August 10, 2022
Penrith Mountain Rescue Team’s two 13-year-old, specially-adapted Land Rover Defenders have had their life considerably extended by a major rebuild and refurbishment. The work involved was undertaken locally in north Cumbria which means that these workhorses of rough, upland terrain should now serve the Team well into the 2030s. The Team purchased a pair of Land Rover Defenders in 2008, specially converted for mountain rescue use. Despite being still at relatively low mileage and in mechanically good condition, their age was starting to show, with corrosion to bodywork and chassis. The Team considered replacing the vehicles but, with the end of production of the classic Defender model six years ago, there are currently few - if any - alternative vehicles that would make suitable replacements in terms of their off-road capability, capacity to carry a casualty on a stretcher, and general toughness. The Team, therefore, decided to have its two ageing Defenders fully rebuilt, refurbished and resprayed. The sums involved were substantially less than the cost of purchasing any new vehicles and meant that the Team retained the classic Land Rover capabilities. After some research, Land Rover specialists, Simon Huntington Limited of Wigton, were asked to carry out the work. This included the replacement of the chassis for both vehicles with a new, galvanised version. The rebuilds were undertaken late in 2021 for the first vehicle and early this year for the second and Simon was kind enough to lend the team a Freelander whilst each Defender was being rebuilt. This meant that a good level of operational capability was maintained throughout the refurbishment. On completion of the major rebuild work, both vehicles were then taken to Ast Ltd in Penrith for replacement of all the bodywork graphics, to the national specification provided by Mountain Rescue England and Wales. Penrith Mountain Rescue is grateful to both companies for their excellent work. Simon, of Simon Huntington Ltd, said: “We were delighted to be approached by Penrith Mountain Rescue Team to carry out the re-builds on both their Land Rover Defenders. These vehicles will now enjoy the longevity and reliability needed for many years to come. We are grateful to have had the team's trust to complete the standard of work that we strive to achieve on every vehicle at Simon Huntington Ltd.” Nathan Aston, Key Account Manager for Ast said: "It was great to work alongside Penrith Mountain Rescue Team and create a bespoke design for their two emergency service vehicles. We are very proud to have been involved in the project as we are grateful for all the essential hard work the Team does." The Team is also grateful to the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association (LDSAMRA) for a generous grant from its funds that largely covered the cost of the refurbishment project. The Team now looks forward to its two trusty Defenders giving continued great service for another decade and beyond.
