Since I don't want to pollute the accessories thread with discussions about whether or not a new Defender is okay for for an overland rig, I'm starting a new thread.
From my perspective, I was contemplating a Defender 110 as a light duty overlander. It has dropped way down on the shortlist given some of the teething issues I've seen (worst sample), although I'm not too worried about hick ups with the infotainment system, I am worried about this being just the tip of the iceberg and it being a possible sign that the software is not just rough, but written in a "suboptimal way" and hard to debug.
For me personally, I'm not looking into full time or even long time overlanding for now. What I'm looking for is a weekend exploring and camping rig, a vehicle with my ground clearance than the average cross-over and more capability to get me out from a trail that might have turned muddy or slippery overnight. I'm not interested in fording actual rivers (or even larger creeks), rock crawling, living away from civilization for extended periods or travel beyond North America, the contiguous US states, Canada, and Alaska have more than enough unpaved back roads and light trails to keep me busy for a while.
My main question started out with a question for accessory installation cost, namely the mud flaps (at least the rears are important since I'm planning to sometimes pull a trailer) and the onboard air compressor. I was quoted what I consider laughable numbers and was curious what people have seen on these accessories. Either self install or shop install when buying a new vehicle.
For the rest of this discussion I think it's a starting point for opinions on the new Defender as a light to medium duty overlander. Roof tent, AT tires, maybe a front winch, and interior purpose built storage might be interesting for others here as well.
Yes, I'm aware that there are vehicles on the market that are more proven and simpler and considered more reliable and while that is worth mentioning, I would say that the Defender SHOULD be able to do the same. How well it does that for people here is probably interesting for others as well. I think everybody is also interested in positive experiences, not just what could possibly go wrong with first year (or second model year if it's a 2021) car.
From my perspective, I was contemplating a Defender 110 as a light duty overlander. It has dropped way down on the shortlist given some of the teething issues I've seen (worst sample), although I'm not too worried about hick ups with the infotainment system, I am worried about this being just the tip of the iceberg and it being a possible sign that the software is not just rough, but written in a "suboptimal way" and hard to debug.
For me personally, I'm not looking into full time or even long time overlanding for now. What I'm looking for is a weekend exploring and camping rig, a vehicle with my ground clearance than the average cross-over and more capability to get me out from a trail that might have turned muddy or slippery overnight. I'm not interested in fording actual rivers (or even larger creeks), rock crawling, living away from civilization for extended periods or travel beyond North America, the contiguous US states, Canada, and Alaska have more than enough unpaved back roads and light trails to keep me busy for a while.
My main question started out with a question for accessory installation cost, namely the mud flaps (at least the rears are important since I'm planning to sometimes pull a trailer) and the onboard air compressor. I was quoted what I consider laughable numbers and was curious what people have seen on these accessories. Either self install or shop install when buying a new vehicle.
For the rest of this discussion I think it's a starting point for opinions on the new Defender as a light to medium duty overlander. Roof tent, AT tires, maybe a front winch, and interior purpose built storage might be interesting for others here as well.
Yes, I'm aware that there are vehicles on the market that are more proven and simpler and considered more reliable and while that is worth mentioning, I would say that the Defender SHOULD be able to do the same. How well it does that for people here is probably interesting for others as well. I think everybody is also interested in positive experiences, not just what could possibly go wrong with first year (or second model year if it's a 2021) car.