UZJ100 built for the long trip south
- Thread starter RMP&O
- Start date
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Well, I went and ripped my head unit out last night! I got an older single din JVC head unit around, it only has had about 6 months use, so I wanted to install it. Got a little confused cutting wires at the amp, opps! So last night I decided to buy some new stereo components.
I am keeping my old single din JVC head unit. I don't need anything fancy and touch screens might fail me in the coming years when I am in the middle of nowhere so keeping my tried and true JVC single din head unit. It has x2 USB ports so I always liked that about these units plus the big volume buttom mutes when you push it and that always helped me in the past as well. It also has a remote. I have had several JVC single din head units like this and for me they are good. For GPS I will be using a Garmin Oregon handheld and my iPhone. Plus less bling means less attention from thieves but here is the rest I went with.
-Kenwood Excelon X700 5-channel amp
-Infinity REF075tx tweeters
-Infinity Kappa 6.5" speakers, x4
-New American International UPT900 Mounting kit, this is just a 2nd din storage bay, old school Cruiser style!
-Beat-Sonic SLA-100FB mounting kit, for a clean stock look.
-JL Audio CP106LG-W3v3 mini sub for some bass.
I was really wanting to do a custom sub install to save space and I need every inch of space but a custom install could be a big can of worms and I don't have the time for that. I found the JL Audio sub and it is one compact unit and supposed to give some thump. The unit measures 14 1/4" w x 9 3/4" h x 6 1/2" d so it is pretty compact and I am not loosing much space.
Looking forward to having a decent stereo in the Cruiser! For a year I have been using my iPod in the truck via a tape deck adapter! I also haven't had a good stereo in one of my trucks since my Tacoma which I sold back in 2011.
Cheers
I am keeping my old single din JVC head unit. I don't need anything fancy and touch screens might fail me in the coming years when I am in the middle of nowhere so keeping my tried and true JVC single din head unit. It has x2 USB ports so I always liked that about these units plus the big volume buttom mutes when you push it and that always helped me in the past as well. It also has a remote. I have had several JVC single din head units like this and for me they are good. For GPS I will be using a Garmin Oregon handheld and my iPhone. Plus less bling means less attention from thieves but here is the rest I went with.
-Kenwood Excelon X700 5-channel amp
-Infinity REF075tx tweeters
-Infinity Kappa 6.5" speakers, x4
-New American International UPT900 Mounting kit, this is just a 2nd din storage bay, old school Cruiser style!
-Beat-Sonic SLA-100FB mounting kit, for a clean stock look.
-JL Audio CP106LG-W3v3 mini sub for some bass.
I was really wanting to do a custom sub install to save space and I need every inch of space but a custom install could be a big can of worms and I don't have the time for that. I found the JL Audio sub and it is one compact unit and supposed to give some thump. The unit measures 14 1/4" w x 9 3/4" h x 6 1/2" d so it is pretty compact and I am not loosing much space.
Looking forward to having a decent stereo in the Cruiser! For a year I have been using my iPod in the truck via a tape deck adapter! I also haven't had a good stereo in one of my trucks since my Tacoma which I sold back in 2011.
Cheers
Last edited:
Yuman Desert Rat
Expedition Leader
I love those seat covers..
I really need to get a set... I've been toying with the idea for quite some time now.
I really need to get a set... I've been toying with the idea for quite some time now.
Last edited:
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
You will not regret the purchase. They are really friggin nice, one of the best things I have done to the truck yet. You do have to remove the arm rests to get the covers on them and fitting well but that is easy.
Cheers
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
I have picked up a few sponsors for the upcoming adventure seen here,
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...nd-Adventures-the-journey-to-a-new-life/page2
In addition to Total Chaos I have received "pro" sponsorship from XS Power Batteries. http://4xspower.com/
I will be upgrading from my current Oddyssey batteries to XS for the trip. The XS I am fitting are slightly larger than the current Oddysseys I have now, I am going to use up every square inch of space that there is in the engine bay for batteries and fit the absolute largest I can.
