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Winter 2004 Serving America's Enthusiasts Since 1979 With Land Rover Parts & Accessories Range Stormer Concept Rovers North Unveiled at the North American Invades England Auto Show on January 5 The Land Rover Show At Billing see page 3 for more pictures and information! By Jeffrey Aronson An old New Yorker cartoon pictures a man on the deck of an oceanfront home, gawk- ing at the view while his roommates sip their cocktails. According the caption, he’s “The New Time Share,” and he’s pointing and yelling, “Look, a seagull!” Land Rover enthusiast. That’s the way I behaved the moment my British Airways flight from Boston landed at London’s Heathrow Airport. As I unwound from the overnight flight and dis- embarked from the plane, I spotted one, then another, then another Defender 90 The Camel Trophy Owner’s Club’s impressive display. Commercial performing yeoman duty at © 2004 Bruce MacDonald, courtesy of the airport. Land Rovers were as ubiquitous as seag- of four lovely Canadians: Jennifer Stadler, Adrianna ulls along the ocean – oh, yeah, I had arrived in Vanderneut, Rebecca Girling and Breanna England. Vanderneut. I knew they were jet- lagged from their evident fatigue; I North to Canada, Part II Two years ago, knew they were much younger than I My Land Rover has the turning By Steve Tipsword more bears today. The weather has been very good. Rovers North’s Les Titanic and because they looked far less wiped out circle of the We spent the night along the ALCAN at a really nice Parker attended and than I did. We packed into a rented s just as waterproof. [Steve Tipsword is an avid member of the Blue campground. We had hopes for a cabin but the spread the word in it’ . Defender 110 Tdi 5 Station Wagon for Ridge Land Rover Club and a Range Rover work crews repairing the road have taken all of the the Rovers North the two hour drive from London to One of the many bumper stickers seen at Billing Classic owner. In 2003, he took a 10,000 mile cabins. The weather has been cool and clear – for News. Again this Northampton, the site of Billing. trip from Virginia to Inuvik, the province of the the most part. There have been several warning year, Rovers North wanted to cover Billing, the Canadian Arctic. Here's the second installment signs posted along the road of poisons in the area. largest Land Rover rally in the United Kingdom; I Billing lies along the River Nene and includes a of his journey -ed.] We had only a few construction delays but the dust begged, wheedled and cajoled, and before anyone series of man-made lakes and ponds. It has thou- has been thick when we're in those areas. The snow else at Rovers North had the chance to object, I had sands of acres of flat land available for camping, At 4270 miles, we are in Pink Mountain British melt around the McKenzie river sends great floods landed the assignment. hundreds of acres of farm fields, mud holes, Columbia. We made our way through Prince down the valleys and scours the soil out leaving only streams, and green lanes available for off-roading. George and out beyond to Dawson Creek, the start rock. The alluvial planes are massive. The timber Like any celebrity, the rally is now referred to by a There are the requisite food stands, shops, and per- is getting smaller and less dense. The origi- single name, “Billing.” Like a football bowl game in manent shower facilities, but you could also secrete nal ALCAN has been replaced by newer road yourself away and never see them. A in most places. Consequently the mile walk around the park would cover many [kilometer] markers are not accurate. As miles and take several hours; I know we travel along we see makers proclaiming because I tried it. Aside from camping “original mile post.” The food continues to (“caravanning” in England), boating and be very good and very cheap. The pancakes jet skiing, it’s popular with automobile, at Buckinghorse were great. Tess continues steam traction and similar events because of its size, organization, and proximity to southern England popula- tion centers. We had arrived the day prior to the for- 101 Forward Controls were a visible presence at the show. mal opening, but already, there were sev- eral hundred Land Rovers in place with of the ALCAN highway. On the U.S., it has a longer formal moniker, “The Pirelli tents and campsites fully set up. For a Defender- the road into Prince Land Rover Enthusiast Show at Billing Aquadrome.” starved nation like the U.S., the volume of Defender George, we saw five bears Land Rover Enthusiast