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1990 Land Rover Defender 130 dream RV camper-truck conversion parked in a field
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This Overlanding Land Rover Defender Is the Dream RV – and It’s For Sale

We might as well change our name to “RVBiscuit.” We love writing about camper vans, camper trucks, trailer campers, and really RVs of any kind. As much as we love campers, we might equally love overlanding and 4x4s. Although you can easily spend hundreds of thousands on custom 4×4 camper vans and trucks, if you …
by Peter Corn
Published on
2 min read

We might as well change our name to “RVBiscuit.” We love writing about camper vans, camper trucks, trailer campers, and really RVs of any kind. As much as we love campers, we might equally love overlanding and 4x4s. Although you can easily spend hundreds of thousands on custom 4×4 camper vans and trucks, if you are patient and flexible, there are some cheaper and extremely cool options. This very-custom 1990 Land Rover Defender 130 is a dream RV hitting both our loves right between the eyes. 

Ain’t no mountain high, ain’t no valley low…

This incredible custom Land Rover Defender 130 is something that we often dream of but rarely see anyone take the time and money actually to build. Thankfully, the seller built this dream RV so you and I wouldn’t have to. 

1990 Land Rover Defender 130 dream RV camper-truck conversion parked in a field
1990 Land Rover Defender 130 Camper | Osprey Custom Cars

Autoblog found this beauty for sale on eBay for the super-reasonable asking price of $99,950. If you like this thing half as much as I do, you will struggle to get anything else done (writing this article) because you can’t stop scrolling through the photos. Everything about this Defender is perfect, from top to bottom. 

Before we get into specs, I don’t want you to think I’m out of my mind, dear reader. Yes, $100,000 is a huge amount of money. However, if you look at this compared to other similarly equipped camper trucks like EarthRoamer, or other custom copies, you will see this is reasonable – cheap even.

New EarthRoamers start at around $500k and used ones in the $200k range. Although this one isn’t quite as modern as the EarthRomers, it is easily as cool, if not cooler. 

This Land Rover Defender is a true dream RV

The Defender got a camper shell made by Foley Specialist Vehicles added to it. The Defender has what looks like a full-size bed in the main cabin, and the top pops up to reveal a second lofted sleeping cabin in the tent area.

rear hatch of a 1990 Land Rover Defender camper opened up
1990 Land Rover Defender 130 Camper | Osprey Custom Cars

The back hatch opens up to allow the galley kitchen to be featured in the wilderness or wherever you might find yourself in this ultimate overlanding rig. The galley has a three-burner stove, refrigerator, electric heater, and a hot-water heater. 

Are Defenders reliable for off-road?

This dream RV was bought new in England and has since been completely gone through by the seller, Osprey Custom Cars, and converted from right- to left-hand drive. It has also been completely mechanically restored.

rear hatch of a 1990 Land Rover Defender camper opened up
1990 Land Rover Defender 130 Camper | Osprey Custom Cars

The seller states in the eBay listing that “added new tenting materials, upgraded to brand new BFG ATs, serviced the drive train with a new transfer case as well as new driveshafts.” 

He goes on to describe more mechanical and gear upgrades. He says the overlanding RV has “All new brakes all the way around and a new radiator. It has newer Defender seats, a locking Tuffy cubby lockbox, new shocks, and springs were also added. 

Finally, the Defender RV is powered by the classic 300Tdi 2.5-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine paired with an R380 five-speed manual transmission. 

Clean up the drool and get after this RV

Although this Defender appears to have had all the work, this thing is no spring chicken. The seller says that it has already hit Europe, Africa, Asia, and all of the Americas. At least you know it’s been well-tested.

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Staff Writer

Peter Corn

Peter Corn joined MotorBiscuit as an Autos Writer in 2020 and brings his quippiest Southern drawl to our table. Having, in his words, “helped” rebuild his dad’s 1959 MGA as a small child, Peter grew up loving vintage cars and trucks, adding motorcycles and all things 4×4 as he went.

Peter earned a Bachelor of Archeology and Creative Writing from the University of Alabama and has since melded his love of driving with storytelling. His voice, full of pleasantries and witticisms, can be enjoyed in The Gentleman Racer, The Vintagent, Gear Patrol, Iron & Air Magazine, and Classic Car Club Magazine.

Peter is a co-founder of both The Colloquial Magazine and The Fire Escape, the official podcast of The Colloquial. In an effort to increase his abilities in “ramping anything with wheels,” Peter has taken track training from Classic Car Club Manhattan and attended Rally School at Monticello Motor Club, where he was coached by eight-time Performance Rally motorsport champion Chris Duplessis.

On a lucky day, we get to hear Peter tell the story of his first car, a jewel of a 1958 Ford Fairlane, into which he dumped more time and money than made sense, but he has no regrets.