The BlueJ build finally

[1leglance]

Well as I prep my FJ Cruiser for sale I figure it is about time I get a build thread posted before it is too late!
First a little background to set the scene. I hadn't owned a 4wd in 20yrs, not since high school when I had a super tall '73 Blazer with big tires and no roof. Since that time I was happy being a backpacker and going down Forest Service roads in various 2wd vehicles. However after coming home with mud all over my wife's Honda Pilot I was ordered to get my own truck if I was going to play in the dirt.
Well a man doesn't have to be told twice by his wife to go buy a rig! We happen to both like the looks of the FJC's and being an impulse buyer type of guy I brought home my VooDoo Blue rig with no research or planning.
Now this is before Disabled Explorers was founded and all I was looking to do was get out and camp/explore the backcountry with less back & stump pain than I had known as a backpacker.

My stock truck days lasted about a month before I went in for a 3" All Pro lift, BFG A/T tires and an ARB front bumper with a Warn winch. At the same time I found some new friends through the forums and started going out on trail runs and learning about recovery, gear and driving techniques.

The mildly modified setup I had worked very well, I was able to haul plenty of trash out of remote areas.

 

[1leglance]

Between reading the forums and seeing mega-built rigs on the trail the list of desired modifications kept growing. First things I did myself covered communication and recovery.
I added a Hi-Lift jack to the stock roof rack along with a shovel & Pulaski axe.

Then came the Wilson cellular booster, CB, and handheld ham radio using a door lip antenna. Easy mods and worth the time spent.

Like I mentioned I am a bit of a techno-geek so once I learned about using a laptop for GPS navigation I had to set that up. Jeniko makes a great mount for around $50 that has held up great to all my abuse and can put the laptop in front of the passenger or over the center console.

 

[1leglance]

But alas my mojo is weak in the realm of modifications so I needed to take my rig to someone who could put it together they way I wanted. Plus with the 2007 Fj Summit pending I had a perfect excuse to add even more goodies! Larry of Dirty Parts had his rig built pretty much the way I wanted mine so I left the BlueJ with him.

This resulted in a Gobi Roof rack with custom sunroof cutout, 10 PIAA lights, dual batteries with separate Painless fuse box, additional power outlets in the rear and more. Great service from a great bunch of guys

 

[1leglance]

This setup proved to meet most of my needs but was also heavy and filled up pretty much all the space in my FJC. But one nice thing about the interior packing setup I had was that everything came out pretty easy. This proved to help during the 2007 Expo Trophy when JP of Expeditioneers.com and I completed and won overall in the event. Now remember that at this point I had only owned my FJC 8 months! However by hanging out with great people who were willing to teach and reading everything I could get my hands on JP & I did well in navigation, sand driving, recovery, shooting and the other events.

For I while I actually managed to go without any more modifications as I ran around with JP & Todd of Expeditioneers and cruised cool routes like the Camino del Diablio.

However mod fever was never very far away, and there just are so many cool toys to play with. The next item was all about comfort. After years of sleeping on the ground in tents with never enough padding I learned about roof top tents and bought this Autohome Columbus. The speed of setup and quality materials was impressive to me, my wife & boys just loved the "treehouse" effect.

More to come soon....

 

[hikingff77]

Very, very, very cool!

Why are you selling?

I would like a rig like yours, in the second stage of life. I don't need anything too crazy, I love the stock look of FJ's with a mild lift and useful accessories.

 

[1leglance]

I bought the FJC & built it up before I founded Disabled Explorers...also before I really knew anything about overland travel, the FJC's traits or the needs of my family.

With DE I have frequently had to turn down people in powerchair or who can't lift themselves up into the rig. That sucks and my hope is that my moving into a Sportsmobile with a wheelchair lift I can open things up to more 1 on 1 interactions. However the cost of the Sportsmobile means I have to sell off the FJC even though it will be at a loss. On a side note I am getting a RV loan for a longer term along with the benefit of a 2nd home tax deduction!

Another reason the FJC doesn't really work is that the back seat space & small windows just don't work for my younger son back there. He misses out on too much when on the trail.
Then there is the lack of payload in relation to what I want to carry. I run over GVW and I don't want to give up what I carry so that means upgrading to a larger GVW rig.

I have some work to do to the FJ before it is ready to sell but watch here for an post soon. Not to mention the rest of the build story!

 

[hikingff77]

Very cool. I love those Sportsmobiles but could never justify the cost.

The leg room in the back of the FJ is a HUGE disadvantage. Don't know why they crammed it so tight.

Now that I have a baby and also a 9 year old step daughter there's no way I'd be able to enjoy that vehicle.

Good luck with your endeavor.

 

[ryguy]

My eight year old fits just fine in my fj, she just has trouble climbing into the truck.
I like the lamps on the side of your roof rack, i never thought of that before. If you part it out before you sell it let me know, but I really hate to see you get rid of that nicely built fj.