Cheers
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...nd-Adventures-the-journey-to-a-new-life/page2
In addition to Total Chaos I have received "pro" sponsorship from XS Power Batteries. http://4xspower.com/
I will be upgrading from my current Oddyssey batteries to XS for the trip. The XS I am fitting are slightly larger than the current Oddysseys I have now, I am going to use up every square inch of space that there is in the engine bay for batteries and fit the absolute largest I can.
Cheers
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
It took a lot of head scratching but I have the new head unit working. Toyota certainly didn't make installing a non-stock stereo in these trucks easy! It really isn't to bad and there are great resources available on the internet for an install but I made a few mistakes early on that cost me some time. I have installed a few head units in previous 80 and 60 series Cruisers I have owned but it is a different can of worms on the 100 series. I am just glad I don't have stock navigation in my truck! Now that I have it all figured out it will be quick and easy to install the amp and speakers when they show up. The sub showed up yesterday and it is very compact, I am stoked on that and eager to hear it. I finally got with the times and installed Pandora on my phone rather than just relying on my iPod. The new head unit is a JVC and has x2 usb ports so one will be in the glove box for the iPod and the other near the console for the phone.
I am also installing a scan gauge I had sitting around. I recently bought a Garmin GPS so will also need to get a mount set up for that as well. Although I plan to use the Garmin, my iPhone with HEMA/Google maps plus old school paper maps on the upcoming adventure.
LED head light bulbs are also in route. I bought cheap ones, see how that goes.
Cheers
I am also installing a scan gauge I had sitting around. I recently bought a Garmin GPS so will also need to get a mount set up for that as well. Although I plan to use the Garmin, my iPhone with HEMA/Google maps plus old school paper maps on the upcoming adventure.
LED head light bulbs are also in route. I bought cheap ones, see how that goes.
Cheers
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Alrighty, I am sitting here on turkey day relaxing and figured I would do a re-cap on the build and why/how it has evolved into what it is.
It is funny how a lot of trucks are with me. I buy one thinking it will be used for this and that and it quickly catapults off into other realms! It was this way with my 2004 Tacoma, I bought it for a run around work truck and it ended up being built to the hilt for overland travel, in particular for taking trips down to Panama via the Pan Am Highway. This UZJ100 Land Cruiser is no different. I bought it as a daily driver, to just get me buy and have a nice comfy Cruiser to drive around while I built another truck. Well, the Cruiser quickly grew on me as Land Cruisers do! For 5yrs I been working on an "end game" plan for my life. That being to go down to Latin America to live full time and start new ventures or companies if you will. Sure I would love to go buy a new 79-series Land Cruiser, import it to the USA on a temp permit and kit it out and take that on the upcoming trip. That is a HUGE chunk of change though and I am just a regular guy with a regular guy bank account. The UZJ100 is a great platform though and once it grew on me and the plans to head south began to formulate I decide to go with the 100-series and build it up.
