Land Rover Explorer, Land Rover Camping, Tents, Green Lanes and Video

Take Your Disco Off Road…

kevin — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:53:25 +0000

[Land Rover Disco II - Off the road...]

No one likes the monotony of the everyday working week; quite often and without
failure, the majority of us can do our jobs in our sleep, blissfully and sluggishly carrying
out our everyday tasks like the machines that we quite often use for our work. That is
why that it is imperative to get out during your weekends and really test those adrenal
glands over knuckle whitening falls and teeth grinding speeds. Whereas the majority of
the country spends their weekends atoning to silly music in nightclubs; you can achieve
the very same highs by taking your 4X4 onto an adventure that won’t leave you with a
hangover and might actually save you with a few extra bills in your wallet.

Throughout the country there are various off road centres and parks where you can
really test the limits of you and your vehicle. As they are quite often cheaper than your
average night out, there’s no reason why any 4X4 owner can’t get out there and teach
their car just what real mud tastes like. Of course, besides the many thrill seekers out
in the world that fill the parks and centres nearly every week, there are those of us who
have relatively little experience in off-road handling and therefore need just a little
training before getting out there with the big boys.

There are a variety of centres throughout the United Kingdom where you can go and
learn just how to handle a 4X4 vehicle in the tricky terrains and lands that nature
provides us. For as little as £300 you can partake on a two day course where you can
gain qualifications and become certified as a professional 4X4 driver. If you wish to
steer away from the more serious side of off-road driving however, there are various
4X4 days, weekends and events held throughout the country where you and other off-
road lovers can come together, drive, escape and share your experiences in the off-road
world.

4X4 package holidays are highly popular through Wales and the South of England where
you will explore the great British countryside with your 4X4 as well as being catered
for with luxurious accommodation and breathtaking scenery. Quite often, quad bikes
are readily available within the packages and are a very popular choice for people
wishing to test their skills out with something slightly different, or perhaps, a little more
exposed to the extreme side of life.

One very popular event which is marked upon the calendar of any motoring fan is the
Goodwood Festival of Speed that is to take place on the 28th of July right through to the
1st of July. For any 4X4 fanatic, the off-road driving area is a showcase made in heaven
for anyone interested in the monster wheels of the world; the breathtaking and metal
grinding demonstrations are sure to raise a few hairs on the back of your neck.

Of course, if you are not quite into 4X4 vehicles just yet, you can get your hands on a
second hand vehicle from a variety of commercial dealers around the country. Hunters
Land Rover for example, have a huge stock in new and used 4X4 vehicles so you can be
assured that there will be a off-road vehicle to suit your weekend needs.

Conqueror Off Road Trailer

kevin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:39:07 +0000

The Conqueror Australia’s model UEV-490: descroibed as “Half caravan half camper” off road trailer. A very capable looking set up with coil springs and full of features. The trailer has a hard roof, sides and floor the UEV-490 gives you the ability to escape the elements almost instantly by simply opening the door. Built to handle the toughest conditions Australia can muster, the UEV-490 is built to last, but of course will come at a hefty price – but if you watch the video below you’ll see you at least get a wide-screen TV built in!

www.ConquerorAustralia.com.au

“Wild Canvas” Australian Swags

kevin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:59:26 +0000

These are just in: Wild Canvas Australian Swags! Finally we have the first few swags ready, built to my design and based on authentic Australian swags and years of experience camping in swags, Wild Canvas, makers of tents, yurts and canvas products have begun producing these for sale in the UK & Europe – as far as I know they are the only Australian swags available to buy in Europe. Available from www.australianswags.co.uk

For more details see this full post here on Path Of The Paddle.co.uk

Or more background on swag camping with your Land Rover here:

Australian Swag Camping – perfect for Land Rover camps

kevin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:21:05 +0000

This is great movie, showing a couple of youngsters getting out in the bush with their Dad and trying out Swag camping for the first time. It makes quite a good job of explaining how a swag works – these OzTrail swags are a bit more sophisticated and complicated to set up than most true Australian swags, almost like a mini tent and they don’t quite have the ‘roll and go’ quality that I like with the simpler more traditional swags, but as the chap says in this video they are probably good for a youngsters first time out in a swag.

