Land Rover Defender Budget Camper Conversion. Part 1 - Rear Seats, Headlining, Kitchen and Storage.
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- 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...
Shuttering ply
www.buildersme...
Contact me at:
simonablokeinthewoods@gmail.com
Or by mail at:
Simon, a bloke in the woods
PO Box 384
Diss
Norfolk
IP22 9DB
UK
Facebook - Simon, a bloke in the woods
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Instagram - simon_a_bloke_in_the_woods
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Music: Who can say By The 126ers
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
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 !!!
It wouldn’t surprise me if he said he played the instruments in all the music too! Love his videos
I’ve often wondered about that.. Les
@@leslieaustin151 Next up: Simon playing a Bagpipe!! ;)
He'd probably have a video on making the bagpipes, clever boy.
Same here... and I wouldn’t be surprised at all
Great video!
Simon, you're not just a carpenter... you're a bloody genious!!
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!! 😂👍
Awesome!gave me some ideas to outfit my jeep.love the tiny stove idea as well as the larger stove outback.thank you
Your so right about that.. 👍👍
Your wife must have the best kitchen in town, she must be so proud of you.
Hahaha - that’s a work in progress! 🙄😂
@@simonablokeinthewoods I would rather not have heard that!
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...
I bet the customers you create for in your 'day job' are universally pleased with your creations.
Sometimes 😂😂
What I wouldn't give to have a quarter of your talent and skills.
Me too!
I’d be happy with a tenth 😊!
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.
I really enjoy watching this all come together.
Amazing talent and skills.
Can't wait for part 2!
Ditto!!!
103k now! Not surprised, great as usual mate. A nice hour watching you and Kent survival😁
Great video Si. The way you described it at the beginning I was expecting it to be terrible 😅
from how you do it all seems simple .. but it is not .... this is your talent ... sorry for my google translate english ... from Italy ..🤟🤟🤟👍👍👍
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!❄
Thank you mate!
English just fine
@@wendynicklin7693 thanks🤗🤗🤗
Your welcome 😃
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.
Nicely done Simon.
You make this look so easy. Great video, well shot & edited.
Simon, you're apology for the quality is just a hint to your standards. Exceptional talents with another exceptional video
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.
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"
Hi Simon, my little daughter Lilli is just laying beside me, and watched your car conversion together with me and than she said: "This is so nice and well done, so cosy and like grandpa' s caravan, but in mini. Please give him a thump up and a nice commend."
So here we are ((-;
Greetings Alex
Thanks Alex and little miss Alex 😁
UA-cam 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.
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!!
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!
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!
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! 😁
An absolute pleasure to watch a true craftsman work! looking forward to part II
Video quality was just fine BTW
That's some seriously capable woodworking! Damn....amazing job
I love your adventures
The quality is fine. I enjoyed watching.
Hey love the handle idea. I’m going to do that with mine
In the United States we have PBS's "This Old House" and in the United Kingdom you have "This Old Land Rover." Wonderful to see your carpenter's assistant, Maggie, on the job. Great video! Congratulations on a job well-done. 😊
I always said you were a very talented man Simon, how I envy you your practical skills. Cheers Mike 👍
I have to say wow. Your a true craftsman. You can build absolutely anything. The roof of my truck needs to be redone like what you did to yours. You would never be without an income. Everyone would come to you for making or repairing just about anything. God Bless you Simon.
that carpentry was amazing. I couldn't have built that in a million years :)
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. 🤣
Simon for a bloke in the woods you kick ass! M8 that is 5 - STAR!.......ATB
Greetings from the States Simon. With all that’s going over here it’s a pleasure to watch a mom with obvious talents putting them to great use👍looking forward to part 2. Cheers
Sorry for the mom, meant man 🤣
Hahaha - Mom is just fine! Thanks mate.
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 👍
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 !!
Hahaha - I need to blink more!
@@simonablokeinthewoods noooooooooo
One of the best home conversions of a 110 I have seen , love the cupboard handles .
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!
Thanks Steve 👍
Nice one Simon, really enjoyable to see how that all came together, and with Maggie checking on how you were doing 👌🏻😂 🐕
Maggie is an excellent supervisor!
Top work Simon, good break down of the work carried out on her. She’s a beast of a stealth camper mate. Looking forward to part two 👍
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.
Never say you aren't an artist! Just wow - not simply functional, but stunning!
Just love it!!
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.
Truly talented all round guy a rare breed these days loved watching this can't wait for part 2 👍👍
My nephew decided he wanted to buy a defender. I showed him your first video put him right off cheers mate 😅
The hammock in the Land Rover is just plain awesome! Can’t wait for the rest of the videos.
