A Dormobile camper with a roof that rises like an accordion
Mr. Watanabe drives a campervan based on the Land Rover Defender 110 Hardtop and fitted out by Dormobile in the UK. Furthermore, the sight of him towing a camping trailer with the Defender gave him an outstanding presence in the meeting hall. When it comes to towing a huge trailer, one wonders if it will be able to handle the power.
Camper towing a huge camping trailer
At the Defender Collection Owners Meeting held on 20 April 2024 at a special venue in Saiboku, Saitama Prefecture, around 50 new and old Land Rover Defenders gathered. One such vehicle that caught our attention was a 110-based campervan towing a huge camping trailer.
The Defender is available with three different wheelbases-90, 110, and 130 inches- and each has its body variants such as station wagons and pick-ups. The camper presented here is based on a three-door hardtop model from the 110 range, manufactured by DORMOBILE in the UK. The 110 is also towing a camping trailer manufactured by ERIBA of Germany. It attracted a lot of attention at the event.
The accordion roof opens to a large space inside the car
The owner, Mr. Watanabe, acquired this 2004 Dormobile camper about seven years ago. Mr. Watanabe is a veteran, having owned a first-generation Discovery and a Defender 110-based Tomb Raider Edition before acquiring this vehicle.
This Dormobile camper is based on a three-door hardtop, rather than the usual five-door version of the 110. Aft of the driver’s seat is a bench seat on one side, with kitchen and sink facilities on the other. The roof is raised in an accordion shape, allowing the driver to stand and work inside the car, and when sleeping, the car is divided into two levels, the inside and the roof, each of which can be used as a bed. The vehicle has a capacity for six passengers and four sleepers.
The total length is over 10 meters!
A side view of the body shows that just behind the driver’s door is the accordion roof. In front of it, i.e. above the driver’s seat, is a genuine Dormobile carrier, but the carrier is positioned so that it protrudes forward of the driver’s seat, a mechanism that increases the area of the carrier.
The trailer being towed, incidentally, is a 2022 Eriba Touring 430GT, which is also a camping trailer with a pop-up roof. When the Defender is added, the overall length is a little over 10 m, which is quite long, but the combination of a 300tdi engine + 5-speed manual is powerful and allows stress-free travel. Mr. Watanabe has been to Hokkaido with this combination and enjoys comfortable camping.
translated by DeepL