2017 Land Cruiser Owner - Looking for mod suggestions (3 Viewers)

[auroracle]

Traded in my 2018 Land Rover Discovery for a stock 2017 Land Cruiser last week and I am already in love with the car and there is still a long way to go. Before I go into what modifications to do, I want to blabber a little bit about where and in what conditions I see myself using the cruiser the most. I stay in the greater Seattle area and I am an absolute Aurora addict. From end of August to middle of April, I visit Alaska at least once a month, sometimes even more than once. This is during the pre-covid times when I used to go to work here in Seattle. Being a software engineer, I had the luxury of working remotely from home for the entirety of last year and took advantage in winter by staying in a remote cabin close to Fairbanks Alaska for a few months and working from there instead. I had the time of my life and envision myself doing it over and over again every winter since I think working remotely will become a norm rather than an exception, at least in the software industry to begin with. Alaska is absolutely magical in winter and my favorite place to photograph and watch the Aurora is way up north of the arctic circle on the Dalton Highway. Given that I stay up almost the whole night in random remote locations and nights can be long and cold up there, a solid reliable car is an absolutely necessity for me. I have watched the lights at temperatures as cold as -60F and I always heavily rely on the car heat. I do have emergency propane backups just in case but my car is my main source of heat and if it dies, then it can get absolutely brutal and life threatening. So far, I have been renting a Jeep cheroke from a local Alaskan company with studded snow tires and I have realized what difference good tires can make. I have driven the Dalton on all-season tires as well in January and it does not even come close. The Jeep cheroke had done a wonderful job in terms of reliability so far but there are so many side roads, ice roads, frozen river crossings etc which I did not dare to cross with that car. I always used to miss a solid car there and I think now you guys understand my move to a cruiser from a rover. I am not a core off-roader and all my off-roading is basically a road to my destination and just not for the sake for off-roading. So I dont see myself doing crazy rock crawling and stuff but I do see myself driving a lot on deep snow, different kinds of ice, ruts, a lot of gravel, some occasional mud due to rain on gravel and ruts, bumpy roads, very high winds, and of course, extremely cold. In terms of load carrying, I do have a nucamp teardrop trailer weighing around 3000 lbs while I plan to tow to Alaska as well once the border re-opens for recreational travel. But this will be in late summer and fall and definitely not in winter. I plan to stay in Alaska next winter from end of December to end of April and if the USA/Canada border is open, I will drive the car there all the way up the Alcan in December within a week. Here are the modifications which i have though about and need some help with deciding.

1) Tires and wheels -
The previous owner already installed new BF Goodrich KO2 (275/65 R18) tires which I think should be good for summer and fall. Do I really need bigger tires? The spare is still stock which I will probably change as well. The wheels are stock Toyota wheels. For winter, I plan to install Nokian Studded tires before my trip to Alaska. I will also carry a full size 2nd spare with me on such long trips, may be a new Nokian or one of the existing KO2's. I am not gonna compromise with the tires for sure which I feel is the most important here. Do I need to change the wheels as well or can the Toyota wheels hold up?

2) Battery -
I have not checked what battery is installed now but I will change this as well if required. Any recommendations? May be an auxiliary battery as well?

3) Engine oil -
Again, not too savvy about these stuffs but synthetic is the way to go right? Any recommendations?

4) Engine block heater -
This is one is extremely important and I will most likely have to get it installed from Toyota of Fairbanks. But I will love to get it installed here before my trip if I can.

5) Interior tire carrier -
I looked at a lot of good options for exterior tire and other load carriers but I am somehow more inclined towards carrying the tire inside. I love this post here and have a friend who is a bit of a handyman willing to help me set it up - Interior Tire Carrier and Storage Platform - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/interior-tire-carrier-and-storage-platform.1169824/ I am not a big fan of the hitch carriers but the slee one's are either unavailable and even if they are available, they are very expensive. They are great, dont get me wrong, but I will spend the money there later if the need be. Its not a must for me.

6) Auxiliary tank - I will definitely get this from long range america but not sure which one to get. What I want is to get the 24g one since I am planning to keep the spare inside but I will give up the space for a second spare if the need be. Does anybody know the maximum tire size that can still be placed there with the smallest auxiliary tank? Also does the 24g tank scrape at the bottom more often on rough terrain?

7) Roof rack - I will mostly be using the roof rack for carrying a propane tank and a few other tools like a spade, axe, hilift, etc, and may be a couple of 5Gallon jerry cans on very long or remote trips. I would have loved to carry the 2nd spare on the roof but since I travel alone, I dont see myself doing that work all by myself in that cold. Those tires and wheels are heavy and I am not powerful at all.

