BMW E53 X5 Overlander build
I have been thinking of building a overlander rig to go for adventures with. Nowadays you see a lot of people building vans into campers and some are doing this to SUV category cars also. My take on this would be based on first generation BMW X5. The chassis callsign of E53.
I´m currently still on planning stage and haven´t acquired the car yet, but at this moment the plan is looking something like this.
I will be acquiring early model E53 X5 with 3.0 diesel engine. More closely M57D30. Most likely with automatic transmission. Before you think more of this auto trans. It will be changed to 8HP along the build. 8HP gives more room for different driving styles depending where you are. For example on normal roads you could be more sportier and on gravel or off road have map that makes it easier to have more traction.
For the engine choice. Diesel is a lot more reliable than 4.4 or 4.8 liter gas V8 options and when planning to go on longer off road trips and overlanding. Reliability is key. I will be also fully refurbishing the engine and possibly modifying turbo and other aspects of the engine to suit better the intended use.
Front and rear bumpers will be fully custom made from steel with tubular and plate construction, with winches on both front and rear. Side rails or rocker covers will be made from steel as well. Depending on what type and width of tires will be chosen. Possible tubular steel overfenders are in the design stage.
Roof rack will be made from aluminium to help keep the weight off from the top as much as possible. Spare tire will be mounted on a custom pivoting tailgate that will be incorporated in to the rear bumper.
Other protection aspects in the design stage are reinforcements to the door skins, bonnet, and under carriage. Most of the will be made from aluminium, while some of them will be made from steel in critical areas.
Interior of the X5 will be kept stockish looking in the front, but rear seats will be deleted and made to give space for storage and sleeping area. Rear windows will be protected with dark tint and clear film that prevents chattering and instead of keeps broken glass together. Windows will also be getting storage racks on both inside and outside to allow carry more gear that is easily accessible.
Storage that will be built in place of rear seats and boot. Will be housing for example the refrigerator and cooking appliances. Also most of dry foods will be stored there. Bed will be custom made from foam with custom linen. While on the road bed will be housing camping gear and other things that can be easily pulled of and left outside for the nights. Such as camping chairs, table, mats, etc.
Roof rack will be housing a custom made roof top tent that will be made from composites and aluminium. roof top tent will be fitted to the front half of the roof rack and be designed to be opened on top of the bonner. Having riser that mount to the body of the X5. Rear of the roof rack will be left for more storage. Extra fuel will be carried inside the spare wheel in a aluminium fuel cell.
Roof rack will also be having two awnings on each sides of the X5 that swing open and meet at the rear of the car.
Chassis of the X5 will be getting a moderate lift between 1,5"-3" depending on final design ground clearance. Aim is to build X5 that can go anywhere but won´t be so high that normal driving is affected too much. This same aspect will also be used when figuring out the tire size that will be used. Wheel size will be between 15"-17". Smaller wheel size is goal, but depending on used brake package this might have to be adjusted accordingly. Most of the suspension will be kept OEM as this also ensures easy repairs on the road if something breaks, versus one of custom parts.
Rear differential will be getting locking differential and front is still on design stage. As having front diff locking up can also effect negatively on steering and handling.
I will be posting more updates as I finalize the design aspects and acquire the X5 for this build.