- Deployable Roof Ladder
- Integrated Air Compressor
- How Much Did All the Land Rover Accessories Cost?
- More on Our 2021 Land Rover Defender 110
land-rover defender Full Overview
I don’t normally like modifying vehicles because, in my experience, it’s a quick way to ruin them. I ruined my old Ford Mustang GT by fitting it with a loud, droney exhaust, bigger wheels, and stickier tires. We ruined a long-term Scion FR-S—well, by also fitting it with bigger, stickier rubber and a louder, dronier exhaust. Between those two projects and driving enough modified cars to fill a showroom, I’ve concluded that maybe, just maybe, the well-compensated men and women responsible for designing and engineering new cars know what they’re doing. Yet when it came to our 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 one-year test vehicle, I couldn’t resist. No—I didn’t repeat past mistakes of futzing with wheels, tires, and exhaust. Instead, we hit the Land Rover accessories catalog to tack some overlandy bits onto our Defender. Here’s what we got and how we like it so far.
Deployable Roof Ladder
Now, our Defender 110 already came well equipped from the factory thanks to its Explorer Accessory pack (a $4,800 package including mudflaps, wheel arch protectors, the hood decal, a snorkel, side gear carrier, and the Expedition roof rack), but one 75 percent visual and 25 percent functional element was missing: the roof ladder. Mounted on the driver’s side between the C- and D-pillars, the new deployable roof ladder allows for access to the beefy roof rack (which is rated to handle an impressive 291-pound dynamic load), making it easier to load and unload oversized items. So far we haven’t needed to use the ladder a ton, but had it been installed at the time, it’d have made life camping with the Land Rover-branded Autohome rooftop tent far easier, and back in the before-pandemic-times, I used it to access a roof-stashed spare tire and MaxTrax when overlanding a similarly equipped Defender 110 across Namibia.
Integrated Air Compressor
Now this is by far my favorite accessory, and one I don’t know how I lived without: Land Rover’s integrated air compressor. Mounted up to the left side of the cargo area and hardwired to the Defender’s electrical system, the integrated air compressor automatically inflates and deflates a tire to a preset pressure, with a maximum of around 60 psi. It includes a 16.4-foot orange self-coiling hose that can reach all four of the Defender’s tires, which neatly stores in a little case that fits under the load floor. The air compressor has been incredibly useful; I’ve used it to air down and up for a recent beach day (stay tuned), add air to my wheelbarrow’s tire, and top off a neighbor’s football.
How Much Did All the Land Rover Accessories Cost?
To the dismay of MotorTrend’s accounting department, the Defender’s accessories weren’t cheap. Although Land Rover sent us the $885.80 ladder and $1,071.60 air compressor gratis for testing, we paid for installation ourselves. And, like we do with all our long-term vehicles, we used our local dealership to do the dirty work. The installation took the better part of the day and came to $964 for the compressor and $735 for the ladder, totaling an eye-watering $1,699 Visa swipe.
Were I properly motivated and had a second person to assist, I think the roof ladder installation could’ve been tackled in my driveway. It requires removing the beefy roof rack (a two-person job) and drilling some holes into the Defender’s flanks, but it doesn’t seem particularly difficult.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t hesitate to have the compressor professionally installed again. Doing so requires taking apart the cargo area, as well as drilling, bolting, and wiring. It’s possible to DIY, but personally I’d rather have the peace of mind that the air compressor will work properly when called upon, especially off the beaten path.
Looks good! More details?
More on Our 2021 Land Rover Defender 110
- The Land Rover Defender Joins the MotorTrend Garage
- Defender 110: Better Than Any Pickup Truck
- Yeah, We Bent the Rules a Little
- A Rooftop Tent Just Looks Right on the Defender
Keyword: 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 Yearlong Review: Modifying our Defender