Been a long term stalker on this site, and has been a great source of information.

Decided that I should share some of my experiences from one and a half years of ownership.

After my wife got a new job, which required a 40km commute, we decide the 1992 pajero needed to be replaced. The problem was that up to this point the car had mainly been used for road and camping trips, including a tour of Mungo NP and the Grampians. So we needed something that could comfortably take the misses to work, but was capable of a weekend trip to Moreton. After reading around, we decided a 2nd hand Freelander 2 might be our best option.

So far it hasn't disappointed. First real test we did was a trip to Moreton Island. I removed the OEM side steps (which I'm getting rid of, if anyone in the Brisbane area is interested PM me), to give a little more clearance. It handled the trip with ease. My only complaint was the (well documented) lack of clearance, especially compared to the old pajero. It wasn't that bad once I had gotten use to it, just meant I couldn't be as gung-ho as I had been in the past and meant even more time cleaning it underneath when we got back .
Here is a pic of the car on Moreton:

Click image to enlarge

In case anyone missed my (subtle) comment in the above text, I have some OEM side steps that came with the car that I want to get rid of, rather than store. Pick up in the Brisbane area, PM if you're keen and want more details.

Great to see someone else in Brisbane using the Freelander for everything it can do. I might even be interested in your side steps as well. How easy are they to remove if I did want to take them off and go 4wding.

I took them off with a friends help, and it didn't seem that hard considering neither of us had done it before (he did most of the work). It took about 30mins from memory. I'm not sure if I could be bothered with all the hassle of taking them on and off regularly. I guess it depends on your set up and how easy you find that sort of thing.

However, I am willing to let them go cheap.

I think I will pass on the steps then. I would only take them off when I wanted to go on the beach or something and never put them on again.

Fair enough, that was pretty much what happened to me.

I think my sales pitch needs some work

Good to hear another happy FL2 owner using the vechicle for what it was designed for . I have taken mine on private 4wd tracks in the Flinders Rangers where high ground clearance and low range were strongly recomended and had no trouble at all except for a bit of a scrape on a rock .I am now in the process of fitting a front and rear (fuel tank) guards from Green Oval Experience , wont give any more clearance but will protect the fuel tank which is the most vunerable point . I then drove along the oddnadatta track on the way home to Darwin . had a problem with dust along the section from Oddnadatta to Marla which was 300ks of bulldust but not bad that the dust filled the passenger compartment but you could smell it . When I got home I opened the spare tyre well and it had quite a lot of dust in behind the rear lights , I suspected that this was caused by a broken tail light but when I replaced the light I found one of the many rubber grommets was not sealing properly . pushed it back into position and no more dust problems . Tail light assy from local LR dealer $409 from UK 89 pound ,about $150 plus freight . So dont be afriad of the Kimberly as the FL2 will have no problems as I have worked in the kimberly for the past 6 years on construction and earth works and have used late model hilux utes which struggle were I would have no hesitation to take my FL2
Doug

That's great to hear. I also have Flinders Ranges on my "must see" list and had thought about how the FL2 would cope on the Oodnadatta track. Judging by what you and others have said, it sounds like it wouldn't be too much of a stretch. So it looks like if we do get the chance to head to the Kimberley's, it will be down to Flinders, then up past Uluru.

I think we will also have to invest in some form of underbody protection, although it could end up giving me too much confidence

I've done all the "tracks"...Birdsville, Oodnadatta, Strzelecki and the only thing you need worry about is your tyres. I've done the sidewalls in 3 tyres out there by sharp rocks over about 7 trips. The garages in the towns make their money repairing punctures and fitting new tyres at big $$ due to scarcity and a captive market. They don't stock standard FL2 tyres so an overnight wait is usual. Smart travellers have near new tyres in AT minimum and carry an extra spare on the roof. Otherwise the car eats it up out there no worries.

I've read some of your trip reports, you've been to some great spots. I have been planning to get some AT's at some point, but the car came with a brand new set of tyres. I've looked at the posts on here, and will use them as a guide when it is time for a new set. Particularly as it seems they can add a bit of a lift too. That, some undercarriage protection and a good roof rack and we'll be set.

Planning a trip in the next dry season to the Kimberley's in WA, in particularly we'd like to see the Mitchell Plateau & falls. Has anyone had any experience on this track or the Kimberley's they can share. How did you go with ground clearance, tyres you'd recommend and any other useful hints. Currently have Continental 18" tyres.

Clearance won't be an issue but your tyres might. You need rubber between your rims and the ground so AT 17's in a bit larger size are ideal for those type of tracks. The corrugations can be a killer and letting your tyres down eases the pain on both you and your car. Letting your tyres down reduces your clearance, puts your rims at risk of being struck by a rock and increases the risk of sidewall damage, but is pretty vital out there. I usually run low to mid 20's psi on those roads going by the recommendation of everyone who has my respect. I've done the Oodnadatta and Plenty Hwy on standard road tyres and they copped a hiding. Vesko did some pretty rough tracks on standard 18's though and came through ok so it is possible. It's all luck on whether the road has been graded recently or hammered by the weather. My rule of thumb is to expect to lose a tyre or two and be happy if you don't. Keep it slow and get off the road when idiots come at you full bore and shower you with rocks.

Thanks for your advice Mikehzz. Reading many of your posts and those from Vesko have given me the confidence to tackle some of the off-road tracks. I'll be looking at A/T tyres. I have 6 wheels, all 18", so will have the decide if I go ahead & purchase 17" for the more serious off-roading we plan to do.

I'm not sure if there is a lot of choice in AT tyres at 235/60/18. The biggest tyre that would fit would be 245/65/18 and I don't know if they even make that size or if it's available in AT. Good luck with it. There are a few threads on Exploroz regarding Mitchell Plateau and the GRR. Someone even asked if a Mazda CX5 could do it and the consensus was yes subject to tyres.