Thread: Defender 110 gutter flex

The system we have is extremely flexible. The roof pod has the torsional rigidity of a wet towel and of course the two roof racks are completely independent of each other.

Thats one of the major advantages of the Patriot racks....

Welded racks have be know to crack at the weld points.

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

Ok, photos please?

Ours is a wagon.. not a ute which is the only way I can see of fitting all that in. I'll take some photos next weekend of the trial pack.

Basically the whole left of the car will be taken by the tyre caracas, the right the fridge, bottom of the wheel well the tent and table, front of the load area 100l of fuel... the photos will tell the story.

Nope, 110 SW...

I don't have any pics of it packed but I'll write up a basic outline of how it was packed if you want??

Here are some pics of it on our travels though.









M

As promised, I’ve done some words on how my 110 was packed. It's a pity I didn't think about getting some pics at the time but hey ho...

The basic idea behind it all was for a family of 4 to live out of a 110 for 12mths, whilst keeping as much off the roof as possible. It took us a while to get the system right but what I’m going to describe is a system that works for us. I’m not saying this is a definitive way of packing a 110, it’s up to you to decide on what works for yourself. Instead, I’m writing this up to show it can be done, explain some of the rationale and to exchange ideas.

When you look at the car, there are 2x basic areas for packing your kit:

• The main load space (Boot).
• Nooks & crannies around the car!

Once you’ve identified the space to store the kit, there are a number of other key considerations:

• Frequency of access - Things needed regularly, need to be easy to access.
• Position – Keep the weight low.
• Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) – Although you might have the space, the GVW must not be exceeded!

To get a definitive kit list, I had to wheedle things down to their bare essentials. Then for packing it away, I used mainly North Face duffels, Peli cases or Zarges aluminium cases for protection. This is the basic process I used:

• Tools – Started off with a basic set of spanners, sockets, etc… and then did a full service/overhaul of the car. Any additional tools used to do a job, got added to the kit. The tools were stored in tool-rolls, to prevent rattling.
• Spares – Any parts still serviceable after the overhaul were cleaned up and used for spares. Supplemented with a selection of other consumable parts, belts, spares, etc… I also carried enough oils to do a change in the bush as well as random off-cuts of metal, rivets, nuts, bolts, etc… to fabricate a solution if needed.
• Camping – Canvas tent, sleeping bags & mats. The tent was big enough for us all to have space should the weather be bad and all sleeping bags were stored in their own North Face Duffel.
• Kitchen – Decent pots & pans, knives, cutlery, etc… makes a big difference to comfort on a long trip!!
• Personal kit – This is the lowest on the list of priorities. Once I worked out what HAD to be carried, I could allocate the remaining space to personal kit. For us, this came down to 1x North Face Duffel and 1x Peli case each (1600 for adults, 1450 for kids). I told the family that they could take whatever they wanted, as long as it fitted into those bags. In reality, the duffels were used for clothing and the Pelis used for other stuff. E.g. the kids carried their books, toys, pens, etc… in them.

OK, so how did I actually manage to get it all in!!!

Nooks & Crannies.
So this is what I had fixed to the vehicle and/or secreted in various locations around the car:

• Fuel – As well as the main tank, there was an additional tank under the driver’s seat giving a total of approx. 120L.
• Sounds – iPod based to remove need for CDs.
• GPS – Dash mounted 176C, with external antenna. Dual purpose - Large enough for car but small enough to be portable.
• Fridge & Water – I changed the rear seats for the 3x separates, available from Exmoor trim and then pulled out the middle seat. I mounted a 45L water tank in the middle of the rear footwell, the fridge mounted above this between the rear seats. (It also acted as a physical barrier between the kids when they started fighting!!)
• Pump & filtration – A pump was mounted under the rear seats and a filtration system tucked into the rear loadspace with a tap. That way I can access fresh water when cooking at the back of the car. The pump & water supply is able to double up as a shower and the pump could also be used to fill the tank if needed.
• Spare wheels on bonnet & rear door.
• Tools on wing tops (Shovel, pickaxe, etc…)
• Rear footwells – 2x Peli 1450s for kid’s stuff.
• Roof – Tent canvas, camp chairs, ally sand ladders & jerry cans (mainly empty).
• Under rear seats – Tent poles & oils (gearbox, engine & EP90)
• Battery box – Small tool roll.

