Long trip prep

[mep1811]

Heading out to Alaska this summer and planning on about a 13,000 mile trip. My 2013 200 Series has 107K miles and I will be towing a 2500 pound trailer.

Other than standard service done and having an extra belt, hoses , filters. any suggestions? I ate up rear brake pads on my first trip so I'm think of of extra brake pads front and rear. The Dalton, Dempster and the other dirt roads are brutal on brakes .

I've thought I had read that around 120K the radiator, starter and alternator all should be replaced as PM.

Look forward to your suggestions.

I did this trip two years ago in my 1985 FJ60 and we are now hitting all that we missed during that 92 day trip.

 

[Tanglefoot]

As I have this notion of pulling a small trailer to Alaskamthis summer, I too,am interested in the replies.

Have a 2017 LC and having a forty gallon tank and bp-51 installed before the proposed trip.

Perhaps someone could comment on availability of LC repair/mtce resources in BC, Alberta and Alaska should a breakdown or some other malfunction occur during the trip.

 

[Em cee]

SUB’d. Been thinking about some swappable ‘on-road’ oriented wheels/tires for my ‘11 (geolanders maybe?) for a trip to Yellowknife this summer.

 

[Lou Gill]

Join a gas rewards program!

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Heading out to Alaska this summer and planning on about a 13,000 mile trip. My 2013 200 Series has 107K miles and I will be towing a 2500 pound trailer.

I did this trip two years ago in my 1985 FJ60 and we are now hitting all that we missed during that 92 day trip.

You sir, are awesome. Please post some pictures when you get back.

 

[TeCKis300]

Agreed with doing any PM, including those you listed, prior to your trip. Rather than a focus on carrying any spares.

With a vehicle like the 200-series, you're already 99% there with minimal concern having to worry about incidentals. The suspect parts to fail would be non-OEM parts. I would focus on these as potential issues as many aftermarket parts are simply not tested and validated to the rigors of extended travel durability. Following a number of expedition and overland blogs, aftermarket parts failures are a consistent backdrop.

Weight is another consideration. It's all too easy to pack in everything, but weight has impacts to efficiency, performance, safety, and parts durability.

Enjoy and report back. It's on my punch list.

 

[GordJ]

As I have this notion of pulling a small trailer to Alaskamthis summer, I too,am interested in the replies.

Have a 2017 LC and having a forty gallon tank and bp-51 installed before the proposed trip.

Perhaps someone could comment on availability of LC repair/mtce resources in BC, Alberta and Alaska should a breakdown or some other malfunction occur during the trip.

I have a LC and I have had no problems getting Toyota to service me in BC. They wont have much experience on the LC specifically but they can read the Techstream and follow instructions, lol.

 

[mep1811]

I was told by the Toyota dealer in Grand Prairie that Land Cruisers were not imported into Canada so getting parts will take a while to get.

I have a 40 gallon aux tank so gas will not be an issue.

This is a link to the three parts series I wrote for TCT magazine about my last trip.

Arctic Adventures in a Vintage Land Cruiser

During the summer of 2018, my wife and I embarked on an Alaska trip. We thought we’d be gone about four weeks. 92 days, two trips to the Arctic Ocean and 13,000 miles later we made it home …

badlandsexpeditions.wordpress.com

 

[mep1811]

Join a gas rewards program!

I belong to many gas reward programs and supermarket ones as well. Having the Safeway card is really a savings in Canada especially with food so expensive. Another must have is an AAA premier membership. The membership is good in Canada.

Don't forget to ensure your cell phone has Canada service.

 

[mep1811]

You sir, are awesome. Please post some pictures when you get back.

Check out the link to my articles for some good pictures . My Instagram @badlandsexpeditions also is loaded with pictures.

 

[mep1811]

I'm deciding what to do. I would like to do gears and a rear locker . That would be very expensive . Or I can do the Australian transmission upgrade.
I will be towing a trailer to AK and the trans will be getting a workout. Seems to me the trans upgrade will be a better bang for the buck at this time.

Sadly my budget only allows one upgrade or I can just use the money on hotel splurges for us.

 

[fjcruising]

As I have this notion of pulling a small trailer to Alaskamthis summer, I too,am interested in the replies.

Have a 2017 LC and having a forty gallon tank and bp-51 installed before the proposed trip.

Perhaps someone could comment on availability of LC repair/mtce resources in BC, Alberta and Alaska should a breakdown or some other malfunction occur during the trip.

