Land Rover Defender Camper As First Car?

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.

Should I?

  • Total voters
    6
J

JellyJJ

New Member
Posts
3
Location
uk oxfordshire
Hi,
I am looking around for first car ideas and found a guy on youtube (torn apart self sufficiency) that has turned a defender into a campervan, and liked the idea. I was wondering if this would be possible to do as a first car? I would probably need a 110 to fit in a bed, etc, and need to do about 25 miles to work (and back) each day. i am an engineering apprentice, so limited funds, but a while away so could save. Anyone know costs, or if this is feasible. As i would like to do it, but have to get to work everyday.
Thanks in advance, Jack:)
 
Do you need a camper van?

I think most people wouldn't want a land rover as a daily drive, especially if you don't need it. Also if you're under 25 the insurance is going to be a b*tch.
 
Personally, I don't see why you couldn't do it. I've come to this a bit late in life as I didn't have a car for a number of years, but I bought a Land Rover four years ago. It's my only car and I find it perfectly good for work related trips, long drives up and down the country and everything else in between. I don't live in it, but that's because I live fairly near my workplace. Compared to the Morris Oxfords, Triumph Heralds and Vauxhall Vivas I remember in my teens and twenties the comfort and performance don't seem that bad, despite what people say on here. Compared to the Series 2 forward control we had for a while in the 1980s the performance of a Defender made in the last 20 years is positively stellar.
 
If you have use for it as in can see yourself making use of its towing capacity, offroad capabilties and enjoy camping and trips away, it would make a great first car if your not worried about it being a little less comfortable than most other cars and fuel economy being worse than a small diesel or petrol supermini for example.

The great thing about a Defender is of course when young is you can't get into trouble with speeding and unlikely to have a crash unless you do something very stupid.
My last 110 was my only car for a year or two and loved it. I've my current one now but also have an X5 and M3 so kinda have the best of both worlds :D

Driving the Defender on the road is as much fun or more than the M3 to be honest though for 90% of the time. M3 only really comes into its own on perfect roads and sunny days or on track while the Defender can be enjoyed on nearly every occasion
 
philsefo said:
Do you need a camper van?

I think most people wouldn't want a land rover as a daily drive, especially if you don't need it. Also if you're under 25 the insurance is going to be a b*tch.
Click to expand...


I have had a Defender 110 TD5 as a daily drive and absolutely love it! I do 1,000 miles per month and have never looked back.

And my previous cars were not junkers either...l owned a Lotus Elise, A Ferrari, a Porsche, an Alfa, a Mazda MX5, plus more regular stuff (Mini Cooper, Polo, Golf, Ford Transit Connect, Renault)

I currently have a Z3 3.0 but it rarely leaves the garage.

What l would say is go for a TD5 Station Wagon if you can get one, as they are more refined for daily driving. The earlier 300tdi is a lovely Land Rover (l had a 1997 Station Wagon) but the TD5 makes a better daily driver.

As for a camper conversion, yes if you plan to use it. It will make the Land Rover more compromised for daily use though.
 
Sadly as a first car the insurance will take ALL of your wages, they are a high insurance group.
If you are a real Land Rover enthusiast, then buy a cheap crap car of low insurance group as soon as you can, get your no claims building up going to and from work.
As you say you are an engineering Apprentice, so then get an old Defender, that needs work, once you have got somewhere to work on one. Then strip, rebuild the 110 ( 110s make a better camper) . While incorporating sound, heat insulation and your camping mods.

By the time you have finished you might get your no claims to a level to afford the insurance, providing you haven't hit anything, or found you like beer to much or found a demanding girlfriend.

As to a defender being a a daily driver, yes mine is, ( 25 miles each way for work) now it's got a 200 TDI, power steering, sound insulation, and all the rain leaks have been fixed. ( With a disco transfer box I get 32 to the gallon as well)
 
Yes you may struggle to get insurance at all on a Defender at 17.
The only options would be to go on a parent's policy (dodgy if you drive it all the time and you won't build up any NCB)
Or possibly if it's an older Land Rover you may get it on a "Classic" policy, which could be a lot cheaper. Although l am unsure as to whether you can get that type of policy at age 17.
 
I got my 110 at 18 and it has been a daily driver for me since then with no issues. My insurance then was £1800 (2008) which was the same price I paid for the car! But it was what I wanted and I had just got a student loan and a Student account with a large overdraft which I then spent every penny of keeping it on the road. But I would not change a thing. They are expensive but worth all the expense. When I was a student I would regularly have to choose between food and alcohol or fuel and fuel always won. If it is genuinely what you want then all of the things "wrong" with one will not bother you as everything else more than makes up for it.
 
