Description
R985 VSM – 1998X MOD 110 Defender WOLF
The MoD designates the Wolf 110 as Truck Utility Medium (TUM) HS. Where HS stands for High Specification. Land Rover calls it extra duty (XD).
This particular example is a TUM HS FFR Soft Top Bowman
This decodes to:
- Truck Utility Medium
- High Specification
- Fitted for radio
- Soft Top (PVC)
- Bowman Radio System (not included)
Manufactured and into service July 1998
Cast and registered for civilian life in February 2020, with 1 private civilian owner.
Design
The Wolf was tested, rejected, upgraded and tested again before the MoD was satisfied. It is far stronger and more reliable than the Land Rover Defender on which it was based.
According to James Arbuthnot, the then Minister of State for Defense Procurement, he testified to the rigorous trails the Land Rover went through prior to being adopted in the British military:
“The Land Rover vehicle, known commercially as Defender XD, has been subjected to extensive and rigorous trialing in order to ensure that it can meet the high standards of reliability which are essential for operational military vehicles. Therefore, I am pleased to have been able to announce earlier today that, subject to the satisfactory completion of contractual negotiations, I propose to place an order with Land-Rover for about 8,000 vehicles. That order is worth about £170 million. It will bring substantial industrial and employment benefits to Land-Rover, and enhance the vehicle’s already excellent prospects in export markets.”
Engine choice
When the Wolf was designed the engine in the civilian Defenders was the Td5. Land Rover preferred the 300Tdi for the Wolf because the electronics in the Td5 were more complex to manage in the field.
The 300Tdi on a Wolf uses a slightly different design of timing cover compared to the civilian version.
Reinforced rear axle
The testing was extremely rigorous and Salisbury axles kept breaking. The axle was therefore redesigned using stronger internals, hubs and outer casing, making one of the strongest land rover axles ever made.
Side-mounted spare wheel
Everywhere else where Land Rover tried to mount the spare wheel caused the mountings to break free and it was too heavy for the bonnet. There are 3 versions of mounting, soft top, hard top and quick release.
Chassis
The chassis is considerably different in design to the standard Defender chassis even though it looks similar. The side walls are standard, most of the rest is bespoke. The additional rear load bed mounting was to take increased weights as the standard chassis kept punching big dents in the rear floor.
Chassis made after the production run (service chassis) are slightly different, later ones have a triangular reinforcement behind the front outriggers, none of them have the front round tube going through the main chassis walls as it is more costly to tool and produce although it is stronger.
The chassis wasn’t galvanised due to the additional cost it would add. There were also unfounded Health and Safety concerns about the gases involved in welding a galvanised chassis, due to the fact that supplying correct respiratory protection to welders would negate this problem.
The chassis on all Wolfs was sprayed internally with Dinitrol rust proofing.
Tyres
Goodyear G90s were designed for the project and strengthened on the sidewalls in testing. The Michelin tyres were felt to be better but more expensive and classed as an approved second choice as used on Winterised/Waterproofed Wolfs. Goodyear G90 tyres have been in service on military vehicles for over 20 years.
Side lockers
Experience from the pre Wolf Military Defender showed that full jerry cans were dangerous and too tight in the lockers, the unusual shaped doors were simply to take full jerrycans more easily. They were never meant to be watertight.
Other Wolf specific items
Wolfs are equipped with a steering guard, to offer improved cross country capability.
To keep in line with MOD policy to simplify the stores chain, Wolf vehicles were fitted with 24 volt electrics. This meant supply of simple electrical items such as bulbs was now the same as the rest of the vehicle fleet. FFR (fitted for radio) variants gained a second alternator specifically to power the signals equipment.
A rear body roll cage was fitted in all conventionally bodied vehicles and some Wolfs were later upgraded with an extra front roll cage. It is worth noting that this “roll cage” is not mounted to the chassis, merely the rear body tub and has questionable benefit were the vehicle subjected to being rolled over. The specially designed Ambulance bodied Wolfs have no such protection.
To reduce noise and heat from the transmission in compliance with health and safety rules a special heavy duty matting system was designed for the Wolf by ‘Wright Off-Road’. These mats weigh about 30 kg, and consist of mats to cover the footwells and transmission tunnel. Not all Wolfs have these mats.
The Wolf soft top is made of PVC and the rear flap is fastened either by zippers and Velcro or by Dutch lacing down the sides and elasticated straps to cleats on the tailgate.
This particular example is in excellent condition, as you would expect and benefits from:
- Snorkel
- PVC Soft Top
- Michelin 7,50 x 16 tyres
- side mounted spare
- Front lamp guards
- NATO Hitch
- MOD front bumper
- 78,500km (49,000 miles)
This Land Rover will be sold fully serviced,Full MOT and 3 months warranty
