Discovery Camper The story of a truly sensational one-off conversion

from 4x4 Magazine - October 2021

by Assignment Media Ltd

Botswana An entire world of ecosystems in one almost deserted nation

PRIMED FOR ADVENTURE

Richard Barnett used to gaze longingly at the immaculate 300Tdi Land Rover Discovery parked on his friend’s driveway. Finally, the great day came when the vehicle became his – and its journey from urban runabout to sensational off-road camper could begin

Words: Mike Trott Pictures: Mike Trott, David Sharp and Richard Barnett

FOR ADVENTURE

For many 4x4 drivers, it’s the globetrotting adventures that they dream of most.

You can tell yourself that you’re happy enough just using your Landcruiser to drive the kids to school, that the limit of your ambitions for your Wrangler is the odd local playday, or that you enjoy just tinkering and making sure your Series III hasn’t lost a fatal amount of fl uid to your driveway this week, but is that really the extent of your curiosity?

Obviously, everyday family life can put a spanner in the works of expedition planning. But there are plenty of overlanders out there to show you that you really can live for the open road.

Take Richard Barnett, for instance. A man of Discovery, in more ways than one. Richard didn’t just see his Land Rover as a ticket to go on distant adventures. Instead, he took the decision to convert it into the perfect overland truck.

However, it began with Richard gazing with envy at his mate’s Land Rover.

‘Every time I saw it, the truck was immaculate,’ recalls Richard. ‘So I said, “If you ever want to sell it, let me know.”’

At the time, the Land Rover was a regular 300Tdi Discovery, fi nished in blue. But a lot has changed since then.

It was seven years ago when the Discovery was relinquished into Richard’s possession, by which time he had already experienced his fi rst expedition whilst travelling with Atlas Overland on one of their Pyrenees treks.

‘The Pyrenees trip was around ten years ago and gave me the taste. Then the Discovery came along,’ smiles Richard. Morocco and Corsica were also ticked off the list, again whilst using Atlas Overland, but now at the wheel of the blue Disco. Somewhere along the line, though, the blue exterior transformed into the yellow complexion you see here.

‘The Camel Trophy idea came about after I bought it,’ says Richard. I’d always wanted a Camel, but could never justify the sort of price

The off-road prep is that of a typical playday or laning build, with a raised air intake, solid steering guard, +2” Bearmach suspension lift and tubular bumper and A-bar on top of a heavy-duty winch mount. We doubt you’ll have seen anything like this cab-top roof rack before, though – the pop-top camper body means space is short, in every sense of the word, but there’s still room for a space wheel up there and that makes it precious. As you can see in the picture below, the legs of the roof rack also make a very handy anchoring point for a washing line – which, if you’re sharing a vehicle for weeks at a time, is the sort of things you’ll most likely come to appreciate more than most people could ever comprehend

The cabin is like that thing from the Generation Game. Dash-top pod… antenna… tablet mount… power supply… dash cam… mobile phone cradle… seat covers… pair of shades… cuddly toy. Brucie would have approved

Left: These days, a Land Rover without climate control would be incomprehensible. But it was only standard on high-spec versions of the Discovery 1 – hence this little reminder of what life was like in the early days of expedition travel Right: Something else they didn’t have in the early days of expedition travel was electronics. Not to worry, though, Richard’s Disco has enough of those on board to make up for everyone else

“The whole thing was fabricated from scratch. I didn’t want it too wide or big – it’s only three inches wider on each side than a regular Discovery”

people ask for them. So I went and got some yellow paint and stickers instead.’

To show off the Discovery’s new paint job, Richard celebrated with another overland trip, this time to the edge of the Arctic Circle and the depths of Scandinavia. Up until this point, he and his partner had been using roof tents – at first a Howling Moon and then latterly their preferred Maggiolina – and for a time this was perfectly acceptable. But an even better set-up, dreamt up by Richard, was soon to become a reality.

‘The problem was that we found when the weather turned bad we didn’t really have anywhere to go,’ explains Richard. ‘The awning would provide a bit of protection, but just didn’t cut it. Climbing up and down the ladder, especially after a drink or two, that wasn’t going to cut it either…’

So when the Discovery started showing signs of corrosion on the rear, Richard decided that rather than weld the issue away for a year or so, the time had come to convert the truck into a proper overlanding camper.