8) Airbags and lift - This is where I am the most confused. I have read threads where people have mentioned their cars sagging on trailer load. I have towed my 3000lb nucamp trailer a few times with the discovery and it did fine. I think its rated similarly in capacity to the cruiser. What I understood is airbags definitely helps but a good quality lift may be even better. So far, I absolutely love the ride in the cruiser but I will do a lot of driving on gravel roads in winter as well. Do I need to change the suspension and lift it? I know cruisers are extremely reliable so if by placing after market parts compromises the reliability, then I will try to shy away from it unless its absolutely necessary. Any thoughts on this will be really appreciated.

9) Air lockers - Since the cruiser does not come with a rear diff locker, I was thinking whether I should install one or not. Do I need air lockers in heavy snow or is the central locker with crawl control is good enough. I have seen some crazy videos of crawl control which makes me think its not required but any suggestions here will be really useful. Also are these reliable in cold?

10) Air compressor - I do have a portable air compressor but I find one installed in the car really useful as well. Any recommendations?


That's mostly what I could think of. I am super excited and already counting months. Hopefully I will be able to sort everything out by December. Please do recommend any other mods which may be useful for my scenario as well. Also any local shops here in the greater Seattle area that you recommend. I can even drive far if the need be.

 

[auroracle]

Traded in my 2018 Land Rover Discovery for a stock 2017 Land Cruiser last week and I am already in love with the car and there is still a long way to go. Before I go into what modifications to do, I want to blabber a little bit about where and in what conditions I see myself using the cruiser the most. I stay in the greater Seattle area and I am an absolute Aurora addict. From end of August to middle of April, I visit Alaska at least once a month, sometimes even more than once. This is during the pre-covid times when I used to go to work here in Seattle. Being a software engineer, I had the luxury of working remotely from home for the entirety of last year and took advantage in winter by staying in a remote cabin close to Fairbanks Alaska for a few months and working from there instead. I had the time of my life and envision myself doing it over and over again every winter since I think working remotely will become a norm rather than an exception, at least in the software industry to begin with. Alaska is absolutely magical in winter and my favorite place to photograph and watch the Aurora is way up north of the arctic circle on the Dalton Highway. Given that I stay up almost the whole night in random remote locations and nights can be long and cold up there, a solid reliable car is an absolutely necessity for me. I have watched the lights at temperatures as cold as -60F and I always heavily rely on the car heat. I do have emergency propane backups just in case but my car is my main source of heat and if it dies, then it can get absolutely brutal and life threatening. So far, I have been renting a Jeep cheroke from a local Alaskan company with studded snow tires and I have realized what difference good tires can make. I have driven the Dalton on all-season tires as well in January and it does not even come close. The Jeep cheroke had done a wonderful job in terms of reliability so far but there are so many side roads, ice roads, frozen river crossings etc which I did not dare to cross with that car. I always used to miss a solid car there and I think now you guys understand my move to a cruiser from a rover. I am not a core off-roader and all my off-roading is basically a road to my destination and just not for the sake for off-roading. So I dont see myself doing crazy rock crawling and stuff but I do see myself driving a lot on deep snow, different kinds of ice, ruts, a lot of gravel, some occasional mud due to rain on gravel and ruts, bumpy roads, very high winds, and of course, extremely cold. In terms of load carrying, I do have a nucamp teardrop trailer weighing around 3000 lbs while I plan to tow to Alaska as well once the border re-opens for recreational travel. But this will be in late summer and fall and definitely not in winter. I plan to stay in Alaska next winter from end of December to end of April and if the USA/Canada border is open, I will drive the car there all the way up the Alcan in December within a week. Here are the modifications which i have though about and need some help with deciding.

1) Tires and wheels -
The previous owner already installed new BF Goodrich KO2 (275/65 R18) tires which I think should be good for summer and fall. Do I really need bigger tires? The spare is still stock which I will probably change as well. The wheels are stock Toyota wheels. For winter, I plan to install Nokian Studded tires before my trip to Alaska. I will also carry a full size 2nd spare with me on such long trips, may be a new Nokian or one of the existing KO2's. I am not gonna compromise with the tires for sure which I feel is the most important here. Do I need to change the wheels as well or can the Toyota wheels hold up?

2) Battery -
I have not checked what battery is installed now but I will change this as well if required. Any recommendations? May be an auxiliary battery as well?

3) Engine oil -
Again, not too savvy about these stuffs but synthetic is the way to go right? Any recommendations?

4) Engine block heater -
This is one is extremely important and I will most likely have to get it installed from Toyota of Fairbanks. But I will love to get it installed here before my trip if I can.

5) Interior tire carrier -
I looked at a lot of good options for exterior tire and other load carriers but I am somehow more inclined towards carrying the tire inside. I love this post here and have a friend who is a bit of a handyman willing to help me set it up - Interior Tire Carrier and Storage Platform - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/interior-tire-carrier-and-storage-platform.1169824/ I am not a big fan of the hitch carriers but the slee one's are either unavailable and even if they are available, they are very expensive. They are great, dont get me wrong, but I will spend the money there later if the need be. Its not a must for me.

