Defender camper - black roof bad idea?

[Jitterbug]

I am in the early stages of turning a 6x6 defender tour bus into a camper, I am stripping the interior at the moment, then the engine will come out to make way for a 4bd1t. Whilst it is stripped i plan to respray it.
It is currently a delightful mustard colour with a white roof and is in need of a respray, regardless of the questionable colour the paint is damaged where the tour company decals were removed.

This brings me to a tough decision, WHAT COLOUR?.

The truck will be going overseas for a big trip through some dodgy countries so a full military paint job is out of the question.

I really like the Nara Bronze colour scheme on the limited edition defender but is a black roof a bad idea? It will be properly insulated inside with solar panels covering some of the outside.

Anyone any experience of dark Vs light roof paint in hot climates?

http://www.lincah.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/2012-Land-Rover-Defender-Special-Edition-Nara-Bronze-Front-Angle.jpg

[goingbush]

bad idea

I had a dark red 80 series cruiser,
Sept Oct Nov in the WA Goldfields north to Pilbara.

Painted the roof White with hardware shop pressure packs dropped the inside temps by 10 degrees and A/C actually bacame useful.

You also need an air gap btwn the panels & roof. they work better if cooled.

[Don 130]

Painting the roof black will definitely increase interior temperature in hot climes. Even with insulation it will become an oven.
Don.

[MR LR]

White, white and more white

[Jitterbug]

So black roof is out by the looks of it!

White roof and ??? body. Any suggestions, other than white?

[Jitterbug]

This is how it looks at the moment:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/213.jpg

[kenleyfred]

I have the SVX. It's completely black and very hot. Cracking the sunroof to let heat escape was an option, but that now leaks like a sieve, so I'm not game to ever open it again.

As others said, try avoid black, it's very hot.

[MR LR]

So black roof is out by the looks of it!

White roof and ??? body. Any suggestions, other than white?
Coniston green ;) or Rutland red ;) or a nice blue (I'd be very torn between colors if I had a Deefer, so would probs go white!!)

Personally I would go white all over, an off white though, not that appliance colour (Fuji) you get on new Landies, more like chamonix on the old Rangies :)

Cheers
Will

[1976_michelle]

Oh second the red or the blue

[JohnF]

red & dark blue will still be hot-- not as hot as the black roof.

Pale Green may help you merge in the bush if you do not wnt to be as noticable.

[MR LR]

I meant the color on everything except the roof, you know how a Land Rover should be painted!!

[goingbush]

Some Camper !!
Is that a Inter Mk3 behind ??

My Grandaughter Votes Purple, I like Khaki.
Bronze with Black roof looks good on a 90 but gross on your 6x6

but as you said stay away from milliatry colours, It might get confiscated by the local warlord, would make a good Technical.

Some schemes below - easier in photoshop than making a mistake you will regret with wrong paint scheme

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/199.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/200.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/201.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/202.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/203.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/204.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/205.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/206.jpg

[dobbo]

If not white, silver or go all fancy and get a clear coat over the bare alloy.

The vehicle is going to stick out like dogs danglers regardless so the most practicable scheme would be to blend into the environment as much as possible so make it look like a tour operators vehicle. Although the yellow TD5 Defenders did look nice

[wannabeexplorer]

My favourite!

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/206.jpg

[Jitterbug]

Some Camper !!
Is that a Inter Mk3 behind ??

My Grandaughter Votes Purple, I like Khaki.
Bronze with Black roof looks good on a 90 but gross on your 6x6

but as you said stay away from milliatry colours, It might get confiscated by the local warlord, would make a good Technical.

Some schemes below - easier in photoshop than making a mistake you will regret with wrong paint scheme



This is great, did you just use Adobe Photoshop to do it?

The red looks pretty good, the khaki and sand too for something more 'natural'.

[MR LR]

I'm liking that ivory stone type color at the bottom

[isuzurover]

The ivory stone still looks a bit too military to me.

The last thing you want is a kid with poor colour vision and an RPG to think you are a troop transport.

