You must be strong to carry 5 litres any distance unless it's not very far. I once had to carry a 5 litre can about a mile and a half from the petrol station back to a car which had run out and my arms were nearly dropping off.

Then to compound my misery I had to use a pen in the filler neck to get past the anti symphony flaps and it got lost in the tank !

Another vote for the 109" for all of the above reasons plus you can kip in the back full stretch provided your 6' or under.

Shall we be blunt? Many of you won't like these words because what's said is true of the bulk of owners.

You'll see far more LWB Ford Transit/ Merc Sprinters - this over the SWB variants.

In all respects except turning-circle and parking/storing -  a 109 is superior.
The 109 was never the rare one, the 109 sold in equal or larger numbers.
We should see both 88 and 109. Yet, 88s are the survivors. How so?

Sadly, "It's the tool for the job' and a 'workhorse' - with variations on the same - prevail. Precisely because that's what today's Series LR clearly isn't.

It's broadly about vanity. Today's standard owner does not have the mindset of the first owner. He's a poseur. Pondering the 'correct' wiper-blade arm for 1962 is the end-game. Evidence the very 'being' of  the weekly tyre-thread. Tyres are replaced because they're old, not because they're worn out. When you don't go anywhere. 'Tyre-thread Nigel' exposes reality.  Of course there are exceptions amongst us, some of us will have 8000+ miles this year to show, yet we are few.

No one calls today's Ford Transit/ Merc Sprinter a 'workhorse' because they don't use it; do a firewood &/or tip-run once in a blue. That'd be ridiculous, yet no one laughs when that's said on here.  Ford Transit/ Merc Sprinter owners run the LWB because they are not faking.

Yet, in 50 years time I suspect any Ford Transit/ Merc Sprinter survivors will be the rarer SWB.

Market-gardeners, our 109 has been in the family since new. If today's Series owner was the original owner, the stats would show different survival rates. In short, the reason to own a Series LR has changed - this whilst pretending it hasn't. The results favour the 88.

Hi,

 
If you want a rare SWB, seek out an 81"!

I believe they made 200 ... half with a Rover Engine, half with the Rolls Royce engine from the Champ ... for Army "suitability" trials ... interchangeability of spares, etc.

I can't remember why they decided they didn't want the Champ. 

602 (Who contrived to squeeze a BMC 2.2TD into a Champ ... about 50 years ago ... and found it was cheaper to run than Barbara's Hillman Imp, but only because diesel cost a lot less than petrol per gallon)

You could probably get the most money by disassembling it and selling the gauges separately. I believe those early style fuel and amp gauges are rather rare if functional.

To paraphrase Ringo Starr:
88s are more popular because more people like them 🤔

Simples.

Don't worry about what others may think. It's your vehicle, your choice and if others don't like it that's their hard luck.
I don't care what others think about my Series 3, it's all mine.

The one they should have built was the 100 inch, there was  aphoto of a S1 100" pickup prototype but I cant find it

Peter

Once you are actually driving around there are a surprising number of people who notice, some even nod or wave. Anything other than a modern bland black blob is quite unusual.

As you've already got both why don't you get them both on the road then make your own mind up.
I've owned 3 80", 2 86" and too many 88" to remember but once I drove a 109 I wouldn't drive anything else.
Being my only transport, they're so much more useful for what I carry and in my opinion so much smoother without all the bucking up and down.
They aren't as easy to manoeuvre but that's easily off-set against the rest.
But then everyone has their own opinion and needs, and not many use it as their daily.