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
Thanks Craig!
I feel slightly ashamed of my wood butchery now haha - cheers, Simon
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!
Always keeping the style of the videos mixed up fresh and new, I don't think I could ever get bored of this channel.
Your skills are amazing, really lovely job, Simon.
Love the camping, but I especially love the craftsman videos!!! Great work Simon!
Just the kind of video to cheer a bloke up in these dreary times. Thanks Simon and watch your health!
I am in awe of your talent and ingenuity. You are also a gifted communicator who makes the information you give accessible to anyone.
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. 👍🏽😄
Thanks Theresa - nothing wrong with being comfy 😁👍
Simon, a multi skilled bloke in the woods!
Having done a conversion myself
I know its rewarding ... Well done Simon
So, the bloke in the woods is also a bloke in the shop. Nice!
Nice setup buddy. I love how a Land rover is all things to all people and now two are ever the same.
It’s an excellent job Simon please we want you to set an overnight camping trip in such beautiful frosty weather. Thanks for sharing 🙏
Thank you! Lockdown is the issue at the moment, but I’ll see what I can do 😁👍
Thank you too mate we hope that everything will be normal soon 🙏
Looks amazing :) i remember my Uncle had a land rover when i was a kid , i used to ask him to give us a lift home from Grandads house in it , it had side seats and i always remember clinging on for dear life :)
Your video quality was great Simon..... you needn't apologize for anything. Excellent work mate...... well done !!
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
Quality 🔥👍
4:52 That's a right pretty helper you have there! LOL. 🐾🐾🐾🐾
Highly interesting look at packing a great deal of shelter and comfort into a modest footprint.
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.
I love how well your drivers door shut! effortless! that is rare!
No need to apologise Simon, it’s the content that we’re here for, and this is a great job, as ever.
Every blokes dream vehicle right there! Nice work Simon 😎
Fantastic video and what a beautiful result. Nothing wrong with the quality of that footage. Loved the hammock solution. 👍
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.
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!
Simon, a bloke in his workshop. Entertaining content. Love your channel. Carry on!
Nice one Simon great little set up 🇳🇿😎👍
If i ever hit the lottery, i know now what i want. 😎
What a cracking job. Your carpentry skills are very impressive. If any of my customers ever need a carpenter I know who I’ll suggest. Nice work.
Cheers Dan! 👍😁
You are a blessed man. Talent and common sense, with a generous nature. Enjoying life. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
Your skills as a professional cabinet maker are evident throughout. what a beautifully simple (i mean that in the best way!) and sound build. 👍🏻🙏🏻
It takes talent to make the difficult job appear simple. I only hope my camper cabinets turn out half as nice.
A warm Land Rover? Just when I thought I heard it all... Jokes aside, it's always interesting to see a custom build that matches the purpose that well. Cheers!
Hahaha - I think I’ve finally cracked the warmth issue! Diesel night heater - 5kw of hot blown air luxury!! 😁🥵
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
Hahaha - I should get her a hard hat with supervisor written on it! 😁👍👍
Very nice. Lots of craftsmanship in that build.
Great to see a video from you Simon, considering the circumstances.
Blessings. From a fan in New Zealand. God bless you.
Simon... enjoyed your video. Nice to see a craftsman at his work. Thanks for sharing. Ax
Simon the back of that table saw was horrendous. 😂😊
Nice work buddy 👍🏻
Haha - all good firewood! 🔥
Simon, great job! You make all that woodworking look so easy! Only suggestion is maybe I would put dynomat inside on the ceiling before I put the liner back. (That way you wouldn't have to wear hearing protection! lol) Cheers, Shannon
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.
Enjoyed watching the jeeps interior being transformed. Great job! Take care and stay safe.
Excellent, thank you Simon, LOVE seeing more about your Defender!
really didn't think the footage was "bad". Stay well Simon.
Outstanding job koudos Simon, you are an amazing man 👞😊
Great work Simon!👍🏻
OMG I'm loving it💖,New Rovers have Nothing on the Older Rover💖💖💖💖
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!
Brilliant !
I wanna do one now .
Less pedantic a project than a full-blown campervan conversion.
Cheers
Si
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!
This conversion of your Land Rover Defender is awesome. I love what you did to it. Thank you for showing what you did.
No room to do this in an 88. Oh how I wish. Superb vid as always.
Really enjoy your vlogs Simon, you're clearly a resourceful chap, keep up the great work!