I Bought a British Military Truck (For Camping) 

Hi Mike, I live in the US and I found a guy who purchased a bunch of Military Land Rovers at a NATO auction and brought them to the US back in the 1980s and1990s. I purchased a 1967 Series IIA and a 1970 Series IIA Lightweight, which my wife ended up driving. She was a US Postal Letter Carrier and due to a shortage of vehicles in her office, they allowed them to use their own vehicle. She drove that vehicle for about 7-8 years and it was her favorite. We had two child car seats in the front and because we had a third child we had to sell it and get a more family friendly vehicle(a station wagon of all things..ungh).If you are looking to restore it, I know they still sell galvanized frames and new bulkheads. I showed my wife the video and it brought back fond memories. Those vehicles were the best offroad vehicles...there is nothing they would not go through: Mud, Snow, Sand, steep inclines, etc. I drove it up a Ski slope off season in the New Hampshire mountains without problem. Good luck with it and I hope to see a full restoration done.

I have one of those in my garage, 1980 lightweight, converted to diesel and with overdrive , nice in summer, freezing in winter. Drove it every day for 3 years and then bought a defender, rebuilt that 12 months ago. Join the family and acknowledge your fellow landrover drivers as you drive around.

God that takes me back. I learnt to drive in one of them as a young squaddie. Started on a Monday morning, 6 of us crammed in there all day taking it in turns driving. The paper thin foam pad they called a seat on the wheel arches was excruciatingly uncomfortable. By Friday afternoon we all had our tests, 3 point turn and that was about it, pass. Good times 😂

The tent for that vehicle is the 9' x 9'. Most big surplus dealers will have them. You can usually buy the frame and canvas separately.

I am absolutely jealous of your ability to buy landrovers... here in the states they are so hard to find. I know they are not "cheap" there... But still a darn site cheaper and easier to find than they are over here... I am sure the same could be said of things we produce... but I have been in love with the defenders since I first discovered them in the early 90s.

She's real nice. Proper classic. It's vehicles like these that make you appreciate the good things in life, like power steering, suspension, effective brakes...

The concentration while driving at speed to keep her on the straight & narrow seems intense. Love it.

Converted one of these to go rallying when I was over in Germany. Loved it, very basic mind. We did replace the seats to buckets

I was on the edge of my seat, remembering the smell, the feel. Then you started her up... and I fell asleep. The EndEx Landrover lulaby... with so many 90 degree edges to get a knee or elbow on. But still some of the most satisfying 'naps' I've ever had. Unless it happens when you're in the driving seat. It only happened once. Love it Mike. (If I had one to renovate I would get those radios set up with a CB system) Best of luck mate. m out

I own a Lightweight. Your headlights are as they should be. You're not missing anything. Try not to lose any part of them since they are not standard and bits are expensive and some times hard to come by. You'll find that quite a few bits for your lightweight are also unique and expensive. It's narrower than a normal series of the same vintage so axles and halfshafts are not the same. Spot a lightweight with civvy axles by it having super extended arches.

I can just imagine the discussion you had with the missus when you bought this baby home...

I like it driven many times mostly during my military career. It may breakdown but I can say they are a damn sight easier to fix than modern vehicles. Good luck and I wish you fun times ahead.

We used to call this type of Land Rover a "Puddle Jumper" when I was in the military (RAF Police). The wheel on the bonnet seems to have a FOD tyre which had to be used when driving on or near the runway. They are designed to prevent anything getting stuck in the tread (FOD, Foreign Object Damage) which could then fall off and damage planes.

EMP resistant. Smart choice. Raptor liner is amazing for rust correction

This really reminds me of driving the old M151 US Army jeeps, which is what I used to learn how to drive a manual. Really looking forward to seeing you fix it up.

I had a 1982 2.25 petrol one in the early 90s. Best vehicle I ever had. Sold it to buy a house. Shouldn’t have done that. I really miss it. Enjoy it they are beautiful.

Takes me back to my days with Royal Signals... the "radio boxes" are antenna attenuators for VHF communications... so this one was definitely "FFR". Remarkably reliable, treat it properly and you'll have loads of fun in this vehicle.