White / Red are the ambulance colours. Yellow is probably fine too.

[isuzutoo-eh]

From reading Expedition Portal and other forums, steer clear of anything that looks military or UN (sand, khaki, olive drab, camo schemes) and anything that looks too rich (gold).
There was a pair of Wolfs that were done up for expeditions and painted gold, one of them lasted a few weeks before being resprayed to a (slightly) less extravagant silver.

Lime green with black, orange and red flames, or maybe hippy spec flower power!

[MEANZ06]

Some Camper !!
Is that a Inter Mk3 behind ??

My Grandaughter Votes Purple, I like Khaki.
Bronze with Black roof looks good on a 90 but gross on your 6x6

but as you said stay away from milliatry colours, It might get confiscated by the local warlord, would make a good Technical.

Some schemes below - easier in photoshop than making a mistake you will regret with wrong paint scheme

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/199.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/200.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/201.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/202.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/203.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/204.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/205.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/206.jpg


:Rolling: you owe me a keyboard!!

[MR LR]

There is a red 6x6 that was built by Foley specialist vehicles, it looks really good, have a look at it on the website (google it)

Cheers
Will

[goingbush]

:Rolling: you owe me a keyboard!!

what !! You mean you didnt like the Purple :D

[copba]

I'd go a green colour with white roof, like the second one down, in Goingbushs' post.

[The ho har's]

goingbush...


The vehicle is at our place and yes, that is a mark 3 in the background;)


Needs to go to Vic sooner :D or later:mad:

Mrs hh:angel:

[goingbush]

This is great, did you just use Adobe Photoshop to do it?
.

yes, select the area you want to change using polygonal lasso

Enhance menu / adjust colour
adjust hue/saturation
deselect master to yellow then alter hue/lightness etc.



.

[bob10]

Don't mean to be nasty, but whichever you look at it, it is ugly. Is it up to the task, or would a defender 110 hard top with the heavy duty pack be a better choice? Bob

[marko66]

Hi All

I liked it in its original colour but then i remember it from when it was brand new - must be nostalgia or something :) It was originally built for Terra Tours

Regards Mark

[PAT303]

Colour makes no difference,I have a Limited edition Nara Bronze/Black defender and it gets hot,I also have a white defender,it gets hot,we have a white Prado,it gets hot,the white Hilux's we have at work get hot,the white ambulances I drive get hot,when it's 40+ degree's with zero humidity and no breeze everything gets hot,end of story. Pat

[MR LR]

Colour makes no difference,I have a Limited edition Nara Bronze/Black defender and it gets hot,I also have a white defender,it gets hot,we have a white Prado,it gets hot,the white Hilux's we have at work get hot,the white ambulances I drive get hot,when it's 40+ degree's with zero humidity and no breeze everything gets hot,end of story. Pat
How many of them have window tint?? All our cars do, White Nissan- stays pretty cool, Silver Disco- Similar to Navara, Alveston Red Disco - Hot, Epsom Green Disco- It's a bloody oven!!!!

Colour makes a MASSIVE difference, and funnily enough the red Disco has Darker tint than the silver one...

So explain that :)

[lebanon]

White on white or white on Red.

Yous should definitely keep a white roof.

[Jitterbug]

Don't mean to be nasty, but whichever you look at it, it is ugly. Is it up to the task, or would a defender 110 hard top with the heavy duty pack be a better choice? Bob

Not sure what part of a perentie 6x6 chassis and driveline with a custom body wouldnt be up to the job of a live in camper...
And no denying it is ugly, but still, painting it hot pink wouldnt do it any favors.


White on white or white on Red.

Yous should definitely keep a white roof.

White roof is now here to stay, the other half wasnt so keen on red so for the body I am leaning towards somewhere between white and bright yellow, i just need to decide where on the spectrum! I will have a play in photoshop this weekend and get some more choices together and put my favorites up, see what people think.

Here is a semi-scientific study into car colour vs interior temperature.

http://www.racq.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/48796/09_Temperature_in_Cars.pdf

I even read something about the posibilty of LA introducing a ban on dark coloured cars as they require more fuel to run the aircon to keep them cool!

