Indoctrinating my children.

[ukoffroad]

My soon to be 13 year old loves offroading and events, and wanted to be part of the next truck transformation. All that is left to chop the top is to move the wiring from the roof. She got the sunroof out, the glass and the D pillar wrap. Hoping to get the doors cut and hung next.

 

[ERover82]

My boys, 5 and 9, taking apart an old Defender key ignition to see how it works.




The little one is not to be left unattended.

 

[Tugela]

This approach works. As proof, here's the experience that sparked my lifelong connection: tagging along with my parents on a drive across the Kalahari Desert at age six. Keep it up, all you parents.

 

[Blue]

Youngest son helping with the LR4:


Older son the day I sold the 2004 D2 and it was driven away by the new owner:

 

[Howski]

Welcomed our first (son) earlier this year. Looking forward to future Rover adventures. How young is too young to take a kid camping and trail riding?

 

[ERover82]

We took our oldest camping in Yosemite when he was less than a year old. The irony of his "Bear Snack" bib did not escape us. We also took him on several 4wd adventures at a young age. I'd be mindful of dust and head-rocking they may endure though, as they just aren't built to withstand it yet. I also never took them anywhere alone that we couldn't walk out of easily if something went wrong. Otherwise, kids love being outside, getting dirty, and playing with bugs/sticks/rocks.

 

[p m]

Daughter: learned to drive in a Classic and D1, and that black Classic is practically the only car she drove till she bought a D5.
Grandkid: in the U.S., never rode in anything other than a Classic, D4, or D5. Just went on his first off-road trip in Anza-Borrego a week ago.

 

[Blue]

Welcomed our first (son) earlier this year. Looking forward to future Rover adventures. How young is too young to take a kid camping and trail riding?

As ERover82 mentioned, be careful of the head rocking side to side. Baby seats usually have extra pads that you can put around baby's head to keep it from rocking back & forth too much.

 

[p m]

As ERover82 mentioned, be careful of the head rocking side to side. Baby seats usually have extra pads that you can put around baby's head to keep it from rocking back & forth too much.

Had to jam the jacket to keep the kid's head from flopping around in Oriflamme Canyon last time. He slept through entire trail.

 

[ERover82]

They also freeze or cook too easily. The helpless things, despite how chubby they are, have messed up surface area to volume ratios. If it's too hot, don't go. If it's cold..

 

[ukoffroad]

Not afraid of the Sawzall. Not sure she is ready for the angle grinder. Still need to decide how far forward to go with that cut.

 

[4Runner]

Not afraid of the Sawzall. Not sure she is ready for the angle grinder. Still need to decide how far forward to go with that cut.




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Wow. My hats off to you and the others that take your Rovers down that far. My neighbors think I am crazy for the amount of disassembling that goes on at my house. But i am not sure I could bring it back from that point. Empty body and frame, sure. A few select body panels and a frame? I’m out! lol To keep it on topic , my daughter wants to inherit the 2004 D2. My son isn’t into Rovers at the moment. Even though that is all he has been in for most of his life.

 

[MM3846]

Had to jam the jacket to keep the kid's head from flopping around in Oriflamme Canyon last time. He slept through entire trail.

X2 on the pads. My son loves camping and loves to sleep through all the wheeling. Been coming out with me since he could walk, turns three next week.

Didn’t take baby #2 out as much because it’s so much harder with 2 of em. But I think she likes being outside more than my son.

Sold the RTT at the end of the summer, it sucked to take down. Going to a big ground tent for ‘24 and will probably just sleep in the truck the couple times a year we sleep on the beach. It’s been a lot of figuring out what setup makes sense. In the end, it’s KISS which works best I think.

 

[LRflip]

Holy Smokes, Chuck!

Can't wait to see what you do with it! Definitely wasn't moving that fast in my garage.

 

[StangGT5]

X2 on the pads. My son loves camping and loves to sleep through all the wheeling. Been coming out with me since he could walk, turns three next week.

Didn’t take baby #2 out as much because it’s so much harder with 2 of em. But I think she likes being outside more than my son.

Sold the RTT at the end of the summer, it sucked to take down. Going to a big ground tent for ‘24 and will probably just sleep in the truck the couple times a year we sleep on the beach. It’s been a lot of figuring out what setup makes sense. In the end, it’s KISS which works best I think.

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My P38 is the only RTT vehicle I have owned, and I've never used it. I've slept in the LR4 on short beach/trail trips with one other person. It's not bad at all with all the seats down, sunroof open with net closed. Almost like it was made for it. You can get window vents that make it even more comfortable.

 

[Blue]

Not afraid of the Sawzall. Not sure she is ready for the angle grinder. Still need to decide how far forward to go with that cut.

Should be a breeze to fix that headliner now!

 

[MM3846]

My P38 is the only RTT vehicle I have owned, and I've never used it. I've slept in the LR4 on short beach/trail trips with one other person. It's not bad at all with all the seats down, sunroof open with net closed. Almost like it was made for it. You can get window vents that make it even more comfortable.

Yup, I’ve done plenty of solo and trips w my wife (even when she was 6 months pregnant) sleeping in the back. With two car seats and loaded up with toddler and baby gear, I figured RTT made the most sense and we could get all 4 of us up there. We could, but it just wasn’t the right setup, and our “beach camp” we go to with friends isn’t that great of a camp for kids… it’s more of a sit and drink beer beach with lots of rocks instead of sand, nowhere to set up a ground tent. So, switching it up. Trying to config the truck for that one scenario made it shittier for everything else.



I did like being able to store all of the sleeping gear up there and it being ready to go once the tent is open.

 

[DiscoHasBeen]

My soon to be 13 year old loves offroading and events, and wanted to be part of the next truck transformation. All that is left to chop the top is to move the wiring from the roof. She got the sunroof out, the glass and the D pillar wrap. Hoping to get the doors cut and hung next.





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One could be accused of child abuse for this, indoctrinating your child into this cult. On the other hand, if one can deal with the issues that owning a LR will surly present, (as I can see you, and her, are able to) then maybe not a more enjoyable vehicle to own.

Have you ever stopped to think about the position you are putting her in, given the times we live in? What young man will she find that she will ever respect? Almost all of the young men I deal with will have a hard time keeping up with her.

That said, looks like job well done. The world we are entering into will need her.

 

[jgdisco2]

This is an amazing thread! Glad I’m not alone. We took both kids camping (now almost 4 and2) pretty much as soon as we settled into being parents. Probably 6 months for our first.
Trail riding, we waited until big enough to forward face. Both kids love it and are always asking to go.
Here’s a picture of 3 generations on our first guys camping trip to uwharrie

 

[ukoffroad]

Wow. My hats off to you and the others that take your Rovers down that far. My neighbors think I am crazy for the amount of disassembling that goes on at my house. But i am not sure I could bring it back from that point. Empty body and frame, sure. A few select body panels and a frame? I’m out! lol To keep it on topic , my daughter wants to inherit the 2004 D2. My son isn’t into Rovers at the moment. Even though that is all he has been in for most of his life.

Yeah, my daughter has told my wife multiple times we need a 90s Defender, she thinks it would be hers when she turns 16. As if.