Toyota

[MogLite]

I've had Campers before, I love the concept. But I'm trying to get my fleet down to one vehicle (or two). I also find that an "expedition" style vehicle is useful for day trips etc. Having a fridge is awesome, I use mine a lot. But also water (hot and cold) is great for washing off the kids after a day at the beach etc. Or being able to make a meal whilst out off-roading. I also hate having to double up on stuff, or swap it around between vehicles. Two sat-nav's. One for the daily driver, the other for the camper - I'd rather not

Fridge - I did look at trailers in-depth. Including building a full blown expedition trailer. However, I'll take the reverse approach to you. I want the batteries/water/fridge etc in the vehicle, so I've got them for day-trips as above. Just use the trailer for full blown camping trips if necessary. I've already got a good road trailer, that I can/do use for camping gear.

It was the time to set-up camp that made me look away from ground tents to roof-tents. Oz-tents didn't really seem the answer to the comprimise, but G-Rovers option might be the winner.

[reads90]

All ways go for onr of these , you have driven one before so you know what they are like

So what if you think they look like an ice cream van, your used to driving a truck that looked like post man pat's van anyway

I have always wanted one of these but since getting here want one even more. Alot of 130's here, (in fact i would say it seems you see more 130's than 110's) See alot in the outback , police have them in Alice springs and they have loads and loads of space

[q-rover]

We have the Varanger from Helsport

If I was going to buy another one, I would definately get the one pictured. It's main

advantage is it has got a sewn in floor and an inner tent, all extra on the one we have.

With the pole it weighs about 5-6Kg and packs to the size of 2 largeish compressed sleeping bags.

Not cheap, but they are very sturdy, weather resistant and offer a lot of space.

Ours is a 4-6 person (the smallest) and really is too big (2 adults+ 2 children<4)

But we could easily fit 4 camp beds inside, instead off using rollmats on the ground.

[q-rover]

Defender 130

[reads90]

Fridge - I did look at trailers in-depth. Including building a full blown expedition trailer. However, I'll take the reverse approach to you. I want the batteries/water/fridge etc in the vehicle, so I've got them for day-trips as above. Just use the trailer for full blown camping trips if necessary. I've already got a good road trailer, that I can/do use for camping gear.

That is what i was saying about my trucks. I have the fridge batteries and water in the cars. So i can go with just the car and tent. Or can hitch up the trailer for a full blown camping trip. As shown when me and jules went to Fraser Island with just the cars , and then went to a Off road event with the camper trailer

[Boothy]

I've a LWB 4.2 turbo diesel 97 Patrol and its the dog's danglies, and if your tall as well as fat its bigger inside than the LC, absolutely bomproof, totally reliable, turn key it starts, turn key it stops, and there's a bonnet pull somewhere inside it!

Use it for towing my Challenge motor around the country, has enough room in the back to carry all the camping gear, shed load of parts for winches and me V8 90, spare clothes, petrol power washer, 250 litres of water for washer, gazeebo, oh and the back seats still up at this point in case anybody else wants to come, and pulls like a train ALL DAY.

I cannot praise it enough, and never thought i would, untill I bought it a couple of years ago. and the Aussies idolise the things.

Love the Landies for playing and modding, but then there's getting them there without hassle.

[pugwash]

I've a LWB 4.2 turbo diesel 97 Patrol and its the dog's danglies, and if your tall as well as fat its bigger inside than the LC, absolutely bomproof, totally reliable, turn key it starts, turn key it stops, and there's a bonnet pull somewhere inside it!

Use it for towing my Challenge motor around the country, has enough room in the back to carry all the camping gear, shed load of parts for winches and me V8 90, spare clothes, petrol power washer, 250 litres of water for washer, gazeebo, oh and the back seats still up at this point in case anybody else wants to come, and pulls like a train ALL DAY.

I cannot praise it enough, and never thought i would, untill I bought it a couple of years ago. and the Aussies idolise the things.

Love the Landies for playing and modding, but then there's getting them there without hassle.

Interesting points you make there Boothy. I considered a GR spec patrol before i bought the LC80 but out of the 5 i looked at 2 were going seriously rusty around the rear of the vehicle which put me off- is this a known failure or did i just look at a couple of bad'uns?

Size wise i don't think LCs would be small for anyone- i'm 6ft1 and 23 stone so there aren't many around larger- i still have a good 3-4 inces headroom above me. You'd have to be giant to feel squashed- unlike in a Classic RaRo where i was squashed in every dimension!

