The Fake Jeep Not a Real Cruiser Thread

[upcruiser]

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.

I do attribute a certain appeal due to the fact that the trim level is basic, yet comfortable and not a bunch of luxury and extra electronics to have issues with down the road. Power windows, AC, cruise control, good seats, thats enough luxury for me. One thing I notice offroad so far is that while it absorbs terrain well at quicker speeds with the IFS, in slow speed situations it gets alot of extra motion in the front when going through rough terrain. Where a live axle articulates and keeps the truck somewhat level, the IFS, kind of drops into holes and creates more body movement from the different way it articulates. Its not uncomfortable, just different. Also the FJC doesn't flex a ton so its really easy to lift a wheel where an 80 series or a Disco would keep contact. From that I would say without using a traction aid like A Trac or a rear diff lock, an open 80 series would probably handle terrain a bit easier. with A Trac and the rear locker it probably is a moot point. I have yet to really need/use the Atrac yet so I am curious to see how I like its operation. It looks jerky but effective. Seems like you loose a little bit of finesse that you would have with a good solid axled vehicle.

 

[upcruiser]

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

Nice, where in the UP are you based out of?

 

[upcruiser]

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

Thank you! I love Tom's FC camper. They found a bunch of black mold in the camper so its already been dissasembled, looks like a new configuration is coming. ;-) They do some cool stuff at the Roam shop. Funny you post that Chinook camper pic, I came so close to buying this...


Unfortunately I was in South America and a few days before I was to fly back to the states, the guy sold it! I was bummed. Cool rig, just needed some finishing.

 

[Green96D1]

I do attribute a certain appeal due to the fact that the trim level is basic, yet comfortable and not a bunch of luxury and extra electronics to have issues with down the road. Power windows, AC, cruise control, good seats, thats enough luxury for me. One thing I notice offroad so far is that while it absorbs terrain well at quicker speeds with the IFS, in slow speed situations it gets alot of extra motion in the front when going through rough terrain. Where a live axle articulates and keeps the truck somewhat level, the IFS, kind of drops into holes and creates more body movement from the different way it articulates. Its not uncomfortable, just different. Also the FJC doesn't flex a ton so its really easy to lift a wheel where an 80 series or a Disco would keep contact. From that I would say without using a traction aid like A Trac or a rear diff lock, an open 80 series would probably handle terrain a bit easier. with A Trac and the rear locker it probably is a moot point. I have yet to really need/use the Atrac yet so I am curious to see how I like its operation. It looks jerky but effective. Seems like you loose a little bit of finesse that you would have with a good solid axled vehicle.

I can agree with you.

 

[JCMatthews]

My $.02

I like more drap styling. I feel it ages better. I have an '05 DC Tundra. I like the grill from the earlier Tundras or even the T100s better, but I easily live with what I have. I picked the Tundra, because you can still see the older Toyota styling in it. I also like its very tame dash and interior. I have three children, and we just returned from an eight day trip yo Northern Utah, Jackson Hole, and Yellowstone. The Tundra is an extremely comfortable vehicle, and we could have kept going. As we were returning home I thought how easily it runs down the highway. Vehicles have to fit the owner/family. We need the space of a pick-up bed as well as our M-416 because be have to bring stuff for everyone. So, I have to sacrifice off-road nimbleness. However, that has not kept us off the trails of Moab, or the San Juans of Colorado. I hope you enjoy your "new" Toyota and your new family addition.

 

[upcruiser]

I like more drap styling. I feel it ages better. I have an '05 DC Tundra. I like the grill from the earlier Tundras or even the T100s better, but I easily live with what I have. I picked the Tundra, because you can still see the older Toyota styling in it. I also like its very tame dash and interior. I have three children, and we just returned from an eight day trip yo Northern Utah, Jackson Hole, and Yellowstone. The Tundra is an extremely comfortable vehicle, and we could have kept going. As we were returning home I thought how easily it runs down the highway. Vehicles have to fit the owner/family. We need the space of a pick-up bed as well as our M-416 because be have to bring stuff for everyone. So, I have to sacrifice off-road nimbleness. However, that has not kept us off the trails of Moab, or the San Juans of Colorado. I hope you enjoy your "new" Toyota and your new family addition.

