 | Home > Expedition & Overland > Poppy Conversion to a Camper |
 
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| Cragster69 Member Since: 15 Jun 2021 Location: Scotland Posts: 214   
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A friend sent me this link recently
https://sites.google.com/view/wildcampingmotorhomes/home The UK Specific page has an option to download the Aires onto your own Google Map https://sites.google.com/view/wildcampingm...ice-points This in combination with the StayFree and park4night apps have been really helpful in finding camping spots. I have a roof tent and have slightly less options than a fully contained camper van. Craig. “Don't believe everything you read on the internet.” ― Abraham Lincoln www.scotgrc.co.uk |
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9th May 2024 12:40pm |
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| wyvern Member Since: 13 Dec 2009 Location: Cornwall Posts: 2119  
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ok ..I have been a little quiet recently due to having a small trip away in the landrover to Europe ... just for 10 weeks! -
Here is a VERY abridged version of the trip !! We started off at the large German overland show which was rather impressive but not much at our level as most of the kit was for the overland trucks rather than our little landrover ! There was an awful lot of equipment for the Grenadier, with add on body parts and a top roof conversion, as the german market has taken a big shine to the vehicle. it rained somewhat at the weekend and the various campsites resembled a Glastonbury event with 4x4 vehicles!! lots of Mud!! We saw an amazing array of big and small trucks but not a lot of defender related stuff - but JLR had a mini off-road course set up for people to drive the latest models - even had a seesaw! we got away unscathed from the mud and then headed south into Austria and then into Slovenia to visit some family - which were lovely to catch up. From there we headed across to Croatia and found the beach for a few days - well it was 35’c and the water was very inviting ! As we moved south we made our way thought to Montenegro and into Albania .. Albania was a bit of a gem as it was very lovely scenery and friendly people with lots to see and do .. we even ended up on a long off-road trip thought the mountains in the south close to the Greek boarder. From here we turned north and entered North Macedonia and then into Bulgaria, which was fabulous ! From there we entered Romania and traveled a long the Transfăgărășan highway made famous by top gear - which lives up to its reputation !! we saw bears wandering along the roadway so had to be careful camping ! While rolling though Romania we found ourselves in Transylvania - so a quick rendition of the time warp was in order !! Hungary was next on the list and what a lovely country - lots of beautiful views and lovely people .. some how i managed to turn the wrong way and drove all the way through the centre of ! what a Budapest lovely city with majestic building and bridges! onward to Slovakia and into Czech republic having lots of adventures in both counties .... we met up with a gent who took us for a long off-road drive through the mountain forests of Slovakia explaining all the eco-culture of the area with wolves and deer movements etc. From the Czech republic we moved into german again and followed the romantic road linking lots of castles and lovely countryside - until we got to the Dutch boarder and made our way to Haarlem on the advice of my boss!! - It was lovely with lots of small streets and lovely squares. Next stop was the windmills at Kinderdijk which was well worth a visit !! From here we made our way over into Belgium and visited Ypres for a somber tour of the amazing museum and some of the graves.. As the weather was becoming a little damp we headed to the ferry from Dunkirk ... and home - 15 countries 6400 miles, numerous meals and coffees out and lots of lovely people met ..looking forward to the next trip ! Poppy performed unbelievably well with no dramas ! I had bought and fitted an ultra gauge to keep an eye on the water temp in the mountains and the temp hovered around the 97’c a couple of times but I changed gear and had the revs at about 3k for a short time and the temp quickly came down to the high 80’s with out much issue. I had also picked up some plug in portable solar panels off amazon which i used a couple of times when we were parked up for more than a couple of days, these kept the batteries full but had the side effect of the daylight running lights coming on when the batteries were full! I went and purchased some jerry can holders from GMB at the overland show - expensive but very good, fitted them right away and they kept the water and fuel cans nice and secure on the side of the wagon. So all in all a great trip !! (some of the obligatory pics  Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Home - we had no issues with the set up and everything worked well - the 3 thunderstorms we had were no problem - we stayed dry and comfortable and the vents kept us cool at night in the 30’+ temps ! Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge the joys of life of an overlander !! Washing was done about once per week when we needed more undies !! Poppy - TDCI (Puma) 110XS 2.2 - Camper conversion - see the build here - https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic56530.html Elgar -TDCI(Puma) 110XS Dormobile - now sold Devon & Cornwall 4x4 Response - DC126 Last edited by wyvern on 17th Jul 2024 6:51pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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17th Jul 2024 5:43pm |
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| Rescue01 Member Since: 17 Jul 2015 Location: Aberdeen Posts: 99 
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Fantastic stuff
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17th Jul 2024 6:24pm |
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| Ianb Member Since: 25 Oct 2023 Location: Devon Posts: 412 
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Looks brill! The Yeti - 110 Camper https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic90308.html
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@YetitheDefender Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yetithedefender/ |
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17th Jul 2024 7:39pm |
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| L110CDL Member Since: 31 Oct 2015 Location: Devon Posts: 10891 
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Thanking you for updating your adventure and great pic's
You can't beat a bit of " time warp-ing "  Clayton.