Like you i can't praise the LC enough, despite not wanting to. It's a fantastic vehicle and i love it- not as much as the landrover products i admit- but the pros far outweigh the cons for me.

[honitonhobbit]

Jimbob,

The Patrol was always more available than the LC and cheaper so the boat towing brigade loved them - it's something to be careful of...

[Boothy]

Size wise i don't think LCs would be small for anyone- i'm 6ft1 and 23 stone so there aren't many around larger- i still have a good 3-4 inces headroom above me. You'd have to be giant to feel squashed- unlike in a Classic RaRo where i was squashed in every dimension!

Jim your'e a light weight, shortass, move over let the big boys in,

I'm taller and fatter and cannot get under the roof of a LC without the headthump, then I have to sit like a vulture to see where I'm going

[bill van snorkle]

I have met many people over the past three and a half decades who made the switch from LandRover to Toyota. I only recall one that has regretted the decision for even a minute. Most believe that a 100,000 mile LandCruiser has more life left in it than any brand new Rover. I have no reason to doubt those opinions. The only perceived advantage that LandRovers had, that of a rust resistant structure, was never a genuine one was it ?

Bill.

[jimmy_neutron]

I can imagine a toyota being a bit kinder on the pocket to maintain.

I can't imagine swilling the sheep **** out with a hosepipe on a toyota.

I also can't imagine it being quite so easy to work on.

Also, compared to a 90, how good are they really off road ?

[pugwash]

I can imagine a toyota being a bit kinder on the pocket to maintain.

I can't imagine swilling the sheep **** out with a hosepipe on a toyota.

I also can't imagine it being quite so easy to work on.

Also, compared to a 90, how good are they really off road ?

not as kind on the wallet to maintain- parts are around 30% more expensive although major parts probably fail less often

you could buy a "ute" version of a landcruiser in Aus that was blooming perfect for farmwork- most peopl in the UK use hi-luxes which are as strong as houses

easier to work on than a landy- nothing is seized and everything comes off with either a 12,14 or 16mm spanner (or a 22mm for the big stuff)

not fair comparing an LC80 to a 90- the LC has a 113" wheelbase. However as standard they have lockers front and rear, have bigger tyres and more powerful engines. Articulation is as good as a 110 in standard form. Weigh a lot more. Make your own mind up. To be honest the LC will walk all over a L'rover in some situations, and the L'rover will walk all over a LC in other situations.

[reads90]

easier to work on than a landy- nothing is seized and everything comes off with either a 12,14 or 16mm spanner (or a 22mm for the big stuff)

Are you talking about a LC in the Uk or one in Aus .

As my 95 Disco all the bolts come undone easy , and there is no rust under the truck I have a 95 disco Lived all its life in Aus and a 95 defnder which has lived the past 2.5 years in Aus ad the rest of the time in the UK. To work on they are both differant trucks . Bolts do not come of the 90 very easy, But the disco is like new under and alll bolts come off easy.

[pugwash]

UK defintiely.

I have had 4 range rovers now from 90-94 and they have all been a complete nightmare to work on. From seized bolts just about anywhere (boy am i good at grinding bolts off) to rusty chassis, rusty bodies, rusty seatbelt moutnings, rust, rust, rust, rust and a bit more rust. oh and rebuilding landrover shoes and drums is a job i truly truly hate- twas easy on the landcruiser which has rear handbrake shoes (yeah yeah i know a transmission brake has it's advantages)

i also noticed a large proponderance of random sized bolts- from metric to imperial to the odd UNF!

Part of the landrover charm is the quaintness of it's development which led to a number of character quirks (ie bolt size differences), and landcruise is clinically soulless to some degree but it is easier to work on for me. Perhaps if i was much more experienced with the spanners i wouldn't feel this way.

[callum]

nothing is seized

have found that working on a very very rusty isuzu and also a newer nissan. no matter how old or rusty the cars or bots are they dont seem to seize. they are very stiff, one crack and then they come off fine. even very rusty exhaust studs on the nissan, which needed heat and a rattle gun to come off did not snap and i was able to use them again.

land rover bolts seem quite willing to seize, round or snap. no sure what the difference ism maybe different steel or maybe some sort of coppaslip.

