Cost of travel conversion 98 HZJ75

[Henkie]

Hi guys,

I am new to the forum and currently looking at buying a '98 HZJ75 with 389000 km on the clock for a trip from Amsterdam to Cape Town.

First question, what do you think of choice of vehicle, mileage and age should not be an issue i assume? It has been maintained almost his whole life at a specialist Landcruiser garage.

Then i am currently Budgetting what a conversion to more travel minded built would cost me. So that would be rooftent, additional battery, Transformer, fridge, sink, fresh water etc. I dont think i will be needing stuff like Solar panel and heater, since i dont expect to need it very often and i would rather bring an additional sweater.

I dont mind going second hand on a lot of stuff, but what would you reckon minimum budget needs to be? I now have budgetted around €6k, is that realistic?

Looking forward to your thoughts.

 

[joekatana]

Hi Henkie 6k is not gonna get you very far . I would suggest buying a LC with everything on it already , there is a nice troopy for sale in Belgium already outfitted with most options that you want for 27k Euro . I would check that one out , it is to new to export to the US or I would have bought it already

 

[Henkie]

Hi Henkie 6k is not gonna get you very far . I would suggest buying a LC with everything on it already , there is a nice troopy for sale in Belgium already outfitted with most options that you want for 27k Euro . I would check that one out , it is to new to export to the US or I would have bought it already

Ok, What budget would you suggest and what ares the main cost items?

 

[joekatana]

Most people I know with a well sorted out troopy that they have build to their specs end up spending anywhere from 15 to 50k just on all the accesories .
The one for sale checks all the right boxes
1HDT
Lockers
AC
Pop top conversion
Interior is completely decked out

the price they are asking for it is less then when you buy a standard HZJ75 and drol it off at a shop to get these options done.

I run a PSP expeditions top on mine from the Netherlands , turbo and Intercooler, second battery setup with a fridge, heavier suspension, arb awning, rear kaymar bumper with swingout, front ARB bumper with winch and some other small things .

It all adds up fast in the end

 

[Henkie]

I now know the one you mean. It is actually located in Glasgow i found out after some Checks. Otherwise would have been a good option indeed.

15k sounds like a lot, but maybe i am just really naive. Curious if other people have the same experience

 

[joekatana]

I now know the one you mean. It is actually located in Glasgow i found out after some Checks. Otherwise would have been a good option indeed.

15k sounds like a lot, but maybe i am just really naive. Curious if other people have the same experience

It had Belgian plates on it when I saw it on tweedehands.

In the end you get what you pay for.

 

[tmarx]

Hi Henkie 6k is not gonna get you very far . I would suggest buying a LC with everything on it already , there is a nice troopy for sale in Belgium already outfitted with most options that you want for 27k Euro . I would check that one out ,

Ditto x 10

 

[Buckow]

I now know the one you mean. It is actually located in Glasgow i found out after some Checks. Otherwise would have been a good option indeed.

15k sounds like a lot, but maybe i am just really naive. Curious if other people have the same experience

It all ads up. I’m in Switzerland so maybe stuff is more expensive here but I think @joekatana is definitely giving you good information. Are you planning on doing all the build yourself and mostly buying used parts? Also, he’s talking about a pop top conversion where as I think you’re talking about a rooftop tent. That would be a sizeable différence in price right there.

 

[Henkie]

It all ads up. I’m in Switzerland so maybe stuff is more expensive here but I think @joekatana is definitely giving you good information. Are you planning on doing all the build yourself and mostly buying used parts? Also, he’s talking about a pop top conversion where as I think you’re talking about a rooftop tent. That would be a sizeable différence in price right there.

Yes i am looking at a rooftop tent and buying primarily used parts for a self build. Suspension and stuff is already good to go.

 

[FJBen]

So if you search a lot used, yes you can probably get setup for what you need.

That said, some you will have to get new, some will be hard to find used. You just need to make sure you have plenty of time to find it all.
Will you be doing the install on everything?

Spare battery $125 (new)
Wiring setup and dual battery isolator: $300-$500
Rooftop tent $800-$2000
Fridge $400-$1000
Water tanks - $50 - $200
Water pump elec $70ish
Sink $50~$150
Power inverter: $200~$500new

I think you will want solar. It's good to have so you charge your batteries in case your fridge drains them, lights left on, or anything else.



Now there is a bunch of other stuff that I would strongly consider having maybe you have or have not thought of...there is also a ton more I'm forgetting but trying to hit the major stuff.

2 spare tires ( I hear Africa is Brutal on tires)
bumper swingout/way to carry tires since you will have a roof-top tent.
Big ol' front bumper of some sort...wildlife can ruin your day or trip
Lights for above said big bumper...again wildlife
Patch kits for tires
Tools
Spare engine parts: (anything that you can fix on the road, that may leave you stranded, belt/hose/pump/etc)
Winch - Not sure how far off highway you are, but could save you
Locker - at least a rear locker, could help offset a winch....I wouldn't go without both.
Storage/cupboards/drawers setup - technically you could just throw it in tubs, but that gets old fast digging around and can easily get unorganized
CB/HAM radio and antennae setup


You can see even used, how quickly this can add up.

 

[JMasi]

Take Joe's advice. At the end it will depend on your budget...

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Depends on what you want to do and how you want to do it. I know of people that have done it with very little money on cars, smaller suvs and vehicles not even prepared for over landing. Some people just need a regular camping tent, basic camping cookware, some tools and spares to fix things and do maintenance along the trip (like belts, tires, filters), storage for food and such and a wallet for fuel and supplies.

There are other options less expensive but not on the same platform... There are some MWB 70 with roof tents and also a couple of 90 series for half the price of the above....

 

[flx]

There are a lot of people over here that have done very basic and homemade layout in troopies. You don't need anything fancy if you can build things yourself and live for that time in a limited confort. People have crossed Africa in stock 205...
You definitely don't need a bullbar, a rear carrier, a pop-up roof or a turbo to do this travel, those things will skyrocket your budget.
But where you may have to push your budget is preventive maintenance, even in a well maintenant HZJ75, with 400000km on the clock you need to spend some money to have everything checked and replaced if necessary before to go. After that on the road you need to have basic spare parts but nothing big or heavy... any bush garage will find you parts for a stock 1HZ.


If you are really on a budget you could try to get rid of the roof top tent and build the troopie to sleep inside (wood platform that transforms flush with the fridge)
Like that you would only need wood and basic hardware, a fridge, an electrical installation, water tank and all necessary camping goodies.
Solar I think it depends on how you want to travel, if you plan to be on the move everyday (but maybe it would be missing the point of traveling) you may pass... But if you plan to stay a few days in a same location I agree that it could be practical to have a solar panel.

 

[SNLC]

I now know the one you mean. It is actually located in Glasgow i found out after some Checks. Otherwise would have been a good option indeed.

15k sounds like a lot, but maybe i am just really naive. Curious if other people have the same experience

I have driven from the USA to Panama and back three times.

I had about $40k in both trucks taken on those trips.

Cheers

 

[roscoFJ73]

You dont need much for overland trips. 99% of them are overbuilt. The less weight on the vehicle , the more reliable and economical it will be and the faster it will go.
Ive done a lot of outback trips over the years. I just had a good plastic table for cooking and food preparation, a few jerry cans of water. A large plastic bowl doubles as a kitchen sink. I have a portable grill with legs that straddle a fire for cooking when firewood was available. I could boil water in about 10 mins from start to finish.
If you have troopy, build a platform above the floor in the back with room for storage underneath.. Sleep inside. Most of the roof top tents have thin mattresses.
I kept my cooking gear and other essentials in plastic tubs with lids under the bed. The height of the sleeping platform stops the storage tubs from bouncing around
You can buy a battery switch and cables for under a $100
The best way to set them up is to use them for camping a few times and evaluate what you need/dont need.
I also had a portable hot water system which was ok, but it was just as easy to heat water over a fire, you only need 2 litres of water for a shower
Assuming your landcruiser is in good condition you could buy all the gear you need for under $2000 plus the cost of a fridge.

 

[Joss]

@Henkie I completely disagree with the comments suggesting you that 6k isnt enough to sort a Troopy for Overlanding. I just drove my Troopy from NZ to Edinburgh and i spent about that to fit it out. In all honesty, shoving a mattress in the back and having 2 jerry cans for water and travelling for longer is far better than having all the gear but running out of money to do the trip you want to do. You spend all your time sitting outside on a camp chair anyway.

You can see the build we did on our first post on our instagram page @globooverland. Gimme a shout if you have any question on it.