1996 Golf Blue 300Tdi 110 Pick up. Keeper. |
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20th Jul 2024 10:34am |
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| JOW240725 Member Since: 04 May 2015 Location: Suffolk Posts: 7908 
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Great update and pics
James
MY2012 110 2.2TDCi XS SW Orkney Grey - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic43410.html MY1990 110 200TDi SW beautifully faded Portofino Red - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post743641.html#743641 MY1984 90 V8 Slate Grey - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post744557.html#744557 Instagram @suffolk_rovers |
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20th Jul 2024 11:02am |
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| Ianb Member Since: 25 Oct 2023 Location: Devon Posts: 412
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I've just seen Gusto Overlands post today where they did the Transfăgărășan highway, also saw lots of bears!
Looks like so much to see in Europe, I've done so little of it. The Yeti - 110 Camper https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic90308.html Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@YetitheDefender Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yetithedefender/ |
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20th Jul 2024 2:50pm |
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| wyvern Member Since: 13 Dec 2009 Location: Cornwall Posts: 2119
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yes We told Robin and Kim that they would see bears and it looks like the trip lived up to expectations ! Poppy - TDCI (Puma) 110XS 2.2 - Camper conversion - see the build here - https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic56530.html
Elgar -TDCI(Puma) 110XS Dormobile - now sold Devon & Cornwall 4x4 Response - DC126 |
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20th Jul 2024 7:26pm |
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| wyvern Member Since: 13 Dec 2009 Location: Cornwall Posts: 2119
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Ok, some updates on what Ive been up to with Poppy.
She is just coming up to 200,000 miles on the clock now, and have had to do some things to keep her doing what we enjoy doing - overland travelling. On the recent trip round europe I found that there was a rumble from the rear differential, this was confirmed by my local mechanical team ... it was time for a new Rear Dif ... An Ashcroft Automatic Torque Biasing (AATB differential) was chosen on some extensive reading on the forum (I love this site where people give honest options and experiences) I had new drive shafts fitted at the same time on reading the recommendations Initial finding are quicker turning - (?oversteer) but not driven off road yet to see how this affects the traction control response. This week I had a service and had the Aircon toped up ready for Morocco. Seemed funny that we had snow falling while I was having the aircon running on full blast cold ! Also had a new sump cover was fitted at the same time, as the old one was starting to rust and become flakey. As we are off to Morocco again soon I would not like to have loss of lubrication in the middle of nowhere. 
The turbo is just starting to ‘chuff’ when reducing power, and some soot forming under the heat cover, with a little smell of exhaust in the cabin from time to time. - so time for a new one. I had thought of getting an after market one (Peter Bells hybrid turbo looks nice) but as I have raised air intake and standard intercooler, I stayed with the standard turbo. Having silicone hoses fitted at the same time as I still have the originals, which are bound to spit after the turbo has been replaced. in anticipation for the next trip, I have bought an Aluminium to box from another member of the forum and its looking great ! I’m going to put some wooden stringers inside the box to secure the loads to stop them moving around when we are offloading. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge A couple of other little jobs was to fit a power socket in the back and a mount on the roof for the Star-net Mini satellite internet system, so will be able to keep in touch when on the road .. and to a little work as well We have tried it a couple of times in ‘communication black holes’ and it seems to work well at the moment - will see how it goes on the road. Its a never ending list of tasks but it keeps us having adventures ! Poppy - TDCI (Puma) 110XS 2.2 - Camper conversion - see the build here - https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic56530.html Elgar -TDCI(Puma) 110XS Dormobile - now sold Devon & Cornwall 4x4 Response - DC126 |
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23rd Nov 2024 4:40pm |
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| 34064 Member Since: 12 Dec 2023 Location: South Central Posts: 219
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Enjoy your new rear diff I had mine done earlier this year it was an expensive part but it is a thing of beauty and I really think ATBs are the way forward so much so I ha e one in the front now. 110 Td5 Ex Utilities slowly converting into a pop top camper one day
Build thread:https://www.defender2.net/forum/post1024784.html#1024784 |
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23rd Nov 2024 10:06pm |
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| Ianb Member Since: 25 Oct 2023 Location: Devon Posts: 412
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Thanks for the updates, great to hear what people are doing. Hope you have an awesome trip to Morocco.