[reads90]

Oh - I really like that. Space to eat/sleep/live/etc. Lightweight, they claim to be 10-15mins to put up too, as opposed to the good hour it takes to put up hour current family tent.

I need to see one of those in the flesh

Andy what you need to work out is what are you are going to do with the truck. Are you going to do shows and want all the gear to show off , are you going to take the kids away for a week campng , or are you going to go touring across Europe and north africa. Or do you want somthing for all .

Are you gong north or south (apart from my north is now hot and south is cold , but you know what i mean), My camper trailer in the uk winter would be completely carp, but in the moddle of Aus really good and cool. Our 90 heaters never got used, infact still don't , can't even tell you if they work . But if you are going north then you need an diesel heater to make life easyer as you would need a A/C to keep you cool if you were going south

When we went round Aus we lived in and drove our 90 every day for 7 months. Now that will get you pi**ed off with a truck if you don't have it set up to what you want. And if it is not the right truck for you then all the gear and all the scene and everything else will be ruined by the truck

As for me here it would be cheaper to set up a L/C for travel as just looking at ebay there are a dozen l/c ARB bull bars for sale , several Long range water tanks and fuel tanks, Rear draw kits, snorkles, tryes rims, roof racks and All the stuff you would need for touring , where as Land Rover are properly like L/C are in the uk , hardly anything comes up on Ebay . also you should see the amount of carp they do for Nissan's and toyotas in the ARB, TJM shops here Yeah i am in Australia and have bucked the trend and have a land Rovers, but main reason is i know what breaks on them and how to fix them .

We are lucky to have two 4x4's which we can use to take on a trip. I was only talking to Sue Yeaterday about our 3000k round trip to the Australian Land Rover 60th Anversary. It is in the end of March and i was going to take the 90 as it is one of a kind in Aus , but due to certain heath conditions with Sue we will proberly take the disco (as auto and not manual like the 90) as she can then share the driving (we have a day and a half to get there and a day and a half to get back).

As for the defender / LC arguement all i am going to say is Les Hiddins He proved you can go anywhere in a defender 110 soft top with a sanky trailer And his truck does not even have a snorkle

To sum up Andy buy a car you like to drive as you will be driving it to and from the station and shops for 90% of the time and only touring a small percentage of the time. So there is no point driving a car based on the fact that the touring stiff is cheap or it is easy for this for touring. Yeah some of it is important . But if you don't like driving the car then you will not looking forward to driving the truck and ruin your holiday.

If you don't like the drive of the defender then fine far enough. Don't get one, but don't buy a L/C (or anyother make) because most of the touring trucks in the world are L/C buy one if you like it and want to drivie it Or a truck because somone tells you its great. . There are millions of differant types of cars for the reason that not everyone likes the same cars , It is your preferance and choice of car and drive style that YOU like . THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

[Cal]

To sum up Andy buy a car you like to drive as you will be driving it to and from the station and shops for 90% of the time and only touring a small percentage of the time. So there is no point driving a car based on the fact that the touring stiff is cheap or it is easy for this for touring. Yeah some of it is important . But if you don't like driving the car then you will not looking forward to driving the truck and ruin your holiday.

If you don't like the drive of the defender then fine far enough. Don't get one, but don't buy a L/C (or anyother make) because most of the touring trucks in the world are L/C buy one if you like it and want to drivie it Or a truck because somone tells you its great. . There are millions of differant types of cars for the reason that not everyone likes the same cars , It is your preferance and choice of car and drive style that YOU like . THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

I think that's the best comment so far. My mate loves his cruiser for everyday stuff. I got in and drove it for a few hours with a view to buying it - it just didn't do it for me, in the same way my current car doesn't - it's quick, comfortable, reliable - BORING!!! It's costing me far less than my Disco did which is why I've still got it, but I will prob get another land rover at some point even though it will probably make me skint again...

[MogLite]

Andy what you need to work out is what are you are going to do with the truck. Are you going to do shows and want all the gear to show off

I do want all the gear, but not for showing off a shows.

If I go tepee. I might be able to avoid a roof-rack, and that helps with car-parks, fuel economy, robbing pikeys etc. Without the roofrack, I'll be able to keep the exterior quite subtle, which I'm happy with.

are you going to take the kids away for a week campng , or are you going to go touring across Europe and north africa. Or do you want somthing for all .

I don't see why all of those aren't possible. My priorities are in the order you've quoted them. I'm still in a full-time job. Some I'm limited to trips of a couple of weeks max, so that limits how far I can travel and enjoy the trip.

