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ChrisCM

Member Since: 10 Jun 2013
Location: Cornwall uk
Posts: 572

2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Santorini Black

Hi Guys,
Thought I'd post a couple of photos of the Eriba with my Oz Tent RV4 attached at the Adventure Overland Show last weekend. Overall it works well. One problem however, with the caravan connector in the awning track of the Eriba there is a 6-9 inch gap between the side of the van and the edge of the side wall of the tent. Am I doing something wrong? Maybe that it is designed for a higher awning rail? I can get round it by either 1. Sewing a gusset into the awning connector or 2. Do away with the awning connector and just butting the poles against the side of the 'van. Any thoughts?

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Chris 2010 Defender 110 Station Wagon, Santorini Black.

1st Oct 2016 11:56am

Guy

Member Since: 11 Feb 2013
Location: St Eval, Cornwall
Posts: 250

Looks a great set up! Did you camp at Peterborough with the Eriba? Your flag looks familiar from the overflow camp ground.
DINGO - '99 Discovery 2 V8 with 300Tdi transplant, chawton white. Repatriated from Australia and expedition prepped. **FOR SALE**
SHARKY - '06 Discovery 3 HSE Auto, bonatti grey. SOLD.
GEORGE - '99 Discovery 1 300Tdi Auto, willow green. Daily driver, travel companion, part of the family! SOLD.
PINGU - '96 Defender 110 300Tdi station wagon. SOLD.

Dream LR - 130 pop top station wagon camper.

1st Oct 2016 12:33pm

ChrisCM

Member Since: 10 Jun 2013
Location: Cornwall uk
Posts: 572

Thanks, no only been to the Stratford Show with this set up.
Reason it looks a bit empty was that I arrived early, on the Thursday, it soon filled up!
Chris 2010 Defender 110 Station Wagon, Santorini Black.

1st Oct 2016 1:28pm

Guy

Member Since: 11 Feb 2013
Location: St Eval, Cornwall
Posts: 250

Does that long roof box on the 110 hold the Oz Tent? If so, could you tell me exactly which box it is please?
DINGO - '99 Discovery 2 V8 with 300Tdi transplant, chawton white. Repatriated from Australia and expedition prepped. **FOR SALE**
SHARKY - '06 Discovery 3 HSE Auto, bonatti grey. SOLD.
GEORGE - '99 Discovery 1 300Tdi Auto, willow green. Daily driver, travel companion, part of the family! SOLD.
PINGU - '96 Defender 110 300Tdi station wagon. SOLD.

Dream LR - 130 pop top station wagon camper.

1st Oct 2016 3:37pm

ChrisCM

Member Since: 10 Jun 2013
Location: Cornwall uk
Posts: 572

Hi Guy,

Yes it does, it holds the RV4, side panels and the mesh floor saver normally and theses room for a bit more as well. I've no doubt I could get the front panel and flysheet in there as well if I had them! it's a Thule roof box designed for skis I think. I'll get the model name tomorrow and let you know.

It's great because it keeps everything dry!

Chris 2010 Defender 110 Station Wagon, Santorini Black.

1st Oct 2016 9:38pm

ChrisCM

Member Since: 10 Jun 2013
Location: Cornwall uk
Posts: 572

Hi Guy,

As promised. It's a Thule Alpine 500, I got it on the bay for £90 about 18 months ago - lot cheaper than the Oz Basket and it's waterproof and lockable (single point locking)

Chris 2010 Defender 110 Station Wagon, Santorini Black.

2nd Oct 2016 11:51am

Guy

Member Since: 11 Feb 2013
Location: St Eval, Cornwall
Posts: 250

Hi Chris. Thank you very much for going and checking that for me. Much appreciated.

My RV5 has been up in the garden for the last couple of weeks as a play house for my boys. Spent the past hour cleaning and drying it inside and out ready for winter hibernation. Had to evict 1 frog, 1 snail and plenty of slugs from the underside!
DINGO - '99 Discovery 2 V8 with 300Tdi transplant, chawton white. Repatriated from Australia and expedition prepped. **FOR SALE**
SHARKY - '06 Discovery 3 HSE Auto, bonatti grey. SOLD.
GEORGE - '99 Discovery 1 300Tdi Auto, willow green. Daily driver, travel companion, part of the family! SOLD.
PINGU - '96 Defender 110 300Tdi station wagon. SOLD.

