Land Rover Defender Budget Camper Conversion. Part 1 - Rear Seats, Headlining, Kitchen and Storage.

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3 жыл бұрын

In response to the many questions about my Land Rover camper, I have put together a two part video on the full conversion.
The objective was to create a simple living space that would enable me to spend a few nights in relative comfort inside the vehicle and it must be low budget.
I wanted the vehicle to have basic cooking facilities, lots of integrated storage space to hold tools and equipment securely and out of sight, a lighting system, an electrical system for powering and charging electronic equipment, an independent heating system for winter camping and a comfortable bed.
I am pleased with how it works on a daily basis - the vehicle is used every day to get to work and transport tools and it is comfortable for a night or two.
This video goes through all of the preparation work I did, removing seats, building new seat brackets, installing a rear seat and replacing the headlining. I then go on to build the main storage unit with sliding cupboards and a drop down cupboard/table and the kitchen using houseng a single burner stove with storage and worktop.
Part two will go into details of the rear tailgate/cooker support, the remaining storage, the curtains, the flooring, the sleeping arrangements, the swivel seat, the electrical system, the lighting and the blown air heating.
Thanks for watching!
Links
Headling carpet fabric
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5m-Camper-...
Shuttering ply
www.buildersmerchant.com/prod...
Contact me at:
simonablokeinthewoods@gmail.com
Or by mail at:
Simon, a bloke in the woods
PO Box 384
Diss
Norfolk
IP22 9DB
UK
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Music: Who can say By The 126ers

Пікірлер: 767

@darrellpidgeon6440 2 ай бұрын

Nice layout. Great build. My Dad, a lifelong hobbyist in cabinetry, would have been impressed. I grew up with the smells of wood working. I still have his teacart with its wooden wheels. A cherished item, for sure.

@trakyboy5128 3 жыл бұрын

As a wood worker. ( Carpenter ) I can honestly say that I like what u did !!!! Well done 👍🏽👍🏽😀 That steady hand on thin strips with the glue bottle is a real tell my friend 🤣😅 😃 cheer's to u son !!! Cool touch with the " natural " handles !!!! Looking forward to the next video !!!

@toStringy 3 жыл бұрын

KZfaq randomly suggested this video and I'm glad they did! Looking forward to the other parts. I've been watching a guy called foresty forest making a van life build. Also interesting.

@jaimietheslider 3 жыл бұрын

dam....probably the most most impressive no bullshit old school Defender bloke I've come across on the net. Expert craftsman and your easy to follow problem solving practical thinking is brilliant. I am now rethinking my whole build. Cheers, j

@ericstoever9577 3 жыл бұрын

Carpenter, bushcrafter, videographer, ‘maker’. I quite like seeing the process, and appreciate you sharing it! Stay safe during lockdown, and say a prayer for us here in the States. Sometimes we’re as dumb as a bag of rocks...

@ttroy350 3 жыл бұрын

It wouldn’t surprise me if he said he played the instruments in all the music too! Love his videos

@leslieaustin151 3 жыл бұрын

I’ve often wondered about that.. Les

@joeambrosino1075 3 жыл бұрын

@@leslieaustin151 Next up: Simon playing a Bagpipe!! ;)

@barrykirrage7230 3 жыл бұрын

He'd probably have a video on making the bagpipes, clever boy.

@SteveMerritt 3 жыл бұрын

Same here... and I wouldn’t be surprised at all

@tomaswmitchellphotography 3 жыл бұрын

Great video!

@harrywilde2178 3 жыл бұрын

Simon, you're not just a carpenter... you're a bloody genious!!

@simonablokeinthewoods 3 жыл бұрын

Haha - thank you, You are very kind! I’m just a bloke though - saw a problem and played around with ideas until I had a solution - it took three years to get there haha and it’s still not finished!! 😂👍

@conniewaite1996 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome!gave me some ideas to outfit my jeep.love the tiny stove idea as well as the larger stove outback.thank you

@suchetadutta1570 3 жыл бұрын

Your so right about that.. 👍👍

@davedodi5376 3 жыл бұрын

103k now! Not surprised, great as usual mate. A nice hour watching you and Kent survival😁

@romac9516 3 жыл бұрын

That's some seriously capable woodworking! Damn....amazing job

@alexday5892 10 ай бұрын

That is one hell of a workshop ! You have everything you need and I love the precision. Getting all of the fittings to be millimetre perfect is something I respect. It’s quite a commitment to the vehicle. I know I would be constantly thinking of little things to add to improve the overall package. You have covered everything and I feel like I now know how you have so much camping equipment (with so much space to store it all). I just wish I could something similar. Thanks for the video Simon.

