This is a surprise, many replies over the weekend.
We are planning our trip in 2013 to Marocco.
I have two sets of wheel 17 inch an 19 inch but for Marocco i was planning to use the 17 inch 6 spoke set.
Also wanted to install the Mantec protection plates.
We are not planning to drive into the Sahara but to the edge and into the Atlas Mountains.
My two boys(10 and 7) are used to camp and travel in the "wild". We have camped before in desserts with "nice" animals visiting us in our campsite.

HORRIE.

In 1969 my wife and I travelled alone from Algiers via Tamanrasset, Agadez to Lagos. It took 11 days.

We had a Commer van (2 wheel drive) and made it, BUT it was really really hard going. Up before dawn so that we could take advantage of the slightly damp sand. In fact when in the sandy areas we travelled further in the first couple of hours than the rest of the day. We had about a ton of equipment on board, so you will have a lot lot less in the Freelander.

Take all the advice that you are offered. Estimate using twice the amount of fuel you would usually use. Look ahead and anticipate the soft sand, or as has been stated there will be lots of hard sharp stones/rocks waiting to damage tyres.
We had many spare inner tubes and the means to fit them, and 2 spare wheels. Don't forget a stout plank to put the jack on. The small folding shovel will help with moving small amounts of debris, so gloves would also be handy. If you get bogged down, try and keep the wheels in a straight line. I think now, the locals are more used to us travellers and have cottoned on to the fact they we have things they would like - be aware of thieving.

Planning is very important- lots of luck. NSE.

alex_pescaru wrote:

Andy, what size was that damaged General Grabber AT2 in the picture?
Thanks and sorry about off-topic.

We did the escorted trip through Morrocco in September 2008 with Trailmasters in our 2006 FL1 automatic HSE, here is a list of places visited:
Start - Ceuta, Azrou, Zadar, Boudnib, Erg Chebbi, Rissani, Algerian Border (mined!), Zagara, Tenerhir, Todra Gorge, Dades gorge, Quarzazate, Tizi-n-Tichka, Marrakech, coast - then home via Spain.

Soon after I had the first of my knee ops, so had time to put thoughts down on paper - here are my ramblings;

Advice to Freelander drivers
With preparation both you and the car are suitable for the adventure.

The Car
Some form of sump protection is advisable, I replaced the plastic sump shield with 6mm chequer plate, bolted at the front, extended by 150mm and bolted through the cross member at the back - pop rivets don't work as I found out. A Mantec type sump guard is preferable but expensive.
Tyres - road tyres are NOT suitable, take two spares and an inner tube, if this sounds paranoid, it’s because I suffered two irreparable punctures in two days, be we managed to salvage one tyre by fitting the tube. While your at it, to increase ground clearance you can fit larger than standard, I went for General Grabber AT2 215/70R16. Don’t bother with dropping tyre pressures, ours are at 28psi for road use, and beat all the rest in soft sand as standard, Defenders running at 50psi will need to drop pressure.
If you do drop pressure expect to loose a tyre through damage, and have to buy an inflation device capable of re-inflating 4 tyres in 40+ degrees of heat without cooking.
Increasing the tyre size will increase your gearing, without a low box this may be an issue with manual transmissions, it wasn’t with my auto.
Wheels - Hitting a large lump of basalt (at 70mph officer) wiped out one alloy wheel and damaged another, these cannot be repaired by using a hammer. My suggestion is to drive slower and not try to beat the Rangerover Sport you’re travelling with - who too suffered tyre damage in the same Dakar dash.
Back Seats - take them out and gain 25% more space between the axles where it counts, for half an hour’s work it’s well worth it.
Air filters - take at least a couple of spares, and the tools to change them.
Exhaust - If you off-road on a regular basis you know it gets hit, how hard is up to you. Fitting a guard reduces the ground clearance even further, and costs more than a new back box. My advice take a small ratchet strap to bring it back into alignment and 4 large jubilee clips in case you have to replace the torn rubber mounts - or then again drive slower. The rear box should survive but you will see battle scars. I have since found out there are two different back boxes for the TD4, the larger twin tail pipe was fitted to mine at the factory, build list says it should be the smaller single tail pipe version. Had the smaller one been fitted it would have lasted longer!
Air Con - get it specifically serviced, trust me on this one, you will need it and it will need ALL the help it can get. Defenders drivers with 4" lift sit higher out of the dust plume than does a Freelander diver, they can drive around frying (no air con), but if you open the windows on the dusty sections, you will need a shower.
Servicing - If I need to tell you then you deserve to break down, get all the filters done, even if they are not due because the desert is the wrong place to find out that the turbo vacuum filter is blocked.
Power Chips – be careful, some of these fool the engine into believing it is cooler than it actually is, this allows more fuel into the engine, which increases power. Unfortunately the engine management system also controls the radiator fans, 40–55 degrees heat and several 2000m climbs in the same day will test your cooling system to the limit. Off-road the extra power is not needed, travelling on tarmac, in convoy at 50-60mph the extra power is also not needed, towing a caravan yes its needed – just not on this trip.
Jerry cans of fuel - on the diesel not really needed, take a 10 litre for comfort, but bear in mind you may be travelling with V8's who have a thirst that has to been seen to be believed, these guys carry 4x20 litre cans and need them all.