Are you gong north or south (apart from my north is now hot and south is cold , but you know what i mean), My camper trailer in the uk winter would be completely carp, but in the moddle of Aus really good and cool. Our 90 heaters never got used, infact still don't , can't even tell you if they work . But if you are going north then you need an diesel heater to make life easyer as you would need a A/C to keep you cool if you were going south

again both. I've got an Eberspacher heater on my desk, that forms one of the mini-projects. Finding a Defender with A/C is far from impossible, but it does limit my choice of 2nd hand vehicles

When we went round Aus we lived in and drove our 90 every day for 7 months. Now that will get you pi**ed off with a truck if you don't have it set up to what you want. And if it is not the right truck for you then all the gear and all the scene and everything else will be ruined by the truck

I'm only doing a couple of weeks at at time. But even so I wouldn't want to set up our big tent more than once, or twice in that time. Which is why I was looking at roof tents. But that only gives sleeping space. Nowhere to live, so I'd need an awning or skirt (or both) to give some living space, which is where it started to spiral out of control.

The tepee looks like a good comprimise, and I should look at Oztents and Carnex's too I suppose.

As for me here it would be cheaper to set up a L/C for travel as just looking at ebay there are a dozen l/c ARB bull bars for sale , several Long range water tanks and fuel tanks, Rear draw kits, snorkles, tryes rims, roof racks and All the stuff you would need for touring , where as Land Rover are properly like L/C are in the uk , hardly anything comes up on Ebay . also you should see the amount of carp they do for Nissan's and toyotas in the ARB, TJM shops here Yeah i am in Australia and have bucked the trend and have a land Rovers, but main reason is i know what breaks on them and how to fix them .

I'm not too concerned about the cost of out-fitting the vehicle. I can always make stuff where needed. But I do like bucking trends

I'm sure you won't object to shipping me an Aus ARB bumper ? No don't panic, I wouldn't ask, and I don't want one anyway.

I don't think there would be much of Les' truck left if it parked it up and went shopping in certain parts of the UK

To sum up Andy buy a car you like to drive as you will be driving it to and from the station and shops for 90% of the time and only touring a small percentage of the time. So there is no point driving a car based on the fact that the touring stiff is cheap or it is easy for this for touring. Yeah some of it is important . But if you don't like driving the car then you will not looking forward to driving the truck and ruin your holiday.

If you don't like the drive of the defender then fine far enough. Don't get one, but don't buy a L/C (or anyother make) because most of the touring trucks in the world are L/C buy one if you like it and want to drivie it Or a truck because somone tells you its great. . There are millions of differant types of cars for the reason that not everyone likes the same cars , It is your preferance and choice of car and drive style that YOU like . THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

Yeah - you've got some good points there. I do enjoy driving my Isuzu, so I'm no stranger to Japanese 4x4's, in fact I drive it in preference to the 4.6 Rangie thats parked outside the house too. So I think I would enjoy driving a LandCruiser, I've always loved them, and that goes a certain way to the ownership experience. Its only that reason TBH that I'm discounting Nissan Patrols, they just don't float my boat, and in my eyes have always been a poor relation to the LandCruiser rightly or wrongly.

Thanks All

[reads90]

Right after getting my external Hard drive to work

Here are the pics of Moglite in the Toyota Hire truck in Aus. mmm can tell it hire the way he is drivng it though the sea

Can't see why one of these won't do Andy

[Rednex]

i have no idea what you mean it never got stuck- it was just a little tight!

As to the cruiser itself i love it. I have a 93 12v auto UK spec car with leather electric seats and air con; owned it for about 6 months now. Everything works as it should (apart from"......"Electric window motors wear out and get sloooooooow"www.tlocuk.co.uk

On all the rest I do agree 2 pugwash...

I have Disco 1 TDi (1991) - tried it in competition; 2 big, 2 heavy, 2 weak.

Now I do competition in 1996 Defender 90 w 2xARB lockers - fuuuuuntastic car!

But I needed something 2 pull Defender to competition events, so on 28th of Dec last year TLC 80, 1994, 4.2 TD, automatic, w Toyota stock electric lockers in both axles rolled in.

