Six Overland Trips - One Land Rover Defender (Called Maggie)

Once a vehicle has been prepared for an Overland expedition, it is often resold and reused for a similiar trip.  Scrolling through previous trips on The Africa Overland Network reveals a number of websites which have used the same vehicle.

Here is one such vehicle - a 1991 Land Rover Defender 200tdi

Here's a quick history of the Land Rover Defender 200tdi called Maggie. She was called Maggie based on her colour blue and the famous statement about Maggie Thatcher that as Prime Minister of Britain, she was 'Not for Turning'.  Hence, Maggie the Land Rover, was not for doing U-Turns and returning home with unfinished business.

Her specifications are:

• Year: 1991
• Engine: 200Tdi Diesel (2.5L Turbo Diesel)
• Current Mileage: 225 000 (roughly)
• Fuel capacity: 80Ltrs + 40Ltrs extended tank + 2 x 20L Jerry Cans
• Tyre Compressor mounted inside the engine
• 40L Engel Fridge with AC/DC cables
• 2 x gas bottles + 2 ring stove
• High lift jack + piston jack
• Eezi Awn Roof tent
• Portable rear mounted vice on back ladder
• Garmin GPS with external mounted antennae
• Brownchurch water filter
• 3 x 20L water bottles
• Sand Ladders & Spade
• Dual Battery system - Optima
• Internal side mounted cupboards for easy out of the way storage.

The First Trip:

Richard & Jo Hepper - 1998

The Second Trip:

Colin & Wendy Clements - 2000 to 2004

In South Africa, Colin was introduced to a store full of overland and 4x4 equipment.  He quickly made a few changes which included a new Eezi Awn rooftop tent, Hannibal side awning, Engel Fridge and tyre compressor.

The Third Trip:

The biggest change Colin did to the vehicle was a total chassis strip-down and rebuild.  This rebuilt, undertaken in Kenya, modified the 90 into a 110 model.  The only new parts added were the rear tub.  The doors, engine and roofrack remained the same.

The Fourth Trip:

Martin & Debbie Solms - 2004 to 2005

I purchased this vehicle after chatting to Colin about the merits of the Defender 110 compared to my LR Discovery.  Buying a fully kitted vehicle for our trip meant that we only had a few mods to do.  I added sidelockers, and rear cupboards to the interior.  I opted to remain with the tried and tested Michelin XZL tyres.

Trip Four B

Sam Watson - Kenya & Tanzania

Sam borrowed the Land Rover called Maggie for a month of overland travel in August 2005.  His destination was Kenya and Tanzania.

The Firth Trip:

Jamie & Charlene Davies - Dec 2005 to July 2009

As you begin approaching Kubu Island you are unable to see very much as you travel through very tall grass and some trees, but all of a sudden the grass and trees disappear and all you see is another dried up pan with this small (from a distance) cluster of rocks and baobabs in the middle of the pan.

The Sixth Trip

Noel Peries - November 2009 to current

Departed the UK heading South on 5th November 2009.

Meeting the Owners:
The four generations of owners meet up:

From Left to Right: Martin, Jo, Wendy, Charlene, Colin, Jamie and Richard (photo excludes Debbie)

A new voice - stereo overland

Martin's kindly asked me to contribute to the site - my name's Sam, I drive a battered 110 called Elsa, and am hooked on the Sahara, though have travelled with Martin through East Africa as well.

Currently sitting in the bar of the Kingshouse in Glencoe writing a piece on Saharan travel, faithful old Defender sitting outside in the rain. Next trip probably Morocco and Western Sahara, last trip Egypt, looming Landy mods are a galv bulkhead, larger radiator and gasflow head - at 20 years and 250,000 miles old she deserves some TLC.

Had hoped to try out the Ozpig cast iron camping stove on this trip but the weather's been so crummy it's been easier to sit by the pub fire! Never mind - its beautiful here whatever the rain's doing.

Quite keen also to try out the (not yet wired up) RooLites I have fitted in a bank of 4 above the windscreen - I am well aware that roof spots make me look like a Camel Trophy Wannabe and a bit of a twit, but the Saharan habit of herding goats on roads at night, and the Moroccan laws that state that vehicles that travel slower than 30mph dont need running lights (??!!) have made me believe fervently in all the extra lighting I can get. Desert driving at night is not recommended at all, but when sheepdogging newcomers who have never travelled in the Sahara sometimes you need to to sort problems out!

Martin's discussing solar power on here - my two penn'orth, I run a Shell-Siemens solar panel on my wagon, it whacks out enough juice to keep the Engel fridge running with an external ambient temp of over 50 C, independent of the battery - very very good, tough kit, although the best UK seller, A B Butt of Leicester, sadly went bust a few months back in the credit crunch.
Overland Journal this month are discussing the merits of a flexible rollup panel, I am a Luddite here and feel that this will eventually cause delamination of the panel and failure - my panel is yacht decking-spec, a little heavy maybe, but solid enough to cope with sandstorms and Wolf boxes falling on it!

Happy trails.

Additional Links:

• Kenya in a Land Rover called Maggie
• Tanzania - In search of Elsa's Grave