Ben Nevis – 4 berth Defender 110 Campervan

Ben Nevis is my 4-berth 4x4 camper. He is a lovingly converted Landrover Defender 110 td5.

Ben is the perfect 4x4 camper for those looking to drive a classic rugged machine. He will go most places without any difficulty at all but does like to be kept at 60mph on motorways. If trying out a true overland experience in a true classic with all the modern amenities is for you then Ben Nevis is your choice.
Oh, and yes, Ben has been to Ben Nevis ;)

The Build

I designed this build for my family and started from the bottom up, removing all the original carpeting, seats. Then Ben was fully soundproofed to make the cabin more insulated.

The front seats were replaced with raised, super comfy TDCI seats and the original seats were re-fitted on custom frames in the back. Durable Exmoor safari canvas was then put on the seats.

In the interior I installed two useful cubby boxes, one for the front seats and one for the second-row seats. The boot was then lined with wood to give it a nice camper feel, and a fold-away table was fitted so the boot could also double up as a cosy and useful sitting area in case of bad weather.

I new head unit, satnav, and 13" wood steering wheel make the driving experience so much better really making it a pleasure to drive such a big machine.

I also installed a simple hook system to the chassis to allow a hammock to stretch from one end of the camper to the other adding an extra sleeping area

Ben's original gearbox was replaced with a discovery II reconditioned gearbox for smoother (and quieter) motorway driving. The original wheels were replaced with 31" mud terrain tyres and steel wheels. a roll cage was fitted and finally the awning and badlands roof tent.

A 110ah leisure battery and a Jackery 250 power bank have also been installed giving Ben oodles of power for most electrical needs like phones, laptops, fridges and more. If you need to charge up the batteries it's as simple as plugging him into the 3-pin power supply found in most campsites or, using the 100w solar panel to charge the batteries.

The Badlands 110 Rooftent

Badlands tents are a revolution in luxury camping. Quick, painless and versatile, the Badlands roof tent will make you the envy of other campers. Simply rock up and deploy!

With the easy-to-use high-quality hydraulic opening and closing system, you can be set up and relaxing in just a few minutes (while others struggle with fly sheets and tent poles!)

Only the highest quality materials have been selected for our roof tents.

The tent sleeps 2/3 adults on the included luxurious foam mattress, which guarantees a comfortable elevated night sleep several feet away from the hard ground, bugs and insects you may have previously encountered camping.

The internal shell is dressed with high-quality padded and diamond-stitched headlining for a prestige finish. Weatherproof flaps and zips have been utilised anywhere where water ingress might be possible.

The included telescopic ladder makes access a doddle and the easy roof bar/rack mounting system means the Badlands 110 tents can be fitted to a wide range of vehicles of various sizes

-Badlands roof tent text is courtesy of stomp distribution ltd -

What does 4 berth mean for Ben?
Ben has four seats, meaning he can carry four passengers. The Badlands roof tent fits two adults comfortably, the hammock brings the total amount of sleeping areas to 3. You can (from experience) fit a third person in the roof tent but this is not recommended as it is a bit tight. Instead, a single pop-up tent can be included with the rental at no extra charge for a fourth customer.

The Camping Gear

what's in the box? To make the camping experience as comfortable as possible I packed all the camping gear in one large box. this includes cutlery, pots, pans, stove, water container, washing up kit, solar shower, first aid kit and more.

Included in the gear are four comfortable camping chairs, a full camping kitchen, a windbreaker, and a camping table. These stack neatly in the boot over the camping box.