deep

With my last Range Rover, I borrowed a Mallory optical distributor and put a small snorkel (tractor style) on the left wing (so I could at least see the intake was above water level!). That car did many river crossings. On one trip, water came over the bonnet five times and the engine literally didn't miss a beat. Even better, the diffs, gearbox, transfer box and even swivel housings didn't get any water in them either. A properly sorted and maintained Range Rover is a good river vehicle (though I realise you have lost your door seals 😇) - you just need the right distributor and proper waterproofing on HT leads and the coil. Those Mallory optical distributors aren't cheap but are definitely worth it!

Very neat, as always. Gosh, three years...

Yup, that's what I was referring to. Because the bed is on its own struts, you don't need much to overcome the suspension movement on the other side - though the old-school cart springs I suspect that car has probably don't give anywhere near as easily as a coil-sprung Land Rover! It has to be said - I am amused at the concern that a Hi-Lift might pop out or start undoing itself. I think anyone going to the trouble of setting up a serious camping rig would have that well under control. It's not like we are all teenagers who borrowed Dad's bread van for a weekend away with the girlfriend... 😇

"Safe" would depend entirely on how it's all set up. Definitely safer than when used in a recovery situation! I got the idea from a wonderful box-body camper I saw on the back of a Nissan ute at Merty merty, in the back blocks of Australia (wonderful, because the top hinged out 180 degrees, automatically popping up a tent roof and creating a double bed space and a covered area outside). As others have chipped in above, there are other more purpose designed ways to stabilise your parked vehicle. They all do the same job but, as you would want a Hi-Lift with you anyway on any sort of adventure requiring a Land Rover, it was a pragmatic idea. I have also recently seen a few of those big white campers (which are spreading like a rash across the country) using a stepped wedge under one or two wheels to get the rig level for the night. A simple and secure idea, but quite a big thing to store while on the move.

Grab a couple of HiLift jacks. When you set up camp, stick one each side and use them to level the vehicle. They will also stop it rocking while you are in it.

I've been in that workshop. It's pretty draughty and there is decent ceiling height. I can't see carbon monoxide poisoning being an issue personally, though it is a very good point.

Suspension travel on that 2CV is impressive!

Looks like people have been inventive with Land Rover campers for quite some time...

Wow! Not long after I bought my current Apple laptop, an advisory came out about the battery and they fitted a newer type for free. You do tend to think it is paranoia but Lithium can be very dangerous. Remember those exploding Samsung phones a few years ago? Glad you caught it and thanks a lot for sharing that - it's a real world experience we can show people.

I enjoyed the video. Quite nice having the benefit of a year, 10,000 miles and no wash, as opposed to the hype that comes from over-excited reviewers when a vehicle is new. Quite a lot of his observations would apply to any Land Rover product dating from the Freelander 2 (I drive a six cylinder version) - surprisingly effective off-road on less aggressive tyres, comfortable, quick and well-mannered on the road (except the steering is way too light) and a load area that could be a lot more practical without intrusions and a "soft" focus. Maybe we could exclude the cavern in the back of a Disco 3/4 from that but none of them are designed primarily for freight. Of course, the Defender is the better model in the current stable for roughish farm and forestry work (witness the decent dent in that sump guard!). In that respect, I actually see the appeal in using the 90. A bit smaller, a bit more nimble and less tempting to try to cram big loads into than the 110. If it has to work, use a trailer, otherwise it is less encumbered. That makes it much nicer than a crew cab pickup, which always takes it's built-in trailer with it. I do think that, for people living in flat country seen in that video, that a Disco Sport would perform the same function quite well, except the limited towing capacity is restrictive. Most of the time, you wouldn't know the difference! His point about cost is very relevant. If he lived here, though, he might find the laws around depreciation make that cost very helpful in keeping him down in a lower tax bracket - until that awkward moment when he goes to sell it and suddenly it's worth far more than the books say...

Probably a fair assessment of where Land Rover currently sits and how the Grenadier compares. Very strange that they take the nasty 4Runner seriously though. Shocking suspension and it needs electronics to make it work too!

You have my deep sympathy. I lived in the south of England for a few months many years ago and was appalled at the situation country workers found themselves in. You should be reassured that, just by caring and thinking about the future consequences of how we live, you are doing better than most and something will definitely stick with your kids. Just watch it happen! I've decided my dire current circumstances also have given me an opportunity. I am standing for regional council in our local elections. Regional councils here are tasked with certain aspects of environmental management and public transport. I really hope I can get voted on, so that I can help steer public thinking to less trendy and more logical solutions, not to mention towards a more cooperative and less blame-slinging culture. We will see! Inevitably, the topic of electric vehicles will come up for debate... Can you imagine local authorities considering electric conversions rather than full-on vehicle replacement for short run transport? These ideas must be rattling around thousands of authorities across our planet these days.

This is the aspect of humanity that amazes me the most. Except it is not really stupidity at fault. It's that massive weakness in most of us that wants to indulge to the max. It's so strong that it completely overcomes any fear of the future, bringing on wild optimism ("someone will come up with something"), wild pessimism ("we're all going to die anyway, let's enjoy ourselves now") or just the more common "I don't want to know" attitude. Even though the information is out there, the majority of people either act like they don't care or do something like buy an electric car or recycle some plastic and carry on like that has fixed it. It hasn't.