Yep, an FFR and there are lots of old Clansman radios out there you can get to fit out the back, got a lovely PRC 320 for my amateur use. Spent 9 years messing about in these and the others 3/4 and 1 tonne and loved it. Great times and I hope you have some fantastic camping trips away in her, get the classic mil 9x9, that the tent to go with this.

I can hear the excitement in your voice, you're grinning ear to ear right now. This looks like an amazing vehicle for woodland camping. It will need a lot of TLC but it'll all be worth it.

Some used to have Infa red head lights but you had to have special goggles. IR switch was on the R/H side of the dash under a metal cover. Also you are correct, the seats aren't original, the seats where a two part affair, one to sit on ( not fixed in place), the other was the back rest also usually a loose thing and if you could rob a second back rest, you could put it on top of the first and make a comfortable high back and headrest.

There should be a removable metal plate under the drivers and passengers seat cushions before you can access the fuel tanks, this helps reduce fuel smells and is partly a firewall, you can see the catches on the seat boxes. The "radio boxes" on the front wings are antenna tuning boxes, possibly have the No.28 on them. They are used once the radios have been tuned to a new frequency to then tune the antenna to the new frequency.

These things were designed to be ultra reliable...basically very little to go wrong..Great fun in all weathers

As an ex- RCT ( Royal Corps of Transport) driver in the early 1970s. The short wheel base was brilliant & great fun to drive.

I was a R.E.M.E. VM for 12 years, so worked on those things on an almost daily basis. These things were abused beyond belief. As we used to say, nothing is squaddie proof. Having said that, military vehicles are the most over serviced vehicles around. As far as the engine & transmission are concerned, you would be very unlikely to have any problems. They don’t flick my switch, but I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun with it.

Those boxes on front wings are antenna tuners. Did my radio opps course in the 3/4 tonne one of those in the late 70's

The boxes on the front wings were called TUAM’s (tuning unit antenna matching) I did many miles around Germany in one of those, the sound it makes when you were driving it brought back so many memories. Brilliant buy, restore and cherish it mate.

As a mechanic/MOT tester of 20+ years I’ve worked on them , driven them and fixed too many . Quite frankly I’d rather walk ! But to each their own ! Enjoy your project , I always enjoy your content , thanks and keep up the good work 👍🏼

Ex military guy here. Learnt to drive in one of these. Recently bought a ex military defender 110 soft top and love it brings back good memories. Like you hoping to use it to go camping in the summer.

Love it! Such a brilliant machine. Simple, rugged, does-the-job-done type of thing, just brilliant. Looking forward to some offroading :D

When I lived in the UK (Yorkshire) I owned a Lightweight Landrover, I found a hardtop for it. I removed the original engine from it as I did not like the 10mpg! I retrofitted a Perkins diesel and Range Rover differentials. It was good on fuel but very noisy even with the insulation I put in the engine bay. Military Landrovers can be notorious for rust as the chassis were painted with 'Black Varnish'. Often water got under the varnish and rotted the frames out. Good luck with the project Mike!

Christ what a shed! But as the owner of a 1982 SWB 3.5V8 conversion that I did myself, I can guarantee that you will love it. And the best thing is that its a giant Meccano set and you can do everything yourself. Enjoy it!

Mike have a word with Tank's alot on RU-vid they may be able to help source parts or repairs for you, if asked nicely they would also possibly help with service history where and when it served. He's knowledgeable

Thats a 1/2 ton FFR we used them when I was in the Army petrol tanks under seats (FFR stands for fitter for radio) C42 radio would be behind the seats and the 2 boxes on the wings you had to trans mit and adjust the gain for maximum power to the antenna. Takes me back

I was wondering when you would get a landy! Congratulations on the purchase. She’s a beauty, and cars from that time can be quite a workout to drive!

If you need parts, John Craddock! 😎👍 We had the contract for sales of all ex-military series 3 where i used to work, we supplied JC For years, they have everything you could ever wish for parts wise and they are experts in all things Land Rover! Hope that helps Mike!

So cool, can't wait to see you do some camping with this sweet old Land Rover!

Your headlights are 100% correct and complete! 👍🏽

That is a car for someone who loves bushcraft. It suits you!

