Returning to the fold and seeking guidance on fitout for My25.5 Defender

[RobA]

Hello and after a four year hiatus travelling and towing with an LC200 we are about to hit the order button for a New Defender SE due mid 2025. As our really remote travels are at an end thanks to bodily wear and tear this build will be sedate at best. Having spent three weeks this year with tow Defenders one towing a TVan and on 20" rims and tyres and the other towing an AOR Matrix on 19" rims and tyre I came away confident the change back was going to be fine for our needs into the foreseeable future. We will still be towing our AOR Matrix and still doing outback tracks but overall more sedately and without the needs for vastly increased range and/or carrying capacity.

Our build will be on 20" rims as from what I have seen they are going to be fine for my intended use. But I am looking for feedback particularly on the following items

• Bull bar yes or no? My unknown here is protection for the low front radiators
• What UHF and where
• Power to the rear for fridge/portable compressor and inverter as well as charing for other stuff.
• Rear storage. Plan to use the same type of slide out tray we had with the D4 to allow for the huge flexibility that gave us on a day to day basis
• Roof storage? Not committed to it as yet as I can't see a need
• Internal storage? There's a lot in the front that is useful but how do I fit an iPad for navigation as an example
• Tyres? We plan on wearing out the OE supplied ones first so comfortable with that ATM
• Have I missed anything? Please feel free to offer up, from experience any suggestions

Regards

Rob

[shack]

For me, the rear storage set off a couple of alarm bells.
From memory the only thing we didn't like about the new defender was the tiny tiny boot.

I'd be looking in to that aspect of it as for me with the current family needs for space, it wouldn't work.

Sounds like you don't have that constraint family wise, but I'd be checking the boot size either way.

I love having a bull bar, but that's all from experience from my childhood onward living where I do, and the constant roo strikes.

[RobA]

For me, the rear storage set off a couple of alarm bells.
From memory the only thing we didn't like about the new defender was the tiny tiny boot.

I'd be looking in to that aspect of it as for me with the current family needs for space, it wouldn't work.

Sounds like you don't have that constraint family wise, but I'd be checking the boot size either way.

I love having a bull bar, but that's all from experience from my childhood onward living where I do, and the constant roo strikes.

Shack thanks we have measured it up and it's perfectly fine. It's only the two of us towing an AOR full height Matrix so Given it's larger than the D4 and we survived in fine style with that amount of room I have no fear of repeating that side of the setup. There's a molle high shelf I have found that can act as somewhere for the regular to get at stuff like inflation kit, small tool/diagnostic kit etc. Storage boxes with suitable tie downs will hold tools and the like and about the only other thing in the back is the Dometic CX50 which we will power either from our GoBlock or something else that I am hoping others have already pioneered.

Regards

Rob

[V8Ian]

Check out Powerful UK, they have handy nik-naks, practical accessories and plenty of educational information on hidden features and options.

[RobA]

Check out Powerful UK, they have handy nik-naks, practical accessories and plenty of educational information on hidden features and options.

Thanks that's what I am looking for although I think SWMBO will notice the sudden appearance of a full ISO shipping container in the drive? Some nicely designed thoughtful small bits and pieces to help position stuff.

Regards

Rob

[jwb]

My .02 worth...

I'll be putting on a bull bar for that exact reason - the Offroad Animal one but without the hoops - will also put on a winch
UHF remote units fit nicely under the centre console - power from front fuse box and antenna cable runs through the big grommet near the steering column into the engine bay and bonnet hinge mount antenna. handset using a magnetic mount on an Aliexpress bracket on the cross bar
Rear power is easy to pick up from the MHEV DCDC unit under the cargo space 12volt positive and spare earth points - there's a couple of very active FB groups with plenty of pics of how to do this as well as other things like fitouts
Air compressor on a bracket in the engine bay so you can access the built in battery circuits and terminals - i put a TJM single compressor on a TLR bracket, heaps fast enough for my needs
Rear storage I use a 'modular system' comprising 4 Frontrunner boxes and a cargo shelf off eBay
iPad initially using a windscreen mount that I already have but it takes up too much forward visibilty - am changing to RAM mount using VHB tape next to the Pivi screen

[one_iota]

This is what I've done:

How I turned my new defender into a touring tardis

[RobA]

This is what I've done:

How I turned my new defender into a touring tardis

Thanks for that very helpful and your criteria align with ours which I guess is no great surprise as many owners still want to have a flexible load space for day to day use. Certainly something we can't do with the level of customisation on the 200. We have a REDARC GoBlock so that will be the primary power source for the fridge and it can also be used for other services including driving a 700W inverter. So I am contemplating how to make that our power hub. Given it can be charged from either a cig-sert outlet amongst other inputs it is a very useful concept.

I'm interested to hear what frontal protection has been chosen and reasons why. We rarely drive at night and if so it would normally be on a property at low speed so animal protection is not high on my risk profile. But protecting the front low slung cooling radiators seems to be something I need to understand a bit more.

Rob

[one_iota]

I'm interested to hear what frontal protection has been chosen and reasons why. We rarely drive at night and if so it would normally be on a property at low speed so animal protection is not high on my risk profile. But protecting the front low slung cooling radiators seems to be something I need to understand a bit more.

Rob

I have a standard LR bar as it was the only option available when I bought mine.




I've had my first roo strike!

Broad daylight and a fairly large beast.

Traveling at about 70km/h at the time of impact the standard LR Defender bar deflected the poor roo off to the side of the road with no damage to the Defender or the bar.

The lower section is vulnerable particularly if wombats are involved. We have those at our country place so drive slowly after dark given that they are rarely seen in daylight hours.

[RobA]

I have a standard LR bar as it was the only option available when I bought mine.




I've had my first roo strike!

Broad daylight and a fairly large beast.

Traveling at about 70km/h at the time of impact the standard LR Defender bar deflected the poor roo off to the side of the road with no damage to the Defender or the bar.

The lower section is vulnerable particularly if wombats are involved. We have those at our country place so drive slowly after dark given that they are rarely seen in daylight hours.

Thanks I had a look at the OE bar the other day and it's as well made as the one on the D4 without doubt. But as you have said the intercooler ducts remain open to penetration. Thankfully we seem to have a growing amount of choice in Australia now and with that comes the challenge of do you go with just a bumper bar style or go with the versions with the hoops at bonnet height as added protection.

Rob