Built on his garage floor with some assistance from a few mates, Richard set about constructing a new rear frame and body for the Discovery that would allow for sleeping inside the vehicle, whilst still housing all the kit needed on expeditions.

Top: The contents of the rear body are meticulously arranged to make every last scrap of space work for its living. Richard planned its design with storage on one side and windows on the other – and in between them is a double bed which folds away when not in use. The panel on the back of the cab is home to a variety of items, including a pair of speakers, a carbon monoxide alarm, a solarpanel monitor and a panel for the night-time heating Above right: Tucked in to the right of the back body, just ahead of the rear door, is an Engel fridge-freezer Right: One of the final parts of the jigsaw to fall in to place, the rear door was created to provide additional storage space. The drop-down shelf seen to the bottom right illustrates just how three-dimensional its design is

The rear body was designed to be as usable as possible in every way, and there are countless fittings, hatches and stowage holes all around it for this very reason. A recovery rope is stashed just behind the offside rear wheel, for example, and a door above the nearside tail-lights opens to reveal a pull-out shower

‘The whole thing ended up being fabricated from scratch and I took sheets down to a metal folder in Cardiff,’ says Richard. ‘I didn’t want it too wide or too big, so it’s only three inches wider on each side than a regular Discovery. And the thinner walls give you lots of extra space.’

Still on the same chassis and original body mounts, the Discovery now runs a mid-duty 2” lift from Bearmach and Pro-Comp shocks, which are slightly softer and provide a better ride quality when travelling across desert. Having now been to Morocco three times, it’s probably safe to take Richard’s word for it!

Richard continues, ‘We thought about having the bed up in the roof, but the car could have done with being two feet longer. It was all planned out, though, with windows on one side and storage on the other.’

Towards the top, there’s a solar panel, carbon monoxide alarm and night heater panel, while a fridge sits near the rear door – which in turn is a relatively new addition after a friend folded it to aid with interior space and storage options. Things are kept simple in here to minimise any issues. The cabin, for example, is backed with a sheet of canvas using Velcro to stop dust getting into the rear when on the move.

Having completed the conversion, it’s no surprise that Richard has been finding any excuse to get out into the world.

‘We’ve now done most of the Atlas Overland destinations, although we’re looking at Portugal next,’ he says. ‘Morocco is the off-roader’s dream and while the people and culture are fabulous, for driving it’s great. It’s a proper full-on adventure. But if you’re one for relaxing, Corsica is probably the favourite.’

You begin to wonder whether there is anywhere left for Richard to explore, but actually one of the top priorities on the bucket list lies on the doorstep.

‘Scotland is one place we’d really like to visit, or the Outer Hebrides to be exact.’ See, adventure is everywhere. And with his Discovery now fully converted into a dedicated overlanding machine, Richard is a man on a mission to make the most of it wherever he goes.

PRODUCTS

MAXXIS AIMS TO MAKE ITS PRESENCE FELT WITH ‘MAKE AN IMPACT’ PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN

MAXXIS HAS LAUNCHED a promotional campaign with a difference. Called Make an Impact, this will see the tyre manufacturer reaching out to help those who pride themselves on supporting others.

Kicking off in May, the Make an Impact campaign comprises what Maxxis describes as ‘a series of community outreach programmes, local grass-roots sponsorships, charity initiatives, giveaways and more.’ Operated in collaboration with UK distributor Stapleton’s Tyre Services, it will run for several months, bringing together ‘a series of ideas to help local businesses, charities and individuals that deserve recognition.’

The first initiative in the programme saw Maxxis inviting its followers on social media to nominate local heroes for recognition. The company has also introduced a Blue Light Card partnership, through which members of the emergency services can claim cashbacks when buying full sets of Maxxis tyres.

Maxxis, whose wide range of all-terrain and off-road tyres are well known in 4x4 circles, will also be donating to a range of charities in a variety of outreach programmes this year.

‘We are truly excited about the Make an Impact campaign and we can’t wait to hit the ground running to really make a difference this year,’ said Brand Manager Samantha Allatt. ‘Maxxis are one of the world’s top ten tyre manufacturers and have a ready-made platform that is perfect for helping local communities throughout the UK. We believe that so many businesses and individuals have been overlooked with their work during the past year – which is why we are wanting to step in to thank them, by giving back.’