This very capable 110 Land Rover was built by
myself over a few years and has gone through some changes to what it is
now. We have tested it over Europe and Africa to come up with a well
thought out build which will allow you to travel and traverse the world
comfortably.
The original roof was replaced with a LR Special Vehicles extended roof
from a Utility 110 and on top of that I fitted a 1972 GRP Dormobile roof from a Bedford CF Van.
The reason for this is the original LR dormobile isn't as long as the
Bedford one and this gives you a clear 6ft length in opening and allows plenty of stand up toom in the truck and an ample bed up top for a full sized adult to sleep comfortably
I had the original plastic bellows replaced with a water-resistant boat
cover material (like modern tent but thicker) and had a zip put in which allows
you to unzip the entire cover and pull it up out of the way. The roof
was insulated and carpeted and lights put in for internal illumination.
Under the
driver's side is a 20litre spare fuel cannister bolted up and out the
way, it's a heavy-duty plastic slimline one which given it's low profile
is perfectly hidden and protected
Behind the rear OS wheel is a 45-litre extended fuel tank which brings
the total internal fuel carrying to 125litre's. This tank is in line
with the original and fills up as you fill up the main one.
Above these are 2 box's which contain the sides for the 270 Speedwing awning.
These zip onto the awning once it's deployed and give you another room
to the overall vehicle
I swapped the doors out from the original as we were due a trip to
Norkapp in Norway and needing to insulate the doors (modern doors have
window mechanisms etc in them which doesn't allow insulation to be
fitted). The internal door cards in these ones are made from aluminium
sheet and carpeted with insulation fitted behind them.
Fitted internally is an ARB compressor ( https://www.arb4x4.co.uk/arb-on-board-maxi...or-kit-12v ) which has the outlet from behind the OS 2nd row door as well as to 4 points around the truck near each wheel.
The engine has a remap ( https://bellautoservices.co.uk/store/...ower-tune/ ) from Bell Auto Services which brings the engine up to apprx 165 BHP from the original 120 odd and
you will notice this from 2.2RPM. As well as the tune, I had the increased size intercooler ( https://bellautoservices.co.uk/store/land-...ercooler/ ) from BAS fitted as well to allow the truck to breathe well and rerouted
the air intake from just behind the front wheel to the snow cowl on the
OS wing.
BAS silicone intercooler hoses are also fitted.
Inside the engine bay I have fitted a MAN oil captcha filter which
stops oil from the rocker cover being forced back into the air intake
providing a cleaner intake. Also, the EGR has been blanked both
physically and via the ECU. The aircon system was removed completely as
the compressor was faulty and rather than a lot of unnecessary pipework I
removed the whole lot. If you wish to fit an LR aircon, the original
wiring loom is still there
The engine itself has been rebuilt using all parts from Turner
Engineering and only LR parts. When it was stripped, I replaced the
bottom big end bearings, oil pump, front and rear output shaft seals,
Timing Belt, Water pump, Brake servo pump and all gaskets, bolts etc.
This was done at approx. 165000 and it's nearly 10k miles later and all
is well. I've also replaced the radiator with an OEM version.
The shock springs are original and as this is a Utility Station Wagon,
they are rated to 1000kg on the rear. However, I have replaced all the
shock absorbers with Old Man Emu's which provide a good ride and are
well suited to the original springs. I have fitted a locking rear roll
bar
When you are on the road allows a stiffer response from the rear. You
simply unlock it when offroad if you need the articulation, details can
be found here:
https://foundry4x4.co.uk/index.php?route=p...h=x+deflex
The wheels are tyres are Sawtooth alloys on Toyo Open Country
285/75/16's. These have had probably 3500 miles on them with plenty of
tread left and have never failed me in any predicament I've been in. Combined with the wheels and tyres are the brakes which have been
upgraded to LOF vented and drilled discs and still running the original
callipers.
I have fitted Mazda RX 8 seats, the driver's is electronic in movement,
the passenger standard. Both are heated via the switches on the dash (a
standard feature for the XS LR's)
The stereo is a DAB Bluetooth model which wasn't cheap and i moved the
aerial to the front of the wing to get a better reception, it works
pretty good for DAB. There is a flat sub-woofer under the cubby box
which is controlled via a dial on the dash. I removed the silly lid
thing on the passenger side so there's a little more room to store
things. The heater has had lots replaced and it works well keeping your
left leg very warm in the colder days and the front screen is heated
but takes a while to demist fully.
There is a 180Watt solar panel on the roof and 3mm chequer plate on the
bonnet and wings which allows you to stand on them without breaking
anything. The UNI track allows you to fix sand ladders to them (not
included in the sale unfortunately)
I have had replaced, in no particular order
Front differential (like for like)
Steering drop arm (LR )
LOF HD clutch
Steering bars (HD )
Turbo with reconditioned unit (LR )
Rear wheel bearings
Heater assembly
Discs
Shocks
Radiator
Intercooler
Gearbox rebuild and all seals replaced
The interior has gone through some changes over the years to where it
is now. I have built it all from 15mm lightweight plywood with a dark
finish. The interior shell of the landy has been fitted with dyna mat
and then 10mm insulation. On top of that it has been carpeted to
provide a nice warm environment and it gives us plenty of space and
storage and comfortably sleeps us and our dogs. It has 2 modes as such,
one of for sitting, relaxing and the other is for sleeping. You can see
by the pictures how much space you have once the roof is up, but even
with it down you can sleep 2 in a pinch.
Under the rear seating area are the 2 auxiliary batteries which are
charged via the 180 solar panel on the roof.
The solar controller is under the seat with the Fusebox for the internal
lights etc and this is where the compressor sits as well. There is a
Victron Energy Invertor which supplies a 240 socket and a monitor for
the battery voltage but i only ever use this for the USB ports in the
socket to charge stuff up.
A 5kw diesel heater is fitted in the rear cupboard with a controller and
a wireless controller in the cab for on/off and temperature, this works
great.
If you got this far then I'd imagine you're interested and there is
still more to explain but this deals with the security side of things
and I'm not going to discuss those online.
Do understand though, that this is a 13 year old vehicle which has been
looked after by myself for the past 6 years or so, but it is a Land
Rover and although I've pretty much replaced what needed to be done and
improved in a lot of areas, it is my project which worked for me. There
are areas which show some wear and tear and could do with some TLC but
in all honesty, it functions very well, it provides a great base to
explore the world and i shall miss it when it's gone.
Be prepared though, if you are thinking of owning this Landy, you will
always get stopped, always meet new people and forever be the centre of
attention.
We are looking to venture
more on the road rather than off road now, so a LWB VW transporter Van, LWB Ford Transit Custom Van or Merc Sprinter SWB is the area i'm looking as my next
project, so i would be open to a exchange/swap with some finer details
ironed out between us.