I’ve driving thousands of miles in them. Had 17 blokes in one once on a shift change. Epic work horses. Did you know if you put the fuel switch in the middle you starve it of fuel and it conks out. Great for a new driver!! Be aware they are skitty on the back. Enjoy!! ❤

What an gem! She got that built to breakdown aura for sure, but she's beautiful!♡

You may already know of this guy but his channel is called Simon a bloke in the woods. He owns an older Land Rover too. He may be a good resource for you. Looks like it would climb a wall good luck.

My dad has a series 2a lightweight 1968 it's been off the road for maybe 20 yrs now he loves it

I used to drive one for work towing an old wood chipper around the woods, great fun and well capable off road even with a dead weight trailer. Bit chllly in cold weather but makes up for it in grins. Had a few series 2, 2a, 3s and a Defender but ended up with a 101 FC lightweight. They are more fun to drive. Door tops off in the summer and canvas off if you want to lose paper work. Canvas top will leak but I sealed mine with a Silicone sealant and thinners mix and not had a leak all winter. Nice toy.

I’ve just fully restored one these on a galvanised chassis, popped a V8 into it don’t do a lot of mileage, I spotted the bottom of your chassis needs some work, but you will get hooked on it and develop a love hate relationship with your truck ( Fantastic man ) 👌🇬🇧

I used to drive one while serving for many years. When a LR has the 2 Antenna, they are called FFR = Fitted for Radio. Any Unit could do it to any LR most where stuck in Long Wheelbased LR more room in back for(3) Driver OC Radio OP Point to NOTE the fuel tank if you pulled the chain the inner tube comes up to aid pouring fuel in and at the end is a metal filter

My pal had a 1968 ex army lightweight on Super all Terrain tyres back in the 80s, we had a lot of fun in it and pretty much unstoppable off road. Enjoy.

Welcome to the world of land rovers! Your life will never be tbe same! Have had a FFR 110 for 13 years now. 1st day i picked it up my jaw ached with the massive grin i had on my face! Keep those spanners handy!!,

yes please, more updates, it has had some good use but looks to have lots left in her, have fun!

Many fond memories of these things as a gliding instructor with the Air Training Corps We had a fleet of old lightweights for towing the gliders, caravan and winch. I once had to tow a fully loaded glider trailer with one on the road. it was like trying to steer a narrowboat with half the rudder missing.

Those rusty door tops can be separated from the door bottoms and easily replaced. When I bought my Lightweight about 14 years ago the tops almost fell out on my journey home, I drove it 170 miles!! That was the first time I’d ever driven a Lightweight 🤪 anyway I replaced mine with Rocky Mountain Aluminium door tops but you can easily get replacement steel ones too. Enjoy the experience, I still have mine and use it on many mini adventures. 😎😎😎

Fun fact: when fully built up and ready to use, the Lightweight is actually heavier than a civilian Series 3… 😁

I've got an M715 Kaiser Jeep truck. Enjoy your Land Rover 3. Military vehicles are a worrisome joy.

Just to say, that Military Truck has such a unique style and for sure I have never seen one like it. TA Outdoors I think you have made a great purchase!!!! I hope you manage to add as many improvements as possible and turn this beast into a mega camper vehicle* I'm looking forward to seeing more of your adventures :)

Have fun but be aware that they can be expensive to keep original - but worth it, PA Blanchard is a great source for parts. Mine is a '72 'bitza' with a 200Tdi engine fitted by a PO.

Used to drive these in the Army. Once drove one from the north of Wales to Cardiff acting as protection/support for the Welsh castles relay race - essentially following behind a runner for 24 hours non-stop. Even the refuels were done whilst moving from jerry cans!. We never got out of second gear the whole way, averaging about 8-10mph. The thing was rock solid and never overheated at all. But God, they were basic! The gear box detents are tiny (they're in there somewhere!), a quarter inch click to tell you you're in gear, otherwise it's like stirring porridge.

The 'radio boxes' on the front wings, should be TUAAMS, tuning units automatic antenna matching. All part of the radio set up.