[MR LR]

I even read something about the posibilty of LA introducing a ban on dark coloured cars as they require more fuel to run the aircon to keep them cool!

These bloody Americans and all their stupid laws!!!! Every time I work on a small engine I want to destroy the person that came up with the Californian emissions standards haha

Can't people just leave us alone!!

And I think a nice sandy colour would be good then, or a very off white, maybe even that new defender colour "Keswick Green" I think it's called

[goingbush]

<snip>

I even read something about the posibilty of LA introducing a ban on dark coloured cars as they require more fuel to run the aircon to keep them cool!

Great Idea, I dont get why anyone would buy a Black Prius, I see heaps of them, Any efficiency gained by the Hybrid stuff surely is lost by the A/C trying to cool it.


Also light cars a much easier to see. Grey-silver-blue cars are so hard to see, Crash risk and the colour of your car | NRMA Motoring Blog (http://www.mynrmacommunity.com/motoring/2007/09/24/crash-risk-and-the-colour-of-your-car/)

[goingbush]

Colour makes no difference,I have a Limited edition Nara Bronze/Black defender and it gets hot,I also have a white defender,it gets hot,we have a white Prado,it gets hot,the white Hilux's we have at work get hot,the white ambulances I drive get hot,when it's 40+ degree's with zero humidity and no breeze everything gets hot,end of story. Pat

This backs up what Pat is saying
Vehicle Color vs. Interior Temperature: Does It Make A Difference? | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=214129475288537)

Pat should know, he lives at Newman, only a short drive south of Marble Bar the hottest place in Australia.

But I still dont go along with it. White Roof is cooler !!!

[JDNSW]

This backs up what Pat is saying
Vehicle Color vs. Interior Temperature: Does It Make A Difference? | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=214129475288537)

Pat should know, he lives at Newman, only a short drive south of Marble Bar the hottest place in Australia.

But I still dont go along with it. White Roof is cooler !!!

When I was working in the Simpson in 1965-6, we repainted the "dogbox" (rear body of the recording truck, where the "observer" works all day) from grey to white. Reduced the temperature by about ten degrees. No airconditioning in those days. Similarly, around the same time, my father repainted the roof of his car from grey to off white. Reduced the temperature when parked in the sun by about five degrees in summer.

For most modern cars, with a near horizontal windscreen and rear window, the effect of colour is much less pronounced than it is with a Defender having near vertical and fairly small glass, since on the car, most heat from the sun gets in through the glass.

John

[lebanon]

White roof is now here to stay, the other half wasnt so keen on red so for the body I am leaning towards somewhere between white and bright yellow, i just need to decide where on the spectrum! I will have a play in photoshop this weekend and get some more choices together and put my favorites up, see what people think.


So white on white it makes accessories painted black stand out and create such a nice contrast.

[kenleyfred]

Back when I had a BMW motorbike I used to read all their brochures and catalogues. They had developed black "leathers" that were cool. I can't remember all the science, was very sceptical, but apparently black did not have to be hot.

[Jitterbug]

So white on white it makes accessories painted black stand out and create as such a nice contrast.

White on white might leave it a bit 'RV' looking.

SWMBO is requesting gold, i have seen pictures of some gold 'wolf' land rovers that were built for an expedition that never happened then sold to the public, they look quite good.

The LR paint Ipanema Sand is pretty light and doesnt look too military...

[MR LR]

Urghhhh

Just be $0.02 haha

[MR LR]

Actually I just had a brilliant idea!!!

Stornorway grey with a white roof ;)

[MR LR]

Actually I just had a brilliant idea!!!

Stornorway grey with a white roof ;)

[Jitterbug]

A few more options:
Looks quite good in blue and is very non-military;
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/127.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/128.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/129.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/130.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/131.jpg

The last one looks similar to a blue the series came in if I am not mistaken...

Preferences?

[MR LR]

I'm still liking the grey actually