We are considering Northern Europe at the start of the year, lots to figure out, plus maintenance and MOT needed asap. The Yeti - 110 Camper https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic90308.html Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@YetitheDefender Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yetithedefender/ |
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23rd Nov 2024 10:57pm |
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| wyvern Member Since: 13 Dec 2009 Location: Cornwall Posts: 2119
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Thanks for the input on the Diff .... looking forward to testing it out in the desert .. ! and will report back on my findings.
Ian, - get over there and do it ! its easy and enjoyable. If you are staying in northern europe then your phones will work fine and your RAC/AA european cover will be enough to view you some confidence that you are supported. we had a great trip round europe and loved both the coast and the mountains- so just do it ! Poppy - TDCI (Puma) 110XS 2.2 - Camper conversion - see the build here - https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic56530.html
Elgar -TDCI(Puma) 110XS Dormobile - now sold Devon & Cornwall 4x4 Response - DC126 |
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24th Nov 2024 9:33am |
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| wyvern Member Since: 13 Dec 2009 Location: Cornwall Posts: 2119
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Warning .. long and boring travelog post ahead !
Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Well its that time of the year again and we have just returned from another trip down to Morocco. Leaving home late December, we wandered across to the Netherlands to attend a concert before heading into Germany and Austria to reach Slovenia and have xmas with family. There was a lot of snow and we kept to the main roads to help us make the deadline of arriving on Xmas eve. The top box was very useful to carry supplies for the xmas diner - mainly parsnips, mince pies and cranberry sauce ! Soon we were back on the road having had a fun break and we headed west into Italy, stopping in a site next to a view of St. Marks square across the lagoon. We had an amazing sunset that night with large boats passing very close by our spot ! Click image to enlarge Onward we went and headed down to the south of France dodging the winter showers on the way. We found some lovely spots to camp but quite a few of the sites were closed for the festive time. We passed though the eastern end of the Pyrenees into Spain, where the snow risk receded, but the wet and windy conditions continued. We had several stops on the route, and found some amazing locations where we had some magnificent views of the plains and coastal region. One spot we found was in the middle of a city where a shopping centre car park had been taken over by a mass of Dutch and German camper vans who seemed to be living there for the winter . The center had a laundry service next to the underground car park were we were able to wash the accumulation of dirty clothes in comfort at the same time as shopping. From here we continued along the coast though the mass of white buildings which stretched the length of the coast. This seems to be an everlasting construction site adding villas and hotels to the already overflowing urban strip. However once the road moves away from the coast, the scenery becomes amazing with wonderful views of the mountains and forest areas. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Eventually we wind our way to the outskirts of Gibraltar and find a spot to wait for out friends Tracey and Paul, in their 110 Defender called Dora. We spend a night in a camper aera next to the harbour and have a meal in the nearby marina restaurant … some how Paul ends up with an entire leg of lamb for his meal whilst we had some lovely fish. The next day saw us at the ticket office booking our ferry over to Morocco. This was a popular office, and we got in just before the rush, so were all sorted before lunch. Back out to a lovely campsite on the coast where we all went though out vehicles giving them the once over and minor tweaks before setting off. The drive to the ferry port was simple and as we were now in convoy we were able to use our CB radios to keep in contact, this made things much easier when negotiation traffic and multiple turnoffs. The boarding was painless and not too busy. Once on the ferry we had to fill in the arrival paperwork and passport formalities straight away which was a simple process. The crossing was smooth and only took a couple of hours, and then we were in Morocco ! Arriving was straight forward with passport control and then customs … this took the longest time were we were waiting for a couple of hours while our paper work was checked and the vehicle was inspected by various officials – and even a very large dog was sent into the back to have a sniff around! After customs we made our way to the next point where we changed money and bought a sim card for both phones, and buy insurance for the time in the country. We had arrived in Tangier Med port which was out side of the city so saved a lot of navigating busy streets and mad traffic on day one ! Click image to enlarge