100 Series Land Cruiser - Northbound and Down
- Thread starter bwood
- Start date
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.
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.
LandCruiserPhil
Expedition Leader
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
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.
JackAttack13
Observer
Great build thread. Looks great!
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:
