Real Landy tales

In this new series, we bring you inspiring stories from ordinary folk

STEVE PURVIS, WARWICKSHIRE @STEVE _ OVERLAND

OCCUPATION:

Colour & Trim Coordinator at JLR MY DRIVE: Defender 110, converted for camping/expedition travel FAVOURITE DESTINATIONS:

Spain/morocco/australia DREAM LAND ROVER TRIP: ‘The big lap’, Australia

THE EBAY DEFENDER: Steve’s Defender was an ebay purchase about four years ago that he went up on the train with a pocket full of cash to collect and the 400-mile return journey to Warwickshire was the first time he drove it.

‘‘It started as a green pick-up,’‘ said Steve. ‘‘I had a very specific plan for this vehicle and I knew what I wanted – a 300Tdi, and a galvanised chassis.’’

The Defender had belonged to a landscaper and, in Steve’s words, looked like someone had attacked it with a sledgehammer. There was also the state of the wiring loom, which was pretty terrifying. ‘‘A lorry nearly drove into the back of us – it turned out we had no rear brake lights. When I looked underneath, the top of the chassis was covered in yellow and green domestic electrical tape. We just took the whole lot out and replaced it.’’

Only the three doors and the bonnet remain – it’s had a new tub and wings, and Alu-cab pop roof. The roof conversion was done by Coastline Campers, while the bodywork and respray – in Chawton White – was done by Black Paw.

‘‘Everything else I’ve done myself - wiring, the awning, refitting the inside, adding the roof rack,’’ says Steve.

PURPOSE-BUILT:

The Defender is an expedition vehicle, not for hardcore off-roading, Steve goes on to explain: ‘‘The rear diff and winch are our ‘get out of jail’ cards, but we shouldn’t really need them.’’

With an Army background, Steve is no stranger to staying under canvas, but with the Defender he’s built a very different camping experience. ‘‘My father said, ‘any idiot can be uncomfortable’ – I’ve spent enough of my life faffing around with guy ropes and blow-up camp beds. With the Defender, we’ve got a full-size double mattress and it takes less than five minutes to put up the roof tent, pull out the awning and get the kettle on. If you’re only staying somewhere for a night, it simplifies everything.’’

AUSTRALIAN INFLUENCE:

Steve has spent time in Australia due to his work with Land Rover and family connections, and is a big fan of their off-roading scene. ‘‘A lot of the modifications I’ve done to the vehicle are based on what the Australian market does – DC to DC chargers, for example, and the CTEC battery management system.’’

In 2012 Steve was with Land Rover in Australia for the Lions tour, and spent a lot of time off-roading, visiting Fraser Island, Noosa and Rainbow Beach.

‘‘Ultimately, I want to do a full lap of Australia – ‘the big lap’ as they call it. That’s what we’re building the Defender for. We’re going to drive the same route that I did for the One Millionth Discovery, Birmingham to Beijing, but we’re going to go around China, down through East Asia and then do a full lap of Australia.’’

CLOSER TO HOME:

There’s no shortage of favourite destinations for Steve, who fondly recalls going to the Land Rover party in Spain. ‘‘We led a group of ten vehicles through the Pyrenees, up Smugglers’ Pass and then into Les Comes for the Land Rover party – that was epic.’’

COMMUNITY:

Steve has gained a substantial Instagram following, with around 3.5k followers watching his Land Rover work and adventures. He’s modest about the attention though: ‘‘I had no particular goal, it just happened. A lot of the ideas I’ve had for the Land Rover are from the internet, so I feel like it’s nice for me to share my own ideas with other people.’’

There’s also an important sense of community – especially when it comes to responsible enjoyment of the land and greenlaning. ‘‘My advice to anybody is, if you’re going to go greenlaning, you shouldn’t go faster than if you were walking. If you need monster tyres to drive through the track, you probably shouldn’t be driving it.’’