When you’re overlanding, everything stands still because you’re enjoying every moment and experience you get yourself into.
Since the moment of the Tacoma mods has passed, this time, let the next batch of adventurers bring out your inner crusaders as they tour you around their Land Cruiser mods.
WINSTON SCULLY (@WINSTONANDKIM)
If the world is a huge comic strip and the forces of nature are the villains, then Winston’s 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser 100 Series might just encourage your rig to put on a cape – we meant that both literally and figuratively!
What’s really interesting about it is its OVS 270-degree Nomadic Awning. The awning itself features a thick and sturdy fabric that spreads out like Batman’s bat wings that automatically protects your vehicle against heavy gusts of wind or the sweltering heat of the sun.
Although having to put up with the 8020 extrusion bars for properly installing the roof rack had been a pain for Winston because he admits he accidentally ordered the wrong size. Good thing his friend who works in a van shop had willingly helped him trim the bars to their appropriate length.
“On a cross country (and back) road trip, Kim and I explored the Green River just outside of Canyonlands National Park. We had already been on the road for a few weeks and having the payoff of descending into those beautiful Utah canyons will never be forgotten. I hope I can forget the bugs though.” -Winston
Tips from an Overlander at Heart
Land Cruiser Modifications Summary
Suspension, Wheels, Tires & Brakes
- Old Man Emu nitro charger shocks
- Falken Wildpeak AT3W
- Slee Heavy Rear Springs
- Slee Diff Drop / Torsion Bars
Armor, Recovery, Mounting
- ARB Bull Bar
- Warn EVO 10s Synthetic Winch
- Trail Taylor Front Recovery Hooks
- Custom 80/20 Roof Bars Mounted to OEM Roof Rack
- Gotreads Recovery Boards
Camping & Overland equipment
- LED Lights on the Bumper with the Nilight Ditch Lights
- OVS 270-degree Awning
- Ecoflow River 300-watt Power Station
- Pop-up Fire Pit from Fireside Outdoors, Little Red Campfire Propane Fire Pit
- Ignik 5lb Propane Tank
- Exped Megamat Duo Mattress
- Blue Ridge Overland Gear “Attic” Gear Storage
- Custom-built Rear Drawers
Miscellaneous
- Scangauge II
- Ram Suction Cup Phone Mount
- Viair 400p Air Compressor
- Up-to-date Maintenance
Social Media Handles & Contact
YouTube: https://youtube.com/winstonkim
Instagram: https://instagram.com/winstonandkim
JULIEN SARTON (@JULIENSARTON)
Exposing yourself out there means being on the look out for survival. So, if you’re up for putting all your essential items in one place, let Julien’s 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado VZJ95 90 Series inspire you to improvise.
This vintage spectacular is designed with a DIY cabinet and rear-door kitchen that allows you to prepare your meals in a flash while offering some extra space for your other items – from small containers, tapes, to shakers or spices.
Even though building the cabinet had been very tough for Julien and his girlfriend because it’s the first time they did something from scratch, they patiently took their time making the necessary adjustments and let their creativity speak for itself with help from some YouTube how-to videos.
“The first time we’ve been on a real 4WD trip with our good friend and mechanic Eduardo…! The track was so hard we thought we were going to crash the car every 10m” -Julien
Tips from an Overlander at Heart
Land Cruiser Modifications Summary
Suspension, Wheels, Tires & Brakes
- Tough Dog 40mm Adjustable Suspensions
- AT Tires (factory dimensions)
- Safari Snorkel
Armor, Recovery & Mounting Solutions
- TJM Alloy Bulbar
- Maxtrax
- Shovel
Camping & Overland Equipment: Lighting & Electrical
- James Baroud Explorer Rooftop tent
- Kings Lights
- Kings Awnings
- Dual-battery System
- 40L Dometic Fridge
- Water Pump
- 60l Water Tank
Miscellaneous
- Customized Kitchen
- Customized Cabinet
Social Media Handles & Contact
TERRY KING (@JAFFAADVENTURES)
There goes a saying, “Seize the day!” So, if you’ve decided you’ll no longer make excuses exploring the world no matter what obstacle blocks your way, then Terry’s 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Series can easily boost your courage.
