Super Utility Vehicle
Isle of Wight-based company Rotodama breathe new life into old Discoverys – as Forward Controls!
“The interest so far has been phenomenal”
AID ORGANISATIONS, farmers, tree surgeons and gamekeepers are all crying out for the same thing. A reliable utilitarian pick-up that can carry a seriously heavy weight, is capable off-road and is not made in Japan. Sadly, since the demise of the Defender, we have started to see an increase in the number of the above-mentioned folk who have started to look (and buy) utility vehicles from the east, while our friends at Jaguar Land Rover have directed all of their attention and efforts to the upper end of the market.
Fortunately there are a group of four mates on the Isle of Wight who have just come up with a cheaper and more Land Rover-like solution. They call themselves Rotodama and their creation is known as the Rediscovery.
The part I like the best about this story is the fact that they are building it using old Discovery 1s and 2s. We are all too aware that these vehicles have serious problems with both body and chassis corrosion, which is why they are being written off at a faster rate than an English football team at a World Cup. What a waste, as the rest of the bits such as the axles, drivetrain, engine and chassis are probably still good for another decade or two.
LRM was fortunate enough to see Rotodama’s prototype and take it for a short drive at the recent Land Rover Legends Show held at Bicester Heritage (see page 112 for full show report). My four-year-old son Isaac is currently hooked on Forward Controls and from the moment he saw the Rediscovery, he was convinced that it was a Forward Control. Isaac was quick to jump into the basic cab and I soon followed.
It definitely felt a little higher than the regular command position of a Discovery 1 or 2. Some might say the perfect position to survey your estate or fields from. But as the interior was so basic I can see farmers using a pressure washer to clean out much of the cab when it is full of muck. The forward driving position does take some getting used to, as it does seem a little unnatural to be ahead of the front axle. I made the Tdi engine work hard as we made our way down the runway and it sat rather nicely through a hairpin, despite the fact that we were not carrying any extra weight in the load area, which is 12 x 6 ft.
I was accompanied by Thomas Cowley, one of the fab four who built the prototype Rediscovery. Thomas used to be a farmer but now works in IT sales. He told me a little about the testing they have done on it so far: “We normally load it up with six bales of hay and then take it for a good old thrash around the farm. Remember, it can carry over a tonne in the back.
“We’re very happy with what we have done so far and how it has stood up to our rigorous testing. The interest so far has just been phenomenal. We are a self-financed little