What are your plans with the Grenadier?

[emax]

First of all, after 40 years of being too sensible to buy an old Series 3 or Defender 110, I'm finally becoming unreasonable as I retire soon. ?

The house is paid, my son is grown, the jobs are more or less done, and my 22 year old, rusty Mercedes needs a successor.

I want the Grenadier as a comfortable everyday car but above all as a touring car for me and my wife. From Scotland to Sicily, from Greece to Iceland and from Spain to the North Cap - all over the continent. I expect it to be comfortable, with sufficient power and a perfect view of all the landscapes we hope to discover. I still have to convince my wife, but I am optimistic.

I will fit an Engel fridge, a heating, and a roof tent. A kitchen box which I can put outside or pull out on rails. The usual camping stuff. Two comfortable chairs and a table, some boxes or compartments for clothes and utensils of all kind - and of course a grill. A compressor, winch equipment and the like. And of course some extra lights outside, front, back and sides and an awning. If there is space enough, a solar panel and a second battery makes sense, as well as a water tank. My KaBar(s), the Swiss Multitool, a saw and an axe will of course accompany us.

We will not drive technically, just some green laning and moderate offroad trails, nothing spectacular. But offroad enough to justify a Grenadier, though always on the safe side: At almost 65 years old, I no longer have to prove anything.

The roof tent shall not be our only home. If we feel so, we will go to a hotel or a guesthouse. Whatever fits best depending on the weather, the camping site and our sentiment. I don't think that we will be hardcore overlanders. But travelers for sure. And the roof tent shall give us some independence.

It will take some time to find the right equipment and until third-party outfitters will be ready with Grenadier parts. But after 40 years of waiting that's not a problem.

That's the idea.

So what are your ideas?

 

[Davman]

Nice ideas mate.
So are you going for a 2 or 5 seat Grenadier?

 

[ADVAW8S]

This will be the family tourer that will be handed down to my son when he turns 18 in 15 years.   The idea is to do 40% seat delete and put a fridge there.   Then the back with help of Alucab will be a roof top conversion.   The lower level will be Drifta style drawer system that can be converted to a sleeping platform.  The top will be for parents and bottom will be for kids.   I keep saying that I should wait for long wheelbase but who knows when that arrives in the States.  

 

[Spjnr]

My Grenadier will hopefully be a jack of all trades. I need a tow vehicle to move machinery and trailers for work, but also want an adventure vehicle to explore Europe and parts of North Africa. My Jeep, being a 2 door was never big enough for extended camping trips, and I've since bought a roof tent that's been fitted to my Hilux. Looking forward to building the Gren up and getting out and about! 

Due to the hybrid nature of my needs, I wont be doing any permanent modifications to the inside storage area, just putting the fridge in there when it comes to trip time! 

 

[emax]

Nice ideas mate.
So are you going for a 2 or 5 seat Grenadier?

That's the question. Before I haven't seen the difference in flesh, I can not say. For daily driving, a 5 seat version would make sense. For traveling a 2 seater type is likely better. I'll first have a look at both.

 

[WhiteBear]

The Grenadier will drive between Vienna and Berlin, where I live. My Landy does it well, but its a boring distance and the comfort of the 90ies is improvable. But hopefully I will go to Italy and Slovenia, Romania, Greece etc., wherever my wife wants to go.I am 10 years older than @emax@, so no sleeping in a roof tent. Maybe I will buy a small Caravan which you drop at a nice place and then explore the countryside. On the other hand there are lots of small hotels and BnB around there, so accomodation will not be the problem.

Not much equipment needed, a fridge, cooker, the camping stuff @emax noted. But should I go for a Stationwagon or the Utility 5-seater?  What do you think? 

 

[emax]

That is the crucial question. I am as well interested in opinions.

 

[Tazzieman]

60 this year. Plan for much touring and exploring Tasmania/Australia.Roof top tent, 270 degree awning with sides ,  2 drawers with sliders - one for fridge , other for food box. Portable camp kitchen to fit under the raised floor.Dual battery/solar charging and recovery gear , as we tend to travel alone. Lockers , rock sliders as we travel some rough places.

Those one handed battery operated chainsaws look good for clearing lightly used tracks.  And a small blower for clearing out the tent/sand off gear.We figure there will be enough room for "enough" gear for reasonably longish trips. 5 seater as we have children and so far 1 grand child.Oh and I'm still working , so it will also be used as a daily driver on occasions.

 

[Jeremy996]

I  want a replacement for a 1989 LR110CSW that I bought in 2006 with 145k miles on the clock, rebuilt between 2008-2011 with 190k on the clock and now has 271k and needs another rebuild! The bulkhead is rusting, the doors likewise and the paint is coming off. If the painter was not already dead, I'd have to remedy it, (poor prep, so bad paint adhesion).

I still have the mental scars from the last rebuild and would like a vehicle with modern HVAC, safety standards and no leaks. It will be used as the family hack and a classic car tug. If it can last 30 years plus, it should see my driving years out.

 

[DaveB]

 We just purchased a holiday house up near Fraser Island in Queensland which is about 4 hours drive from our main house on the Gold Coast 
For the next 12 months we will go there as often as possible and use it as a base for touring around the coast, Fraser Island and the National Parks & beaches. 
When the Grenadier finally arrives it will make that a lot more pleasant and user friendly. 
Turning 60 this year and with 5 years left to work we will sell our house and move up permanently.  Building a new house on the block so lots of trips to hardware, landscape and gardening stores. 
My wife tells me we will be getting a boat but not into camping or towing a caravan so 270 degree awning, chairs, BBQ, fridge and basics added and then drive wherever, stop whenever but stay in caravan parks in cabins or hotels and take it easy.
I will need to regularly drive 3 hours to Brisbane for work or to catch a flight so I can see a lot of highway work for it as well. 
Maybe a drive around Australia and back to visit Tasmania where we lived for 6 years. 
I guess the main point of the Grenadier is we don't want to have a vehicle that stops us from doing things. 
 

 

[ADVAW8S]

I have watch so many YouTube videos from Aussie 4X4 ppl that I feel I have driven to and on Frasier Island.  Super jealous.  

 

[Philippe]

Nous allons mon épouse et moi avoir 60 ans et nous voulons continuer à voyager. Cela fait 30 ans que nous nous déplaçons en DEFENDER que j'ai toujours équipé moi même.
Nous avons pris l'option d'un véhicule deux places pour pouvoir y dormir dedans, nous mettrons un auvent 270° pour plus de confort mais nous avons apprit à voyager léger nous évitons tout le superflu donc le GRENADIER sera assez grand.

 

[jlcrain]

Probably first run will be Moab or the Rubicon trail just to try it out. Then it will become my main overlanding rig. I retire in about 7 years. By that time I should have it dialed in to go live in the dirt much of the time

 

[Camskii]

Tasmania for a month.. then Simpson Desert, Oodanatta Track and Flinders Ranges

 

[grenadierboy]

So far - the Grenny ensures there will be no limits on adventure travels but lot's of everyday driving around on bitumen for work and play. No one doing technical hardcore off roading. Sleeping in it, on it & out of it.

 

[Logsplitter]

If we get ours in March/April as suggested, then we’ll probably do a trip through Spain then over to Morocco for a trial couple of weeks sand driving. Then come Sept/Oct we’ll ship to South Africa for a few months tour of Southern Africa including attending a friends wedding in SA. Did a similar tour 2- 1/2 years ago and itching to do more in the Grenadier

 

[DCPU]

Nous allons mon épouse et moi avoir 60 ans et nous voulons continuer à voyager. Cela fait 30 ans que nous nous déplaçons en DEFENDER que j'ai toujours équipé moi même.
Nous avons pris l'option d'un véhicule deux places pour pouvoir y dormir dedans, nous mettrons un auvent 270° pour plus de confort mais nous avons apprit à voyager léger nous évitons tout le superflu donc le GRENADIER sera assez grand.

Excellent, post up a couple of photos

 

[grenadierboy]

If we get ours in March/April as suggested, then we’ll probably do a trip through Spain then over to Morocco for a trial couple of weeks sand driving. Then come Sept/Oct we’ll ship to South Africa for a few months tour of Southern Africa including attending a friends wedding in SA. Did a similar tour 2- 1/2 years ago and itching to do more in the Grenadier

You lucky Europeans!

 

[DCPU]

Tasmania for a month.. then Simpson Desert, Oodanatta Track and Flinders Ranges

The fact that I live halfway round the world from you but know those names, makes me very jealous.

 

[grenadierboy]

My wife is not a camper, nor hiker, nor off road cyclist; actually she not really an "outdoors" type of person but she has agreed to the Grenny on the basis that she wants to "learn" to like these things - that I have been doing since I was 8 years old.

So - we have already planned our first few camping trips (4 - 5 days only) away in the car for late April, roof top tent with basics in the back as my forum friends above have mentioned. My kids (25 & 21) are lining up to do the same with their friends in the Grenny.