@Pwecko 3 жыл бұрын

I'm sure, if I had the time, money, motivation and skills, I could do something like this. But I don't have those things, so I'll watch you instead. Much less hassle.

@KimberlyGreen 3 жыл бұрын

I bet the customers you create for in your 'day job' are universally pleased with your creations.

@simonablokeinthewoods 3 жыл бұрын

Sometimes 😂😂

@MrTwister86660 Жыл бұрын

Great video Si. The way you described it at the beginning I was expecting it to be terrible 😅

@chrisrobson8540 3 жыл бұрын

An absolute pleasure to watch a true craftsman work! looking forward to part II Video quality was just fine BTW

@eddyoddrod 3 жыл бұрын

The hammock in the Land Rover is just plain awesome! Can’t wait for the rest of the videos.

@joshtook3369 3 жыл бұрын

Simon, you're apology for the quality is just a hint to your standards. Exceptional talents with another exceptional video

@trudilouise9368 3 жыл бұрын

Your wife must have the best kitchen in town, she must be so proud of you.

@simonablokeinthewoods 3 жыл бұрын

Hahaha - that’s a work in progress! 🙄😂

@trudilouise9368 3 жыл бұрын

@@simonablokeinthewoods I would rather not have heard that!

@williamgates1128 3 жыл бұрын

A lot of time and hard work went into that truck. I'd say it was WELL worth it mate. It's definitely something to be proud of!

@TheFuneralPyre 3 жыл бұрын

A master craftsman! This is one of the best stealth camper builds I've seen! Being able to use a hammock inside makes me want one now!!

@Shane-Singleton 3 жыл бұрын

I love the smart design of everything. No wasted space. It's a wonderful demonstration of your carpentry skills. I have seen a lot of overland ORV builds but most of them are pretty generic and the same. Basically just walls of open cubby-hole style cabinets and a bed on top of some pull-out storage. Your land rover build is FAR more what I would consider usable rather than just being a rolling bed and storage. It's more akin to a small RV or Caravan which I love. As an aside the Go-Pro footage is pretty good. I think it works well with the commentary to hide the sub-optimal go-pro audio. Cheers from Texas!

@simonablokeinthewoods 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Shane! I like how it came out - it’s a comfortable setup - I’m actually sitting in it now while on lunch break at work - heating on and lunch warming up! 😁

@jamesellsworth9673 3 жыл бұрын

Highly interesting look at packing a great deal of shelter and comfort into a modest footprint.

@JJfromIA 3 жыл бұрын

What I wouldn't give to have a quarter of your talent and skills.

@ivarwb4115 3 жыл бұрын

Me too!

@h.bsfaithfulservant4136 3 жыл бұрын

I’d be happy with a tenth 😊!

@Gilean80 3 жыл бұрын

Not to dismiss his skills, but everything he is doing is entirely accessible for the average person. The tools and equipment he has are quite nice but not required to do basic carpentry.

@williamthegriffin6185 3 жыл бұрын

I really enjoy watching this all come together. Amazing talent and skills. Can't wait for part 2!

@roberthereandthere4366 3 жыл бұрын

Ditto!!!

@billygoatfilms7531 3 жыл бұрын

I always said you were a very talented man Simon, how I envy you your practical skills. Cheers Mike 👍

@ScoutTactical 3 жыл бұрын

that carpentry was amazing. I couldn't have built that in a million years :)

@Kenbur 3 жыл бұрын

Just sitting here smiling as I watch. I use to sit and watch my uncle paint awesome landscapes and seascapes when I was a teen. He would inspire and awe me as he took blank/old scraps of canvas and leftover oil paint and paint realistic, beautiful "photographic" paintings. He just 'did it'! I marveled in the same way as I watched you "renovate" your Land Rover. You just "did it"! Thank you for sharing your talent through "how you did it". As always Simon ATB - keep safe, stay sane in "lockdown"

@minivandokker4freelife 3 жыл бұрын

from how you do it all seems simple .. but it is not .... this is your talent ... sorry for my google translate english ... from Italy ..🤟🤟🤟👍👍👍

@maryblaylock6545 3 жыл бұрын

Your meaning comes across crystal clear and I agree with it! Greetings from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota USA where Thursday and Friday hopefully we will be getting more SNOW!❄

@simonablokeinthewoods 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you mate!

