I have also got lots of piccies of a prepped 110, please mail me and I will send some through (not sure how you post them up on this site). See my mail on the Tech forum for what kit it's got. I would go for a 110 anytime, as it offers the option of sleeping inside, which is essential for those times when you turn up in a big city at dusk. Turning circle - you never notice what you're used to, same as the noise, the dust, and the fact that you only have to do a trip to Sainsbury's and your hands are inexplicably smudged with grease.

But back to your original question...My girlfriend (now wife) and I lived for a year out of the back of a Series III 109 on a trip through the ME and Asia, and spent a long time planning how to kit out the next car properly. We bought a Defender 110 and used our experiences to make it more habitable. It is quite surprising how spacious and comfortable you can make it! The main details of how I would configure a 110 is as follows:

1. We have added a lifting roof from Foley (not cheap at >£2k) but this gives us a comfortable and secure bed which takes up no space when driving. It also gives full standing headroom all the way from the rear door to the bulkhead, and a clear roof.

2. Strip out the box-section "seats" in front of the rear wheel arches - wasted space, use for internal storage instead.

3. Fit an external / gas locker behind the LHS rear wheel arch, above the exhaust - again this is wasted space, and you need a locker which you can keep gas and barbeques and other mucky stuff without it impinging on the inside of the car.

4. Fit a water tank in the awkward angled space behind the bulkhead - I challenge anyone to find a use for this space otherwise. Also keeps the wieght low and between the wheels

5. Fit a Mantec fuel tank where the filler pipe goes - this is an extra 45 litres, giving you 125 litres in total. (although they are a bu&&er to fit)

6. Replace shocks, springs, bushes, tyres and rims before you go on a big trip (rims not essential if you carry 2 spares)

7. We built a "kitchen" down the LHS of the car, with gas stove, sink and coolbox all below a hinged worksurface, with storage below. Maybe overkill but it works for us.

8. Think about your basic daily functions - sleeping, cooking, eating. Where are you going to store bedding so it doesn't get mucky? Are you happy with cooking outside every night? What if there are a crowd of 20 locals watching (again) What if it's freezing? (often is in the Sahara) Where are you going to eat? Outside? Where are you going to store a table and chairs? Think these things through, it gets very tedious a month into the trip when you have to unload half the car just to eat your dinner.

Hope this helps - mail if you want some photos

Ollie

[This message has been edited by ollieholden (edited 27 August 2004).]