Looking to turn a Defender into a Dormobile!

[66Landy]

I currently own a 1966 Land Rover 109 NADA Dormobile. I am selling it to buy a Land Rover 110 and turn it into a Dormobile using new Dormobile parts. I have checked the Dormobile website and they claim to be in business but have not responded to my emails.

I know a company in Japan, Cleveland Expedition Vehicles if I recall correctly, sells Land Rover Defender Dormobiles through their website, but I can't get any responses from them either.

I've seen a picture of a Defender Dormobile alleged to be in the NW of the US, but can't determine an owner.

Does anyone know someone with a Defender that is outfitted into a self contained camper? I've read all about the ECR 110 camper, but I don't have $100,000+ to spend, so that is out of the question.

My plan is to hire a garage in England to re-furbish a 1983 or 1984 110 using a donor late model Defender for the mechanicals and add in New Dormobile parts. Anyone who knows a garage in England or elsewhere who might be up for the job, I'd appreciate it if you could drop me a line. I'm even toying with the idea of picking up a 127/130 and seeing if they are willing to swap the '83 registration over to that.

Well, I'll keep you posted on my progress and would love any help that you can offer!

 

[SeaRubi]

i think this is a sound plan ...

Terri-Ann's website will probably be a big help, as would the LRO email list if you're not already on there. being mostly an ex-coiler guy I don't know much about the dormies, other than the times i've spent dreaming and lusting for one.

I don't know of a 110 dormy in the PNW but I do know the folks to ask if you'd like someone from this area to dig around a bit for you just say the word ...

here's a couple links. Shoot an email over to Terri ann- she'll talk your ear off but she's very knowledgeable.


http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/

http://www.land-rover.team.net/lro-info.html

I currently own a 1966 Land Rover 109 NADA Dormobile. I am selling it to buy a Land Rover 110 and turn it into a Dormobile using new Dormobile parts. I have checked the Dormobile website and they claim to be in business but have not responded to my emails.

I know a company in Japan, Cleveland Expedition Vehicles if I recall correctly, sells Land Rover Defender Dormobiles through their website, but I can't get any responses from them either.

I've seen a picture of a Defender Dormobile alleged to be in the NW of the US, but can't determine an owner.

Does anyone know someone with a Defender that is outfitted into a self contained camper? I've read all about the ECR 110 camper, but I don't have $100,000+ to spend, so that is out of the question.

My plan is to hire a garage in England to re-furbish a 1983 or 1984 110 using a donor late model Defender for the mechanicals and add in New Dormobile parts. Anyone who knows a garage in England or elsewhere who might be up for the job, I'd appreciate it if you could drop me a line. I'm even toying with the idea of picking up a 127/130 and seeing if they are willing to swap the '83 registration over to that.

Well, I'll keep you posted on my progress and would love any help that you can offer!

 

[Andrew Walcker]

Oh ya, this should be a good thread to keep an eye on:lurk: Mind of I live vicariously through your thread?:elkgrin:

 

[stevenmd]

Oh ya, this should be a good thread to keep an eye on:lurk: Mind of I live vicariously through your thread?:elkgrin:

I think we all will be doing that! At least I live about 20 minutes from Carey and will get to see it firsthand... neener, neener, neener!:jump:

 

[Andrew Walcker]

I think we all will be doing that! At least I live about 20 minutes from Carey and will get to see it firsthand... neener, neener, neener!:jump:

That's just plain CRUEL!!! ROFSheriffHL: I'll expect twice the coverage on this post from here on out

 

[Dmarchand]

Did you check the dormobile project on the ECR website?

Also, these guys are responsive. Hope your German is good.

http://www.ex-tec.de/

 

[66Landy]

"Word"

Hi SeaRubi,

Having a 109 Dormobile, I've already poured over TeriAnn's voluminous site. I also belong to the DOC (Dormobile Owners' Club) and the DOR (Dormobile Owners' Registry) and communicate with her there. A lot of the talk on the DOR is Dormobile based, but at least 50% is LR mechanicals specific, and they are a bunch of great folks!

