Defender 110 300 Tdi
When Claus Rosenberg and his family moved to Cyprus their Defender was left behind in storage in Southern Spain. "El Niño" as the Defender was named, was missed terribly by the children, who eventually persuaded Dad to bring him home to Cyprus. Claus loved the outdoors anyway and wanted to use "El Niño" to take the family on camping trips around the Island and further afield as the children got older.
After several emails discussing what Claus wanted to do with the Defender, preparation for camping, getting it overhauled and most importantly reliable etc… to my surprise I had a phone call from Claus asking which junction to leave the M1 on. He had driven non stop from Malaga in Southern Spain and was almost here. That's where it all started… (for us anyway)
After a major service, transmission and running gear overhaul (El Niño had suffered during the time he had been left to fend for himself in Spain) he was running better than ever. Not perfect, but great for a 160K Defender.
Now the Defender was mechanically sound it was time to turn the attention to the prep. The pictures below tell that story best. A point worth mentioning about this project is that Claus didn't want to over complicate his Defender with too many gadgets and gismos. The result being a sound and reliably prepared Defender with only the necessary creature comforts. After all that's how the earliest of travelers did it!
Now El Niño is where he should be with his family in Cyprus enjoying his camping trips with the Rosenberg's.
The standard colour for ROW Defenders hints to its basic but reliable pedigree. Standard rims with a good quality tyre keep it going thru most conditions. Even Cyprus gets snow. Rock sliders with rails will work more as a substantial step whilst giving adequate protection.
The lightweight 3 berth Oasis roof tent is plenty big enough for 2 adults and 2 children to sleep in. The Oasis awing is compact and light when stored, yet gives a large area of shelter when extended fully (one of the best lightweight awnings I've come across).
Simple black chequer plate, functional and effective. The snorkel is as much for dusty conditions, as mountain river crossings which there will be plenty of both in Cyprus. Just visible is the Diff guard and Heavy Duty steering arms.
Heavy Duty spare wheel carrier should help prevent the new rear door from suffering too much, and will also take the Hi-Lift jack. The Hannibal rear access ladders are neat looking as well as light.
Some creature comforts on the inside will keep the driver and passenger happy for the longer driving days. C.B radios are a must when travelling remote areas, especially if travelling alone.
Defenders aren't known for being good with sound acoustics, so to help the kids hear their favorite nursery rhymes without deafening Dad & Mum extra speakers were added to the rear passenger area.
Locked away from prying eyes and dust… a decent sound system (with obligatory iPod compatibility) can be achieved without spending a fortune.
Being a Chef, it was important for Claus to have somewhere to cook a storm. Though this will be a far cry from a civilized stainless steel kitchen. At least he has a fridge/freezer to keep his meat frozen and wine cold.
The rear compartment of the 110 has plenty of storage space for all the equipment to keep a family of 4 going for a long time.
The interior of the Oasis roof tent is surprising large and light.
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