40 as an Expo rig (1 Viewer)

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Jan 11, 2005
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so I know next to nothing about Landcruisers even after being around this club for almost 15 years.

Talked to a buddy of mine (who has always had 4runners, minis and zukis, etc) who is building an expo rig for him and his wife to travel to AK next summer.

I found the AK Expo thread on here and got to thinking about some things that Matt and I discussed. Below are some notes that we had, please correct errors or make suggestions.
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Weaknesses:

Factory wheelbase is only about 90" which sucks for larger tires as well as approach and departure angles.

Not much room in the rear compared to 60/80 or Tacoma (Matt is 6-6 and 280 pounds)

Not much power compared to newer trucks like 80 or 100, carb'd

Can be expensive to find in good condition (?)

===========================

Strengths:

Tons of aftermarket support

About anything we could think of has probably already been done to a 40

Much lighter than a 60 or an 80 in stock form, by 1000 pounds or more.

Beefier axles compared to a mini or 4runner, may not be an issue for expo.

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this is not meant to be a, "build the ultimate expo rig" or "40 vs the rest of the world" thread, just kicking around some ideas since I know so little about these trucks. So here is what we have so far.

Stretch wheelbase, SOA to fit a wide 35-37" tire, mainly for boggy/conditions found up there. Breakover and belly clearance are not a huge concern in an expo rig. Axles can easily be upgraded, lockers installed, bumpers built, etc., as Matt has access to a full fab shop with plasma, welder, etc.

What are the weak points or what are things to look for or fix in these trucks? Are the certain models that are better than others for certain reasons, etc? Offroading in AK, 20-50 miles from civilization, you want simple, cheap, easy to diagnose and fix, IMO.

He will most likely be driving this truck from SC to AK, camping and staying with friends and family along the way. So it only has to carry him and his wife and their gear in the back.

I think a roof rack would be preferred to a hitch rack. CoG should not be an issue in AK, but a hitch rack hurts with things like river crossings, etc.

He has almost a year to do this, so obviously just in the early stages, still gone on this summer's adventure to Idaho and the PNW actually.

The alternatives are 60/80 wagon or a mini truck/Tacoma, probably an Xtra cab with a bed cover, flat bed or camper shell. They are almost as heavy as a 40 with lighter duty running gear, so not sure if that is a good option or not.

Let the flames begin :flipoff2:
 
If he is driving to AK in a 40 I would suggest some sort of road gear, i.e. a five speed transmission.

Sid
 
First, I would recommend finer definition on what type of expedition conditions they might want to deal with. For example, from what I understand from the ACT stories; that type of expedition requires large wide tires (37by12 or better), a lot of power to spin those tires, fuel efficiency to cut down on fuel you have to carry, water tolerance (lots of deep water crossings), fully locked, large carriage capacity suspension (weight of supplies & gear adds up fast) ... Depending how these requirements work out, driving from SC to AK could turn into towing to & from AK due to road manners and safety. A lot of research and careful consideration will need to go into this because it will probably set the tone for the entire build. [such as the point Sid hit on right off]

Second, The best 'local' resource is in the STLCA. Todd, Rob and Roger were just in AK for the ACT2010. This was the 2nd trip for Roger and Todd. Their trail rigs for the 1st trip were their 40s and wagons for this trip. They have experience with both long & short wheelbase Cruisers now so they probably have a lot to contribute.

Third, Beyond this anything else from me would be conjecture and hearsay (i.e., I would only be proving that I am full of it)

As you learn and turn ideas into actions, please keep the communication coming (words, drawings, pictures, videos) because this is interesting.
Good luck.
 
I am still reading the ACT 2010 thread and while there is not a huge amount of info about configuration of the different trucks, you can pick up a pretty good bit.

Matt will not be doing ACT 2011, at least not that I know of, but will likely encounter similar terrain.

A heavy truck is more stable in river crossing than a lighter one, though that same 5500 pound wagon is going to be a bitch to get free when stuck and is more likely to sink into the peat bogs and swampy areas than the lighter rigs.

So which one do you do? I realise there is no right or wrong, just kicking around ideas for Matt... like maybe an 80 on 54" boggers aired down to 6 psi so he does not sink or get wet in the river crossings. :flipoff2:

problem solved, thanks guys, end of thread.....:D
 
I read on expo alot, forgot about Brian's page, will check that out, thanks

I think I have already come to the conclusion that a 40 is just too small and even with stretching the wheelbase out for lift and bigger tires, it would be so much easier to have a wagon, Tacoma or 4runner.
 
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Just came off the Rubicon in this 40. We spent a week with all the comforts of home!!! Rooftop tent ARB Fridge. 550 Lbs of Human Cargo!
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Hendog - sorry to hijack the thread, but is that a Decker roll cage? Where did you get it....last time I talked to Paul, he wanted like $1500 to build one for me. If there's something new that I don't know about, please enlighten me. Hijack off....
 
That rig is Ross Woodies from Pacific Mountain Cruisers Great Bunch of Guys!!! I flew into Sacremento and was treated like a King. Heres a really cool shot of Mudracks Expedition FJ45, set up very well.
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that 45 conversion is sick as hell, just needs a 1HZ and it would be perfect :D
 

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