Goash, I've got so many! I like this one:

Looks like at least 7 anti-Apple bigots on this site. Your choice. Just don't promulgate myths. The move to lightning was intended to improve on the multi-pin iPod type plug on the best selling gadgets in the world. Micro-USB didn't provide what was needed. They did it first and have stuck with it for a decade, standardising on phones and iPads. No deliberate move from standardisation and, as you point out, less of a mess than the hotchpotch various "competitors" used. You might think it is great fun to bully a mega company. I try not to be nasty but I really hope the day comes when someone forces you to stop doing something you rely on just because your neighbours have started using something newer. Anyway, unless we talk about the Apple Car, we are off topic so I'll leave you to your strong bias.

Maybe that is the case where you live but not here. The trip I mentioned with my sister patiently knitting was mostly done on THE main highway that runs down the centre of the country (a bit like the M1/A1 in the UK). I'm sure, if you run a battery car, that you quickly learn where chargers are but I barely see them. They just aren't common yet and I'm 100% sure the vast bulk of charging is done at home here. Unless you can guarantee a 400 mile range in hilly country with an overnight charge, it's completely unusable for work. It's not myths and misconceptions, it's the reality of where you live and what you do. I know some people who love their electric cars and push their limits. They still borrowed a petrol one for a big road trip recently! Oh yes, who wants to break up a journey with stops in crowded, noisy, disease-ridden and expensive places attached to petrol stations? I much prefer to pull off the road, have a stretch by a river or beach and a snooze under a tree...

Back to the topic at hand, lots of good points added here in the last day. Electric can be great IF you can afford it; can charge it adequately at home (without some kids cutting the cable or stealing your power!); mostly drive shortish range; and are happy with where the power and components come from. For a lot of us, we would need to own two cars; or carry a heavy, spare petrol/diesel motor around all the time like hybrids do. Charging on the road, though, is far too challenging. My sister and her husband very recently bought a brand new Kia something electric car. Last weekend, they undertook their first road trip. It necessitated charging en route, of course. At first, they were happy with coffee concept but, on the way home, the coffee shop closed before they had enough charge. They moved on to another charging station, from where she posted a Fbook picture of the knitting she was doing while waiting to charge. Once more and more people are lining up, there will be time to do a lot more knitting. Because I can't knit, I would find that sort of forced wait VERY tedious. It would be untenable for work because our deadlines are already nigh unreachable.

I assume you are just being impolite about Apple? Remember, they were using lightning on their phones before other phones were using USB-C. If you want to force anybody to change, it shouldn't be the people who have standardised for the longer time! It's a very nasty attitude and promulgated by people with vested interests. Actually, the only USB-C anything I own is the unusable charging cable that came with my phone. Unusable because it needs a USB-C charger that didn't come with the phone...

I'm even more jealous of the trucks they have in Russia! Some of them get close to our legal maximum weight without carrying any payload; they are left-hand drive; and the nasty invasion of the Ukraine means that nearly no chance of ever seeing one here is now no chance at all. Still, one can only dream and, boy, do they have some dream campers.

My Freelander 2 is a 2008 model. Owning it has been a real eye-opener. Yes, there are good aspects to it but they are not reliability or fixability (try removing the alternator from that Volvo 6. Good grief, who designed that??). Worse than that, though, is the Big Brother stuff. Beepers and buzzers and gearbox and throttle that don't quite let you be in charge. Then the way over-assisted steering which has become almost normal these days, coupled with ridiculously stiff anti-roll/sway bars ('cos, you know, the Nurburgring thing...). Anything newer is even worse. I agree that nobody makes a car any more that I WANT to buy. I think, however, that the Grenadier might have less of that junk than most and it does come with proper windows and a great layout (structurally and body-wise). It has more appeal than the rest anyway.

Not so sure "problems/complaints" is a helpful way to look at it. The new Defender is highly complex and undesirable to a lot of people for that reason (replacing an engine because even the factory can't fix the check engine light; replacing the whole vehicle because someone cut a wiring loom installing a towbar etc.). Other people are addicted to the gadgets and love it. The Grenadier is as functional as modern regulations allow. The Defender will be quicker around the Nurburgring, the Grenadier will be easier to keep going for twenty or thirty years. Both end up being spacious, comfortable and capable of travelling into pretty rough terrain but your choice will depend on what you value. For me, the new Defender is really a bit of a joke, while the Grenadier is genuinely desirable.

Though, having said that, I saw a flashy but ordinary camper van yesterday, happily parked on a bit of softish ground very near a couple of bogged Toyota four wheel drives. The juxtaposition was wonderful!

I saw a Japanese four wheel drive truck which had a camper body vaguely similar to the one in the original post, except it was made our of fibreglass and looked like an upturned boat. Truly ugly but possible easier to fix when the driver, inevitably, misjudges some low branches and drags a hole in the bodywork. Either way, the concept is clearly very appealing. I mean, if you are going to spend a few kazzilions on a flashy camper van, you may as well buy one that gets you to the better campsites!

There are a number of caravans and vans around here that people sell coffee etc. out of. I recall one or two look like that aluminium one and that shouting "look at me" is a good thing for the owners. Which would be a pain when travelling - people continually knocking on the door wanting to buy a coffee!! That would annoy me, as I don't drink coffee...

Maybe, though nowhere near as artistic...