I am a subscriber to LRM magazine, not my finest hour . I did it at a Land Rover show at Kelmarsh a couple of years ago, but only as they had a good offer on and never got round to cancelling.
Anyway, last month's edition had a question sent in by a New Zealander asking for advice on purchasing a petrol Freelander 2. The reply from the mags technical editor was basically that they couldn't help as nobody at the magazine has any experience of the petrol Freelander 2, which was only available in the UK with the Td4 diesel engine.
I sent an email to LRM as this blatantly isn't the case, which to my surprise has been published in this month's edition.
It's not the first time these "comics" have got it wrong when it comes to Freelanders, 1 or 2. LRO were always getting things wrong, especially when referring to the KV6 as a Honda derived engine, a phrase often tagged on to any mention of the 2.5 petrol. As we all know, the KV6 was designed and developed by Rover as a replacement for the Honda V6 they'd been using .

I think I'll go and speak to the LRM team when I'm at Kelmarsh next month, with a view to getting more exposure for the Freelander 2.

There are plenty of forum members on here who own Freelander 2's more than worthy of a few pages in their mag. It would be a nice to see a fully kitted out F2 overlander, or off road modified F2 adorning the pages of the magazines - make a refreshing change from all the Defenders and Discos ................
Just a thought....

I subscribed to both LRO and LRM when I had my Disco 2 but cancelled when I bought the Freelander 2 as not much relevant to it. I did like the restos and historical features they do though. Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

I started a sub (electronic) with LRO when we first got the FL2 (never bothered with the FFRR) but has noticed apart from the fact the delivery of the electronic version is rubbish, the digital implementation not physical delivery.

But it’s been a waste of time, I think there have been just a few letters about FL2 over the past three months, and the answers were either wrong or brief enough to give the impression they don’t really know much about the FL2.

Not looked at the latest digital copy (I’m that interested ) but I will now to find your letter  Regards

David

Lovely i6 has now gone, but not me......

Please let me know if anything in my post offends you, as I may wish to offend you again......

Land Rover Mags usually ignore the Freelander 2 and don't know much about them mostly prefering to have articles featuring beaten up or modified Defenders. Below is an email I sent to LRO some time ago:

Why don’t you have articles in LRO about the Freelander 2?

Is it because it is the most reliable Land Rover model ever made and you don’t have to spend hours lying underneath it on a cold, wet drive fixing it?

Or is it because it is good as it is straight out of the box without having to spend a fortune on accessories?

Or is it because with a greater wading depth than a Defender 90 and terrain response both on and off road it will outperform a Defender 90?

Or is it because it will do all that in air conditioned comfort without bashing your knees and elbows on the Defender’s hard bits?

You do after all have articles about the Discovery 3 and 4, so why not the F2? It is not as if F2 adventures don’t happen, there are lots on the F2 forum http://www.freel2.com/forum/index.php .

I do like Defenders and Series LRs and am pleased that there are magazines like yours to help keep these heritage vehicles on the road, but just now and again it would be nice to have something about Land Rover’s most reliable and versatile model.

J

Did you get a reply? Common sense isn't very common.
_______________________________
2007 Land Rover Freelander2 I6 hse Auto

RealBeale wrote:

It would be a nice to see a fully kitted out F2

Can't put any more kit on my car!

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 Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

I'll be having a word at Kelmarsh next month.
There are plenty of seriously good F2's on the forum - from fully kitted overlanders, to off roaders to blinged up gangsta rappers vehicles.
What I propose is a few pages singing the praises of our beloved F2's , with pics and captions of a few forum members vehicles to whet the appetite of the readers. Then in later editions, individual owners vehicles getting their own few pages.
That is, of course, if members are interested.
With Muddymods new F2 releases, including a winch bumper bracket, then with more magazine exposure, other manufacturers may follow suit and start producing those accessories we've been dreaming about for all these years.

Lightwater - that's exactly what I'm talking about. Proving the F2 is a viable alternative to the Discos and Defenders always being featured as expedition/overland vehicles.

Last edited by RealBeale on 21st Jun 2019 11:30 am. Edited 1 time in total

axle wrote:

Did you get a reply?

Probably one they couldn’t publish  Regards

David

Lovely i6 has now gone, but not me......

