Story and photos by Colin Hughes

[Colin Hughes, lives in Cannington, Ontario with his wife, Gaetane, and daughter Nadine. An avid Land Rover fan he’s owned two Range Rover Classics and a Discovery Series I. The Land Rovers help get the family out into the woods where they enjoy mountain biking, canoeing, hiking and camping –ed.]

My 1995 Discovery had 435,000 kms on the clock, and was going to start to need more work than could be recovered if I were to sell it. As an enthusiast I’ve always had a soft spot for the P38 Range Rover and took every opportunity that presented itself to drive one. Thus the search began. With the cost to buy a Range Rover P38A dropping to reasonable levels, does it make sense to purchase one as a daily driver? Would it be reliable on our family camping trips?

kilometers on the clock. High mileage for some but based on my previous Discovery, this truck was just getting broken in. The 4.0 was my preferred choice as the 4.6 engines tend to be more prone to overheating and head gasket problems. There is some debate as to whether one should go with the Gems or Bosch engine system; all I can say is, buy the newest model you can afford but make sure you’ve kept a bit of money back for any problems that might rear their heads.

The truck I found was Oxford Blue, one of my favorite P38 colours, and the only issue that the dealer was aware of was the fact the truck could not be locked. I made arrangements to view and testdrive the Range Rover. It seemed to drive well, it had almost new Michelin tires, a CD player that worked and no visible oil or coolant leaks. The interior was near mint with the optional full wood treatment on the console and dash and except for a small area of paint fade on the hood, the body was in great shape too. Be aware, Discovery owners – the acceleration of a 4.0 Discovery and a 4.0 Range Rover are two different things. The Discovery is like a Porsche compared to the Range Rover. But the Range Rover is built for comfort. I was definitely interested in the truck. I just wanted a garage to look it over and to discover what the cause of the locking problem was.

Some research by both the seller and I, including a couple of inspections brought the conclusion that we were looking at a drivers door latch. A friend at the factory in the UK ran the VIN and advised that according to Land Rover records, the truck had been quite reliable. He even sent me the dispatch report showing the Range Rover was built on December 23, 2006 and shipped to Canada on January 7, 2007. A price was agreed upon and in early December I became a P38 owner.

The first week-end with the truck passed uneventfully as I started to familiarize myself with the new family addition. But on Monday morning the honeymoon came to an end. Driving to work, the EAS warning light appeared on the dash. I hit the height lock button and continued on my way. I called my friend Gilles at Discotech in Brampton to tell him what had happened. He suggested I head over to his shop after work but carpooling commitments meant I couldn’t do that and sure enough, fifteen minutes from home the warning started flashing again, the Range Rover dropped to the bump stops and the “Slow to 55 kph” message appeared. Gilles brought his Autologic over to my home that night and reset the system. It turned out to be the pressure switch but while we were test driving the truck, he discovered a coolant leak in the passenger footwell. I knew about heater core and o-ring problems with the P38 but had totally missed checking it as I had concentrated on overheating and door locking issues. Don’t make my mistake, check this area carefully.

The following day we discovered that not only was the door latch toast, the handle was broken as well. Parts were ordered and a further inspection of the Range Rover revealed that the rear air bags were going to need replacing within a few months. The rear brake pads installed for the safety were crap and squealed constantly; replacement was required. Lastly, one fog light had been kicked in and needed to be replaced. Add to this the heater core leak and there were a few things I needed to get rectified. Plus, when we finally got the latch and handle replaced, we discovered the passenger side door latch was toast as well.

Anyway, the Range Rover went into Gilles’ shop over Christmas and was returned to me in top condition. I didn’t need a heater core, just the o-rings – lots of labour for a pair of three dollar parts. With all the issues resolved, I could start enjoying the truck. So after a long Canadian winter, when summer rolled around we decided to take the Range Rover and our new puppy, Tasha (rescued from a snowbank in the Arctic), on a vacation. The plan was simple; find a quiet spot where we could camp (with our new rooftop tent), hike, canoe and enjoy the outdoors. After doing some research, we decided to head north and explore the Forgotten Trails. The Forgotten Trails are a series of trails hidden among logging roads, just northeast of South River and on the outskirts of the north-west corner of Algonquin Park, about three hours north of Toronto.

We hit the road early on Monday morning and made a detour at Huntsville to grab some breakfast at the Coffee Cabin. They have an excellent menu and great coffee. At South River, we stopped to say hello to Tim Hainsworth, the proprietor of the Algonquin Motel, who had been kind enough to recommend a good camping spot in the woods. Their website www.algonquinmotel.ca is an excellent resource for information on the area.

Following Tim’s suggestion, we headed out of town on Chemical Road towards our destination for the day. Chemical Road is the main access road for canoeists heading into Algonquin Park and starts out paved but changes to broken pavement, hard packed gravel and loose gravel the further you head in. We turned off onto a logging road about twenty kilometers in and followed it for about two kilometers, ever watchful for the logging trucks the multiple signs warn you about. It was here we turned off onto the Tower Trail. At just over two kilometers, our plan was to drive in about a kilometer and a half to a clearing where we would set up camp. At the first turn in the trail, we came across a tree blocking our path. The trusty saw made short work of this obstacle and we were back on our way. As we approached our first forty degree incline on loose stone, I dropped the P38 into low range and it crawled up with no problem at all. However, the trail had not been cut back for quite awhile and the trees crept in closer and closer on each side. The sound of branches scraping along the side of truck grew louder and louder as it became officially christened to off-road adventure. We emerged into a clearing and parked the Range Rover.

