Land Rover Defender Budget Camper Conversion. Part 1 - Rear Seats, Headlining, Kitchen and Storage.

[@jaimietheslider]

dam....probably the most most impressive no bullshit old school Defender bloke I've come across on the net. Expert craftsman and your easy to follow problem solving practical thinking is brilliant. I am now rethinking my whole build. Cheers, j

[@trakyboy5128]

As a wood worker. ( Carpenter ) I can honestly say that I like what u did !!!! Well done 👍🏽👍🏽😀 That steady hand on thin strips with the glue bottle is a real tell my friend 🤣😅 😃 cheer's to u son !!! Cool touch with the " natural " handles !!!! Looking forward to the next video !!!

[@MrTwister86660]

Great video Si. The way you described it at the beginning I was expecting it to be terrible 😅

[@ericstoever9577]

Carpenter, bushcrafter, videographer, ‘maker’. I quite like seeing the process, and appreciate you sharing it! Stay safe during lockdown, and say a prayer for us here in the States. Sometimes we’re as dumb as a bag of rocks...

[@KimberlyGreen]

I bet the customers you create for in your 'day job' are universally pleased with your creations.

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Sometimes 😂😂

[@darrellpidgeon6440]

Nice layout. Great build. My Dad, a lifelong hobbyist in cabinetry, would have been impressed. I grew up with the smells of wood working. I still have his teacart with its wooden wheels. A cherished item, for sure.

[@davedodi5376]

103k now! Not surprised, great as usual mate. A nice hour watching you and Kent survival😁

[@freeholdtacticalmed]

Nicely done Simon.

[@Allthingsdefender]

Hey love the handle idea. I’m going to do that with mine

[@ttroy350]

It wouldn’t surprise me if he said he played the instruments in all the music too! Love his videos

[@leslieaustin151]

I’ve often wondered about that.. Les

[@joeambrosino1075]

@@leslieaustin151 Next up: Simon playing a Bagpipe!! ;)

[@barrykirrage7230]

He'd probably have a video on making the bagpipes, clever boy.

[@SteveMerritt]

Same here... and I wouldn’t be surprised at all

[@tomaswmitchellphotography]

Great video!

[@harrywilde2178]

Simon, you're not just a carpenter... you're a bloody genious!!

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Haha - thank you, You are very kind! I’m just a bloke though - saw a problem and played around with ideas until I had a solution - it took three years to get there haha and it’s still not finished!! 😂👍

[@conniewaite1996]

Awesome!gave me some ideas to outfit my jeep.love the tiny stove idea as well as the larger stove outback.thank you

[@suchetadutta1570]

Your so right about that.. 👍👍

[@toStringy]

KZbin randomly suggested this video and I'm glad they did! Looking forward to the other parts. I've been watching a guy called foresty forest making a van life build. Also interesting.

[@Kenbur]

Just sitting here smiling as I watch. I use to sit and watch my uncle paint awesome landscapes and seascapes when I was a teen. He would inspire and awe me as he took blank/old scraps of canvas and leftover oil paint and paint realistic, beautiful "photographic" paintings. He just 'did it'! I marveled in the same way as I watched you "renovate" your Land Rover. You just "did it"! Thank you for sharing your talent through "how you did it". As always Simon ATB - keep safe, stay sane in "lockdown"

[@greywindLOSP]

Simon for a bloke in the woods you kick ass! M8 that is 5 - STAR!.......ATB

[@biblebeliever4570]

I have to say wow. Your a true craftsman. You can build absolutely anything. The roof of my truck needs to be redone like what you did to yours. You would never be without an income. Everyone would come to you for making or repairing just about anything. God Bless you Simon.

[@BulldogsRock]

You make this look so easy. Great video, well shot & edited.

[@sylviadiaz5494]

I love your adventures

[@romac9516]

That's some seriously capable woodworking! Damn....amazing job

[@Pwecko]

I'm sure, if I had the time, money, motivation and skills, I could do something like this. But I don't have those things, so I'll watch you instead. Much less hassle.

