rubicon to landcruiser

[worry_no_more]

I have a 2004 Wrangler Rubicon, and I want to get some opinions from you guys. I want to know if the TJ could be a decent vehicle dependent expedition vehicle. The reason I didn't post this in the jeep section is I know most of them will say yes or that they use theirs for that purpose, but I'm planning on taking a 4 to 6 month overlanding trip across america and into central america in the next couple years and want a good platform to start my build with.

If you guys think that the jeep won't cut it, that's why I'm posting here. Because I'm most interested in an 80 series or 105 if I can find it. I love rovers but I don't think I'll have the cash flow to keep it going or trust it in another country. Grand Cherokees are nice but they are a dime-a-dozen and I don't think they are capable enough offroad for my likings....

Why I question the jeep....it has a 4in bds lift on short arms, so you can imagine its about as comfortable to drive as a '68 911 on a gravel road. I don't know about the soft top for an expedition like vehicle, it's really annoying and loud on the highway, I can barely hit 65, lucky to hit 75 downhill, and 5th gear is completely useless, plus I get tired changing gears. I'm afraid there isn't enough space in the interior, I do have a garvin roofrack but is interior space important for expeditions?

Although the rubicon is the most reliable car I've ever owned so far, it has dana 44 axels and selectable lockers. I can take it rock crawling then drive it home. If I were to make this my expedition rig I would change the lift to a 2.5in OME, take off the body lift, and put on 31 a/ts to hopefully make it drivable over long distances.

What do you guys think? Should I ditch this and build an 80 series or finish building the rubicon? My main concern is how uncomfortable the rubicon is over long distances. Can the 80 cruise comfortably on the highway? Is it as capable offroad? Can it reach 80 miles per hour without feeling like you will shake off the road? And mainly is it reliable?

Thanks for your input, Zane

 

[Mike S]

You may have answered your own question. You are planning on a long trip, and don't like to drive your Jeep vehicle.

I would take a hard look at what gear you would take on the trip, what conditions (distance, roads, weather, altitude, and remoteness) you will travel in, and decide what vehicle is needed to meet the requirements.

I would NOT drive a soft top vehicle on such a trip. I do find that my Landcruisers (since 1972 an FJ40, FJ60 and FZJ80) have been solid and reliable vehicles and capable to travel through just about any country.

 

[MattScott]

If you guys think that the jeep won't cut it, that's why I'm posting here. Because I'm most interested in an 80 series or 105 if I can find it.

A 105 would be out of the question - an 80 is more realistic.

I'm afraid there isn't enough space in the interior, I do have a garvin roofrack but is interior space important for expeditions?

Lack of interior space is a huge complaint for the TJ. I feel interior space is hugely important for expeditions, interior storage offers several benefits over a roofrack:

• More Secure.
• Less wind resistance, equating to better fuel economy.
• Lower center of gravity, equating to better handling.

Although the rubicon is the most reliable car I've ever owned so far, it has dana 44 axels and selectable lockers. I can take it rock crawling then drive it home.

The axels on an 80 series Land Cruiser are going to be stronger than a Dana 44, they also have a factory option of selectable lockers. The only thing prohibiting an 80 series from hardcore rock crawling is its size.

If I were to make this my expedition rig I would change the lift to a 2.5in OME, take off the body lift, and put on 31 a/ts to hopefully make it drivable over long distances.

That could be a good option, but you are still dealing with lack of interior space. It might be worthy to add that you can fit 33-35 inch tires on an 80 series, with none, to minimal lift, while still retaining a drivable vehicle.

What do you guys think? Should I ditch this and build an 80 series or finish building the rubicon? My main concern is how uncomfortable the rubicon is over long distances. Can the 80 cruise comfortably on the highway? Is it as capable offroad? Can it reach 80 miles per hour without feeling like you will shake off the road? And mainly is it reliable?

Use the facts presented to you and make a choice you feel is best. However for a extended trip, I would not take a TJ. It would come down to interior space, and a soft top for security for me. The 80 will cruise more comfortably down the highway than the TJ and will definitely do it at 80 MPH. (I do every day with a 4 inch lift on my 80, without a shake or shimmy)

On a side note: Do not discredit domestic brands for trips into Mexico and Central America.

