Thread: SpudBoy's 130 Defender camper build - UK to Sth Africa project

Well, it's taken me a couple of years to make a start, needing to first
- build a shed,
- put the power in & add lights,
- plumb up some water,
- build a few benches,
- add in a compressor,
- etc etc,
- plus go to work to earn some cash to fund it all....
but I reckon I am about ready to start building my 130 single cab into a camper

I've had the 130 in a farm shed for a few years, just driving it around the paddocks every couple of months to keep things running. It is an ex-Telstra vehicle with 130,000Kms on the clock, in reasonable but not great condition. The canopy on the back is all alloy, and I am going to 'extend' it a little in the upwards direction by adding a hinged tropical roof from an old Series III.

The big plan is to ship it to the UK, and drive it down to South Africa, probably via Jordan/Egypt/Eastern Africa, taking a year or so do do the drive. Who knows if this will ever eventuate, but that's the plan!

Thought I'd start by posting up a few pics of what I am starting off with.

Don't expect a "Bundalene paced" build. It'll probably take me the next 2 years to build it

Cheers
David

Originally Posted by geckos

Spud, very interesting. I'm planning my trip around 2014-2015, but going in the opposite direction sth Africa eastern Africa middle east Europe uk then a ship home. Like you taking the rover. So far I've got 3 michealin maps of Africa. Printed all the info off smart traveller of all the countries I intend to travel prices for shipping, and enquirered about the carnet.

Looking forward to your build and travels.

Geckos

Well, we could go in either direction, but (having lived in Africa for 3 years) I figured there was a far greater chance of the car being CarJacked, stolen, damaged by bad roads, etc in the African leg of the journey than the European/Middle Eastern part of the journey.

It'd be a bummer to start off in Sth Africa and only get a short distance before some bandit decided to relieve you of your Defender. At least if you've gone all the way from the UK you've done most of the trip

Keep planning - I have been thinking of doing this for the last 5 years, and now that I am approaching 50 reckon I better get a move on before I am too old and decrepit to actually do the miles.

Carnet de Passage is a bit of a major expense, but by the time I go my 130 will be over 10 years old, so the value can be written down a lot. It must be a killer if you take a new-ish vehicle as some countries want an 800% Carnet deposit (Egypt). Luckily you can do the Carnet by bank guarantee these days, so you don't have to stump up $20,000 as surety any more.