6) Auxiliary tank - I will definitely get this from long range america but not sure which one to get. What I want is to get the 24g one since I am planning to keep the spare inside but I will give up the space for a second spare if the need be. Does anybody know the maximum tire size that can still be placed there with the smallest auxiliary tank? Also does the 24g tank scrape at the bottom more often on rough terrain?

7) Roof rack - I will mostly be using the roof rack for carrying a propane tank and a few other tools like a spade, axe, hilift, etc, and may be a couple of 5Gallon jerry cans on very long or remote trips. I would have loved to carry the 2nd spare on the roof but since I travel alone, I dont see myself doing that work all by myself in that cold. Those tires and wheels are heavy and I am not powerful at all.

8) Airbags and lift - This is where I am the most confused. I have read threads where people have mentioned their cars sagging on trailer load. I have towed my 3000lb nucamp trailer a few times with the discovery and it did fine. I think its rated similarly in capacity to the cruiser. What I understood is airbags definitely helps but a good quality lift may be even better. So far, I absolutely love the ride in the cruiser but I will do a lot of driving on gravel roads in winter as well. Do I need to change the suspension and lift it? I know cruisers are extremely reliable so if by placing after market parts compromises the reliability, then I will try to shy away from it unless its absolutely necessary. Any thoughts on this will be really appreciated.

9) Air lockers - Since the cruiser does not come with a rear diff locker, I was thinking whether I should install one or not. Do I need air lockers in heavy snow or is the central locker with crawl control is good enough. I have seen some crazy videos of crawl control which makes me think its not required but any suggestions here will be really useful. Also are these reliable in cold?

10) Air compressor - I do have a portable air compressor but I find one installed in the car really useful as well. Any recommendations?


That's mostly what I could think of. I am super excited and already counting months. Hopefully I will be able to sort everything out by December. Please do recommend any other mods which may be useful for my scenario as well. Also any local shops here in the greater Seattle area that you recommend. I can even drive far if the need be.

 

[CharlieS]

There are a couple of guys on here either from Alaska or that spend a lot of time there that can probably give you great advice. Paging @coleAK, as I think he’s one of them.

I can’t answer many of your questions, but here are a few. The stock rims are great, no need for aftermarket. Plus you can pick them up inexpensively if you want to keep your snows mounted or for spare tires. The Long Range America tanks are sweet, if you are putting spares inside or up top, go for the big daddy 40. You don’t have to fill it up if you don’t want to, but you can when you’re going to be remote and you’ll be happy you have the capacity. For mounted air compressors, ARB has a big following, and Slee makes a great under hood mounting tray for it. You won’t even notice a 3000 lb trailer towing with a 200. If your trailer has brakes, Redarc Tow Pro Elite is a great brake controller that is a stealthy install and could pass for a factory part.

 

[auroracle]

There are a couple of guys on here either from Alaska or that spend a lot of time there that can probably give you great advice. Paging @coleAK, as I think he’s one of them.

I can’t answer many of your questions, but here are a few. The stock rims are great, no need for aftermarket. Plus you can pick end up inexpensively if you want to keep you snows mounted of for spare tires. The Long Range America tanks are sweet, if you are putting spares inside or up top, go for the big daddy 40. You don’t have to fill it up if you don’t want to, but you can when you’re going to be remote and you’ll be happy you have the capacity. For mounted air compressors, ARB has a big following, and Slee makes a great under hood mounting tray for it. You won’t even. It notice a 3000 lb trailer towing with a 200. If it has brakes, Redarc Tow Pro Elite is a great brake controller that is a stealthy install and could pass for a factory part.

Thanks a lot. That's exactly the kind of help that I was looking for. I actually forgot to mention about the brake controller. I installed a Prodigy P2 on the discovery which I transferred to the cruiser now. But I like the redarc factory look and may change it later. Interesting that you have mentioned the 40g one. I will absolutely love to have that and not worry about gas again but wont it compromise my ground clearance?

 

[Sandroad]

Great intro and great choice of vehicles! I visited the aurora research facility in Churchill Manitoba a few years ago and was super impressed with their dome windows and full horizon fisheye lenses.

Some ideas.......

1) I agree to not compromise on tires, so I suggest getting matching spares. This is where you should spend the money! Make sure you have enough jack support (3/4 plywood doubled) along for the gravel and ice you'll be in!

2) If the original Panasonic battery is in there, it's going to be pushing 5 years old by the time you make the next trip north. Get a new one. Slee makes a good battery tray if you go with a group 31, but I didn't see anything in your use case that would warrant something other than a good OEM size group 27F like the Toyota Trustart. Buy and keep charged a NOCO Boost Pro GB150 as emergency power and/or jump starting.

