The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

[Garfield]

Back into 4x4, but I moved from a well known British brand

Had Range Rover, fixed said Range rover on a weekly basis, sold said Range Rover swearing never again, got a 4 Motion Passat, needed a tow car so .... sold the Passat and got

A 3.4 VX 5 Door.

Yup I remembered the comments from the Range Rover days - 'you'd be better off with a Cruiser', I have done 4 trips to Africa since the Range Rover and 2 to Saudi and guess what everyone out there drives ... yup, Cruisers and Troopers.

So I gone and done it, picked up a nice 3.4 Colorado VX, collecting said VX tomorrow ...

To those who said I'd be better off with a Cruiser I'd better not regret this or I will seek you out !!

My background is ex UK military (hence the 'nothing is better than a Land Rover' mentallity), am now a systems architect, and driving something very un PC .... and I don't give a rodents rectum.

Remains to be seen how much time I spend here ... but the number of buttons and such seem very complex - 2nd start and all that, guess the old dog needs to learn new tricks.

[Google]

[Wandering Willy]

One of the nice things about Toyotas - specially the big 4X4s - is that they are relatively easy to work on. Nobody looks forward to changing a gearbox or similar, but the way these cars are made - and with the help of this web site - you can tackle that sort of job on your front drive, halfway up a mountain or in the Sahara - if you have to.

While the consensus is that with a little TLC, LCs last forever,  they do sometimes go wrong. The club shop sells Max Ellery manuals which cover most of the basics. Someone here will usually have heard that sort of funny noise or seen the flashing light on the dash, found out what it is, how to fix it and where to get the bits. The same applies if you want to raise the suspension, put a tent on the roof or fit an indoor shower.

There aren't as many places supplying LC bits as there are for LRs (wonder why?) but there are enough. Sometimes it's necessary to get bits from Oz, SA or the good ol' USA but not too often. And even then, there is good information here on who to contact and how to arrange shipping.

It's a good system

Willy

[Landcrusher]

And (this may be a new experience) you'll enjoy driving it. No argument that on any given day the 'British made product' when sorted is truly made for being in unspeakable off road conditions, but when all you want to do is pop out for your lottery ticket and a pint of milk on a Saturday evening you won't be faced with the question "Hmm would I rather walk?"

Welcome - oh and don't be fooled into thinking that the Toyota is a soft-roader like many out there.

LC
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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

[nordic venture]

welcome garfield.  

i had a 110 and after 4 years got fed up with all the niggles and 'character' so inherent in landrovers. i read a comment on another forum; someone was changing from a landrover to a landcruiser; he was advised to find a new hobby as he wouldn't be spending every weekend lying under his car fixing it!!!! whilst not totally right as any 4x4 will need something doing to it, i can see their point.

enjoy  

[Garfield]

Thanks all, well the character is there is spades with the Solihull brand, it remains to be seen if the cruiser has character or personality, I need to get the beast squared away before I dream of taking it into the mud, find out what works, how it works and even what doesn't - if it moves weld it, if it doesn't move pass the hammer, it creaks when engaging reverse and I think the exhaust is blowing but I can't find any holes - just sounds 'wrong'. Need to sort out the radio (not original) and the trim sorrounding it too looks like the original was stolen judging by the screwdriver marks.

I have been watching with interest some U-Tube stuff and so far without exception not one of the Landcruisers offroad has impressed but that is more down to the vehicles config and the drivers, who seem to flaunt all the rules of sensible 'off roading' these are just a few of the mistakes witnessed in sime U-Tube videos - and some were made by people who claim to be experienced. I wonder if it is just a U-Tube thing or whether the Land Rover boys take things a lot more seriously.

1st - Never get yourself into a position you can't get out of, if you are unsure walk the track first, if in doubt stay out, pick another route.

2nd - Never cross water unless you know what is under it and how deep it is, in fact if poss never cross water at all if you can avoid, and yes yet again wade it yourself first, pick your line, all looks great on a video but it ain't smart.

3rd - Make sure recovery strops are properly secured BEFORE getting stuck and put them in a safe place - over the spare or taped/tied to the bonnet or nudge bars.

4th - Keep those thumbs out of the steering wheel, up in the air or on the outside rim, if you nail something that snatches the wheel it will break your thumb.

5th - Off road needs off road rubber or all terrain as a minimum, the standard 'road' use stuff just won't hack it.

6th - If poss stay out of the ruts from preceding vehicles, stay on the high ground.

7th - Touching brakes when descending after a failed ascent is asking for trouble, unlock those diffs, low range and let the engine do the job - keep those feet off the pedals - ALL pedals concentrate on coming down in a straight line, if you can't come down in a straight line you shouldn't have gone up in the first place - pick another route. Pick a low gear and once ascending stay in it, try to keep the forward motion constant, don't be in a hurry.

8th - On really soft ground reduce those tyre pressures by around 40% is a good figure and keep your speed down.

9th - keep the windows and other orifices closed then if you do roll your sticky out bits won't get broken off.

10th - If the wheels start spinning stop immediately, reverse and try a slightly different line - spinning the wheels WILL bog you down even further.