The Tundras are great vehicles, especially the first gens in my view. I had a first gen Access Cab that I put alot of miles on both as a daily driver, and for long trips. It was stock, was as quiet as a Camry, towed well, had plenty of power, and just a great all arounder. We are actually considering picking up a first gen Double Cab to replace Julie's Outback eventually. Plan would to keep it relatively stock and pick up either a FWC or a Flippac. Would be our condo on wheels for travelling when we don't need the FJC's capability, which is pretty high. The FJC is a fun project from a learning to do more with less standpoint. Especially now with a kiddo and a dog in tow, I have to use my grey matter to better accomodate our needs.

 

[upcruiser]

One thing I tried in vain to find a photo online of was a RTT mounted on the stock rack WITHOUT crossbars. I didn't really see why folks would use cross bars ontop of the stock rack since the stock rack is already so high how it is. I mounted my Camping Labs RTT directly to the existing rack so it would open to the side of the truck. First off, my plan is to install a Baja Rack utility rack which will be a MUCH better solution than the stock rack. The stock rack sits high. Additionally it prevents me from using all of the space on the roof with the RTT on top. Because of the diminutive size of the FJC's interior space, I am figuring I will need some roof space for spare fuel and one box that I will keep recovery gear and other non essental kit for day to day needs.

I figured I would give the stock rack a fair try though and see how this works. This weekend will be the first outing with the RTT on the FJC so I will reserve my observations till I can get a proper feel. Initial impressions though is that the RTT on the FJC seems to be more noticeable than on previous vehicles I have mounted it on including my 80 series, Discovery I, and Outback. Most notable is the way it effects nose dive under heavy braking. Hopefully this will be reduced by both the lower rack and OME heavy kit that will be eventually installed. The bumpers and powerplant on the front don't help matters. The RTT does really catch wind as it is. On the freeway I feel noticeably more drag. I haven't used a tank of fuel yet with it so I will share mpg effects after this weekend. Here are some pictures as it sits now...





One other quick observation. I finally had a chance to test the ATrac. I found a very steep dirt hill nearby. It had a loose, gravelly surface and was steep enough to bury the inclinometer on the dash. (not sure how accurate that thing is nor do I really ever reference it normally) I pulled the FJC onto the slope, stopped all forward movement then engaged Atrac. At first it spun tires on the front and rear axle with no forward movement. I figured it was a lost cause but I kept a steady foot on the throttle. To my surprise, the FJC scraped and clawed and found traction that allowed it to get up with no fuss after the initial wheelspin. It was a bit unnatural feeling but it sure did work. I went back around and tried the same thing with no Atrac and just the rear locker engaged. This time the tires spun, then just dug in. It didn't even begin to make forward progress. I then engaged ATrac (which disables the rear locker on early FJC's) and it again clawed its way up. I am impressed. I think it is clear that the ATrac works, and is better on loose surfaces such as this for finding traction. Will have to try it now in rock and see if it works better than the rear locker. There is a hack available that allows you to run both systems together on the early FJC's and I will likely do this at some point. Honestly though, for what this vehicle's limits will be after I have upgraded it. I don't really think I will need the extra ability. Ok, enough blah blah. This weekend we are doing a 4 day excursion in the San Juans with our 1 month old baby and the dog. It will be Kruz's first camping experience. Will report back on how it went.

 

[Derek24]

Looks good! Nice thread, I just pick up a 2011 a week ago and I love it. Ill start a build thread soon!

 

[dcoy]

Welcome to the FJC Club

Quite an interesting and rapid transition from an 80 (but I guess you still own it so its more of an extension than a transition) to a 60 (cool) (just kidding) to an FJC. Aside from the surmountable decrease in storage, I don't think there is much of a downside to an FJC. Like any vehicle, at least, any cool worth-owning vehicle, it has it's quirks which one adapts to. These quirks help give it its personality, something lacking from pretty much the rest of automobiles or 4x4s out there today.

Have fun.

 

[xjaugie]

Ok, OK, Ok, so maybe the old 1st gen tacoma has seen its days, and it is time to look into one of these new(er) fancy vehicles....

Great breakdown on the real uses of the FJC.

