Meet TFL’s New Support Rig: A 2004 Land Rover Discovery Series II (Video)

While the first Discovery was sold in the U.S. in 1994, this is the last year of the second-generation "Series II" model.

When you’re filming out in the bush, you need a vehicle with some off-road capability.

When it comes to off-roading, the Rocky Mountains offer a veritable playground, comprising nearly every sort of terrain imaginable. Since we’re surrounded by great off-roading opportunities, we love to hit the trails whenever we can.

If you’re ever thinking about off-roading yourself, it always helps to have another vehicle along that can pull you out of trouble. As it happens, we just purchased a new (to us) off-road recovery rig: a 2004 Land Rover Discovery Series II. Comfortable and spacious with a healthy amount of off-road ability, the Land Rover can also use its 4.6-liter V8 to tackle the trails with the best of the off-road trucks and SUVs we test. And if that fails, this particular Discovery packs a heavy-duty ARB bumper and Warn winch to pull us out of trouble if and when we get ourselves in a bind.

Now, we know what you’re thinking. “A Land Rover!? You’ll have to get another support vehicle to pull that Discovery out of the bush when it breaks down!” Yes, the Discovery – and Land Rovers of this vintage in general – don’t have the best reputation for reliability. But, it was only $5,200! That’s only one-tenth of what a base-level modern Discovery would cost. This is more of an old-school SUV than the more technology-laden rigs we can get today. It still has solid axles, it still has coil-sprung suspension, and it has a simple lever to engage its transfer case. This model lacks the Terrain Response system found in modern Land Rovers.

2004 Land Rover Discovery Series II - Off-road recovery rig
Our new off-road recovery rig: A 2004 Land Rover Discovery Series II. [Photo: TFLtruck]

Some modern tech and luxury appointments

Later versions of the Land Rover Discovery, like this 2004 Series II, do have traction control. They also have a Hill Descent Control system which help in off-road terrain. 2004 was the last year of the Series II and the Discovery name – at least in the United States – until the name re-emerged on the 2017 model. In the United States, vehicles produced between 2004 and 2016 were called the LR3 (2004 – 2009) and LR4 (2009 – 2016), respectively.

Check out the video above as we take our new recovery rig on an off-road shakedown. In this video, we head up Bunce School Road, just outside Lyons, Colorado. Check back to TFLtruck.com for more updates and subscribe to The Fast Lane Truck for more videos featuring the Land Rover Discovery Series II!