Toyota Landcruiser

[marknsx]

Off piste with this one. Has anyone any experience of these vehicles. Ideally I wanted to convert a used Trooper into a home for stay away surveying jobs. Finding a Trooper doesn't seem easy!

[drmikey]

Trooper or Landcruiser? Trooper is Isuzu

[Sudesh]

I've owned a landcruiser but it was the Amazon Landcruiser....My friend had one at same time and My Father owned the Lexus version of it too. All fantastic machines. Amazon is the largest one, I'm sure by now you have done your resurch. Dads one looked the best.

Only reason we changed as we all bought BMW X5 4.6is.....

[flyingsniffer]

In the middle east they say that if you want to go out into the desert on an adventure, you choose a Land Rover or a LandCruiser.

If you want to come back, take the LandCruiser..

We do a lot of work with Toyota - the LC is brilliant and indestructible. HOWEVER they are expensive new. Due to their fearsomely bad fuel consumption Toyota don't want to sell many, so they premium price it (I recall a stat like for every LC they need to sell 20 Aygos in Europe to meet emissions objectives). The Russians love them - we did an event in Moscow this time last year and they were doing some good business there.

Typical pic: http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff74/flyingsniffer/land-cruisers-land6_zpsdvtab2yf.jpg

[WhyOne?]

I have spent a lot of time visiting remote regions of the African bush - old Landcruisers are always the vehicle of choice. Echoing the comments above - I have twice taken Land Rovers into the bush and both times suffered unfixable mechanical and electrical problems.

Landcruisers rarely go wrong and when they do (older models at least) are fixable - including a failed rear diff last year (remove driveshaft to rear, engage four wheel drive, and it ran fine with drive going to just the front wheel).

I'd have one in a shot if I could make sense of one on UK roads.

[drmikey]

I have an LC100

Love it. Avoid the Prado/Colorado - landcruiser by name, but thats it

True Landcruisers are LC80/100/105 and probably the best 4x4s ever

Avoid Petrol, 4.2 6L Diesel is the one to have. Autos more reliable than manuals.

They are large and reasonably thirsty. Easily sleep in the back of mine! (removed back seats).

Check Middle East or Australian forums for info.

Find a specialist - I have an excellent one near me - Overland Cruisers near Ledbury

[marknsx]

Troopy. The Landcruiser

[marknsx]

Thank you all. Its my idea to buy in from Aus or similar and convert to a sleep mobile (tent on top looks good) And as it says in the write up " you can get into bed without leaving the truck, which is important in Lion Country" Locally known as Marwell or Longleat!!

[WhyOne?]

Here you go Mark...no problems sleeping in (well, no!) a Landcruiser - lions, hyena etc ignore you up here. Curious elephants will 'explore' you with their trunks once in a while.

https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7556/15960457026_3f12c34d76_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qjnvPy)IMG_9851 (https://flic.kr/p/qjnvPy) by Whyone (https://www.flickr.com/photos/81695468@N05/), on Flickr

(Mana Pools, Lower Zambezi Valley).

[marknsx]

Haha fab. I haven't been molested by an elephant in a long time

[AR]

We have had j80s, LC100 and LC200. The LC100 in auto without ACTIVE suspension is the best IMHO when it comes to a mix of all and new.

We got rid of them for GLs mainly due to the fuel costs and emissions.

[Coops]

Hi, don't forget the Hilux Surf. The japs love them and they are basically the same as a Landcruiser but with the indestructible 3.0 TD engine, even better if you find an intercooler one. Mostly autos as well and easy to drive with overdrive and also easy to shift into low and diff lock. Loads of room in the back and best of all about half the price of a Landcruiser of similar condition. The only difficulty you will have is finding a decent one as they get gobbled up very quickly when they appear on ebay. Personally i'd sleep in the back of the truck (there is enough room with the seats down) and put your luggage on the roof. If you go for one make sure it is the 1996 to around 2002 which is the best version in my opinion. The newer ones are not as well made and the older ones more agricultural. This is the only truck I would use (other than an Amazon) if you want reliability. I have driven them for years as my daily runabout and rarely have to do anything except an oil and filter change once a year.

[flyingsniffer]

I hadn't realised that You cannot get the LC200 in Western Europe any longer. Doesn't meet Euro 6 and not cost effective to get it to do so, so it has been quietly dropped.