For more about swags and why they are a great piece of 4×4 (meaning Land rover of course) camping gear see our main post and another short video.

if like me you’re fascinated by these and the swag tradition and history from Australia then you can read my full article on that subject here: http://pathofthepaddle.co.uk/index.php/australian-swag/history-romance-of-the-australian-swag/

Thanks to Stanton Drew Garage

kevin — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:13:31 +0000

Based in the small village of Stanton Drew about 10 minutes just south of Bristol the Stanton Drew Garage has given me tremendous support maintaining variously my Defender 110 Hi-Cap, the family Discovery II, a 109 Truck cab, and most recently my 109 ex-military Series III FFR dual fuel. They have great knowledge of Land Rovers through and have always gone the extra mile to solve a problem and get things fixed in good time to get back on the road they have been a great team to work with and I would recommend them to anyone needing Land Rover work done.

They do regular chassis-up rebuilds and have a Defender re-build just started that I will be keeping a close eye on and hopefully featuring on this site as it develops.

But from me, for all your efforts the past few years, thanks Stanton Drew Garage!

Winter Green Laning in Somerset

kevin — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:18:57 +0000

A short video of a trip we did back in December, just as the snow was starting to fall for what become three weeks of some of the heaviest snow we’ve had in the UK – just when you appreciate your Landy!

Camel Trophy Defender… (the small version)

kevin — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:36:32 +0000

This is awesome – a video of a somewhat smaller-than-life Camel Trophy Defender going ‘off road’! Really well filmed and looks the business – if only I was 5 inches tall I’d want to drive it!

Rent-a-Ramp!

kevin — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:44:10 +0000

Interesting idea from local 4×4 specialists Overland Autos: they are thinking of a service where you can book one of thier ramps, get your own work done with your own tools, and also have expertise on hand for if you get stuck.

Saw this on thier facebook page – have a look and they are asking for feedback as to whether to run with this idea so if you think its a good one let them know!

details here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Overland-Auto-Engineers/150731908275919

Mud, Glorious Mud!

kevin — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:25:06 +0000

Some photos from the NSLRC club day at Minety4×4:

…

Serious Mud...

Series Land Rover Auxilliary Dash Panel Kit

kevin — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:01:16 +0000

Made by www.classiclandrover.co.uk these panels are a great solution for adding extra dials to any Series Land Rover interior – the makers supply a range of fittings and shapes for all Series vehicles. The new LRE 109 Series III truck cab badly needed tidying up inside, as previous owners had added more dials and wires were everywhere. The panels proved very easy to fit, with clear instructions and are beautifully finished, once installed they looked like OEM parts – with a really original look, they fitted in ingeniously using the original wings from the centre unit, to create this very useful centre dash console. Here’s how they went in and the finished result.

…

The new LRE 109 Truck Cab Series III standing in the sunshine.

Land Rover wings make a working flat surface as always...

The panel kit comes nicely packaged in bubble wrap with full instructions.

The starting point. This centre console is about to be replaced by the new kit.

Removing the dials.

Unscrewing the existing console which supports only a couple of cigar lighter sockets.

Removing the centre piece

This shows where the two wings are joined, and where the new panel kits integrates.

removing random bits of old dash architecture...

the shiny new panels are out of the bag...

Fitting the back plate.

Then the new front plate fits to the two side wings of the original Land Rover centre console.

Creating this fantastic fitment with four new spaces for dials and sockets, all facing forward, and nice and high up on the dash.

A screwdriver was all that was needed to fit the new console.

Looking good...!

It's a piece of genius how these panels fit with the existing system - a really well thought out and beautifully elegant solution.

Starting to take shape and looking just great!

Adding more dials.

The positioning gives really good visibility.

The new auxiliary dash panels kit fully installed - it looks like OEM equipment! Just need to clean up my cab now, and polish everything up around this new centre console. The 109 is re-born (on the inside anyway).