Our first night was at a pleasant campsite about 80ks south in the centre of the country with a town full of fabulous blue buildings called Chefchaouen. The camping aera was at the highest point of the town in a wooded area overlooking the valley. Click image to enlarge After a couple of nights we made our way to Fez to explore the city and check out the medina The city was a full on traffic mayhem - with a scant following of traffic rules other than might is right ! it was easy to manage when you understood that everyone was driving the same was and gave you space if you just progressed to the point you wanted to go to. After a couple of interesting days, we headed out of Fez and headed south aiming towards TanTan using the route plans we had from our trip to the desert last year. Click image to enlarge On the way, we stopped in a lovely campsite in a very small village with lots of fruit trees adorning the pitches. The route was a bit narrow and dusty, winding though fields and narrow village roads until we found the gate. The French owners had set it up to be a small holding with fruit and vegtables, as well as live stock. So we shared the area with sheep, goats and donkeys! We continued south along the coast and followed the Atlantic until we joined up with the offroad section on our maps and turned off into the desert. Time to lower the air pressure in the tyres for the first time to allow better traction in the sand .. this became a frequent task over the next few days. The lovely smooth roads gave way to gravel and then sand then dunes and large waves. This was what we had come for ! Flowing the tracks we had on our navigations devices from our trip last year, we took time to drive along the beach. The Atlantic surf was breaking on the right and there was a wall of sand on the left … and the tide was coming in.... Click image to enlarge We kept moving knowing that there was a wider section a couple of miles ahead, but the sand was very soft, being more of a beach than the desert. So much so, we became bogged down trying to find a firm route higher up towards the dunes. Luckily we were able to self extract with swift use of the gears and power, and lowering the tyre pressure a little more. A couple of miles later found us in the big dune area, where there were some very large steep dunes which we had climbed last year. However, the sand was much softer this year and had been added to with the recent storms. We had numerous attempts to get to the top of the big dune using all the skills we knew, but to no avail. We both reached the same spot before losing momentum and traction, forcing us to retreat back down to the beach. .... We watched as a long line of quad bikes simply zoomed up the dune with no issues … pahh! Strategically retreating back from the dune area, we made our way out in to the desert again, following the gravelly sandy roads to a village in the middle of nowhere. There were lots of tracks in and out of the village, leading to all points of the compass and it took a few goes to select the right track heading the way we wanted to go. The village centre had a mini-roundabout that was fashioned out of an oil barrel, which hid a group of Kid goats who bounced into view when we swung the landrovers round it. Our new destination was a remote spot in the desert for the night and we found a spot far away from anything and everything .. no sight of houses, tents or roads … just us and the desert! Bliss! The night was clear but cold. The ‘starlink’ worked well as we had no phone signal and were able to link to the internet for family calls and check ins. The sand was made up from numerous and various seashells which proved the desert was once the bottom of the ocean in the distant past The next day saw us back on the road heading towards TanTan following the coast once again. Our goal this time was Tafnudilt, a venue about 10 km into the desert built in the traditional style and specifically catering for overland vehicles. This was one of the highlights of the trip as we had missed visiting this last year on the Sahara challenge. The site was built in the form of a traditional fort in 2000 using all the traditional techniques, taking 3 years to complete. It is overlooked by a 17th century fort high on the hill opposite. The site provides accommodation for guests and overland vehicle parking with showers and fresh water. The food is amazing with a wide ranging menu of local dishes including an amazing array of fish choices! Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge We settled here for a few days to catch up on the laundry and tweaks for the landrovers. Paul and Tracey were going on south from here and we were heading back north, so after a slap up meal with one of the biggest fish dishes I have ever seen, we said our goodbyes and headed off. About an hour after we hit the main road south we were engulfed in a sand storm which brought the visibility down to a few yards in places and blew sand all over the road. This went on all day and most of the next, so we had to ensure that we picked a good camping area to point into the wind to save sand getting into the back of Poppy. Our destination was now Casablanca and I had arranged for us to have a night out at Ricks Café, made famous from the Casablanca film. We took a walk round the