My Wait is Finally Over.

[Polaris Overland]

I don't know about anyone else but being without my Land Rover Defender and also the Trailer feels like I am missing a child.
There is a feeling of emptiness or an itch you don't know how to scratch.
The Missus will ask what I intend to do today and without the Land Rover or the Trailer to tweak, play, repair etc I'm left struggling for an answer.

But today my wait is finally over!

After 6 weeks without both my Land Rover Defender and the Trailer I now have them both back and I'm very happy with the results.
They went in to two different garages. The trailer for just a respray to match my Land Rover. The Land Rover for MOT, some small jobs I couldn't do and at the last minute to get a respray too. As its a Tomb Raider Defender it was resprayed the original colours of Bonetti Grey. The Trailer was military green but is now also Bonetti Grey.
So now when the Missus asks what I'm doing today I can say I'm refitting, lights, reflectors, fittings, Number Plates etc and this will keep me busy for a few days.

Now I just hope it stays dry to let me get on with it.

Let me know what you think!

 

[GreenMachine02]

I don't know about anyone else but being without my Land Rover Defender and also the Trailer feels like I am missing a child.
There is a feeling of emptiness or an itch you don't know how to scratch.
The Missus will ask what I intend to do today and without the Land Rover or the Trailer to tweak, play, repair etc I'm left struggling for an answer.

But today my wait is finally over!

After 6 weeks without both my Land Rover Defender and the Trailer I now have them both back and I'm very happy with the results.
They went in to two different garages. The trailer for just a respray to match my Land Rover. The Land Rover for MOT, some small jobs I couldn't do and at the last minute to get a respray too. As its a Tomb Raider Defender it was resprayed the original colours of Bonetti Grey. The Trailer was military green but is now also Bonetti Grey.
So now when the Missus asks what I'm doing today I can say I'm refitting, lights, reflectors, fittings, Number Plates etc and this will keep me busy for a few days.

Now I just hope it stays dry to let me get on with it.

Let me know what you think!

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That is a nice looking setup!

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[Terry Pickens]

Very nice rig!

 

[VanIsleGuy]

No posing with that set up. Looks great!!

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[Overland-Indiana]

That looks bad!! (Bad, in a good way...) Very nice.

 

[Polaris Overland]

Thanks guys I'm proud of it but it has taken many upgrades and a number of years to get to this point. as well as a lot of frustration on my part but I'm also sure more changes will come in the future as we and it evolve together.
But that is a part of Overlanding, learning and evolving yourself and your kit to a point you are both comfortable.
Do we ever reach that point.?
I started initially with the Defender but when I reached the limit of what I could do that would actually "improve" the Defender I went the trailer route and a whole new world opened up.
There is no such thing as a perfect Overlanding set up.
Overlanding is such a wide definition from local to national to international to worldwide that I'm sure there is nothing that is a one fit for all.
Therefore that leaves us with a lot of options, choices and flexibility.

 

[birdtd5]

Awesome.

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[Luis Merlo]

Good Job !

 

[JaimyMac630]

Looks Great!!!


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[TheMcCalls]

Such a very awesome rig. Well done sir.

 

[9Mike2]

Your rig looks great!! A go anywhere vehicle... I was wondering about your Hi Lift jack location , I think that would be a pain to use and put back. Most people I know want it somewhere one person can get it and put it back without a hernia....No disrespect, I would probably use everything else before I had to take it down.. Or put it on the trailer..

 

[15Canyon]

Looks great! The colour really suits the rig!

 

[Polaris Overland]

Your rig looks great!! A go anywhere vehicle... I was wondering about your Hi Lift jack location , I think that would be a pain to use and put back. Most people I know want it somewhere one person can get it and put it back without a hernia....No disrespect, I would probably use everything else before I had to take it down.. Or put it on the trailer..

It used to be on the rear of the roof rack and there it was a balancing act to remove it. As I have a chequer plate bonnet I can just jump up, stand on it and take the jack down when I need it. Remove one lock and unscrew the wing nut and it's off.
Very quick and easy.
I went against putting it on the trailer because sometimes we go on shorter trips without the trailer. The tent gets taken off the trailer and thrown onto the Defender roof rack. And off we go so the Defender needs to be fitted out complete on its own hence I have also fitted an aux sill fuel tank, sill water tank and filtration system in the back and the fridge stays in the Defender rather than the Trailer.
The Trailer has a 50l water tank of its own plus high capacity pump, more for cleaning and showering. This is not filtered. The trailer can be connected directly to mains AC or solar and 2 x 100ah batteries all to power the pump and led lights.
And I have 2 x 100w flexible solar panels that can be used together or separately with controllers in both the Defender and the Trailer.

My set up is not perfect, not sure anyone ever achieves that but it has grown with us as we have travelled. If something didn't work for us we changed it to suit us better.

Evolution ;-)

And it's still evolving.

 

[9Mike2]

Hey,there it sounds like you have it worked out. That what makes asking questions of people here really neat, I haven't heard the term bonnet since I started working at a British car shop.at sixteen.. also tyres instead tires, or boot instead of trunk!! I love that Land Rover always used 8 bolts on the bell housing instead 6 like in the US, alway built to last!!

 

[boehml]

I know that feeling, when I go away for business and return to see my Jeep in the garage, big smiles. I love Defenders too, and yours is brilliant.

 

[Polaris Overland]

Hey,there it sounds like you have it worked out. That what makes asking questions of people here really neat, I haven't heard the term bonnet since I started working at a British car shop.at sixteen.. also tyres instead tires, or boot instead of trunk!! I love that Land Rover always used 8 bolts on the bell housing instead 6 like in the US, alway built to last!!

I wish when I started out building the Defender I had had a site like this to ask questions. It would have saved me some time and money.
I asked an equipment supplier what I needed and got them to fit it all thinking that's it.
But it is not that simple. Certainly some things I would not have got and did not need but now I live with them.
My best recommendation to anyone starting a build is ask questions, then ask a lot more.
I'm happy to answer anything on my build for both the Defender and the Trailer.

And on the subject of names of parts of cars and spellings remember I'm English so I am right. Many years ago in the Royal Navy my first trip to America was Fort Lauderdale and the ladies used to always say "gee I just love your accent" so I corrected them and said, "hey I'm English, you are the one with the accent" ;-)

 

[Polaris Overland]

I know that feeling, when I go away for business and return to see my Jeep in the garage, big smiles. I love Defenders too, and yours is brilliant.

Thank you


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[Eastern Cape Overland]

Wow what a great rig!