Impressions so far match aforementioned. But - as expedition car I am planning to build Disco. It has comfort, it has more space than 90, (surely less than TLC 80, probably somewhat less than 110, but is that that important?), but it has better approach/leave/brake-over angles than TLC 80, and it is much simpler for field repairs. Well - need to add lockers in axles probably...

In short - TLC is great towing vehicle, w huge amounts of "socks space", yet - I'd opt for Disco for expeditions (if you mean at least 50/50 split or more to latter tarmac/non-tarmac traveling by word "expedition" ).

[sgnas]

99 and an orange fizz please!

[CosZuki]

Over here, its a bit split but when you go to competitions you find LC's outnumber LR's by a long way! have been out on the trail in a 60 series LC and was so impressed i bought one, alas mine is without lockers=( Kai's LC seems to be able to carry everything in the world and then some people and then some beer in the fridge. seems perfect to me! Although on our last trip we were with a 90 and a RRC and just for the devilment i was in an SJ. An odd choice perhaps but its what i have and i was travelling alone so it served the purpose nicely, i was able to nip through trees where others were forced into big hole sof yuck. however the two LC's on the trip needed the least assistance of all and seemed to get through more of the slop without the aid of a winch compared to everything on the safari., but what i would say is that this is this has a lot to do with driver ability than truck ability!

To me it seems your mind is set on a LC but you just want some encouragment and to set a few demons to rest? Me I'm a known rice burner fan in general they just seem stronger and more reliable from speaking with various owners of various marques.Some LR owners, as most on here are (shoot me for this if you wish) seem to have some rose tinted view of the vehicle and put up with its foibles and problems as part of its character? all makes have issues just some a little less than others.

Whatever you use you make use if what is available space wise, when i had the LWB two of us lived out of it for almost two weeks. not in hilton luxury mind but it worked

[tommer]

Wow, what a debate you all seem to be having- probably inevitable on a landy forum when toyota is mentioned. At the end of the day a car is a car,and you take your choice- you are thinking of buying a scond hand un-warrantied car to go away to Europe in. There is not anywhere in mainland euroe that is too far away from either jap/uk vehicle parts suppliers, so like someone said, you just have to choose what you like and hope for the best. All manufacturers have flaws and "friday afternoon" vehicles( freak lower build quality cars) than normal, and i suppose you have to just hope you dont end up with one of these, or a pretty looking but abused second hand one. As with everything in life, there are pros and cons- i have a beefed up 110 purely for work, which to tell the truth makes mincemeat of jap stuff i have owned, and i do 25000 miles a year, usually overloaded and towing up to 4 tons (i know..illegal etc...) and aout 50% off road in woods fields quarries. My repairs are regular from propshadft u.j's, clutches about every 6-12 months and last april an engine rebuild. All i can say with certainty is that my hi-lux chassis got bent, the body rusted, and the replacement gearbox i had for 650 fitted on my defender would have cost me over twice that on the hi-lux, which is why i got rid of it. I thought i was abusing my truc, but am assured not. I am not advocating LR over Toyota, more that i can't decide AT ALL which is better. I gone back to landrover as there is not anything else with which i can do what i do. My brother's lardcruiser (pugwash) blew me away off roading in somerset a week ago, keeping up with well tricked up 90's, but at the same time i do all that sort of stuff fully loaded for work. I cannot fault my landrover, and when i describe its life to those who slag off landy's then they soon shut up. It must be said that however you dress up a landrover (disco. defender etc. etc) they started out as glorified tractors, and when in a work application will take anything you throw at them and beg for more, if you dont abuse them. Good luck, and i hope that whatever you buy it will look after you, and that you have a good trip.

[TJ101]

My brother's lardcruiser (pugwash) blew me away off roading in somerset a week ago, keeping up with well tricked up 90's, but at the same time i do all that sort of stuff fully loaded for work.

Tom.. if you have, as good offroading, down in Cornwall, as the Bampton site,, best you organise a DRD down there for us all

[tommer]

Tom.. if you have, as good offroading, down in Cornwall, as the Bampton site,, best you organise a DRD down there for us all

Cheers for that- the off roading down here is not as organised- or possibly is i just dont follow it- the point i was trying to make is that it isn't essential to go mad on your vehicle, as mine is basically standard (no sus lift snorkel etc) and that i encounter pretty extreme stuff whilst working- one day steep drops, another hideous mud, another wading etc. I had a great day at bampton, and ABSOLOUTELY did not mean to detract from it or put it down in any way, nothing meant by my comments.