[@JJfromIA]

What I wouldn't give to have a quarter of your talent and skills.

[@ivarwb4115]

Me too!

[@h.bsfaithfulservant4136]

I’d be happy with a tenth 😊!

[@Gilean80]

Not to dismiss his skills, but everything he is doing is entirely accessible for the average person. The tools and equipment he has are quite nice but not required to do basic carpentry.

[@williamthegriffin6185]

I really enjoy watching this all come together. Amazing talent and skills. Can't wait for part 2!

[@roberthereandthere4366]

Ditto!!!

[@TheFuneralPyre]

A master craftsman! This is one of the best stealth camper builds I've seen! Being able to use a hammock inside makes me want one now!!

[@Shane-Singleton]

I love the smart design of everything. No wasted space. It's a wonderful demonstration of your carpentry skills. I have seen a lot of overland ORV builds but most of them are pretty generic and the same. Basically just walls of open cubby-hole style cabinets and a bed on top of some pull-out storage. Your land rover build is FAR more what I would consider usable rather than just being a rolling bed and storage. It's more akin to a small RV or Caravan which I love. As an aside the Go-Pro footage is pretty good. I think it works well with the commentary to hide the sub-optimal go-pro audio. Cheers from Texas!

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thanks Shane! I like how it came out - it’s a comfortable setup - I’m actually sitting in it now while on lunch break at work - heating on and lunch warming up! 😁

[@joshtook3369]

Simon, you're apology for the quality is just a hint to your standards. Exceptional talents with another exceptional video

[@chrisrobson8540]

An absolute pleasure to watch a true craftsman work! looking forward to part II Video quality was just fine BTW

[@jamescoffey5225]

In the United States we have PBS's "This Old House" and in the United Kingdom you have "This Old Land Rover." Wonderful to see your carpenter's assistant, Maggie, on the job. Great video! Congratulations on a job well-done. 😊

[@3van1993]

The quality is fine. I enjoyed watching.

[@minivandokker4freelife]

from how you do it all seems simple .. but it is not .... this is your talent ... sorry for my google translate english ... from Italy ..🤟🤟🤟👍👍👍

[@maryblaylock6545]

Your meaning comes across crystal clear and I agree with it! Greetings from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota USA where Thursday and Friday hopefully we will be getting more SNOW!❄

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thank you mate!

[@wendynicklin7693]

English just fine

[@minivandokker4freelife]

@@wendynicklin7693 thanks🤗🤗🤗

[@wendynicklin7693]

Your welcome 😃

[@yakinkate7946]

You are a blessed man. Talent and common sense, with a generous nature. Enjoying life. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

[@trudilouise9368]

Your wife must have the best kitchen in town, she must be so proud of you.

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Hahaha - that’s a work in progress! 🙄😂

[@trudilouise9368]

@@simonablokeinthewoods I would rather not have heard that!

[@bobhead6243]

One of the best home conversions of a 110 I have seen , love the cupboard handles .

[@regular-joe]

Never say you aren't an artist! Just wow - not simply functional, but stunning!

[@alexanduro5080]

Hi Simon，this Defender car may be already 20 year's old, But you gave it a new life, it will accompany with you to go camping in anywhere. Your ability of DIY is very strong. It's awesome!

[@kylec166]

Video quality looks really good to me. Nice big work shop I like it.my grand father was a carpenter engineer he could build anything. He passed on back in 2016. He also help me with my school work. Best grand father I could ever ask for. Thanks again for the good videos

[@Taffwildmanofthewoods]

Wow, I'm blown away by your skill set. When I first started watching your videos I thought you were just a regular bloke living in a 3 bedroom semi like most of us, with a regular run of the mill job. Such talent deserves thousands of subscribers 👍

[@billygoatfilms7531]

I always said you were a very talented man Simon, how I envy you your practical skills. Cheers Mike 👍

[@gazanon8162]

Truly talented all round guy a rare breed these days loved watching this can't wait for part 2 👍👍

[@williamgates1128]

A lot of time and hard work went into that truck. I'd say it was WELL worth it mate. It's definitely something to be proud of!

[@majothelmodasilva2650]

I am in awe of your talent and ingenuity. You are also a gifted communicator who makes the information you give accessible to anyone.

[@festadams9896]

Always keeping the style of the videos mixed up fresh and new, I don't think I could ever get bored of this channel.

[@marcdewilde518]

Just the kind of video to cheer a bloke up in these dreary times. Thanks Simon and watch your health!

[@eddyoddrod]

The hammock in the Land Rover is just plain awesome! Can’t wait for the rest of the videos.

[@rickywoodcock7222]

Having done a conversion myself I know its rewarding ... Well done Simon

[@simonbroddle754]

It all looks easy and simple but I think that is largely due to the time served joiner making it look way simpler than it really is. Thank you.

[@alexday5892]

That is one hell of a workshop ! You have everything you need and I love the precision. Getting all of the fittings to be millimetre perfect is something I respect. It’s quite a commitment to the vehicle. I know I would be constantly thinking of little things to add to improve the overall package. You have covered everything and I feel like I now know how you have so much camping equipment (with so much space to store it all). I just wish I could something similar. Thanks for the video Simon.

[@stevecash2858]

Simon, thanks for doing this video. You have applied your skills to create a very useful Defender. I appreciate how you make it look easy. You said you had about 3 years to consider this build...but we can tell that you have been developing your woodworking skills for many more years in order for this to "look easy." Well done!

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thanks Steve 👍

[@utahjohnnymontana3373]

It takes talent to make the difficult job appear simple. I only hope my camper cabinets turn out half as nice.

[@paganoutdoors3193]

Brilliant job, complete use of every nook and cranny, 👌, watching this has made me realise how much I miss being in a work shop, doing cabinet making, furniture restoration and bench joinery , I was 20 plus years a joiner ,cabinetmaker and carpenter, had to retire from that nearly 10 years ago, hands and wrists went plus a broken back ,cant even use a power drill now, so great to see a man with skills ,busy workshop, love your videos, especially in these crazy times, safe travels my friend,blessed be,Craig

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thanks Craig! I feel slightly ashamed of my wood butchery now haha - cheers, Simon

[@robarcia2328]

Greetings from the States Simon. With all that’s going over here it’s a pleasure to watch a mom with obvious talents putting them to great use👍looking forward to part 2. Cheers

[@robarcia2328]

Sorry for the mom, meant man 🤣

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Hahaha - Mom is just fine! Thanks mate.

[@adamhinds8352]

I love this guy, so skilled and good info giver, but man I feel like your staring into my soul with those close ups when on full screen, keep it coming Simon !!

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Hahaha - I need to blink more!

[@anneli1735]

@@simonablokeinthewoods noooooooooo

[@jamesellsworth9673]

Highly interesting look at packing a great deal of shelter and comfort into a modest footprint.

[@bodgemanblack4804]

Nothing wrong with the quality. Very talented. Made my washing up a pleasure.

[@alialmahanawi8409]

It’s an excellent job Simon please we want you to set an overnight camping trip in such beautiful frosty weather. Thanks for sharing 🙏

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thank you! Lockdown is the issue at the moment, but I’ll see what I can do 😁👍

[@alialmahanawi8409]

Thank you too mate we hope that everything will be normal soon 🙏

[@theresabass685]

Oh Simon what have you done! BushCraft will never be the same. Your handy craft style has changed the minds of camping in the wilderness. You can easily blend the two together to make for a very comfortable experience. I have a roof top tent and a slide out kitchen in the trunk of a Honda Civic Hatchback. But I’m not rugged enough for outback so I stay in camp sites and easy access places to camp. Plus I’m amateurs astronomer looking for dark sky areas. But I love Bushcraft and wilderness for there beauty too. Love this video can’t wait for part II to see the finished product. 👍🏽😄

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thanks Theresa - nothing wrong with being comfy 😁👍

[@vetworker]

What a cracking job. Your carpentry skills are very impressive. If any of my customers ever need a carpenter I know who I’ll suggest. Nice work.