3) Go with the AK experts, but I suspect they will say 0-20, since that's the recommended weight and is synthetic.

4) Yup

5) Don't know, but your right about not trying to carry a spare on the roof

6) Don't know

7) I assume you'll be getting a full rack? Jerry cans are heavy. Maybe consider Rotopax for what you want to have up there?

8) The LC towing capacity is 8100 lbs, NOT similar to your 3000 lb teardrop! You won't need a lift or airbags unless you plan to do major off-road time or have a LOT of heavy equipment in the cargo area. Others will disagree with me on this, but I'm a disciple of KISS when it comes to suspension mods.

9) IMHO, lockers are a detriment on slippery surfaces. They cause both wheels to spin at once, leading to fishtailing. Trust the LCs traction control systems for the travels you've mentioned so far.

10) See @CharlieS response.

There are some great Mud members in the Seattle area. A quick search on here will turn some up. paging @kreiten

 

[auroracle]

Great intro and great choice of vehicles! I visited the aurora research facility in Churchill Manitoba a few years ago and was super impressed with their dome windows and full horizon fisheye lenses.

Some ideas.......

1) I agree to not compromise on tires, so I suggest getting matching spares. This is where you should spend the money! Make sure you have enough jack support (3/4 plywood doubled) along for the gravel and ice you'll be in!

2) If the original Panasonic battery is in there, it's going to be pushing 5 years old by the time you make the next trip north. Get a new one. Slee makes a good battery tray if you go with a group 31, but I didn't see anything in your use case that would warrant something other than a good OEM size group 27F like the Toyota Trustart. Buy and keep charged a NOCO Boost Pro GB150 as emergency power and/or jump starting.

3) Go with the AK experts, but I suspect they will say 0-20, since that's the recommended weight and is synthetic.

4) Yup

5) Don't know, but your right about not trying to carry a spare on the roof

6) Don't know

7) I assume you'll be getting a full rack? Jerry cans are heavy. Maybe consider Rotopax for what you want to have up there?

8) The LC towing capacity is 8100 lbs, NOT similar to your 3000 lb teardrop! You won't need a lift or airbags unless you plan to do major off-road time or have a LOT of heavy equipment in the cargo area. Others will disagree with me on this, but I'm a disciple of KISS when it comes to suspension mods.

9) IMHO, lockers are a detriment on slippery surfaces. They cause both wheels to spin at once, leading to fishtailing. Trust the LCs traction control systems for the travels you've mentioned so far.

10) See @CharlieS response.

There are some great Mud members in the Seattle area. A quick search on here will turn some up. paging @kreiten

I always follow Churchill Manitoba's Polar Bear Observatory aurora cam before it gets dark in Alaska. It gives me an idea on what is about to happen once it gets dark. The best aurora cam IMO. The jack support did not come to my mind. Very important, thanks for that. I already carry a battery jump starter with me on my trips there and its in my car all the time, charged of course. I am not planning to get a full rack, basically something that wont compromise the moon roof, in my case, I will call it the aurora roof. I have a big use of that. Being able to keep your body warm with just your head out is a big win in that cold. I am also against doing any structural modifications unless its absolutely necessary. I see myself needing the aux gas tank, so that I will definitely do. Thanks for the info on Seattle area.

 

[kreiten]

Welcome to the gang, sounds like some awesome adventures up north, let's see some of the shots you grabbed of the Aurora! What kinda camera gear you rolling? I've driving a ton of snow in the mountains around here in my 200 and have found the atrac works great, multi-terrain select will allow you to choose how much wheel slippage ya want the system to allow and then ya always got CRAWL control to play around with also if needed. (Lockers are always great to have, so if ya got the cash laying around or are doing gears etc, I would slap them in for fun! I run the dual ARB air compressor on my rigs and have been very happy with it. Might want to think of upgrading to a better aftermarket suspension if you are going to be spending lots of time on gravel roads with lots of washboarding/corrugation, just my 2 cents, the stock suspension does ok on it but not great. Congrats on the Cruiser, just an hour south of ya so maybe see ya around, Cheers!

 

[kreiten]

Hit up Torfab in Everett, they know the 200’s really well

 

[auroracle]

Welcome to the gang, sounds like some awesome adventures up north, let's see some of the shots you grabbed of the Aurora! What kinda camera gear you rolling? I've driving a ton of snow in the mountains around here in my 200 and have found the atrac works great, multi-terrain select will allow you to choose how much wheel slippage ya want the system to allow and then ya always got CRAWL control to play around with also if needed. (Lockers are always great to have, so if ya got the cash laying around or are doing gears etc, I would slap them in for fun! I run the dual ARB air compressor on my rigs and have been very happy with it. Might want to think of upgrading to a better aftermarket suspension if you are going to be spending lots of time on gravel roads with lots of washboarding/corrugation, just my 2 cents, the stock suspension does ok on it but not great. Congrats on the Cruiser, just an hour south of ya so maybe see ya around, Cheers!

