I think I would want air conditioning in my 40 before I take it on any real long trips. Which really isn't a big obstacle to overcome.
FJ40 long range use? (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter hairy_apple
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- #102
Awesome! I had taken a few longer trips with it when it was stock, and I was younger and dumber... but the last few years had really stuck closer to home... 200 miles or so being the farthest we had ventured away from home. I don't know what we were thinking! The 40 is the most fun vehicle I've ever taken a long trip in. You just have to reset your ideas about what a road trip is going to be. Slow down and enjoy the DRIVE as much as the destination. The drive to and from Flagstaff last year was amazing, and we've done a few longer trips this year as well.
As a matter of fact, this morning I'm sitting here looking at maps and ideas for an Oregon trip at the end of the Summer.... plotting routes and looking for cool things to do along the way.
Great article @Jonathan Hanson. It inspires me to take my 40 and go a little slower more often. Especially because it's got a/c and it's so reliable and capable.
Now the hard part. Convincing the wife and kids it's a good idea.
Now the hard part. Convincing the wife and kids it's a good idea.
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Great article @Jonathan Hanson. It inspires me to take my 40 and go a little slower more often. Especially because it's got a/c and it's so reliable and capable.
Now the hard part. Convincing the wife and kids it's a good idea.
You're on your own there . . .
Lol. Come on. The reality is my wife probably wouldn't mind taking the 40 on more trips. But the kids do make it difficult that just don't understand the romance and cool factor of the thing. 
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- www.exploringoverland.com
You can make a 40 reasonably comfortable for two. Much harder with four!
- Thread starter
- #107
Great article @Jonathan Hanson. It inspires me to take my 40 and go a little slower more often. Especially because it's got a/c and it's so reliable and capable.
Now the hard part. Convincing the wife and kids it's a good idea.
I am lucky, the car my wife learned to drive on... a FJ40. She actually just bought her dad's cruiser when they moved to Portland and didn't want to take it with them. She grew up wheeling in a cruiser, so she is just as excited to take it on trips as I am.
AC would be nice this time of year though...
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- #108
My wife's parents. My wife is the baby being held behind the cruiser. She was born in 87, so I guess this picture is 87. She has been camping and wheeling in cruisers longer them me.
And.. the same cruiser a few months ago when we bought it from them.....
She was born in 87, so I guess this picture is 87. She has been camping and wheeling in cruisers longer them me.
And.. the same cruiser a few months ago when we bought it from them.....
@hairy_apple if you're trip into Oregon takes you to central or eastern Oregon let me know. Maybe we can connect and do a little wheeling together.
My wife's parents also had an FJ40 when she was young. A '79. Unfortunately they sold it years ago.
- Thread starter
- #111
My dad took his cruiser from Northern CA to Alaska and Canada in 1980 (5 years before I was born), I would very, very much love to retrace his trip in the next few years with mine.
Also, I just found the tent in that picture today... might have to camp in the same tent on the same trip some day.
Also, I just found the tent in that picture today... might have to camp in the same tent on the same trip some day.
40 in my 40. I have been plannng, planning and building for some years now. I finally have taken a year off of work and will be starting my 40 years old trip in my fj40. I am building this and staring in Peru and heading south in sept. I have made many modifications, but here is a picture of the roof pop up i am making.
I took the original roof and made a new frame for it to support a bed. Then i put a bed in that also pops up, so you can stand up in the 40 in the back. It is about a double bed. I cut a memory foam mattress and made cushions.
The best part is the difference from the outside is about 1/4 inch. So when i am going down the road, you can’t tell i have a bed in my roof that takes away from that iconic 40 white roof.
I took the original roof and made a new frame for it to support a bed. Then i put a bed in that also pops up, so you can stand up in the 40 in the back. It is about a double bed. I cut a memory foam mattress and made cushions.
The best part is the difference from the outside is about 1/4 inch. So when i am going down the road, you can’t tell i have a bed in my roof that takes away from that iconic 40 white roof.
myquestoyota
SILVER Star
I have that same orange tent!
That's a really cool idea!! Would like to hear more about the floor for the bed, etc..
I will have to post more pics when the tents done.
Basics I told a large L piece of metal and wrapped it around the top of the body. Then i put a smaller L piece and welded it to a small T piece making a channel with a kind of facial piece going around the outside. The channel (with some sanding to the roof) fit the base of the roof. I attached with a ton of small bolts and sealed it up
Basics I told a large L piece of metal and wrapped it around the top of the body. Then i put a smaller L piece and welded it to a small T piece making a channel with a kind of facial piece going around the outside. The channel (with some sanding to the roof) fit the base of the roof. I attached with a ton of small bolts and sealed it up
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Some more photos.
I like the ingenuity. Really great concept and it is really nicely finished. I like your tent design, perfect!
