March 2021

Bob is a 2014 Land Rover Defender 110. Why did we decide on a Land Rover? For no other reason than it looks really, really cool. We were lucky enough to purchase Bob (previously known as Daisy) from his/her first owner. We weren’t so naive as to think that looks alone would be enough to take us anywhere we chose to go and so spoke to Daniel at the Expedition Centre, NSW, about the kit-out required for global travel. Daniel knows everything there is to know about such things and, once he took delivery of the car, set about a major renovation.

This did take rather longer than we had anticipated (18 months all up) but given that Covid was preventing the majority of travel the timing wasn’t a problem. Daniel did a fantastic job and Bob was finished and ready to be driven back to South Australia in November 2020. We spent the next few months on finer details such as seat covers, tinted windows, decal and interior packing/organisation. PCB Landrovers, SA, gave Bob a thorough service and also upgraded the shock absorbers.

The more time we have spent with Bob the more confident we are that the Defender is the vehicle for us. Great fun to drive with a “go anywhere” attitude and Leroy loves it in the back.

Here is a list of additions that Bob now has:

Mulgo Pop Top Roof

Interior & Exterior Accessories (Following removal of everything behind the driver and passenger seats)
Marine ply storage and shelving units (left & right) fitted with Rako plastic boxes
National Luna 60Lt Stainless Steel Twin Fridge & Freezer Combo secured onto quick release mounting plate
SLII Roof Rack Kit
45lt Additional rear quarter panel fuel tank
Darche Eclipse 270 Gen 2 Awning fitted to the lower pop top frame
Ratcheting Mount for shovel
Gullwing Window x 2
Blind Spot Mirrors
Gas Strut Kit for rear door
Sound deadening mats for front and rear

Electrics
Solar Panel 1218 x 545 100W Frameless JB On Top
SIMARINE Pico+ display panel mount
Battery shunt 300A 2 x Volt 1 x Resist
SIMARINE quad shunt 4 x 25A & 4 x tank module
ePOWER Pure Sine Wave Inverter 2000w/12v, Remote, RCD & AC Transfer Switch
ePOWER 200AH B-TEC Lithium Battery with App Based Monitoring
ePOWER 40 amp/12v Smart Charger - Three Output
ePOWER 40 amp/12v Smart Charger
7” Driving Light 18 x 5W LED 5MM Stainless Steel Bracket
LED 7” headlight 9-36v twin pack, high beam with park light H4 connector
25cm Orange/White LED Light for Gullwings
Reverse Light OSRAM 4” light cube
Electrical board, USB Sockets, Power Points etc.
Exbox with padlock
Centre dash replacement to accommodate for 2-din stereo head unit

Mechanics
Upgraded gearbox transfer case shaft with Ashcroft MT 82

Vehicle Protection
ARB Winch Bar
Raised Air Intake
3mm Puma bonnet black chequer plate & wing plates
Seat Box Corner Protectors
Rock Sliders
Sump Guard, Front Diff & Fuel Cooler Guards

Vehicle Recovery
Drivetech 4x4 12,000LB Dual Speed Winch
ARB Compressor CKMA12
Maxtrax

Water Setup
Stainless Steel sil tank LH-LR & RH-LR
B.E.S.T Inline Water Filter
SMEV mixer tap
Bullfinch shower mixer
Fiamma lockable water fillers
Topargee Motorised Shut Off Valve
Webasto Dual Top EVO 6 hot water/heater system
Water Tank Pressure Sensor 0-1m

Suspension
Swapped 110 to 130 setup including Heavy Duty front springs
Maxidrive rear axle upgrade

Thankfully, there is no right or wrong vehicle to choose in which to travel overland and whichever vehicle is decided upon will no doubt characterise your trip. Prior to deciding on a Land Rover we read blogs posted by the owners of Unimogs, Campervans and, of course, the ubiquitous Land Cruisers but none of them made us smile as much as the 3 Italians driving across Russia in a Fiat Uno.