1997 110 Defender

Engine - 2.5L 300 TDI
Transmission - Manual
Suspension - 2inch
Tyres - BFG All Terrains
Equipped for - Touring

Hey guys, thanks for sharing your 110 Landrover Defender with us. You guys run the site “somewhere wilder” were you guys showcase your adventures around the UK & the world. I’m sure you guys did your research regarding which vehicle would be best for you, what made you guys pick this 110 Defender? 

We always knew we wanted a Land Rover, but it took a while to figure exactly which model we’d need for the trips we had planned. The 110 Defender has enough space in the back for us to sleep, but it’s not so big that it’s impractical. We found ours online after hours of scrolling, and it was the colour that got our attention first. When we asked for more details from the owner, we found out that they had fitted a new galvanised chassis, bulkhead, and doors 2 years earlier, so there’s no rust under the truck either which is one less thing to worry about (always a relief when it’s a Land Rover)It hadn’t been messed with too much, and the rear seats and benches had already been taken out so it was a perfect blank canvas for us to start with. 

What goes into setting up a defender for international overland travel ?

This is the first Defender we’ve ever driven and owned, so it was a pretty steep learning curve trying to get it ready for our first trip to Norway. The engine and gearbox were rebuilt a few years ago, and we didn’t need to make any major mechanical upgrades before we left, so we focused most of our energy into building the interior into a camper with enough space for 2 of us and a dog. Our set up is pretty simple, in the future we’d love to look into installing a pop-top or roof-top tent for extra living space. But right now we’ve got exactly what we need to hit the road!

We love your camping setup in the rear, did you guys build that yourself?

Yep, we had to delay our departure because we left everything down to the last minute! We decided to keep it simple, with an L-shaped sofa that could fold out into a bed. There’s also a small kitchen counter with enough space for our cooker and plates, then plenty of storage for our clothes behind the front seats. The day before we left, we made a last minute decision to fit a diesel heater, which got plenty of use in northern Norway. Our plan was to build this as a first iteration of the camper, live in it for 6 weeks and then see what we’d need to change. Since we’ve come back, we’ve now added a sink, fridge, and new LifeSaver Jerry can - but we’re happy with how everything else has turned out. 

Favourite place you’ve visited with the Defender?

Without a doubt, it was our trip to Lofoten. We had a pretty rough start to the trip after hitting a massive pothole in the Netherlands. This meant an emergency trip to a Land Rover specialist garage for repairs. But once we were back on the road, the views were epic and exactly what we’d hoped for. 

The narrow roads around the coastline were a bit tight, but travelling during the off-season meant we had almost the whole place to ourselves - just the way we like it!   

Photos by Somewhere Wider