As I popped down to the post office this morning, I saw this parked by the Loch. On the way back I stopped to take its picture. The owner/builder and his wife were inside having just brewed up.

I could have spent the rest of the day with them. A retired couple from Cumbria they built the camper about twenty five years ago and they spend all summer touring in it. I think they said they covered near 180000 miles in it in addition to it’s previous incarnation.

The guy was a naval engineer and there was a lot of boat like ingenuity in it’s construction.

He had cut the chassis behind where the seat box bulkhead would have been to allow for a swiveling passenger seat. He then hand made the extended chassis to allow a six footer to stand upright in the galley. Every conceivable space was utilized for storage.

It had a monster Perkins diesel engine and it was painted Fergie grey. For me the coup de grace was a teapot, mug and tray pop riveted to the front wing.

A nicer couple you couldn’t meet. I’ve long had a notion to build something along their lines and foresee much surfing of eBay for a IIA military ambulance as a donor. I remember when Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall first appeared on our screens, he did a tour of the country in his Gastrowagon, a camper/kitchen created from a IIA ambulance.

You’ll never find me on here needing a recommendation for a £30 ‘professional’ car, but don’t be surprised if you see a ‘what wood burner for my camper’ thread any time soon.

Can you get wood in that?

Can you get wood in that?

I think mcmoonter may have wood because of that 😆

love it

im in the market shortly for a camper – i keep idly typing into ebay
“4×4 camper”

returns alsorts of awesome things – i know ill only need a 4×4 camper once the entire year ….. at the puffer 😉 so it is complete overkill

I think mcmoonter may have wood because of that

Spot on.

Oh I love stories like that. Very “Tiny Homes” by Lloyd Kahn

Nice that – bit of a shame, given the registration, it wasn’t a forward control conversion though,

what’s the thing through the front bumper?

i like. I believe if the chassis is modified (in any way from oe spec) it should be on a Q, if the dvla website is to be believed

the chassis thing is quite a recent thing I think if you are referring to the bulkhead modification rules.

of course if you buy an old car to modify then the bulkhead was already cut wasnt it? 😉

Great, hope there is enough fuel for me to do something similar in about 20years time.

All series Landrover chassis are now modified in some way, even if its just to get them through the mot.

Is that a starting handle behind the front bumper?

looks like something to loop a rope around.

i don’t think anyone worries about it. loads of people replace the chassis for a new shiny galvanised one, and don’t get it inspected. dvla site says “you may need to(get it inspected)” which is different to “you must”

the vin is stamped on the original chassis, so even if you get a brand new oe spec chassis it wont have the vin stamped on it, only on the vin plate which would you believe is just riveted on (to the brake booster i think)

so to successfully ring a defender that’s had a chassis swap all you need is a logbook, vin plate and numberplates…

what’s the thing through the front bumper?

It was a dual purpose tow ball mount which could be rotated through 180 degrees and winching point.

I think the long rod was for some sort of awning/windbreak.

So much awesome! I’ve seen a few Landy campers around lately, not quite as old as that though. Seen a forward control based one just last week, seemed to be touring with a brand new motorhome which I thought was cool.

Trail Rat, I do the same all the time, it’s a bloody dangerous search though, too much day dreaming occurs when I see what’s available! Race van/truck is also a good one.

Slightly off track but rather modern looking tax exempt ( defenders ) crop up on eBay rather often
Seems a mine field to work
Out what legal or not

Its good, but its not quite Carlin!

Lovely, any more pic’s?

Glad they changed the military bumpers. Never liked the look of them.

Something similar pulled up when I was camping in Torridon years ago – could even be the same one I guess 🙂

Lovely, any more pic’s?

Sadly not, tea took precedence.

Something similar pulled up when I was camping in Torridon years ago – could even be the same one I guess

It wouldn’t surprise me. The guy was a member of a mountain rescue team in the Lakes.

Saw it today on the Edinburgh bypass.

Saw it today on the Edinburgh bypass.

Excellent.

I can see another monster mcm thread starting in 3, 2, … 😆

I do like the way you decide to leisurely get a pic on the way back – different pace of life!

Fantastic is all I can say.

And the best bit is – more brilliant threads from the sunny perfect paradise that us mcmoonter world to remind us there really is a happier place! Can’t wait.

Guys, if you could only see my ebay viewing history and how close I’ve been to pressing the button on ex military ambulances.

Settles back and waits for the first instalment…..although in the interim, maybe you could do another woodstore thread to get us all in the mood for autumn?