Odd dilemma: RR Classic or RR Sport for trip to Morocco?

Well, good news is we have FINALLY got our work commitments sorted out and my brother and I are going to Morocco this year, on one of the Trailmasters organised trips, can’t wait!

However, this does bring me to a vehicle dilemma; I bought my RR Classic (V8 on LPG) last year specifically for this trip and winter use, and have so far spent about a grand on it getting it up to scratch – nothing “expedition” specific, but general maintenance and problem fixing that had been neglected by the previous owner. I reckon I’ve got about another grand of work to do to get it 100% ready, with a further grand for expedition stuff we would want for the trip – roof rack, roof tent, extra spare wheel and tyre, etc.

However, recently I have been considering chopping in my ‘daily driver’ (a BMW 330Ci) and the RRC for an RR Sport/Disco 3. The question is, would I be best doing this before the trip and taking one of these rather than spending money on the RRC? I know these new models have a lot of electronics, but plenty of D3/D4’s seem to be doing this sort of trip without issue, so there’s no reason an RR Sport (basically the same car) could not do the same.

In particular, I have seen a couple of G4 editions for sale that have a lot of the things I would need to buy a standard vehicle (or my RRC) anyway – roof rack, window tints (it’s hot in Morocco mid-summer!), A/T tyres, under body protection – along with other non-essential luxuries, so really all I need to do is get an extra spare wheel and a roof tent (we’re really keen on this over a ground tent, although I realise it is not strictly necessary!) and off we go.

I should add, I’m not bothered about getting a newer car dirty/dusty/muddy, my view is this is what they were designed to do so that is not a concern. It is more about the most suitable vehicle for the trip and which makes most financial sense!

Any advice/opinions welcome.

hi ,any vehicle with 4wd and ground clearance would be suitable ,i would be thinking of what could be done if something fails ,if it was an old disco etc with a low value you could just leave it there , presumably you wont have the back up ,do you think you could get a late model fixed have time money to get parts shipped,acess to auto logic /testbook ,

jamesmartin said:

hi ,any vehicle with 4wd and ground clearance would be suitable ,i would be thinking of what could be done if something fails ,if it was an old disco etc with a low value you could just leave it there , presumably you wont have the back up ,do you think you could get a late model fixed have time money to get parts shipped,acess to auto logic /testbook ,

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Hi james, that is the main thing 'against' the new cars - the "what if they go wrong" question! Having said that, I think the RRC is more likely to go wrong, and you read about more and more D3/D4's doing this sort of work, some on a fairly regular basis.

I wouldn't want to just leave the RRC behind if it failed, I'd still have to repatriate it back to the UK - but getting the car to the port from pretty much anywhere in Morocco is around £500, then it's EU breakdown cover to get it home I guess. So this would apply to any vehicle, really?

im fairly cautious about things like this probably too much, chances are most dont break down apart from punctures etc ,but rrc is much more repairable than later models,

jamesmartin said:

im fairly cautious about things like this probably too much, chances are most dont break down apart from punctures etc ,but rrc is much more repairable than later models,

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Even an RRC with EAS, ABS, T/C and LPG (and some other acronyms I've probably forgotten)?

Take the one you have most confidence in. Just make sure it is 'well' serviced. You will be covering bumpy pistes and climbing some steep hills with all your gear on board. Any weaknes in you truck will soon be put to the test......Shocks and mounts, wheel bearings, exhaust and mounts, cooling system etc get them all checked out. If your close to an MOT I'd get it done before you go and tell the tester what your gonna be up to. Have a great trip.

Go in the classic it will be more of an adventure! And keep the bmw its more fun than a rr sport!!

muddyfox said:

Take the one you have most confidence in. Just make sure it is 'well' serviced. You will be covering bumpy pistes and climbing some steep hills with all your gear on board. Any weaknes in you truck will soon be put to the test......Shocks and mounts, wheel bearings, exhaust and mounts, cooling system etc get them all checked out. If your close to an MOT I'd get it done before you go and tell the tester what your gonna be up to. Have a great trip.

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Yeah, Goodyer 4x4 look after her and are working their way round bit by bit, as my finances allow! To be honest, it is a very solid car and basically sound, just wear & tear items to service/repair/replace as you would expect after 18 years and 133,000 miles!

tomseries3tom said:

Go in the classic it will be more of an adventure! And keep the bmw its more fun than a rr sport!!

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Very true - BMW is also more economical than a diesel RR, weirdly!

The V8i RRC that we took to Morocco had no failures apart from rubbish springs - did not miss a beat. Our RRC is a bit simpler I guess. Cannot vouch for the others

rustyrhinos said:

The V8i RRC that we took to Morocco had no failures apart from rubbish springs - did not miss a beat. Our RRC is a bit simpler I guess. Cannot vouch for the others

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Did you do anything to the cooling system to help it cope with the heat? I've been advised to avoid Kenlowe fans as the electrics often fail, stick with the stock viscous unit and take a spare coupling. Also add Millers Coolant additive to the system to help it run a bit cooler.