The Driver
Get some training about off-road driving, not off your mates but professional help.
Go on a Wales weekend with Trailmasters, and listen, these guys have done more off road than you have on road, and it’s very different.
The two above are a minimum, find out after a weekend in Wales if you are going to enjoy off-roading, rather than 3 days into a three week adventure. The car is good enough.
Remember this is an adventure not a holiday, there will be excellent bits and low bits, you should not expect to just turn up and be spoon fed, you will have to prepare, your safety and everyone else’s enjoyment depend on it. You will be tell everyone within ear shot for years to come, so expect to put some effort into your enjoyment – especially digging out the Defender after the driver said the Freelander wouldn’t make it!
Dakar route – for 10 miles on the Marraccech trip you are on the Dakar route, this turns into a free-for-all dash to an auberge. The route is dotted liberally with lumps of basalt and ridges. Travelling at 30mph will get you to the end, safely. Travelling at 50 mph is more fun and will loosen fillings, roofracks and redistribute contents of vehicle. Travelling at 70mph and a lot more is exhilarating, you will become airborne on several/many occasions, if you hit a rock or two you may pay the price – the wife will not be amused – unless she is driving. Freelanders at speed in the desert look amazing.

Kit
This is entirely up to you, a farther and son combo, turned up in a Jeep Sahara, camped in a tent on the floor with the scorpions, ate local produce drank warm beer, and loved it.
My Wife is very pink, will not squat in the woods, and thinks 3 star is roughing it. We brought a nylon roof tent, with toilet compartment and porta-poti, too many clothes (4 pairs of high heels for the Sahara?), fridge for the wine and enough food to feed the five thousand. The suspension coped, but packing and unpacking everything during a 30 minute morning tea stop is a right pain.
Take a 25 litre water carrier, two single burner stoves, kettle, air bed and electric blower, good sleeping bag, tent, pots and pans, collapsible bowl, two tables, chairs, beer – lots, tins of tuna, head torches and table lamp. Tent pegs, buy the ones from caravan shops that look like a 8” nail with a plastic cap, some of the campsites ground can be very hard. Anything else just makes life more comfortable, if there is an option to sleep in a bed take it, putting up a ground tent in a sand storm is not my idea of fun.
High lift jack – Why? Where? How?
Sand ladders – if you get a Freelander stuck in very soft sand, and dig it out, and use 4 sand ladders, you will reach the end of the ladders and promptly sink. This is boring and hard work, better to buy a long 5 ton tow strap and shackles, because if you’re stuck no-one else can get anywhere near. Freelanders are brilliant in sand, but keep the power on and don’t stop for photos. Our sand ladders turned out useful as a pad for the jack when changing wheels, a piece of wood would have been cheaper and easier to store.
Fridge – not a must, but if cold beer is on the menu buy a compressor type, nothing else will do. They use a lot less power, and work when the inside of your vehicle reaches desert temperatures.
Medical kit – be sensible, dhiorea and dehydration are common, holding on for the next “European loo” will give your water works trouble. Headaches, water infection and minor cuts seem to be all that we encountered.

