Dave SweetappleIn 1991, I moved from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to the United States. I usually go back “home” (most Newfoundlanders living off the island refer to it as home) once a year, but rarely by car. It’s a quick four- hour drive from Brattleboro, VT to Montreal, where I can catch a two-hour flight to my hometown. In all the years I have lived in the States, I have only driven to St. John’s once because it takes three days each way.
For years, I have dreamt of driving back there with a convoy of Land Rover enthusiasts to show them some of the old sites and to explore trails I have discovered since leaving there. A group of us have been kicking around the idea for the past two years and it’s finally coming to fruition. Whenever I have mentioned this proposed trip to random Land Rover enthusiasts, the response is usually, “I’ve always wanted to go up there in my Land Rover!” while pointing at a Series I–III. I, too, would like to go there in my Series pickup but we all agreed that it could only happen in Defenders (and one Range Rover Classic), due to the travel time of the main ferry to the island – driving Series Land Rovers would add at least two extra days on either end.
The trip will require about three weeks, from August 28–September 15. A lot of prep goes into a trip when taking six vehicles, all at least 30 years old, on a 3,500-mile drive (not including the ferries). Making sure the vehicles are in tip-top shape is key. Our entire group knows that there will be the inevitable mishaps, but we have taken the necessary precautions to prevent as many of those as we can. There will always be something.
The group will consist of my wife, Robin, and I in my ‘95 Defender 130; fellow Newfoundlander Matt Dawe, Brooklyn, NY and his girlfriend Jen, in his ‘95 LWB Range Rover Classic; Bryan Wittler, Dummerston, VT in his ‘92 Defender 90; Leif Counter, Oak Bluffs, MA and his girlfriend Maggie in their ‘98 Defender 110 two-door pickup; Mike Kenney, Taunton, MA in his ‘96 Defender 130; and John Dakowicz, Washington, NH in his ‘92 two-door Defender 110 pickup.
Matt pulled together a two-week itinerary that will start in Bar Harbor, ME, where we will take the high-speed ferry to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia (NS). From there, we head north to North Sydney, NS, where we catch a sixteen-hour ferry to Argentia, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). Several days will be spent exploring the capitol city of St. John’s, with day trips to the surrounding sites on the island’s Avalon Peninsula, including Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America. From there, we will head along the northern coast, stopping in historic towns such as Trinity, Port Rexton and Bonavista. Continuing northwest, we will hit the white sandy beaches of Lumsden, then overland through the woods to the center of the island. The last leg of the trip will be on the west coast with a visit to Gros Morne National Park, some other natural fjords, then ending in Port Aux Basque to catch the six-hour ferry back to Nova Scotia, and then home. The goal is to be off-road as much as possible with secondary highways as the main route.
At one time, Newfoundland was the largest importer of Land Rovers in North America. Originally a colony of Britain, Newfoundland became the tenth province of Canada in 1949. Goods from Great Britain were still supplied directly to the province for many years to follow. Land Rover was a new thing in 1948 and my father (born in Newfoundland in 1939) remembers seeing his first one around that time. By the 1950s they were everywhere. Today there are very few left due to salt destruction of the frames, but we plan to visit one Series II, used by a famous politician to campaign across the island (more on that later). We also will visit a few enthusiasts who live in the province.
When it comes to vehicle maintenance, John Dakowicz kindly offered his expertise and the use of his Land Rover repair shop, Hillside Garage in Washington, NH. He suggested that we each bring our Land Rover to the shop for a complete maintenance check prior to departure. Bryan, Mike and I did that this week. As I write this, my 130 is still on the lift at John’s shop; I’m replacing the full exhaust system and rear calipers, as I spotted small mounts of brake fluid leakage on my driveway. We installed new propshafts and replaced the front and rear differential seals. I have a new oversized intercooler and radiator to go in with all new silicone hoses. I recently changed out all four hubs and axles with genuine parts, so I know that the wheel bearings are all good. Finally, I swapped out my favorite BF Goodrich KM3 mud tires for the more road-friendly HD Terrain tire. (I spoke to Mark Letorney at Rovers North about tire choice a while back and he gave me the recommendation to consider these tires, made for commercial use with a tread compound specifically designed to resist chipping and wearing like their softer cousins. Also, being less knobby, they should be a little quieter than the bulky mud tires.
There will be some hotel stays in the city, but we’ll camp when we’re in rural settings. We all have various brands of roof tents, so set-up and break-down will be easy and have us on the road quickly after each breakfast. Every Land Rover in the convoy will have all the usual camping gear; cooler, grill, pop-up tent for foul-weather cooking, tools, fluids, etc. Rovers North generously offered to sponsor the trip and will be supplying us with the spare parts that may be needed along the route. You never know when you will blow a hose or snap a belt, so we will each carry all the possible small parts that can cause big problems if they fail in a remote area.
It’s really exciting to take this group of people back to the place where I grew up. Matt and I are hoping to give the rest a taste of what makes Newfoundland a special place. It draws people back there time and time again. For me, the concept of exploring Newfoundland in a Land Rover boils down to “going home.”
[For more information contact editor@roversnorth.com -ed.]