The Fake Jeep Not a Real Cruiser Thread

[SouthPawXJ]

So, we have a newborn 2 week old, and a small dog. For the three of us and the dog, I can make this work, if it was any more, well, I think the 100 series would have been the go to. I really wanted a 100 series, and looked at some pre 2004 models but I really wanted the 5 speed and wanted something newer. Yes, a 100 series is one of the most reliable vehicles built but any truck as it gets on in years will sooner or later need upkeep. Belts, hoses, all the little things vehicles need. Also side curtain airbags and good crash testing were part of my consideration. It will be interesting once we start doing multiple day trips again and I need to fine tune our kit and packing. With a Land Cruiser space is seldom a concern.

First off, congrats on the new kiddo!

I'm really interested in how well the space works for you. At some point, the XJ will need replaced, and I'm trying (as much as possible) to be brand agnostic.

 

[86tuning]

This is an interesting question. From what I read on the internet, this was supposedly a deal breaker for people.

Is the infant carrier on the side or in the center position in the back?

Nice writeup btw, easy to read, and some good points made.

 

[upcruiser]

Subscribed! Pm sent, would love to run some of your insight in the magazine

Thanks Shane, I sent you an email.

 

[upcruiser]

We can drive ourselves nuts reading the pros and cons of platform, plus some of us get hung-up on how things look (myself included!). Which if you think
about it, the way a vehicle looks doesn't really matter, they have almost become costumes to the way we want to see ourselves or how others see us.

In the end the only true way to find out if a piece of equipment will work for your needs and desires is to use it.

I consider the FJC a real Land Cruiser, and a great platform. Might have a face only a mother can love....the homely anvil is no Ming vase...but a hell of
a lot more useful than a fragile piece of pedestal adornment .

It is no Ming vase for sure. Aesthetically I kinda like the chunky proportions but some of the styling cues for the sake of styling cues don't do much for me. The phony girder looking plastic on the ends of the dashboard, I don't need to see FJammer every time i turn on the stereo, the sub looks like a cheap stereo from the late '90's with all the shiny plastic.... I do like the retro theme, but I feel the FJ Runner was a better looking concept. Overall I find some of the styling excesses less hokey than some of the stuff Jeep does. If you sit in a Wrangler you can see the name Jeep in about 10 spots from the driver's seat. Some of their trim packages are extra tasteless in my opinion too. Alot of folks criticize Toyota for being bland, and from a styling perspective, modern Toyotas really are. Maybe they shall age well but I do give them credit for taking the FJ concept vehicle and turning it into a production car. Yes, I would have preferred the windshield to be say 2 inches closer to the driver and an inch taller but for a conservative company, this is the boldest thing they have done in some time.

I find it a bummer that Toyota isn't sticking with the line though. Yes it hasn't had the success of the JK in sheer numbers but for not offering a soft top version, and being a new vehicle, I find it surprising how many they have sold. If they either updated or evolved the concept I bet they would start seeing more of a following. Jeep has proven that listening to your customers pays dividends, even when it goes against the grain of what the popular car mags and media think a 4wd vehicle should be.

 

[upcruiser]

First off, congrats on the new kiddo!

I'm really interested in how well the space works for you. At some point, the XJ will need replaced, and I'm trying (as much as possible) to be brand agnostic.

Thanks! I think the space is our biggest challenge. I am a mountain biker and for long trips I prefer to have my bikes inside to avoid weather. The Land Cruisers are great for that, pop off the front wheel and I can stand up my bike to the side of the inside. Not with the FJC, I need to remove the front wheel and the seat post completely. Also, I am a paddler, I like to kayak and canoe and due to the inability to sleep inside the FJC I feel our RTT will be necessary for our trips. With the FJ60 and FJ80 sleeping inside is a breeze. I built a nice bed that can be pulled out or installed easily for trips where we need the roof. Julie is a big surfer, so I don't know what we are going to do with our planned baja trip yet.

I should probably give my reasoning for the RTT, a topic talked about to death. I have 4 ways I typically camp when traveling. RTT, in the rig, in a ground tent, or in a hammock. Ground tents are fine, if a bit of a pain when the weather is crappy, or the ground is rocky. I love doing the hammock in nice weather in the desert. Sleeping in the truck is nice when I am trying to be stealthy, just pulling off while trying to cover ground, or when I am hauling stuff on the roof. The RTT is an indulgence for sure but makes for such a better experience at times. If I am up in the northcountry, say, the UP of Michigan in early summer, the bugs are terrible, it is often wet, and it is really rocky. Having a place to eat and cook out of the weather and bugs makes it possible to enjoy the trip. In the winter, camping in the snow, having the changing room is a place to warm up after a ski or snow shoe and dry off, and cook up some dinner without getting frost bite (I spent xmas solo camping with my old D1 one year on the Keweenaw Peninsula, amazing time but thankful for my basecamp and propane heater). Another common scenario, camping in the desert southwest in the spring and dealing with high winds and blowing sand..... having a place off the ground to sleep so you aren't getting covered in sand all night makes the roof top tent worth it alone, and having a place to cook in the changing room so you aren't eating 16oz of sand.... makes all the difference. Yes, when the weather is nice I love to cook out under the sky, sleep under the sky, etc, but I seem to find myself in lousy weather alot and thats why I like my RTT. ;-) I love those sweet looking, slide out kitchen setups people have that pull out from the back gate, awesome, photographs well even, but I don't see the practicality in them. For weekend trips sure, but alot of my stuff is pretty long. Living out of my truck for a couple of months has different needs than weekend adventuring. Now with a new born? Well, we will see what kind of trips we will really be able to do.