I have had many trucks over the last 25yrs or so. While I have used many of those to go camping and all that jazz it wasn't until I found Expedition Portal and had a trip planned to drive to Panama that I built my first "overland" truck. I am sure many of us could probably say the same thing. As mentioned, that truck was a 2004 Toyota Tacoma, it was double cab TRD 4wd truck. I set it up the first trip to the hilt, basing a lot of what I did to it on what I read here on ExPo as well as what I thought I wanted or needed on the road in Latin America. Before I even had thought about a trip down to Panama in it I had already set it up real nice with a lift, super charger, bumpers and more. So the overland build just complimented that. I learned a fe things on the first trip like what works for me, what I like to have on the road and what I don't need. So for the second trip I modified the build a bit to suit the drive down there more. I had a 20 gallon fresh water tank on the first trip in the truck, a pressurized system with a pump. This was way to bulky and heavy for me so I dumped it for the second trip. I learned that I don't need a complex storage system with very specific locations for gear. Having specific locations for gear is nice and important to me but things have a way of working themselves out in this department and it seems no matter how much I might plan for this items often end up in different locations in the truck because it just works. So I cut the storage build in the back of the truck in half as well as forgot all about sleeping in the back of the truck which was always to small and once far enough south to hot. My next build was an FJ80 with a v8 engine in it. I would probably be taking that truck south with me right now if I hadn't of rolled it a year and a half ago and destroyed it! I will be honest, I really really like the 80-series, in particular with a v8 engine swapped in it. I like it even more than a 100-series, by a lot actually. For the FJ80 build up I made my own storage box in the back that also doubled as a sleeping platform. This worked really well for me and I liked it a lot however, to have the sleeping platform in it I removed one rear seat cutting down how many passengers I could carry. Now of course a guy could build it differently than I did and not lose the seat but that was just how I did it at the time. While nice and my best build that suited me and suited overland travel so far it did have some downfalls. For example the storage chest as I called it was just a bunch of gear in a big wood box inside the truck. Lot's of storage room but you had to think about how you packed it. At one point on a trip in Baja a 2-liter of Coke got tossed in the bin and just 5 miles down the road it had busted open fouling a lot of our gear and making a big mess under the chest on the trucks carpet. I had added an awning to that build and really liked it and used it a lot, something I didn't have on the Tacoma.
So by the time I started setting up my current UZJ100 I felt I had done three different builds or set ups and so am-was feeling like I really have it figured out for myself as well as for passengers. I do like sleeping inside my truck, it is just quick and easy and fast not to mention offers some security. It does have to be well ventilated though in warm climates. Thing is as soon as I knew it would be more than just myself and perhaps my co-pilot in the truck on the upcoming trip sleeping inside of the truck was not happening. This time around I was just not interested in building a complex or even simple storage chest in the truck that would double as a sleeping platform. So I decided I won't be sleeping inside the truck. I have a variety of tents as well as several different hammocks to sleep in and there is always a tent cot as an option too. No RTT for me as I am carrying surfboards and some other gear up top that won't allow me to fit an RTT. I have never used a pre-built drawer system but for this build decided to go with one. So far I really like it, there are many advantages to having this over nothing at all or some home built set up. For the record after having built three different set ups a person could of course built it however they wanted that would work for them. I am not the best carpenter though and we have limited stuff available in my town to build it with. Bottom line, I didn't want to take the time and put out the effort to build my own set up when nice options are available on the market. So for storage I got the Front Runner Cub drawer set up and like I say so far I like it a lot. That covers my storage and drawers on this truck. I have had a fridge in my trucks since the Tacoma and so this truck is no different, I have my Engel 45MT in it. With the drawers though it is to high up and access is tough. So a drop down slide is coming soon to take care of that. As far as how set up the truck is for off-roading, well being able to do just about any trail is nice, my 80-series was perfect in this regard however I have found on previous trips down to Latin America that the abilty to go far off road with f&r lockers, 35" aggressive tires and some flex in the suspension is only needed if you seek out gnarly trails. So for the 100-series 33" tires and a 2.5" lift suit me. I really want to add at the least a rear locker but that is still up in the air. I do plan to run some nasty trails but have a winch, will get some sand ladders of some sort and will carry a high lift jack it is just the lockers I am unsure of right now.
