maxingout
Adventurer
Preparing a vechicle for an expedition around the world is like solving a puzzle. The pieces of the puzzle are well-known to all expeditionary travelers, but the size and placement of each piece in the puzzle varies with the experience and priorities of those making the trip. Most adventurers take similar gear, but the way they solve the puzzle is different. That's why it's helpful to look at other vehicles to decide your priorities, and how you will solve the puzzle. I like websites like Graham Jackson's Land Rover website because his solution to the puzzle has been tested on the African continent.
After preparing five Defenders for expeditionary travel, I am now deciding how I will solve the expeditionary puzzle on Defender number six. My first step was to install a Brownchurch full length expeditionary roof rack. Now that the roof rack is in place, other pieces of the puzzle are coming into focus. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/71806-Land-Rover-Roof-Rack-Flooring-Red-Wood-Composite-Construction
One of my highest priorities is to set up the Defender so that it is easy for my wife to do the things that she enjoys doing. The most important vehicle modification for my wife is the expeditionary galley / kitchen. If the galley/kitchen is easy to use, if it is user friendly, then meal preparation and clean up will be a joy. If chaos reigns supreme in the galley and meal preparation is an ordeal to be endured, then the trip is not nearly as much fun. Therefore, the first major interior vehicle modification I have made is creating a galley / kitchen that works for her. All other interior vehicle modification will work around this galley because it is the most important piece of gear for my wife enjoying the trip.
Although I am not a woodworker or highly skilled craftsman, when I build something for expeditionary travel, I make it strong. The rigors of expeditionary travel results in a demolition derby when gear is not up to the task. It doesn't have to be pretty, but it must be durable and strong.
I don't have fancy tools, and I don't use nails or glue. My fabrication is always the same - plywood, screws, aluminum pop rivets, and aluminum angle iron. I developed my basic construction technique in Saudi Arabia because I didn't have much to work with when I made gear for my Defenders.
I went to Lowes for the drawer sliders, and I had Home Depot cut up all the plywood for the project. I also picked up the aluminum angle iron, rivets, and screws at Home Depot. The door latches are magnetic from Home Depot. There are no hinges. Polyester chord supports the galley work surface, and the handles are also made from polyester chord. It's a very basic design that my wife likes, and since she is happy, I am declaring this project a success.
The expeditionary galley / kitchen was my highest priority, and I will procede to build other modifcations around my wife's galley.
Here is what we have created:
After preparing five Defenders for expeditionary travel, I am now deciding how I will solve the expeditionary puzzle on Defender number six. My first step was to install a Brownchurch full length expeditionary roof rack. Now that the roof rack is in place, other pieces of the puzzle are coming into focus. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/71806-Land-Rover-Roof-Rack-Flooring-Red-Wood-Composite-Construction
One of my highest priorities is to set up the Defender so that it is easy for my wife to do the things that she enjoys doing. The most important vehicle modification for my wife is the expeditionary galley / kitchen. If the galley/kitchen is easy to use, if it is user friendly, then meal preparation and clean up will be a joy. If chaos reigns supreme in the galley and meal preparation is an ordeal to be endured, then the trip is not nearly as much fun. Therefore, the first major interior vehicle modification I have made is creating a galley / kitchen that works for her. All other interior vehicle modification will work around this galley because it is the most important piece of gear for my wife enjoying the trip.
Although I am not a woodworker or highly skilled craftsman, when I build something for expeditionary travel, I make it strong. The rigors of expeditionary travel results in a demolition derby when gear is not up to the task. It doesn't have to be pretty, but it must be durable and strong.
I don't have fancy tools, and I don't use nails or glue. My fabrication is always the same - plywood, screws, aluminum pop rivets, and aluminum angle iron. I developed my basic construction technique in Saudi Arabia because I didn't have much to work with when I made gear for my Defenders.
I went to Lowes for the drawer sliders, and I had Home Depot cut up all the plywood for the project. I also picked up the aluminum angle iron, rivets, and screws at Home Depot. The door latches are magnetic from Home Depot. There are no hinges. Polyester chord supports the galley work surface, and the handles are also made from polyester chord. It's a very basic design that my wife likes, and since she is happy, I am declaring this project a success.
The expeditionary galley / kitchen was my highest priority, and I will procede to build other modifcations around my wife's galley.
Here is what we have created:
Last edited:
