Overlander 4x4 June 25

4x4

LATEST: KGM REXTON VAN | CONCEPT: JEEP’S CLASS OF ‘25 | RIGHTS OF WAY: SWAN AND LIMERS RAKES REOPEN AT LAST

OVERLANDER

ADVENTURE MINI 6000 CHALLENGE: The unlikely assault on an altitude record

10 LANE ROUTES Summer’s coming – so here are ten step-by-step green lane routes in England and Wales to help you get the best from the long days and the glorious British countryside

June 2025 £5.99

SUPER TROOPY

Classic Land Cruiser lives on with a modern twist 4x4 Cover May WITH SARAH.indd 1

SPLASHING IN

Drag racing veteran builds a hybrid for winch events

COMPLETE KAHN Under the skin of the new Defender 001 prototype

28/04/2025 18:56

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TERRAFIRMA CAMPING Whether you’re embarking on an off-road expedition or packing up the kids for a summer camping trip in your Land Rover, having the right gear makes all the difference.

270 DEGREE AWNING COVERAGE

Prepare for your next camping adventure with high-quality, purpose-built gear that ensures a smooth and stress-free experience—wherever the road takes you!

Share Your Adventure With Us! We love seeing Terrafirma-equipped vehicles in action! Send us pictures of your off-road adventures, camping set-ups, and expedition builds for a chance to have your vehicle featured in the next Terrafirma Catalogue.

Email: marketing@allmakes.co.uk

Adventure. Explore. Conquer.

TERRAFIRMA CAMPING EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE! Part Number

Description

Details

TF972

Roof Rack

2.2 x 1.0m / Steel Tubular

TF973

Rear Door Access Ladder

Discovery 3 / Discovery 4

TF1714

Terradactyl 2/5 LED Awning

2.0m / 270 degrees / 5 Wing

TF1740

Portable Power Station

500w Output

TF1741

Power Panel

100w / 2 section solar panel

TF1722

Camping Table

70 x 70cm / Aluminium

TF1720

Camping Chair

Heavy Duty / With storage bag

TF1721

Marshal Stool

Folds flat for storage

TF1211

Water Bottle

660ml / Stainless Steel

TF1212

Travel Mug

600ml / Stainless Steel

TF1213

Water Bottle Carrier

Insulated / With Shoulder Strap

TF1730

Fire Pit

Stainless Steel

TF1726

Expedition Shovel

1.3m handle

TF795R

Dry bag

80 Litre

TF794B

Dry bag

10 Litre

TF902

Expedition Storage Box

160 Litre Capacity

Scan the QR Code to view more or visit our website. www.terrafirma4x4.com Untitled-3 1

29/04/2025 09:07

> Expedition Power Solutions > Awnings & Accessories > Expedition Essentials > Much More...

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TERRAFIRMA TERRA CANS

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16 Tel: 01283 742969 Email: enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk Web: www.totaloffroad.co.uk www.4x4i.com Online Shop: www.toronline.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/totaloffroad www.facebook.com/4x4Mag

Editor

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Design

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Sarah Moss Email: sarah.moss@assignment-media.co.uk To subscribe to 4x4, or renew a subscription, call 01283 742970. Prices for 12 issues: UK £42 (24 issues £76); Europe Airmail/ROW Surface £54; ROW Airmail £78 Distributed by Marketforce; www.marketforce.co.uk Every effort is made to ensure the contents of 4x4 are accurate, but Assignment Media accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor the consequences of actions made as a result of these.

When responding to any advert in 4x4, you should make appropriate enquiries before sending money or entering into a contract. The publishers take reasonable care to ensure advertisers’ probity, but will not be liable for loss or damage incurred from responding to adverts

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4x4 Contents June 25 JUST NEEDS SUBS STUFF AND COVER.indd 2

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4x4

LATEST: KGM REXTON VAN | CONCEPT: JEEP’S CLASS OF ‘25 | RIGHTS OF WAY: SWAN AND LIMERS RAKES REOPEN AT LAST

40% 10 LANE ROUTES OFF OVERLANDER

ADVENTURE MINI 6000 CHALLENGE: The unlikely assault on an altitude record

Summer’s coming – so here are ten step-by-step green lane routes in England and Wales to help you get the best from the long days and the glorious British countryside

June 2025 £5.99

SUPER TROOPY

Classic Land Cruiser lives on with a modern twist 4x4 Cover May WITH SARAH.indd 1

SPLASHING IN

Drag racing veteran builds a hybrid for winch events

COMPLETE KAHN Under the skin of the new Defender 001 prototype

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Pay quarterly by direct debit and you can get Britain’s only all-marques 4x4 magazine delivered to your door – for less than half the price on the front cover!

28/04/2025 18:56

CONTENTS JUNE 2025 4x4 Scene 4

News

Isuzu unveils the latest demo truck to wear the Basecamp badge, Land Rover launches a new awards scheme for charities and KGM turns the epic-value Rexton into an epic-value van

12 Rights of Way

A huge victory for freedom as court action by the Green Lane Association prevents the illegal closure of the iconic Swan and Limers Rake in Derbyshire

14 Products

Sexy curves from Osram’s latest 44” LED light bar, plus subtle bling for Defenders, replacement dash panels from AlliSport and an opportunity to wear your 4x4 on your head…

Every Month 20 Subscribe

Get Overlander 4x4 delivered for a fraction of the cover price

64 Next Month

Mountains, mud and more on a tag-along tour in the wilds of Croatia

Vehicles 16 Class of ‘25

Introducing the seven highly modified concept off-road vehicles unveiled by Jeep at this year’s Easter Safari in Moab

22 Not a Dragster

What do you so when a liftime of drag racing at Santa Pod starts proving too expensive? You build a hybrid Land Rover for showing the winching world what it’s been missing, that’s what…

50 Super Troopy

A long-wheelbase 1977 Land Cruiser is brought back to life with the heart of the legendary 80-Series and the style of the even more legendary 75-Series Troop Carrier

Adventure 32 10 Great Laning Routes for Summer

0 22

From Kent to the Lake District, from Wales to Devon to the North York Moors and a whole lot in between, a set of ten step-by-step guides to enjoying some of Britain’s best and most SUVfriendly green lanes

58 Mini to the Max

It takes a brave soul to venture on to the upper slopes of Ojos de Salado, even in a highly equipped 4x4 with a cast of thousands in support. This year, a plucky Brit bade to turn a 50 year old Mini into the highest vehicle in the world – with an almost as old Range Rover Classic as his only backup

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NEWS

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www.overlander4x4.co.uk

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ISUZU GOES BACK TO BASECAMP WITH NEWLY REVISED D-MAX AT35

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few months ago, we reported on how Isuzu’s D-Max AT35 Basecamp had kept the editor’s son warm, dry and well slept on a trip to the Lake District, while the editor himself was driven to despair in a cold, flappy canvas disaster downstairs on the ground. One torrid autumn night in a Cumbrian storm is hardly a fair way to test a camping rig, of course, but the truck’s ARB Esperance roof tent acquitted itself very well, even if the conditions meant we didn’t try using its on-board kitchen.

Well, with the D-Max having just been updated (see our March issue), there’s now a new Basecamp in the building.

Once again it’s based on the AT35, which in turn is based on the top-spec V-Cross model, so this is about as elevated as it gets even before you go to ARB with a shopping list to get excited about.

Isuzu has a close relationship with ARB’s UK importer. A number of the company’s dealers are designated specialists in the Australian specialist’s expedition equipment, which is listed as part of its official accessory range. So the Basecamp is more than just a show vehicle (though with the CV Show coming up, safe to say it’s going to be one) – it’s a demonstration of how anyone with deep enough pockets can turn a new D-Max into a turn-key expedition rig.

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NEWS

To do so, Isuzu has equipped the vehicle with a long list of ARB equipment.

And here is that long list: • Ascent Canopy • Esperance Rooftop Tent • Outback Drawers Set with Slide Kitchen • Zero Single-Zone Electric Coolbox/Fridge • BASE Rack with Wind Deflector and Trade Rails • Ensuite Tent with Shower Room • ONTAP Portable 12V Camping Shower The vehicle also carries Isuzu’s own matt black front grille, bonnet protector, wind visors and 5” side bars amd steps, as well as Lazerlamp’s Linear-36 Elite roof-top light bar and Linear-6 Elite grillemounted LEDs. ‘The new Basecamp is a peak adventure vehicle, designed to let you explore without boundaries. It’s the perfect terrain-mate for those who want to take the road less travelled and really gear up for the wild. With the new Basecamp, customers can turn their Isuzu D-Max AT35 into a fully equipped home away from home, ready for unforgettable experiences. It’s anything but base-ic,’

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says Isuzu’s pun-loving Head of Marketing George Wallis.

The company adds that by combining the D-Max’s off-road ability with the freedom and self-sufficiency provided by the ARB accessories on board, the Basecamp ‘showcases how vehicle camping can transform every journey into an unforgettable experience.’ The editor certainly hasn’t forgotten the sheer misery of being the one who wasn’t sleeping in it,

and therefore wasn’t sleeping at all, and if that’s not a vote in favour of keeping your camping needs on board we don’t know what is.

All the accessories featured on the Basecamp, plus a whole range more, are available through the Isuzu dealer network. You’re definitely not doing it on the cheap with an adventure wagon like this, but then you’re definitely not roughing it either.

www.overlander4x4.co.uk

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Rebuilding Project?

Universal Replacement Bulkhead Defender - 1983 - 2006 DA2970 Right hand drive DA2971 Left hand drive Loose brackets are included in the kit to allow for model year differences made by Land Rover over the years. Some minor modifications to the transmission tunnel may be needed to accommodate different transmission tunnels, with the V8 for example. Made in the West Midlands just like a Land Rover.

DA4678 Universal Replacement Bulkhead Series 3 Accepts early type door seals. Manufactured with zinc coated steel. Etched primed and sealed. All UNF fittings. Cut-outs and strengtheners in both footwells to accommodate LHD and RHD. Weld on gearbox cover. No hand throttle holes.

Stainless Steel Bulkheads Defender - 300Tdi & Td5 DA2970SS Right hand drive DA2971SS Left hand drive

britpart.com Find your nearest stockist - britpart.com/stockist Part numbers used for identification purposes only and do not imply or indicate the identity of a manufacturer. Products available from a Britpart stockist. E&OE.

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NEWS DEFENDER PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR LOCAL CHARITIES WITH NEW ‘DEFENDER AWARDS’

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and Rover has announced the Defender Awards – a new initiative which will see a £100,000 bursary, a Defender vehicle and expert mentorship donated to a chosen small conservation or humanitarian organisation in each of seven countries around the world – the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Japan and South Africa.

The chosen charities will be those which can make good use of their Defender’s ability to ‘support vital, frontline work in hard-to-reach locations.’

Entries are currently being invited from

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programmes whose work falls into one of four categories: • Defenders of the Wild: For projects committed to helping protect endangered and at-risk species, whatever their size.

The mission is to help protect indigenous species of all kinds • Defenders of Humanity: For projects which support people and communities in their time of need. The mission is to help vulnerable communities thrive – and to help them prepare for, respond to and recover from crises, whenever and wherever they strike

• Defenders of the Land: For projects dedicated to protecting important ecosystems. The mission is to help protect and rewild some of the world’s most fragile landscapes • Defenders of the Sea: For projects dedicated to supporting marine and coastal species, and the ecosystems upon which they rely. The mission is to address the many challenges affecting sea life and coastal communities, from water pollution to unsustainable fishing practices Running over two years, the programme was conceived to support small-scale

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CONSERVATION AND HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVE charities and non-profit organisations (that is, those with annual revenue of less than £500,000) that work on humanitarian and conservation projects at a local level.

‘Defender has a proud heritage of helping people make more of their world, spanning both humanitarian and conservation causes,’ said Defender MD Mark Cameron. ‘Our enduring 70-year association with the Red Cross and 20 years of work with Tusk support established organisations – but we wanted a way of engaging with smallerscale initiatives.

‘We have launched Defender Awards to recognise and support conservation and humanitarian heroes. Our new programme represents an investment of more than £1m and will assemble an international network of experts to share knowledge and help advance change. It is international in scale but has a local focus and will enrich Defender’s rich history of supporting vulnerable habitats, species and communities.’

The initiative coincides with Defender’s Rhino Whisperer advertising campaign, celebrating the brand’s 20-year relationship

with Tusk protecting endangered species in Africa. ‘Our partnership with Defender goes from strength to strength and many of our project partners have been relying on Defenders to support their operations for more than 20 years,’ said Tusk founder and President Charlie Mayhew. ‘The new Defender Awards initiative represents a valuable opportunity for smaller organisations to begin their own relationships – and benefit from additional funding and expertise, as well as the 4x4 capability that is associated with Defender.”

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NEWS REXTON REBORN AS TAX-BUSTING COMMERCIAL

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he KGM’s Rexton won our 4x4 of the Year title back when it was first launched in Britain, and went on to take the Best Value award every subsequent year until its stablemate, the new KGM Torres, finally upstaged it. But the Korean company (still known to many people as ‘KGM… used to be SsangYong’) is keeping the fire lit under its biggest SUV with a new model – the Rexton Commercial.

This is, quite simply, a Rexton converted into a two-seat van. It keeps all the equipment that makes the passengercarrying version such good value, aside obviously from the second and third rows of seats – which are replaced with a secure load area offering more than 2200 litres of cargo space.

This has a carpeted floor, with an optional rubber mat available as an accessory. The rear windows are opaque and reinforced for security, and there’s an ISO 27956:2009 full-height fixed mesh bulkhead behind the seats to keep the crew separate from their cargo. The

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load area is accessed from the rear via a top-hinged powered tailgate, and the side doors are retained from the passenger model – allowing you to get at the load area from both sides of the vehicle as well.

The vehicle is otherwise unchanged from the rest of the Rexton line-up, with a 2.2-litre diesel engine sending 202bhp and 325lbf.ft to all four wheels via an eight-speed auto box and two-speed, parttime transfer case. With a body-on-frame design using a separate ladder chassis, it has a 3500kg braked towing limit to go with its 700+ kg payload.

All-independent suspension limits the Rexton’s axle articulation somewhat, however it’s still a capable performer off-road. KGM quotes a wading depth of 350mm plus approach and departure angles of 20.5° and 22° respectively, though its ability will depend on some extent to the wheel and tyre packages fitted to each model.

These come in the shape of three trim levels, all of which are as lavishly equipped as you’d expect from a van based on such

a storied SUV. Even the entry-level K30, for example, includes all-round LEDs, heated and ventilated faux-leather seats, 18” alloys and a 12.3” infotainment screen.

Move up to the K40 and you gain Nappa leather seats, LED cabin mood lighting and additional safety features including blind spot detection and rear cross traffic warning. The full-house K50, meanwhile, gives you 20” alloys, leather and suede trim, a sunroof and rear air-con.

A van with rear air conditioning. That’s what you call comprehensive.

Prices for the Rexton Commercial start at £34,995 CVOTR for the K30. The K40 costs £35,995, while the K50 takes it up to £38,995. In each case, the vehicle is eligible for VAT reclaim and capital writedown, qualifies for commercial vehicle BIK taxation and has a first-year VED of £345.

A new way to stick it to the taxman now they’ve come down on double-cabs, perhaps? So long as you don’t need those rear seats, a Rexton that’s even better value than ever is always going to be worth thinking about.

www.overlander4x4.co.uk

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KHAN DESIGN GOES FOR A NUMBER 001 HAS YOUR

FREELANDER GOT AN ISSUE WITH THE

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING FROM KAHN DESIGN. The latest creation from the Bradford styling house, which is now available through its Chelsea Truck Company operation, is a ‘bold fusion of heritage and innovation’ named the Defender 90 Concept 001.

This is a one-off prototype designed to act as a showcase for the company’s designs. Kahn describes it as ‘a visionary reinterpretation of the legendary Defender, blending British tradition with avant-garde styling and technical mastery.’ It previews various accessories which the company will offer for sale in the future.

These include Kahn’s newly announced 20” Hammerhead RSForged wheels, around which is a set of 33x12.50R20 Yokohama Geolandar X-AT all-terrains. Flared wheelarches keep them covered, giving the vehicle a wide-boy stance that’s somewhat reminiscent of Suzuki Vitaras in the early 1990s.

Further features include carbon fibre rear diffuser spats, facelifted headlamps and a Kahn branded rigid spare wheel cover. The grille surround, arches and lower body are finished in 3D-textured protective paint, ‘combining resilience with a rugged yet refined finish’ – we don’t know if this is actual Raptor, but that’s the word everyone uses for this kind of paint and the rough-textured look and feel of it will be instantly recognisable.

So too is its lightweight, vented bonnet, which has a Kahn badgewhere Land Rover saw fit to put the word ‘Defender’. People will thus be able to see you coming in your bold fusion of heritage and innovation and say ‘what a Kahn’ to each other.

The bonnet is gloss black, while the rest of the vehicle is finished in Volcanic Rock Satin (which looks like grey to us). Colour-matched side vents with CTC plaques display the vehicle’s Kahn identity – a detail which, as if to prove Land Rover itself doesn’t have a monopoly on the word, the company describes as being ‘meticulously curated’.

Inside, black leather cabin trim is adorned with Britannia blue piping and extended upholstery accents.

Although the Defender 90 Concept 001 is a prototype, the exterior conversion is also available to buy. Just the exterior, mind, though if black and blue leather with Chelsea Truck Company monograms doesn’t get your blood pumping that may be no bad thing. The price of driving a vehicle which ‘stands as a testament to automotive ingenuity, where bold individuality, innovation and peerless craftsmanship unite’ (and says Kahn on the bonnet) is an all-in £25,000.

REAR DIFFERENTIAL HALDEX POWER TRANSFER UNIT Here at FreelanderSpecialist.com, not only will we fix the problem but we will look to determine why the problem occurred and discuss with you how you can avoid it happening again in the future.

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Rights of Way

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Hollinsclough freed from the yoke of mismanagement as Swan Rake and Limers Rake reopen at last GREEN LANE USERS WHO LOVE THE COUNTRYSIDE are celebrating after the High Court confirmed that two much-loved Staffordshire rights of way must remain open to motor vehicles. Swan Rake and Limer Rake, a pair of unsurfaced roads in the hamlet of Hollinsclough, were closed in 2017 for a £1.7 million programme of repair work – only for the local authority to impose the permanent Traffic Regulation Order in August last year which has now been declared unlawful.

During the statutory consultation period for the closure, Staffordshire County Council received some 400 objections to its proposed TRO. These included a submission from the Green Lane Association stating that the closure was discriminatory to motorised users and that, in particular, it would deny access to disabled people who were unable to use the routes on foot, bike or horseback.

GLASS also suggested alternative measures for management of the routes.

When these were ignored, the Association challenged the TRO in the High Court – which, ultimately, the authority chose not to contest. The subsequently issued an agreed Consent Order confirming that the TRO should be quashed, and that Staffordshire County Council must pay the Green Lane Association’s costs – which, along with its own, amounted to a substantial sum.

Throughout much of the 20th Century, Swan Rake and Limer Rake were known for the steep, challenging nature which made them awkward to drive – attracting the organisers of traditional sporting car trials to use them. Latterly, with an almost total lack of maintenance allowing them to become increasingly washed out and rocky, the lanes became a technical challenge for 4x4s, requiring serious ground clearance, good suspension and a skilled driver and spotter. Even then, it was easy to damage your vehicle on the rocks, particularly on Limer Rake.

Repairs to the routes have included drainage works and a new surface

Swan Lake (opposite) and Limer Rake used to be famous for their steep, rocky surfaces.

These held an appeal for responsible rights of way users in suitable vehicles (these pictures are from a roadbook we ran in the area in 2008) but they also attracted the wrong kind of attention – leading to conflict with residents of nearby Hollinsclough. The lanes have now reopened after being repaired; their surfaces have been completely sanitised and pose no challenge at all, though care is still required as the local authority only repaired them to bridleway standard in the mistaken belief that it could ignore the law and ban motor vehicles permanently which has been designed to make them easily accessible to all users. However Staffordshire County Council claims the work was only done to a standard suitable for bridleway use, seemingly in anticipation of being able to close the lanes to motor vehicles. While it’s hardly the fault of anyone in a 4x4 who exercises their right to use these lanes that they’ve not been properly repaired, GLASS is encouraging drivers to treat them particularly gently as a result.

‘The Association regrets the need to take legal action like this and believes it could easily have been avoided if the Council had discussed its concerns with motorised user groups before applying

a complete ban,’ says GLASS Chairman Chris Mitchell. ‘Going forward, we are keen to develop open and constructive communications channels with the Council to discuss ways that all user groups can share these routes without the need to remove access from any one group.

‘I would encourage Green Lane Association members and all motorised users to use these routes appropriately, including avoiding them during periods of bad weather so that the surface can be maintained. I would also ask drivers and bikers to drive carefully at all times, especially in proximity to the residential properties along the roads in accordance with the Association’s Code of Conduct.’

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PRODUCTS Sexy curves for your truck from Osram’s new 44-inch VX1000-CB SR SM LED bar £289.99 | www.osram.co.uk

O

ne of the basic rules in life is that things which have curves are more fun than things that don’t.

Roads come to mind. As do bananas. And Alexis Texas.

If you can get the image of those last two examples out of your mind for a moment (take your time, we’ll wait), another very fine curvy thing is the new VX1000-CB SR SM from Osram. It’s not as memorable a name as Alexis Texas but she doesn’t have 7650 effective lumens from 36 high-performance Osram LEDs providing exceptional visibility at a range of up to 525 metres, does she?

The VX1000-CB SR SM is a 44-inch curved light bar with a combination beam designed to provide both far-field and nearfield illumination. Capable of use with 12v and 24v vehicles alike, it has an unbreakable polycarbonate lens and a single-row array contained in a robust aluminium die-cast housing.

The bar is supplied with brackets allowing for versatile mounting options on various parts of your vehicle – including curved surfaces like bumpers, grilles and

windscreens. Once in place, you can leave it forever or, if you prefer, move it to other suitable locations.

Either way, the slimline layout and curved design promises a sleek and modern look – and Osram promises that even in dim light and reduced visibility, its output of up to 6000 Kelvin can provide lighting conditions similar to daylight.

Just don’t stare at it for too long or you might go blind. Finally, something else it has in common with Alexis Texas.

If the cap fits

£20.00-25.00 | stitchandrivet.co.uk FANCY A HAT BEARING THE IMAGE OF YOUR VERY OWN OFF-ROAD CHARIOT? Of course you do. And whether it’s a Jeep, an old SJ410, a Niva, a Stalwart or anything else, you can have it.

This is because Stitch and Rivet offers a range of 5-Panel caps in two designs for

adults, plus a smaller one for kids, along with a fully bespoke embroidery service.

You show them what you want, they do it for you. Nice.

The caps are made from cotton canvas and come in a variety of colours. Off-theshelf, the all-important badge on the peak can feature any one of an enormous range of vehicles in an even more enormous range of colours – the only thing being that every single one of said vehicles is a Land Rover. The range covers the Defender, Discovery 1 and new 110, plus classic Series models, and on top of that you also get a choice of roof, rim and mudguard preferences. Or, as we say, you can go rogue and get the company’s bespoke designers on the case.

Either way, Stitch and Rivet is a good, unpretentious family business making cool stuff right here in Britain and looking after its customers the old-fashioned way. We like their style.

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AlliSport introduces replacement Defender dash panel £295-£375 | www.allisport.com

DUE TO ENTER PRODUCTION SOON, AlliSport has introduced Free UK Delivery on orders over £15.00 + VAT a new Defender dashboard with a choice of panels for the facia.

Set to be available in left or right-hand drive format, it will suit all models from the first pre-Defender 90s and 110s up to the last of the Td5s.

The unit has been designed so that every panel is interchangeable, allowing customers to spec it with a variety of options. These include plain, storage bin, switches, dials and double-din – not a bad range to be going on with, though AlliSport expects to add 4x4 Magazine_2023_September_PS Autoparts_QP.indd 1 18/08/2023 15:28 more as time goes on.

The dash will be available in plain, powder coated and textured Tyres cheap. Not cheap tyres!! powder coated finishes. It can be used with the Defender’s standard heating system, though AlliSport says there is some work to finalise on the controls. The final prototype was being prepared for fitting at the time of writing and was expected to be on sale by the time you read this.

RLG Tyres OFFICIAL STOCKIST

Smokin’ Hot

£202.65 | maltings4x4store.co.uk Here’s a smart and subtle upgrade for Land Rover Defender owners wanting to give their vehicles a street-machine look without turning it into a self-propelled den of iniquity.

Terrafirma’s NAS Halo and Bar Style Smoked LED Light Kit includes replacement 95mm LED side, fog and reversing lights with stealthily darkened lenses. The lights are plug-and-play on vehicles from 1998 onwards; pre-Td5 Defenders will require soldering or connectors fitting, not that that should put you off.

Main supplier of and all major 4x4 tyres

Groundcare • Car • ATV • Tubes • Mobile Tyre Fitting Puncture Equipment & Repairs • Four Wheel Alignment Durrants Farm, Rushlake Green, Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 9QB

Workshop: 01435 830664 Mobile: 07710 372672 Email: chris@rlgtyres.co.uk

www.rlgtyres.co.uk

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THE MAGNIFICENT

SEVEN Jeep’s Easter Safari offering was down a modest four concept vehicles last year. There was no shortage of vehicles to admire at the 2025 running of the event, however…

Words Tom Alderney Pictures Jeep

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here’s something of a heritage theme to the seven-strong collection of concept Jeeps the company created for this year’s Easter Safari at Moab. The annual event, which brings Jeep owners and enthusiasts flocking to eastern Utah from around America and beyond, has for many years been highlighted by the nowtraditional display of modified, restified and accessorised vehicle – and after a quiet year in 2024, when it only brought four

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vehicles, the original 4x4 maker came back firing on all cylinders for the latest running of the event.

In the company’s own words, the seven vehicles ‘pay homage to the Jeep brand’s roots while defining the future of offroading.’ They do this by showcasing the huge range of accessories available through Mopar’s Jeep Performance Parts range – ‘accessories’ in this case including items like suspension systems, body armour and heavy-duty axles, not just the stickers and

floor mats we’re used to the word describing here in Britain.

Moab is globally famous for the slickrock trails in the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, whose red rock mountains rise to dominate the view in all directions from the town. It attracts walkers and mountain bikers as well as four-wheelers – and whereas in Britain this would be enough for all motor vehicles to be summarily banned, Moab is also the gold standard in managing multi-use land access.

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Perhaps with this in mind, an annual part of the Easter Safari is a co-ordinated effort by Jeep employees, the Red Rock 4-Wheelers club and the Bureau of Land Management to clean up a trail.

Concentrating this year on the Dome Plateau trail, volunteers picked up litter and repaired rock walls and fences as part of their restoration work. As with similar work done by organisations like the Green Lane Association in Britain, the litter might have been dropped by walkers – but that’s not the

point. It’s about improving the landscape for everyone, full stop.

Another innovation this year, which you can guarantee won’t spread to Britain, is the creation of ‘Badge of Honor’ trails.

Described as an ‘off-road rewards program,’ this is an app-based initiative allowing users to pinpoint trails based on their location and level of difficulty. Once you’ve been there and driven it, you can request a physical badge to commemorate the fact.

At launch, the app includes more than 70

trails around the USA, with three of these being in Moab itself.

Which brings us back to the seven vehicles Jeep debuted at this year’s Easter Safari. We’ll look at each one in greater detail over the coming months, but their inspiration ranges from the wildest hot-rod styling to the sternest military look – and each was carried off using Jeep’s own vast range of accessories.

‘The challenging off-road trails and terrain in Moab offer us the perfect place to

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showcase the latest selection of authentic, quality-tested Jeep Performance Parts from Mopar,’ said parts boss Darren Bradshaw.

‘Our factory-backed Jeep Performance Parts are specifically designed and engineered to deliver exact fit, form and function, allowing our Jeep owners to further enhance their stock vehicles with confidence.’

Rather disappointingly, he also said that Jeep’s own Mopar/JPP items are the only ones capable of ticking the above

Blueprint

boxes. Jeep has always had a positive relationship with its aftermarket, which is one of the reasons why the Easter Safari exists in the first place, and it would be a shame to see the company go down the same confrontational and franly rather toxic route as Land Rover – which some years ago proclaimed that its then-new SVO department was going to put every independent specialist in enhancing its vehicles out of business.

Jeep describes this long-wheelbase Wrangler 4xe as ‘a rolling catalogue of factory-tested and factory-backed items from Mopar and Jeep Performance Parts.’ Nearly 40 of them, all with QR codes so onlookers can buy off the page. As if to prove the point, its 37” BFGoodrich all-terrains are mounted on three different styles of wheel – all of them finished in blue to match the rest of the accessories on board.

There’s a long way to go before anything like that happens, however, and Jeep’s vast fan base in the USA ensures that there’ll always be room for good products in the market. And there’s certainly always room for good vehicles – as Moab’s class of ’25 illustrates. We’ll examine them one by one over the coming issues, but for now here’s a flavour of the latest magnificent seven to come from the ever-creative imagination of Jeep’s custom works.

Bug Out 4xe

Here in silly little Britain, we tend to assume that everyone with a Wrangler in America is rocking a 392 V8. Actually, something else we missed out on is the 4xe plug-in hybrid version of the definitive Jeep. The Bug Out is a reworked four-door Wrangler 4xe with Gladiator rear bodywork turning it back into a two-door – plus a raised roof and extensive use of carbon fibre to create a vehicle combining ultra-light camping with overland adventures.

Convoy

Take a Gladiator, ditch the pick-up cabin and clad it in canvas – all the way down to a set of matching doors. Lift it up and on to a set of 40” tyres, replace its modern front end with the classic ‘J-nose’ of the M715 Kaiser trucks and you have a military-inspired off-road plaything of epic proportions.

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Gladiator High-Top Honcho

One of two Gladiator builds inspired by the Honcho models from Jeep’s past, this is a Rubicon with air suspension and 40” BFG rubber on a set of Dana 60 axles. A Warn winch on a modified AEV bumper adds to the off-road intent while a Decked stowage system provides practicality, and a mixture of white, orange, brown and yellow provides an unmistakeable 70s’ theme to its appearance.

Rewind

Below right: This is a two-door Wrangler celebrating the neon Jeeps of its designers’ college days. It’s powered by the 2.0-litre engine we get over here, has the doors-off look we definitely don’t get over here and is ‘dipped in all things kitsch’ – including special Grimace purple paint and an interior that’s even louder than its body.

Sunchaser

Bottom left: Like most of the vehicles Jeep builds for Moab, this fivedoor Wrangler has enhanced off-road ability – thanks in this case to a 2” lift and 37” BFG muds. It also comes loaded with ‘all the necessary gear for a full day of activities from sunup to sundown’ – it’s Jeep’s take on the ultimate vehicle for outdoor adventures.

J6 Honcho

Bottom right: The second Honcho concept is another four-door Gladiator Rubicon – this time customised into a two-door pick-up whose bed is actually a foot longer than that of a standard Gladiator.

Rocking a 2” lift and 37” BFG mud-terrains, plus loads of LED lighting, it features various custom parts and once again harks back to the 70s with its styling.

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FUNNY

CAR

When you’ve been doing drag racing for years and you jack it in to go offroading instead, you might be accused of slowing down. Gary Andrews, however, was just starting to put his foot down on the engineering throttle Words Gary Noskill Pictures Steve Taylor

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here’s a very well trodden path into the off-road game. You’ve got a few mates who do it, so you go along with them, you find it fun and then you get a truck of your own. You keep it standard, maybe just chucking on a set of mud-terrains and a couple of towing points, and you go out to play, and learn.

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Over time, you add a mod here, a tweak there, until you feel like you’re getting your best from your vehicle – but even then, it’ll be a long, long time, if ever, before you outgrow what it’s capable of doing.

That’s what it was like for Gary Martin.

Well, sort of. He’d spent a lot of years at places like Santa Pod and Shakespeare

County Raceway, blasting down the strip in the eyeball popping, eardrum shattering world of rolling burnouts and nitrous purges, but that was all starting to get a bit pricey.

‘Some of my mates were into offroading,’ he says. ‘They encouraged me to get involved. So I got hold of an 88-inch Series III with no engine or gearbox.’

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Guess what kind of engine he chose to fill the hole under the bonnet? Bearing in mind his drag racing past…? ‘I built a virtually standard V8,’ he tells us. ‘Almost straight away, I realised you needed more than that to keep moving.’

One of his off-roading mates was particularly interested in rock crawling.

There’s not a great deal of that on offer when you happen to live in Southampton, but Gary had by now become a keen student of the specialist magazines from over in America. ‘I saw some of the technical features in his mags. I thought “so that’s what you do,” and set about building something similar.’

So, having realised a standard V8 wasn’t going to cut it, what did he end up with? A Mopar lump, a small-block Chevy stroked to 383? No, a 300Tdi. Wait, what? Nothing but problems from the original, he explains. So he bought a Range Rover and used it as a donor vehicle.

‘I went for the 300Tdi with an automatic

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Above: Front axle location is by a single-link A-arm which pivots at the centre point of the chassis. Instead of dislocation cones, 15-inch Pro Comp shocks and springs run in tandem with X-Eng’s X-Flex units. Gary kindly dumped it on its side to let us have a look, something you wouldn’t have caught him doing in his days as a drag racer Left, right: Pro-Comp rear springs and 12-inch shocks run in combination with Gary’s own dislocation system. Lengthened trailing arms are mounted using Rubicon Supa-Flex front pivots in a home-fabricated housings. The A-frame, too, was designed and fabricated by Gary himself

Above: The vehicle’s full hydro steering set-up, which Gary based on set-ups he’d seen on rock-crawling vehicles in the US, uses a ZF pump to drive a hydraulic ram. Unlike an assist-only system, this replaces the steering box altogether – meaning it’s not road-legal, though that wasn’t going to bother him on a dedicated winch motor like this. The pressure relief valve and gauge for the ram are seen on the left of the picture to the far right, if that makes sense, with the ZF pump in the centre gearbox. It’s more forgiving and has less to worry about. I do have a very heavy right foot, and the auto box helps reduce my tendency to wheelspin.’ And, therefore, to batter the driveline with the sort of shock loads few halfshafts can survive.

Not so much that the transmission fluid didn’t overheat, though, so among relatively few modifications he made was to replace

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the original oil cooler with a Laminova water-to-oil cooler which uses the engine coolant system to do its job.

Rad solution

Mud-clogged radiator cores are the bane of the lives of many off-road drivers, so the radiator was moved to a roof-top position and guarded by a perforated steel screen:

‘It’s just as well I’m not tall, or I’d be bumping my head on it!’

Gary also ditched the engine’s original intercooler in favour of a charge cooler, which not only reduces turbo-lag and smoothes and improves boost pressure but is better suited to low-speed performance.

The fuel pump has been tweaked to deliver a bit more diesel, too, and a home-made

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‘I saw some of the technical features in the American rock crawling mags. I thought “so that’s what you do,” and set about building something similar’

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The 300 Tdi is largely unmolested. However, its original intercooler went by the board in favour of a charge cooler. This reduces turbo-lag and smoothes and improves boost pressure, and is also better suited to low-speed performance. The radiator is mounted at roof height and protected by a perforated steel screen; the snorkel draws air from next to it

snorkel draws air from behind the roofmounted radiator.

The gearbox is the ZF4HP automatic that came with the engine. There was a very long period of time when people snubbed self-shifters for off-roading, but then they found near-universal popularity in the comp safari game for the simple reason that they let you keep two hands on the wheel. And for drivers who aren’t the most sympathetic towards their equipment, they add a layer of slop to the transmission that can help it cope with shock loads.

Another advantage is the lack of a clutch to slip and, ultimately, burn out.

Power is laid down very progressively (even when the gearchanges feel like an attack of hiccups, it’s still less brutal than an eagerly driven manual tends to be), with less

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snatching to rattle your diffs as you get on and off the gas.

The auto’s output shaft runs to a standard LT230 transfer box and then through an Ashcroft Underdrive, which bolts to the PTO flange and provides two additional, extra-low ratios for the most extreme situations (Gary built the Land Rover with punch hunts in mind). Of course, an LT230 means a handbrake made of cheese, so he fitted an X-Brake and now it’ll hold on the sort of slope that hangs you in your straps.

Propshafts are a shortened Range Rover unit at the back and a fully custom one up front. This needed to be longer as he moved the front axle forward by three inches to improve his approach angle. ‘Thinking back,’ he says, ‘it was a spur of the moment

thing. It would probably have been easier to shorten the front of the car!’

Air raising

Next after the props come the axles, and here’s where the good stuff really starts. The turn a set of 35x11.50R15s, and to get them doing so at the right speed they’re running 4.11:1 Ashcroft locking diffs. These run off compressed air; a pair of heavyweight rock sliders made from steel box double up as tanks to supply them, which is the kind of ingenuity we like.

They diffs share the axle cases with more good stuff from Ashcroft in the shame of its halfshafts and CV joints.

Gary mentioned to us that he’d been very impressed with the company for honouring its guarantees despite the brutality of his

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Left: The interior is every bit as basic and functional as you’d expect. Among the few controls are those for the winches and diff-locks, as well of course as the ZF auto shifter driving, which is something you don’t hear every day.

An interesting touch here is that he welded an additional winch hook next to the diff case on the rear axle. His reasoning was that when the axle is already buried deep in mud, winching off the chassis tends to pull it deeper still. A heavy pull on the axle case sounds unbelievably unkind though when you think about it, you’re more likely to bend a trailing link by asking it to keep the axle from moving forward than you are to rip one in two by trying to pull the axle backwards. Just so long as you’re confident in your welds…

Talking of suspension links, and indeed of Gary’s welding, the vehicle runs a system he designed and built himself. He told us there’s five feet of articulation in it, too.

Up front, the axle is located by a one-link apparatus using an A-frame with a single pivot at the centre point of the chassis.

There’s a panhard rod to keep it in position laterally, with a huge drop on it, but no need for radius arms – just a set of 15-inch Pro-Comp springs and shocks with X-Flex springs inside instead of dislocation cones.

That huge drop would make things interesting if Gary was living in a world of drag links and pitman arms, but where we’re

Above left: A standard LT230 transfer case runs through an Ashcroft Underdrive to a shortened Range Rover rear prop and a custom unit to the front Above right: A set of waffle boards is mounted where the tailgate would normally be. Immediately beyond them is an X-Eng lightweight ground anchor, with the spare wheel after that 28

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Held to the rims by Gary’s own beadlocks, 35x11.50R15 Simexes are very much a throwback to the good old days before everything was banned

All change

going we don’t need an MOT. We also don’t need to worry about leaking PAS boxes any more, and he’d been doing a lot of that. So he installed a full hydro system, with the ZF pump from a BMW 7 Series providing the pressure to drive the ram.

Moving to the back, there’s a three-link set-up just like the one you’d find on a firstgeneration Range Rover. Well, not JUST like it but the overall arrangement is similar.

Extended trailing links, which move around Rubicon Supa-Flex front pivot points, back up a similarly lengthy A-frame which meets the axle at a high-angle joint above the diff housing. Dislocation here is managed by a system of Gary’s own design, with damping by 12” shocks.

We mentioned earlier on that what Gary started with was an 88” Series III. What you’re looking at here is as much that as anything else, though obviously it changed quite a lot since leaving the factory (and entering his life, indeed). It’s coil-sprung, Tdi-engined and automatic, and no Series III was ever any of those things as standard – indeed, Gary told us that the only original thing left on it was its bulkhead.

You can still recognise it as a Land Rover – no question about that. But the wings and front panel, or what’s left of them, are all Defender. The back’s been bobbed by eight inches and, as we’ve already mentioned, the front axle sits three inches further forward on that epic single-link frame.

Topping it all off is a cage Gary built by starting with off-the-shelf hoops and moving on to several hours of welding and fabricating. He fitted a pair of Warn 8274s, the front one running an uprated 6hp XP

motor, and mounted an aluminium locker, an X-Eng ground anchor and a set of waffles in the back. Not satisfied with all that, he designed his own beadlock rings to keep those big tyres in place when there’s next to no air in them.

The result was a Land Rover, or at least something that looked like a Land Rover, which very much announced Gary’s arrival in the wonderful world of off-roading. We reckon the ratio is about 20% custom parts and 80% home-brew; there ought to be a little bit left in there for original stuff, but it really was only a little.

Hard to believe that only three years earlier, Gary was lining up in the staging lanes at Santa Pod ready to launch himself down the strip in a bid for the perfect ET. He may have moved into the slow lane because all that fast stuff was starting to cost too much – but having followed his mates into the off-road world, it didn’t take long before he was showing them how it’s done.

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28/04/2025 20:15

GO LANING

THIS SUMMER USING OUR GUIDES

growth can all make a huge

The tracks in our routes are

difference to the conditions. The

and courtesy should be your

• Don’t drop litter

either Byways Open to All Traffic

responsibility is yours!

watchword. Keep your speed

• Don’t go back to drive the fun

The routes are designed to

down, be ready to pull over for

bits, such as mud or fords, again

be safe to drive solo. We do

others and always aim to show

• Scrupulously obey all closure

recommend travelling in tandem

the world that 4x4 drivers aren’t

and voluntary restraint notices

wherever possible, however.

the hooligans they think we are.

• Don’t cause a noise nuisance,

or Unclassified County Roads. All are legally open to vehicles.

Navigation

Elsewhere, common sense

• Leave gates as you found them

particularly after dark

We’ve tried to keep our notes as

The risk of getting stuck can be

clear as possible. When you’re

greater than it appears – and if

Antis

out on the trails they should all

you break down, having help at

Anti-4x4 bigotry is less common

there. We research our routes

make sense.

hand will make all the difference.

than you’d think. There are

carefully, but the status of any

• Ensure you have a right to be

We try to include instructions

Where our notes mention the

always bad apples but if you’re

lane can change without notice

only where you need them. This

routes’ suitability for soft-roaders,

friendly towards people, the vast

• Be prepared to turn back if the

means junctions at which you

we’re referring to vehicles like

majority will be friendly back and

route is blocked, even illegally

have to make a turning or don’t

the Freelander. Crossovers are

many will be intrigued to see you.

• If you find an illegal obstruction,

have right of way. So just stay

excellent on smoother tracks but

Likewise, most local residents

on the main road/track or take

will ground out too easily to be of

will accept your presence if you’re

• If someone challenges you,

the most straight-ahead option

real use for green laning.

driving sensibly. What suspicion

be polite. Stay calm and firmly

you do encounter is likely to be

assert your right to be there, but

from people worried that you’re

don’t let them draw you into a

unless we tell you otherwise.

Our notes include six-figure

Responsibility

notify the local authority

grid references. Our aim is

Irresponsible driving is a massive

there to steal from them, so be

slanging match

for you to be able to do the

problem on green lanes. In

ready with a word of reassurance.

• Stick absolutely scrupulously to

route without maps, but we do

particular, you must always stay

recommend having them.

on the right of way. Never drive

Do’s & Don’ts

off it to ‘play’ on the verges or

• Keep your speed right down

be there as everyone else. Which

surrounding land, even if you

• Pull over to let walkers, bikers

of course means they have as

Our notes aim to warn you of

can see that someone else has;

and horse riders pass

much right as you

any hazards, but the nature of

it’s illegal and tremendously

• Don’t travel in large convoys:

• Harrassing a legitimate right of

any lane can change quickly. Wet

damaging, both to the land and

split into smaller groups to avoid

way user is a criminal offence.

weather, erosion and seasonal

to 4x4 drivers’ reputation.

hassling others

Just so you know…

Safety

the right of way • You have as much of a right to

Insurance for your 4X4 32 www.overlander4x4.co.uk Call 0800 085 5000 or visit adrianflux.co.uk 16pp Summer Lane Routes.indd 32

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28/04/2025 18:01

The clocks have gone forward, the days are long, the sun has got its hat on… it’s time to fire up your 4x4, get out there and explore the countryside. These ten routes provide a little taste of what the green lane network has to offer – but wherever you are in England and Wales, adventure is never far away!

Green laning is a great way of exploring the UK, but many insurance companies don’t cover off-roading and green laning.

That’s why our Isuzu – pictured here – is insured by Adrian Flux, a specialist insurance broker that covers off-roading and green laning. Whether you’ve modified your 4x4 or you own a classic 4WD, they can help. Give them a call on 0800 085 5000 for a quote.

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1: Southern Lake District ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Spark Bridge to Little Langdale 26.6 miles; 4-5 hours

Landranger 90 (Penrith and Keswick) Landranger 97 (Kendal and Morecambe Mainly firm-surfaced but at times uneven rights of way. Very grippy when dry; potentially slippery when wet, but broadly suitable for any kind of tyre with size mattering more than tread. Unsuitable for softroaders due to ground clearance issues and the need for articulation in places. Scratching shouldn’t be an issue, but panel damage might be; the bridge at Step 23 is so narrow, the last couple of generations of Range Rover won’t fit through. Watch out for one or two nasty road junctions, and expect walkers and cyclists

• Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 32

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turn left, then at 0.05 miles turn left just after the bridge

main road junction at 18.0 miles – visibility over your

0.0 SD 304 849 Start at the Royal Oak, just off the A5092 in Spark

Bridge. Zero your trip as you leave the pub cark park and

17.75 Turn left at an angled T-junction with a small road

at 17.75 miles. Extreme caution as you turn right at the shoulder is dire

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1.5 Turn right for Nibthwaite and East of Lake just before

the bridge. If you reach the staggered cross-roads with the Red Lion in front of you, you’ve gone too far

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18.05 NY 329 022 Turn left, back over your shoulder, straight after the

Skelwith sign. Watch out for dog walkers around here

3

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ahead with the woods to your left, then swing right at 3.45

The road you take will quickly turn into a track

2.55 SD 295 881 Turn right opposite the sign for Nibthwaite Grange

Farm. When the tarmac ends at 3.3 miles, take the track for High Ickenthwaite. The track ahead is very good at collecting surface water

19.0 NY 318 028 Fork left where the road splits, just as you enter a

cluster of some farm buildings (take it easy through here).

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19.2 The surface is easy at first, but be wary – you’ll

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cross some rocks which drop you straight down into a

2.9 Bear right when the track splits

4.65 SD 323 894 Turn right at the T-junction with the road at 4.65, then

immediately right again through the gate on the track for

sharp left-hander with a sheer drop on its outside. Caution!

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19.55 Immediately after the gate, as the track ahead

turns into a road, swing left up the hill on another track

Oxen Park. Stick to the main track next to the dry-stone

then turn left through the gate at a T-junction with a

wall at 4.9

wooden shed to its right

6

18

5.9

19.95

Dead slow past the house as the track gives way to a

rough road. Turn left at the T-junction with the road at 6.15

Caution between the buildings as the track

becomes a road. At 20.1, fork left following the brown ‘public way’ sign

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11.4 SD 336 944 Fork right on the track opposite the visitor centre. The

track ahead is quite steep and rocky, and you’re likely to meet mountain bikers coming the other way

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20.45 Turn right on the road at a sort-of T-junction, ignor-

ing the track to the right. Almost immediately, turn right again at another T-junction – this is with a main A-road

8

11.75 Turn right at the T-junction with a bigger track, then left

at 11.95 at another T-junction, again with a track

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SD 312 996 22.65 Turn sharp right over your shoulder for Tilberth-

waite. Caution past the National Trust car park at 23.75

9

12.15 As the track swings right, take the less visible track to

the left of the bench. Fork right where the track splits at 12.65. Turn left at the T-junction with the road at 12.9

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13.0 Turn left at the T-junction for Hawkshead, then left

again for Hawkshead Village at the crossroads at 14.6

11

15.15 Turn left for Hawkshead Hill then, as the road

swings left at 15.25, turn right on a small road with a 6’6” width restriction

12

15.9 SD 341 994 Turn right at the main road junction then, after a

couple of car lengths, left between the trees and up the hill. The road becomes a track at 16.0 miles

21

24.0 Stop at the first gate and open both it and the one

at the far left of the farmyard, so you can pass without disturbing people

22

25.0 Turn left at the junction then shortly afterwards

stick to the main track

23

25.4 Caution past the house and over the bridge – it’s

very tight indeed. When you reach the T-junction with the road at 25.65, turn right

24

26.6 Arrive at the Three Shires Inn in Little Langdale for

the end of the route

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28/04/2025 18:01

2: North York Moors ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Ingleby Greenhow to Gillamoor 23.9 miles; 3-4 hours

Landranger 94 (Whitby and Esk Dale)

The lanes on this route are steep in places and, while currently in good repair, have shown themselves in the recent past to be easily washed out. Care and anticipation are therefore crucial – as they are on a couple of long descents which are best taken in low range. You’re highly likely to encounter walkers and cyclists at all times. The surface

is suitable in all weathers, but steer clear in heavy snow or fog.

• Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 32

1

4

7

right and set off heading more or less east

main track straight ahead at 5.4, ignoring the

further down it. At 17.9 miles, turn right at the

one bearing off to the right

T-junction with the road

5

8

continue ahead through a gate and past an

on the way down the hill, then at 8.85 miles

Side). At 19.8 miles, turn right at the T-junction,

‘unsuitable for motors’ sign. At 1.3 miles, stick

turn left at the T-junction with the road

again for Hutton-le-Hole

6

9

0.0 NZ 581 064 Start outside the Dudley Arms in Ingleby

Greenhow. Zero your trip with the pub on your

2

0.3 NZ 585 065 Turn right on the no through road signed

for Bank Foot. After you pass the farm at about 1.0 mile, the road becomes a track as you

to the main track through the gate with a red arrow on the post

4.8 Caution over the old railway track – it’s

popular with walkers and cyclists. Follow the

7.7 Turn right at the crossroads with another

track. Take care to stay on top of your speed

13.4 SE 659 927 As the road swings hard right, turn left on

3

1.4

to the track with an ‘unsuitable for motors’

17.5 Caution as you start to descend – it’s

a long hill, and it gets steeper as you drop

19.5 As the road swings right in the village,

turn left for Hutton-le-Hole and Farndale (East

21.95 SE 692 921 Turn right at the crossroads with a track.

It’s not easy to spot; look our for a blue sign

Get into low range early for a long climb

sign. The surface is mainly good and smooth,

with a picture of a bicycle. Turn right at the

which gets steep in places. Part of it used to

but keep your speed down and watch out for

T-junction with the road at 22.8 miles and head

be a serious rock crawl – it’s been repaired

bumps and crests. At 16.6 miles, turn right at

up the hill into Gillamoor, where the route ends

now, but one big storm could turn it back again

the crossroads with another track

outside the Royal Oak Inn at 23.9 miles

36

www.overlander4x4.co.uk

16pp Summer Lane Routes.indd 36

28/04/2025 18:01

6

6.9 SK 127 826

3: Derby Dales ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Just after a stone barn on the left, and

Sparrowpit to Hope 9.9 miles; 1.5-2.5 hours

Landranger 110 (Sheffield and Huddersfield) Landranger 119 (Buxton and Matlock)

Mainly wide, stony tracks with plenty of traction for all – this is an ideal route for soft-roaders. Possible risk of mild scratching on the final section, and one axle-twister which can be avoided. Watch out for other users, especially walkers, and insane drivers on the road liaison sections • Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 32

1

3

leave the car park and follow the signs for

At 1.8 miles, turn left at the T-junction

0.0 SK 091 807 Start at the Olive Tree, on a sharp bend in

the A623 at Sparrowpit. Zero your trip as you Stockport and Manchester. At 1.3 miles, turn left at the roundabout for Buxton

2

1.5 SK 077 792 Turn left on the track opposite a road on

0.7 SK 112 773 Turn left at the crossroads, on to the track.

It’s opposite a road on the right for Smalldale.

4

road swings right at 0.1, fork out to the left

to open on your way through the wall

7

7.3 As the road swings left towards the farm,

carry on ahead on to a track. It’ll swing round to the left itself at about 7.8 miles; just stick on the obvious main track all the way, ignoring all those off to either side. At 8.2 miles, the main track reaches a T-junction with the road; turn left here

8

8.4 SK 155 821 As the road starts to swing left, turn right

on a track. At 8.5 miles, turn left on another track – it’s quite a sharp drop as you do so, this track the whole way down the valley

the A623 for Stockport and Manchester.

At 3.3 miles, just after you’ve passed the the traffic lights

Zero your trip here and turn right. When the

early; be aware also that there might be a gate

though the track itself is no problem. Stick to

try to indicate early. The track is occasionally

and reched a T-junction with a road at 4.5.

proach, so keep your speed down and indicate

Watch out for traffic as you turn left on

Devonshire Arms in Peak Forest, turn right at

change; we were back on tarmac at 3.6 miles

the dry stone wall. It’s hard to spot as you ap-

2.4

the right. Keep it slow as you approach and rerouted around a quarry, so its length can

then a 50mph sign, turn right through a gap in

5

9

8.9 Caution past the house on the left, then

you’ll reach a road junction. It’s on the outside of a corner; just join the road straight ahead.

5.0

At 9.9 miles, turn right at the T-junction in the

Turn right at the T-junction. It doesn’t

middle of Hope, then after about a hundred

look much like it as you approach, but this is

yards arrive at the Old Hall Hotel (where food

another main A-road

is served all day) for the end of the route

June 2025 I Overlander 4x4

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37

28/04/2025 18:02

1

4

7

great place for lunch before a summer’s

next half-mile or so. At 7.7 miles, turn right at

and on to the track ahead. This is dramatic

afternoon on the lanes. Zero your trip as you

the T-junction with another track, then continue

looking but nice and easy to drive, though

turn left out of the pub car park for the start of

ahead between the dry-stone walls at 7.8

you’ll not want to mind sharing it with sheep.

