A 'STIRLING' JOB!

Like all my plans of late, an evening with this bright blue ex-ambulance didn’t initially go according to plan, but I won’t bore you with the details, only to say that I spent an inordinate amount of time stationary both on the M62 and M6. I reckon I lost a good couple of hours out of my day due to road works, stray animals and a stranded lorry. I was motionless for so long I thought about setting up camp! Whatever the reason, the motorway gods weren’t on my side.

It all started because Mark from Overland Campers, over in Halifax, asked if I fancied spending a few nights away in one of his camper vans, and of course I said yes.

After a long chat and sorting out insurance details, Mark gave me the keys to Stirling, a Land Rover Defender Pulse battlefield ambulance that he had professionally converted into a very smart and practical camper.

I haven’t driven a ‘proper’ Land Rover for a while, in fact I’ve never driven a 130, never mind an ambulance, so driving him was quite a culture shock. However, it didn’t take long for me to get used to his quirks and to begin enjoying the experience.

Stirling’s front seats are standard for Defender of that era and are thoroughly comfortable. I know some people moan, but as a 6ft 2”, 18 stone bloke, I’ve always found them supportive, even on long journeys, but one thing I’d forgotten about was ‘Land Rover elbow’!

My plan was to join the M62, M61 and M6 and head north. I had 3 camping spots in mind, and I figured I would visit each one whilst I still had light to see which I preferred, however, the aforementioned hold-ups on the M62 and M6 put paid to that.

Stirling certainly stands out - he isn’t a subtle camper, and created a lot of attention - I noticed a few passengers (and drivers),taking photos as they overtook us!

In all the stop start traffic I have to give credit where credit’s due, Stirling’s clutch was actually kinder to my left knee than I thought it would be. I’m not going to say that it made the journey pleasurable, but definitely bearable.

My first stop was at Middleton Sands for a quick brew and photo shoot. I was planning one of those cool selfie photos, you know the ones, me sat on the bonnet supping a mug of coffee - but it was too bloomin’ windy - and cold, so I didn’t stay long.

I had three options for my overnight stay, by a brook next to a small hamlet called Lupton, up a rocky green lane not far off the A65 near Westhouse, or next to another ford by the green lane just north of Ingleton Falls.

Turning right just after Lupton I engaged first gear low-box and headed down the steep single track lane to the brook at the bottom. The 130 handled the steep and loose descent with ease, despite all his extra weight.

Once at the bottom I parked up next to the brook, pondered for a while, and concluded that this wasn’t the spot, not for tonight at least. Engaging second low-box, Stirling crawled up the hill, his coil suspension unaffected by the undulations. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed taking older Defenders green laning.

By this time it was getting quite dark, and the wind had picked up significantly, so I dismissed the second lane I had in mind as it is quite high up on the moors, and open to the elements. Plus, the darkness meant I wouldn’t have been able to see how close I was to the gate posts as Stirling’s back body is wider than his front.

Third option it was then.

After finding, and reversing onto a level spot (the reversing camera helped here), I closed the two external flaps (there's probably a better name for them) to keep the light in, and the night out. These are the panels that when opened show the original Red Cross sign.

Mark cleverly designed the build so that when opened up they cover both side windows, eliminating the need for curtains.

The rest of the blinds inside do a fantastic job of keeping in the lightideal for wild and stealth camping.

And so it was time for tea. Grabbing my chilli, and a can of Guinness from the built-in fridge freezer, I set it in motion on the 2-hob gas cooker. It’s all very civilised. As you can see from the images, the layout is spot on. On one side there’s the cooking and food preperation area, and on the other there’s a table and comfortable seating for four. Incidentally, two of the seats have three-point seatbelts for passengers. The Pulse body is wide enough to have a decent gangway in between the table and galley, and behind the seating area is the shower and toilet cubical.

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Suitably stuffed I was going to go for a short walk, but not only was it pitch-black and had begun raining, but the temperature had dropped, so I thought better of it. Instead I cranked up the LPG heater and for the next few hours I typed away on the iPad finishing articles for this month’s issue, as well planning future issues.

There was just me, the wind, rain and some other weird noises outside that I was confident was just my imagination; that said, I had recently watched Dog Soldiers!

At around 10pm I popped up into the roof, crawled in my sleeping bag and nodded off, with only the occasional downpour disturbing my slumber.

The following morning arrived dark, misty and damp, and after taking a quick shower I put the kettle on, and made a bacon butty.

At around 6.45am the sun began to make an appearance, and other than the odd sheep and an occasional passing fish in the river Twiss, I was alone. Although I enjoyed the solitude, I did miss the company of Muddy Madam and Lilly, The Mud Life Dog, so after making a quick video or two for our socials, and a taking a few more photos, I headed back to Mark’s place over in Halifax. Good timing too, as soon as I joined the motorway the heavens opened, and it continued to rain heavily all the way from junction 36 on the M6 to the Huddersfield turn off on the M62.

Stirling handled the flooded motorways like the trooper he is, at a steady 60mph he only lost umph on the steeper inclines, but dropping from 5th to 4th made sure I wasn’t holding any of the HGVs up.

Driving Mark’s Defender has seriously whetted my appetite for a camper of some sort. The ability to drive somewhere off the beaten track, setting up for the night and leaving, just as you found it, if not better, appeals to me so much more today than it did yesterday.

I think Stirling is a bit too big for Muddy Madam and myself, but I’ve got my eye on another of his smaller campers, however, it’s a tad out of our price range, but if some sugar daddy wants to gift me £23k, I would be eternally grateful!

For more details on Stirling, check out his details here - https:// overlandcampers.co.uk/stirling/ and as mentioned elsewhere, he’s for sale, so if you are interested, contact Mark via the website.