11th - If you get bogged down be prepared to get dirty, get the spade out, get the mats out, carry and know how to use a ground anchor and a Tirfor winch - learn how to self recover - going to the farm to borrow the tractor makes you look amatuer.

Getting stuck in a 4x4 - ANY 4x4 - is largely down to the driver.

Hope I don't come over as a know all, thats not the intention but I am 100% certain that the Landcruiser is an equal to the Land Rover offroad if properly prepared and driven, the video's I saw gave the impression that the cruiser is a soft roader. I have driven offroad in Sweden, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Dubai, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and South africa, and trust me in some of those places stuck is something you really don't want to be.

[Landcrusher]

Top tips Garfield. I would add -

try to avoid going on your own,

Have another capable vehicle

Never get the second vehicle stuck as well!

Getting unstuck is usually easier coming out the way you went in

You can't teach experience. Go and see how the big boys do it.

LC
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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

[nordic venture]

[Landcrusher]

OK, let me rephrase that.

Avoid doing really stupid things, on your own, when there is little chance of help or rescue, like trying to cross the Amazon in your lunch hour.

I share your love of being in my own space - when I go stalking I am always on my own. But I have a plan. I may be on my own in that section of forest - but I didn't come to Scotland on my own. Someone - will know that I'm missing. We have a system. Being in trouble and hoping that someone will happen across you is not a system.

I wasn't really talking about overland trips such as the Arctic Circle, I was really talking about going off roading for the weekend.

Oh also, try to take a trailer with a replacement 4x4 on the back. That one's a sure fire winner. Ha Ha.

LC
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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

[Garfield]

Going it alone for the experienced is OK providing you are equipped and knowledgable enough to self recover or not get into the situation in the first place. Even then things can stop you dead that you don't and can't plan for - busted axles / radiators etc etc.

Could I go it alone?, sure, would I?, nope, not if I had a choice (PS I don't mean alone as in having people in the car with me) but a second car nearby can save your life) so I can still listen to what I like as loud as I like for as long as I like ... that way I don't hear the screams of all the ramblers I squish ....

Generally for most the advice to not go alone is probably the best tip but I would qualify it a little and say that at least one of the convoy needs to be trained or at the very least have some experience. Two first timers on their first trip is a recipe for 2 stuck or broken vehicles.

[nordic venture]

[Landcrusher]

Ahh, but most of that last bit is taken care of. You're in a Toyota!!!!! Now all you have to worry about is being eaten by cannibals. As long as you can fix a puncture and you have enough fuel and you keep between the ditches, you should be fine. I think that the only things that would be really really essential of going on a trip such as we're talking about would be tyres, extra lighting, maybe spares like oil and filters, fuel, maps and underbody protection to replace the rather weak stuff that Mr T supplied from the factory. Other than that, a well serviced and maintained LC should be a good choice.

A good old rant is good for you.

LC
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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

[nordic venture]

[Garfield]

Didn't you know - we are all supposed to drive cars sorrounded in sponge rubber so that if some wally doesn't look where he's going a collision with a 2 ton car doing 30mph won't hurt ...

Now that really IS a soapbox - pity there seems to be no rant forum here  

As for your comments I agree, an adventure is just that, but for me it is also about taking all the necessary steps not to turn it into something harder, that is part of the adventure too, the 'how smart am I really' adventure, for me half the adventure is in the planning.

Always with me though it is the 'unknown' element that makes it so much fun, die or get lost etc etc   , for me if I plan a 100 things it will I guarantee be the thing I never thought of that kicks me in the groin ...

200 gallons of fuel .. check
16 spare tyres .. check
200 spare fuses .. check
Mars bars .. check
...
...
Tyre irons .. check
Spare battery .. check
Spare filters and Gaskets .. check
spare hoses .. check
2 Cans WD40 .. check

Then you get a flat tyre and it is ... where the f**k is the wheel brace, or has anyone seen the keys - you get the drift.

Doesn't matter how often, when or where it is always something ... but to make a mistake is OK, to repeat it is not, learn from the experience, this is all part of the adventure.

Hijack away  ...

Talking of which a freind of ours lost a land cruiser to hijackers in Tanzania .... the jackers pretended to be police then stole everything including the car when they stopped.

[nordic venture]

stopped ranting.


what would be good is an expedition section on the forum. it would seem that more and more people are joining and have an interest in travelling (or wanting to) and discussions on equipment, vehicle prep, hints tips etc etc are spread over various section depending on which vehicle they have. how about combining it all? who's in charge? are you out there?

[Landcrusher]

Guys, I think that there are a couple of sections missing, one of which should be a sticky of some sort on "What to look for on this particular vehicle" in other words, if you own one, what preemptive action can you take on: BEBs, Diff locks, Rust areas, wheel bearings etc etc. We do seem to get the same questions over and over again as new people join.

Garfield - I know what you mean about forgetting. I'm a great one for lists. I have pre prepared ones on my computer for different things and I find that I don't forget kit anymore. If you forget it once, put it on the list and you won't repeat the mistake.

Now if only I could remember which file I put the list in.....

LC
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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)