Builds One World, One LX Build Thread (1 Viewer)

[1world1love]

This always makes camp exciting for the kids. Puts things in perspective for them:

And here is the obligatory wildflower pic. These are Dodecatheon alpinum, otherwise known as Alpine Shooting Star. They are common in the High Sierra near springs or creeks:

 

[TeCKis300]

Can't stop looking at your pics.

I really like the long shots of your car. The subtle curves in the front end and flanks, and how they catch the lighting are really accentuated with the big tires and armor. Pedigreed muscle. Maybe I'm biased, but I'd go so far as to say this is one of the most photogenic... exotic, 4x4 rigs prowling the wilderness.

 

[SharpeCat]

“Warning: This is a long trip report. You have been warned....”

Beautiful report, I wished it was longer as I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your trip!

I am in no rush to get out of the East coast, as there are so many places I still have yet to see, even just in my own state of North Carolina. Eastern US is beautiful in it’s own way.

But Western US though... I can’t even begin to describe it without Risking hijacking the thread. I am just glad you are not taking it for granted. We rarely ever get scenes like this without paying a lot, or having to deal with security guards, rangers, cops and private property owners. These pictures look like heaven!

now I know who to call if I get stuck there . While you’re at it you can give me some tips for the DSLR because these pictures are just amazing! And please don’t hold back when sharing your adventures. It’s a beautiful thing to see a build thread, a mod done, and then seeing the fruits of the labor afterwards.

Thanks for taking the time to share.

 

[04UZJ100]

Great looking truck man!!

 

[1world1love]

“Warning: This is a long trip report. You have been warned....”

Beautiful report, I wished it was longer as I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your trip!

I am in no rush to get out of the East coast, as there are so many places I still have yet to see, even just in my own state of North Carolina. Eastern US is beautiful in it’s own way.

But Western US though... I can’t even begin to describe it without Risking hijacking the thread. I am just glad you are not taking it for granted. We rarely ever get scenes like this without paying a lot, or having to deal with security guards, rangers, cops and private property owners. These pictures look like heaven!

now I know who to call if I get stuck there . While you’re at it you can give me some tips for the DSLR because these pictures are just amazing! And please don’t hold back when sharing your adventures. It’s a beautiful thing to see a build thread, a mod done, and then seeing the fruits of the labor afterwards.

Thanks for taking the time to share.

Ha! Thanks for the kind words. It was actually quite a bit longer. I like to write up my trips as soon as possible after I get back while my thoughts are fresh. I am only now starting to post that sort of thing here and I'm glad you like it, because I really like reading about other's trips. I used to spend an inordinate amount of time researching places and a lot of times, information is sparse. Hopefully somebody can read my experiences when they are planning trips and it will be helpful. I've gotten a lot of benefit off this forum and I like to contribute back.

I guess part of it is also that I have a lot more time for these write ups than I did the past couple of years. Of course, there is a bit of selfishness as well, because I am able to document my trips here, and I won't deny that it can be a little self-indulgent. If it isn't overly so, I will continue posting them. I guess people can choose whether to read to not.

I'll be honest. I don't always carry my DSLR anymore and even when I do, I never use it to it's fullest capabilities. I did learn how to properly take night sky shots though, because I really like those shots and being out west, you can really get to places that expose the night sky in all it's glory. Death Valley in particular is amazing for night shots.

I will not so shamefully admit that all of these shots were taken with my iPhone 11 Pro. It might not be as good as some of the Android devices, but it actually does a very good job most of the time at capturing good quality raw shots. I then use photoshop to make minor adjustments to the colors, balance, exposure, etc. I try to get the pictures to accurately represent how I saw them at the time. Sometimes I will use some more artistic filtering, but mostly I just try to reproduce the color and lighting at the time.

I actually throw out probably 20 shots for every one that I keep. Even then some of the ones I keep aren't as good as I would like, but maybe it has good framing or perspective.

Some of the scenery out here makes it hard to take a bad picture.

 

[1world1love]

Can't stop looking at your pics.

I really like the long shots of your car. The subtle curves in the front end and flanks, and how they catch the lighting are really accentuated with the big tires and armor. Pedigreed muscle. Maybe I'm biased, but I'd go so far as to say this is one of the most photogenic... exotic, 4x4 rigs prowling the wilderness.

View attachment 2351271

Thank you. I appreciate it. I can't say I don't like seeing it out in the wild myself.

For whatever reason, I received a lot more attention on this trip than I normally do. In Mammoth Lakes I had people stop and ask me about it at least half-dozen times in one day.

Up on the flat, almost everybody we passed said something and when we had parked for lunch, I had a whole group of Jeeps stop and check it out. They all seemed to be jealous of the drawers and fridge setup more than anything. They all left grumbling about their lack of space

I am just glad that we are able to get out and actually enjoy the truck. I expected to rack up another 100k miles in the sky this year, but we have a lot of trips planned instead.

 

[1world1love]

Great looking truck man!!

Thank you. I really appreciate it.

 

[SharpeCat]

It is my pleasure brother.

“I am only now starting to post that sort of thing here and I'm glad you like it, because I really like reading about other's trips.”

That’s exactly it. I got into streaming video games because I enjoyed watching my online friends stream and have a good time. We took turns entertaining each other and kept each other sane through some tough times, and had a lot of fun while we were at it.

I just love watching people who are doing what they love and having a good time while they’re at it. It reminds me of what life is all about and inspires me to get out there and do the same! Because others have brought me along through streaming/documenting their experiences, it helped me discover a certain path and I am grateful for it.

“If it isn't overly so, I will continue posting them. I guess people can choose whether to read to not.”

