Mods cost a small fortune and therefore the question what first.  Don’t just accessorise for the sake or look of it.  Drive your vehicle for a while and prioritise according to your requirements.  You will probably find a long range fuel tank on that list before anything else.  Suspension on all Land Rover Products are very good to start with and probably not worth replacing unless worn out.  Spotlights will probably be next on a Defender, because the stock lights are no better than candles in a glass jar.  People are quick to add bull bars just for mounting the spots, but is a lot of extra weight.  This extra weight will be extra wear on the front suspension and may then require an upgraded system.  The bull bar is often complimented by a winch which along with the cable and bull bar and spots will add almost 100kg!

The bottom line is to think carefully before going wild.  Fit functional accessories that you will use and get your money’s worth for.

My D90 has the following modifications and accessories:

• Complete Set recovery gear including Hi-Lift jack
• Bullbar – protects the front of the vehicle against branches and the like
• Spots (Hella Metal Bodies) – so that I can see where I am going at night
• Removed all the mud flaps (sorry for those behind me) – I became tired of constantly tearing them off accidentally.
• Replaced the alloy rims with Wolf steel rims (Land Rover Cape Town) – heavier, but stronger, can be repaired when bent and don’t scratch like the alloys.  They also have holes in on which to attach the High Lift tyre hoist
• Ironman Coils – my stock coils were badly worn and started sagging at the rear.  This also gave me a 40mm lift and improved ground clearance is always good.  The improved handling and drive quality is unreal.
• Old Man Emu Shocks and steering damper (Safari Centre) – longer shocks = more wheel travel
• Goodyear Wrangler MTR 235/85/16 (Hi-Q) – in my opinion the best and most advanced off road tyre available.  They work well in sand, mud and on rocks and are not that noisy
• ARB Rear axle diff lock (Safari Centre) – more drive wheels
• Fender and bonnet plates (Safari Centre) – to stand on as lookout and protect vehicle when accessing the rooftop tent
• Smash & Grab safety film on windows (Niteproducts) – safety and the tint keeps the vehicle much cooler (helps the fridge as well)
• Rear Tyre carrier (Safari Centre) – takes load off the rear door and prevents excessive hinge wear and the resultant rattle
• Rear working light
• Rear Ladder (Hanibal) – To access roofrack
• Roof Rack, 2 x Double jerry can holders, gas bottle holder, Hi-Lift mount (Hanibal)
• MyWay Rooftop Tent (direct) – cooler than on the ground and away from the crawlies
• Front Runner Awning (Safari Centre) – shade
• Removed rear seats and fitted home made packing system with ammo baxes – not much room in the D90 and had to optimise the space
• 2 x Compressors under the drivers seat – ARB for diff-lock and a faster one for the tyres
• 1.5 litre Fire Extinguisher (Makro)
• LED 3 Cell Maglight (Cape Union Mart)
• Deltec deep cycle battery (Safari Centre) – power the fridge and the camplights
• 55l Fridge
• Amplifier for the 6x9 speakers (Load & Clear) – you have to do this in order to drown the wind/engine/drive train/exhaust/tyre noise in a Defender
• 29 MHZ Radio, VHF Marine Band Radio, set of walky talkies (Safari Centre)
• 150Watt inverter (Safari Centre)– power laptop, walky talky charger etc.
• Garmin Nuvi 710 (GRS Trading)
• Seat Covers (Escape Gear)