Defender 90, overland sleeping platform ideas?

Speaking to an Aussie bloke the other day at the pub who's been travelling europe for past few months has made me itching to do similar when i'm out of university.

I'd love to take my defender round Europe and want a way to sleep in it when camping/hostel is not an option.

How have people managed to sleep in the back of a 90. I'm about 6ft tall so I think some extendable platform across the whole area is needed?

pending on the interior make up. CSW have opened plan 110 and 90. So you could fashion camp bed one side the other side small cooking and wash mini locker. Another option is the overland tent that sits on the roof with basic spares. Only snag centre of balance can effect more the vehicle to sway more. 110 are more solid and have a Boge weight that counters the sway.
Hopefully a smarter person can offer better advice.

It is doable in a 90. Take a look on YouTube. There are quite a few 90’s converted to basic campers. The bed usually folds over the front passenger seat, which folds forward. Or you could convert and get a roof tent so you have the best of both worlds.

I have a 1/4” Ali sheet I put in the rear of the motor & have a double air bed in it.
Problems are it makes getting stuff from under the bed harder and you lose a lot of storage space as you are using it as a bed room.
Now if you have a roof tent you will be paying more on ferries as your motor is above a certain height(check heights & prices of ferry crossing to work out)

@cornish rattler converted his 88 to sleep in though. Have a search for his threads

Hicap phill said:

I have a 1/4” Ali sheet I put in the rear of the motor & have a double air bed in it.
Problems are it makes getting stuff from under the bed harder and you lose a lot of storage space as you are using it as a bed room.
Now if you have a roof tent you will be paying more on ferries as your motor is above a certain height(check heights & prices of ferry crossing to work out)

@cornish rattler converted his 88 to sleep in though. Have a search for his threads

Click to expand...

Doesn’t affect me on my ferry boat with a roof tent

Def90man said:

Doesn’t affect me on my ferry boat with a roof tent

Click to expand...

We go to France in the S1 but had to change tickets to the Hicap (as the other S1 had broke down so they nicked my motor for a few days)
On arrival they said over height motor incurs a surcharge… can’t remember what height the charges change from.

And @Def90man I thought all your ferries were broke down

Hicap phill said:

We go to France in the S1 but had to change tickets to the Hicap (as the other S1 had broke down so they nicked my motor for a few days)
On arrival they said over height motor incurs a surcharge… can’t remember what height the charges change from.

And @Def90man I thought all your ferries were broke down

Click to expand...

One of them is working at the moment

Knappster said:

It is doable in a 90. Take a look on YouTube. There are quite a few 90’s converted to basic campers. The bed usually folds over the front passenger seat, which folds forward. Or you could convert and get a roof tent so you have the best of both worlds.

Click to expand...

thanks, sadly a roof tent is no where near doable on a student budget! That would however make this alot easier.

Hicap phill said:

I have a 1/4” Ali sheet I put in the rear of the motor & have a double air bed in it.
Problems are it makes getting stuff from under the bed harder and you lose a lot of storage space as you are using it as a bed room.
Now if you have a roof tent you will be paying more on ferries as your motor is above a certain height(check heights & prices of ferry crossing to work out)

@cornish rattler converted his 88 to sleep in though. Have a search for his threads

Click to expand...

Would you happen to have some pictures of your setup? Curious how stable it is?

I remove my rear roof and put the Ali sheet in place,then roof back on & off we go.
2 bits of wood as support. There is a gap between the tail gate and bed where if I needed somewhere to cook in the dry I could.
Store everything in slide out boxes. Good enough for a few days away green laning

Was out with a disco friend and the night/morning views were good.




My Mrs in her younger days slept in the 88” using 2 internal house doors which folded up inside while traveling round Iceland


there are a few overland forums but the spend mega money on fridges etc. just keep it all simple