0.0 SE 092 897 Start at the Three Horseshoes, on the A684

in the village of Wensley, which would be a

the route

6.85 SE 043 891 Turn left just after the cottages in Swithin-

dale. There’s a mish-mash of surfaces over the

5

8.25

2

0.3 Turn left for Coverdale and Carlton.

Take the right fork where the track splits,

ignoring the sign to West Burton. There’s a

17.2 Turn left for Carpley Green. At 18.8 miles,

keep it dead slow on the way through the farm

At 21.05 miles, turn right at the T-junction with another track

8

22.0

Turn right as the road starts to swing left at

steep descent after this. Carry on ahead on to

1.8 miles, then right for West Witton at the

tarmac at 9.1 miles, then shortly afterwards

T-junction at 3.2

swing right over the bridge. Turn left when

track ahead at 22.8 miles, then at 23.25 turn

you get to the T-junction just after this, then at

right for Bainbridge

3

3.5 SE 062 876

10.55 turn right for Thoralby. Follow the road

As you drop down the side of the hill, look

through the village then turn left for Bainbridge

out for a track more or less straight ahead as the road swings right into a hairpin. Take this track, then at 4.65 miles turn right on another one. This turns into a road at about 5.4 miles, then at 5.7 turn left at the T-junction with the main road

38

and Hawes at the T-junction at 12.15 miles

6

Watch out for the raised lip as you exit

what is a tiny part-time ford. Follow the main

9

24.55 SD 925 895 Turn left, over your shoulder, on to a track

for Beggarmans Road. Continue ahead over

16.75

the crossroads at 26.0 miles – visibility is dire,

As the road starts swinging right and drop-

and there’s an awkward step up on to the road.

ping into Bainbridge, turn left for Semer Water

After this, the views get ever better as you

and Stalling Busk

climb and climb, and though it’s steepish and

www.overlander4x4.co.uk

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4: Yorkshire Dales ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Wensley to Bainbridge 46.9 miles; 6-7 hours

Landranger 98 (Wensleydale and Upper Wharfedale) Landranger 99 (Northallerton and Ripon)

Driving on ths route is easier than the moody majesty of the landscape would suggest. You do need to take great care throughout, however it’s broadly suitable for soft-roaders and vehicles on standard tyres. Step 16 is a reverse of Step 9, so you can shorten the route by turning left at the end of Step 15 and finishing in Hawes • Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 32

quite rocky in places there shouldn’t be any

It’s just a smooth descent now, but it’s still

steeply up the hill; there’s also an awkward

shortage of grip

steep enough to require care. At the bottom,

climb up to the road at 35.95. Turn right here,

follow the track round to the right

watching out for people coming the other way

10

29.35 Turn left when you reach the T-junction

with the road. As it swings left at 29.8, turn right for Cam Houses Only

11

32.05 SD 830 834 As the road swings left, turn right on

the track. You’re likely to see cars parked all over the grass here, as it’s popular with walkers

13

34.2 Turn right just before a derelict looking

barn on the left. Follow the main track round to the left at 34.5 miles, after which it becomes a road

at warp speed

16

41.3 SD 863 854 At the top of a long climb up the

hillside, turn very tightly back over your left shoulder and on to the track. There’s a space

14

for swinging wide and shunting. You’ve already

34.7

been here once coming the other way –we

Turn right at the T-junction. The road

don’t often run trails in both directions, but

quickly becomes a track, then at 35.7 miles

this one’s so good we don’t think you’ll mind!

about 34.0 miles, then at about 34.4 it starts

turn left at a crossroads with another track.

Retrace your steps via the crossroads, which

getting rockier as you drop down the hillside

This is the second such gate in quick succes-

will come up at 44.75 miles, then turn left at

sion – the first is just a field entrance, so be

the T-junction at 46.2

and hang-glider pilots. There’s a narrow gate at

12

34.6 This trail is known as the Cam Steps,

and this is where the steps in question used to be. The rock strata you once had to pick your way over was smashed up and removed a few years ago, which is one form of maintenance.

sure you’ve got the right one

15

35.8 Take care through the ford – it’s well

17

46.9 Continue over the angled crossroads

in the centre of Bainbridge, then at 47.0 miles

surfaced but could be pretty tasty after a lot

arrive at the Rose and Crown on the left for the

of rain. Straight afterwards, the track climbs

end of the route

June 2025 I Overlander 4x4

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39

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5: North Devon ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Mullacott Park to Mullacott Park 19.8 miles; 2-3 hours

Landranger 180 (Barnstaple and Ilfracombe)

One steep climb aside, this route should be suitable for almost any 4x4 – so long as you’re not to worried about its paintwork.

The risk of scratching is high, especially in the summer, though it’s mainly from softer overgrowth. You’re likely to encounter other users, as well as agricultural vehicles, but the biggest risk on this route is from traffic on the road sections – here and there, you’ll emerge from slow, bucolic rides on to straight A-roads where people overtake at warp speeds • Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 32

1

0.0 SS 511 445 Start at Cook Island Free House, in the

Mullacott Park complex on the junction of the A361 and A3123. Ideal for breakfast!

Zero your trip at the exit from Mullacott Park and turn right, then turn left at the roundabout for Combe Martin and Lynton

2

0.9 Turn right for West Down. At 2.2 miles,

take great care as you turn right for Barn-

turn right for Ilfracombe and Woolacombe

staple at the crossroads with a major road

3

7

fast-moving traffic, then left at the cross-

ham. At 12.35, turn left on Silver Street

3.85 SS 513 425 Turn half right on to a track. Turn right

at the road at 3.1 miles, watching out for roads at 3.5

12.25 Turn left at the crossroads just after the

30mph signs, opposite the road for George-

8

12.45 SS 489 373

4

3.85 SS 505 439 Turn left on the track signed Unmet-

Turn gently right on a no through road,

which soon becomes a track and climbs

alled Road. Follow round to the left at 4.1

steeply up a hill. You’re highly likely to en-

miles, then bear gently right at 4.4 and

counter other users here. Turn left on to the

turn right at the T-junction with the road at

road at 13.35, taking you straight ahead

4.5. At 5.45, turn left at the T-junction for Georgeham and Croyde

9

13.75 SS 507 382 Carry on ahead on to the track as the

5

6.85 SS 466 423 Turn left into Little Roadway Farm. After

road swings gently left. Turn left at the T-junction with the road at 14.25 miles,

the gate by the office at 6.95, follow ahead

then carry on ahead for Fullabrook at the

along the field edge. Keep to the field edge

crossroads at 14.95

after the next gate at 7.35 then ahead again through another gate at about 11 o’clock.

Finally, turn right at the T-junction at 7.85

10

15.1 SS 523 393 After another crossroads, continue

ahead on to the track as the road swings

6

8.35

left. Turn left at the T-junction at 16.8, then

At the T-junction with a bigger road, turn

left for Woolacombe on the A3123 at 18.3.

hard left, back over your shoulder, for North

Turn right for Ilfracombe at the roundabout

Buckland. Turn left at the T-junction at 8.75,

at 19.7 miles, then at 19.8 turn left back

again for North Buckland; at 10.25 miles,

into Mullacott Park for the end of the route

40

1

0.0 SU 108 298 Start outside the Victoria and Albert in

Netherhampton. Zero your trip with the pub on your right and set off west, then at 0.05 miles turn right at the T-junction with a major road. At 0.2 miles, turn left for Racecourse and Stratford Tony

2

1.45 SU 093 285 Midway through a left-hand bend, opposite

a road into the racecourse, turn right on a track. Extreme caution at 2.2 miles – you come to a crossroads with a fast, busy road which is almost impossible to see until you’re right on it. It’s also completely blind to both sides. Carry on straight ahead here, on to another track

3

5.0 Merge in to a bigger track, carrying on

straight ahead. At 5.25, carry on ahead again as the main track swings left. At 7.4 miles, there’s another road crossing that’s invisible until you’re on it and blind as you emerge. As before, cross the road and continue straight ahead. The track splits in two at 9.8 miles – either branch is fine

www.overlander4x4.co.uk

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6: South Wiltshire ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Netherhampton to Combe Bissett 45 miles; 4-5 hours

Landranger 184 (Salisbury and the Plain)

This route is easy at times, but in other areas you’ll need low range, mud tyres and a cheerful disregard for you paintwork. Some sections are likely to be rutted, and others spend much of the year under water.

The biggest danger, however, is from road traffic – there are some junctions which could be very dangerous if you don’t approach them assuming everyone else is all throttle and no brain.

• Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 32

4

8

12

T-junction with the A30

almost immediately right at the T-junction with

from about 28.75, becomes very enclosed and

a road

uneven. At 29.0 miles, turn left at the T-junction

10.2 Turn right at the crossroads with a road.

At 11.1 miles, turn left for Shaftesbury at the

5

11.6 ST 950 257 Turn left, between two buildings, on a track

opposite a road on the right. It gets a bit rutted and prone to collecting surface water at 11.9, and beyond this there’s a long, steep climb

19.2 ST 937 207 At a very messy looking junction with

tracks going in all directions, turn hard left then

with the road. Extreme caution here – it’s a

9

fast, busy A-road, and you’re likely to meet

As the road swings gently to the right, fork

overtaking traffic coming at you on the wrong

out left on to the track signed By-Way to Ox Drove. Carry on ahead when the main track

12.6

you reach a road junction on the outside of a

Turn right at the T-junction with another

corner at 22.75

track. Watch your speed on the way down a long gradient from about 14.0 miles, sticking to the main track as it swings gently right at 14.1, then turn left at the T-junction with a main

10

track as it swings left at the car park at 18.1

Turn left for Throope at the crossroads

with tracks to either side. At 29.9 miles, as the main track swings gently left, carry on ahead turn right at the T-junction with another track

crossroads. Same again at 24.8 – take great tions. At 25.85, once again follow ahead over

on to the track for Win Green. Follow the main

29.25 SU 090 235

on a more enclosed one, then at 31.0 miles

care here as visibility is terrible in both direc-

Turn left, slightly back over your shoulder,

13

Carry on ahead on to the track at the

the houses for Tollard Royal and Ashmore 17.8 ST 918 203

side of the road

23.8 SU 007 212

road at 14.5. At 16.05 miles, turn left between

7

Follow dead ahead at the junction with

a road. It soon turns back into a track – then

20.2 ST 953 207

swings hard left at 21.9, then again when

6

28.6

a crossroads

11

27.25 At what looks like a T-junction, turn

right on the road then left on the track. From

miles, then caution through a short rutted sec-

around 27.6, it becomes prone to collecting

tion at 18.55

surface water

14

31.1 Dead slow through the ford. At 31.2

miles, turn right at the crossroads for Blandford, Salisbury and Combe Bissett

15

32.3 Turn right for Blandford at the T-junc-

tion. After about 100 yards, arrive at the Fox and Goose on the left for the end of the route

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7: West Cambridgeshire ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Kimbolton to Polebrook 29.8 miles; 3-4 hours Landranger 142 (Peterborough) Landranger 153 (Bedford and Huntingdon)

This route is only usable between 1 May and 30 Sept, as almost all the tracks are closed the rest of the year.

The driving is mainly easy, with just a few ruts here and there and no more than mild scratching – though enough to be off-putting for shinies. The biggest hazard by a long way is road traffic, with a couple of very nasty junctions to negotiate. You’re likely to encounter farm traffic, but other users are few and far between.

With a suitable vehicle, this is a nice gentle drive in the country – do steer clear in very wet conditions, though.

• Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 32

1

0.0 TL 099 677

becomes a road. Turn left at the T-junction at

Start in Kimbolton, outside the New Sun

4.8, then at 5.05 turn left at the T-junction in

Inn on the main B645 through the village. Zero your trip with the pub to your right, then set off north-west to start the route. Turn right on the B660 for Catworth and Stow Longa at 0.4, then right again for Stow Longa and Spaldwick at 0.6

the village

At the right-hander in the village, turn left

on to Church Lane. This becomes a track at 2.6, then at 3.25 follow the track that forks out

Turn left just before the farm building on

a track signed ‘Bullock Road’. Turn right at the T-junction with the road at 21.0 miles – then

5

as it swings right at 21.5 miles (TL 144 830),

As you climb the hill, turn left on the track

carry on ahead on to a track. Follow this to the

into the trees. Caution over a larger track at 6.5 Turn right at the T-junction at 7.1 miles

2

19.2 TL 168 804

5.7 TL 128 736

miles, then at 6.95 the track turns into a road.

2.5 TL 108 709

8

T-junction with a road at 22.35 miles

9

22.95 Turn left at the staggered crossroads, then

6

9.0 Turn left at the T-junction for Old Weston

and Oundle, then right at the next T-junction, at

at 24.65 turn right for Luddington and Hemington at the crossroads in the village

10

to the left

10.4, for Clopton, Winwick and The Giddings

3

7

Turn right on the track immediately after

left through the gates and along the field edge.

the road on the left for RAF Molesworth. Turn

Where it swings left at 28.55, continue ahead

at 3.7 miles

right at the T-junction with a track at 12.65,

through the gate on to a very wide, grassy

then right again at the crossroads at 13.75.

track. Turn right at the T-junction at 28.9 miles,

3.8

Turn left at the T-junction in the village at 14.5

then left at the T-junction with a bigger road at

Turn right at the T-junction with a track.

miles, then immediately right again on Hamer-

29.5. Left for Ashton at the T-junction at 29.7,

Cross a larger track at 4.35 and continue

ton Road. Follow this to 18.0 miles then turn

then at 29.8 arrive at the Kings Arms to end of

ahead on to a smaller one, then at 4.75 it

left for Coppingford

the route

3.5 Turn right at the T-junction with a track.

Take the fork to the right when the track splits

4 42

11.8 TL 083 793

28.35 TL 072 860 Immediately before a sharp right

hander by a solitary tree, take the grassy track

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16pp Summer Lane Routes.indd 42

28/04/2025 18:02

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number anywhere to be that there was no engine the unit with which it came seen – so it might be can be sure. out of Solihull, but nobody of Solihull, it went into When it did come out who were to be its only the hands of the family they They were Italian, but owners up until 2021. (note that it’s rightkept it in Britain until 1974 pertook it back home on a hand drive) when they of It spent the next couple manent export licence. farm before they parked decades at work on their John Major was Prime it up, some time when Rob found it.

Minster, in the barn where it had lasted well. The All things considered, with the correct number chassis was still original, the vehicle’s documents; stamped in it to match wasn’t a goner by any it had a hole in it but it much for the vehicle to stretch, and it didn’t take a rudimentary way. Enough, be drivable, at least in was be able to note that it at any rate, for Rob to times in second. jumping out of gear at any Land Rover of this As always with almost stuff done to it at various age, the Series has had inevitable – but all told points in its life. That’s original indeed. Straight, it’s still very straight and by what looks like it should, original and ready for an easy restoration.