magazine, our partner in 90’s and 110’s was inspiring – and the event hadn’t along the road. Tess, my print, has organized and operated this largest of even opened yet! dog, went mad at the sight Land Rover rallies for many years. of them. About 4:30 this This year’s show took place morning she awoke in the between July 18-20, and if nothing tent and started barking else, it reinforced it’s title as the again. I heard noises out- world’s largest Land Rover event. side but paid no real mind Land Rover fans in the U.S. and to it since the camp is full Canada have enthused about Billing of loose dogs. After the rest of the camp awoke, a to have a wonderful time and hunts the woods and for years. fellow said we had four moose out behind the tent. rivers as soon as she's out of the truck. The two We have a crew from the Celtic Reforestation hotels we've used have let her in. With luck, we'll The sheer scale of the event took Program in the camp. They have planted several be in Inuvik on Friday [Day 13]. your breath away. U.S. Land Rover million trees in the effort to restore the forests. We club events bring 25-75 vehicles stopped in Dawson Creek long enough to have the Day 11 and who knows how many miles; I'm too together. Over 100 vehicles have oil changed and the tires rotated on the Rover. We tired to walk to the Rover and look. We stayed in a attended the RoverFest events in used the last Rover oil filter they had; I really motel in Watson Lake last night as it rained smartly Killington, VT, in recent years. The should have brought along a few extras all night. We pulled out of Watson Lake around National Land Rover Rally, run Rarely seen in the States, a 109” fire truck probably served at an airport. [Remember to call Rovers North anytime -ed]. 07:00 and headed west towards Whitehorse. We annually by the Solihull Society out of Colorado, The Garmin continues to find all of the little sites had gotten as far as Johnson Crossing [about 80 entices over 200 Land Rovers to the Rockies. In Land Rover Enthusiast had a massive tent featuring along the route. This has been a very useful tool. miles shy of Whitehorse] when the Dodge travelling 1998, the 50th Anniversary Celebration in Cortland, magazine and enthusiast products, as well as a sepa- Very late in the day we saw a huge owl, easily two with me lost all power crossing a bridge. I can’t NY, pulled over 300 Land Rovers together. Nothing in rate tent housing the hugely popular Land Rover feet tall, sitting on a post along the road. believe the good luck of having the truck fail and my U.S. experience prepared me for the thousands Cafe – along the with Starbucks at Heathrow, the coast into a very nice camp. We called and of Land Rovers at Billing. only acceptable cup of coffee in all of Great Britain. At 4800 miles we have arrived at Watson Lake on arranged a tow to Whitehorse and repairs. While Deplaning that morning at Heathrow, I linked Those two tents sat beside over 175 other tents and the ALCAN between Whitehorse and Dawson City. we waited we had a nice lunch and beer. It took up with Kevin Girling, the North American corre- displays. Only the Pirelli tent, featuring their We saw moose, mountain sheep, caribou, and spondent for Land Rover Enthusiast, and his team Continued on page 4 Continued in the next issue © 2004 Rovers North Inc • 1319 VT Route 128, Westford, Vermont 05494-9601, USA • 1-800 403-7591 or 802.879.0032 • [email protected] • roversnorth.com with the wax and oil based compounds described When I investigated wax-based rustproofing prod- Robison on Rovers below. ucts for Land Rovers the name that kept coming up was Waxoyl. Waxoyl, made in Switzerland, is one of Tar-based rustproofing products were marketed in the most widely distributed automotive corrosion Protecting your Land Rover from Rust and Corrosion the 1980s by several chain store operations. They protection products and is praised throughout the have largely fallen into disuse. Tar based products UK and European automotive community. Waxoyl Welcome to the second installment of Robison on Rovers the bare surface. These products work well to halt are potentially hazardous, and they are difficult and has been developing rust inhibitor products since in the Rovers North News. rust when painted over clean rusty metal, but they messy to apply. They do not offer any benefits I can 1939, but only recently have their products been do not work well if the painted part Many of you have read my posts on the RN and DiscoWeb available in the US.

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