New to 70's. Family friendly question (1 Viewer)

[anavant]

Hey all. I am new to 70's. Im wondering if a 1990 BJ 73 has enough cargo space for long weekends or a week of overlanding with two kids. The back seat looks fine, but wondering about the cargo area. we use a medium size cooler and the regular amount of camping gear.

Any feedback is much appreciated. Thanks !

 

[Gun Runner 5]

When the rear seats are in place and being used there is definitely limited cargo space. Is it enough, only you can answer that, depending on your needs. A roof rack is always an option.

 

[ozcrusier]

If I had a shorty I would tow a small off road type army trailer with all the camping gear packed in the trailer. Set up camp unhook the trailer and have fun touring around with the family.

 

[cruiserdan]

Four persons, even if two are small, is going to be cramped in a 73/74. You will need exterior cargo capacity of some kind. FRP tops can be challenging to fit a rack to so the trailer idea sounds pretty good. If the tow vehicle is 24v as most of them are you will need to address trailer lighting as it is not a simple plug-and-play.

A four-door variant such as a 60/61/62, 76/77, 80 or 100 is a better choice for more than two occupants.

My .02.

 

[jblueridge]

I intend to go camping in my 74, just me and my dog. I could pack lightly but I tend to carry everything I can think of.

 

[hoser]

I think with a cargo barrier and a shelf, it could work. That way you can stack gear safely to the top. Down, mummy bags will save a lot of space vs rectangular, poly sleeping bags too.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Four persons, even if two are small, is going to be cramped in a 73/74. You will need exterior cargo capacity of some kind. FRP tops can be challenging to fit a rack to so the trailer idea sounds pretty good. If the tow vehicle is 24v as most of them are you will need to address trailer lighting as it is not a simple plug-and-play.

A four-door variant such as a 60/61/62, 76/77, 80 or 100 is a better choice for more than two occupants.

My .02.

^^^^ What the desert dweller said.

 

[FJ73Texas]

My FJ73 soft top has side jump seats that would work for kids even with the rear bench removed, leaving a lot of room. Would I do it? No. It just doesn't look comfortable or safe in a 73/74 series. If your kids are small, these jump seats would be good though. As other said, the 76/77 would be a better choice for a family in my opinion.

I will be eventually taking my jump seats out as I consider them worthless for what I use my FJ73 for, I don't even have kids. Here are some pics of the setup. Not sure if it is factory but something you could look for in a 73/74 when shopping for one.

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

I love my LWB LJ78 for family outtings. It has seat belts for eight, or I can remove the third row and get a huge amount of storage space. When camping I load the truck with about 1000lbs, and tow a 3500lb trailer. They are comfy trucks with coil suspension and nice seats etc. Only problem is the motors in stock form are prone to over heating. I modified mine and it's great now. Others swap in the Lexus 4.0l V8 (1UZFE) which makes for a very nice combo. But then you're into a bit of a project. HZJ77 is a better option as far as the motor goes, but is less comfy and they are very expensive.

 

[77cruiser77]

I love the 70 series and feel I always will but for your needs have you considered an HDJ81? More comfy than an LJ78 and better engine than HZJ77

 

[Harry]

Two door Swb is too small for family camping. You can squeeze everything in, but its always a struggle. I had a Swb pajero until I started talking the kids camping. Sold it and bought an 80.

 

[hoser]

The 73/74 is a MWB. 70/71 is SWB.

I have a 74 and 100 series. For kicks, I took rough measurements of the JDM 74 series which differs a bit from most 73 series. The rear seat is slightly forward. I also took measurements of the 100 series for comparison.

BJ74:
Trunk/boot depth at floor level: 33"
Trunk/boot depth at top of seat (not headrest): 28"
Width at widest point: 58"
Height at tallest point: 46"

UZJ100:
Trunk/boot depth at floor level: 46"
Trunk/boot depth at top of seat (not headrest): 38"
Width at widest point: 58" at AC unit, 60" above AC unit (let's say 59" avg)
Height at tallest point: 41"

A couple notes: the 100 hatch slopes forward, losing some interior room. The overhead AC unit also consumes some room. I did not measure the wheel well space on either vehicle.

If I just avg the trunk depth between the two figures, I get 30.5" depth (74)
Average trunk depth for the 100 would be 42"

Though I realize this is not entirely accurate but my rough estimate:

BJ74 30.5Dx58Wx46H
81,374 cubic inches

UZJ100
42Dx59Wx41H
101,598 cubic inches

If you are willing to stack to the ceiling, the 74 has about 80% of the 100 in terms of trunk capacity. Let's just says 75% to be conservative.

 

[Collin80]

I recently spent 3 months living on the road out of my BJ74. I was solo, and had enough space, but just barely. I would say a long weekend of camping might be doable, if you pack really well and sparingly, but a week of overlanding, no way.

 

[JuanJ]

Hello,

The rear space is good for groceries and long distance trips for one person. For two and up it is better to use a trailer.

My two cents.





Juan