A REFINED MODERN CLASSIC
This overland enthusiast added the right touches where it counts on a Land Rover LR4 to deliver even more off-road prowess.
IT ALL STARTED IN KAUAI, HI. I was celebrating my one-year anniversary the week of March 15 2020. The idea of overlanding had long appealed to us as it incorporated our passion for camping with the desire to keep exploring new places.
On our final day in Kauai, we started searching for the ideal vehicle to build into an ultimate off-road overlanding rig. We have appreciated the Land Rover Defender for years and dreamed of importing a Defender 110 from Europe for our project vehicle but didn’t have the time or budget.
Within a week of returning from Kauai and combing the classifieds, we got lucky and found the exact vehicle – a 2013 low-kilometre, white LR4. We didn’t waste any time and purchased it. But with summer only a few months away, we knew we had to get our project off the ground. Our build list was massive and it took months to complete.
We were told that the first rule of thumb for re-building an off-road rig is to work from the ground up. So, we began by upgrading the wheels and tires, and then added body armor to include skid plates, rock sliders, a custom front winch bumper, and rear bumper with custom-built dual rear swingouts including the spare tire and ladder.
The LR4 comes equipped with factory air suspension, but as we wanted the ability to adjust the pressure of our tires for off-road use, we installed a dual air system. Since we had the air supply, we also tucked an air horn behind the winch for those situations when the factory model just doesn’t cut it. Our build list also included a roof rack and rooftop tent.
When it came to the interior, we built a
custom drawer system to securely store camping gear and recovery equipment. To get a little more punch out of the 17-speaker 1200-watt factory sound system, a JL Audio 12” 400watt subwoofer was installed. Our lighting preferences included eight large rally lights and 10 perimeter-mounted dual mode ditch lights. Lastly, for safety and security, we put in a front and rear dash-cam with sentry mode for 24/7 monitoring.
Unfortunately, we didn’t complete the build until near the end of the summer, but we were still anxious to get out and test the LR4’s true mettle before winter. So, we decided to join the Rover-Landers of BC club, which consists of a group of Land Rover enthusiasts who like to put their rigs through the terrain they were designed to tackle.
With only a couple of weekend runs left in the season at the time, we started our first adventure in the LR4 on a club-organized trip to Blowdown Pass located about an hour straight north of Hope, BC.
Since we departed from Squamish (about three hours to the southwest from Blowdown Pass) this was an overnight trip that involved running to an elevation of 1,828 m (6,000 ft), followed by traversing West Harrison Lake Forest Service Road as part of the return trip home – the perfect club event to take the LR4 through its initial paces without getting too extreme.
We met with a group of 16 members at the rally point and convoyed our way up to Pemberton, BC, which was our last fuel stop before leaving the highway. As we ascended
Blowdown Pass, we immediately appreciated the terrain-response of our LR4 – from the air-ride suspension to provide off road comfort to the raised suspension that assisted greatly in navigating over difficult terrain.
Even though we encountered diverse weather and rough roads, it didn’t slow us down. Our LR4 performed amazingly with no issues throughout the entire trip. The summit of Blowdown Pass didn’t disappoint either. As we were met with high winds and cold temperature at the summit, we were reminded why we were doing this – we were at a place few people get to see and truly appreciate. The photographer in me was in heaven.
On the drive home, we stopped for lunch at a little-known beach called Doctors Island along the northwest coast of Harrison Lake. Access was a little spur route off the main forest service road, which was overgrown with some tough terrain that would have certainly challenged a stock-equipped 4x4. A testament to this was a 4x4 SUV upside down over the bank – an obvious reminder of how dangerous the terrain was. Fortunately, all of our members completed the trip without incident.
The day wrapped up with one rover-lander suffering two flat tires on the drive home. With the help of fellow members offering up their spares, he was able to get home safely. This was also a reminder of how important it is to travel with a good quality full-size spare tire, air pump and tire repair kits for off road trips.
Following our first adventure, there is now snow in the forecast and we are excited to see where our next adventure will take us.