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Thread: SpudBoy's 130 Defender camper build - UK to Sth Africa project

  1. #1
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    SpudBoy's 130 Defender camper build - UK to Sth Africa project

    Well, it's taken me a couple of years to make a start, needing to first
    - build a shed,
    - put the power in & add lights,
    - plumb up some water,
    - build a few benches,
    - add in a compressor,
    - etc etc,
    - plus go to work to earn some cash to fund it all....
    but I reckon I am about ready to start building my 130 single cab into a camper

    I've had the 130 in a farm shed for a few years, just driving it around the paddocks every couple of months to keep things running. It is an ex-Telstra vehicle with 130,000Kms on the clock, in reasonable but not great condition. The canopy on the back is all alloy, and I am going to 'extend' it a little in the upwards direction by adding a hinged tropical roof from an old Series III.

    The big plan is to ship it to the UK, and drive it down to South Africa, probably via Jordan/Egypt/Eastern Africa, taking a year or so do do the drive. Who knows if this will ever eventuate, but that's the plan!

    Thought I'd start by posting up a few pics of what I am starting off with.

    Don't expect a "Bundalene paced" build. It'll probably take me the next 2 years to build it

    Cheers
    David







    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by spudboy; 6th January 2011 at 03:47 PM. Reason: Add in pictures

  2. #2
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    First job, after gutting the canopy of all the Telstra crap (including marine carpet stuck on with the strongest glue known to man) has been to cut both the canopy and the cab so we can get through from one to the other.

    Cutting the canopy was no dramas, but I was a bit nervous taking a saw to the Defender's bodywork. It wasn't too bad in the end, so now I can crawl from the cab to the canopy pretty easily. Mrs Spud has tried it too, and even though she's no spring chicken any longer she seems to be OK.

    Here's the pics:





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  3. #3
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    very cool David!

  4. #4
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    Good stuff, just make sure when you have it shipped they look after it and it is insured. When Robert & Martine toured (our French friends) Autralia when it was shipped out the container was dropped and Allistair was destroyed and it was one nice 110.
    2011 Discovery 4 TDV6
    2009 DRZ400E Suzuki
    1956 & 1961 P4 Rover (project)
    1976 SS Torana (project - all cash donations or parts accepted)
    2003 WK Holden Statesman
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    84 RR (Gone) 97 Tdi Disco (Gone)
    98 Ducati 900SS Gone & Missed

    Facta Non Verba

  5. #5
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    Yes - I remember their disaster. They stayed with us over Xmas a few years ago when they were passing through Adelaide. I think it was dropped so hard, that the axles bent

    I have made some initial enquiries about shipping to the UK, and the container price is about $3,500 for a std 20' container, but my roof will be too high to fit through the door. Roll-on-Roll-off is an option but strangely more expensive at $4,100. There is a container called a "High Cube" with 2.5m doors which will fit the 130, but as yet I can't find anyone who will ship a vehicle in one.

  6. #6
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    Travel

    Spud, very interesting. I'm planning my trip around 2014-2015, but going in the opposite direction sth Africa eastern Africa middle east Europe uk then a ship home. Like you taking the rover. So far I've got 3 michealin maps of Africa. Printed all the info off smart traveller of all the countries I intend to travel prices for shipping, and enquirered about the carnet.

    Looking forward to your build and travels.

    Geckos
    2014 Land Rover Defender. To be our mobile home in late 2023.


  7. #7
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    Hi,

    When I emigrated here I looked at bringing my disco...have a problem selling it....I had a company already shipping my household goods out. They mentioned a high cube....from memory for my disco...I can try to find the details if you like?
    It will not happen until next week thou. The details are at work...on work PC.

    Chilly

  8. #8
    slug_burner is offline TopicToaster Gold Subscriber
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    Good to see people working on their dreams and sharing them with the rest of us. Thanks

    Good luck with the project.

  9. #9
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    Hi there

    Looking great - keep up the good work.

    All the best

    Wayne
    Last edited by ellard; 7th January 2011 at 06:32 AM. Reason: spelling

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by geckos View Post
    Spud, very interesting. I'm planning my trip around 2014-2015, but going in the opposite direction sth Africa eastern Africa middle east Europe uk then a ship home. Like you taking the rover. So far I've got 3 michealin maps of Africa. Printed all the info off smart traveller of all the countries I intend to travel prices for shipping, and enquirered about the carnet.

    Looking forward to your build and travels.

    Geckos
    Well, we could go in either direction, but (having lived in Africa for 3 years) I figured there was a far greater chance of the car being CarJacked, stolen, damaged by bad roads, etc in the African leg of the journey than the European/Middle Eastern part of the journey.

    It'd be a bummer to start off in Sth Africa and only get a short distance before some bandit decided to relieve you of your Defender. At least if you've gone all the way from the UK you've done most of the trip

    Keep planning - I have been thinking of doing this for the last 5 years, and now that I am approaching 50 reckon I better get a move on before I am too old and decrepit to actually do the miles.

    Carnet de Passage is a bit of a major expense, but by the time I go my 130 will be over 10 years old, so the value can be written down a lot. It must be a killer if you take a new-ish vehicle as some countries want an 800% Carnet deposit (Egypt). Luckily you can do the Carnet by bank guarantee these days, so you don't have to stump up $20,000 as surety any more.

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