Baltimore to Leesburg

The morning of Monday 14th June was when i travelled to Baltimore to collect GUH 2D, it was a perfect day, I had already got the antique tags, collected the truck and trailer and headed off to the docks. The journey went very well there with a quick stop for the loo and then when i got near to the port i had to call the port escort who would take me in to collect GUH 2D after its seafaring journey from the UK. I contacted the escort who met up with me and we headed into the cargo area of Baltimore docks, got our pass and then headed to the Ceres compound, once i had turned into their compound there was my Land Rover sitting there with the other vehicles in the distance. We had to wait for the Ceres guys to finish their lunch break and i stood in line being the first one for when they returned. They opened their window and i handed them the paperwork, they checked it all over and advised me i owed $5! With this paid i was instructed to go and collect my vehicle and pull up next to the office. We headed over to the Land Rover and lined the trailer up just in front of her, the escort said that he felt he was in 'Daktari' the only thing missing was the zebras and lions!!!! He then said lets see if she starts! I hesitantly got inside, the first time in over a year and put the key in...... held it over to warm the heater plugs and counted to 15...... turned the key the next turn and the engine roared into life immediately! I drove the Land Rover onto the trailer and we secured her with the straps and chains attached to the trailer. Once secure we drove up to the Ceres office signed the paperwork and got our pass to leave the docks. I bid farewell to my port escort and headed back to Leesburg. It took the same time coming back and soon had GUH 2D in her new place of residence, Leesburg, Virginia, USA.

GUH 2D to B7495

To get GUH 2D registered i had to make a visit to the DMV in Leesburg. I got there early on a Monday morning before anyone else was there - 7.30 am and waited the half hour before they opened just to be seen first. Once in and called forward to see one of the clerks, we started the process of registering, drivers license, import clearance forms, duty paid forms, UK registration, details also required were date of purchase, vehicle weight, bill of sale etc, etc, etc! I had all the required details which i handed over when they asked for them, the problem was that it didn't show up on their computer and so they had to revert to books and looking things up manually instead of electronically! I had all the answers and an hour and a half later left with new 'antique tags' "B7495". Next was a visit to the town offices to get a town sticker for the windscreen, once this was done i was now legal for the road, i did all this and go and collect the Land Rover from Baltimore all in the same day.

Tyres - from crossply to radials

The first thing i had to do was to get new tyres, i changed from the old 750x16 Town & Country crossplies to these 238 85 R16 Good Year Silent Armour radials. They are rated 10 out of 10 for snow, 9 out of 10 for stopping in the wet and in the dry and 8 out of 10 for mud. They are about an inch and a half bigger all round than the original crossply tyres. When i went to the local Good Year dealer in Leesburg, they took the wheels off and popped one of the tyres off, some of the younger guys there had never seen a wheel with an inner tube before! They got the new Good Years on and balanced on a friday evening and the difference driving back home was just incredible, if i had known the difference before i would have changed to radials years ago, it is just amazing how we stick to things we know and are afraid of change. This certainly is one of the best investments you can make, there is nothing else between you and the road. Remember! you've got to be able to stop in the wet and the dry.

Land Rover Dormobiles

In the 1960's Martin Walter converted mainly 109 LWB station wagons into compact 4 berth campers, and they continued into the early 1970's before demand tailed off. They were never cheap: A Station Wagon was one of the dearer options and the addition of a raising roof, sink, cooker, wardrobe and the ingenious Dormatic seats all added to the cost. Around 800 were made but many went overseas. With the roof raised there is around 8 feet of headroom, two windows in the roof and an opening vent to let air in and also the two bunk berths that fold out for sleeping. The Dormatic seats fold flat for sleeping eitheras two single beds or adjusted to make a double bed. Some of the optional extras included an exterior sun visor, roof rack, air conditioning, a toilet and a fridge.

1966 Land Rover Dormobile GUH 2D

Profile of GUH 2D

April 5th 1966 first registered

May 10th 1966 First owner - Mr Edward Stimpson, Wellington, Somerset, England

November 15th 1969 Second owner - Mr Robert Henry Foord, Folkestone, Kent, England

April 10th 1972 change of address - Mr Robert Henry Foord, Folkestone, Kent, England

May 20th 1975 Third owner - Mr John Helmuth Ullman, Dover, Kent, England

September 29th 1989 Fourth owner - Mr William Alexander Strachan, Canterbury, Kent, England

October 12th 1990 Fifth owner - Mr Martin James Robert Pescud - Ramsgate, Kent, England

March 14th 1998 Sixth owner - Mr Nigel Grant Down, Canterbury, Kent, England

March 2nd 2002 Current owner - Mr Paul Davies, Sittingbourne, Kent, England.

June 14th 2010 Change of address - Mr Paul Davies, Leesburg, Virginia, USA

GUH 2D has retained its original License Plates but now has Antique Virginia Plates and is now 'B7495'.