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Cheers Dan! 👍😁

[@mshirey2799]

This was incredibly soothing, and made me REALLY want to seek out a carpentry apprenticeship! Thank you for sharing this, Simon! Your craft is a wonderful thing to watch.

[@MarkN67]

Your skills are amazing, really lovely job, Simon.

[@tlemon1950]

Brilliant, here we say "them as can, do. Them as can't, teach. You are doing an amazing job of both, thank you alot

[@mbrider56]

Nice one Simon, really enjoyable to see how that all came together, and with Maggie checking on how you were doing 👌🏻😂 🐕

[@maryblaylock6545]

Maggie is an excellent supervisor!

[@krod1180]

Just love it!!

[@joebradley7595]

My nephew decided he wanted to buy a defender. I showed him your first video put him right off cheers mate 😅

[@brianh.000]

So, the bloke in the woods is also a bloke in the shop. Nice!

[@KrisDebell]

I love how well your drivers door shut! effortless! that is rare!

[@robertwillis4061]

As you were building the interior, I was wondering where you were going to sleep. At first thought it was on an inflatable mattress on the rear floor. But only at the end did you show the hammock. Great idea. That's a lovely job doing the interior. No complicated electric stuff. A couple of removable 50cm X 30cm 12v solar panels is you need to keep batteries top up.

[@maryblaylock6545]

Absolutely brilliant! Well thought out also and it looks perfect. I have seen conversions that looked thrown together by an imparctical person who was on their fourth day of a three day pass! This is Field and Stream magazine worthy. I am very impressed!

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thank you Mary, you are kind with your words! 😁

[@BrusselsBlog]

The quality of carpentry is far better than I have seen in other van build type videos, but looking at the workshop it's not hard to see why!

[@craigatkins24]

Great build, as a fellow landrover owner I am looking at doing something similar in my old D1 discovery. Looking forward to part 2.

[@JEFLeb35712]

Very nice. Lots of craftsmanship in that build.

[@Phoeff99]

Your skills as a professional cabinet maker are evident throughout. what a beautifully simple (i mean that in the best way!) and sound build. 👍🏻🙏🏻

[@PaulUrmston]

My God, I hadn't thought about my old Defender in over 20 years... amazing bit of work you've done. Very impressive.

[@MultiOutdoorman]

Brilliant ! I wanna do one now . Less pedantic a project than a full-blown campervan conversion. Cheers Si

[@garydumbauld4212]

A tremendous amount of work. But just look at the results! Well done indeed.

[@jannezack]

I really enjoy watching your videos. If my grandpa were still alive I know he would have all the scrap parts that I would need to build stuff like this and he would know how to fabricate each item. Your creativity is unmatched from the support of your rear work seat to the handles for your cabinet. I’m sure it took a lot of planning so your bins all fit. I just love how you create such highly thought out bins and things.

[@magicdrshoon]

Bloody marvelous! Another great vid! My 109" has been sat on the diriveway for around 6years now - I'm coming around to the idea of replacing it wïh a working 110". Can't wait for part 2!

[@tattooRGBharley]

This conversion of your Land Rover Defender is awesome. I love what you did to it. Thank you for showing what you did.

[@garyeves4991]

Simon, a multi skilled bloke in the woods!

[@greywindLOSP]

Simon, you M8 are 5- STAR! Wish I could find one of those Defenders! Just excellent, .....ATB!

[@arliss123]

Love the camping, but I especially love the craftsman videos!!! Great work Simon!

[@jackiesmithsmetaldetecting]

Looks amazing :) i remember my Uncle had a land rover when i was a kid , i used to ask him to give us a lift home from Grandads house in it , it had side seats and i always remember clinging on for dear life :)

[@leslieaustin151]

I loved this. The Land Rover must be the most adaptable vehicle in the world, and you’ve done a great job of adapting it to your usage. Thank you - and a real change from cooking on a wood fire in the boonies! But we all saw Maggie in there with you, the foreman checking on your work. Les

[@dennisharrington3874]

Simon, a bloke in his workshop. Entertaining content. Love your channel. Carry on!

