100 Series Land Cruiser - Northbound and Down

richxd87

Observer
Thanks for sharing build thoughts and the travels you guys are on! Any further thoughts on transitioning from the inside living space of the camper to just the RTT? Any limitations or advantages you've gained with the new setup?
 

bwood

Member
Yeah, each setup has its own advantages and disadvantages. The popup camper was actually a really comfortable living space for us, which, as full-time travelers, was a huge plus. We definitely enjoyed the ability to cook inside our living space last year, especially up in the mountains in heavy rain or snow (or mosquitos in Alaska). If the weather was bad, we could set up quickly, get inside and be completely comfortable. Now, we don't have that luxury, but we haven't really needed it so far this year. We've spent the past 2 months in Baja, so cooking outside isn't a disadvantage at all. We're planning on crossing over to mainland Mexico and continuing south though, so we'll see how that changes going into the rainy season. We do have the annex for the RTT, which would give us a more protected space if needed.

We did lose a bit of space for carrying gear, and fuel efficiency is a little worse, but overall the smaller size of the Land Cruiser is a huge plus. It's way easier to navigate tiny roads in small towns, find parking, etc. Plus the LC is more capable off road than the big f250, and the rig is much lighter (it'll be easier/cheaper to get on ferries or stuff into a shipping container if needed). And actually a big reason we switched was looking further into the future. We're not going to be traveling full-time forever, so the LC makes way more sense as a daily driver than a 3/4 ton truck, and it'll be much easier to store a RTT than a camper.
 

Jeff H

Adventurer
Awesome build! I like the well thought out mods you've done. I'm currently looking at 100 series for my next rig and may copy a few things you've done!
 

bwood

Member
Be on the road full time Im surprised you went with a RTT why not a clamshell design?

We liked the space this one offers. Larger inside sleeping area for 2 people, plus the option to attach the annex to escape the rain/mosquitoes/etc. Even without the annex attached, it pretty much serves as a tent and awning in one. One thing that would have been nice with a clamshell is added roof space. Not sure how much weight they can support, but it would've been nice to have some space for solar panels, or to put the surfboard up there.

Setup with ours does take a bit longer than a clamshell design (I'm assuming), but the trade-offs were worth it for us.
 

Greenbean

B.S. Goodwrench
BWPqTwj.jpg


Can I ask where the seat back items came from?

Great looking hundy man!
 

bwood

Member
Thanks! We found those seat-back organizers on amazon for pretty cheap (kinda last minute). Not sure of the brand, but they work pretty well for holding small stuff that would otherwise just float around (maps, a guidebook or two, camera battery chargers, sat-tracker, etc).
 

Greenbean

B.S. Goodwrench
10-4, Thanks bud...

Dumb question but can I inquire why you ordered your KISS drawers with no cut out handles and mounted your own black ones?
 

bwood

Member
10-4, Thanks bud...

Dumb question but can I inquire why you ordered your KISS drawers with no cut out handles and mounted your own black ones?

Went with solid rather than cut-outs because I originally planned on installing locking handles, but in the end decided they weren't necessary.
However, I will say that with the weight of the drawers fully loaded, the handles I ended up with are great. I'd imagine just having cut-outs would be a little less comfortable to open.
 

mschube

Member
Nice build.

Do you still have the 2nd row seats, and are the storage compartments currently there easily removable? Also can you post some pics of underneath the vehicle, and of the leather and carpet in the front?
 

bwood

Member
Nice build.

Do you still have the 2nd row seats, and are the storage compartments currently there easily removable? Also can you post some pics of underneath the vehicle, and of the leather and carpet in the front?
Yeah, the 2nd row seats are back in, which have replaced the storage containers. The leather and carpet in the front are in good condition other than a worn spot on the top of the steering wheel, and the left side of the driver's seat has a spot that's worn through to the cushion. I can get photos of that stuff later, but here's some of the undercarriage:
caTQze5.jpg

KUqQIce.jpg

NI2Zjr3.jpg
 

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