What are your plans with the Grenadier?

[Jean Mercier]

Some days ago my youngest son called me: "Dad, when is the next time you visit us?" (He lives in Hungary, married with an Hungarian woman, and got his first child in December, and I jumped over by plane, but usually I go by car, 1300 km).
I told him: "when I get my new car". That will be my first trip, slowly, avoiding motorways or highways or whatever you want to call it ...
Therefore, if his dad doesn't visit him soon, please tell him to blame Sir Jim R.

 

[trobex]

Grenadier will be used for:
Bi monthly central QLD family visits.
Tow the camper (I picked the Gren and wife picks the camper - budget? Oh my).
Drive through some back creeks and rock crossings at the cousins farm in the Mary Valley area to get to my fishing spot...
I would tow a boat but sold the old one last year and can't afford the one I really want... because prices are unrealistic as can be!
Their will be be Beach play, only after they find that croc over at Straddie, not too keen on water lizards at the beach.

 

[Tanters]

Haha, guilty as charged too. I watched so many I think I have the accent now too

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

What a perfect country for touring! Will be great to see the videos from there once the IG gets delivered to Oz

 

[Tanters]

Some days ago my youngest son called me: "Dad, when is the next time you visit us?" (He lives in Hungary, married with an Hungarian woman, and got his first child in December, and I jumped over by plane, but usually I go by car, 1300 km).
I told him: "when I get my new car". That will be my first trip, slowly, avoiding motorways or highways or whatever you want to call it ...
Therefore, if his dad doesn't visit him soon, please tell him to blame Sir Jim R.

With a bit of luck you’ll make it to see the kid off to its first day at college

 

[Tanters]

Sorry @Jean Mercier

 

[Philippe]

Le Grenadier me servira pour aller chercher de la paille et du foin, pour voyager dans nos montagnes des Pyrénées, affronter la neige et les intempéries. Il va remplacer après vint ans de bons et loyaux service le DEFENDER

 

[DCPU]

The Grenadier will be useful to me to fetch straw and hay, to travel in our mountains of the Pyrenees, to face the snow and the bad weather. It will replace after twenty years of good and loyal service the DEFENDER

Welcome ~ Any photos of your old Defender working?

 

[Mumblepants]

My 1000th post here
Plans : Travelling to remote areas of Tasmania to find rare lepidoptera , dragonflies and damselflies
This evening , 10 minutes from home , some damselflies. This one isn't rare

View attachment 7800367

A fellow bug enthusiast! Lots of cool creatures to discover when the Grenadier lands.

 

[Mumblepants]

Hello from Germany.
I - for my person - don´t really like the "look" of the solarscreen ...

Most of my friends - and me, too - have buyed some from BLIDIMAX. You can choose almost every colour - in the outside the most are black, and inside - whatever you want: sand, orange, green... And not to forget: It is a very good quality.

You can get them for Defenders, for Toyotas - and I´m sure they will make some for the Ineos. BLIDIMAX are not cheap, but the price is okay.

SEE YOU!

These look much nicer than the shiny silver ones.
Now to find out if they are available in Australia.

thanks for the info!

 

[Don Fraser]

I plan to go to the shops in my Trialmaster, we live in the western suburbs of Melbourne which is a safe Labour seat, so road maintenance isn't a priority.

 

[Mumblepants]

I plan to go to the shops in my Trialmaster, we live in the western suburbs of Melbourne which is a safe Labour seat, so road maintenance isn't a priority.

good opportunity to test the Anti theft devices

 

[Tazzieman]

I plan to go to the shops in my Trialmaster, we live in the western suburbs of Melbourne which is a safe Labour seat, so road maintenance isn't a priority.

The light truck tyres will help avoid punctures from all those nails that fall off tradie's utes.

 

[Schoeniman]

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?

Sounds familiar! House is paid as well, 3 kids are out of the house and I'm 61 and retired 3 years ago.
The Grenadier will be our everyday car and at the same time our Europe Tourer from North Cap to Gibraltar and all the way back across the eastern European countries. Our car has already arrived at our local dealer in Baierbrunn and we're eagerly waiting for the last payment mail...
The garage is already full with equipment that needs to be fitted to the Grenadier:
- Front Runner Slimline II 257cm long Roof rack
- iKamper Skycamp 3.0 Roof tent
- ARB Zero 44L Fridge
- Layzee kitchen Box already equipped with Sea-to-Summit X series pots and a Primus Moja Stove
- Fridge and Layzee will be built into a removable Item Alu Profile 2 piece construction with 2 90cm drawers.
- The top of the frame construction will be the place for 4 luggage bags
- I'll remove the backseat pads and replace them with a wooden board to mount to road cycling bikes across the car behind driver and passenger seat.
- the Backrest of the backseats will stay, but lifted a bit more vertically to create the full 90cm length in the trunk.
All in all our travel concept is very similar to yours @ EMAX : 1-2 nights in the RTT somewhere off the beaten pathes and then a few days in an Agritourismo or Holiday apartment, before going back on the road (on and offroad) for a few days.
First trip is planned end of April from Bad Toelz Germany, where we live, all the way down to Apuglia and Calabria down the east coast and center of Italy and back up on the west coast. Total travel time planned 6-8 weeks.
Happy to share details of the Frame construction for the trunk, if that is of any interest.