[@OneLifeOverland]

Nice setup buddy. I love how a Land rover is all things to all people and now two are ever the same.

[@EifelWandern]

Hi Simon, my little daughter Lilli is just laying beside me, and watched your car conversion together with me and than she said: "This is so nice and well done, so cosy and like grandpa' s caravan, but in mini. Please give him a thump up and a nice commend." So here we are ((-; Greetings Alex

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thanks Alex and little miss Alex 😁

[@walkandcamp]

Even if I had thd gear and the workshop, I couldn't do any of that to save my life. Great video Simon.

[@oddmanout98]

So brilliantly done Simon. I’ve said it before, you’re a master of your trade. It’s one thing have tools and space but you really do know how to use them too. Really impressed. Can’t wait for part 2! Thank you so much.

[@CraigologyReviews]

Having trained as an apprentice carpenter many years ago, this reminds me so much of my mentor and how he kitted out his van. Every attention to detail was in place. I learned so much from him so watching this video was a trip down memory lane. Excellent job Simon. Great to see a craftsman at work. Those door handles were a fantastic touch 👌

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thanks craig! 👍👍

[@AstroVanTribe]

This is great - I have a 2004 AWD Astro van I recently converted to 4x4 and am now tackling the interior - I too am a carpenter/furniture builder and this is my only vehicle so it has to do everything for me. I drive across the USA at least once a year for projects on top of many other off road adventures.... I was already planning to do several of the things you did here so it was great to see what you came up with - Good job, great work - Thanks!

[@GOE-MORC]

Very nice touch with the natural finish twig handles and contouring around the door and seat back. You put great thought into your project. I’m going to have to go back to the other video to see how you hung your hammock.

[@yvonnebailey9973]

Enjoyed watching the jeeps interior being transformed. Great job! Take care and stay safe.

[@aramarsh]

Every blokes dream vehicle right there! Nice work Simon 😎

[@eddiekeylon323]

Very nice. Ty for the expanded version. Would love to build one for myself at some point. Very practical and comfy. Was just sitting down to lunch, looking at the tele thinking nothing good on, when up pops Simon to the rescue! Thanks a mill mate!! Always enjoy and learn from you. Much appreciated!

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Cheers Eddie! 👍👍

[@freezinweasle1]

Thank you very much for sharing. I always appreciate when someone takes the time to share their experiences.

[@devonbikefilms]

No need to apologise Simon, it’s the content that we’re here for, and this is a great job, as ever.

[@g7dmo]

What a cracking build and conversion of an iconic workhorse. Somewhat sad I don't still have my trusty 110XS to do a similar conversion on. Roll on part 2 and the rest of the ingenious tricks to outfit it all. Oh and a cracking workshop and yard area too!

[@oldbloke204]

Love these simple setups. So functional and in keeping with idea of going camping. Over here in Aust. so many 4wd's are little more than small houses that can move around and it wouldn't be uncommon for many of them to weigh over 4 tons. Now all you need is a flatpack 3 bay workshop on the roof rack so you can feel comfortable if you have to drive more than 20kms. Great video and nice work, thank you.

[@philippal7985]

Impressive! Doing it all by yourself makes you appreciate the whole thing so much more. Very cool.

[@BellHueyUH1H]

Excellent, thank you Simon, LOVE seeing more about your Defender!

[@Nick-cl5jh]

Really enjoy your vlogs Simon, you're clearly a resourceful chap, keep up the great work!

[@DutchVai]

Your video quality was great Simon..... you needn't apologize for anything. Excellent work mate...... well done !!

[@miket0679]

Recently new to the channel, but great skills, I guess working with wood etc forms part of the day job? A very effective conversion 👍

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thanks Mike! Yes, carpenter/joiner. 👍

[@smokin1974]

Cleverly simple but effective- how it should be! Looking forward to seeing the rest of the build take shape.