Fishing Discovery project

I just wanted to share a little project that I’ve been working on over the winter. Just recently I’ve had a bit of a career change and I’m now desk bound…however these days with  advancements in technology desk bound just means being in front of a screen. As a keen Carp angler I quickly realized I could turn this to my advantage and get loads more fishing in if I could take my office to the lake side! So now rather than working 5 days and then fishing at the weekend (and probably not every weekend due to other commitments) I can fish every week. I still do need to physically go in the office each week but my working week now consist of 3-4 days on the bank…normally in the office Monday…off fishing Tuesday morning and back either Thursday or Friday to grab the last few hours in the office….this then leaves my weekends free for family stuff….I also miss the bankside weekend rush as well as I’m fishing when most are at work….living the dream eh?

However straightaway there was a problem…..fishing spots are generally very remote, clearly with no power and weak internet signal. Sure I could use a laptop but we are only talking hours on a laptop battery and not days…the solution was to build a vehicle that could not only supply me with the required power source but also capable of going off road at times to seek out the more remote spots. 

Being a fan of old Land Rovers there was no other option in my mind, it just had to be a green oval of some sort. A 90 was going to be a touch short space wise and a 110 I just worried about the extended wheelbase on very uneven ground….and the current astronomical prices of defenders….at 100 inch an old discovery seemed to be an ideal compromise, not to mention a dam sight cheaper and warmer in the colder months. 

So in the end my chosen vehicle was an ex police 20 year old discovery…a bargain off a facebook acquaintance at just £250 …so clearly full of holes. I’ve been here several times before with these old discos so I know where they rot and importantly how to fix it….nevertheless there was several days welding even before I could start kitting the thing out to suit my requirements……followed by a quick coat of drab reed green to fit in with the fishing theme…..fishing gear and luggage comes in green or green….so green it had to be. Mechanically wise I made very few modifications….it already had +2″ springs and shocks and as the front bumper was rotten I replaced it with a H/D winch bumper (minus the winch)…but other than that its remained factory.  Clearly belts, oils, brakes etc all replaced. 

My main aim was to be able to run a laptop, a 4g lite system, charge my iPhone and iPad and run lights etc for 3-4 days at a time without access to mains power and still be able to start the van itself when required. Clearly a rear mounted leisure battery was the answer rigged up to a 100 amp split charge system so it charged as the vehicle was running and then charged during the day with a 100 watt roof mounted semi flexible solar panel. All quite basic stuff but it does what it needs to. I also wanted to lay the gear out in a way to save set up and pack up times…last thing I wanted was to be wasting valuable working and fishing time rummaging about for gear so a few home made drawers and cupboards were also the order of the day.  On a down side I’m now tied to my truck to fish….at some venues you can’t park behind or in your swim so I have limited my options a touch but a small price to pay to get out fishing week in week out!

Clearly on the bank for 3-4 days at a time I also need to cook so its also got everything to cook and feed myself….plus a small sink to wash the cooking pots…and have a quick wash myself.

The electrics needn’t be over complicated. A small box with a door on the rear houses everything it needs. I’ll hyperlink the parts in this paragraph, all of which will go to ebay so if you need anything they can be easily found.  So very briefly there is an 110ah leisure battery in one of the lower compartments. This is charged off a split charge system from the vehicles main battery with an 100 amp relay which only trips once the vans alternator is actually charging and not when the ignition is just in position 11. On the roof is an 100amp semi flexible solar panel…clearly this needs a controller. There are loads on the market, many of better quality but after a bit of research these cheap imported controllers do the job and seem quite reliable. Down by the battery is an 4000w inverter which is turned on and off via the switch panel…..I had to tap into the unit so I was only powering the low voltage switch on this rather than the main power cables which are fused and hard wired to the battery so its always ready to go when required without wasting power when its not.. This provides 240VAC to a three pin socket when required…although I don’t use this very often.

The switch panel controls various LED lights, a master switch for the water pump and USB’s for powering phones and other charges. Next to that is a 12v outlet which feeds a small box which I have in a length of flex in my bivvy giving me a 12v and USB sockets by my bed.  To the top right of the electric box is a my mobile broadband wifi router which runs on its own sim….20 quid for 40gb or something like that which is adequate for my usage. This has also got its own external antenna which increases signal no end….I can now stream video in areas where I could barely send an email…..this runs my phone, ipad and laptop and is key to me being able to work on the bank.  All in all in terms of whats available and possible these days its quite basic on the electrical side…but it works and is all safe…fused in various places to cover any eventuality.

On the opposite side to this is a small sink and tap, it only has cold water but I get by.  However this tap is what it is….cheep and I’ll probably renew it when I get round to it but for now it will do…I can wash and brush my teeth etc with no bother.

I can already hear some of you more experienced discovery guys say what about access to the boot floor and access panel to the fuel tank….already thought about that…the drawers and boxes are three units, left, right and center…four screws and the center drawer section sides straight out giving access to the main part of the floor….15 mins or so and I can have the lot on the floor…I had in in and out several times during the build.

In a past life I used to fit automotive security systems for a living…with this truck I’ve not only put a fair bit of effort in but its also got my gear in so clearly its got one or two bits of security….I’ll not go into detail for obvious reasons!

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