So on to the other parts of the build and what suits me. Whether I like it or not or want to or not driving at night down south does happen. For that a single LED light bar is suffiecent for me. Plus my builds where I am taking the truck into Latin America needs to be somewhat low key and not have tons of stuff bolted on that people want to steal. Although I do have a simple solution to stop that. So I recycled the Rigid Industries LED light bar from my 80-series onto my 100-series. It is plenty of light for me. A winch is one of those things you never use much but when you need it you really need it. So I also moved my Warn 9.5XPS from the 80 over to the 100. I personally do not like the control box for the winch mounted at the winch though, if nothing else it is ugly to me. I had relocated the control box on my 80 under the hood and have done the same thing on the 100. In addition the winch is on a remote set up to make using it easy. I do like to carry my high lift jack inside the truck which I did on both the Tacoma and the 80. For the 100 though that is not going to work. I am keeping heavy items off the roof rack so the only place left for the high lift is the rear bumper. On top of this I have learned I really like having a trash big on the spare tire, for me it is a Howling Moon bin. I also really like my spare not up under the back of the truck, I once trashed the spare on my 80 with it mounted here off-roading. So a Slee rear bumper is definitely happening. I also like good camp lighting but also want it clean and basically easy to use. The 2nd battery is part of this as well since I run the fridge off it as well as camp lights. I also like having power ports at the back of the truck for the obvious reasons. This time around in the 100 I did all this in a very clean and streamlined fashion, all wires are ran behind panels and hidden. For me it took a lot of work because I suck at wiring but I am very happy with the end results. For camp lights I have the Baja Designs LEDs at the back of the truck but I am also adding some National Luna clip on LEDs, with yellow lens to help keep bugs away. I have a cig lighter power port on either side of the back of the truck specifically for running these NL camp lights. They will work well with the awning too, a 270* Manta, since I can just clip them on where ever I want to the awning or even to the roof rack. This is the first time I have done a roof rack that is more than just Thule load bars. So far I am happy with the Front Runner full length rack and it will be very key for us on the upcoming adventure. The camp table that slides up under the rack being the best thing about it, it is absolutely awesome! For water storage and needs I have a RoadShower which is great for taking a solar shower, I also have a cheapo solar shower bag to compliment this if the RoadShower is not enough. For drinking water I carry a Front Runner can with spout on the bottom. I like it, it can be moved around and strapped down anywhere in or on the truck. To compliment this I have several MSR water bags which I been using for nearly 25yrs and they work well for me. I don't do just overlanding and base camping out of the truck so items like the MSR water bags have dual purpose using them for backpacking, kayaking or running rivers as well as for base camping in the truck. With a cheapo carribeaner the water bags can be hung anywhere and when you are not using them they pack down small. I have also learned from previous trips that I am almost always carrying a 5gal water jug in the truck, these are available everywhere down south and you can exchange them even at the smallest stores or go to a water purification store and get it filled up. So that all covers my water storage, it is simple, easy to use and easy to carry.
Extra fuel is certainly something I like to have. It really isn't needed if I was sticking to the Pan Am Highway but I don't plan to stick to the Pan Am. I had an aux fuel tank in the Tacoma giving me a 500 mile range, it was really nice to have. On the 80-series I just carried 10 gallons in jerry cans and it works as well. I would really like to do an aux tank in the 100-series but that is just not happening so x2 jerry cans on the rear bumper is how I will carry spare fuel.
As far as my dash, interior and comfort these things are all key to me. I like my trucks to be comfy, inviting to any passengers and to have a good lay out that is thought out well. I don't need a super nice stereo in my trucks, in fact I don't want one because it invites thieves. So I kept my head unit low end and simple but with nice features. I am upgrading speakers but you wouldn't know unless you heard it. The amp I am installing also hides under the passenger seat just like the stock amp. The sub is very small and compact and easy to hide plus not very valuable but still gives some bass from the sound system. The Escape Gear seat covers did a HUGE improvement to the interior, I can't even really put my finger on what it is about them I like so much but I can say I love them! I almost went with a full vinyl floor kit in the truck a month or two ago. I had a vinyl floor in one of my FJ60s and loved it, it is something you either love or hate but for me I like the vinyl floors. I axed that plan though, I will be getting some WeatherTec floor mats. It is important to me to be able to pull codes on the fly as well as monitor everything my engine is doing. So that is why I am installing a scan gauge, it is another item I had in the 80 I am moving over to the 100. I will add some mounts to the dash for the Garmin GPS and perhaps for my iPhone or iPad. Nothing crazy though, simple and cheap is my method for mounts. A fire extinguisher will be mounted at the back of the truck for easy access while camping.
