The list for what is needed for converting a standard Defender 110 into a long distance camper/overlander vehicle is pretty big. I seem to have had spreadsheet fever come over me. 😅
List after list, so much online research to confirm the things I'd already researched a dozen times over the last 2 years! I started out with a cost of around £6000, but I've whittled that back to around £3500. Mostly by trimming all the posh stuff. The Poptop roof at £4000 went, as I decided I like to be inside the van. So the roofrack then became an option. I budgeted around £600 for a metal flat rack, but found this one at £150. I've also binned the idea of the side locker boxes for now. £600 for each box is just too expensive. They would be convenient I'm sure, but I can travel a long way on £1200.
I found two lockable aluminium boxes for the roof rack for £100. These are used on lorries and look pretty robust. I also found heavy duty plastic lorry side lockers for £35 each. I just need to check the dimensions as again.
The winch idea got binned as well. I haven't needed one in nine years of ownership and they are generally not needed in a desert environment, so both money and weight saved by not carrying one on the front end. Interestingly, I studied using the farm jack and a Turfor winch for rescue of a 4x4. Both are lighter and cheaper. They are less efficient of course, so as I'll carry a farm jack anyway, I'll stick with that option.
A drive to Liverpool to collect the roofrack I'd found, saw an early morning start and time to think/plan. I need to put a board of some kind onto the roofrack, then add the lockable aluminium boxes, some fuel and water containers, a solar panel and an extra spare wheel for desert travel. I haven't fitted the ladder yet as well as I need to remove a rusty security lock set up that was on the truck when I bought it.
Once back home, a large parcel had been delivered from Mud Stuff. That's £250 of toys. Their cargo rails, some mesh pockets, an elbow pad and several cargo clips. The cargo rails will go onto the side of the van and carry the metal sandboards on a bracket which I have to custom make as I haven't found anything that does what I want. Hopefully, it should fold down to make a usable flat surface. In the UK, metal sand boards are hard to find, so I'll hunt around in Germany and Morocco, once I'm en route to the Sahara.
The price of things like plywood and any kind of building product has skyrocketed in the UK since the Brexit fiasco. I was really shocked to see a 500ml can of undercoat for £23 in B&Q yesterday. These were around £7 a couple of years ago. Wickes seem to have 1 litre ones for the same price. So guess where I'm off to next... At this rate, this build will double in cost from a coupe of years ago now.
The kit I need to buy is split into two parts. Camper van and Travel. The camper stuff includes all the things to build the camper aspect in the back. So plywood, tongue and groove, stretchy carpet, lighting, electrics etc etc. The travel side is things like recovery kit, roofrack, navigation kit, service items, vehicle protection etc etc.
From years of travelling, I have all the personal stuff, things like a camping cooker, chairs, folding tables, sleeping bags, clothing etc which all live in a cupboard awaiting use. I just need to be very prudent when I choose what I'm taking as the rest will get sold or given to friends/family.
Truck Stuff
Roof rack £150.00 off eBay + plus collection. Today, I drove to Liverpool to collect a standard expedition style roofrack from a lovely couple. They had used it for family holidays for a few years and had upgraded to a posh flat one. Their Landy 110 Station Wagon was immaculate, especially next to my battered and slightly rusty looking van!
We fitted the rack over multiple conversations about Landy life and where we'd both travelled to and used ours for. Always a great conversation starter is a Landy!
Next up is the flooring and the storage boxes/jerries needed. After multiple discussion and costing sessions, I'm going for 12mm ply, varnished and cable tied to the roof rack. I may need some side boards if I put an awning on there, but it's more likely, I'll just have a rear awning/mosi net for the cooker and a camping chair/table.
Two aluminium storage boxes will be bolted onto the roofrack boards, (30 inch long x 13 inch high and 9.6inch deep), these cost £130, again from eBay. I'm looking at taking 3 fuel jerries, plus the afore mentioned spare tyre bolt option to hold the second spare wheel on the roof rack. I've also sent off a 16" wheel rim for a powder coating so it matches my existing ones. That will give me two spare wheels.I'll need to mount a bracket onto the roof rack board to keep this in place and a tyre cover to proect the rubber from the harsh desert UV. If the dimensions work out right, I might be able to tuck it under a solar panel, so save some space. I've yet to sort the electrics though, so no rush on that bit.
Recovery kit is pretty specific, two 3 ton & 5 ton bow shackles, two soft shackles, one snatch ring, multiple length tow straps and some kind of snatch rope came from Lifting Supplies in Cradley Heath and Amazon. A total of around £152 for the lot including £10 postage. This will live in one of the aluminium boxes on the roof I suspect.
The front bash guard, £117, came from Shire Fabrications near Mansfield. These have recovery points on them, but I'd also picked up two of the Nakantanga bumper recovery points for £36 off Facebook Marketplace, so I fitted those as well. Now I have 4 front recovery points and the hitch point on the rear tow bar.