Originally Posted by
Michael2
We tour in a 300Tdi 110 with 3 kids. Typically we'd do a 10-20K km road trip without towing.
Packing the car is like playing Tetris, but it works and saves on towing.
Our kids are 7, 11 & 13 and for the last trip I fitted the new Exmoor Trim 2nd row seats. They're not worth the $4K cost, the back base of the seat rises instead of falling, which can create sacral discomfort. The head rests, which were the main reason we ended up fitting 3 bucket seats, push the head of taller occupants forward. The kids couldn't decide if the standard Defender bench was more comfortable or not. Threading some bungy cord through the cargo barrier and storing pillows against it creates good headrests for road trips without the extra cost. The original bench also takes 3 folding chairs under it.
The seats on a 130 don't sit as high, due to the wheel arch in the 110. So a 130 will give you more headroom as the kids grow, plus I've seen RRC rear bench seats fit nicely in a 130. The main issue with the 2nd row seats in a Defender is that tall occupants must stoop to look out the side windows, otherwise, as basic as the seats are, they're not uncomfortable.
Our kids easily do 4 hour drive stints without discomfort or complaint. The biggest complaint is dreading the hours in the car before the trip, once we're on our way it's all good.
I know the PUMA onward have a lower wheel arch, but really heavy seats, I'm not sure if they sit lower than the Tdi / TD5 seats.
Leg room is good for small kids, and because the seats are so high, you can store a box under their feet. Leg room isn't great for taller passengers, but it hasn't been a real issue yet.
In order to fit everything I look carefully at the volume and weight of what I want to carry. For example, I have an alloy roof rack with an annexe rail on the side, into that I can slide a light weight Hikers Fly with a cord sewn into one end.
For water I have a 45 litre quarter panel tank and a 50 litre poly tank that sits against the cargo barrier and is only 8cm wide. These options keep water mass relatively low and central.
I use strong plastic containers that are square edged for better volume, and that all stack well. This is for dry food, cooking gear, spares etc.
A dirty gear bag on the spare wheel is ideal for storing a C-Gear mat, and ropes / straps. With a picnic rug tucked on top. That means when we pull up, the mat can go down and everything can be offloaded onto a clean surface, then the tent is set up on the mat.
I normally carry two aluminium tables but generally only need one. Often you can use picnic tables at your destination.
With more girls than boys, I've been forced to carry a chemical toilet. On the last 20K km (8 week) trip we used it on one night only. Most camp spots had some basic toilet facilities. Try to talk your family into using a shovel.
I have a roof top bag with off season stuff in it (beach stuff when we're in the cold weather & winter stuff when we get up north). A 2nd roof top bag carries light gear like sleeping bags or swags. The single swags are motorbike swags to same on volume. I thought in warm weather we might not use the tent, but that didn't work out, so sleeping bags and self inflating mats would have been a lighter and more compact option, though the swags offer greater versatility.
The 2nd bag is at the back with easy ladder access, and neither bag sits too high. A tarp under the roof top bags is out of the way, but easily accessible for roadside repairs.
The tent is a Blackwolf Turbolite 300+, which fits sideways against the cargo barrier. This keeps the weight down, but it also means I have to almost unpack the car to set up camp.