@wendynicklin7693 3 жыл бұрын

English just fine

@minivandokker4freelife 3 жыл бұрын

@@wendynicklin7693 thanks🤗🤗🤗

@wendynicklin7693 3 жыл бұрын

Your welcome 😃

@yakinkate7946 3 жыл бұрын

You are a blessed man. Talent and common sense, with a generous nature. Enjoying life. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

@simonbroddle754 3 жыл бұрын

It all looks easy and simple but I think that is largely due to the time served joiner making it look way simpler than it really is. Thank you.

@TheRealLadyAlex 3 жыл бұрын

4:52 That's a right pretty helper you have there! LOL. 🐾🐾🐾🐾

@garyeves4991 3 жыл бұрын

Simon, a multi skilled bloke in the woods!

@mshirey2799 3 жыл бұрын

This was incredibly soothing, and made me REALLY want to seek out a carpentry apprenticeship! Thank you for sharing this, Simon! Your craft is a wonderful thing to watch.

@BulldogsRock Ай бұрын

You make this look so easy. Great video, well shot & edited.

@robertwillis4061 3 жыл бұрын

As you were building the interior, I was wondering where you were going to sleep. At first thought it was on an inflatable mattress on the rear floor. But only at the end did you show the hammock. Great idea. That's a lovely job doing the interior. No complicated electric stuff. A couple of removable 50cm X 30cm 12v solar panels is you need to keep batteries top up.

@mbrider56 3 жыл бұрын

Nice one Simon, really enjoyable to see how that all came together, and with Maggie checking on how you were doing 👌🏻😂 🐕

@maryblaylock6545 3 жыл бұрын

Maggie is an excellent supervisor!

@theresabass685 3 жыл бұрын

Oh Simon what have you done! BushCraft will never be the same. Your handy craft style has changed the minds of camping in the wilderness. You can easily blend the two together to make for a very comfortable experience. I have a roof top tent and a slide out kitchen in the trunk of a Honda Civic Hatchback. But I’m not rugged enough for outback so I stay in camp sites and easy access places to camp. Plus I’m amateurs astronomer looking for dark sky areas. But I love Bushcraft and wilderness for there beauty too. Love this video can’t wait for part II to see the finished product. 👍🏽😄

@simonablokeinthewoods 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Theresa - nothing wrong with being comfy 😁👍

@MarkN67 3 жыл бұрын

Your skills are amazing, really lovely job, Simon.

@paganoutdoors3193 3 жыл бұрын

Brilliant job, complete use of every nook and cranny, 👌, watching this has made me realise how much I miss being in a work shop, doing cabinet making, furniture restoration and bench joinery , I was 20 plus years a joiner ,cabinetmaker and carpenter, had to retire from that nearly 10 years ago, hands and wrists went plus a broken back ,cant even use a power drill now, so great to see a man with skills ,busy workshop, love your videos, especially in these crazy times, safe travels my friend,blessed be,Craig

@simonablokeinthewoods 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Craig! I feel slightly ashamed of my wood butchery now haha - cheers, Simon

@rickywoodcock7222 3 жыл бұрын

Having done a conversion myself I know its rewarding ... Well done Simon

@KrisDebell 3 жыл бұрын

I love how well your drivers door shut! effortless! that is rare!

@joebradley7595 3 жыл бұрын

My nephew decided he wanted to buy a defender. I showed him your first video put him right off cheers mate 😅

@LifeistooshortCK 3 жыл бұрын

Fantastic video and what a beautiful result. Nothing wrong with the quality of that footage. Loved the hammock solution. 👍

@adamhinds8352 3 жыл бұрын

I love this guy, so skilled and good info giver, but man I feel like your staring into my soul with those close ups when on full screen, keep it coming Simon !!

@simonablokeinthewoods 3 жыл бұрын

Hahaha - I need to blink more!

@anneli1735 3 жыл бұрын

@@simonablokeinthewoods noooooooooo

@alialmahanawi8409 3 жыл бұрын

It’s an excellent job Simon please we want you to set an overnight camping trip in such beautiful frosty weather. Thanks for sharing 🙏

@simonablokeinthewoods 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Lockdown is the issue at the moment, but I’ll see what I can do 😁👍

@alialmahanawi8409 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you too mate we hope that everything will be normal soon 🙏

@dennisharrington3874 3 жыл бұрын

Simon, a bloke in his workshop. Entertaining content. Love your channel. Carry on!

@arliss123 3 жыл бұрын

Love the camping, but I especially love the craftsman videos!!! Great work Simon!