city and found a modern shopping area and some lovely park areas with some great water features next to the cathedral. The next day saw us make our way north to catch the ferry to Spain again, with a couple of overnight stops on the way. After enjoying a night at ‘Ricks’, we headed out of the city towards Tangier again, camping in some lovely spots on the way. We found some great sites on the coast as we headed north to the ferry. Leaving Morocco was a straight forward affair and we planed to stay in the marina camping area next to Gibraltar again for the night. I had noticed that one of the batteries in Poppy was only charging to 1 0volts for the last few days, and wanted to have this sorted before we needed to use the heater when going though the cooler parts of Europe, so we popped into Gibraltar and found a battery specialist who had 2 heavy duty batteries which fitted our vehicle, which I was able to fit while sitting out side the shop on the side of the road. Driving in Gibraltar was an adventure of its own ! Entering the city we were advised not to use our UHF or CB radios as these could interfere with the military telecoms systems, and the currency was UK pounds ! The narrow streets, tall buildings, numerous roundabouts and frantic traffic populated by numerous scooters and motorbikes made navigating interesting ! not to mention the frequent road works that slowed the traffic to a crawl. One advantage nowadays was there is a tunnel under the runway so there is no longer a need to que when flights are landing or taking off. Once back in Spain we headed to Seville, and were fortunate that we found a good camping area next to the river which was free. It was a sandy area which was the venue for an annual fiesta which was taken over by campers when not in use. It was in easy walking distance of a great shopping street and we soon found a nice spot to have lunch and watch the world go by. The following day we had arranged for us to attend a flamenco show with a meal in the old part of the city. This was next to the bull ring, so we took a leisurely walk along the river before finding a restaurant next to the bull ring with memorabilia from the matadors on the wall. We took a walk round the bull ring, which was very majestic, with posters from the 1800’s and 1920’s on the wall, advertising bull fights, some were to raise money for the city orphans. The flamenco show was in a very old taverna, and we had booked for a full meal as well. The show was a very traditional flamenco, with a male and female singers accompanied by a guitarist. The singing was almost Arabic in its melody and sound. But the dances were pure raw emotion. There were 3 dancers, 2 women and one man, and they presented some different styles of dance with energetic clapping and footwork. The noise and movement was mesmerising to watch and made us feel exhausted just watching ! After Seville we pushed on north through the centre of the country, stopping off in small towns and villages for coffee and food, with some lovely camping spots found on the ‘park for a night’ app. After a few days, we crossed over into France again where the weather was much cooler. Having the new batteries was a large benefit was we were able to run the night heater to keep us warm while the temperatures dipped in to the minus numbers ! It was also difficult for me to keep up with the languages as we had French in Morrocco then Spanish and now back to French .. it seemed that I was always one country behind when trying to buy food! We wandered up though France using the motorways and I am sure we now own one ! The tolls cost more than the total fuel costs we had crossing the country. Next time I will plot a route which keeps us off the motorways to save the large cost! Eventually we arrived back at the ferry port to cross the channel, and eventually arriving home on 8th February 2025 after 50 days on the road, a little shorter than we had planned but we had some medical appointments which needed to attend sooner rather than later, so we meandered our way back slowly. All in all we covered 6,939 miles, 11 different countries, 2 deserts and numerous mountains with only one issue with the landrover. (batteries) Starlink worked very well and had no issues, we used all the kit we took and everything worked as it should have - but we lost the rear wheel bag somewhere in the desert .. ! not replacing this as its is a bit exposed and easy to access. We are now planning the summer trip .. so onward and upward !! Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Poppy - TDCI (Puma) 110XS 2.2 - Camper conversion - see the build here - https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic56530.html Elgar -TDCI(Puma) 110XS Dormobile - now sold Devon & Cornwall 4x4 Response - DC126 |
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23rd Feb 2025 9:51am |
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| RoadForce Member Since: 17 Jul 2014 Location: Holland Posts: 342  
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Lovely writeup, thanks for taking the time to share these stories! Gives me a bit of an explorer feeling whilst sat here on the sofa
Defender 130 HCPU Td5 MY2000 |
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23rd Feb 2025 5:10pm |
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