor irregularities on the road. The car is slightly higher than before, giving the Landy a good ride height. Actually, it did not raise the truck just rather bringing it back closer to original.
Now I wonder when and what will be the 5th landy improvement.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Miss Daisy is Back!!!
Today, Miss Daisy was discharged from the workshop after having some surgery done to her front left fender region. This all started 2 and 1/2 weeks ago on 18 Dec when I got her into an accident with a lorry. It was pure carelessness on my part and I should have really been a bit more careful.
The damage was more serious than it should have been, considering the circumstances of the accident. I can only put it down to pure unluckiness that produced the severity of body damage. After an eternity of quotations from various workshops, negotiations and other administrative hold-ups, work finally started a week ago and completed today.
It was a trying time initially, getting to work and around without Miss Daisy. However, looking back at the past 2 weeks, life did slow down a little. I was more careful not to create too tight a schedule for myself so as to allow time for travelling. I resorted more to the old, reliable form of transportation by walking. It created a certain breathing space in an otherwise packed and crazy schedule in my life.
It was a with some trepidation that I went to collect her today. I was worried about the workmanship, the paintwork etc... however, after giving her a lookover, she looks none the worse.
So today is a good day.... if you see her back on the road, give a HONK!
The damage was more serious than it should have been, considering the circumstances of the accident. I can only put it down to pure unluckiness that produced the severity of body damage. After an eternity of quotations from various workshops, negotiations and other administrative hold-ups, work finally started a week ago and completed today.
It was a trying time initially, getting to work and around without Miss Daisy. However, looking back at the past 2 weeks, life did slow down a little. I was more careful not to create too tight a schedule for myself so as to allow time for travelling. I resorted more to the old, reliable form of transportation by walking. It created a certain breathing space in an otherwise packed and crazy schedule in my life.
It was a with some trepidation that I went to collect her today. I was worried about the workmanship, the paintwork etc... however, after giving her a lookover, she looks none the worse.
So today is a good day.... if you see her back on the road, give a HONK!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Yokohama Geolanders MTs
Today is the day I got MTs onto Miss Daisy!
The impetus being the upcoming expedition on the Mat Daling trail. I have been researching on the available options and it is difficult getting MTs in Singapore. At least it's difficult getting the MTs of the right specifications.
I have been advised to get them from across the Causeway. I just have a few problems about driving around in JB, ensuring that the shop there does not botch up the tyre change and fleece me in the process. I also have the small problem of lugging back 5 ATs in the back of my truck. So, the next bet option is just to get them from here.
As luck would have it, the company had in stock 5 Yokohama Geolander MTs, with the same specs as the Grabbers that are on Miss Daisy. I have given much thought about whether to upsize my tyres but I at the end of the day, practicality and common sense overruled the other options and I had to admit that staying the same size would be best. As it is, I already have trouble getting into most carparks, any increase in height will effectively exclude me from ALL indoor carparks.
The Geolanders do not look as fierce as I thought most MTs would. But its look grows on you. I opted for plain black lettering as opposed to the raised white lettering on the sidewalls. I think it was a conservative decision. I negotiated a deal to store the ATs over at the dealer's place and to be able to run back there to swop to ATs when necessary.
Road handling was decent. It was not as loud as I imagined MTs to be. It has a pleasant purr on tarmac with a mild vibration at lower speeds during both acceleration and deceleration. This goes away once we pick up a certain speed. Off road, traction was discernibly better than with the ATs. Maybe it is all in my mind. I will have to confirm its effectiveness but for $250 a piece, it had better work better than the ATs.
The tyres were not cheap but probably a worthwhile investment for this offroading lifestyle. It may not be the best in its class for extreme type terrain but it will probably do for my expected level of offroading. I have included below, a picture of the tyre and the specifications.
The impetus being the upcoming expedition on the Mat Daling trail. I have been researching on the available options and it is difficult getting MTs in Singapore. At least it's difficult getting the MTs of the right specifications.
I have been advised to get them from across the Causeway. I just have a few problems about driving around in JB, ensuring that the shop there does not botch up the tyre change and fleece me in the process. I also have the small problem of lugging back 5 ATs in the back of my truck. So, the next bet option is just to get them from here.
As luck would have it, the company had in stock 5 Yokohama Geolander MTs, with the same specs as the Grabbers that are on Miss Daisy. I have given much thought about whether to upsize my tyres but I at the end of the day, practicality and common sense overruled the other options and I had to admit that staying the same size would be best. As it is, I already have trouble getting into most carparks, any increase in height will effectively exclude me from ALL indoor carparks.
The Geolanders do not look as fierce as I thought most MTs would. But its look grows on you. I opted for plain black lettering as opposed to the raised white lettering on the sidewalls. I think it was a conservative decision. I negotiated a deal to store the ATs over at the dealer's place and to be able to run back there to swop to ATs when necessary.
Road handling was decent. It was not as loud as I imagined MTs to be. It has a pleasant purr on tarmac with a mild vibration at lower speeds during both acceleration and deceleration. This goes away once we pick up a certain speed. Off road, traction was discernibly better than with the ATs. Maybe it is all in my mind. I will have to confirm its effectiveness but for $250 a piece, it had better work better than the ATs.
The tyres were not cheap but probably a worthwhile investment for this offroading lifestyle. It may not be the best in its class for extreme type terrain but it will probably do for my expected level of offroading. I have included below, a picture of the tyre and the specifications.
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