@aramarsh 3 жыл бұрын

Every blokes dream vehicle right there! Nice work Simon 😎

@michaeldean4704 3 жыл бұрын

Brilliant, Simon. Can't wait to see part 2. Listen, if you're not too busy... maybe you could drop by on Saturday and do my van? Just go west, 'til you reach Chicago. Then turn north. I'll meet you out by the curb. 🤣

@utahjohnnymontana3373 3 жыл бұрын

It takes talent to make the difficult job appear simple. I only hope my camper cabinets turn out half as nice.

@GOE-MORC 3 жыл бұрын

Very nice touch with the natural finish twig handles and contouring around the door and seat back. You put great thought into your project. I’m going to have to go back to the other video to see how you hung your hammock.

@MultiOutdoorman 3 жыл бұрын

Brilliant ! I wanna do one now . Less pedantic a project than a full-blown campervan conversion. Cheers Si

@craigatkins24 3 жыл бұрын

Great build, as a fellow landrover owner I am looking at doing something similar in my old D1 discovery. Looking forward to part 2.

@kylec166 3 жыл бұрын

Video quality looks really good to me. Nice big work shop I like it.my grand father was a carpenter engineer he could build anything. He passed on back in 2016. He also help me with my school work. Best grand father I could ever ask for. Thanks again for the good videos

@OneLifeOverland 3 жыл бұрын

Nice setup buddy. I love how a Land rover is all things to all people and now two are ever the same.

@greywindLOSP 3 жыл бұрын

Simon, you M8 are 5- STAR! Wish I could find one of those Defenders! Just excellent, .....ATB!

@yvonnebailey9973 3 жыл бұрын

Enjoyed watching the jeeps interior being transformed. Great job! Take care and stay safe.

@AstroVanTribe 3 жыл бұрын

This is great - I have a 2004 AWD Astro van I recently converted to 4x4 and am now tackling the interior - I too am a carpenter/furniture builder and this is my only vehicle so it has to do everything for me. I drive across the USA at least once a year for projects on top of many other off road adventures.... I was already planning to do several of the things you did here so it was great to see what you came up with - Good job, great work - Thanks!

@BellHueyUH1H 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent, thank you Simon, LOVE seeing more about your Defender!

@g7dmo 3 жыл бұрын

What a cracking build and conversion of an iconic workhorse. Somewhat sad I don't still have my trusty 110XS to do a similar conversion on. Roll on part 2 and the rest of the ingenious tricks to outfit it all. Oh and a cracking workshop and yard area too!

@regular-joe 3 жыл бұрын

Never say you aren't an artist! Just wow - not simply functional, but stunning!

@greywindLOSP 3 жыл бұрын

Simon for a bloke in the woods you kick ass! M8 that is 5 - STAR!.......ATB

@Braapncamp 3 жыл бұрын

Cool Defender Simon, hope to see a lot of camper adventures. Impressed by Your skills!

@oddmanout98 3 жыл бұрын

So brilliantly done Simon. I’ve said it before, you’re a master of your trade. It’s one thing have tools and space but you really do know how to use them too. Really impressed. Can’t wait for part 2! Thank you so much.

@tlemon1950 3 жыл бұрын

Brilliant, here we say "them as can, do. Them as can't, teach. You are doing an amazing job of both, thank you alot

@sibaldi2922 3 жыл бұрын

Great video Simon. Looking forward to the next one. As others have said, your skills are excellent and make it all look so easy. First class job, mate.👍

@kirkgallacher9144 3 жыл бұрын

Great to see a video from you Simon, considering the circumstances. Blessings. From a fan in New Zealand. God bless you.

@magicdrshoon 3 жыл бұрын

Bloody marvelous! Another great vid! My 109" has been sat on the diriveway for around 6years now - I'm coming around to the idea of replacing it wïh a working 110". Can't wait for part 2!

@robertwells1993 3 жыл бұрын

You set the bar high Simon, Brilliant!

@claramullen 3 жыл бұрын

Great build on the Rover I enjoyed watching thanks you Simon.

@freezinweasle1 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for sharing. I always appreciate when someone takes the time to share their experiences.

@slimpickins3425 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Simon, its nice to see a departure video, its covers vehicle camping and conversion. Many of us have campers as well, me with my old Westy for one, and the old Land Rover is a cool vehicle and one I never saw converted. Well done mate! Throughly enjoyable!

@JEFLeb35712 3 жыл бұрын

Very nice. Lots of craftsmanship in that build.