His rig is basically sporting an ARB BP51 and Old Man Emu 2″ Lift Suspension that gives him guts and capacity to tackle physical hurdles head on – from sticky, rocky, to winding trails. And when he needs a quick rest, he can always rely on his Bundutop Rooftop Tent that sets up within minutes.
But because there is such a thing as “Measure twice and cut once,” the most difficult modification that Terry had endured was grafting a 79 Series Land Cruiser Bonnet (hood) Scoop onto a 200 Series Land Cruiser bonnet (hood). This is because it required him to buy a brand new 79 Series Bonnet wherein it still needed proper trimming and grinder angling. Even though his hard work paid off in the end, it did not excuse him from encountering some issues.
“Friends and I did a trackless crossing of the remote Simpson Desert in Central Australia. Halfway across the desert, one of our vehicles (a petrol-powered Nissan Patrol) failed to start one morning. the problem was a faulty fuel pump which was a submersible unit located in the fuel tank itself. After some head scratching and hard work, we got the faulty fuel pump removed and replaced, and the vehicle fired back up the first try.” -Terry
Tips from an Overlander at Heart
Land Cruiser Modifications Summary
Suspension, Wheels, Tires & Brakes
- ARB BP51 and Old Man Emu 2″ Lift Suspension
- Superpro Adjustable Upper Control Arms
- Diff Drop Kit
- DBA Slotted Brake Rotors and Extreme Pads (on all 4 corners)
- BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3’s 285/70R17
- ROH Octagon Wheels
Armor, Recovery & Mounting Solutions
- Rhinohide Paint Protection
- ARB Safari Bull bar, Sidesteps, and Scrub bars
- 10k Smittybilt Winch
- Rhino Pioneer Platform Roof Rack
- Kaymar Rear Wheel Carrier and Double Jerry Can Holder
- 4x Maxtrax
Camping & Overland Equipment: Lighting & Electrical
- Bundutop Rooftop Tent
- 3x 120W Allspark Solar Panels
- Redarc BCDC25 Charge Controller
- Itechworld 120a/Hr Lithium Auxiliary Battery
- Glind Hot Water Heat Exchanger and Shower Pump
Miscellaneous
- ARB Safari Snorkel
- Unichip Q4 Chip Mapped to 720nm Torque
- Custom Bonnet using a Land Cruiser 79 Series scoop
- GME UHF Radio
- Emu Wing Side Window Panels
- 3″ Straight-through Exhaust
Social Media Handles & Contact
YouTube: (2276) Jafffa Adventures – YouTube
Website: Home | Jafffa Adventures
Email: terryking1957@yahoo.com.au
JASON MIU (@MIU_PRO)
When striking a balance between work and play is necessary, Jason’s vehicle that’s a 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser 100 Series is definitely screaming ready for it.
This rig is a thing of beauty on its own because of the Prospeed Roof Rack that sits high and mighty on top of it. With its rugged yet sturdy features, it secures a rooftop tent in place. But if you want to further challenge its usefulness by putting heavy-weight objects, then you won’t be disappointed. Jason can attest to that because he once put a 20ft lumber on it and it surprisingly held well.
But just like other builds, his Land Cruiser also had some struggles, particularly in lighting equipment. He got dibs on the Baja Design Rock Lights but since there’s none who made a mount that can be directly attached to a roof rack, Jason was forced to rely on his quick wit and skill in fabricating a custom bracket that can be angled at 90 degrees, courtesy of Home Depot.