2017, you’ll be fine. Worst case, any mechanical parts match up to a Lexus part which are available. my guess is you won’t need anything.

 

[stonepa]

I make this drive at least once a year. What do I take, rather than camping gear? Nothing. This drive is not what it once was. Beautiful, yes. But the roads for the most part a not a lot different than what you see everywhere, albeit with long sections with no services (once you are a ways north). Have a good spare? Perfect. A couple of extra gas cans? Good. Other than that, you can get the LC serviced or repaired at any Toyota dealership although, other than an oil change, I can't imagine what would break on this trip. Be prepared to buy a new windshield when you get home as flying rocks are the biggest risk to your LC.

 

[dmc]

I make this drive at least once a year. What do I take, rather than camping gear? Nothing. This drive is not what it once was. Beautiful, yes. But the roads for the most part a not a lot different than what you see everywhere, albeit with long sections with no services (once you are a ways north). Have a good spare? Perfect. A couple of extras cans? Good. Other than that, you can get the LC serviced or repaired at any Toyota dealership although, other than an oil change, I can't imagine what would break on this trip. Be prepared to buy a new windshield when you get home as flying rocks are the biggest risk to your LC.

Agreed. My first drive to AK was in 96 and the roads were good but had really rough patches and were slow if you got behind the wrong group of rigs/RVs (especially in an fj60 because they don't have the power to get around in short passing areas). My last two trips 15 and 18 I was amazed by how good some of the roads have gotten over the last 25 years. Especially the Cassiar. That road used to be slow gravelly and really rough in spots. Aside from the frost heaves up near Watson Lake it's smooth. To the OP as long as you can make it between gas stations you don't need much more than normal vehicle prep.

 

[mep1811]

I make this drive at least once a year. What do I take, rather than camping gear? Nothing. This drive is not what it once was. Beautiful, yes. But the roads for the most part a not a lot different than what you see everywhere, albeit with long sections with no services (once you are a ways north). Have a good spare? Perfect. A couple of extras cans? Good. Other than that, you can get the LC serviced or repaired at any Toyota dealership although, other than an oil change, I can't imagine what would break on this trip. Be prepared to buy a new windshield when you get home as flying rocks are the biggest risk to your LC.

I was very lucky on my last trip with not a single rock chip despite driving the Dalton , Dempster and Inuvik -Tuk highways.
I always slowed down or stopped as possible when being passed by a big truck.

 

[04UZJ100]

I just did this drive in January. Besides packing the necessary survival gear to manage the -40F ambient temperatures I experienced, an oil change and fluid check is all I did on my 570 with 95k miles.

This is a heavily traveled road in the summer. You won’t be more than a few hundred miles from a Toyota dealer - and that’s only for one portion of the trip. There is a Toyota dealer in Whitehorse YK and in Fairbanks AK - both of which are a days drive from one another. For the remainder of your drive through Canada - they’re all over the place.

A summer drive is very different from a winter drive. You’ll be fine. It’s an EASY drive. Furthest I went in the winter was 160 miles between stations.

Ensure your full size spare is in functional condition and bring a tire repair kit.


Don’t stress about filling up with regular on the drive. I avoided premium because I let it sat significantly longer than the regular and did not want to deal with bad gas. LX was fine.

 

[mep1811]

I just did this drive in January. Besides packing the necessary survival gear to manage the -40F ambient temperatures I experienced, an oil change and fluid check is all I did on my 570 with 95k miles.

This is a heavily traveled road in the summer. You won’t be more than a few hundred miles from a Toyota dealer - and that’s only for one portion of the trip. There is a Toyota dealer in Whitehorse YK and in Fairbanks AK - both of which are a days drive from one another. For the remainder of your drive through Canada - they’re all over the place.

A summer drive is very different from a winter drive. You’ll be fine. It’s an EASY drive. Furthest I went in the winter was 160 miles between stations.

Ensure your full size spare is in functional condition and bring a tire repair kit.


Don’t stress about filling up with regular on the drive. I avoided premium because I let it sat significantly longer than the regular and did not want to deal with bad gas. LX was fine.

Yes thanks . I've already made the trip before.

 

[04UZJ100]

Yes thanks . I've already made the trip before.

I shared with you my experience and suggestion in a thread where you requested the above.

 

[GordJ]

I was told by the Toyota dealer in Grand Prairie that Land Cruisers were not imported into Canada so getting parts will take a while to get.

I have haven’t found any significant difference in acquiring LC parts over LX parts.