A Dundee engineer has transformed a former British Army truck into a campervan with tremendous off-road capability.
Andy Howson bought the Leyland DAF T244 in 2018 and spent 18 months converting the flatbed truck into a campervan. Among the modifications he made was repurposing the machine gun hatch into a sunroof.
The left-hand drive vehicle was built in 1990 and was first road registered in 2016. Despite being more than 30 years old it has barely 20,000 miles on the clock.
The cab has three seats and a sleeper space behind that can also be used for storage. The camper body has an insulated, spring mounted box which was originally a refrigerated unit. It has a 24v electrical system and two roof-mounted solar panels. The camper’s batteries can be charged by the solar panels or by the alternator when the truck is driving.
All kitted out
An 8KW diesel air heater keeps the campervan toasty. There is a 52 litre fridge and a gas hob and sink. USB ports are present for charging mobile phones and tablets. There is even a shower and an 85 litre fresh water tank.
A high level king sized bed at the rear has storage underneath. There is plenty of space in this area to add an extra bed if needed.
The Leyland campervan has permanent four wheel drive and exceptional ground clearance, giving it tremendous off-road ability.
Not everyone can drive it, however. With a maximum gross vehicle weight of 10.8 tonnes, and an unladen weight of around 6.8 tonnes you’ll need an HGV licence to get behind the wheel.
Power comes from a 5.9 litre diesel engine and the truck will return around 14mpg. Road tax is £200 a year and Andy says he paid £143 to insure it.
Andy, 32, works as an engineer and enjoys “designing fun stuff” in his spare time. He bought the Leyland truck with the intention of going away for long trips in it.
“We had loosely planned an adventure but the first lockdown started the week we intended to go away,” he says. “It doesn’t look like we’ll get away for a while so I’ve decided to put the truck up for sale.
“My partner says the headline for this article should read ‘eccentric local man builds truck then doesn’t take it anywhere interesting’.”
The Leyland Campervan is on sale through Facebook Marketplace for £25,000.
