TripRoundUnder

Well, we really didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into when we started our Land Cruiser Troopcarrier conversion, but I think the process really allowed the ‘Troop’ to become home.

Here is our baby when we got her, brand new and lets be honest, a little boring, not our home yet. Not going to lie, was a little nervous buying something as big as a full grown 4×4 on Facebook Market place, but good news is, we didn’t get stabbed and the bloke was actually quite normal!

As all professional interior designers do, we immediately ripped everything out without an idea of what we were going to do next, a bold strategy some may say. We also began the second most important step, browsing Instagram for ideas.

Surprisingly, taking things out was not as easy as it seems and I vow never never to take a seatbelt out of a car ever again. Although great for safety, they are quite literally built into the car…

PS. If anyone wants a troopy bench seat for their dining room, Lauren’s parents would much prefer it with you than in their back shed. Thank you.

After much consultation with the Instagram troopy influencer gods, we began the fun part of making the troopy ours! The insta gods also blessed Lauren with a desire to use rattan webbing which will be important later! With parental help, we became rookie carpenters and after putting in a vinyl floor, we established a frame for the planned storage side and kitchen. For anyone considering building a troopy, our advice is to maximise storage wherever you can, you will need it! In addition to this, never use barstool chairs as bases to drill wood on as you may end up with unwanted holes in them created by pro carpenters like Steve.

As we went on, things began to get real as the inside of the troopy began to take shape! The constant battle between Lauren’s aesthetic ideas and Steve’s dad’s realism is always enjoyable and by this stage we have learnt that Steve hates painting, Lauren loves winding people up and the difference between Watts, Amps and Volts is very confusing! In saying that, it’s pretty cool how the DC2DC charger connects our front battery to our rear lithium battery! Also, very happy with our fridge purchase in order to keep beverages and other items cold.

We finally are on to the final more aesthetic phase of the build. Lauren got right into the sewing making up some curtains and covers for the bench top cushions and although she did an awesome job, she quickly realised that sewing should be left to the professionals! The bench top in addition to the black sink really came out a treat and in combination with the rattan webbing door mentioned early and white paint, I’d say our Troop finally feels like a home! If anyone needs some interior design help, please contact professionals as we are unavailable. In saying that, we loved the process of making our Troop and we are always happy to give out advice as long as we are not responsible for any damage both physical or emotional.