Main load area (Boot)
The main loadspace was effectively split into 3x areas, with a trunk & drawer system between the wheel arches and a thick plywood shelf installed, level with the bottom of the windows.

• Lower – Between wheel arches
• Middle – From wheel arches to level with windows (between storage system & shelf).
• Upper – From windows to roof (on shelf).

Lower

• Storage trunk – Spares
• Pull out drawer system - Kitchen
• Fold down table on back door for stoves.
• Wooden table stood in small gap between door & drawer system.

Middle

• 2x Peli 1600s - Office/School. i.e. heavy paperwork.
• 3x Zarges ally cases - 2x food & 1x for tools/spares.
• Tool rolls in the voids down either side, between the cases & bodywork.

Upper

• 2x Peli 1600s – Computer stuff & Personal effects.
• 6x North Face Duffels – 4x clothes, 1x sleeping, 1x stuff.
• 4x Camping mats tucked down sides.
• 2x Peli 1450s – First aid & electrical.

The duffels were generally placed on-top as they are lighter and damp down any rattling.



Any questions??

M

PS... Do you think it'll be worth starting a new thread???

Man that is an awesome list. I'm going to have to have a sit down and go through it.

Yes, I think it's a significant body of work and should go into it's own thread titled something like "Packing your defender".

So, another trip to Fraser done, another Rhino roof bar detach after the pod moved during a bypass track crossing. Now I've got more scratches on the gutter, and more dints on the roof. Great.

So, I have been forced to conclude…

1. Two Rhino roof bars just aren't up to supporting even moderate loads without sudden detachment when the going gets rough.
2. Thule roof pods are just not suitable for 4x4ing in the larger sizes. Their claw attachment clamps just can't grip the bars tight enough which enables them to slide around which just makes the problem worse. If they had a larger mounting area and could accept more bars they could be doable - but with just two they are only suitable for on-road use.

So, before the next trip looks like I'm looking for a new full roof rack.

Originally Posted by goingbush

park your defender across a spoon drain so that the axles are fully articulated / crossed up, then try to open and close a door, it wont open close properly, the body is all twisted up. In notmal 4wding the body is flexing all the time (not to that extent but it all adds up) IMO Thats a great reason not to use a roof rack, unless its properley designed to flex. (are any??) The first thing you will notice is the front of the roof above the windscreen will curl up slightly away from the glass on each side, A rivet on the inside pulls out and the seal goes, then eventually you get wet feet when it rains.

I prefer to pull a trailer than load up the roof, you also end up with a whole heap of other issues resulting from raised COG.

Ok you have my attention. The COG is the most obvious issue but the others I never really thought about.
Also slightly off topic but this raises a question about roll cages. Mine was criticised for not being attached to the chassis at all 6 points, but the builder was adamant the body needs to flex and would not if it was attached at all 6 points and would create problems in cracking, if not in the cage then the vehicle.

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

So, another trip to Fraser done, another Rhino roof bar detach after the pod moved during a bypass track crossing. Now I've got more scratches on the gutter, and more dints on the roof. Great.

So, I have been forced to conclude…

1. Two Rhino roof bars just aren't up to supporting even moderate loads without sudden detachment when the going gets rough.
2. Thule roof pods are just not suitable for 4x4ing in the larger sizes. Their claw attachment clamps just can't grip the bars tight enough which enables them to slide around which just makes the problem worse. If they had a larger mounting area and could accept more bars they could be doable - but with just two they are only suitable for on-road use.

So, before the next trip looks like I'm looking for a new full roof rack.

...or leave some stuff behind.

M