Please let me know if anything in my post offends you, as I may wish to offend you again......

managed to get the FL2 in LRO - June 2010
Both ours and Andy/Augustos vehicles were pictured. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

oops forgot the pictures

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Just dipping back in from my usual place on FFRR, having sold my FL2 back in 2013.

I read LRO fairly regularly and I think you are being unfair. There are regular technical tips on both FL1 and 2 and one of the regular contributors (Peter Galilee) runs an FL2 and writes about it. It was reading an article by Mark Saville in 2011 on the FL2 SD4 HSE that helped me make my mind up choosing one, swapping out of a RRS HSE. It was a great car and fully lived up to Mark’s complimentary copy.

No, they’re not perfect and they do spend more time on Defender/Series models, but that’s where the enthusiasts are in the majority. The FL2 is too modern and recent to float the boat of a weekend tinkerer. If you think they’re light on FL2 copy, try finding something on an L405 RR!

By the way, petrol FL2s are as rare as hens teeth and if I recall correctly were discontinued in about 2009. I spent a good few months trying to track one down on LRAU at the time I was looking in 2011. On that basis its hardly surprising that there is not much written about them. Apparently the engine was a bit of a beauty, which is why I quite fancied one. Since getting into FFRRs though I’m more tempted with big V8s!

Andy131 wrote:

oops forgot the pictures

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I find it quite amusing that these G4 roof racks don't have any equipment on the roof. Probably the same old story the roof rack is so heavy that there is no payload left.

It's the reason I removed my aluminium roof platform as it was 20kg of dead weight & replaced it with a second set of cross bars 3.6kg. The cross bars don't look the part but I can carry more fuel, which you need to conserve down under as it is a long way between fuel stations. In the outback you are calculating fuel usage so you don't run out, & the rough roads swallow fuel.

The largest fuel tank I use is 10 litres so I don't do my back in, practical stuff as they are used all the time to get weight off the roof. Aluminium fuel tank holders are lighter than the steel ones off the shelf.

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Andy S wrote:

By the way, petrol FL2s are as rare as hens teeth and if I recall correctly were discontinued in about 2009. I spent a good few months trying to track one down on LRAU at the time I was looking in 2011. On that basis its hardly surprising that there is not much written about them. Apparently the engine was a bit of a beauty, which is why I quite fancied one. Since getting into FFRRs though I’m more tempted with big V8s!

They are quite rare and hard to find but worth the search/wait, 3.2 litre straight 6 cylinder designed by Volvo and built at Bridgend, great combination and none of the turbo/egr/sticky flaps (oo’er missus) to worry about  Regards

David

Lovely i6 has now gone, but not me......

Please let me know if anything in my post offends you, as I may wish to offend you again......

Lightwater wrote:

I find it quite amusing that these G4 roof racks don't have any equipment on the roof. Probably the same old story the roof rack is so heavy that there is no payload left.

It's the reason I removed my aluminium roof platform as it was 20kg of dead weight & replaced it with a second set of cross bars 3.6kg. The cross bars don't look the part but I can carry more fuel, which you need to conserve down under as it is a long way between fuel stations. In the outback you are calculating fuel usage so you don't run out, & the rough roads swallow fuel.

The largest fuel tank I use is 10 litres so I don't do my back in, practical stuff as they are used all the time to get weight off the roof. Aluminium fuel tank holders are lighter than the steel ones off the shelf.

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Sand flag has been moved to the fuel tank holder, would prefer it more forward but it gets in the way, but I have tilted it forward, not as sexy, but not putting a bull bar on or 40kg of my payload goes & I'm already down to zero.

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On board 1.2kW of cleaning & cleaner!

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Some of the less sexy things in the car but could make things more interesting!

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Air compressor cooling


Air moisture removal

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Saving weight

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If you have every spent hours on corrugated gravel roads you will know why I have put so much effort into sound proofing. It won't solve the problem but anything to make it more bearable.

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The DC to DC converter is now under the MPPT

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& there are enough petrol Freelanders down under. I use 98 where I can get it as it gives more range but often you can only get 91, just some of the remote challenges & they don't always have fuel either.

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When you are passing these fuel signs it certainly makes you sit up & think what little else is out there!

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Just fly......  Regards

David

Lovely i6 has now gone, but not me......

Please let me know if anything in my post offends you, as I may wish to offend you again......