First of all, it gives me so much peace and joy that I have a fellow cruiser just an hour south. I am also pretty active on the Aurora Borealis Notifications group in facebook based out of North Pole. Here are a few of my favorite shots from last winter. I am yet to process a lot of shots - Alaska Trip Winter 2021 - https://photos.app.goo.gl/rVh4tqPtD7DERwHJ8 I carry a Nikon D750 and a Z6 along with a sigma 14mm f2.8 and a sigma 20mm f1.4 as my primary lenses. Sometimes I will also use an 85mm f1.8 nikor for mountain top shots but rarely. I also carry other stuffs like a couple of sturdy tripods, a manfroto befree as my primary one and also a peak design (not so sturdy but extremely light), parka, etc etc. Stuffs that you need to make sure the camera does not die which sadly it often does. Thanks for the suggestion on the lockers and the suspension. I might be able to shell out the cash but are these after market parts reliable in that cold? Are they even tested in that temperature? If reliability is not a big issue and it makes the ride comfortable and more manageable, I will definitely try to get it done. Do you have any recommendations on the lockers and the suspension? I have read a few threads where people raised concerns about changing the UCA and stuffs like that which I don't understand a lot. My goal is to get as much of the main mods like suspension, lockers, etc done by end of summer so that I can thoroughly test it over fall. Hopefully I will be able to go ahead with my plan. If I am spending the next winter there, my cruiser will definitely be with me. If the border stays closed, I will ship it to Fairbanks or Anchorage.

 

[kreiten]

First of all, it gives me so much peace and joy that I have a fellow cruiser just an hour south. I am also pretty active on the Aurora Borealis Notifications group in facebook based out of North Pole. Here are a few of my favorite shots from last winter. I am yet to process a lot of shots - Alaska Trip Winter 2021 - https://photos.app.goo.gl/rVh4tqPtD7DERwHJ8 I carry a Nikon D750 and a Z6 along with a sigma 14mm f2.8 and a sigma 20mm f1.4 as my primary lenses. Sometimes I will also use an 85mm f1.8 nikor for mountain top shots but rarely. I also carry other stuffs like a couple of sturdy tripods, a manfroto befree as my primary one and also a peak design (not so sturdy but extremely light), parka, etc etc. Stuffs that you need to make sure the camera does not die which sadly it often does. Thanks for the suggestion on the lockers and the suspension. I might be able to shell out the cash but are these after market parts reliable in that cold? Are they even tested in that temperature? If reliability is not a big issue and it makes the ride comfortable and more manageable, I will definitely try to get it done. Do you have any recommendations on the lockers and the suspension? I have read a few threads where people raised concerns about changing the UCA and stuffs like that which I don't understand a lot. My goal is to get as much of the main mods like suspension, lockers, etc done by end of summer so that I can thoroughly test it over fall. Hopefully I will be able to go ahead with my plan. If I am spending the next winter there, my cruiser will definitely be with me. If the border stays closed, I will ship it to Fairbanks or Anchorage.

Awesome stuff, nice gear, love the prime lenses, I've got a handfull of them too but nothing that wide, I think 28mm is my widest. I have a handful of Nikon DSLR's, my oldest is the Nikon D700, it's been with us for over 12 years now, dropped on solid rock in the Grand Canyon, been in frozen rain on Black Bear pass, been blasted with super find sand on the Rubicon etc... Manfrotto tripods are my fav, I got the pistol grip, don't use it much but damn that thing is solid! The damn thing just keeps going I rock the Ironman Cellfoam pro kit, it's proly what you would call a lower end kit but also takes very little maintenance and after almost 7 years of beatin it's still holding up nicely! Talk to Nick and Torfab and he can proly walk ya through what suspension might work best for what you are doing and the weight etc... I use the ARB air lockers, trouble free so far and they have gotten me out of some jams forsure! Congrats again on the rig, hit me up if ya have more questions etc...

 

[auroracle]

Awesome stuff, nice gear, love the prime lenses, I've got a handfull of them too but nothing that wide, I think 28mm is my widest. I have a handful of Nikon DSLR's, my oldest is the Nikon D700, it's been with us for over 12 years now, dropped on solid rock in the Grand Canyon, been in frozen rain on Black Bear pass, been blasted with super find sand on the Rubicon etc... Manfrotto tripods are my fav, I got the pistol grip, don't use it much but damn that thing is solid! The damn thing just keeps going I rock the Ironman Cellfoam pro kit, it's proly what you would call a lower end kit but also takes very little maintenance and after almost 7 years of beatin it's still holding up nicely! Talk to Nick and Torfab and he can proly walk ya through what suspension might work best for what you are doing and the weight etc... I use the ARB air lockers, trouble free so far and they have gotten me out of some jams forsure! Congrats again on the rig, hit me up if ya have more questions etc...

Solid gear. I will never give up my D750, absolutely love that camera. I have already sent out an email to Torfab. I am extremely excited to get these things rolling. I feel the land cruiser is probably the best suv to be driven in the arctic from every angle. If I ever give up my cruiser, that will only be for a tundra. I test drove one, that thing is so huge that I decided now is not the time yet Thanks again for all the suggestions. I will definitely have tons of questions going forward

 

[04UZJ100]

We ran studded Hakka 9s in Alaska. It’s like cheating. Highly recommend going with the absolute best - especially under the conditions you’ll be driving in.

Have had the LX at -40F and was amazed at how easily it kept the inside toasty warm.

 

[auroracle]

We ran studded Hakka 9s in Alaska. It’s like cheating. Highly recommend going with the absolute best - especially under the conditions you’ll be driving in.

Have had the LX at -40F and was amazed at how easily it kept the inside toasty warm.

I had the studless Hakka on my disco and I took it to Yellowknife in Canada during Christmas 2019. It was amazing. I can only imagine how good the studded ones will be. I will definitely run the Hakka studded on my way there and while I am there. No compromises there. -40F gives me chills already. I remember those nights shooting the auroras there last winter and my Jeep cheroke temperature gauge was stuck at -39 for the entire 120 miles from Yukon river to Coldfoot. I later found out that there were areas in between like prospect creek which recorded -55 that night. The jeep temperature gauge could only go as low as -39. I am so relived to know that it keeps your warm and toasty at -40. I even sleep in the car most of the time on my chases. The interior is already so spacious and comfy.

 

[molanginaeda]

Awesome photos of Northern Light. In lower 48, we rarely can see the dancing light. I do say rarely, but I got a glimpse of it in Northern Montana. It was a life experience. Can't wait to travel to the region where I can view more.

 

[fj40crusher]

First of all, it gives me so much peace and joy that I have a fellow cruiser just an hour south. I am also pretty active on the Aurora Borealis Notifications group in facebook based out of North Pole. Here are a few of my favorite shots from last winter. I am yet to process a lot of shots - Alaska Trip Winter 2021 - https://photos.app.goo.gl/rVh4tqPtD7DERwHJ8 I carry a Nikon D750 and a Z6 along with a sigma 14mm f2.8 and a sigma 20mm f1.4 as my primary lenses. Sometimes I will also use an 85mm f1.8 nikor for mountain top shots but rarely. I also carry other stuffs like a couple of sturdy tripods, a manfroto befree as my primary one and also a peak design (not so sturdy but extremely light), parka, etc etc. Stuffs that you need to make sure the camera does not die which sadly it often does. Thanks for the suggestion on the lockers and the suspension. I might be able to shell out the cash but are these after market parts reliable in that cold? Are they even tested in that temperature? If reliability is not a big issue and it makes the ride comfortable and more manageable, I will definitely try to get it done. Do you have any recommendations on the lockers and the suspension? I have read a few threads where people raised concerns about changing the UCA and stuffs like that which I don't understand a lot. My goal is to get as much of the main mods like suspension, lockers, etc done by end of summer so that I can thoroughly test it over fall. Hopefully I will be able to go ahead with my plan. If I am spending the next winter there, my cruiser will definitely be with me. If the border stays closed, I will ship it to Fairbanks or Anchorage.

Instead of shipping it you could take the Alaskan ferry out of Bellingham WA. Would add to the adventure, I hear that is a beautiful boat ride.

Alaska Ferry Rates - Viking Travel Inc. / AlaskaFerry.com | Alaska Ferry Bookings and Custom Alaska Tours | Petersburg, Alaska

The State of Alaska Marine Highway Ferry System offers year-round ferry service from Bellingham, WA to the port of Haines, a twelve hour drive from Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city. Are you looking to arrive closer or not wanting to drive through Canada? The ferry also departs from Bellingham...

alaskaferry.com

 

[auroracle]

Awesome photos of Northern Light. In lower 48, we rarely can see the dancing light. I do say rarely, but I got a glimpse of it in Northern Montana. It was a life experience. Can't wait to travel to the region where I can view more.

The first time I saw the lights was from Western Washington back in summer 2015. But Alaska is something else. Ask me any questions you might have if you are planning a trip up there. I have tons of answers for you

 

[auroracle]

Instead of shipping it you could take the Alaskan ferry out of Bellingham WA. Would add to the adventure, I hear that is a beautiful boat ride.

Alaska Ferry Rates - Viking Travel Inc. / AlaskaFerry.com | Alaska Ferry Bookings and Custom Alaska Tours | Petersburg, Alaska

The State of Alaska Marine Highway Ferry System offers year-round ferry service from Bellingham, WA to the port of Haines, a twelve hour drive from Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city. Are you looking to arrive closer or not wanting to drive through Canada? The ferry also departs from Bellingham...

alaskaferry.com

Yes, I have thought about that as well but I dont think it will be a very enjoyable experience in December. I dont know whether the ferry even runs during winter or not but I will definitely look a little bit more into it when the time comes. If the Canadian border still remains closed, it might be even cheaper to transport the car in the ferry rather than shipping.

 

[KLF]

Here's a thread about block heaters, I did install one, link is in the thread. It does work well, but honestly I don't use it much. Worst part about the install is routing the cord to avoid the exhaust.

Engine Block Heater

Curious, has anyone installed an engine block heater? As we get closer to the winter months I've been thinking more and more about installing one. My work has outlets at our parking spots for heaters to be plugged in, so I figured why not. If so, what heater did you go with and how easy was...

forum.ih8mud.com

I also have a D750, it's a fantastic camera, but I never use it anymore. Will be posting it up for sale very soon.

 

[coleAK]

I’m in Alaska. Based on what you have said I don’t see any reason to do lockers, airbags, suspension, or a lift. If you are stuck to the point that lockers could help in the snow it’s a very bad day. If you are planning on off roading alone (which I don’t recommend up here especially) I think a winch would be way more critical then lockers. LCs are very heavy and not the best snow/winter vehicles. Better then pickups, better then most large SUVs but when the roads are terrible I take our old 2004 MB e320 4 matic. You are talking about venturing off the Dalton, personally I wouldn’t feel safe doing that in anything but a snow machine or purpose built “Arctic truck”. The guys I know that off road in the winter up there all have Pretry cool built up Subaru’s or heavily modded Wranglers or Tacos on huge tires 38-44” with bead locks. Weight is your enemy in untracked snow and a Subaru is ~3000 lbs lighter then a 200 series.

For big trucks, Things like this go well across the Arctic: Toyota LC150 AT44 Gallery - http://arctictrucks.com/toyota-lc150-44/#gallery

Nokian make the best winter tires with out a doubt. For winter on my LX I run p metric 265/60-18 (30.5”) hakka 7’s on 18” tundra take offs. We have hakka 9’s on our Tesla and Subaru and Hakka 7’s on our MB. I’ve exclusively run Nokinas in the winter for at least 10 years on all our vehicles. In the summer I have run KO2’s in 285/55-20 (32”) this summer I’m due for new and switching to toyo at3 or wild peaks and still looking for a set of RWs. If you are dead set of venturing off the Dalton in a 200 in the winter I’d consider studded Hakka LT3 in 285/70-17. Those tires will give you less performance on winter roads and ice (then a Hakka 9 or 10) but better off trail performance aired down.

Also battery warmer is as important as a block heater and you need both.

For roof racks I’m not a fan of the huge overland/safari racks. I’ve been using a basic Yakama round bar set up for ~30 years. I’ve had My 66” bars for going on 20 years. If I were to buy new ones today I would get the 78”. On my OEM rails with Yakama rail grab and round bars I regularly carry: a skybox 17, skybox 21 (individually and both at the same time), 4 5’x15’ dip nets, double ski racks, a skinny warrior basket (firewood, gas cans, spare tire(s), traction boards,...), 2 bikes (in addition to 4 on a north shore hitch rack), and a 21’ canoe. I’ve never run into a scenario where I couldn’t use my current roof rack.

another thing to consider is lighting. The guys that I know who venture way up north regularly in the winter have massive light set ups. An extra $1500+ would be better spent on a nice KC or Hella set up then on a designer roof rack.

for spare tires I have 2 sets: 5 winter and 6 summer tire/wheel set ups. If you are going where you are talking about north of Fairbanks in the winter I would do a set of 5 for winter as well, will probably be ok since flats are much less likely on snow/ice. But could do 6 wheels/tires for the winter. Also jacking up a and changing a tire in snow sucks... need a large platform to put it on and probably a high rise jack.

did I miss anything?

 

[auroracle]

I’m in Alaska. Based on what you have said I don’t see any reason to do lockers, airbags, suspension, or a lift. If you are stuck to the point that lockers could help in the snow it’s a very bad day. If you are planning on off roading alone (which I don’t recommend up here especially) I think a winch would be way more critical then lockers. LCs are very heavy and not the best snow/winter vehicles. Better then pickups, better then most large SUVs but when the roads are terrible I take our old 2004 MB e320 4 matic. You are talking about venturing off the Dalton, personally I wouldn’t feel safe doing that in anything but a snow machine or purpose built “Arctic truck”. The guys I know that off road in the winter up there all have Pretry cool built up Subaru’s or heavily modded Wranglers or Tacos on huge tires 38-44” with bead locks. Weight is your enemy in untracked snow and a Subaru is ~3000 lbs lighter then a 200 series.

For big trucks, Things like this go well across the Arctic: Toyota LC150 AT44 Gallery - http://arctictrucks.com/toyota-lc150-44/#gallery

Nokian make the best winter tires with out a doubt. For winter on my LX I run p metric 265/60-18 (30.5”) hakka 7’s on 18” tundra take offs. We have hakka 9’s on our Tesla and Subaru and Hakka 7’s on our MB. I’ve exclusively run Nokinas in the winter for at least 10 years on all our vehicles. In the summer I have run KO2’s in 285/55-20 (32”) this summer I’m due for new and switching to toyo at3 or wild peaks and still looking for a set of RWs. If you are dead set of venturing off the Dalton in a 200 in the winter I’d consider studded Hakka LT3 in 285/70-17. Those tires will give you less performance on winter roads and ice (then a Hakka 9 or 10) but better off trail performance aired down.

Also battery warmer is as important as a block heater and you need both.

For roof racks I’m not a fan of the huge overland/safari racks. I’ve been using a basic Yakama round bar set up for ~30 years. I’ve had My 66” bars for going on 20 years. If I were to buy new ones today I would get the 78”. On my OEM rails with Yakama rail grab and round bars I regularly carry: a skybox 17, skybox 21 (individually and both at the same time), 4 5’x15’ dip nets, double ski racks, a skinny warrior basket (firewood, gas cans, spare tire(s), traction boards,...), 2 bikes (in addition to 4 on a north shore hitch rack), and a 21’ canoe. I’ve never run into a scenario where I couldn’t use my current roof rack.

another thing to consider is lighting. The guys that I know who venture way up north regularly in the winter have massive light set ups. An extra $1500+ would be better spent on a nice KC or Hella set up then on a designer roof rack.

for spare tires I have 2 sets: 5 winter and 6 summer tire/wheel set ups. If you are going where you are talking about north of Fairbanks in the winter I would do a set of 5 for winter as well, will probably be ok since flats are much less likely on snow/ice. But could do 6 wheels/tires for the winter. Also jacking up a and changing a tire in snow sucks... need a large platform to put it on and probably a high rise jack.

did I miss anything?

I hope you have not missed anything The arctic trucks look freaking awesome but I am sure it will cost me a kidney. The type of off-roading that you are referring to, I am definitely not gonna do that. One example off my winter off-roading from the Dalton is the winter road to Bettles from Prospect Creek. I ventured around 2 miles into the road last winter on the rented Jeep cheroke and turned around once it started getting too bumpy. I think the cruiser could have handled it easily, there were a couple of river crossings ahead and chances of some overflows but I am pretty sure a good set of studded nokians and tire chains will pull through it. Do the tire size 285/70-17 fit on stock LC? I am leaning more towards studded snow tires, specifically these - Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV - Winter tires / Nokian Tires - https://www.nokiantires.com/winter-tires/nokian-hakkapeliitta-9-suv/

The reason I was thinking about air lockers is they might come in handy in deep snow but again, I dont know the true capabilities of the atrac and crawl controls yet. But I can easily imagine a situation where one side of my car is stuck in snow and the other side has traction. If the car dynamics can pull me out in a situation like that without front and rear lockers, then I am totally fine without installing one. I have read some mixed posts here about ARB lockers freezing up in extreme cold, although there are many conflicting opinions about that, but none the less, its an after market part and one extra part to fail.

I was thinking more about the lift because I see myself towing my 3000 lb trailer quite a bit for very long distances but based on a few answers here, it looks like it should not be a problem at all. Then it only comes down to if the lift gives me any added advantage in terrains I am planning to visit. Do you know how much snow depth can a stock suspension handle? Also, getting a new suspension now looks to be extremely difficult. Almost everything is out of stock everywhere.

Is the battery warmer something I will need to get installed from Toyota of Fairbanks or Anchorage?

I am looking for a roof rack as well. I want it to be as light as possible as I dont plan to carry very heavy load like tires and wheels. I will mostly use it to carry a 5lb propane tank, a shovel, axe, jack and other similar tools and may be a couple of 5 gallon jerry cans from time to time. Even roof rack availability is a big problem now. Anything basic that is solid and does the job should be fine but I will like to have my moonroof accessible. Any current rack on the market that you recommend? The stuffs that you carry on your rack, I will not carry anything close to that, at least not in the beginning.

I have actually thought about extra lights. Hunting auroras means pretty much in the dark all the time and nights are super long out there. I see you also mentioned a winch and I was also thinking of a solid front bumper which will give me some protection from animals. I have seen so many caribous and other animals crossing the road all the time at night. Although I dont know if they will be any good against a moose. They are huge and they are everywhere, not soo far up north though. May be I can incorporate all the 3 together and spend some good money on the front bumpers. Again, I am pretty sure availability will be an issue. Any recommendation will be helpful again.