Series I standards, be it. That was the Only Rob won’t be restoring it back, but time, money plan when he brought Italian bikes ended up and his first love of old

IN A BARN

anywhere but in a barn.

Barn finds tend to be found – Series I was discovered But that’s where this 1950 farm a remote barn on a hill not just in a barn, but in in the middle of Italy Words: Tom Alderney

H

the term ‘barn ow often do you hear Land Rover find’ being applied to a a few years that’s clearly just spent over it every with its owner tripping out of his garage? time he goes to get something as the ‘time warp’ They’re almost as frequent description ought to be classics for whom the a shed.’ ‘quite low miles but still who use ‘barn find’ We all know about dealers patina, though provenance of kind as a dodgy than deceptive. Either that’s more patronising when the barn in question way, the worst thing is When there’s hedge. a or field, a be to turns out

the engine bay and a a tree growing up through and the seller insists that goat living in the back, classic rather than a it’s a freshly discovered at wife is sick of looking piece of toxic scrap his dishes, you know somewhile she’s washing the one’s out to take the you-know-what. scale is a nice dry barn.

At the other end of the but if it’s also full of cool It might be full of spiders is in a hillside. If the hillside motors it’s heaven on big, (the spiders might be Italy, that’s even better it’s a lot warmer and sure but you can be pretty and that’s got to be drier than if it was in Cumbria to see). good for what you’ve come

of this Series I found Actually, when the owner Italy, he had gone to see it on a farm in central His name’s Rob and he’s something else entirely. into vintage Italian bikes. barn find,’ he tells ‘This Land Rover is a genuine I found it. In a barn.’ us. ‘How do I know? Because farm in central ‘It was on a remote mountain to look at an old Lambretta Italy. I had gone there shifting – and found this.’ that the farmer wanted Landy is an 80” model Dating from 1950, the engine. Correct but not with the correct 1.6-litre out; having done points necessarily original, Rob it home to Britain, he found the deal and trailered

2025 Land Rover Yearbook

Tywyn in Gwynedd. of the Dovey estuary near public right of way north for the Happy Valley is a celebrated miles in length and is famous it’s a little more than three Also known as Cwm Maethlon, around it. of the mountainous landscape and moderately spectacular views if offers also include some narrow of lanes, though it does to the nearby Horseshoe It’s not the most challenging driven as an appetiser it has traditionally been of any day out. tricky sections. However the technical highlight Lane), which would be less of a happy place to Lane (also known as Bastard Valley has become a lot years, however, Happy area of moderate erosion Over the course of many has allowed a localised damage and neglect which cyclists, horse be thanks to a cycle of just for 4x4 drivers but barrier to progress – not damaged ground means to degenerate into an impassable is that getting past the too. Part of the problem riders and even pedestrians a protected landscape. be lost to a spiral of detouring on to what is kind of disrepair it can once a lane falls into this through, the local authority As can often be the case, vehicle that tries to get a gets worse with every it’s been well over half inertia as the damage the case of Happy Valley, becomes unusable. In does nothing and the route started. been standing by ready decade since the problems Association (GLASS), have led by the Green Lane restraint to prevent Responsible 4x4 users, has been under voluntary a long, for several years the lane section. But it has been to help with repairs, and bordering the problem route itself and the land further damage to the to show itself. legal action by long wait for a happy ending situation to a head. Following court action to bring the so that it can Regrettably, it has taken Council to repair the byway Court ordered Gwynedd GLASS, Llandudno Magistrates riders and drivers. walkers, cyclists, horse dictating otherwise. money, the local authority’s once again be used by public of use vehicle the of importing a completely unnecessary in it being forced to pay Rob says the process And in what seems like compulsion has resulted however it’s not yet out its legal duties without back to the UK is complete, unwillingness to carry is the action. so once its new owner the Association. ‘The registered for the road GLASS’ legal fees for bringing seven years,’ explains in with the route for the last that’ll be the final piece damage during Storm done with restoring it ‘There have been problems including after suffering research about this deteriorated over time, the jigsaw. He’s done his surface of the byway has contacted the Series I Authority (SNPA) to subject, though, having Doris in 2018.

Snowdonia National Park which was that he would successfully worked with the route back club for their advice – ‘Later that year, GLASS brought this section of funded the work, which getting it back on its have a good chance of carry out repairs. The Association impassable original registration. to the point where it was into good repair. of the byway then deteriorated £12,750, this is not a to use this section of With an asking price of ‘Unfortunately, a later section and horse riders, trying to market – though knowing including walkers, cyclists The GLA again sought giveaway in the current to all users and anyone, in order to pass through.

I values, the opporto a protected landscape the Authority, which what we know about Series the byway, had to go on were unsuccessful and a efforts earn and these but work some out repairs Order on the tunity is there to put in work with SNPA to carry imposed a Traffic Regulation tired and a little crusty for highways in the area, tidy sum for it. It’s a little has day-to-day responsibility as was in such a poor state. near as scary a project access because the byway about helping with in places, but nowhere route to ban motorised and Gwynedd Council it’ll SNPA both now, with from engage months to six but to serve some we’ve seen – and ‘After GLASS tried repeatedly was left with no option unchanged and the Association of its 75th anniversary for highways in the be celebrating the start repairs, the situation remained has overall legal responsibility what might be, take a Gwynedd Council, which going to trial. year. If you’re not imagining a Section 56 notice on to the consent order without agreed council breathing… the work still hearings, and carry out drainage moment and check you’re area. After two procedural the surface of the route the council must repair be enjoyed by all users, ‘The order states that so that it can once again points within 12 months between two specified 2024. again by September including those in vehicles.’ of way passable once cases agreed to make the right it’s not unusual in these Gwynedd Council has winter TRO season, and of the now-traditional the good news is This is right at the start while repairs bed in, however closure to be implemented and ready once more to for a further six-month lane will soon be repaired March Arthur, this iconic that like the nearby Carn users. in a responsible way be welcome responsible access our countryside everyone who wants to ‘This was a ‘This is a great result for Vice-Chairman Chris Mitchell. problems,’ said GLASS authority having a statutory without encountering accessibility years, despite the local maintained for several route that had not been authority to help carry duty to do so. park authority and local to work with the national Legal action ‘We would have preferred this, it was not possible. despite efforts to arrange the will now be able to enjoy out repair works but, unfortunately, pleased that so many users are we and resort was a measure of last as is their right. unfair exclusion of users beauty of the route again, in our fight against the as a significant success that they are expected ‘While we recognise this members, and other users, GLASS is reminding its from public rights of way, when using the route.’ the GLASS code of conduct to comply strictly with

2025 Land Rover Yearbook

•

06/12/2024 20:14

32

PUT THE BOOT IN

PAST

reputation on converting Arctic Trucks built its to run on up to 44” tyres.

Toyota Land Cruisers vehicle is a Land Rover The company’s latest though it may be aimed Defender on 35s – and like everything the at the look-at-me market, glacier-bashing off-road has it does company ability baked into its soul

Sponsored by

wanted a proper Toyota John Pinder always discovered how much Land Cruiser. But having with again… and ended up they cost, he thought Sponsored by a proper Defender instead

Arctic Trucks Words: Olly Sack Pictures:

Harry Hamm Words: Paul Looe Pictures:

Words and pictures Dan

M

lusted after a Toyota Land if they won’t admit it, have lording it any Land Rover fans, even they’re dreaming about in their lives. In most cases, – but Cruiser at some point carry the name in the UK wagons that most frequently see past the in one of the big luxury possible, and you can be as down to earth as is one if you like your 4x4s to definitive utility trucks that one of the world’s you’re likely to accept proper-shape Defender, country. officially imported to this tacks the word which has never been it comes down to brass all day long, but when over all misty-eyed.

You can quote codenames off-road cognoscenti come upon to make the world’s of a legend among ’Troopie’ can be relied 70-Series is little short version of the awe-inspiring come here via the parallel ever The made-for-the-military only they have dwellers alike, however vehicles than us. overlanders and Outback else gets more interesting is low and we often the case, everyone import route. As is so So demand is high, supply us want them all the more. then double it. number a Which of course just makes of think much to mean for price. Pretty HDJ79 – a proper all know what that’s going Cruiser. He wanted an is not the owner of a Land only ever come to This is why John Pinder of the Troopie. These have is basically a pick-up version IVA test, before you can Aussie-style ute which of paperwork, plus an door and it takes a mountain this time the kind that Britain through the side another mountain of paperwork, All of which adds up to use them on the road. turned his comes out of cashpoints. a 70-Series. Instead, he by the price of owning at non-stupid So John was put off completely was available in the UK look bigger is all comparable out of what because there was a long aking Land Rovers attention to building something may raise an eyebrow Defender craze Rover Defender, which at the alternatives and the rage. The bling money. This meant a Land entire car market, but look values of stupidest money on the may have peaked, and spell when they cost the dropped from any. original-shapers have the word ‘was.’ It’s you’ll see that there weren’t HCPU. Not the use of of years was a 1993 Defender 110 they reached a couple friend Leigh The Defender in question collaboration with his close the insane heights in B Plan his up John cooked fashion on the street. it right. ago, but there’s a new rather more than that now. a truck building, he’ll do justice. move because if you want would do himTaller and wider.

Platts, which was a good it, Leigh and none of them you could use to describe The aftermarket is all over you look at There are many words and kind of trite when You know the look. hackneyed for sound all they – like that OEMs. Land Rover itself, and so too are several Master, genius, artist, things the talking.

Octa is engineered to that moves that instead and let it do about it, example – the new Defender John’s truck. So let’s do you. But when you learn to perform like a supercar, more than enough to impress within an inch of its life One glance should be to staggering. impressive because of it from buy goes going to level. It but mainly people are things on to a whole new but aggressive, chunkier… the way it looks. More mainly, it’s taller and wider. is better Octa the that Land Rover is adamant Defender before it. You off-road than any other

M

33

2025 Land Rover Yearbook

2025 Land Rover Yearbook

A

ICELAND ROVER 8

simply by costing £160,000 might be adamant that the strongest evidence or whatever it is, this is abandonment of yet for Land Rover’s complete great. But however far everything that made it what a Defender once removed it may be from being taller helps offwas, there is still a point: helps with being taller. road. And being wider Rover wants you to think We don’t know if Land do this. They’d certainly they’re the only ones who previously boasted like it to be the case, having of put the aftermarket out that they were going to like the Octa. business with vehicles ever to leave The Octa is the first Defender Gasp. Do you remember the factory on 33” tyres. unusually big? The when those were considered of the time was an oldubiquitous off-road tyre

you were listening to them school 7.50, and while RTV road from a playday or drone their way up the the stereo up to max and you might have turned with a bit of Wham! or tried to drown them out

Bucks Fizz.

Toyota’s Icelandic At around the same time, its that a huge number of importer started noticing brand new vehicles 4x4 customers were putting order to cope with the on much bigger tyres in blanketed in deep snow conditions there. Terrain very little air. So they needs lots of rubber and and began offering set up their own workshop and Land Cruisers – with re-engineered Hiluxes new Soon, up to 70% of the overwhelming results. were being modified 4x4s coming in to Iceland before delivery.

2025 Land Rover Yearbook

re-engineering arm, In 1996, the company’s been called Toyota which has until then simply a new name: Arctic Trucks.

Accessories, was given 2005, of Toyota Iceland until It continued to be part and started when it became fully independent too. By now it working with other manufacturers in Norway, and since then also had an operation and Sweden, Poland, it has expanded into Finland Britain.

America, the UAE and need for Arctic Obviously, the off-roading marginal at best in these Trucks’ conversions is completely absent. But countries, and in the main to suit being operated in converting a Land Rover terrain like snow fields at low tyre pressures on taller it do? You make and glaciers, what do you and wider.

2025 Land Rover Yearbook

tyres. The And you give it much bigger all the way up to 44”, conversions on offer go four and six-wheel drive which is available in both there’s a colossal amount form. Obviously, though, therefore cost) in that, of engineering work (and for the AT35. As the name so most customers go rubber – various sizes suggests, this sits on 35” 110 you see here being are used, with the Defender on 325/60R20s. is typical. the new-shape In the pipeline ever since the vehicle ‘has Defender first came out, with Arctic undergone extensive development of off-road mobility Trucks’ experienced team handle challenging and specialists to allow it to with even greater ease.’ inhospitable landscapes is a serious off-road They’re adamant that this

Sponsored by

to build a unique Using off-the-shelf parts Ashley Russell, Defender is a tough ask. a late Td5 90 and on the other hand, took that looks standard for created a Land Rover a scratch-built cabin the outside – but has boot room modelled on a Georgian

TENTS

Ashley Russell Words: Olly Sack Pictures:

1 Land Rover Discoverys There aren’t many Mark struck gold with a left these day. Nik Hammond – then set about turning near-concours 1993 V8 it into an overland camper

27

26

MASTERPIECE

Has any Defender ever had a more artistic interior?

PLAN B

Court orders Gwynedd local authority to repair Happy Valley byway following legal action by Green Lane Association

•

Fenn

for decades. When they making its presence felt there was decade and a half ago, crop up, they’re in demand. said Land the Disco 1 in a school of thought that When Nik Hammond bought modify a it had appeared on Rover fans looking to these pictures, for example, to skip the that same day. Less than Discovery were going Facebook Marketplace and go straight on to spotted it, in fact. He paid second-generation model half an hour before he but then ten years set off to collect his new the third. That didn’t happen, £1750 and immediately emerged, saying he got there, the seller later a new school of thought trophy – and by the time the Disco 3 and 4 were sold it half a dozen the time had come when told him they could have new go-to vehicles in the about 45 minutes on from going to be seen as the times. That’s still only posted. being overlanding game. advert the by influential Nik got it. But why Both theories were favoured So they all wanted it. And And both turned out people in the aftermarket. did he want it? already people playing with is basically that he had to be wrong. You do get answer The witness the way the vast so he knew what they the Disco 3 and 4, but owned several of them, D2s dwindled to one worth having when number of readily available could do. And he knew short years. And that’s almost nothing in a few he saw it. reputation previous owner had with their less than complimentary Which this one was. Its done just 6000 miles in for reliability. had it for 14 years and D3 more popular than the of thousand out of those the D2 was not hiding So they’re but that time, with a couple conversion, of course – have a less than yet it hadn’t ever been themselves Defender which D4, it for. ‘The and want in the first twelve months, the from what most people rep. And it’s quite probably shows a vehicle that was reliability clearance, stellar ground laid up. Its MOT history AT35 benefits from greater modified any of them on time year after who’s departure and that anyone case approach running and presented kept increased and a of articulation couldn’t get hold towards the end, no they these it because be honest, only let’s ‘Butdid year – just with, particularly angles,’ they point out. miles on the clock.

1.

Discovery fantastic!’ decent utterly more than a hundred extra enhancements also look Only maybe, the end for its Maybe that’s exaggerating.

Sadly, the end really was Disco was truck-like is why 2019 saw Nik being though. Certainly, the original previous owner, which 4 match and the D3 and right place at the right D2 couldn’t Rovers for Land in a way buythe the guy who was in the what Now, admitting that people for that, people who know Discovery V8 EFi 5-door to. And is something didn’t ability theirtry time to take on a 1993 their image rather than them. miles and a string of MOTs love very good been it’s about always with a genuine 58,000 of its ladder Land Rover itself has not mention of body rust all the ability forcars, thewonderfulness Sadly, all cool including not one single at. But of course, as with steel springs and Tdi have all the luck. beam supercar of axles, chassis, a fraction anywhere. Some guys needs to be there. Only Discovery suffered but he also had a first-generation thefor example engines, days, Well, he had all the luck Not owners take them to track chariot. And guess that was made of cheese. but anything a lower laid) –body from them Discovery 3 as his overland (most just hope it’ll get It was a made of feta. cheese.like expensive to maintain. and handles even goesstrong but very what? It was getting too that looks like a Ferrari crumbly. like a drink, but give me And it was every bit as That V8 engine might convenient fact that Combine this with the simple any day of the week. dirt cheap in later life, expedition motor, old Discovery 1s became The D3 wasn’t Nik’s first quarry fodder, and his blood, and all his and were therefore perfect either. Overlanding is in decent ones that’s been you have a scarcity of

Laughed off the street

9

74

75 2025 Land Rover Yearbook

2025 Land Rover Yearbook

­ ­

YEARBOOK 25 HOUSE AD.indd 1

06/12/2024 21:48

8: North Wales ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Glyn Ceiriog to Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog 17.7 miles; 3-4 hours

Landranger 125 (Bala & Lake Vyrnwy) Landranger 126 (Shrewsbury & Oswestry)

Well surfaced, well maintained tracks with ruts which, where they exist, are usually down to good, firm ground. Some potential for scratching and lots for surface water. Tall tyres are recommended.

• Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 32

1

0.0 SJ 201 377

miles, then at 5.65 turn right at the T-junction.

Start at the roundabout in the middle of

Caution here – it’s a steep drop down to the

Glyn Ceiriog, where the Spar shop and Glyn Valley Hotel will cater for your every pre-laning need. Zero your trip at the roundabout and set off heading south on Llanarmon Road – that is, with the hotel to your right and the playground and football pitch to your left

road, and it’s blind on your right

1.6 SJ 195 354 Take the small road that slips out to the

6

Just after the buildings on your right, turn

sharply right over your shoulder

7

Turn left at the crossroads with a track. Af-

ter the gate at 8.55 miles, follow the track as it

left immediately before the sign ahead for

hugs the fence line to your left, then at 9.1 turn

Llanarmon on the B4500. Stay on the road just

left and immediately right to cross the road

after the bridge at 1.8 miles, then at 1.95 follow

and continue on the track dead ahead. Follow

through the gate by the house as the road

the main track through the gate at 9.25

swings right and becomes a track

3

2.2 Ignore the first track out to the left, then

8

to skirt round it, because the surface under the water is good and firm. The track becomes a

junction, this time with a road

road at 11.5 miles, then at 11.9 turn right at the

Turn left at the crossroads with a track.

44

Take the right fork on the way through

the farmyard, then prepare for a small ford at 13.3 miles. At 13.7, turn left at the crossroads with another track

12

14.2 Turn right on another track. The ‘no ve-

hicles’ sign relates to the track ahead, not the one you’re taking. At 14.3, you’re likely to en-

runs along the track for a few car lengths

13

14.9 Shortly after the track has become a

road, turn right at the angled T-junction. This

T-junction with Fford Cynynion

road quickly turns back into a track

9

14

the houses in front of you. It looks more like a

road. At 17.65, arrive in the centre of Llanar-

driveway to start with

mon Dyffryn Ceiriog for the end of the route

11.95 After crossing the bridge, take a tiny road

The surface changes to tarmac at about 5.1

13.2

with a bigger track, then at 14.5 a watercourse

track. You might have to wade through a

track then instantly left again at another T-

4.75 SJ 219 351

11

counter a surface flood just before joining up

miles, turn left at the T-junction with another

Turn right for Sellatyn

roads at 13.75 – where you continue ahead

Turn left at the crossroads with another

surface flood just before this – there’s no need

4 5

Turn right, back over your shoulder at

the crossroads. The road gives way to gravel

10.15

take the second one shortly after it. At 3.0

3.8

13.1 SJ 224 307

then goes back to tarmac prior to the cross-

6.55

8.3 SJ 219 351

2

10

on the right which swings around the end of

15.4 The track becomes surfaced again,

then at 15.55 turn left at the T-junction with the

www.overlander4x4.co.uk

16pp Summer Lane Routes.indd 44

28/04/2025 18:02

CHESHIRE SHOWGROUND,

KNUTSFORD, WA16 0JJ

5-6 JULY

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Access from 3pm on Saturday 5th July Driver & All Passengers Get in Free £1 General Yellow Cars £10 Grouped Yellow Display Vehicles Grouped Display Vehicles must be booked in advance

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JOIN US FOR A CAR EVENT UNLIKE ANY OTHER IN THE UK Thousands of yellow cars are coming together for the biggest gathering of yellow cars on record. Bear witness to the spectacle it’s bound to put a smile on faces young and old alike!

Take a look around our groups of display vehicles, including Super Cars, Classics, 4x4s and Custom Cars. And look out for some famous cars and faces you just might recognise.

bigyellowcarshow.co.uk BYCS_CC-Nov24.indd 1

10/11/2024 18:00

9: Mid-Wales ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Rhandirmwyn to Pontrhydfendigaid 32.7 miles; 4-5 hours

Landranger 146 (Lampeter and Llandovery) Landranger 147 (Elan Valley and Builth Wells)

At the time of writing, part of the route was subject to a voluntary detour. This is at Step 13 (28.6 miles); do be ready to follow any diversion notices you see here.

Emphatically not for anything other than proper 4x4s with genuine off-road ability. This route includes ruts, axle-twisters, steep hills and lots of deep wading. The river crossings are not to be trifled with; when the water levels are high, they can be lethal. While you do need a good vehicle, however, very aggressive tyres are

unnecessary;

their size and height matters more than their tread. Avoid in very wet or snowy conditions, and also in fog.

• Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 32

1

0.0 SN 784 437

cautious about its depth. Just after this, keep

Start outside the Royal Oak in Rhandirm-

your speed right down through the farm and

wyn. It does B&B (though the extremely

up to the T-junction with the road, where you

laner-friendly Llanerchindda Farm is nearby).

turn left

Zero your trip with the pub to your left and set off heading more or less south-east. At 1.4 miles, turn left following the brown sign for Llanerchindda

4

6

12.7 SN 919 469 Just after you’ve passed a big house on

the left, turn left on a track and straight through a ford; it’s a definite no-no when the water’s up. Follow ahead through the farm after this,

3.9

then comes a second ford before the track

Turn right at the T-junction with the A483,

becomes a road

then at 4.2 miles turn left for Tirabad

7

13.3

2

5

left on the gravel track. Carry straight on at

T-junction in town, then as the road swings left

2.6 miles, fork right through another gate –

7.9 miles, ignoring the large tracks to the left

over the bridge after a hundred yards or so turn

watch out for ruts here, and for undergrowth

and right. At about 8.5, where you emerge at

right for Abergwesyn on Dolecoed Road

1.7 SN 784 418 As the road swings hard left, continue

ahead through the gate and on to a track. At

As the road swings right for Tirabad, turn

a sharp angle on a Cat A track, continue on to

3

2.2

the track opposite rather than following the

After yet another gate, the track becomes

main one as it swings left. At 9.5, turn left at

more uneven – if there’s surface water, be

46

6.5 SN 841 414

the T-junction with the road

Turn hard left at the five-way junction and

follow into Llanwrtyd Wells. Turn left at the

8

18.4 As the road swings right, turn left between

the buildings for Llyn Briane and Tregaron.

www.overlander4x4.co.uk

16pp Summer Lane Routes.indd 46

28/04/2025 18:02

11

13

23.1 SN 805 568

confluence of two streams. If any of the others

yards later. Turn right at the T-junction with

Fork out to the right on a gravel track.

thus far have felt at all touch-and-go to you,

another big track at 28.5 miles, then fork out

Continue ahead at 23.2 miles, ignoring the

now’s the time to turn round, because it’s going

left through the gate at 28.6

track to the right, then at 48.4 cross the first

to be significantly deeper. A little way beyond

of many fords – some of which are very wide,

this, the correct right of way goes through the

deep and at times fast enough moving to

deep, steep-sided hole to the left of the more

sweep a car away

obvious track

10

12

quite shallow at this point, but from about 25.7

cluding a section where you’re basically driving

miles on they start getting deep. At 25.9, you

along a stream bed. There are more rock steps

road. At 32.6 miles, turn right at the crossroads

even have a T-junction with a ford across it;

to negotiate, too, before you cross another big

in Pontrhydfendigaid, then at 32.7 arrive at the

turn right here

track at 28.0

Red Lion on the left for the end of the route

Stay on the main road at 22.6, ignoring the fork left for Rhandirmwyn and Llandovery

26.05 Now for the biggest ford of the lot

– basically, you’re driving through the

9

25.6 Some of the fords ahead have awk-

ward rocky climbs at their exits. They’re still

26.5 Caution as you cross a big forestry

track, then get ready for yet more fords – in-

28.3 Turn right at the crossroads with

a forestry track then left again about 100

14

29.6 Continue across the forestry track then,

at 30.0, look out for a big rock ahead of you to the right on the way down a bumpy hill

15

30.5 Turn right at the T-junction with the

main track then immediately left on the tarmac

June 2025 I Overlander 4x4

16pp Summer Lane Routes.indd 47

47

28/04/2025 18:02

10: East Kent ROUTE OS MAPS NOTES

Maidstone Services to Challock 19.8 miles; 4-5 hours

Landranger 178 (Thames Estuary) Landranger 188 (Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells) Landranger 189 (Ashford and Romney Marsh)

Mainly narrow, chalky tracks enclosed by woodland. High likelihood of meeting other users. Most tracks run close to houses, so don’t drive this at night. Scratching is probable in places, and the chalk base is very slippery when wet. One section (at Step 9) is by permit only – you need to apply via www.kent.gov.uk. Give it two weeks for your application to be processed • Before driving this route, or using any public rights of way in your 4x4, please read and pay attention to the notes on page 32

1

0.0 TQ 825 551

Habit ahead of you to the left. At about 6.2

Start in Maidstone Services at Junction 8

miles, the road gives way to a track. Look out

of the M20. Zero your trip as you pull on to the

for a hidden tree stump on the right at about

roundabout over the motorway, then take the

7.1 miles, then at 7.5 there’s a side slope which

second exit – it’s signed for Maidstone (East)

leans you into the undergrowth

and Lenham. This leads straight to another roundabout, where you take the first exit on to the dual carriageway, then at the next roundabout, at 0.6 miles, turn left for Hollingbourne

7

8.0 Join a small road which comes in from the

left and continues straight ahead. At 8.1 miles, straight ahead again over the crossroads

2

1.9 TQ 843 552 As the road bends right, turn left on to

Manor Lane. The easiest way to spot it in advance is to look out for a set of fancy black

8

9.1 Follow the road more or less dead ahead

then, as it swings hard right, continue ahead on

wrought iron gates ahead of you – you’re turn-

to the track. There’s a width restriction as you

ing immediately before them. Take the right

enter the lane

fork a short way along the lane, then at about 2.0 miles the road becomes a track

9

9.55 TQ 901 529 Turn right at the T-junction (you’re actually

3 4

2.55 Turn left at the T-junction with the road

going straight ahead) then, as the road swings right, fork left on to a smaller one. Note the sign about requiring a permit. At about 9.8, continue

2.7 TQ 837 562

ahead through the gate – this is where you’ll

Turn right on the road with a byway sign.

need to have obtained permission, and a code

Take it easy the whole way up here. When you

for the lock, from Kent County Council. The

reach the farmhouse at 2.8 miles, carry on

track dives into woodland at 10.1 miles, then at

straight ahead into the trees – where the road

10.4 turn left at the junction with the road

gives way to a steep, bumpy track up the hill.

