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Gal Dove

Member Since: 22 Jan 2022
Location: South Wales
Posts: 70

2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey

110 Utility - Rear load area protection

Hi everyone. I have a 2014 Defender 110 Utility that use for work, etc. I've been meaning to add some protection to the rear load area as I occasionally use it for logs and other heavy, unstable items that might damage the sides and floor of the load area.

For the floor I've been looking at the fitted rubber floor matt kits that companies like Lucari make. These are around 3mm (I think - haven't confirmed this with them yet) and would add a much needed extra layer of protection to the floor. The advantage is that these have already been cut to size for the vehicle and should be relatively easy to fit. I think that I could probably do this job for a fraction of the price if I just bought a roll of 3mm or 5mm rubber matting - but these kits do look neat and the car is mint so I'd like to do the best job that I can.

I'd also like to add some thin ply wood to the sides - maybe around 3mm or 5mm ply - I would plan on just buying a sheet of ply and cutting it to size. I would like to remove the plastic surrounds/mouldings and cover the whole area with the ply - and then replace the mouldings over the top after I've fitted the ply.

Does anyone have any experience of carrying out these job and is anyone aware of whether there are any online site that might be able to help me with cutting the ply to the correct size, etc.?
If possible, I'd also like to add some sound deadening/protection underneath the rubber floor matting and behind the plywood - if there was enough space(?).
Any help or pointers on any of the above would be very much appreciated.

22nd Jan 2022 5:18pm

newton-tony

Member Since: 18 Sep 2016
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 122

2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Firenze Red

Hi. I did very similar to what you are suggesting in my 110 Utility.

I used Noise Killer (bought a rear protection kit), then covered with 12mm ply. Just measured and cut to size, with a few cut outs for rear seats etc. I then covered this with a rubber mat (glued) for protection against logs etc.

After a while, I decided to box in the wings and just used 12mm ply over the Noise Killer and again covered with rubber matting.

Finally, as a much cheaper option to the excellent drawer systems that are available, I used some left over OSB and bought some perfectly sized 'Really Useful Boxes.

A few photos, which may help. Good luck

Click image to enlarge

22nd Jan 2022 6:06pm

Gal Dove

Member Since: 22 Jan 2022
Location: South Wales
Posts: 70

Hi Tony - many thanks!

I'm not sure that my DIY skills are as good as yours but it certainly has given some food for thought! I think that I'd probably use a slightly thinner ply - maybe around 5mm - as the things that I tend to carry are relatively light.

It's the side panels that I'm really keen to cover as I use a builder's ton bag to gather logs, and they sit quite high up when the bag is getting full. I appreciate that I can always put a net over the top but those side panels are very vulnerable and it wouldn't take much to put a dent one! I've been lucky so far but it's time to put some ply over them before I regret putting this off any longer!

I've been wondering whether there might be any resources on-line that might have the templates / measurements that I'd need to make sure that I don't waste a load of ply by making poor cuts!

22nd Jan 2022 6:43pm

newton-tony

Member Since: 18 Sep 2016
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 122

Another option if most worried about the sides?

https://www.mudstuff.co.uk/products/mud-11...trim-panel

22nd Jan 2022 7:13pm

Gal Dove

Member Since: 22 Jan 2022
Location: South Wales
Posts: 70

Mmmmmm....thanks Tony! I'm assuming that these are the ones that you appear to have on your 110(?). They do look neat - do they live up to their price(?!)

Nice that they come with some sort of foam deadening as well - although I assuming that it isn't as sound proofing as the real stuff?

22nd Jan 2022 7:21pm

LandRoverAnorak

Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11324

If you want to fit ply to the side panels and then refit the trim over the top then there isn't a lot of thickness to play with. You may get away with 3mm but I don't think anything thicker would work without trimming the inner edge of the trims.

I doubt you'll find templates for that anywhere but with the trims removed then it's basically two rectangles on each side of the centre ribs. Here's a pic of mine with the trims removed when I installed some sound proofing:

Click image to enlarge
I then finished it with 6mm foam and Veltrim carpet but both of these layers are compressible and the trim was a snug fit all around:

Click image to enlarge Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia

22nd Jan 2022 9:13pm

Gal Dove

Member Since: 22 Jan 2022
Location: South Wales
Posts: 70

Thanks Darren. That's just the sort of thing that I've had in mind - very nice! But I'm not sure that I'd be brave enough to take to head lining down as well! Was it difficult?

I guess that it would be daft to not do the sound deadening at the same time - and most of the noise comes from the roof! Can I ask where you got the sound deadening and the black carpet trim from?

I might try to get some 2mm ply (if it's available that thin).

What did you use to cover the wheel wells? Were you carpeting the whole area?

22nd Jan 2022 9:28pm

LandRoverAnorak

Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11324

Taking the headlining down is mildly awkward but really not difficult. I think I've had at least the rear part out three times now and need to again for a project in the not too distant future.