Presents for the locals
Pens and writing books are very well received, especially by remote schools. Clothes are better than candy. Shoes are a must, but make them sandals as that’s what the locals wear and then size is not so important. Kids love toys thrown from the moving vehicles, but this will eventually lead to injury, as they run across in front of the vehicles causing heavily laden vehicles to swerve on loose surfaces. Stop in the remotest part of the desert and 10 minutes later children will appear hoping for “stilo? Candy?” has to be seen to be believed. Give candy to one and there will be dozens mobbing you.

The Police
The police in Morocco seem to be self funding, they will use speed camera’s to there full extent, especially when you first come off the ferry. They will hide at traffic lights and jump out if you try to go through on “amber”, this can be un-nerving as they expect you to stop a fully laden vehicle at 60mph in next to no distance. Be prepared to smile and barter, they can start at £400, but have been known to come down to £40. That said, the police seem more intent on tourists well-being, and take a very dim view of anyone else hassling tourists. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

Nice post Andy!

At last! An interesting discussion about taking the FL2 offroad and learning thru shared experience. Thanks. For my part, side-wall damage is more common than most people think and forms a large part of the decision-making process for me. I really struggle to figure out how some FL2 owners have 19inch alloys with low profile tyres - why not simply buy a BMW or something that isn't really at home in the bush??

mainly because the UK has no bush off-roading in the uk generally involve either a dry dull semi road in summer or a filthy quagmire in winter. There arnt many places were a route from somewhere to somewhere else can be planned more just short stretches of track
so off road for uk drivers isnt really an attractive option. At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Fair point CG. Being part of S.E Asia, there's so many cheap "offroaders"" that it's an absolute pleasure to drive a vehicle such as the FL2. The Suspension offroad is sensational. For most of us in Oz, it's only a matter of minutes before the highways turn into tracks outside capital cities. In fact, they are so concerned about the safety of our highways up here in the north of the country that they reduce the speed limit to a point where every second driver is so frustrated that they risk life and limb - consistently. Despite the task of cleaning, the FL2 is therefore one of the best excuses to divert off the highways into the sensational countryside that rewards those who venture. It's a pleasure to drive and truly emulates a luxury offroad vehicle. Fortunately, when the terrain get's tougher and road surfaces disintegrate, the Land Rover Freelander 2 laps it up.

I've done a stack of kilometres in the desert, on the beach and on rocky gravel roads. There are 2 schools of thought about how to run your tyres and I have tried them both. Each gives you different problems. Running higher pressures means less likely to damage the side wall but more likely to puncture through the tread and more likely to bubble the side wall if you hit a rock hard. Your car also works harder and hotter on sand. Sure the FL2 handles sand very well but it does it a lot easier at lower pressure. Higher pressure also means the shock absorbers and suspension are getting a work out and any road corrugations (common in Australia...we call them horrugations) can rattle bits and pieces off your car. Lower pressures absorb the shocks and make the tyre less prone to direct puncture but can cause sidewall cuts much easier. Lower pressure also decreases your ground clearance.
I like 32psi on the tar, 23psi on gravel roads and 15psi on sand. A previous post with experience in the conditions suggested around 28psi and that may be a very good compromise. I don't think there is a real right or wrong about it, you make a choice and weigh the consequences. I always take a full tyre repair kit (levers, bead breaker, plugs etc), good quality air compressor that clips directly to the battery, not the pussy ones that go in the cigarette lighter, and an extra spare tyre only not rim to save weight, at least 1 jerry of extra fuel, first aid kit, snatch strap plus extension, exhaust jack and shovel. It's mostly all packed in a big plastic tub that just lifts into the car.
Anyway, doing the Sahara sounds like great fun. Being from UK you will be pretty much learning on the job but that's ok. Cheers

I think the previous mention of 28psi wasd in a FR1. Different car, different tyre pressures.