In 2015 we bought one of the last "classic" Land Rover Defenders...
We made the decision to buy a Defender just two weeks after our spectacular holiday in Namibia. There we had a rental Defender. It was our first time driving this unconventional off-road vehicle and we instantly fell in love with it. Well, not instantly, but pretty soon. :-) And five years later we still enjoy it very much! Read more about our travels here. .
And the list of modifications you can do is endless. Not that you need to, but it's fun and makes it your own, individual "Landy". Read about what we've built.
It's more of an agricultural utility vehicle. Second, rust. The nemesis of all Defenders. You just have do something about it, and sooner is much better than too late. Read about our preventive maintenance and modifications.
But from time to time The Landy and its masters need more exercise...
Lausitz - German Bad Lands - part 1
Lausitz - German Bad Lands - part 2
Lausitz - German Bad Lands - part 3
2023-01-03
updates:
Jan 2024 - fix youtube video embeddings; update windscreen washer valve and relay; new webhosting
Jan 2024 - fix youtube video embeddings; update windscreen washer valve and relay; new webhosting
Travel
We made the decision to buy a Defender just two weeks after our spectacular holiday in Namibia. There we had a rental Defender. It was our first time driving this unconventional off-road vehicle and we instantly fell in love with it. Well, not instantly, but pretty soon. :-) And five years later we still enjoy it very much! Read more about our travels here. . Making it a Home
Step by step we converted our Defender into a "holiday home on wheels".And the list of modifications you can do is endless. Not that you need to, but it's fun and makes it your own, individual "Landy". Read about what we've built.Maintenance
"Why do you have to do so much work on a new car??" my father-in-law asked one day :-) Well, first, it's not a car in the general sense. It's more of an agricultural utility vehicle. Second, rust. The nemesis of all Defenders. You just have do something about it, and sooner is much better than too late. Read about our preventive maintenance and modifications.Repairs
Against its reputation, our Defender TD4 2.2 proved to be very reliable so far (60.000km, including some rough off-roading). One of the reasons why we bought it from new was that we could improve our mechanical skills over the first years, without the need for major repairs. So, nothing to be said about repairs so far :-)Going off road
The Defender's off-road capabilites are lengendary. While travelling, it allows you to reach (and return from) beautiful spots where no ordinary camper van can go (a camp site's wet lawn for example ;-)But from time to time The Landy and its masters need more exercise...Lausitz - German Bad Lands - part 1
Lausitz - German Bad Lands - part 2
Lausitz - German Bad Lands - part 3
2023-01-03