All of the sound deadening material that I used came from eBay. The foil covered butyl is 2mm Silentcoat but the 6mm self-adhesive, closed cell foam is just something generic. The carpet is called Veltrim and is designed for vehicle use as it stretches to allow it to fit in and around awkward surfaces. There's some more details about what I've done here:

https://www.defender2.net/forum/post711655.html#711655

You can get very thin ply but I'd suggest that it won't be serve the purpose that you're looking for as the thin stuff really isn't very strong. Have a look at your side trims and see if you can measure how much tolerance you've got between the inner edge and the sides. You might get away with 4mm, which would probably do. You'd have to stick it in place with spray glue.

An alternative would be to remove the trims altogether and cover the whole sides with something thicker - 9 or 12mm perhaps. That would leave lot os space behind for insulation but would need some though to finish of the from and rear edges neatly. Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia

22nd Jan 2022 9:50pm

Gal Dove

Member Since: 22 Jan 2022
Location: South Wales
Posts: 70

Hi Darren. Many thanks, that's very helpful and I'll have a look at all the details that you've posted.
Thanks again!

23rd Jan 2022 12:30am

stew 46

Member Since: 26 Jan 2012
Location: Wadebridge ,cornwall .
Posts: 561

2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Bonatti Grey

LandRoverAnorak wrote:
Taking the headlining down is mildly awkward but really not difficult. I think I've had at least the rear part out three times now and need to again for a project in the not too distant future.

All of the sound deadening material that I used came from eBay. The foil covered butyl is 2mm Silentcoat but the 6mm self-adhesive, closed cell foam is just something generic. The carpet is called Veltrim and is designed for vehicle use as it stretches to allow it to fit in and around awkward surfaces. There's some more details about what I've done here:

https://www.defender2.net/forum/post711655.html#711655

You can get very thin ply but I'd suggest that it won't be serve the purpose that you're looking for as the thin stuff really isn't very strong. Have a look at your side trims and see if you can measure how much tolerance you've got between the inner edge and the sides. You might get away with 4mm, which would probably do. You'd have to stick it in place with spray glue.

An alternative would be to remove the trims altogether and cover the whole sides with something thicker - 9 or 12mm perhaps. That would leave lot os space behind for insulation but would need some though to finish of the from and rear edges neatly.

You are better than a Haynes manual Darren 🤣👍 wish you lived a bit closer so I could pick you brains when needed

23rd Jan 2022 7:53am

landy andy

Member Since: 15 Feb 2009
Location: Ware, Herts
Posts: 5684

2006 Defender 110 Td5 USW Zermatt Silver

Did mine with 15mm ply bonded in place and covered with eBay carpet.

Click image to enlarge

23rd Jan 2022 8:13am

BrickBox

Member Since: 05 Oct 2021
Location: Wales
Posts: 808

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Zermatt Silver

Click image to enlarge

[/quote]

Hi Tony,

Where did you get the side nets from? They are a lovely size and the fit looks perfect.

Cheers

23rd Jan 2022 8:44am

Gal Dove

Member Since: 22 Jan 2022
Location: South Wales
Posts: 70

Brickbox - looks like they come with the panels from Mud....

https://www.mudstuff.co.uk/products/mud-11...trim-panel

23rd Jan 2022 11:33am

Gal Dove

Member Since: 22 Jan 2022
Location: South Wales
Posts: 70

LandRoverAnorak wrote:
Taking the headlining down...

https://www.defender2.net/forum/post711655.html#711655

...That would leave lot os space behind for insulation but would need some though to finish of the from and rear edges neatly.

That looks great Darren! I was just thinking that if I am going to be taking the headlining down then I would have the opportunity to instal a rear work light at the same time.

Did you DIY your own work light - and if so do you have any recommendations on wiring and switching (from the dashboard) and which would be the best light to go for (Lazer?). I'd also want to make the light un-nickable - so would be looking to secure form thew inside if that's possible?

I'd probably mainly use this light as a reversing light as I always struggle to see where I am whenever I reverse out of the drive!

23rd Jan 2022 11:52am

LandRoverAnorak

Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11324

One of my favourite subjects

There are lots of different ways of doing this, depending on what sort of functionality you want and how complicated you're willing for it to be. For example, I wanted my work lights to double as reversing lights but only when needed at night. I also wanted to limit the possibility of driving arond with them left on, as they're technically illegal to use on the road, anyway.

To that end, via a series of relays and connections to other circuits, mine come on when reverse is selected but only when the lights are on. They can also be independantly switched from the rear but will automatically turn off as soon as the brake pedal is pressed.

You can find the details of what I've done here:

https://www.defender2.net/forum/post717233.html#717233

https://www.defender2.net/forum/post717755.html#717755

As for lights, I initially went for some cheap eBay specials, that were pretty good for the money. More recently, I've replaced them with some 'scene' lights from Wilderness Lighting, which were more expensive but give an excellent spread of light:

https://www.defender2.net/forum/post911959.html#911959

They're all bolted through the panel and so are reasonably secure. Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia

Last edited by LandRoverAnorak on 23rd Jan 2022 3:56pm. Edited 1 time in total

23rd Jan 2022 2:42pm

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