Long term platform choice for me? Would like international capability. (1 Viewer)

[Jonathan Hanson]

We're delighted with our HZJ75 and its Mulgo pop-top conversion and interior cabinetry. The 1HZ is hard to beat for reliability and decent fuel economy. We've driven it around Australia and Tasmania, across Africa, and it's now in the U.S.

 

[FilleFloe]

We're delighted with our HZJ75 and its Mulgo pop-top conversion and interior cabinetry. The 1HZ is hard to beat for reliability and decent fuel economy. We've driven it around Australia and Tasmania, across Africa, and it's now in the U.S.

Nice Troopie Is Mulgo a US company doing thiese conversions?
Got more pics on the interior?

 

[Surfy]

I would go again with a v8 Diesel. "Brummie" is a Toyota Landcruiser 200 V8 4.5 D4D build at 2011.

My car was a bit overloaded near 4to: Fridge, Freezer, 280l Diesel, 85L Water, Solar and Aux Battery, heat exchanger (hot shower), food, beer, clothers, i`m able to be self-sufficent for two weeks with that setup..

I did sleep inside for over an year (in severall trips between 2012 - till 2019) , half time with 2 Persons.

My Travelblogs with daily updates and pictures during the trip:
Transafrica: Trans-Africa
South America: Adventure-Overland
Just my Island trip is just a conclusion, did not blog on daily base there

I did use 16.55 liters for 100km during my trips: that is: 7.03612836 gal/100mi (US gallons per 100 miles)

That value I get with a lot offroad and low gear usage, for chilled driving on roads I use 5 gal.

Older Landcruiser probably had less chances for a breakdown, but for spares on your way (Front windshield had to be replaced twice) - they are usually on stock or at the greymarket for the most recent models. Not shure if that would be so easy, if your choosen older landcruiser is not common to be used in a country you are travelling).

Because i did use it as dailydriver between travelling - I did not do a pop-top conversion and cabinetry. What I always regret during travelling and opposit like while working and using it as DD It still fits in underground car parkings and it is still pretty stealth for sleeping in more crowded areas from time to time.


Surfy

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Nice Troopie Is Mulgo a US company doing thiese conversions?
Got more pics on the interior?

Mulgo (Expedition Centre) is in Sydney, Australia.

 

[Eyedaho]

View attachment 2382123
Mulgo (Expedition Centre) is in Sydney, Australia.

Interesting seeing the Cook Partner stove from here in Idaho in an Oz rig!

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Interesting seeing the Cook Partner stove from here in Idaho in an Oz rig!

True! . . . Roseann wanted the Kanz Kitchen and Cook Partner incorporated so we could move the kitchen outside in good weather. So we shipped it with us to Oz as excess baggage.

 

[tls3601]

Hard to beat a Troopy, probably number one choice. A 5th gen 4Runner will get low 20’s on the Highway but not as much room or of course the durability of a solid front axle. Depends on where you are going, road conditions, etc

 

[ScottT]

For me it was a lifted Fj-60 with an LS-3 and a 40 gal fuel tank with ARB air lockers. Full floating rear axle. Not extreme, but will go pretty much wherever I want to take it. If you want more and have the money Mercedes unimog, Mann diesel, other stuff with 22 in tires would be the ticket, but the larger stuff doesn’t do narrow trails well.

 

[Blasst]

easiest thins to get parts for are recent Toyota Hilux and various 70'series although 80's you will see but fewer each year,,,Nissans are everywhere too....I lost a Patrol last year in northern India to a rockslide. You'll still see a lot of Landies in Africa...but mostly old ones. Toyotas still the king there also and all over from Mongolia, Russia, Siberia, South America, Malaysia. But in South American you can drive any make or model and not really worry. Dealerships are everywhere, Fords trucks are popular unfortunately Jeeps are now being distributed in Russia...(((( but at least they are diesel. Oh yes...diesel is king everywhere but South America..it's fine there but few people I know have one.....but on the European continent or Africa i'd go with diesel. Eastern Europe is awesome but unknown to most Americans.....as are Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan. In SA , Mexico, and central America petrol is fine....best if it isn't a 200 gas guzzler really...but for travel guess it doesn't matter....residents in most places are poor so pennies count. I would not drive my 200 overseas certain places....too many computers to be very reliable in the the same way a diesel 70 or Toyota Hilux. Sure any recent vehicle is computerized but not like a 200. I did accompany a guy in a diesel 200 up to the arctic circle. The Russian are hilarious...you can be in a complete whiteout blizzard in Northern Siberia and have a transmission crater and the guys will finish their argument about their preferred way for female anatomy hair to be trimmed...LOL. Then they will assess the situation while laughing and blaming each other
then repair it in some surreal way nobody would think of as they argue and don't even consider that the situation is deadly...it's great to travel with them although my nuts shrunk several times...

. But here, Canada, Mexico and the lower americas it just doesn't matter. Car, truck, suv... I drove a Ford F150 2 wheel drive and stuck a cheap winch on it first trip, 2nd time an old Surburban with slightly over 300,000 miles. In Russia or Mexico it is so easy to travel. People there go out of there way to help or protect you. Russia has 4 wheeldrive clubs alost everywhere. You can contact them and someone will meet you and either tell you the best places to go and help you get there...but usually 3 or 4 vehicles will be waiting with the craziest funhogs around ready to join up and show you cool places. They in many places think americans don't like them or have a bad impression, So they like to show their true nature...and believe me they can fix or repair anything. Mexico the same...have a flat tire and 3 families stop and won't accept a dime. But will question you as to where you are going so you won't be in a bad area after dark in some cities although almost anwhere in Mexico is safe than the US by far. I never have to worry about my blond 22 year old wife. Anyone messes with her or even whistles is usually surrounded by men with serious looks for a short chat. No violence, just pointing out rude behavior towards anyone won't be tolerated especially someone not a local. The people in Mexico treat you like family for the most part...the poor and middle class anyway. It is always people who have the least that want to share and help. Mongolia, Mexico, dirt poor tribes in africa...all the same....
I bought my 70 series in the Netherlands but it has been almost everywhere. It is nice to buy things there...you can get "built" vehicles at good prices. Buy it and drive it exploring for a year and sell it at the same price.....

