Expedition Vehicle Must-haves?

[LC/LR4Life]

I was curious so I checked the prices of FJcruisers on Autotrader. For about $22K you can find a used one. You can find a locked 80 for $10k and have $12k to play with and you won't have car payments. Regardless of which one you buy, your modifications will all be relatively equal. The only extra would be maintenance on the 80.

Pros of 80's:
-Durable, reliable, capable
-Room for a small family (2 adults and a kid) and their gear for a trip
-you can use it as a fairly capable off road rig down the road and beat it up

Cons of 80's:
-heavy
-thirsty (12-17 MPG, varies with your load and modifications)
-older will need some maintenance

Pros of FJC:
-newer, reliable
-less maintenance
-better MPG (only slightly, maybe 2-3 MPG)

Cons of FJC:
-ugly
-small
-it's new so you won't want to scratch it

Personally I don't find it ugly. Then again, it IS only the face a mother could love like my old FJ40. As far as small, I cannot agree there either. I can pack as much crap in my new FJ as I can my Land Rover DII and that's a LOT of junk.

 

[LUISJG]

dont forget..... an onboard divorce lawyer might come in handy...

 

[jeepboyd]

All good words everyone, it's cool to see the pros and cons each of us is coming up with for the two vehicles. Some people find the pros of one person the cons of another. I will be keeping the FJ Cruiser pretty darn close to stock. Here is what I have in mind:

FJ Cruiser
Automatic
Rear Diff lock
A-trac hack ($65 switch)
roof rack
hitch

Got a quote of $23,500 to order a brand new 08 exactly how I want it.

OME 883 heavy duty front leveling springs $175
Bent-up or Demello or ARB front bumper $800 - $1000
Paint the bezel white (old school 40 style) $8

Maybe Man-a-fre 20 gallon Auxilliary fuel tank ($1000) OR just 4-5 Wedco Jerry cans. $140

Tires:
Hankook Dynapro MT
BFG AT
BFG MT
Cooper STT
Dunlop Rover MT
Yokohama Geo MT
Firestone Destination MT
Goodyear wrangler MT
Kumho MT

So, basically a stock truck with a few minor mods. I think I'd go up one tire size to like a 275/70R17 or a 235/85R16 so like 32.5" - 33" tall, but narrow.

ARB Magnum hand winch and gear
hi-lift jack
sand ladders
etc.

Matt

23,500 that seems very low for a 4x4 I haven't seen a 4x4 for under 27k everything else looks good on your list

 

[Overland Hadley]

Great thread.

Bring a good sense of adventure. Remember, it may not always be fun, but it will be memorable.

 

[tacollie]

For that price you could buy just about anything other rig and still have the money to trick it out. I think it is very clear who toyotas target market is. Not us.

 

[esh]

Great thread.

Bring a good sense of adventure. Remember, it may not always be fun, but it will be memorable.

Maybe the best advice right there... be ready for change in plans, pack to be ready for those changes. Don't let deviation from "the plan" get you twisted.

It can always be fun as fun is a state of mind.

 

[targa88]

FJC - 20,000kms since April 07. Very capable both on road and off. Handles the road well but where it really shines is off road.
In the mud, water above the bumper, scaling rocks and mountains.....
In terms of space - there is plenty for driver+navigator. Plenty of gear. Fridge/cooler. With the rear seats folded down or removed you can even lie down (reasonable sleeping platform)
OEM roof rack is not the greatest but with some work is adequate(carries four cans).
Build is really a personal consideration - from my perspective keeping as close to stock is the best solution with enough body armor to protect for off-roading:
1.sliders, 2.skid plates; 3.bumpers.

 

[offroad_nomad]

Don't forget your first aid kit and the knowledge on how to use it.

Ok, I tried to think of just 5 things I would carry or must have, in a brand new FJ for a 2 week trip to the middle of nowhere....

Recovery gear - your hand winch, shackles, straps, hi-lift, shovel... whatever you're comfortable using
Water - if the recovery gear doesn't work, you may be stuck for awhile...
Gas - for peace of mind or use it to burn the recovery gear to signal for help. Use water to douse flame....
Communication - CB radio, cell phone, 2M radio, FRS radio, satellite phone, something.....
Sleeping solution - ground tent, roof top tent, hammock, cot.... somewhere to kick back at the end of a long day

 

[david despain]

all you need is a fridge!

4 pages and i didnt see one mention of a fridge.
i cant find the old post right now but i believe the quote goes something like
"with an ARB/engel fridge a stock toyota can go anywhere in baja". i think this applies to your travel plans as well