We spent the next hour hiking to the top of the trail where we were rewarded with a mountaintop view where we could see twenty miles into the distance. Back at the clearing we explored another side trail which took us down to a small lake and we spent a couple of hours just relaxing in the solitude. Even Tasha, after hiking for the first time, passed out by the water. This spot was just perfect and I don’t think there was another person around for at least ten miles. After dinner I got the tent up and ready for its’ first night with two people and a dog. Our roof top tent is made by Autohome www.autohomecanada.com – and is the Columbus Variant model. It takes about ten seconds to open as it has one latch and a pair of struts which open much like a car hood. In addition, the entire rear of the tent (higher end) can be left with screen only on nice evenings. As it was a beautiful night we did this and had the opportunity to enjoy a full view of the stars. It was like a sleepover for Tasha and we constantly got a paw in the head over the course of the evening but she was tired and she did sleep!

After a leisurely start to Tuesday, we made our way back down the Tower Trail, adding to the acquired war wounds received on the way in the previous day. Our plan today was to hike the 8.5 kilometer Loxton Beaver Trail. We soon discovered why they are called the Forgotten Trails. They seen to be rarely used, which is a shame, but Day two and three camp they are also poorly marked for hikers. We kept hoping we were taking the right forks in the trail but one turn was definitely the wrong way when we emerged back on the access road after hiking about six kilometers. As both the day and the pavement were extremely hot, I left Gaetane and Tasha in a shady spot along the side of the road and made the two and a half kilometer hike back to the Range Rover. As we planned to rent a canoe the next day, we headed towards Northern Wilderness Oufitters to see about making a reservation. Bill MacFarlane and his family have been running their little piece of paradise for almost forty years. Not only do they offer complete outfitting packages, but they have a chalet where canoeists can camp out before and after their trips. Their three large dogs met us as we emerged from the Range Rover and Tasha, who hadn’t had much exposure to dogs yet, had her hair raised and was barking a warning to these fellows. However, within a couple of hours, she was loose and running and playing with them. NWO have a semi-secluded campsite area where we choose to spend night number two. We were the only ones here so we had no complaints. After getting the truck onto a level area and our kitchen setup, we took advantage of the lake and had a very relaxing swim. A little coaxing and Tasha went for a swim for the first time.

Wednesday, Tasha and I were up early and watched the day appear over the lake. It was very peaceful and quiet. Bill appeared and offered me a coffee from his parent’s cabin. This was very welcome and I enjoyed most of it until Tasha decided to start running with the boys and spilt what was left on my sweatpants. Around eleven we headed out in the canoe to explore Kawawaymog Lake. We even paddled a bit of the way up the river which allows access to Algonquin Park. There were wild roses growing along both sides of the river and their fragrance filled the air. We found a small sandy beach to stop for a bite of lunch and we all enjoyed another swim. We decided to stay put for the night as it was a quiet and secluded spot and spend the rest of the afternoon planning what we would do Thursday.

Having picked up the 2007 Algonquin Park guide at NWO, we discovered there were a couple of really good art exhibits at the art gallery on Highway 60 in the park. As there was only a couple of small trails left to hike where we were, we decided to head into Algonquin Park and take a chance finding a campsite. Getting out of our camping area Thursday morning was a bit of a challenge as a couple of trucks had parked in front of the access in and I was forced to crawl over a few fallen trees down a steep incline to get back to the road. Of course, we had to hit the Coffee Cabin in Huntsville for a bite of lunch and another cup of their excellent coffee on route. It seemed arriving at midweek for one night was not a problem and we soon had a nice spot in the Canisbay campground. We took in the art exhibits featuring original paintings of wolves by some of North America’s best artists and hiked another trail where we had seen moose on a previous trip. We spent the evening sitting around the campfire and keeping an eye on Tasha, who seemed to have developed a bit of heatstroke. She was sick a couple of times during the night, fun when you are sleeping in a tent on top of a Range Rover, but was her old self again in the morning.

We decided Friday morning that we would head home and not hike any further trails in case Tasha had a relapse. We stopped at Algonquin Outfitters on the way home and had her fitted for a lifejacket. This was pretty comical as she had to parade around the store and show it to everyone.

It was a great holiday and we did what we had planned to do, relax. We also had the opportunity to get comfortable with the roof tent which gave us peace of mind. The dry summer season has meant slim pickings for wildlife, such as bears, and being up high in the middle of nowhere allowed us to sleep without worry. The Range Rover behaved as it should as well. Our one concern was the air suspension system but it worked flawlessly all week. With over three hundred pounds rolling around the top of the truck every night, it was down close to its bump stops every morning but pumped up just fine, even with all our extra gear in the back. I was carrying a spare EAS ECU and had the MARS system installed just in case but did not need them. We traveled in the finest of 4×4 vehicles and it did not disappoint. We all look forward to more adventures in our P38A Range Rover in the future.

It’s now been over eight months. How am I enjoying it? It does have its’ quirks but it is a Land Rover. All of this is outweighed by the ride this Range Rover offers. The truck feels very solid on the road, even more so than my Discovery. All the invisible tools like traction control work to perfection and driving through snow is a breeze. The P38 is a complicated feat of engineering and unfortunately, the things that can go wrong can either just annoy you or truly strand you. Find one that’s been well-maintained and you won’t be disappointed. After all, it’s a Range Rover! Getting There is Half the Fun.

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