 

[SNLC]

I have driven to Panama and back nearly four times. I have covered over 50,000 miles on those trips, sometimes very remote in places like Baja. I have lived out of my truck for up to five months on these trips.


I like power, I like to be able to pass somebody, I like to be able to go up a mountain faster than 25mph.

You are going to hear a lot of internet opinions when asking what type of truck to build and suits your plans. Some people giving advice have experience and some don’t. You should have seen the comments and opinions I got when I did the first trip in 2009 and got on the forums asking questions. I can’t think of any that were good opinions or advice, rather the opposite besides the guys who said....just go.

I can give tons of advice, if you want?

Cheers

 

[Blasst]

yep...@SNLC says just go. I've been around the wold twice. KISS is a good idea too. I've used Suburbans and Ford trucks and now a 70 series. I'm getting rid of my 200. All parts are available..if not they are shipped. 30 years ago we had so little as compared to today. The pu$$yfication of the US is unreal. If you have the possibility to use something other than a US passport it is a plus many places too. I tossed my citizenship a while back. Too big a liability. Dumped my medical practice and never looked back.
You'll find much better medical services in most places too. Excellent meds for Clovid 19. Ivermectin destroys it completely if you have been keeping up with doctors testifying before the senate the past month. Problem it it is dirt cheap so nobody gets rich.....

Go for it....head south into Mexico....it's unreal. I'm on my way back to eastern Europe. Then doing a documentary in Canada.

This is very travel overland related. Ivermectin is available everywhere but the US. The Kohl brothers , Dr. Fauci, and others don't make money from Ivermectin. It won a novel prize recently.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Funny, I use Ivermectin to control stomach worms in my goats. I buy it any time I want locally in the USA. I believe Ivermectin was made to control worms in humans in third world countries.

 

[Blasst]

Sorry to hi-jack the thread. It is important to anyone overlanding. This simple medicine when used absolutely keeps you from getting sick. Period. Ther is not even any debate. Trials and huge studies have been done. I will post. This should be on the main board for anyone traveling. If moderators want to move this it would be a good service to all of us. I go back and forth to Europe constantly and worked doing surgery when the earth quake hit Turkey recently.

absolutely it is used in veterinary medicine for many parasites although there are some impurities not in the human type, Vet Ivermectin is being used by people anyway, millions of people in Africa are on it as you can imagine for parasites. It has super strong anti viral capabilities also....not acting only as a prophylactic but actually destroys clovid 19.
Thousands of people have now been in double blind studies in numerous countries with much more robust medical facilities than the US.

a longer version of the senate hearing with 8 or 9 doctors as above with DR Kory










a presentation showing recent astounding studies 3 weeks ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V3yxrJwJQs

 

[Blasst]

Hey guys. Hope some with experience might be able to help out.

I was heavily leaning towards a GX470 but the MPG has be concerned.
Whatever platform I build I ultimately would like to use years down the road for true cross-country overlanding and likely in other countries too. I always knew the GX470 had bad MPG but after watching 4Xoverland's Oregon trip using MetalTechs GX470 as his car, he said he got 10MPG which in his mind disqualified the car from being a true overlander as in other countries you might not always be 1-2 hours from civilization like in US.


If you were building out a rig thats going to allow cross country type trips, both US or international - what is the platform you would choose? Obviously with a rig like this reliability is a HUGE factor if not the biggest factor of them all, so in that regard the GX is still a great platform. I do see some jeeps doing it, not sure about the JL yet but even a JKU should get better MPG in the Penta than our GX's.

Let me know your guys thoughts? Would really appreciate it

what do you want to spend?

For long term travel to me nothing beats a 70series with a pop top to you can stand. I forget the name now...they are made on South Africa. But a guy here makes one that to fit an 80 series. Campmor I believe it's called. He lives in Aspen. An 80 with an 5.3 SL engine will get decent gas mileage and have plenty of power. The pop top...oh yeah....Alu cab. Put one on a troopy with diesel engine or an 80 with an sl and you can build it out with cook stove, sink, and even a potty. It is the ultimate on a troopy with a diesel like mine...22 mpg loaded down with a ton of weight doing 75...

Best vehicle I ever had was a Nissan Patrol fully mechanical diesel......lost it to a Rockslide in Kashmir. $40,000 Patrol and a $60,000 Red cinema camera..haha

So you never mentioned a budget. I bought my 70 and my Patrol both in he Netherlands. Fully built and ready to roll. A $2000 zeon winch here costs $1600 there. Don't know why....same with bad ass rides. ) On the other hand your here. LOL. You can drive shake it down good on some long trips...whatever you end up with.
Sucks we don't get the 70 series here......

 

[Surfy]

Sorry to hi-jack the thread. It is important to anyone overlanding.

It is just spam - in a thread like this. Please open a own thread if you really want to discuss that.

Surfy