What else? Well, I do carry tools but keep it fairly simple yet complete. Not very many specialized tools will be carried. I have found a spary bottle with sopay water in it is nice to have as well as a volt meter. As far as spare parts, the same goes for that. I won't be carrying 500lbs in spare parts. Contrary to previous comments in this thread the 100-series was sold all over Latin America. While somewhat rare they are available in many countries down south so parts will be available as well. And in the Tacoma, which is a N. American spec truck, I had to get parts shipped to me in Belize. So I am well versed in doing that and I have a solid contact here in the states for Toyota parts as need them. I will take the basic spare parts and maintenance items but to keep weight down and also not hog storage with parts just sitting in my drawers I will keep it to a minimum.
So there ya' go, that is most of it in one post! Why I am doing what I have to the truck or why I am not doing something. In general all these things come down to personal preference. If you absolutely have to have a hot shower while camping, well a hot shower system is probably for you. I don't need a lot of propane/butane either. I have a Camp Partner stove and it is extremely efficient. I can go weeks on just a 3lb cylinder cooking on the Camp Partner everyday. This is due to the stove but also because I have a Front Runner BBQ grill I carry as well and cook on it too, just about every time I have a fire I use it. Plus for the upcoming trip I think I am getting a Dutch Oven. Keep in mind for me a lot of items are dual purpose. I am not just base camping out of the truck, I will be doing multi day trips in sea kayaks, backpacking and running rivers so a lot of things like tents, sleeping bags and dry bags cross over to all activities.
I do have some items I would like to add to the build before I take off like a full Slee skid plate kit but these things are up in the air and may not happen. So for now I won't mention them much and see how it plays out.
Cheers
It is funny how a lot of trucks are with me. I buy one thinking it will be used for this and that and it quickly catapults off into other realms! It was this way with my 2004 Tacoma, I bought it for a run around work truck and it ended up being built to the hilt for overland travel, in particular for taking trips down to Panama via the Pan Am Highway. This UZJ100 Land Cruiser is no different. I bought it as a daily driver, to just get me buy and have a nice comfy Cruiser to drive around while I built another truck. Well, the Cruiser quickly grew on me as Land Cruisers do! For 5yrs I been working on an "end game" plan for my life. That being to go down to Latin America to live full time and start new ventures or companies if you will. Sure I would love to go buy a new 79-series Land Cruiser, import it to the USA on a temp permit and kit it out and take that on the upcoming trip. That is a HUGE chunk of change though and I am just a regular guy with a regular guy bank account. The UZJ100 is a great platform though and once it grew on me and the plans to head south began to formulate I decide to go with the 100-series and build it up.
I have had many trucks over the last 25yrs or so. While I have used many of those to go camping and all that jazz it wasn't until I found Expedition Portal and had a trip planned to drive to Panama that I built my first "overland" truck. I am sure many of us could probably say the same thing. As mentioned, that truck was a 2004 Toyota Tacoma, it was double cab TRD 4wd truck. I set it up the first trip to the hilt, basing a lot of what I did to it on what I read here on ExPo as well as what I thought I wanted or needed on the road in Latin America. Before I even had thought about a trip down to Panama in it I had already set it up real nice with a lift, super charger, bumpers and more. So the overland build just complimented that. I learned a fe things on the first trip like what works for me, what I like to have on the road and what I don't need. So for the second trip I modified the build a bit to suit the drive down there more. I had a 20 gallon fresh water tank on the first trip in the truck, a pressurized system with a pump. This was way to bulky and heavy for me so I dumped it for the second trip. I learned that I don't need a complex storage system with very specific locations for gear. Having specific locations for gear is nice and important to me but things have a way of working themselves out in this department and it seems no matter how much I might plan for this items often end up in different locations in the truck because it just works. So I cut the storage build in the back of the truck in half as well as forgot all about sleeping in the back of the truck which was always to small and once far enough south to hot. My next build was an FJ80 with a v8 engine in it. I would probably be taking that truck south with me right now if I hadn't of rolled it a year and a half ago and destroyed it! I will be honest, I really really like the 80-series, in particular with a v8 engine swapped in it. I like it even more than a 100-series, by a lot actually. For the FJ80 build up I made my own storage box in the back that also doubled as a sleeping platform. This worked really well for me and I liked it a lot however, to have the sleeping platform in it I removed one rear seat cutting down how many passengers I could carry. Now of course a guy could build it differently than I did and not lose the seat but that was just how I did it at the time. While nice and my best build that suited me and suited overland travel so far it did have some downfalls. For example the storage chest as I called it was just a bunch of gear in a big wood box inside the truck. Lot's of storage room but you had to think about how you packed it. At one point on a trip in Baja a 2-liter of Coke got tossed in the bin and just 5 miles down the road it had busted open fouling a lot of our gear and making a big mess under the chest on the trucks carpet. I had added an awning to that build and really liked it and used it a lot, something I didn't have on the Tacoma.
