Affordable build ideas?! (1 Viewer)

[SCDreamer]

I've had my LC for almost a year now and I think I've finally finished all the PM's and getting it to a place where I feel good about driving it long distances to remote places. Maybe since all the boring stuff is out of the way and its all the goodies from here on out I should start a build thread too? haha The direction I want to take this build is finally starting to take shape and I've found a handful of threads or builds with the minimalist/economy/light weight core principle, but there are some ideas and thoughts I've had that I haven't seen addressed very well so I thought I'd ask the questions and hopefully start a thread for the topic.

I found these threads and they kinda got me going on how I'd like to currently have it set up based on my intended use and budget constraints:

How would you build a simple yet capable FZJ80? [Archive] - Expedition Portal
If I was to start all over again, I would...
Winch inside stock bumper fzj80
Best mod for under $100?

My goal is to minimize additional weight as much as possible while creating a very capable rig without going bananas on heavy/expensive upgrades. So in terms of mods it looks something like this:

Completed/Future upgrades:
-PHH (completed)
-285 BFG KO2s (completed)
-Spare tire tuck (completed)
-Attic rack (completed)
-Diff breathers (completed)
-PCV catch can
-Simple low profile sliders
-Winch w/synthetic line in factory bumper
-Spacer in front to level if necessary
-DIY hand throttle (bicycle brake cable setup maybe?)
-Cheap on board air (Viair 88P?)
-Cheap DIY sleep platform?
-TMS Dorkel?

Things to stay away from for now
-Dual battery
-Heavy front and rear bumpers and swing outs
-Heavy drawer systems
-RTT
-Expensive suspension upgrades

So here are the questions:
1) I've never had a winch before so how effectively can I run a 10K winch on a single battery? I know I should be concerned about burning out the battery right? So with the addition of a hand throttle and maybe having a portable jumper starter or something like this as a backup in case I kill the battery?
Amazon.com: Suaoki T10 12000 mAh 400 Amp Peak Portable Car Jump Starter Battery Booster with USB Power Bank and LED Flashlight for Truck Motorcycle Boat Automotive, Red and Black: Automotive
If I pay attention to the solenoid, duty cycle, and the battery are these viable options or am I being naive?

2) Are those portable jump starters any good? Obviously I'm not out going to be relying on it in some backcountry, ultra remote, life or death situation. But is it good enough to have as a "just in case"?

3) Will the little 12V Viair 88P (or similar) compressor be enough to air the 285 BFGs back up? I like the Puma set up, but again added cost/space/weight.


So what do you guys think? Am I setting myself up for failure or could the single battery and winch plan work well? You guys got any other good ideas I'm missing out on? I want my money to be going towards trips instead of toys and add-ons, as awesome as most of them are...

 

[LINUS]

I run a hand throttle on my Odyessy battery & have a 12K Warn I routinely setup as a compound pull (longer time, less drain).

Batteries were lasting ~3 yrs for the old crap Optimas, and better when old Optima - I'm going into year 4 on this Odyssey & it's prob going to kick it next fall. Oh well.

My old 450 I ran the ARB basic compressor & a Warn 8K all off a yellowtop Optima, but it was the good Optimas - sold that 80 years ago. But it worked.

Add a CDL switch - that's damn cheap, nip the pin #7 wire if you want for added neat-o factor.

IDK about the other stuff you posted, I don't have it.

 

[mingles]

I have the XP-10 jump pack and have been very happy with it. I have used it to jump start three cars w/dead batteries so far over the last 6 months and it still shows 2/3 charged. No experience with it on a winch drained battery but I expect it would get you going again.

Amazon.com: Antigravity Batteries AG-XP-10 Multi-Function Power Supply and Jump Starter: Automotive

I tried cheaper jump packs prior to the XP-10 and was very disappointed. The smaller ones are only rated for a 4 or 6 cyl engines and I wanted to have the ability to jump start ANY motor I might realistically come across.

The other addition I would make to your list is some version of solar. If used panels are purchased on Craigslist you should be able to get a 50-100W system (parts only) for ~ $100. If you are in the boonies it's all about redundant systems. Sun is free and it gives you another option to keep your battery up.

 

[pjess50]

I would go with Aussie or Lokka locker (unless you have the factory lockers), some good 33“ tires, a good air compressor with the little air down thingys, maybe some stock height springs and then call it a day.
These items are not very exciting but they are effective.

 

[half k cruiser]

I have actually been putting a lot of thought into this lately. Of all the trails my 97 has done i'm certain my wife's 94 would have done 90% of them without incident. Both of the trucks have lockers. My 97 is completely done up, dual batt, armor, winch, 3" suspension, and on and on. Her truck has lockers, stock height OME suspension and nothing else. My advice to you would be if you aren't looking to put a bunch of extras on the truck, then spend the money to get good quality on the things you do upgrade. For instance.....

1) Don't bother with the winch. Don't put yourself in the situations where you will need it. I've personally never had to winch myself and I've done what I feel like are some pretty technical trails. The winch has been on my truck for years and only used to pull one person up a wet stretch of slick rock. If he had lockers he would have come right up it. You get in trouble when you start playing in the mud, especially with the BFG KO's.
2) I highly recommend the anti gravity battery packs. Use mine several times a year. They are good quality and you can charge phones from them or laptops.
3) Get a nice onboard compressor. Spend the extra money and grab the ARB dual one. Can't remember if its @NLXTACY or @socallove that sells them on here for a pretty decent price. At least with it you know it will be good. Small enough you can mount it in lots of places. Yet it has enough output to be useful.
4) Don't discount suspension. A good set of springs and shocks is going to make your drive much more enjoyable, especially off road. You can get factory height and 2" springs for less than $400. A brand new set of OEM shocks will set you back another $200. The difference in ride quality will be noticeable.
5) Get some better seats. Unless your OEM seats have been recovered then they are hard and cracked like all the others. Upgrading seats was the single best modification I did to my 97. You spend hours in them, they may as well be comfortable.
6) Its pretty easy to run a small inverter into the cab to power phones, laptops, kids tablets, etc. Easily done for less than $100 and another comfort mod in my opinion.
7) Oh, and don't waste your time trying to get a generic cable to work for hand throttle. If you decide you do need a winch, and you do need hand throttle, there is a vendor on here who can get you the OEM with everything you need for less than $60 last time I ordered. Takes about 5 minutes or less to install and has the factory feel and look to it.

 

[inkpot]

Depends on what kind of "remote areas" you are going to. Out here in the Wild Wild West you can get pretty darn remote on pavement or graded gravel roads. Or are you thinking more like places "no man has ever driven"??

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I've had my LC for almost a year now and I think I've finally finished all the PM's and getting it to a place where I feel good about driving it long distances to remote places. Maybe since all the boring stuff is out of the way and its all the goodies from here on out I should start a build thread too? haha The direction I want to take this build is finally starting to take shape and I've found a handful of threads or builds with the minimalist/economy/light weight core principle, but there are some ideas and thoughts I've had that I haven't seen addressed very well so I thought I'd ask the questions and hopefully start a thread for the topic.

I found these threads and they kinda got me going on how I'd like to currently have it set up based on my intended use and budget constraints:

How would you build a simple yet capable FZJ80? [Archive] - Expedition Portal
If I was to start all over again, I would...
Winch inside stock bumper fzj80
Best mod for under $100?

My goal is to minimize additional weight as much as possible while creating a very capable rig without going bananas on heavy/expensive upgrades. So in terms of mods it looks something like this:

Completed/Future upgrades:
-PHH (completed)
-285 BFG KO2s (completed)
-Spare tire tuck (completed)
-Attic rack (completed)
-Diff breathers (completed)
-PCV catch can
-Simple low profile sliders
-Winch w/synthetic line in factory bumper
-Spacer in front to level if necessary
-DIY hand throttle (bicycle brake cable setup maybe?)
-Cheap on board air (Viair 88P?)
-Cheap DIY sleep platform?
-TMS Dorkel?

Things to stay away from for now
-Dual battery
-Heavy front and rear bumpers and swing outs
-Heavy drawer systems
-RTT
-Expensive suspension upgrades

So here are the questions:
1) I've never had a winch before so how effectively can I run a 10K winch on a single battery? I know I should be concerned about burning out the battery right? So with the addition of a hand throttle and maybe having a portable jumper starter or something like this as a backup in case I kill the battery?
Amazon.com: Suaoki T10 12000 mAh 400 Amp Peak Portable Car Jump Starter Battery Booster with USB Power Bank and LED Flashlight for Truck Motorcycle Boat Automotive, Red and Black: Automotive
If I pay attention to the solenoid, duty cycle, and the battery are these viable options or am I being naive?

2) Are those portable jump starters any good? Obviously I'm not out going to be relying on it in some backcountry, ultra remote, life or death situation. But is it good enough to have as a "just in case"?

3) Will the little 12V Viair 88P (or similar) compressor be enough to air the 285 BFGs back up? I like the Puma set up, but again added cost/space/weight.


So what do you guys think? Am I setting myself up for failure or could the single battery and winch plan work well? You guys got any other good ideas I'm missing out on? I want my money to be going towards trips instead of toys and add-ons, as awesome as most of them are...

I would just get out today. Start with staying close to the hood, short trips, learn your new LC and how to drive it, be smart and the rest will fall into place. I do your type of travel and when I have a need 3 times I address it. In do time extended remote travel will become EZ and comfortable.

If you wait until you think you are 100% ready you may never go anywhere. The average man gets 3000 weekends in a life time dont waste them thinking of what you need to enjoy them.

 

[LINUS]

Depends on what kind of "remote areas" you are going to. Out here in the Wild Wild West you can get pretty darn remote on pavement or graded gravel roads. Or are you thinking more like places "no man has ever driven"??

Haha, had to laugh - you're right 'explore' is subjective.

To some a 'not yet gentrified meighborhood' is exploring, according to that Phil / realtor on that mixed family comedy. (No clue the name, I'm a media fool).

But really a good point. To some a sat phone is part of kit where they roam, esp if hunting in say AK or back East in parts of Africa, where most of us can get away on cel/CB if needed back to 911 service.
It's amazing how far cel coverage is now days - I can call from Mt Baker in the ski lodge area where even 6-8 yrs back that was a bag phone or CB down from the hill.

 

[SCDreamer]

Wow thank you guys for all of the feed back! I'm glad I'm not crazy to think I can run this thing pretty reliably without a lot of the extras. My main concern was running a winch off a single battery setup which I think @LINUS addressed pretty well. After that the rest is just insurance and toys. It's my weekend off this week so I'm gonna see if we can get into any fun around the Wildomar OHV/ Main divide road area unless anybody else has some ideas for fun areas in the North San Diego county area?

Ultimately I would like to do some of the bigger/pricier mods when time and money afford it, like a whole new suspension set up. But for now capable and affordable is the motto. Also when it come to the other add-ons I just worry about how much its going to effect the mileage and fuel economy when we go on some of our longer trips.

 

[half k cruiser]

The number one affect on your mileage and fuel economy ( what is that by the way ) will be your tires. Regardless expect 11-13mpg from your rig. Also do you have factory lockers ?

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Wow thank you guys for all of the feed back! I'm glad I'm not crazy to think I can run this thing pretty reliably without a lot of the extras. My main concern was running a winch off a single battery setup which I think @LINUS addressed pretty well. After that the rest is just insurance and toys. It's my weekend off this week so I'm gonna see if we can get into any fun around the Wildomar OHV/ Main divide road area unless anybody else has some ideas for fun areas in the North San Diego county area?

Ultimately I would like to do some of the bigger/pricier mods when time and money afford it, like a whole new suspension set up. But for now capable and affordable is the motto. Also when it come to the other add-ons I just worry about how much its going to effect the mileage and fuel economy when we go on some of our longer trips.

If you did a poll for all guys with winches (not just LC) more have 1 battery than two. Get a single group 31 and jump box and your battery set up is done for your need for a long time to come.

A Land Cruiser is a bad choice if MPG is a concern.

You have Anza Borrego with 640,000 acres next door. A great area with tons to see I would start there. Its gives you feeling of a remote area but lots of people travel n the area so no worries about dying if you run into problem. I find most of the area has phone service.

 

[SCDreamer]

The number one affect on your mileage and fuel economy ( what is that by the way ) will be your tires. Regardless expect 11-13mpg from your rig. Also do you have factory lockers ?

Thankfully our mileage so far seems like its been on the higher end of the spectrum for these trucks. I tend to be right between 13-15, with 13 being the absolute worst I've gotten so far. Unfortunately no lockers. I spent a lot of time debating about putting in an Aussie or Locka when I did the rear axle rebuild a couple months ago. Just can't really justify the expense of the ARB or Harrop yet and as much as I like the Aussie I just got turned off from it considering this is my DD and potentially will see a decent amount of snow use when my wife and I move out of Southern California.

If you did a poll for all guys with winches (not just LC) more have 1 battery than two. Get a single group 31 and jump box and your battery set up is done for your need for a long time to come.

A Land Cruiser is a bad choice if MPG is a concern.

You have Anza Borrego with 640,000 acres next door. A great area with tons to see I would start there. Its gives you feeling of a remote area but lots of people travel n the area so no worries about dying if you run into problem. I find most of the area has phone service.

We've been meaning to go check out Anza Borrego for a while now. And thanks for the reassurance on the single batt. I know MPG is always a struggle with the LC but . Just keep repeating the mantra "It's worth it. It's worth it. It's worth it" haha. I kid, I really do love my truck and wouldn't trade it.

 

[richardlillard1]

Dude, I'd love to help but I can't even afford to pay attention long enough to read the first post.

 

[SCDreamer]

Dude, I'd love to help but I can't even afford to pay attention long enough to read the first post.

Wow I didn't realize I was that much of a bore haha. I guess I better post up some pictures to help make it more readable?

 

[richardlillard1]

Well, if pictures are good enough for our president...

 

[DSRTRDR]

I didn't read all the posts but agree with Phil: get out there and get seat time - nothing more important than knowing what your rig can do, and what you feel comfortable doing with it