Thread: Defender 90 big enough?

It'd be a bit cramped with a dog, I'd reckon.
Pickles.

Welcome to the forum Landi.

With just 2 of us we find there is plenty of room but accessibility is the issue, gull wings can help out there but for longer trips (2+ weeks) we're looking into getting something like a lightweight pod trailer or similar. Benefits of a 90 plus the extra room only when you need it.

Originally Posted by Pickles2

It'd be a bit cramped with a dog, I'd reckon.
Pickles.

Have to agree with that.

they aren't very big.... especially in my case where I'm not allowed to remove the rear seats But i still love it and wouldn't trade if for a 110 any day

Regarding space - you can't fit much in a 90 for sure and, as has been said, once full you can't access it. I guess it depends how light you travel. Personally I don't care to tow (and even if I did a 110 would be preferable to a 90).

Comfort is a strange concept in a defender (especially as you will be coming from a FL2) but, and on account of the longer wheel base, a 110 is more comfortable on uneven (off-road) surfaces than a 90. Your dog will notice the difference even if you don't.

90's are fun and slightly more practical as a daily drive (easier to park and better turning radius). But for bigger better adventures you'll want a bigger better truck - 110. I've owned SWB landies and LWB landies and the 110 IMO is the most practical of them. If I was going to the shops or to the bottom of a nearby field a 90 would do, if I was going away for months then a 130 would be what I would want. A 110 is a pretty practical vehicle.

Ian.

Originally Posted by mools

Regarding space - you can't fit much in a 90 for sure and, as has been said, once full you can't access it. I guess it depends how light you travel. Personally I don't care to tow (and even if I did a 110 would be preferable to a 90).

Comfort is a strange concept in a defender (especially as you will be coming from a FL2) but, and on account of the longer wheel base, a 110 is more comfortable on uneven (off-road) surfaces than a 90. Your dog will notice the difference even if you don't.

90's are fun and slightly more practical as a daily drive (easier to park and better turning radius). But for bigger better adventures you'll want a bigger better truck - 110. I've owned SWB landies and LWB landies and the 110 IMO is the most practical of them. If I was going to the shops or to the bottom of a nearby field a 90 would do, if I was going away for months then a 130 would be what I would want. A 110 is a pretty practical vehicle.

Ian.

I actually have to agree with what Ian says, as a daily drive, it's great - small. for a weekend toy it's also nice and small and definitely capable. What I find is that my friends are in long wheelbase Nissans/toyotas etc and they can handle the light rough stuff much faster than I can, which can be a pain because I either have to push to keep up or slow them down. Depends on who your friends are I guess.

For long trips, I built a camper trailer - no I don't like towing it all the time but it also removes the camper tent from the truck so I can do day trips away from the camp without a complete pack up. so Horses for courses really.

I had 2 90's and would go for the 110 every time. It is not just the space but the additional doors making life easier. m

I've got the 2.2 90, space is tight, but you need to consider what your aim with the vehicle is. Loaded up with 4 adults, there is barely enough room for 4 overnight bags of luggage. From rear of back seats to the door is about 25cm, approx 90cm wide before you can pack over the wheel arches.
I like to camp light, and not for extended time, so works well for me.

For large loads, I've got a roof rack and have ordered a massive pelican storm case to hold a heap of gear. It will be more waterproof up there than inside the cabin!

I had a SWB GQ Patrol for many years and did quite a few good trips in that and learnt a lot about careful packing and planning of storage. Now I love the D90 and am slowly getting it set up for the same. With planning and well designed storage it's easy to have a comfortable extended trip in a shorty. You just need to think carefully about every item and get as much out of the load space as you can. This means sill fuel tanks, not jerries inside, and the gas bottle rack mounted externally, not a weird shaped object that you need to remove at least once every day taking up luggage space inside. A roof tent instead of tents stored inside. Leave your pillows and sleeping bags in the roof tent while travelling. Also look for everything to have two uses so maybe your camp table also doubles as a floor to a second level of storage space.
So a shorty is more of a challenge but also far more rewarding. I'd take a 90 any day over the cumbersome 110, but that's because I love shorty's and so common sense doesn't really come into it - that's the way love works!
Having said all that, 2 people and dog is okay (we have a German Shephard) in a 90 but you wouldn't want to go away on a trip like that unless just an overnighter.