So by the time I started setting up my current UZJ100 I felt I had done three different builds or set ups and so am-was feeling like I really have it figured out for myself as well as for passengers. I do like sleeping inside my truck, it is just quick and easy and fast not to mention offers some security. It does have to be well ventilated though in warm climates. Thing is as soon as I knew it would be more than just myself and perhaps my co-pilot in the truck on the upcoming trip sleeping inside of the truck was not happening. This time around I was just not interested in building a complex or even simple storage chest in the truck that would double as a sleeping platform. So I decided I won't be sleeping inside the truck. I have a variety of tents as well as several different hammocks to sleep in and there is always a tent cot as an option too. No RTT for me as I am carrying surfboards and some other gear up top that won't allow me to fit an RTT. I have never used a pre-built drawer system but for this build decided to go with one. So far I really like it, there are many advantages to having this over nothing at all or some home built set up. For the record after having built three different set ups a person could of course built it however they wanted that would work for them. I am not the best carpenter though and we have limited stuff available in my town to build it with. Bottom line, I didn't want to take the time and put out the effort to build my own set up when nice options are available on the market. So for storage I got the Front Runner Cub drawer set up and like I say so far I like it a lot. That covers my storage and drawers on this truck. I have had a fridge in my trucks since the Tacoma and so this truck is no different, I have my Engel 45MT in it. With the drawers though it is to high up and access is tough. So a drop down slide is coming soon to take care of that. As far as how set up the truck is for off-roading, well being able to do just about any trail is nice, my 80-series was perfect in this regard however I have found on previous trips down to Latin America that the abilty to go far off road with f&r lockers, 35" aggressive tires and some flex in the suspension is only needed if you seek out gnarly trails. So for the 100-series 33" tires and a 2.5" lift suit me. I really want to add at the least a rear locker but that is still up in the air. I do plan to run some nasty trails but have a winch, will get some sand ladders of some sort and will carry a high lift jack it is just the lockers I am unsure of right now.