You will be wanting what is referred as a '9 by 9' (9ft X 9ft) tent. Make sure that you get an old one as the current ones are designed to be fitted against a 'WOLF Land Rover' which have a higher wheelbase as, as you say, it has a tunnel to go round the back of the Lannie. Cot bed, space heater and No 12 burner and you'll be set up, all will fit it in the back with space for a 'bergan'. "Drives like a bit of pig" certainly! And if you can get to 60mph with a following wind it feels like you're in the Space Shuttle during re-entry. I AM so jealous, good luck with it and enjoy. Love it, restore it and get it badged up.

OMG!!! Soooooo many memories have come bubbling up lol. Bouncy rattle bucket and a noisy bone shaker, but oh me oh my what fun to drive. As a company radio operator I has the long wheel base landy, but, we used the halfy as the duty driver vehicle. It was hated and loved at the same time. Boiled in it when it was hot, soaked in it when it rained and froze in it most of the time lol. Treat the gearstick gently. The snap easily. Keep a pair of molegrips in your tool box so you can get it home ;) Lots of fun coming your way. Oh, if you do get a 9x9 don't forget to get and exhaust extension pipe too ;)

Awesome bit of kit, that filter tube inside the fuel tank can be lifted up and locked in to be used as a spout if needed mate

O What a treat for me this was I was a radio operator responsible fore one of these in the mid-1970s the large tray at the back of the seats is where the radio went and runer trays under it were the batteries go slid in and out for esey access bit of advice seek help with the batteries as series parallel can be tricky Looking forward to more like this thanks for sharing

Off-roading is really slept on , it’s such a good time and it’s no where near as popular as it should be

Air portable series 3 lightweight Fitted for radio (FFR), I was in the RM in the late 70s, we had petrol V8s they were fantastic fun. They’re defender Landrover seats the original had a flatter profile seat with a flat middle one. You’re a brave man buying one of them in that condition. It will be a labour of love.👍😊

Lovely! We once got 11 people in(& on) one of these for a short trip from the pub to our 'ski lodge in Scotland. This one was FFR(Fit For Radio) meaning it has or had a extra pair of batteries providing a 24v system, which also means you can run a Boiling vessel for cooking. Ideal for camping.

Awesome vehicles. Owned a couple of Ladies in my time. Only things I can recommend are get an overdrive fitted, and soundproofing in the engine bay.

You're lucky the heater works, most of the ones I drove in the 80's never had a working heater, but the engine was reliable and that was what counted!

Had a used, very used, 1976 Land Rover. Boy, did it ever get respect! 5" iron pipes welded on for front and rear bumpers. Could go and would go ANYWHERE! Indeed, this new purchase of yours will provide untold hours of enjoyment! You and any who dare risk going with you!😉I promise, you will never, ever get stuck in that vehicle!!!👍👍

Land Rover was my first vehicle (1964). It was the safari edition. I loved it. I'd give anything to have another ...

I’ve got a 1976 Jeep CJ-5, and my buddy has a 77. Great little vehicles. Here in the ozark mountains, we have a lot of steep rocky trails and thick forest, makes for great camping! Im really excited to see some camping in the new rig! Idk what kind of off-road opportunities or bush country you have in Britain, but your vehicle will take you places you couldn’t imagine.

thats a sweet ride! there should be a way to mount a stretcher on the passenger side, if not it would be easy to make supports for a camp cot.. have fun with it!

I loved driving this rover when I was in the army !!

Generally speaking. By the time the British military sells anything its fubar. My buddy bought 10 of them at auction... He chose the best one and managed to make 1 good one out of the parts from the other 9. Thats why they sell them in large batches. He also has a heavily modded series 1 that he used to race. That thing is a monster

You've made a great purchase young man with this half ton. All that your missing is the USV (Utility Support Vehicle), that's military talk for a trailer, which normally came with it. It's a military vehicle, so comfort wasn't exactly a priority. But have fun. Have found memories of this type of vehicle. This was the first vehicle l took my first driving lesson in, on German roads too. It was fun.

one of my dream vehicles, the light weight and a 110 radio truck. nice score

check the bulkhead thoroughly for rust inside the cab and the engine bay they are a pain to repair, prevention is better than having to weld in new pieces of steel.

Being a U.S. Marine Corps veteran I absolutely love this! Would be great to see what you do in future videos.

That's awesome!!! Can't wait to see the adventures you have with that unit.