American cars, and therefore parts for them, are going to be more widely available than for a Land Cruiser.

However the idea of the 80 series is that you wont need parts for it.

 

[CaliMobber]

I agree, it all comes down to your personal preference. It doesnt sound like you enjoy long trips in the Jeep and I would agree the soft top and interior space would be my biggest concern.

In the end its your choice, If you can handle its draw backs then by all means go for it, but if I was you I would sell the Rubicon and get something with a hard top and more storage space for such a long journey.

Would you tent it with the jeep? or hotel it? the land cruiser you can sleep inside or get a roof tent.

 

[worry_no_more]

I could always buy a hard top for the tj, but that doesn't make up for the lack of space. My main concern is the comfort of driving it over long distances could take some of my enjoyment from the trip.

all of the 80s I find for sale have well over 100k miles, is it dangerous to buy one with say 125k miles? would I be asking for trouble? or it would be fine with typical repairs(such as radiator, water pump, alternator etc) and preventative maintenance?

 

[worry_no_more]

I agree, it all comes down to your personal preference. It doesnt sound like you enjoy long trips in the Jeep and I would agree the soft top and interior space would be my biggest concern.

In the end its your choice, If you can handle its draw backs then by all means go for it, but if I was you I would sell the Rubicon and get something with a hard top and more storage space for such a long journey.

Would you tent it with the jeep? or hotel it? the land cruiser you can sleep inside or get a roof tent.

I already have a tent set up for the jeep while camping, blow up mattress and 2 person tent that fits on the roof rack. For the land cruiser I would most likely get a roof tent and no rack and have everything else I need stored inside.

 

[worry_no_more]

I've never driven a stock or less than 4 in lift wrangler so I don't know whether lowering it and putting 31s on it would improve the ride quality, that's my main concern because just driving it as a daily is rattling my spine out of line....I imagine a LC drives like a Cadillac compared to it. I guess I need to test drive one soon

 

[MattScott]

all of the 80s I find for sale have well over 100k miles, is it dangerous to buy one with say 125k miles? would I be asking for trouble? or it would be fine with typical repairs(such as radiator, water pump, alternator etc) and preventative maintenance?

Mine has 188k. I would drive it around the world tomorrow. 80´s are built differently than a Jeep. I would say the point-of-no return for a daily driver 80 series is about 300-350k.

 

[redthies]

I owned a 2005 Rubi with a 4" Procomp short arm and 285-75R16s on it and the 6 speed trans. I had both hard and soft tops. We called the jeep ""Lurch" because of the choppy ride. I owned it from new (stupid purchase), and the ride was not significantly better stock. That said, there is a guy on here that has just driven a bone stock TJ from Calgary Alberta up to the Arctic Circle and then down to Patgonia on the southern tip of Argentina with zero issues.

You could easily buy a nice clean well modded 80 for what you could get for your Rubicon. The 80 is 10x more comfortable than a TJ and you already know about the storage and security benefits. I can't sayenough about how much I love my new to me Lexus LX450. The only thing you will lose in moving to an 80 is fuel economy. Mine, like many, now has 216,000 miles on it and is totally reliable. Other than Mexico, 80 series TLCs have been sold in every country you will encounter. Mexico does have Toyota dealers though.

If you check out ih8mud.com you will find a ton of information on all Landcruisers. The classified section over there would be a great place to buy one as well, as most guys over on mud are super-anal about maintenance.

Hope this helps you out!

I should add that I have driven from Canada to southern Mexico three times in the past few years and would rather eat broken glass than do it in a TJ. One trip was in a diesel powered 60 series Landcruiser, and was a great drive. The 80 would be waaaaaay better than the 60 was! (Fuel economy being ignored...)

 

[cweight]

I had a hard top Jeep, which I sold once I wrapped my head around that fact that, for me, overland travel involves carrying a lot of stuff. That Jeep could not carry a lot of stuff without dragging butt.

