ANDY HOFFMAN, EARSHAM, NORFOLK
OCCUPATION: Self-employed garden handyman
MY DRIVES: Land Rover Freelander called ‘Tyson’ – plus a Defender, Series III hybrid and a Discovery 2
FAVOURITE DESTINATIONS: Wherever the Land Rover events are!
DREAM LAND ROVER TRIP: Any greenlaning adventure
WHERE IT ALL STARTED: Andy’s passion for Land Rovers started with a trip to his local car dealer in 2015. ‘I wanted an old Jaguar,’ Andy admits. ‘But when I got there, I saw the Freelander and had to buy it – it was the best decision I’ve ever made.’ His passion grew from there, and in April 2016 he founded the East Anglia Off Roaders Club, which now has 1500 members. With a Discovery 2 and Defender Series III hybrid now parked up next to his Freelander, Andy has an impressive collection of what he refers to as his ‘weekend cars’.
‘It’s an amazing hobby to have,’ he tells us. ‘My Freelander got me into the Land Rover community, greenlaning, and off-roading. I call it Tyson, after the boxer, because he always pulls through no matter how rough the road gets.’
MODIFICATIONS:
In the five years Andy has owned his Freelander, he has transformed it into an off-roading, greenlaning machine. ‘It has 16-inch wheels,’ Andy tells us, ‘a suspension lift, snorkel, roof rack, roof lights on top, an emergency beacon on the back, a cooking shelf, light guards, wind deflectors, a steel sump guard, and a ball and pin towbar for when we’re out and about.
‘I had to put a new engine in it because I drowned the other one washing it with a pressure hose,’ he laughs. ‘I’ve also replaced the head gasket, clutch, wheel bearings and discs. There isn’t much else I can do! Before my Freelander, I never used to do anything on my own cars, not even change my oil. But
Land Rovers make mechanics out of their owners, and I do a lot of it myself now.’
COMMUNITY, CLUBS AND GREEN LANING:
For Andy, the best part about owning his Land Rovers is the community. ‘With Covid, we haven’t been able to do much recently,’ he explains. ‘But normally we’d go out every month to do greenlaning, off-roading, charity convoys, local fetes and big Land Rover events.’
Andy’s Freelander is well known among the community, having won the Best Freelander award at the NFRS Charity Land Rovers Run in Norfolk, as well as making the final for the Modified Land Rover of the Year award at Peterborough. ‘I really love going to the shows,’ says Andy. ‘We’ll usually go in a convoy of eight or ten vehicles, and when you get about 15 miles away from the show you see other Land Rovers; there are always the same clubs and people attending, so I’ve got friends from all over. It’s an amazing way to meet people.’
As a club ambassador for Greenlane Association (GLASS), Andy is experienced when it comes to greenlaning safely. ‘My advice to any potential greenlaners would be to join GLASS, learn their code of conduct, and join a club,’ he tells us. ‘There’s always somebody more experienced than you, so you can learn a lot from others.’
There’s always room for greenlaning mishaps, too. ‘We’ve had people get flat tyres or need to be towed, but we always get everyone back safely. Once,’ Andy recalls, ‘my wife had issues with water getting in, so two guys from a different club helped her out. That’s the thing about the Land Rover community; it’s a family, so we all look after one another.’
FAVOURITE TRIPS:
Andy’s dream Landy destinations are focused on the club. ‘My favourite trips were to shows in Peterborough or Billing,’ he says. ‘We did plan to go to greenlaning in the Brecon Beacons, but it never happened. My wife and I had been planning on taking our Discovery up to Derbyshire this year too, but we’ve decided against it because of Covid.’
‘This year we’re planning on attending the Billing Off Road Show, the Peterborough Show and hopefully the Kelmarsh show,’ Andy tells us. ‘Between the club and the events, I’ve got a great circle of friends.’