For a more efficient option than the standard heater, train a sparrow to break wind in the cab. The other great thing about Lightweights is that they spent their time in the army being chucked out of helicopters.

It's called an Air Potable landrove. I drove the 1st one delivered to our regiment in Germany in I think 1971.

The boxes on the front are tuning units for whip antennas. The military makes a lot of use of low frequency radio gear. Low frequencies have long wavelengths, so require long antennas to be efficient. Long antennas are not very convenient but you can't just shorten an antenna because it reduces efficiency and causes the radio output stage to overheat (high SWR) and eventually die. The tuners con the radio into thinking that it is connected to an antenna which is the right length. In theory, when working correctly and connected to right equipment, you'd hear whirring and buzzing from the box upon a change of frequency - That's the tuner motors moving internally to "match" the antenna to the frequency being used. If you sat the foundation amateur radio exam (specifically designed for beginners) after a bit of training at a local club, there's no reason you couldn't get a HF set put in the back and use it on air, but you'd probably need a bit of help and quite a lot of money if you want to correctly implement the TUUAM units on the front. On the right frequency at the right time of day, HF will communicate GLOBALLY. It is still used by all militaries and civil aid agencies to talk back home.

You're blessed bro to have this. Love to buy something like this. Thanks mate and have fun with it. From your friends across the pond, North Carolina, USA

Love these, spent many a year driving and working on these beasts, in an earlier life. Easy to fix, a beast to drive and will practically go anywhere. You'll have such fun. Must admit that i'm quite jealous.

i love old landrovers - particularly the smell of them as it reminds of being a kid! We always had landrovers, and my first car after passing my test was a series 2 SWB! Perfect for a first car as you couldn't go fast enough to get into trouble, and if you bumped anything it would come off worst than the LR! 🤣

Drove these and the Marshall ambulance back in the eighties. Love it 👍👍👍

Absolutely amazing truck dude!! Cheers from Barcelona.

Drove one in the 80,s. A lot of fun..

beautiful machine. no school like the old school. look forward to seeing it evolve

I drove one of these when I was a squaddie. My Dad also had a defender and slid it down a mountain here in Wales with 6 of us in the back. The only thing that saved us plummeting forty feet after hitting the track was a brand new barbed wire fence....scary!! My neighbour was an agricultural engineer......When you get that chassis welded Mike get the mechanic to stuff oily rags in it by removing the rubber plugs. I had that done to my Disco and the chassis stayed immaculate on it. Just a tip!!

Realy cool! I had one as my first car. An 88inch LW. Had restored it with help from my father. Unfortunately I had to sell this beautiful car. Still regret it.

They are TUAAM boxes, Tuning Unit Automatic Antenna Matching. Matches the antenna 'length' to the radio frequency.

I purchased a ex Australian army Land Rover 110 for camping, absolutely love it my son and I have been on many remote trips with it.

Great machine. One type of Land-Rover I've never driven. Not cheap now, if only I'd had money 20 years ago! Looking forward to seeing more of this.

I have a 110 defender which I can convert for camping in minutes, consider a 2 kw diesel heater, both for camping and general winter driving, it’s a game changer!

That is the most simple motor you will ever own and the most easy to repair It will still be going strong in 100 years from now with a bit of care.

There you go - man toy! Mine was an early 60's VW Karmann Ghia, way back now. Noisy, slow to pick up speed, bad shocks, wonky steering, and you couldn't see over the hood. I miss it. Have fun!

I've always wanted a landrover 90! personally i prefer the look of the standard over the lightweight but they are both cool. currently i have a long wheel base jeep JK wrangler, i fold the rear seats down and put an XL foam camping pad from a luxury cot down and it is one of the best car camping setups ever

The boxes on the front are Antenna Tuning Units (ATU) After the radio was tuned , the aerial had to be tuned to match the frequency of the radio

What a beauty! She is gorgeous! Congratz!

You should be able to replace just the top half of the door. I did when I had one. Good luck and enjoy many happy years with it.

Happy memories in a FFR lightweight, just need to get the full clansman kit fitted, couple of SLR's on a rack, some 58 pattern webbing, 80's combat clothing and thats you sorted 😊😊😊

Had a feeling you would get another Land Rover Mike. Would love to see you restore it. Perfect for taking stuff to the woods.