So on to the other parts of the build and what suits me. Whether I like it or not or want to or not driving at night down south does happen. For that a single LED light bar is suffiecent for me. Plus my builds where I am taking the truck into Latin America needs to be somewhat low key and not have tons of stuff bolted on that people want to steal. Although I do have a simple solution to stop that. So I recycled the Rigid Industries LED light bar from my 80-series onto my 100-series. It is plenty of light for me. A winch is one of those things you never use much but when you need it you really need it. So I also moved my Warn 9.5XPS from the 80 over to the 100. I personally do not like the control box for the winch mounted at the winch though, if nothing else it is ugly to me. I had relocated the control box on my 80 under the hood and have done the same thing on the 100. In addition the winch is on a remote set up to make using it easy. I do like to carry my high lift jack inside the truck which I did on both the Tacoma and the 80. For the 100 though that is not going to work. I am keeping heavy items off the roof rack so the only place left for the high lift is the rear bumper. On top of this I have learned I really like having a trash big on the spare tire, for me it is a Howling Moon bin. I also really like my spare not up under the back of the truck, I once trashed the spare on my 80 with it mounted here off-roading. So a Slee rear bumper is definitely happening. I also like good camp lighting but also want it clean and basically easy to use. The 2nd battery is part of this as well since I run the fridge off it as well as camp lights. I also like having power ports at the back of the truck for the obvious reasons. This time around in the 100 I did all this in a very clean and streamlined fashion, all wires are ran behind panels and hidden. For me it took a lot of work because I suck at wiring but I am very happy with the end results. For camp lights I have the Baja Designs LEDs at the back of the truck but I am also adding some National Luna clip on LEDs, with yellow lens to help keep bugs away. I have a cig lighter power port on either side of the back of the truck specifically for running these NL camp lights. They will work well with the awning too, a 270* Manta, since I can just clip them on where ever I want to the awning or even to the roof rack. This is the first time I have done a roof rack that is more than just Thule load bars. So far I am happy with the Front Runner full length rack and it will be very key for us on the upcoming adventure. The camp table that slides up under the rack being the best thing about it, it is absolutely awesome! For water storage and needs I have a RoadShower which is great for taking a solar shower, I also have a cheapo solar shower bag to compliment this if the RoadShower is not enough. For drinking water I carry a Front Runner can with spout on the bottom. I like it, it can be moved around and strapped down anywhere in or on the truck. To compliment this I have several MSR water bags which I been using for nearly 25yrs and they work well for me. I don't do just overlanding and base camping out of the truck so items like the MSR water bags have dual purpose using them for backpacking, kayaking or running rivers as well as for base camping in the truck. With a cheapo carribeaner the water bags can be hung anywhere and when you are not using them they pack down small. I have also learned from previous trips that I am almost always carrying a 5gal water jug in the truck, these are available everywhere down south and you can exchange them even at the smallest stores or go to a water purification store and get it filled up. So that all covers my water storage, it is simple, easy to use and easy to carry.
Extra fuel is certainly something I like to have. It really isn't needed if I was sticking to the Pan Am Highway but I don't plan to stick to the Pan Am. I had an aux fuel tank in the Tacoma giving me a 500 mile range, it was really nice to have. On the 80-series I just carried 10 gallons in jerry cans and it works as well. I would really like to do an aux tank in the 100-series but that is just not happening so x2 jerry cans on the rear bumper is how I will carry spare fuel.
As far as my dash, interior and comfort these things are all key to me. I like my trucks to be comfy, inviting to any passengers and to have a good lay out that is thought out well. I don't need a super nice stereo in my trucks, in fact I don't want one because it invites thieves. So I kept my head unit low end and simple but with nice features. I am upgrading speakers but you wouldn't know unless you heard it. The amp I am installing also hides under the passenger seat just like the stock amp. The sub is very small and compact and easy to hide plus not very valuable but still gives some bass from the sound system. The Escape Gear seat covers did a HUGE improvement to the interior, I can't even really put my finger on what it is about them I like so much but I can say I love them! I almost went with a full vinyl floor kit in the truck a month or two ago. I had a vinyl floor in one of my FJ60s and loved it, it is something you either love or hate but for me I like the vinyl floors. I axed that plan though, I will be getting some WeatherTec floor mats. It is important to me to be able to pull codes on the fly as well as monitor everything my engine is doing. So that is why I am installing a scan gauge, it is another item I had in the 80 I am moving over to the 100. I will add some mounts to the dash for the Garmin GPS and perhaps for my iPhone or iPad. Nothing crazy though, simple and cheap is my method for mounts. A fire extinguisher will be mounted at the back of the truck for easy access while camping.
