Builds Ozzi, 2000 HZJ78 in Canada - travel/maintenance/build (5 Viewers)

[janyyc]

After a false start (judging the route from the bottom of a mountain isn't always accurate) we knew we were on the right route.

I was running ahead most of the time, clearing the track from boulders that had rolled down the hill.

This did allow me to get some good pictures, though.

At the very top of the trail was a nice plateau. It was warm and calm, so breakfast - complete with coffee and so forth - was had on our Yeti cooler. Next time, we might just camp up here. Awesome view.

 

[janyyc]

I forgot to post this earlier: Bundaberg Overproof (from my Australia trip last year) to celebrate our camping (this was in the evening, naturally):

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Anyways, we headed back down and had some beautiful views and stops along the way back to "civilization".

By the end of the drive, we noticed a rattling from the front RHS, of course when going over bumps. Nothing visible to us, and it wasn't disconcertingly loud, so we drove on and made it home without issues.

At home, I had 48 hours before leaving, but managed to install the new bullbar LEDs that came from AliExpress.

And with that, it was time to leave to the airport...

Here are the LEDs in the bullbar - they look very good.

 

[coldtaco]

What specific model of replacement blinkers are those?

 

[janyyc]

What specific model of replacement blinkers are those?

Glad you asked

24.9US $ |2pcs 12V 24V LED Car Truck Bull Bar Front Bumper Light Front Indicator Light Park Lamp Bulb for Trailer Lorry Bus|Truck Light System| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

 

[coldtaco]

Glad you asked

24.9US $ |2pcs 12V 24V LED Car Truck Bull Bar Front Bumper Light Front Indicator Light Park Lamp Bulb for Trailer Lorry Bus|Truck Light System| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

Thanks

 

[janyyc]

Actually, elaborating on the above, the ones you see mounted above came from eBay. They have a circular pattern on the front. Those I posted above I also ordered (with Chinese stuff, always have a backup!!) and they have a straight line pattern... they are otherwise identical.

2x Amber 30 LED Front Indicator Park Lights TJM Bullbar Marker Lamp ARB Bar 12V for sale | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for 2x Amber 30 LED Front Indicator Park Lights TJM Bullbar Marker Lamp ARB Bar 12V. Shop with confidence.

www.ebay.ca

 

[cannedcruiser]

After a false start (judging the route from the bottom of a mountain isn't always accurate) we knew we were on the right route.

View attachment 2507609

View attachment 2507610

I was running ahead most of the time, clearing the track from boulders that had rolled down the hill.

This did allow me to get some good pictures, though.

View attachment 2507611

View attachment 2507612

At the very top of the trail was a nice plateau. It was warm and calm, so breakfast - complete with coffee and so forth - was had on our Yeti cooler. Next time, we might just camp up here. Awesome view.

View attachment 2507617

I'd expect run across Julie Andrews, arms spread and singing her heart out up there.

 

[janyyc]

OK, who's ready for some parts? I ordered a whole lot of (mainly small) parts from Japan. Many of them were only available there, and not in Sharjah; additionally Japanese websites ship by EMS (post) and not DHL - for us north of the border, that makes a noticeable difference because all courier companies automatically charge a "brokerage charge" and apply tax on the declared value... while most of the time the post office doesn't bother, and even if they do, there's no brokerage charge.

So, www.megazip.net it is. BTW this seems to be a website based in Russia, which gives availability both in UAE and in Japan, and actually uses MOTORS HEAD JAPAN | Export Japanese Auto, Diesel, Motorcycle Parts to pack and ship from Japan. Strangely, Parts Sale never shows up in any of my parts Google searches, so bookmark that website for future needs.

Here's the packing list:

Other than various bits and pieces, the main parts I wanted were a missing piece of the original bottle jack (hardest to find), interior grilles for the rear vents, and a clip for the hood support rod. Those were truly the only missing pieces in this Troopy. So while I dreamed of placing impressive PartSouq orders like the lot of you, I ended up with only a small box.

 

[coldtaco]

Dave at Japan4x4 is also a good source

 

[janyyc]

Note - from here on out I wasn't home so these pics are of Ozzi, not mine but my dads'.

So here's how the box arrived... haha.

Rod was poking out a bit but no damage luckily, and the parcel was otherwise well-packaged.

All laid out on the table:

 

[janyyc]

Here's a classic oh-so-Japanese misspelling.

I had ordered the mounting pieces as well but with the 1/8" CNC Aluminum it just slid right in (with a few taps of a mallet) and sits nice and flush.

Next priority - the hood clip.

Old (left) vs new (right):

This is the cover for the rear washer. Unfortunately it doesn't fit or work with the panels. So I have a useless piece now.

 

[janyyc]

The bottle jack was now complete. The missing part was the long rod...

The headliner trim was also kept in place by new clips.

I also ordered a set of the indicator/parking light housings. As I mentioned earlier the threads were completely stripped. In the meantime we had put some JB Weld and improved the hold so for now I'm not replacing. But getting a new set has made it clear why these wear very quickly... there is no thread and the screws are self-tapping... so replace the bulb once or twice and that's it for the case. Any ideas how to improve the longevity of this? I was thinking of maybe using a nut on the inside (JB Weld'ed in place) but then of course you run the risk of that nut coming loose and having a hell of a time to remove it then...

 

[janyyc]

As it is so cold outside a 30-minute walk is all I can muster, I have some time to post updates. Ozzi is stored in the garage, but alas the garage is unheated, and with temperatures below 0 (C) - today it's about -12 C (10F) - it's nearly impossible to work on anything. At a maximum, I can dash out, grab something I want, and come back home to do something, but it's just too cold for any major projects. That being said, I have made some (small) progress.

I'll resume the story-telling back in August. Dad visited our friend(ly) mechanic who replaced brake, power steering, and clutch fluids, just for safety's sake.

Then, camping (just to make me feel bad).

First time taking the bike in the back (maybe will get a hitch-mounted bike rack, but that remains to be seen/debated).

 

[janyyc]

Really can't beat that view or setup.

 

[coldtaco]

I wonder if your troopie is the first in NA for one with a third door?

 

[janyyc]

A week later, another camping trip.

Really liking the bull-bar versatility.

Those Hella lights are a cool holdover from the ambulance days, and they're plenty bright - not pleasant, but very practical. When a pleasing ambiance is required, one can simply use the "dome" light above the rear door (which I've kept incandescent).

 

[janyyc]

Small upgrade:

Shortly thereafter, a small misfortune... (the tires have since been replaced, I'm getting there!)

 

[janyyc]

Another week, another camping trip (as you can see, it's autumn - though in Alberta, that means mid-September!).

In case you can't tell, that extra door is proving to be very handy...

 

[janyyc]

I had mentioned in an earlier post, up way above, that we had once encountered a death wobble. Well, coming back from the camping trip (I was luckily able to join) in early August, a rattle developed coming from the front RH side: obviously, it was most noticeable over bumps. I looked for loose parts in those precious 48h before leaving, but couldn't find anything optically or by moving parts, and had to leave it be. On the last trip my dad took in mid-September, the death wobble appeared again, and paired with the unpleasant rattle, it was definitely time to clear it out. My dad went to the LC specialist shop here, this time making very clear what he was willing to pay for (!). They didn't find anything, and suggested it was the side-steps that were loose and making noise... Sorry, but we were not buying that theory at all. Unfortunately, it seems that the shop might be good when it comes to diesel engine knowledge (though, frankly, we have not tested that aspect out either), but body-wise they are inexperienced, to put it gently. And expensive.

My dad set up an appointment at a different local 4x4 Toyota shop, which is more specialized in "upgrades" and suspensions. They had far superior customer service, and a half hour later, everything was sorted - a missing sway bar bolt. Indeed, the difference is profound, and no death wobbles. Ugh.

In the shop lot:

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With that squared away, my dad felt confident to drive it on long-distance trips again, and left on a ~600 km drive (each way) to Nelson, BC and surroundings.

Waiting for the ferry with his friend:

That brings us to October 5, which is pretty much the end of camping season (and this was a long one!). Now, it's going to be only sporadic trips around town when the weather permits. :-/

 

[janyyc]

In the meantime, my friend finally moved back to Canada from Japan (after many years there), and more specifically finally his container arrived. He had asked whether I needed anything, and two "splurge" items were new mirrors (one for each side), which were cheaper in Japan than on any of the parts websites. I felt a bit guilty asking him to bring them for me, since he had a ton of other, personal concerns, but my concerns were allayed when I found out he was bringing two complete toilets from Japan. Anyways, he shipped the parts to me from Montreal, and they were home after about a week.

As anyone who has installed these after having the original ones can attest to, the difference is colossal! I've also found the build quality to be much better, and I don't feel like I have to move them around every time I shut the door.