“My favorite overlanding trip was a weekend spent exploring Anza Borrego. It was my daughter’s first overlanding trip and she was only 10 months old at the time. The bumpy, rocky, and rutted trails rocked her to sleep! She’s a natural outdoorsbaby now… got to start them young! We have taken countless overlanding trips but her first will always be a favorite memory of ours.” -Jason
Tips from an Overlander at Heart
Land Cruiser Modifications Summary
Suspension, Wheels, Tires & Brakes
- Dobinsons IMS Front and Rear Shocks and Springs
- Dobinsons Torsion Bars
- Slee Diff Drop
- SPC Upper Control Arms
- Trail Tailor Front/Rear Extended Sway Bar Links
- 16×8 Ray’s TE37x Wheels on 33’s Nexen MTX Tires
Armor, Recovery & Mounting Solutions
- Asfir Front, Transmission, and Transfer Case Aluminum Skid Plates
- White Knuckle Off-Road Rock Sliders
- Prospeed Roof Rack
Camping & Overland Equipment: Lighting & Electrical
- Baja Designs S2 Sport Ditch Lights on Ronin Metal Brackets
- Baja Designs Rock Lights (Custom-mounted) Roof Rack
- Jackery 500 w/ Solar Panels
Miscellaneous
- Roam Adventure 6.5ft Awning
- Roam Adventure Awning Room
- Roam Adventure 83L Rugged Case
- Rotopax Fuel Container
- Waterport Day Tank
- Custom-built Sleeping Platform
- Iceco 45L Fridge on Tortuga Off-Road Fridge Slide
- Viair 400p Compressor
Social Media Handles & Contact
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miu_pro/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/miucus
Email: mi.plus.u310@gmail.com
CHUCK BRADY (@BRADYADVENTURES)
Another best-of-both-worlds type of modification that’ll keep you on your toes after a long day outside is found on Chuck’s 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser 100 Series.
This rig is oozing with superhero identities – it also has an Alu-Cab Awning bat wing style for quick setups and protection against the ever-changing weather conditions but if you’re just after a short nap for instant recharge, then you can count on its Roofnest Falcon Tent.
But speaking of crucial or challenging modifications, Chuck’s dual-battery system easily takes the award. This is because it took him a lot of research and work to get it properly done. In fact, he mentions he needed to wrestle with some conflicting ideas, so he ended up devoting many times in ordering parts, planning, and installation.
“We were camping on top of a mountain in Southwestern Virginia. It’s one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It takes about an hour off-road to get to this spot and we had a great ride and just finished setting up camp when a family of feral ponies came near us. One of the ponies in that group came running down the mountain and he and the alpha from the other family proceeded to rear up and kick each other showing dominance.” -Chuck
Tips from an Overlander at Heart
Land Cruiser Modifications Summary
Suspension, Wheels, Tires & Brakes
- SPC Upper Control Arms
- Old Man Emu Nitrocharger Sport Shocks
- Old Man Emu Torsion Bars
- Old Man Emu 2864 Rear Heavy Springs
- Slee Off-Road Differential Drop
- Trail-Tailor Sway Bar Drop Links
- Falken Wildpeak AT3W All-Terrain Tires
Armor, Recovery & Mounting Solutions
- ARB Deluxe Bull Bar Front Bumper
- Dissent Offroad Modular Rear Bumper
- Slee Off-Road Step Sliders
- Trail Tailor Recover Points
- ARB Premium Recovery and Tire Repair Kit
- Smitybuilt Recoil Kinetic Rope
Camping & Overland Equipment: Lighting & Electrical
- Roofnest Falcon with LED lighting, USB charging, and Ventilation Fans
- Alu-Cab Shadow Awn 270 Awning
- Front Runner Slimline 2 Roof Rack w/ Low Profile RTT mounts
- DIY Drawers
- ARB 50L Fridge
- Alu-Cab Fridge Drop Slider
- 360 and Under Vehicle Lighting and Voswitch Relay Controller
- Custom Blue Sea Dual Odyssey Battery System
- 100W+ Solar System Victron Controller Renogy 100w Panels
- LED Lighting and Chargers
Miscellaneous
- Master Lock 131T Aluminum Covered Locks
- Front Runner Pro Table Under Rack Bracket
Social Media Handles & Contact
YouTube: youtube.com/bradyadventures
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyadventures/
Email: bradyfamilyadventures@gmail.com
CONCLUSION
Doing modifications means having your own style while taking into consideration others’ useful suggestions. Even though people won’t always agree with what you’ve done, you can still learn from them. But in the end, only you get to choose which mods you prefer based on your needs because you’re the one using your rig. Tell us what you think by leaving a comment below.
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