TheQ said:
Sadly as a first car the insurance will take ALL of your wages, they are a high insurance group.
If you are a real Land Rover enthusiast, then buy a cheap crap car of low insurance group as soon as you can, get your no claims building up going to and from work.
As you say you are an engineering Apprentice, so then get an old Defender, that needs work, once you have got somewhere to work on one. Then strip, rebuild the 110 ( 110s make a better camper) . While incorporating sound, heat insulation and your camping mods.

By the time you have finished you might get your no claims to a level to afford the insurance, providing you haven't hit anything, or found you like beer to much or found a demanding girlfriend.

As to a defender being a a daily driver, yes mine is, ( 25 miles each way for work) now it's got a 200 TDI, power steering, sound insulation, and all the rain leaks have been fixed. ( With a disco transfer box I get 32 to the gallon as well)
Click to expand...

I agree with TheQ, insurance for me when i was 21 was £700, insurance at 26 is £118!! I'd get a cheap everyday car for a year or 2, also having two cars will bring down your insurance. Insuring the land rover knocked 10% off my Volkswagen policy

One important thing to note, is most classic car policies will limit your mileage!!
I currently have a 90 v8 insurance with footman James for £118 a year, and i'm limited to 2000 miles a year.
 
Well said. I don't understand these people who own a defender and then moan about how they are horrendous as a daily driver. If you are that much of a wuss then buy a gay lander. Simples.
 
JellyJJ said:
Hi,
I am looking around for first car ideas and found a guy on youtube (torn apart self sufficiency) that has turned a defender into a campervan, and liked the idea. I was wondering if this would be possible to do as a first car? I would probably need a 110 to fit in a bed, etc, and need to do about 25 miles to work (and back) each day. i am an engineering apprentice, so limited funds, but a while away so could save. Anyone know costs, or if this is feasible. As i would like to do it, but have to get to work everyday.
Thanks in advance, Jack:)
Click to expand...

What I think would happen is you would do it and put your life and soul into it.. then some bleeder would nick it:)
 
I do 50 miles a day in mine. It's a td5 and after borrowing a 300 for a motorway I'm glad I got one.
Yes they are harder to maintain, but they have a better turn of speed and mine was far quiter
 
For road use I'd say td5 all the way but if your interested in doing a fair bit of hefty off roading then a 200 or 300 would be the better option. Plus much cheaper and easier to maintain and fix.
 
philsefo said:
Do you need a camper van?

I think most people wouldn't want a land rover as a daily drive, especially if you don't need it. Also if you're under 25 the insurance is going to be a b*tch.
Click to expand...

Really? I use my landy as a daily drive and know plenty who do, esp as owning two vehicles one for daily use and one for play not everyone has the money or the space esp if her indoors needs a car too.
As for turning one into a campervan, i'd say keep it simple I've wood panelled the rear section of my 110 and use an inflatable mattress for odd nights away. This means when not away on my jollys I can still use the rear of the 110 for transporting tools and materials. For longer trips away I have a small two birth caravan.
 
It depends on how much money you want to sink into it, I've tried sleeping in a one ten and one zero nines a few times (hard tops) and if your over 6 foot it's to small. Your legs aren't stright or you have to sleep at an angle.
Pop up roofs for me would the only to sleep comfortably in a standard hard top and there expensive.
 
Mcclegend said:
It depends on how much money you want to sink into it, I've tried sleeping in a one ten and one zero nines a few times (hard tops) and if your over 6 foot it's to small. Your legs aren't stright or you have to sleep at an angle.
Pop up roofs for me would the only to sleep comfortably in a standard hard top and there expensive.
Click to expand...

You just need to mock up a pull down bed that extends over the drivers seat. Gives u plenty of space then.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Defender Wolf as a first Defender project?
Replies
14
Views
799
tottot
tottot
M
Starter problems on 1996 300TDI 90.
Replies
2
Views
519
M1CYO
M
R
1998 defender pickup rebuild. I need help.
2
Replies
26
Views
914
re-volt
R
johnnymarrsbarres
Defender 90 tdci alarm question
Replies
5
Views
353
Wimblowdriver
Wimblowdriver
stumpyj
(2000 TD5 90 defender)TD5 Fuel Pump
Replies
4
Views
326
stumpyj
stumpyj
Back
Top