Camel Trophy Tribute - Defenders NW SEMA Project for Autohome USA

Camel Trophy Tribute - Defenders NW SEMA Project for Autohome USA

We are pulling together a long planned project for the Autohome Tent booth at SEMA 2018.

CTT is a Camel Trophy Support Truck Tribute build - the build ethos is "how would an independent Special Vehicles group outfit a 1988 Land Rover Defender support truck using the aftermarket accessories that available in the market today”

For those who need a background on the Camel Trophy, you can start down the rabbit hole at wikipedia and then kill a few hours on youtube - The Camel Trophy was a vehicle-oriented competition that was held annually between 1980 and 2000, and it was best known for its use of Land Rover vehicles over challenging terrain.



Our inspiration comes not from the team vehicles but from the hardworking no-nonsense scouting and supply/logistics working trucks that supported the Camel Trophy event. Using an ex MOD 3-door Defender 110 Tithonus Project as the starting point we have stripped the truck down to bare bones, replaced the engine, and sent it off to be painted in the signature Camel Trophy Sand-Glow hue. Like the 110-HCPU inspiration below - we are building a soft-top pickup with a short roof rack over the cab, tires and tools mounted to the bonnet, and a tan canvas over the bed. Unlike the original - we are using a standard bed, 1/2 doors, and a soft top (the pickup cab is painfully small)

The kitting out of the project has been a great exercise in finding the best collection accessories that work well together to solve all the problems a Camel Support team might face - onboard fuel and water, storage for secure items, spares, extraction tools, lights, winching, etc... With help from a community of manufacturers who are all excited to support the project we have puled together some great solutions that will translate well into overland, off-road, or everyday Defender builds.

We started with a standard LHD Nato Green 3-door 110 - Fresh off the RORO boat in 2016


Test fit/fabricated mounting for the planned accessories, then stripped and prepped for paint


After the paintwork we were able to quickly reassemble the body and big exterior components to clear some rack and shop space



Thanks to all the folks who have helped sort out the project logistics, and special thanks go to those who have donated time, equipment, or expertise to help us keep the final CTT project looking accurate and on-point.


Planned Events 2018/2019:
SEMA - Las Vegas, NV
Baja 1000 - Ensenada MX
OEX West - Flagstaff AZ
NWOR - Plain, WA
NWOR - British Columbia
ABFM - Portland OR

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