 

[BigSwede]

Thanks for the review etc., an FJC might very well be my next "expo" rig. I have been looking around for candidates that might be available in a few years, and there aren't many I have found worthy. I don't quite fit comfortably in a Wrangler Unlimited, or a Rubi would likely be in my future. I have ridden on a trail in Moab in an FJC, and while the sight lines are not ideal, in almost every other respect it would be perfect for me. Now if we could only get the prices down some...

Do you guys think it is worth looking for a FJC with the factory rear locker, as opposed to installing an aftermarket locker? Having gotten used to lockers (my Trooper has front/rear ARBs) I think I would want a locker... or two.

 

[brushogger]

My wife and I had to make the same decision when our Disco committed suicide. We narrowed the choices to a JKUR or FJ Cruiser. Both had the capabilities we wanted, so we test drove both back to back. We went with the FJC due to it's road manners, and the additional towing capacity over the JKUR. Most of our travels start with a 10-18 hour drive, and so far it's been great. The main design flaw I've seen with it is the egg shaped rear end. It makes it very hard to pack for an extended trip due to virtually no right angles in the back. Our build closely resembles yours. The factory roof rack is pretty useless, and ours will be changed to an ARB shortly. We've owned it 18 months, and it now has 41,000 miles on it, with approximately 9,000 of those being off road. It has had no mechanical issues of any kind, and the ATRAC is amazing. Ours is a 2012, and the ATRAC doesn't disable the locker. I originally planned to install an air locker in the front, but have since changed my mind. The ATRAC makes sharp, switchback type turns on steep hills much easier than a locked front end. Since it is normally just the two of us on trips, we take out the seat bases in the rear (a 5 minute task), and fold the seats down. This helps a lot with packing the truck, but wouldn't be an option with a child seat. The FJ's capability and durability can't be beat, and we like the unusual styling. If the rear was more "box like" I couldn't imagine a better truck for our purposes. Safe Travels!

 

[p nut]

Around here, it seems they ARE considered real Cruisers...

 

[upcruiser]

Quite an interesting and rapid transition from an 80 (but I guess you still own it so its more of an extension than a transition) to a 60 (cool) (just kidding) to an FJC. Aside from the surmountable decrease in storage, I don't think there is much of a downside to an FJC. Like any vehicle, at least, any cool worth-owning vehicle, it has it's quirks which one adapts to. These quirks help give it its personality, something lacking from pretty much the rest of automobiles or 4x4s out there today.

Have fun.

Well, yeah, we still have the 80. I probably will always have it like my Thing. The 80 series for now is going to be kept at our place in the UP so we can fly back and have a set of wheels and exercise it in that habitat. I have done the drive across the Great Plains hundreds and hundreds of times over the years and honestly, I am over it. It will be great to fly in and have a kitted out vehicle back there. Also, once Kruz gets 4 or 5 years old we want to start our Alaska to South America trip. It has been postponed for awhile with a bunch of life events getting in the way the last 5 years. Ideally, with our careers it makes most sense to do the trip in blocks and store a rig along the way with friends. The 80 might be that vehicle when we finally do the trip.

The space issue is real. I am still getting my head around it. I think it is actually a good thing though. With a rig the size of a Land Cruiser you can just toss in about anything. This is forcing me to organize my gear more, leave stuff I don't really need or use and to simplify a bit. Sometimes all the crap we bring takes away from the experience. I packed the FJC up for this 4 day trip we are leaving on later today and I managed to get all of our recovery gear, tools, camping gear, kitchen kit, cooler, and clothing to fit behind the back seat without much issue. It is all secured down to the lashing points, safe, and quiet. ( I hate squeaks and rattles) Once I get that Baja Rack I plan to carry spare fuel and one waterproof storage box up top with recovery gear, tools and other non essential day to day gear along with the RTT. I think that will make the packing and utility of the setup much more streamlined. Only issue is how to haul surf boards for our Baja trip next spring. How to haul kayaks and the canoe in the summer...ugh, compromises!

 

[upcruiser]

Ok, OK, Ok, so maybe the old 1st gen tacoma has seen its days, and it is time to look into one of these new(er) fancy vehicles....

Great breakdown on the real uses of the FJC.

Thanks. Funny, I have dismissed alot of newer products for awhile as too hightech, gimmicky, soft, etc. I think the Wrangler and the FJC are probably the least fancy vehicles available and as get my support. Hope this thread eventually provides some decent practical evaluations on the platform.