 

[Del]

As an add-on: Lake Bled is quite a well-known tourist attraction in Slovenia. There is a little island in the lake, on which there is a church (St. Mary's Church) with a coffee shop. On days that we both had to work, we would start our morning by running around the lake, and then we'd swim across the lake (about 1600 meters), pulling dry bags with shorts, a t-shirt, and a credit card; we'd dry off, have breakfast at the coffee shop, and then swim back. After a morning like that, it is easy to stare at a computer screen all afternoon. Just one of the many reasons we love Slovenia!

Bled Castle on the right, St. Mary's Church in the distance:

View attachment 7800744

There is a great golf course at Bled as well. Played there a few years ago when on a hiking trip

 

[Tom D]

I plan on selling it to fund my sheltered accommodation, because by that time it arrives thats what I’ll need.

 

[Eric]

I plan on selling it to fund my sheltered accommodation, because by that time it arrives thats what I’ll need.

Gold plated zimmer frame

 

[Earthwatcher]

I too belong to the old codger/footloose owner section and yes I've been considering the roof tent etc while not having worked out yet where to go. I'm thinking south to the Sahara or North to the arctic circle, probably the latter. It's a while, however since I've camped and I'm wondering just how comfortable you can make a roof tent or internal bed. I doubt if the latter would work with all the other gear we'll need. I'm not sure, however, what advantage a roof tent would have over a conventional tent. The hardest bit is the "why?" given we're well enough off to pay for a hotel room. It didn't matter so much when we were first married and managed to sleep in our Triumph Spitfire - once. Ever tried sleeping in a Triumph Spitfire? I reckon we'll just throw a two-man tent in the back with the hiking boots, ruck sacks, sleeping bags, little stove, a few cooking utensils. There's no need to take the kitchen sink.

 

[Mercurio]

For now my the Grenadier will be my wife’s daily driver. (Which is about 10 miles a day) Also to take my boys (7yo & 5yo) to the beach, camping and hunting. I do have 2 other project rigs that I will probably not finish as I want to, so might as well get one that is ready to go!

 

[Max]

I too belong to the old codger/footloose owner section and yes I've been considering the roof tent etc while not having worked out yet where to go. I'm thinking south to the Sahara or North to the arctic circle, probably the latter. It's a while, however since I've camped and I'm wondering just how comfortable you can make a roof tent or internal bed. I doubt if the latter would work with all the other gear we'll need. I'm not sure, however, what advantage a roof tent would have over a conventional tent. The hardest bit is the "why?" given we're well enough off to pay for a hotel room. It didn't matter so much when we were first married and managed to sleep in our Triumph Spitfire - once. Ever tried sleeping in a Triumph Spitfire? I reckon we'll just throw a two-man tent in the back with the hiking boots, ruck sacks, sleeping bags, little stove, a few cooking utensils. There's no need to take the kitchen sink.

My opinion after researching the rooftop option it is not for me or my wife and have opted for your hotel room idea...the rooftop at our age is up and down and when things are calling for a response late at night or early morning, no not going to happen...we will certainly do trips based on what is available at the end of the day and yes have a backup system in place in case but we are not now the adventure travelers we once were doing the CREB and Gibb River roads, crossing the Daintree...all great memories...there are so many options these days compared to then for us old codgers now...happy travels Earthwatcher

 

[Tazzieman]

My opinion after researching the rooftop option it is not for me or my wife and have opted for your hotel room idea...the rooftop at our age is up and down and when things are calling for a response late at night or early morning, no not going to happen...we will certainly do trips based on what is available at the end of the day and yes have a backup system in place in case but we are not now the adventure travelers we once were doing the CREB and Gibb River roads, crossing the Daintree...all great memories...there are so many options these days compared to then for us old codgers now...happy travels Earthwatcher

It's been blowing a howling gale the past 9 hours here. My wife says "how would it be in a RTT?"
I said "it's going to be windy!"
Luckily the front seats in the Grenadier are comfortable , should we need to add some weight downstairs to stop the vehicle flipping over