As far as poking around the PNW for the owner, I'd appreciate whatever you can do. I'd rather not re-invent the wheel, unless his wheels are too expensive! I know that self-assembled Defenders run rampant up there, and since I am shortly going to move to Washington myself, I might just take that route and buy one here and upgrade it, or find a late model one in the UK, have it "broken down" into individual parts lots, buy the various parts over a certain amount of time, then have all the parts shipped over with the requisite receipts to show the origin of the re-build to satisfy the WA DOL that they're not stolen parts, and "re-assemble" them before inspection.

I'm looking for the least expensive way, but it has to be legal. I turned down a 130 brought back by an America's Cup member because he simply had a 70's SIII ID plate riveted into the engine compartment of the 130. It fooled customs, but I don't want to risk my money or my insurance coverage should I get into an accident. Since I'm going to have to ship over the Dormobile parts, shipping the truck with them attached is probably going to be cheaper than shipping the parts by themselves.

Of course, before I can buy anything, I have to sell my current Dormobile. My wife was kind enough to let me buy my current landy not three weeks after I had bought my first one, and it was still sitting in England. I don't want to push the boundaries of her understanding any further than necessary!

 

[66Landy]

Thanks Dmarchand!

The Ex-Tec site is wonderful! They not only do 110s, but 130s and 90s! Ah, almost makes moving to Europe worth it. And to think that my wife and I almost chose England over Washington. Oh well, at least we don't have to learn their funny version of English!

 

[SeaRubi]

i will do some digging for you and report back - glad to hear another Landy enthusiast coming this way from England. There are some great trips to be had in this area only a few hours drive over highway to the back country. There's a local overland friendly group that gathers around at:

NorthwestOverlandSociety.org


cheers
-isaac

 

[66Landy]

Not an UK Ex-Pat

I'm not from the UK, we were thinking of moving to the UK from California, but chose Washington instead. We're moving to Vashon in the near future. We already found our house, now all we need are the jobs! :luxhello:

 

[66Landy]

Dreams and Drooling!

Well, here are some shots of a 110 Dormobile and a 110, 90 and 130 De-Tec version. Sooooo Nice! :clapsmile

 

[pwc]

the De-tec is nice and I've been tempted to go that route. they haev a lot of stuff but some seems a bit stiff on the price. that top can't be easy to make, though

 

[66Landy]

De-Tec Update

I've exchanged a few e-mails with Lisa at De-Tec who speaks/writes English much better than I do German!:xxrotflma

The basic problem with the De-Tec top is that you have to have your rig in their factory in order to have one. They do not ship and only install their roofs themselves. The cost is 6390 Euro including Value Added Tax for either the 110 or the 90. VAT might be negotiable is you do it on a vehicle not originally German and slated for direct export. An installed bed platform and mattress cost 299, 250 Euros, respectively.

Well, I know that Dormobile ships their stuff and since you can just take off your roof and put theirs on, it seems the better system. You could always sell your roof to someone else if you wanted and put your old one back on.

So it seems that De-Tec is off of my build sheet.

 

[66Landy]

Dormobile Ltd. Update

I just got back an email response from Dormobile Ltd. After weeks of no replies, I decided to send a picture of my current Dormobile with the email, hoping that might convince them I was serious and not just some "loud American." Well, it worked.

Although he didn't write it specifically, it was clear from his comments that he was under the impression that importing a Defender could not be done and that nothing before '78 could be imported to North America. I shared with him my plan and informed him that there were no current pictures of the 110 offerings on his website. I requested some official Dormobile Ltd. 110 pictures so I could see what I would be ordering. I'll post them when/if he sends them.

He did tell me something that confirms an anonymous picture posting of a 110 Dormobile from the North West that I saw on another website. A few years back, he sent 110 Dormobile parts to a garage to be included with a disassembled 110 bound for the U.S. He never heard from the garage or the buyer again, and wasn't sure it had made it through customs. I wrote to him that I had seen a picture of a 110 Dormobile that I thought was the one in question.

Well, at least I'm in communication with one of the two main suppliers now. :wings: I asked him for references to local garages who refurbished 110s for Brits, as the ones that already work with Americans charge exorbitant prices. If anyone has a suggestion for a good garage in the UK, let me know!

Carey

 

[stevenmd]

Thanks for the update Carey. I am keenly interested in your progress on this project.