The right people can never get enough, and we aren’t here to cater to the wrong people. As you said, no one is stopping them from reading The mainstream news instead. If I had a choice though, I’d much rather look at Heaven than Hell. It’s nice to have an option thanks to content like this.

That and, I’d say these things are very relevant. This is why you get and build an Land Cruiser, so that you can not only get anywhere and back, but to do so and still have room for a bed and fridge, on top of having enough grunt to pull almost anyone out of a pickle. It’s beautiful, really.

 

[radman]

The rear was fine and had room to spare, though I don’t know if the suspension had anything left to give.

The front was a different story. I didn’t get a shot of the front, but it still had some travel left. Even so, if I had to do a full lock turn as it was, I may have scraped the liner.

I am at 33” so....

Stop rounding down! You're at 34"

 

[TeCKis300]

^Ayup. That's a "34" class tire by all measures.

 

[1world1love]

Stop rounding down! You're at 34"

View attachment 2353215

It’s a habit I have when talking to my wife about how much things for the truck costs

Sliders? Oh, around $1000.....

 

[TeCKis300]

It’s a habit I have when talking to my wife about how much things for the truck costs

Sliders? Oh, around $1000.....

LOL. I've been tentatively given the green light with that same line. Should I feel guilty that it's $1000..... +/- $1000?

 

[1world1love]

LOL. I've been tentatively given the green light with that same line. Should I feel guilty that it's $1000..... +/- $1000?

Nah! Your totally justified. I mean you can’t really count shipping, or labor, or the lighting option, or the AHC skids. You definitely can’t count the new rivnut tool you’ll need. Possibly a good quality American made torque wrench too. You may need to consider upgrading your floor jack, but that doesn’t count. I also wonder if the sliders won’t look weird without matching bumpers.

Might as well. It’s only around $1000 after all

 

[1world1love]

I finally got around to installing the AHC armor from Slee. I actually debated whether it was necessary once I had the sliders because the globes are fairly well protected.

After this last trip though, there was some debris up in some of the voids around the globes and other hardware in that area. Mostly brush, and small branches, but all it takes is one limb, rock, or root to hit it just right.

The trade off is only 22 lbs per side so it is a no brained for the protection it provides:

 

[ewillis]

Very nice build thread! I'm on the hunt for a 2013-2015 LX570 and keep checking your truck for mod option references...well done on the build! Coyote Flats is great for dispersed camping. I've had my 80 series up there and can't wait to get the LX dialed in for those boulder fields...

 

[1world1love]

Very nice build thread! I'm on the hunt for a 2013-2015 LX570 and keep checking your truck for mod option references...well done on the build! Coyote Flats is great for dispersed camping. I've had my 80 series up there and can't wait to get the LX dialed in for those boulder fields...

Thanks. I really appreciate it. As you know, it’s a labor of love. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised coming from an 80. The 13-15 LX is the best of the 200 series, in my opinion. I think it has a little more character than the LC but is still subtle. And it is a beast.

 

[LCtwohundred]

made it seem reasonable to roll with the KO2s on 20s for a while. [..] but they weighed a ton and required 43 PSI which meant a less than pleasant ride.

What PSI are you now running the KO2s on, on your 17 inch wheels? I ordered the same wheels as yours and I'm debating between going P-rated Falken AT3W for the smooth highway ride, or go KO2 LT tires for less risk of punctures on the trails.

The KO2s say "max 80psi" and the Falkens are "max 50psi", but I'm not sure if that means you could run either on say 30 PSI if you wanted to.

 

[radman]

What PSI are you now running the KO2s on, on your 17 inch wheels? I ordered the same wheels as yours and I'm debating between going P-rated Falken AT3W for the smooth highway ride, or go KO2 LT tires for less risk of punctures on the trails.

The KO2s say "max 80psi" and the Falkens are "max 50psi", but I'm not sure if that means you could run either on say 30 PSI if you wanted to.

RCTIP needs to be calculated based off of gvwr, tire, and a number of other factors. You can read all about itin the link below, or you can kindly ask @gaijin to calculate it for you. Just remember to include every single detail in your request or else he may get grumpy
It is also my understanding that you should never run an LT tire below 35psi (on road).

https://www.toyotires.com/media/2125/application_of_load_inflation_tables_20170203.pdf

 

[1world1love]

What PSI are you now running the KO2s on, on your 17 inch wheels? I ordered the same wheels as yours and I'm debating between going P-rated Falken AT3W for the smooth highway ride, or go KO2 LT tires for less risk of punctures on the trails.

The KO2s say "max 80psi" and the Falkens are "max 50psi", but I'm not sure if that means you could run either on say 30 PSI if you wanted to.

According to @gaijin the RTP is 35psi for the E rated KO2s on the 2013 LX. Also, if I remember correctly, he says that 35psi is the minimum that should ever be run for an E rated on a 200 series.

While generally speaking, a P-rated will always provide a better ride, the E-rated KO2s at 35psi ride really well. Especially compared to the 20s.

There are people that run the Falkens and have no problems on the trail. I am pretty risk averse and some of the trails that we are likely to drive in our area (thinking about all the mixes of granite and volcanic rock that we see in the Sierras, especially on the eastern slope), I prefer to have some extra sidewall strength. It all depends on how you wheel though.

You still have to drive 120 miles on the highway to get to the granite and volcanic rock so you want to be comfortable, but my wife says that the LX rides better on the hwy than our Highlander does. Even with the roof rack loaded and the E rated KO2s, its definitely quieter than the Highlander at 70 mph.

 

[SharpeCat]

You know what I would absolutely love to see?

A picture a day of this beautiful rig, and same for a lot of the members on here! It’s inspiration for me.

Even a picture of it sitting in the driveway will suffice!