@bosiex 3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely brilliant Simon, you're a rarity and set the standard to aim for. Pure talent.

@BrusselsBlog 3 жыл бұрын

The quality of carpentry is far better than I have seen in other van build type videos, but looking at the workshop it's not hard to see why!

@Nick-cl5jh 3 жыл бұрын

Really enjoy your vlogs Simon, you're clearly a resourceful chap, keep up the great work!

@RyanSmith-nd9vr 3 жыл бұрын

I like your idea of wooden dows for the cupboards handles

@3van1993 6 ай бұрын

The quality is fine. I enjoyed watching.

@OoavastoO 3 жыл бұрын

Great work Simon. And always under the careful & demanding scrutiny of the fuzzy headed shop supervisor and quality control manager, Maggie! (I couldn't work under that pressure 😁) All the best buddy, from Nova Scotia 🇨🇦 - Darby

@simonablokeinthewoods 3 жыл бұрын

Hahaha - I should get her a hard hat with supervisor written on it! 😁👍👍

@donovanphipps777 3 жыл бұрын

You did an amazing job Simon, I absolutely love your vehicle. You are really gifted. You are all sorted to go on awesome trips and really be able to enjoy the surroundings without any hassle when you feel for it. Good job!

@Taffwildmanofthewoods 3 жыл бұрын

Wow, I'm blown away by your skill set. When I first started watching your videos I thought you were just a regular bloke living in a 3 bedroom semi like most of us, with a regular run of the mill job. Such talent deserves thousands of subscribers 👍

@bodgemanblack4804 3 жыл бұрын

Nothing wrong with the quality. Very talented. Made my washing up a pleasure.

@johnwalker91 3 жыл бұрын

All the gear and idea and the skill to carry it out just brilliant stay safe

@majothelmodasilva2650 3 жыл бұрын

I am in awe of your talent and ingenuity. You are also a gifted communicator who makes the information you give accessible to anyone.

@smokin1974 3 жыл бұрын

Cleverly simple but effective- how it should be! Looking forward to seeing the rest of the build take shape.

@wadeadkins4927 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent work! Logical, functional and executed with an eye for detail. I am sure it is ultimately quite satisfying to use!

@philippal7985 3 жыл бұрын

Impressive! Doing it all by yourself makes you appreciate the whole thing so much more. Very cool.

@stevecash2858 3 жыл бұрын

Simon, thanks for doing this video. You have applied your skills to create a very useful Defender. I appreciate how you make it look easy. You said you had about 3 years to consider this build...but we can tell that you have been developing your woodworking skills for many more years in order for this to "look easy." Well done!

@simonablokeinthewoods 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Steve 👍

@rippinar3790 3 жыл бұрын

Dear Simon, that conversion of your Rover is marvelous! Honest admiration and best wishes for the new year from a german fan 🇩🇪👍🏻

@tattooRGBharley 2 жыл бұрын

This conversion of your Land Rover Defender is awesome. I love what you did to it. Thank you for showing what you did.

@miffyonabike 3 жыл бұрын

Fantastic work Simon, land rover must be really useful now. Love the music by the way, more mandolin which always make me smile because I play one. Keep up the good work, looking forward to part 2.

@PaulUrmston 3 жыл бұрын

My God, I hadn't thought about my old Defender in over 20 years... amazing bit of work you've done. Very impressive.

@CherryBlossomHill 3 жыл бұрын

thank you Simon, another great experience following along with you on each adventure.

@festadams9896 3 жыл бұрын

Always keeping the style of the videos mixed up fresh and new, I don't think I could ever get bored of this channel.

@garydumbauld4212 3 жыл бұрын

A tremendous amount of work. But just look at the results! Well done indeed.

@bobhead6243 3 жыл бұрын

One of the best home conversions of a 110 I have seen , love the cupboard handles .

@MrSimoniphone 3 жыл бұрын

What a great video. Your skills are unreal. The thought and detail put in to this build is fabulous. I particularly loved the handles.

@TheTrakker 3 жыл бұрын

Great! I've always wanted a defender. Now I REALLY want a defender!!!

@devonbikefilms 3 жыл бұрын

No need to apologise Simon, it’s the content that we’re here for, and this is a great job, as ever.

@axerxes3981 3 жыл бұрын

Simon... enjoyed your video. Nice to see a craftsman at his work. Thanks for sharing. Ax

@alexanduro5080 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Simon，this Defender car may be already 20 year's old, But you gave it a new life, it will accompany with you to go camping in anywhere. Your ability of DIY is very strong. It's awesome!