Thread: RE: mods - what are your thoughts?

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

depends on how where and what you want to do for touring how much you want to spend and how quickly you want to set it all up

with a dog (depending on how you like the dog to travel.

dual battery, maybe a solar panel and small charger to back it up
fridge,
basic tool kit (if it weighs more than 10kg all told including your tyre plug kit, multimeter, electrical tape, pliers, spanners, screwdrivers, sockets+drivers, loctites and the box it comes in its not basic anymore)
compressor
basic cooking gear
water (~40l in 2x~20l tanks plus about 5l of small bottles)

the key is not so much what you pack in its where you stash it. theres a fair bit of "wasted" space you can find around the layout of a landrover to hide things away

taking the small back seat out makes room for a fridge and leaves you a seat that you can use.

you can make 20l tanks to fit under floor out of pvc pipe and fittings, you can make the one on the left self refilling by plumbing it just the right way from the AC drain.

a rear storage system will let you get 90+% of everything you need into the back of the vehicle keeping the back nice and flat to the back of the seats. or you can build it up higher than that and with some clever construction work the whole back of the vehicle becomes a flat space that you can sleep on when you fold the back seats forward.

dual batteries fit under the passangers seat
theres a good selection of compressors and inverters that can be installed under the drivers seat.
If you go for the fridge in place of the left rear seat option you can set it up so you access it through the door or through the rear window, with the fridge built into that position its possible to make a small pull out kitchenette that sits in the space under the fridge on the floor or you put it in one of the pull out slides from the back door.

Making a quickly attachable shade/rain shelter I consider essential, I usually do it with a couple of tarp clips, springloaded wood work clamps and a cheap tarp clip it to the roof channel open the door under it letting the door form one side of the support then prop it on a single pole then tie off a weight or hammer down a peg to tie it to.

fire extinquisher first aid kit, drop down table built onto the rear door internal trim or in place of, rear wheel carrier if you dont have one, preferably one that will mount a jerry if you dont want to put an additional side tank in, snorkle if you dont have one already, small box (shoebox) of common spare parts (again this, including the box should weigh less than 10kg things like filters, spare belt, secret hidden heater hose or bung, crank angle sensor, map, maf, fuses, a few meters of wire, crimps, a couple of common bolts, nuts and washers, small roll of fencing wire, hose clamps, rescue tape), the right kind of bluetooth obd2 reader or a vehicle appropriate specific version thereof plus a suitable tablet/laptop that can talk to it and hold your manuals, maps (multi task this thing gps it use it for storing your music/movies/journals/running sheets)

a 2 way, you might consider one of the spot type satellite units that will let you send preformed messages, doubles as an epirb type device, and if you get the right one will let you send 140 character messages.

couple of life filter type water purification straws/pumps

Thanks Dave, that's a comprehensive list. I will be taking up some of those suggestions over a period of time.

I like the PVC pipe under the floor with plumbing to AC. That's a genius idea! Tool kit will be complied very soon.

I'm definitely going a rear storage unit which I will build myself from plywood to save on costs. It will be simple, quality and craftsmanship will be questionable but should do the trick.

Originally Posted by Defender007

Pat, you're spot on about the shocks. My mechanic says that I must upgrade them before going off road.

I'll be pedantic about the cooling system. I like that tip.

Cheers

Mate,there are many members on here that have done many miles in defenders that will give you straight up good advice,don't be afraid to ask,there's no such thing as a stupid Q. Pat

Originally Posted by Defender007

Thanks Dave, that's a comprehensive list. I will be taking up some of those suggestions over a period of time.

I like the PVC pipe under the floor with plumbing to AC. That's a genius idea! Tool kit will be complied very soon.

I'm definitely going a rear storage unit which I will build myself from plywood to save on costs. It will be simple, quality and craftsmanship will be questionable but should do the trick.

Vehicle recovery / breakdown tool kit

thats a link to a thread to the kind of tool kit Im talking about.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/547375-post11.html
that a link to how and what I usually carry. Yes, my tool box and tooling in that post is well above what I advise most people carry but then I spend more time working on other cars than my own and on more than a few occasions doing so has at least paid for the fuel and food on a leg of a trip.

its also got a pic of how it all packs in, whats not immediately clear is the way the top edge of the bedframe lifts up and slides forwards to cover the folded down seat to make the bed the full length of the vehicle.