Dream LR - 130 pop top station wagon camper.

2nd Oct 2016 3:38pm

ChrisCM

Member Since: 10 Jun 2013
Location: Cornwall uk
Posts: 572

Always a problem with tents - drying them out before storage to avoid the dreaded mould. I used to have a trailer tent and because it was so big and made of cotton canvass it was a nightmare to get dry but at least the Oz Tent dries quickly

Chris 2010 Defender 110 Station Wagon, Santorini Black.

2nd Oct 2016 4:52pm

jocklandjohn

Member Since: 16 Sep 2016
Location: Highlands
Posts: 62

Re: It was going to be a roof tent...but.

ChrisCM wrote:
Hi Guys,
Over the past few months I contemplated fitting a roof tent to my 110 SW. But reality ( and SWMBO) stepped in, did I really want to be climbing up on the roof in all weathers? What about those nocturnal visits and my dodgy knees? SWMBO said there was no way she was climbing up there. But I still wanted something which was small, easy to tow and fitted the LRs footprint so this is what I ended up with :

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

It's an Eriba Puck L, weighs in at 800kg, 4.75m long overall, 1.8m high folded with full standing head room when the pop up roof is raised. Whilst it's not an off road caravan its small enough to sneak into places you wouldn't want to take a standard type van. Since taking the first photo I've fitted a shock link to the 110 so she now rides a bit more level. Another advantage over the roof tent is that we can use SWMBOs 90 soft top to go to Spain this summer.

I've seen one like that (and was very keen on doing the same thing myself) that had had its chassis beefed up, proper suspension and bigger wheels to match the tow vehicle and able to go anywhere your van could pull it. Once it gets a wee bit older you can do that with it! They are great vans, subframes are solid and their ability to withstand prolonged use is legendary. They keepo their value amazingly well too.

Found the video!

29th Oct 2016 7:14am

ChrisCM

Member Since: 10 Jun 2013
Location: Cornwall uk
Posts: 572

That video's great isn't it?

The body is only attached to the chassis with a few bolts leaving a self contained body so easily (?) attached to an off road trailer chassis as this guy seems to have done, the alloy panelled solid frame should stand up to an off road pounding far better than any conventional caravan would.

Don't think I'll be doing it to mine anytime soon as the residuals are too high but it might be worth looking for a 20+ year old one? got to be more cost effective than building from scratch or importing an off road carravan from OZ or SA.

Alternatively I had wondered if it would be possible to mount the body on a 130 chassis cab but I think the over hang at the rear would be just too long for the newer Pucks. However, the older Puck is only 3m long so maybe?

Chris 2010 Defender 110 Station Wagon, Santorini Black.

29th Oct 2016 9:28am

jocklandjohn

Member Since: 16 Sep 2016
Location: Highlands
Posts: 62

I'd think it would be eminently doable. Probably concoct some sort of rubber isolastic suspension between the chassis and body to allow a degree of sway and to absorb some of the off road shocks, which combined with the proper shock suspension and maybe some springs would be dandy.

I was going down that route until I saw the price of 'old' ones - still bonkers! They really do keep their value and bizarrely the old ones attract a premium apparently because they're sought after by the VW split windscreen community and others who want the retro vibe!

So after a shedload of research, musing, drawing, pricing and considering...in the end I just built a lifting roof and put a pair of beds up top.

Click image to enlarge

29th Oct 2016 4:05pm

ChrisCM

Member Since: 10 Jun 2013
Location: Cornwall uk
Posts: 572

looks good!

2010 Defender 110 Station Wagon, Santorini Black.

30th Oct 2016 8:57am

jocklandjohn

Member Since: 16 Sep 2016
Location: Highlands
Posts: 62

Aye it works remarkably well. What I wasn't prepared for is the amount of flexible space it creates. It really is way beyond what you'd expect from such a 'simple' modification.

30th Oct 2016 9:06am

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