Fork right at 3.7 miles, then at 4.1 turn right at the T-junction with the road and immediately follow it round to the right

10.6 TQ 916 525 As the road swings left, slip out to the

right on to the track. This one is quite enclosed for most of its length, but as well surfaced as

5

4.9

ever. At 10.9 miles, it becomes a tarmac road;

Turn right at the crossroads, following the

dead slow here as there are houses to your left

sign for Hollingbourne

11

11.0 TQ 921 523

6

5.8 TQ 844 554 On your way through the village, turn left

at the crossroads with a pub called The Dirty

48

10

At the road junction, turn left then

immediately right again – not on to the road but the tightly enclosed track straight before it.

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Caution around the 11.1-mile mark – there’s a sharp drop-off into the field to your right

12

11.85 As you pass the farm buildings on the

right, the main track swings round to the right and becomes a private drive Continue straight ahead at this point on the much smaller track

13

12.6 TQ 940 505 Turn right at the T-junction with the

road, then just round the corner turn left again on to another track. Both junctions are very tight – the first is likely to be overgrown, while the second has width restrictors on the left

14

13.7 The track becomes tarmacked and

splits in two – turn right here and continue down to the road, then carry straight over for Charing. Be warned that this a fast, busy A-road, and and there may be overtakers coming from the left on the wrong side of the road at about 100mph. It’s a horrible junction that needs the highest level of caution

15

14.0 Turn left for Westwell. Note that this

is a residential area. As the road swings half right at 14.3, turn left to run alongside the big brick wall

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14.7 TQ 963 494 Turn right at the T-junction. Follow

the road as it swings hard left then right again at 15.0 miles then, when it bears left into the quarry about 0.1 of a mile later, slip out on to the track on the right. This one is very popular with walkers

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16.2 Take the left fork, then at 16.3 miles

turn left at the T-junction with the road

18

16.4 TQ 987 480 Turn left on the no-through road by

the house. The road becomes a track at about 17.0 miles, then turns back into a road again at the entrance to the gliding club at 17.4.

Continue on to the junction with the A-road at 18.3 and turn right

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19.8 Continue straight over at the rounda-

bout then immediately turn right, arriving at the Halfway House pub for the end of the route

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A TONIC FOR THE

TROOPY

Project Troopy is a long-wheelbase FJ45 Land Cruiser brought back to life with the heart of a more modern Toyota. It’s only a couple of years off its 50th birthday – and already looking forward to its 100th Words Olly Sack Pictures Legacy Overland

T

he word ’Troopy’ has a special resonance in 4x4 circles. For starters, it refers to a Toyota Land Cruiser, which has got to be a good thing. Better still, it refers to a version of the off-road legend that was built with military use in mind, so you know it means business. And best of all, you immediately associate it with Australia, a country whose

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There was no shortage of work required on the Cruiser’s body. Someone had given it a go, but not what you’d call properly. It’s immaculate now – and, given the truck’s new role as a premium workhorse (or, more likely, a toy), you can’t imagine it ever being allowed to get back into this state again

off-road scene is of course the envy of the entire world.

Simply, ’Troopy’ means the real thing.

This FJ45 Land Cruiser is not the real thing, at least not in that sense. It dates from 1977, though, so it’s only from a few years before the J70 was introduced – eventually bringing the ‘troop carrier’ designation with it.

Project Troopy was built by the guys at Legacy Overland over there in Connecticut, the same outfit that was responsible for the street sleeper Range Rover we featured last month. This is a very different proposition – though like that vehicle, the rebuild was based around an engine transplant designed to bring it into a more modern era.

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Absolutely no need to fix what ain’t broke – the Cruiser remains leaf-sprung, just like it was always meant to be. The springs and shocks are +2.5” jobs from Old Man Emu. Note that the tyres have white lettering, but the Legacy Overland guys chose to keep it subtle but mounting them shouty side inwards More modern, if not actually modern. The FJ45 is now powered by the 1FZ-F petrol engine from an 80-Series Land Cruiser. You know, the one from 35 years ago?

If you know your Cruisers, you’ll appreciate that this is nothing, either for the vehicle or its engine. An 80 can still make strong money with half a million miles on the clock.

The 1FZ-F is also very rebuildable, with its cast iron block the everlasting base around which almost every other

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component can be renewed, and upgrades are available to make what was always a smooth engine even silkier still. In this case, the head, rad and cooling system are all new, and the original carb-fed fuelling has been swapped out for a modern Holley Sniper electronic injection system.

ft, but if you’ve driven one you’ll know it pulls like it’s not even trying. Put 3500kg on the back and you’ll be hard pushed to know it’s even there. And that’s without Holley’s best weighing in – those figures are for the later version of the engine with Toyota’s own fuel

Easy power

The result is 212bhp, which these days doesn’t sound like much from a 4.5-litre six-pot – and nor, truth to tell, does 275lbf.

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Above, right: The cabin hasn’t been tarted up the way you see on some Defender builds, just redone to a high standard and given a couple of nice upgrades. The seats are trimmed in distressed leather, the gauge cluster has been modernised and a good stereo has gone in, and air-con is a must these days even in a soft-top, but deep down it’s still as basic and truck-like as ever Below right: Bench seats lining the rear of the vehicle dial right in to its Troopy image.

Counting them all, this is an 11-seater, which ought to be a laugh if you were to try and insure it. With the canvas sides rolled up it would make a hell of a pub wagon on a summer’s night, though

It’s a big wagon with big tyres, but back then the Land Cruiser only had manual steering. That’s not much use in a bigmoney resto, so Legacy Overland did what they do and built a custom PAS instal injection system of the time, so you can expect this one to be putting out something more than that.

While they were at it, Legacy’s engineers built a custom PAS rig to take the need for forearms like Popeye out of driving the old wagon. No need to take away its character, though – an auto conversion would be badly out of keeping unless you had a specific reason for needing it, so all they’ve done is

rebuild the original five-speed manual box.

Ought to be a lot of fun with that engine spinning it.

Talking of fun, and it’s our favourite subject, the Cruiser is riding on 2.5” lifted Old Man Emu springs and shocks. That’s leaf springs, of course – another area in which there was no need to mess with the vehicle’s original character. They did, on the other hand, get rid of its drum brakes,

uprating it to discs on both axles. A world apart, especially in the wet, where its 265/75R16 Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ tyres on heavy-duty steel rims provide an excellent compromise between on and off-road use.

Future perfect

Another area in which the vehicle was upgraded was its electrical system. This

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Legacy Overland is no stranger to using Chevy LS engines fresh from the crate, but in this case the company kept it in the family and rebuilt an example of Toyota’s own 1FZ-F that was badly in need of it. This is the early version of the DOHC 4.5-litre straight six used in the legendary 80-Series Land Cruiser from the nineties (which was known as the VX in Britain); it didn’t gain fuel injection until later in its development, so part of the job was to replace its factory carb with a Sniper injection system from Holley. They fitted a new head, too, as well as a full rad and cooling system

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Electronic transfer boxes have been around for long enough now that whoever bought this Cruiser might never actually have seen a manual one. We’d choose pulling a lever over pushing a button any day

was renewed from front to back, with a full rewire and rework as well as an upgrade to LEDs all-round. In Legacy Overland’s own words, it will ‘sustain this FJ45 Troopy into many decades to come.’

And that there’s the point. Classic car rebuilds tend to be seen as a luxury, a hobby for the privileged few who can afford to sink that much money into a second or third car for taking to shows and the occasional summer evening at a country pub.

Obviously, buying something that’s had this much expert work put into it will never be cheap, so in that sense this too is a vehicle for people with privilege – but the point is that it’s been rebuilt as the modern version of the kind of truck you don’t get any more.

If you’ve got the money to invest in it, this

could entirely feasibly be the last ‘car’ you ever have to buy.

Underpinning this is something else which, like the electrics, people don’t actually get to see – but which very much needs to look the part anyway. The chassis was repaired, epoxy-coated, sand blasted and then finally painted to bring it back to its former glory. There’s rock solid, and then there’s Land Cruiser rock solid. This is Troopy rock solid.

It’s also Troopy cool, with its Dune Beige paint finish and matching canvas – not to mention the custom distressed leather on its seats, the Dakota Digital gauge cluster on its dash and the custom audio system that adds a thumping soundtrack to every mile – should the glorious snarl of that big six-pot not be enough. It might be a workhorse rebuilt to last a lifetime, but when you’re spending this sort of money you don’t want that lifetime to be one of discomfort.

Safe to say this is a premium classic.

Upcycling the vehicles they rebuild is an established way for restoration specialists to make their line of business pay, and that’s what Legacy Overland does. The FJ45 was never quite this elevated when it was new, and the original Troopies were far more basic – but with the benefit of more recent engineering, not to mention a hefty dose of the imagination that’s common to the company’s builds, it’s all gone together to make a Land Cruiser that’s very worthy indeed of its legendary name.

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TRAVEL

I

t’s universally understood among people who know off-roading that the biggest adventures don’t normally include the most extreme terrain. In fact, it could be argued that the most extreme off-road challenges don’t even need a winch – they need imagination, ground reading skills and a whole lot of bottle.

So it is that earlier this year, a 1974 Mini became the highest vehicle on the planet.

Driven by Ben Coombs and supported by a 1990 Range Rover, the vehicle scaled the Ojos del Salado mountain in the Andes – site of many previous attempts on the motorised altitude record.

Since 2023, this has stood at 6721 metres. The current record, achieved by three-times Le Mans winner Romain Dumas in a heavily modified Porsche 911, was set with the backing of a large team supported by an array of blue-chip sponsors – not to mention the support of Porsche itself.

But amid the various big manufacturers with their corporate money and global PR operations, in 2007 a couple of local lads called Gonzalo Bravo and Eduardo Canales braved hostile weather and an engine fire before finally making it to 6688 metres in their Suzuki Samurai.

This was very much the spirit of Ben’s attempt on the mountain, which is a huge stratovolcano straddling the border between Chile and Argentina. The two vehicles were shipped to Montevideo in Uruguay before setting out on a 1500-mile road trip to their jumping off point for the Atacama Desert, where the team members acclimatised before confronting the hazards of high altitude – which, with the air containing only about half as much oxygen at the summit as sea level, puts serious stress on engines and

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EXTREMELY MINI

A couple of British classics travel to the Andes to turn an unlikely vehicle into the Highest Car in the World Right Now Words: Gary Martin Pictures: Ben Coombs / Falken Tyres

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people alike. The team made two separate attempts on the volcano – the first of which had to be aborted after one of its members starting suffering the affects of altitude sickness.

This put the adventures on hold as the rest of the team took the Range Rover

back down towards lower ground, leaving just Ben and his Mini 150 miles from civilisation. He took the opportunity to do some maintenance in preparation for the next attempt.

The Rangey needed maintenance too. Having deposited the stricken team

member at a safe altitude, it reappeared suffering from overheating, a broken shock and a failed alternator. The crew drove by moonlight to where Ben was waiting, on the shores of a glacial lake.

Going spare

Several days later, they managed to make thee Mini’s spare alternator work on the

There’s a trail to follow up the slopes of Ojos del Salado, but for much of the route that’s all it is. You’re certainly not just taking a road up here – it would be rough enough to make you think twice in an SUV, let alone a car like the Mini with small tyres, two-wheel drive and low ground clearance. Ben’s a proper adventurer, though – and you can probably spot the nod to another very famous four-wheeled expedition of yesteryear on his jerry cans…

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Range Rover. By now, they had made it to a climbers’ camp at 5250 metres with the Rangey towing the Mini through the roughest terrain – and the Mini keeping its support vehicle alive with regular chargeups through a set of jump leads.

Persevering in the face of freezing night-time temperatures and ever-present ferocious winds blasting everything in

their way with a vicious mixture of sand, gravel and abrasive volcanic ash, the teams eventually managed to drive, tow and winch their way to a point near the summit crater. But then, as they battled their way through another boulder field, it fell silent; the carburettor had been getting increasingly troublesome and now its float was stuck, disabling the engine.

This was on a 25-degree slope. Scary enough –but had it happened a little later,

where the ground became even steeper, the consequences would most likely have been catastrophic.

Nightmares

Rolling it by hand back down to level ground was the stuff of nightmares, but the Mini survived. Painfully, it had fallen just a little way short of 6000 metres, which had been the team’s target at the outset, but despite the beating it took over the rocks on the mountain it was still able to drive back to Montevideo via the

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Looks peaceful, doesn’t it? Now imagine being up here in an ever-present savage wind that’s blasting your skin non-stop with tiny particles of sand, gravel and volcanic ash. It’s freezing at night, you’re suffering from exposure to the sun, the oxygen in the air is depleted by about 50% and the guy next to you is coming down with altitude sickness. Your engine’s overheating, you’re down to three shocks, it’s dark and all your lights have been taken out by a failed alterantor…

glorious landscapes of Chile’s very own Lake District.

To still be taking detours after more than two months in South America, especially after spending several weeks of that time in the hostile conditions of a high Andean peak, shows a great deal of fortitude. Not just on behalf of the crew members, either – nor even of the vehicles themselves,

62

extraordinarily though they performed. The Mini was shod with FK07 tyres supplied

by Falken, which continues to support classic car owners by offering smaller sizes including a wide range of 12” and 13” fitments, and despite the abuse they were given it didn’t suffer a single puncture.

‘We didn’t want an aggressive tread pattern, sensing they would dig in, so

we opted for sand crawler boards or winching when the sand and ash got deeper,’ explained Ben. ‘At times, we ran lower pressures to gain traction, yet we never had a single puncture. Whatever the surface and even on the rougher, rutted tracks, the tyres were the one thing we never worried about.’

The team had set out for South America carrying three spare FK07s – and it returned home with every single one of them still unused. Having previously travelled the length of the Americas in a TVR Chimera and crossed Africa in a Porsche 944, Ben is no stranger to mad motoring adventures – but putting a Mini on top of the world took things to a new level. It might not be a 4x4 – but this was an off-road expedition of, pardon the phrase, the highest order. It’s well understood that the biggest off-road adventures don’t normally include the most extreme terrain – but actually, some of them certainly do.

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