deanog

Member
Morning all.

I have a welding business and currently use a LWB merc sprinter for traveling from site to site. It's a great bus but sometimes I'm lugging it around with a big generator/welder plus tools and equipment to site when all I need is my cantilever tool box and my small inverter welder.

This is making me want a smaller vehicle that I can use on those kinds of journeys and I have been looking at either the td5 Discovery 2 and the 2.7tdv6 Discovery 3 commercials but knowing there are issues with both models can I ask if there are others on here who use the same trucks for similar jobs and which one would be best suited?

The truck will always have a set amount of tools in the back ie: grinders, cantilever tool box, hammers etc.... But also a 200amp petrol generator/welder with a suitcase wire feeder and gas bottle from time to time. I am looking to spend upto £8k possibly £10k for the right D3 but I have heard lots of the D3 breaking down and being costly to fix. What do I need to expect going wrong with the td5 and how easy is it to fix or how much? The last thing I want is to let a customer down cos I've conked out at the side of the road.

My main customer base is plant hire so they need their machines turning around ASAP!

Thanks
Dean
 
Morning all.

I have a welding business and currently use a LWB merc sprinter for traveling from site to site. It's a great bus but sometimes I'm lugging it around with a big generator/welder plus tools and equipment to site when all I need is my cantilever tool box and my small inverter welder.

This is making me want a smaller vehicle that I can use on those kinds of journeys and I have been looking at either the td5 Discovery 2 and the 2.7tdv6 Discovery 3 commercials but knowing there are issues with both models can I ask if there are others on here who use the same trucks for similar jobs and which one would be best suited?

The truck will always have a set amount of tools in the back ie: grinders, cantilever tool box, hammers etc.... But also a 200amp petrol generator/welder with a suitcase wire feeder and gas bottle from time to time. I am looking to spend upto £8k possibly £10k for the right D3 but I have heard lots of the D3 breaking down and being costly to fix. What do I need to expect going wrong with the td5 and how easy is it to fix or how much? The last thing I want is to let a customer down cos I've conked out at the side of the road.

My main customer base is plant hire so they need their machines turning around ASAP!

Thanks
Dean
From an ease to fix/repair perspective the d2 will be a better option. Parts are a hell of a lot cheaper and less computer trickery jnvolved. Having said that i do love the d3!!!
 
i own a D2 and our buisness owns a D4. i love my D2 but i end up driving the D4 every oppertunity i get

the D2 also goes wrong alot more often, the D4 hasn't missed a beat in 60k miles

easy choice
 
i own a D2 and our buisness owns a D4. i love my D2 but i end up driving the D4 every oppertunity i get

the D2 also goes wrong alot more often, the D4 hasn't missed a beat in 60k miles

easy choice
What kind of issues do you have with the D2? I can't afford a D4 but I'm guessing their pretty much the same as the D3?

With my budget of around £8k would that get me a reasonable D3 or would I be buying someone else problems?
 
i've replaced the MAF injector loom and fixed the fuel pump recently on my D2.

the D3 is very similar to the D4 tbh just different engine, and abit different styleing.

if you get a D3 that has had the cambelt changed, has no knocking bushes and regualr maintance and handbrake adjustment you won't go far wrong.
 
I was towing my 90 behind my dads d4 and it averaged 22/23 mpg, averages 24 when not towing apparently, I would use a d3 for work instead of my transit but i need a transit size van for a hobby of mine
 
I was towing my 90 behind my dads d4 and it averaged 22/23 mpg, averages 24 when not towing apparently, I would use a d3 for work instead of my transit but i need a transit size van for a hobby of mine

we tow 3.5 tonne regularly and generally get between 18 and 24 mpg depending on the type of roads, we can average 32 mpg if you drive carefully but usually around 27/28
 
we tow 3.5 tonne regularly and generally get between 18 and 24 mpg depending on the type of roads, we can average 32 mpg if you drive carefully but usually around 27/28

Is your works the tdv6 or sdv6? Manual or auto? My dad's is a sdv6 auto
 
A pal if mine has a D3 auto. He has had the engine cleaned by a company called Terraclean. Not sure exactly what they do to it but he claims that it is now more responsive, quieter and gets around 32-34mpg!!! Sounds good to me and it's good to know that I could probably get a decent D3 for my budget.

If a mint D2 came up however I may be swayed as I also have a fear of wrecking a D3 as opposed to using the D2 for what it should be used for if you get me. My dream would be a Defender truck cab but it's just impractical and I can always get rear seats for the disco and take the family out
 

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