What else? Well, I do carry tools but keep it fairly simple yet complete. Not very many specialized tools will be carried. I have found a spary bottle with sopay water in it is nice to have as well as a volt meter. As far as spare parts, the same goes for that. I won't be carrying 500lbs in spare parts. Contrary to previous comments in this thread the 100-series was sold all over Latin America. While somewhat rare they are available in many countries down south so parts will be available as well. And in the Tacoma, which is a N. American spec truck, I had to get parts shipped to me in Belize. So I am well versed in doing that and I have a solid contact here in the states for Toyota parts as need them. I will take the basic spare parts and maintenance items but to keep weight down and also not hog storage with parts just sitting in my drawers I will keep it to a minimum.
So there ya' go, that is most of it in one post! Why I am doing what I have to the truck or why I am not doing something. In general all these things come down to personal preference. If you absolutely have to have a hot shower while camping, well a hot shower system is probably for you. I don't need a lot of propane/butane either. I have a Camp Partner stove and it is extremely efficient. I can go weeks on just a 3lb cylinder cooking on the Camp Partner everyday. This is due to the stove but also because I have a Front Runner BBQ grill I carry as well and cook on it too, just about every time I have a fire I use it. Plus for the upcoming trip I think I am getting a Dutch Oven. Keep in mind for me a lot of items are dual purpose. I am not just base camping out of the truck, I will be doing multi day trips in sea kayaks, backpacking and running rivers so a lot of things like tents, sleeping bags and dry bags cross over to all activities.
I do have some items I would like to add to the build before I take off like a full Slee skid plate kit but these things are up in the air and may not happen. So for now I won't mention them much and see how it plays out.
Cheers
Last edited:
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
A friend of mine and myself spent the last week installing a Turn Key 390hp LQ9 v8 and 4L80e transmission into his 1996 LX450 this last week. I am super jealous! I don't like linking offsite but I am just not going to do a build thread here for the truck. So if you want to check it out I have a build thread over on iH8mud,
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/97-lx-gets-a-v8-and-more.899687/page-4
I honestly didn't have time for this but my friend is a very good friend of mine who I met in Panama 6yrs ago. He has been talking to me about doing this for at least a year and he really wanted to get it done before I leave. So he took a week off work, we worked on it a week straight and got it done. There is lot's left to do to get it running but it is mounted in there and I am taking the LX to Boise for the remaining work.
Now I can get back to working on my junk.
Cheers
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/97-lx-gets-a-v8-and-more.899687/page-4
I honestly didn't have time for this but my friend is a very good friend of mine who I met in Panama 6yrs ago. He has been talking to me about doing this for at least a year and he really wanted to get it done before I leave. So he took a week off work, we worked on it a week straight and got it done. There is lot's left to do to get it running but it is mounted in there and I am taking the LX to Boise for the remaining work.
Now I can get back to working on my junk.
Cheers
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Pretty much on the home stretch for the build now. I have the following in route,
-Slee rear bumper w/jerry can carrier.
-Slee full skid plate kit.
-Safari snorkel.
-Slee step sliders.
-OME 2864 rear coils because this truck is going to get real heavy real fast.
-Weathertech Floor mats.
I will also be swinging through Stockton in about a month, will stop by Valley Hybrids to get Harrop e-lockers f&r and a brake upgrade installed.
And that is about it for me and this build.
Cheers
-Slee rear bumper w/jerry can carrier.
-Slee full skid plate kit.
-Safari snorkel.
-Slee step sliders.
-OME 2864 rear coils because this truck is going to get real heavy real fast.
-Weathertech Floor mats.
I will also be swinging through Stockton in about a month, will stop by Valley Hybrids to get Harrop e-lockers f&r and a brake upgrade installed.
And that is about it for me and this build.
Cheers
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Thank you for the offer, much appreciated. I think I need to pick up a 3rd TRAK Kayak in SD that I am delivering to the new owner in La Paz. My sister lives in LA. My time is very limited, I leave on January 1st and have to pick up my buddy in Mexicali on the 13th.
Cheers
Mushin_Noshin
Adventurer
Got some work ahead of you! Fun times!
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Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk