How much do you like/enjoy/use the tailgate?

[BAY2MTN]

Absolutely love the tailgate, especially when taking the kids to/from ski races.

Tailgate will be missed when/if I get the new Land Rover Defender next year. keeping the LC for my teenager though

 

[Tex68w]

So do you go down there much?

We hunt down near the border but I haven't been over there along the Texas border in almost four years, no need.

 

[ljschnel]

I think a lot of the security concerns/hysteria are well-intentioned but overblown.

If you stick to major highways, during the daylight hours, you will be fine.

The point is - don't go off the beaten path. Don't camp unless you are with locals who know the area. Enjoy. The locals are friendly, the culture is great, the experience is worth it.

 

[Terry B]

I think a lot of the security concerns/hysteria are well-intentioned but overblown.

If you stick to major highways, during the daylight hours, you will be fine.

The point is - don't go off the beaten path. Don't camp unless you are with locals who know the area. Enjoy. The locals are friendly, the culture is great, the experience is worth it.

All good points. What I have learned is that perhaps the problems in many areas have been underreported due to the remoteness of the areas in question (which of course is hard to prove but with the decimation of local newsprint it may not be so hard to believe). Always good advice though - stick to the main roads - So who needs a 4*4 to adventure south...

 

[tincan45]

I think a lot of the security concerns/hysteria are well-intentioned but overblown.

If you stick to major highways, during the daylight hours, you will be fine.

The point is - don't go off the beaten path. Don't camp unless you are with locals who know the area. Enjoy. The locals are friendly, the culture is great, the experience is worth it.

Yep. My 70+ parents have lived as expatriates in Mexico for over 20 years now. They drive back to the states (20 hours) twice a year for medical and business purposes and have yet to encounter much more than corrupt cops trying to work a good bribe. Now, if you are down there looking for things you shouldn't, I would imagine you could find trouble pretty easily.

 

[Terry B]

Yep. My 70+ parents have lived as expatriates in Mexico for over 20 years now. They drive back to the states (20 hours) twice a year for medical and business purposes and have yet to encounter much more than corrupt cops trying to work a good bribe. Now, if you are down there looking for things you shouldn't, I would imagine you could find trouble pretty easily.

Good to know. THX

 

[Tex68w]

A lot of it depends on which towns you're talking about and how far into Mexico you travel. Juarez is no joke, don't believe me, go spend a few nights down there and report back. It is far worse at the major border towns than it is in mainland country. I have friends who contract down there, the average Joe knows almost nothing about what actually takes place down there almost nightly and just like the news does for anything else that doesn't fit their agenda, they suppress the negative stories. I still travel to Mexico but I don't visit Matamoros and Juarez like we once did without concern.

 

[Terry B]

So many enthusiastic comments, making us aware of the pluses and pointed out some not so great things of the platform. In the end, I was convinced on getting an LC/LX & not a GX.

But which one... Was going to post asking whether an 80 or 100 would be better for how I was going to use my expedition-style vehicle. Didn't have to, figured it out on my own.
--------"100"------- specifically a 2006 - more HP and meets the15-year import regulations.
Thanks all.

 

[Moby]

As a 460 owner that races bikes (ultra endurance mtb and gravel) and frequently travels in the GX to races and to pre run when it's gravel (course conditions and tire choice), the single swing arm is the biggest downside of the GX. I've gone through three different racks, including modifying one myself, and there's no good solution. Only plus is the low entry is easier to get the dog in, but again, not with a rack. I miss the split gate in my '62 every day.

Other than that the 460 is a great platform. I wanted to modify the suspension so I got the base model so I didn't have to modify the electronics. But if you get the base plan on upgrading the suspension, as stock it is very stiff and "floats" on washboard and compact snow/ice leading to less than stellar handling. The 4.6 has lots of power, dowshifts and revs hard to pass, and I have turned in 20+mpg highway if I keep the speed reasonable.

Oh, one other thing. Don't much like the flush mount roof rails. The Yakima bar mounts make me nervous, but the stock cross bars aren't strong enough to support a moderately load Skybox without sagging into the roof. I regularly run two Skyboxes pretty heavily loaded but I still don't like the design of the mount.

All that said, there is a Heritage in my very near future.

 

[Terry B]

As a 460 owner that races bikes (ultra endurance mtb and gravel) and frequently travels in the GX to races and to pre run when it's gravel (course conditions and tire choice), the single swing arm is the biggest downside of the GX. I've gone through three different racks, including modifying one myself, and there's no good solution. Only plus is the low entry is easier to get the dog in, but again, not with a rack. I miss the split gate in my '62 every day.

Other than that the 460 is a great platform. I wanted to modify the suspension so I got the base model so I didn't have to modify the electronics. But if you get the base plan on upgrading the suspension, as stock it is very stiff and "floats" on washboard and compact snow/ice leading to less than stellar handling. The 4.6 has lots of power, dowshifts and revs hard to pass, and I have turned in 20+mpg highway if I keep the speed reasonable.

Oh, one other thing. Don't much like the flush mount roof rails. The Yakima bar mounts make me nervous, but the stock cross bars aren't strong enough to support a moderately load Skybox without sagging into the roof. I regularly run two Skyboxes pretty heavily loaded but I still don't like the design of the mount.

All that said, there is a Heritage in my very near future.

I drove a GX - it was great. But - I tried to envision how the barn door would work day to day on expedition mode and didn't see much that I liked. Also, I wanted a vehicle big enough to put most of my stuff inside making it unnecessary to have or put anything on the roof. Results in better gas mileage ( which could be a wash on an LC since the GX gets better mileage) and better security by not having to lock stuff you have on a roof rack or in a box up there. And not having to climb up there, and results of a fall.

 

[KLF]

Just finished a long road trip (4500 miles, 20 states) by myself. I ate several meals sitting on the lower tailgate, with the upper one keeping me out of the weather. I keep a cheap plastic tablecloth in one drawer for protecting the carpet. The only way to go.

 

[Terry B]

Just finished a long road trip (4500 miles, 20 states) by myself. I ate several meals sitting on the lower tailgate, with the upper one keeping me out of the weather. I keep a cheap plastic tablecloth in one drawer for protecting the carpet. The only way to go.

View attachment 2183781

A very civilized way to roll.
Cool shot...
How long were you on the road?

 

[KLF]

A very civilized way to roll.
Cool shot...
How long were you on the road?

I left NH on 12/29, arrived back home last night. Saw so much awesome stuff, ate great food. Stopped at Budbuilt for some addons. Savannah GA, Tampa FL, Birmingham AL, Memphis & Nashville, Charleston WV, Baltimore. Some camping, some Airbnb's. Starting to plan my next trip already.

 

[Terry B]

I left NH on 12/29, arrived back home last night. Saw so much awesome stuff, ate great food. Stopped at Budbuilt for some addons. Savannah GA, Tampa FL, Birmingham AL, Memphis & Nashville, Charleston WV, Baltimore. Some camping, some Airbnb's. Starting to plan my next trip already.
.

Cool - the best way to go - keep it flexible. Next time go to the keys - very chill.
My van has been parked in Phoenix for the last 5 weeks - I fly back next week to roll for 8 weeks.

 

[Terry B]

Split Gate Love Compilation - Here is what ya'll have said...

split every time

I still much prefer the tailgate setup

We use our tailgate every single weekend

I thought I was literally the only one that valued that tailgate!

primary reasons for choosing a Land Cruiser

On the surface I’ll tell you that I absolutely hate the barn door on the GX and I love the split gate/tail gate on the LC/LX more than any other setup

We sit on it all the time

A very expensive, mobile workbench and cooking surface

Could fold down all of 2nd row and load a few sheets of 4'X8

Tailgate is 100% favorite part of having a cruiser

I never even considered a GX for the simple reason of that rear door.

had a well built FJ prior to the LX. Hated the swing out door

Loved the 100 tail gate for all the reasons listed. Hate the gx 470 for the reasons listed

I've owned three LC/LX's now (split gate tailgate), two GX's (barn door), two FJC's (barn door), and four 4Runners (traditional hatch). I outlined the pros and cons in my last post with my personal preference heavily favoring the split gate/tailgate

Its a signature feature, like the odd third row. I wouldn't have it any other way.

The only reason I sold my last car? No tailgate.

I would eventually like to swap the barn doors on my 40 series and add a tailgate there as well

My last 2 FJ40's have been FST's just for the tailgate - love the option

Tailgate=huge win.

I really like my 200 series tailgate, same goes with my 60.

I ate several meals sitting on the lower tailgate, with the upper one keeping me out of the weather

 

[TeCKis300]

But wait, there's more.

As one that is constantly using something in the hitch, whether to tow, bike rack, cargo carrier...

The split gate is a godsend for clearance. When I have cargo carriers or bike racks, the upper gate can generally open fully to allow access. The bottom gate, with its stepped lower profile at the center, is also great and has a good chance of fully opening.

When towing travel trailers, the lower gate on many trucks dictates how close in the hitch ball can be. Because the closest point of contact is going to be an open tailgate to the tongue jack. Again, the stepped profile of the lower gate allows a trailer to hitch tight and close. This has benefits to stability. It's often stated that wheelbase is good for towing stability. The real dimension is wheelbase to rear overhang (i.e. distance from rear axle to ball) ratio. This maximizes what wheelbase the 200-series has. Versus many newer trucks that have really tall beds, necessitating more rearward clearance to open, pushing the trailer back. To the extent that it compromises stability to what should be a stable long wheelbase truck.

 

[Terry B]

But wait, there's more.

As one that is constantly using something in the hitch, whether to tow, bike rack, cargo carrier...

The split gate is a godsend for clearance. When I have cargo carriers or bike racks, the upper gate can generally open fully to allow access. The bottom gate, with its stepped lower profile at the center, is also great and has a good chance of fully opening.

When towing travel trailers, the lower gate on many trucks dictates how close in the hitch ball can be. Because the closest point of contact is going to be an open tailgate to the tongue jack. Again, the stepped profile of the lower gate allows a trailer to hitch tight and close. This has benefits to stability. It's often stated that wheelbase is good for towing stability. The real dimension is wheelbase to rear overhang (i.e. distance from rear axle to ball) ratio. This maximizes what wheelbase the 200-series has. Versus many newer trucks that have really tall beds, necessitating more rearward clearance to open, pushing the trailer back. To the extent that it compromises stability to what should be a stable long wheelbase truck.

View attachment 2187096

You fell into my trap - I did the compilation to bump to the top and get more comments...

 

[Moretruck]

It’s why I ordered one. My wife has muscular dystrophy but is still able do some active things. When we go for a hike or a kayak or a slow jog, we always enjoy a Mexican beer to celebrate the accomplishment. She can barely get up on the tailgate of my f250, so I am solving that problem. Those moments are priceless.

 

[Tex68w]

It’s why I ordered one. My wife has muscular dystrophy but is still able do some active things. When we go for a hike or a kayak or a slow jog, we always enjoy a Mexican beer to celebrate the accomplishment. She can barely get up on the tailgate of my f250, so I am solving that problem. Those moments are priceless.

I can relate to that, my father and uncle (identical twins) both have late onset MD. It's wild to see how differently their disease has impacted them individually. My father works out six days a week and eats well, he's fighting the decline and it has slowed the progression of the disease tremendously. He is still active and participates in bird hunting, fishing, and even kayaking, he struggles at times but he's still out there mixing it up. My uncle on the other hand sat around and sulked and did nothing to combat it and as a result he was wheel chair bound in under two years and lives everyday in total pain. Make sure she stays as active as humanly possible and keep fighting the good fight.

 

[Moretruck]

That’s a moving testimony and totally congruent with what we have observed with her siblings. Sitting is dying.
thanks for sharing.