Not sure how I missed this thread. I bought my 40 in Wyoming in 2010 and on the drive home I decided to make a road trip exploration vehicle out of it. I have done a lot of upgrades over the years to make it suite my needs but it's more or less where I want it. I've driven it on 6 or so cross country trips of over 5k miles each and a lot of shorter trips as well. The 5spd makes it a bit more practical for the highway and the 3b diesel turbo allows it to be more fuel efficient and capable at higher altitudes. The long range tank yields a 600 or so mile driving range between fill ups. I also added a cable locker to the rear axle for some traction. A roof top tent accommodates the sleeping arrangements. I have a propane hot shower set up that operates off of batteries but the next step will be integrating a heat exchanger instead of the propane cylinder and running the shower pump off the vehicle batteries. It's still a work in progress but has been an absolute joy to travel in. I actually just got back from a trip to Ouray, Co for the solid axle summit.
Looks good, how does it drive with that roof top tent? I am trying to not put anything on the roof if i can. By the way i think i saw a picture of your truck well i was deciding what to do with mine. There are not many 40s with the capability to sleep in / on them.
I did start with a board system inside of the truck at window level. It was ok for one person. I did a 3 week trip to huraz Peru with that. It was comfortable, but sucked moving all the stuff around.
I have 2 batteries. And totally rewired
An air compressor that has an quick connect on the rear bumper and a switch on the dash, i don’t have to raise the hood to fill up tires
A water pump that pumps water from a front power washer quick connect, through a heat exchanger that takes heat from the coolant system, through a temperature valve so that out back the shower temp should be constant temp. (Still need to try this out)
Led lights everywhere
A Propex heater that runs off of propane. The truck has a natural gas system on it, so i can fill the propane at a gas station and i heat the truck/ tent at night well i’m Sleeping
Rear air bags - at 20 psi i raised the truck almost 3 inches and got rid of the rear sag
A Downey long range tank - just got it working tonight!! With a tank switch over valve and a switch on the dash
In the back a have cabinets they are great, i’ll Let you know after a month on the road if i still like them.
I put a dash cam in the front, the 40 isn’t the most stable thing to video from
I have 7 cigarettes outlets. 3 in center council, 2 in tent area, 2 at rear of truck
Rear fog lamps for camp needs
120 amp alternator to charge both batteries
I cut the original bench seat for the passenger side and then welded the 2 ends together making a second seat the same size as the drivers seat. This give me room between the seats, the plan is to get a fridge to fit there, but i’m Having trouble getting one delivered here that doesn’t cost me 500 dollars to ship it.
All this stuff, i hope the head gasket i put in and engine does me well.....
I think you are getting way better mpg than i will. I tried to find a diesel here, but no luck at the time i wanted to buy.
Curios to see how you organize your stuff inside.
Picture with roof down. I used semi truck rubber hood latches on the inside and everything is contained in the roof area, so you can’t tell from the outside there it pops up.
I did start with a board system inside of the truck at window level. It was ok for one person. I did a 3 week trip to huraz Peru with that. It was comfortable, but sucked moving all the stuff around.
I have 2 batteries. And totally rewired
An air compressor that has an quick connect on the rear bumper and a switch on the dash, i don’t have to raise the hood to fill up tires
A water pump that pumps water from a front power washer quick connect, through a heat exchanger that takes heat from the coolant system, through a temperature valve so that out back the shower temp should be constant temp. (Still need to try this out)
Led lights everywhere
A Propex heater that runs off of propane. The truck has a natural gas system on it, so i can fill the propane at a gas station and i heat the truck/ tent at night well i’m Sleeping
Rear air bags - at 20 psi i raised the truck almost 3 inches and got rid of the rear sag
A Downey long range tank - just got it working tonight!! With a tank switch over valve and a switch on the dash
In the back a have cabinets they are great, i’ll Let you know after a month on the road if i still like them.
I put a dash cam in the front, the 40 isn’t the most stable thing to video from
I have 7 cigarettes outlets. 3 in center council, 2 in tent area, 2 at rear of truck
Rear fog lamps for camp needs
120 amp alternator to charge both batteries
I cut the original bench seat for the passenger side and then welded the 2 ends together making a second seat the same size as the drivers seat. This give me room between the seats, the plan is to get a fridge to fit there, but i’m Having trouble getting one delivered here that doesn’t cost me 500 dollars to ship it.
All this stuff, i hope the head gasket i put in and engine does me well.....
I think you are getting way better mpg than i will. I tried to find a diesel here, but no luck at the time i wanted to buy.
Curios to see how you organize your stuff inside.
Picture with roof down. I used semi truck rubber hood latches on the inside and everything is contained in the roof area, so you can’t tell from the outside there it pops up.