I like to go backcountry for days if not weeks on end. Yet I like to sleep with some comfort, eat fresh food, have a two-burner propane stove, and carry toys like mountain bikes, backpacks/tent/sleeping bag, etc. This means I carry a lot of gear, and the Jeep just didn't cut it. I carried stuff on the roof, so it would be even worse with a soft top.

OTOH, if you are willing to travel like a backpacker: one small tent, a one-burner stove, fresh food for a day or two and then beans and rice for the next week, etc, then a Jeep would be great, because it is agile and fun.

Personally, I value in-camp comfort over on-the-road comfort, because if you are traveling 'properly' then you will travel infrequently and hang out and play frequently. But if you are trying to cover a lot of ground quickly, and will spend a large proportion of your time on the road, then road comfort may be primary.

It is all about the tradeoffs and what works for your style of travel and preferences.

Cheers,
Chris.

 

[worry_no_more]

I owned a 2005 Rubi with a 4" Procomp short arm and 285-75R16s on it and the 6 speed trans. I had both hard and soft tops. We called the jeep ""Lurch" because of the choppy ride. I owned it from new (stupid purchase), and the ride was not significantly better stock. That said, there is a guy on here that has just driven a bone stock TJ from Calgary Alberta up to the Arctic Circle and then down to Patgonia on the southern tip of Argentina with zero issues.

You could easily buy a nice clean well modded 80 for what you could get for your Rubicon. The 80 is 10x more comfortable than a TJ and you already know about the storage and security benefits. I can't sayenough about how much I love my new to me Lexus LX450. The only thing you will lose in moving to an 80 is fuel economy. Mine, like many, now has 216,000 miles on it and is totally reliable. Other than Mexico, 80 series TLCs have been sold in every country you will encounter. Mexico does have Toyota dealers though.

If you check out ih8mud.com you will find a ton of information on all Landcruisers. The classified section over there would be a great place to buy one as well, as most guys over on mud are super-anal about maintenance.

Hope this helps you out!

I should add that I have driven from Canada to southern Mexico three times in the past few years and would rather eat broken glass than do it in a TJ. One trip was in a diesel powered 60 series Landcruiser, and was a great drive. The 80 would be waaaaaay better than the 60 was! (Fuel economy being ignored...)

Yeah I think I'd rather eaten broken glass too haha. I have been looking on ih8mud, there is tons of info over there. I'm looking to get a stock 80 though so I can do the mods I want to.

What kind of gas mileage do the 80s LCs get? I can't imagine its much worse than my 12 or so mpg.

 

[redthies]

They are about the same if you are getting 12. The 4.5 is obviously bigger than the 4.0, but it is a more modern twin cam 24 valve engine. The guy who I bought my LX450 from says he got 16 mpg highway, which is doable, but in town I just try not to think about it. If you do a OME 2.5" lift and 285-75r16 or 255-85r16s you won't need to regear or mess with things much at all. You won't find many places short of rock crawling trails that an 80 equipped as above won't go!

 

[anthonycds]

If and once you decide on the 80 series, sleeoffroad.com has a good reference for differences between production years. Good luck!

 

[Rallyroo]

For on highway I get 16 mpg. For offroading in dunes and offroading with high elevation changes (5000'+ feet), I'm down to 11-12 mpg. Averaging everything out I get about 13-14 mpg.

 

[Owyhee H]

Koolaid

Well you figured if you asked in the Jeep section they would say "jeep", now you asked in the Cruiser section and you got "cruiser". I drink the Toyota koolaid and think they are great rigs, but I think you should drive what you have. You know your vehicle, it has been reliable to you, it is a good platform with selectable lockers. I would do just what you said and go OME and 31's. You should gain some mileage back with the 31's, lowering, and hard top. There are a lot of toys out there, but go KISS(keep it simple stupid) and focus on your trip. By the time you buy a Cruiser and outfit it then you would be spending a lot of time and money that could be spent somewhere else. I know you could sell your vehicle and get a cruiser for less but the aftermarket on you rig and ability to get used parts is as good as any.

If you want to carry a fridge, RTT(or autohome for quieter ride and better fuel economy), and all your stuff you should still be fine in the Jeep.

I cant say enough good things about every toyota Ive had and driven, but there are other great options, like your jeep. :elkgrin: