Some 20 years ago, David and Tisha Selway were on holiday in Namibia. At a watering hole in the Etosha National Park, they found themselves parked up near a 1-Ton Land Rover 109” which had been converted into a home from home – and they had a moment of realisation. This was what they wanted to do.

The Selways fell instantly in love with the idea of camping with wildlife. Having lions and hyenas on the doorstep of their home from home seemed a logical dream to have. But as they got talking to the owners of the Land Rover, they realised they would need something bigger, stronger and more reliable.

What they chose was very big, very strong and very reliable. Dating from 1988, it was an ex-Army Bedford MJ which David bought for £4000 in January 2007 with just over 32,000 miles on the clock. ‘It had to be an older vehicle, to be affordable,’ says David. ‘An older truck using more basic last-generation technology was a good option as it would be repairable by the average bush mechanic or ourselves
alongside the road.’

Read the full article in the July issue – 

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202407

For much the last decade, Defender building has shifted its focus from purpose and practicality to looks and lifestyle. As the vehicles’ values went up and up without any sign of ever reaching a ceiling, demand for blinged 90s and 110s appeared unquenchable –
the result being that now the market has adjusted itself to a slightly more sane position, it’s flooded with shiny Land Rovers rocking big alloys and trick paint.

Shiny Land Rovers do look good, if you’re into that. And some of the trucks the bling artists created during that period really
were quite mind-blowing. As that market moves relentlessly upwards, however, and gets more and more formulaic as a result,
individual builds are moving back in the direction of purpose and practicality.

A good Defender is still a pretty valuable thing, however. So we’re not seeing a return to the days when people would cut one up and go bashing it off trees at Tong or Slindon, or CCV-ing its brains out with their local Rover club. Instead, the new zeitgeist in Defender building is to turn a 110 into a long-range camper or expedition vehicle.

Read the full article in the July issue – 

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202407

LOWER CLAERWEN IS ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE GREEN LANES ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. Running alongside the Afon Claerwen river, between the head of Caban-coch Reservoir and the Claerwen Dam, it’s around two and a half miles long and packs in a variety of rocks, potentially deep water and supreme scenery. Towards its western end, this is dominated by the looming presence of the dam – beneath which, the trail begins or ends with lengthy ford over the confluence of the Claerwen and Afon Arban.

The lane has always been challenging in places; the rocks are tricky, particularly when travelling from the east, and when water in Claerwen Reservoir is overtopping the dam it’s a sure sign that it’ll be over your hubs, too. All this, and the wonderful isolation of the landscape as you pick your way along the valley floor, make it a highlight of any lane run in an area which is not short of classic rights of way.

Over the last year or so, however, the condition of the rock sections has slowly changed and they have become more extreme. This has led to drivers of less well equipped vehicles looking for alternative routes around the obstacles – causing off-piste damage to the adjacent land. As a result, the Green Lane Association has called for restraint in its use, specifically asking drivers not to attempt it in standard vehicles.

Read the full article in the July issue – 

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202407

Ineos Automotive has acted to address an issue in the Grenadier range which saw customers being unable to claim their VAT back on Utility models. The Grenadier Commercial, which starts at a basic £51,931 in the UK, has been modified to comply with regulations on its tax status, also allowing customers to run one as a company vehicle while enjoying the lower income tax rate on benefits in kind.

Built in the same factory as the rest of the Grenadier range, the Commercial is converted ex-works by EDC of Pontypool. The result is a vehicle with aluminium inserts in place of the rear passenger windows, blacked out glazing on the rear doors and permanently disabled chassis mounting points to prevent a second row of seats from being added afterwards.

The truck has a full-length flat floor with a full-height bulkhead behind its two front seats, and can carry a standard 1200mm x 800mm Euro pallet. Its cargo area has a total capacity of more than 2000 litres; as with the rest of the range, you can depend upon a 3500kg towing capacity. Ineos also says that the Commercial has ‘5.5 tonnes of winching power for recovering itself or other vehicles’ when so equipped.

Read the full article in the July issue – 

https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202407