 

[upcruiser]

Is the infant carrier on the side or in the center position in the back?

Nice writeup btw, easy to read, and some good points made.

I have the infant seat behind the driver's seat. From what I have read, you want your child seat on the driver's side, so if you are driving alone, and need to get out of the vehicle quickly, you need the baby on the same side as you.

 

[Clutch]

Toyotas have always been bland visually, I think most people go through a reminiscent stage of the "good ol' days". (I do!) A lot of the now classic designs of yore were sometimes scoffed at when they were first introduced, they simply had time to grow on people. Yeah, some of the modern design gee-gaws that make it to production have you scratching your head, but over-all it isn't too bad.

Mechanically and performance speaking it is dang hard to beat what the current vehicles are rolling off the assembly line. V6's are putting out the same or more power than the old V8's, they are more efficient, ride better, last longer...heck it wasn't that long ago that you were lucky to get a vehicle to 100K miles without it being completely worn out. Now 200-300K+ miles are achieved with barely breaking a sweat.

Sure to get what you exactly want, could build it yourself...or pay through the nose and have it custom built. Or make some compromises, save your time and money, buy an existing mass produced vehicle, and go enjoy life...

 

[upcruiser]

Toyotas have always been bland visually, I think most people go through a reminiscent stage of the "good ol' days". (I do!) A lot of the now classic designs of yore were sometimes scoffed at when they were first introduced, they simply had time to grow on people. Yeah, some of the modern design gee-gaws that make it to production have you scratching your head, but over-all it isn't too bad.

Mechanically and performance speaking it is dang hard to beat what the current vehicles rolling off the assembly line. V6's are putting out the same or more power than the old V8's, they are more efficient, ride better, last longer...heck it wasn't that long ago that you were lucky to get a vehicle to 100K miles without it being completely worn out. Now 200-300K+ miles are achieved with barely breaking a sweat.

Sure to get what you exactly want, or could build it yourself...or pay through the nose and have it custom built. Or make some compromises, save your time and money, buy an existing mass produced vehicle, and go enjoy life...

I remember going for rides in a 185hp Corvette as a kid (and a 135hp DeLorean for that matter) and thinking they were rocketships haha. There is something to be said for mechanical simplicity, and I am still a proponent. But maybe I am getting older, or more responsible perhaps?? But I think there is something to be said about being comfortable, having the ability to keep up or even go faster than traffic on an interstate, not have to fuss with anything and just go use the vehicle. You hit it on the head, go enjoy life... that's what its all about regardless of what you might be into. Amen.

 

[Clutch]

You hit it on the head, go enjoy life... that's what its all about regardless of what you might be into. Amen.

*thumbs-up*

 

[voodoojk]

hey neighbor..welcome to CO. I live in Glenwood Spgs. Looking forward to your thoughts on the FJ. I have a 5 month old and recently sold my 2dr JK and got a DCLB tacoma and been havin thoughts of an FJ just to get an SUV again. Love the ruck bu just feel its wasted space 90% of the time but i got a killer deal and cant complain to much.

 

[Green96D1]

my mom bought a 07 FJ cruiser TRD. She had a rover (Discovery 2) and she happily gave that to my dad lol. Although I'm a rover guy at heart *cough* I finds the FJC to be a very majestic rig in a simple way. I love the "lest is more" aspect of the truck and find it to be alot more comfortable than my Discovery. The IFS may have something to do with that:coffeedrink: I also find the FJC to be very capable. out of the three 4x4's my moms is the most capable although I have the most ground clearance hehehe.

 

[dirtyhippy6]

ive had one for a year now and its the best car/truck/suv ive had, although its hard to see out the back.

 

[McZippie]

Kristian, Congrats on the new baby and best wishes for Mommy.

Kathie and I enjoy your posts, pictures and blog.

As for FJ vs JK thingies... With that new baby, in future you maybe looking for a camper van...
Circle of life stuff, but it's still Jeep vs Toyota

 

[SWITAWI]

Congrats on the new additions to both your family and your driveway! I like the way you called it on the FJC. It's true that it is not the vehicle for everyone, and yet it is a very versatile truck despite its well-documented compromises. If you're not Consumer Reports (who seem to compare every vehicle's outward visibility and turning circle to that of a Mini Cooper) these character traits are easy enough to live with just as you noted.
:safari-rig:
As a single guy the stock FJC works great for me, goes anywhere I care to go (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/57542-How-I-spent-my-weekend), and I can easily carry three friends in a pinch. With a hitch basket and a trailer I have my hauling needs covered. Sure by itself the truck lacks the extra utility afforded by the Tacoma's bed, the 4Runner's true four-door layout, or the interior space of a Land Cruiser 80/100. And yet it does hit a middle ground in-between those other chassis pretty darn well. Maybe the 'Fake Jeep' is not a real Land Cruiser, but it is a lot of other things.

 

[upcruiser]

hey neighbor..welcome to CO. I live in Glenwood Spgs. Looking forward to your thoughts on the FJ. I have a 5 month old and recently sold my 2dr JK and got a DCLB tacoma and been havin thoughts of an FJ just to get an SUV again. Love the ruck bu just feel its wasted space 90% of the time but i got a killer deal and cant complain to much.

I have the same feeling regarding pickups, I feel I have more flexibility with an SUV body style for the stuff I do. It does feel like wasted space to me. A good SUV can be set up so many ways for different needs.