Builds One World, One LX Build Thread (1 Viewer)

[1world1love]

 

[sumint99]

I actually asked the Lexus service manager to give me an estimate for the starter and he asked why. I said that it was a common failure and that I didn't want to be stranded out in the middle of nowhere. He laughed and said that they may have replaced one failed starter on an LX in the six years he has been there.

He is going to give me an estimate anyways, but he wants me to talk to the master tech before I do it. You figure they would be happy to overcharge me for a job like that.

I do wonder how common it really is though. I know it has happened to some folks here, but is that a reasonable sampling? I just am not sure.

@1world1love big thumbs up from a future LX570 owner. Since the LX570 isn't a Tacoma or Wrangler, you have to do your homework to find out what the LX570 aftermarket scene is like; and I'm a regular attendee to SEMA. To put it more succinctly your thread answered alot of questions that started, "I love the idea of the Lexus Land Cruiser, but can I mod / lift / increase tire size / bumper / rack / winch / etc."

I too narrowed down my search to 2013-2015. Im curious as to why you felt it was the 200 series sweet spot? For me, in order of priority, this is why I'm searching for a 13-15's:

1. 2016+ Infotainment Joystick/mouse interface is not enjoyable, and I don't think that system is going to age well. It's an LC so I plan on keeping it and let's face it the 2016 system was old when it came out and there's a reason why that interface is rarer and rarer.
2. Price - the 2016+ price jump is ~$10k like for like over the 13-15's
3. I do like the interior layout and more physical buttons of the 13-15's
4. The slightly nicer exterior lighting front and rear

As a way to add to your fantastic build thread and add peace of mind for your starter thoughts here is a Toyota Master Mechanic's Advice on replacing the starter on an LC 200 series. Spoiler Alert: Do Not

 

[1world1love]

@1world1love big thumbs up from a future LX570 owner. Since the LX570 isn't a Tacoma or Wrangler, you have to do your homework to find out what the LX570 aftermarket scene is like; and I'm a regular attendee to SEMA. To put it more succinctly your thread answered alot of questions that started, "I love the idea of the Lexus Land Cruiser, but can I mod / lift / increase tire size / bumper / rack / winch / etc."

I too narrowed down my search to 2013-2015. Im curious as to why you felt it was the 200 series sweet spot? For me, in order of priority, this is why I'm searching for a 13-15's:

1. 2016+ Infotainment Joystick/mouse interface is not enjoyable, and I don't think that system is going to age well. It's an LC so I plan on keeping it and let's face it the 2016 system was old when it came out and there's a reason why that interface is rarer and rarer.
2. Price - the 2016+ price jump is ~$10k like for like over the 13-15's
3. I do like the interior layout and more physical buttons of the 13-15's
4. The slightly nicer exterior lighting front and rear

As a way to add to your fantastic build thread and add peace of mind for your starter thoughts here is a Toyota Master Mechanic's Advice on replacing the starter on an LC 200 series. Spoiler Alert: Do Not

Thanks for the comments and good luck in your search for an LX. It was one of the best purchases I've ever made. I am nearing 150k and she is breaking in nicely. Although since it is mostly in a stable state as far as builds go, I occasionally ponder what I could do to it next

My thoughts on the ym 13-15 was really based on a few things:

- There was a lot of availability in this range with fairly competitive pricing
- The body (specifically the front) was still fairly close to the LC which made fitment of aftermarket mods easier (though not always easy)
- There were many of the modern safety/comfort features, but not yet the wonky joystick control

It is important to consider that I bought my truck in 2018, which means that a 2013 was five years old, whereas now a 2018 is five years old. Alas, time stops for no one. So if I were doing it all again, who knows....







Who am I kidding - I would probably come home with the same exact truck.

 

[1world1love]

Obviously it’s been a while since I have posted anything useful. Between the world’s slow march back to normalcy, dealing with aging children who now have better things to do, aging parents who are beginning to need more support, and a crazy year of weather, it has been ridiculously difficult to get outside for some self-care.

Fortunately, we blocked off the kid‘s spring break for a nice road trip. Our first stop was Joshua Tree, where the weather was excellent and the scenery was spectacular:

 

[civil offroad]

Obviously it’s been a while since I have posted anything useful. Between the world’s slow march back to normalcy, dealing with aging children who now have better things to do, aging parents who are beginning to need more support, and a crazy year of weather, it has been ridiculously difficult to get outside for some self-care.

Fortunately, we blocked off the kid‘s spring break for a nice road trip. Our first stop was Joshua Tree, where the weather was excellent and the scenery was spectacular:

View attachment 3284517View attachment 3284518View attachment 3284521

Those look like some good times my friend! We need to cruise somewhere, I keep reading about how great the sierra mountains are right now! HAHA maybe not!

 

[1world1love]

Those look like some good times my friend! We need to cruise somewhere, I keep reading about how great the sierra mountains are right now! HAHA maybe not!

Yeah, I may need a few more mods before we can hit any of the usual spots -

 

[arrivederci]

Love it!

 

[1world1love]

Had a great trip - JTNP, Sedona, GCNP, and finished it off with a great couple of days on the Mojave Road.

 

[1world1love]

 

[1world1love]

 

[1world1love]

We racked up well over 2k miles in total, with 200 or so of those miles off pavement. The truck was amazing as usual.

No real changes to our setup except a couple of months ago I got the Maxtrax spare tire mount which is overpriced but works just fine. We also used our yearly REI member discount to pick up a Dometic Go water jug and water faucet. The faucet is probably a little overpriced, but is pretty nice. It is stand-alone so you can use it with any water jug and has a nifty magnetic base so can sit on the hood or bumper, or also has a detachable base plate. The water jug is a really nice piece of gear and worth the price to me. It is extremely well engineered and constructed. It also holds 11 liters in a very small footprint. I think I’ll pick up a couple more of those.

After this trip, I think we have decided to upgrade our awning to a free-standing 270 style. We haven’t started shopping yet, but will probably do that before camping season is in full gear.

 

[poppe]

I have been thinking of making the trip out to Dissent, eventually, to get a rear bumper and possibly a front bumper installed. How was it working with them? Did you stay there for the day or have to leave for multiple days?

 

[1world1love]

I have been thinking of making the trip out to Dissent, eventually, to get a rear bumper and possibly a front bumper installed. How was it working with them? Did you stay there for the day or have to leave for multiple days?

Ben and the guys there are great to work with. My situation was a little different. Mine was the first LX to have the Dissent 200 bumpers fitted and so I left the truck up there for a couple of months. I was traveling for work at the time and so was in no hurry, so it worked out for both of us since it gave Ben time to figure things out (like the AHC pump relo).

In any case, they are only a couple of hours west of here so its pretty easy for me to take it up there. They subsequently did the slider install and my icon wheels as well and I think I left it for a couple of days for that.

 

[1world1love]

I have been thinking of making the trip out to Dissent, eventually, to get a rear bumper and possibly a front bumper installed. How was it working with them? Did you stay there for the day or have to leave for multiple days?

If you do go, the shop is in relatively close proximity to some great trails, so once you have your new bumpers make sure to take advantage and do some proper field testing for a couple of days.

 

[poppe]

If you do go, the shop is in relatively close proximity to some great trails, so once you have your new bumpers make sure to take advantage and do some proper field testing for a couple of days.

Oh sweet. That's good to know on both the install and the trails. I will! If only I could convince them to do the 2016 bullbar version on our 2013 year. Mine looks just like yours when you started out. Bullbar because I do a lot of driving back in the midwest and less heavy trails that require the super ground clearance. At least I'll get their rear bumper though for sure.

 

[CactusHopper]

Just finished reading your thread… We are in a similar situation with a new to us 2013 with 90k miles and a 7 and 9 yr old. Looking to do travel through the US in 2-6 week chunks. Used to camp a bit growing up but very little after college. Going to start off basic with tent and go from there…. Your thread helps me picture a ground tent approach vs more complicated and expensive RTT and/or trailer or RV.

Any thoughts on the tent vs other like a trailer or RV? You stuck with it as a family so clearly it worked…

Also, was the fridge easy to access at that elevated height above drawers?

Your tires seems massive in my mind… Is it really valuable to go 34 vs 33? I’m sure it is hard to quantify….

I feel like the truck gets pulled left and right very minutely when going over pavement that is rough or uneven. It’s not jolting just seems a bit of tug of war at times that surprises me. It is very minor but noticeable. I really wonder if it is the 20s as I’ve never had a wheel that large. Makes me want to go to 17 or 18 plus the other benefits but there’s a cost to that…. Did you recall that feeling on yours? I was also told by an Indy I need new front shocks (getting second opinion soon bc of what I’ve read on here) and the AHC had never been flushed. Both my change the driving characteristics. I also wonder if it’s the all time 4WD I’m noticing… sort of micro tugs left and right.

Cheers

 

[1world1love]

Just finished reading your thread… We are in a similar situation with a new to us 2013 with 90k miles and a 7 and 9 yr old. Looking to do travel through the US in 2-6 week chunks. Used to camp a bit growing up but very little after college. Going to start off basic with tent and go from there…. Your thread helps me picture a ground tent approach vs more complicated and expensive RTT and/or trailer or RV.

Any thoughts on the tent vs other like a trailer or RV? You stuck with it as a family so clearly it worked…

Also, was the fridge easy to access at that elevated height above drawers?

Your tires seems massive in my mind… Is it really valuable to go 34 vs 33? I’m sure it is hard to quantify….

I feel like the truck gets pulled left and right very minutely when going over pavement that is rough or uneven. It’s not jolting just seems a bit of tug of war at times that surprises me. It is very minor but noticeable. I really wonder if it is the 20s as I’ve never had a wheel that large. Makes me want to go to 17 or 18 plus the other benefits but there’s a cost to that…. Did you recall that feeling on yours? I was also told by an Indy I need new front shocks (getting second opinion soon bc of what I’ve read on here) and the AHC had never been flushed. Both my change the driving characteristics. I also wonder if it’s the all time 4WD I’m noticing… sort of micro tugs left and right.

Cheers

Congrats on the LX!

The tent vs anything else question is tough, and I think really depends on your personal preferences and style. I have been camping in a tent or tarp my whole life and so it feels normal to me. It is true that about every three months I think about pulling the trigger on a trailer. I may eventually follow through on that, but I am not completely sold on it so who knows.

I probably won't ever go with a RTT or an RV though. The way we travel is often to establish camp and then explore from there. Often this means more driving and I'm just too lazy to break down/setup camp that much. I am also old and uncoordinated and have other vices that make climbing up and down a ladder in the middle of the night inadvisable.

There are going to be pros and cons no matter, and honestly, even if we had a trailer, we would still carry our tent. There are just some campsites where a tent is the best option. Also, I think it is good to start out with a ground tent and take some time to figure out your overall camp setup. No matter what you sleep in though, whether it be tent, camper, hotel, or home, you need something comfortable underneath you. A good mattress makes all the difference.

Fridge - No, it is not particularly easy to access. It bothers my wife more than it bothers me though. I plan to start a new drawer project over the winter though. I may bring the fridge lower or get a drop-down slide system. I haven't decided.

Tires - Mass is relative, I guess. Quite a few people have 35s and I am still pondering going all in on 37s. I have yet to encounter a situation where I regretted having larger tires, but I would be lying if I said I there weren't situations where having even larger tires wouldn't have been useful. Having said that, 33s are more than fine for most scenarios. 33s along with some patience and a good spotter will take you to all of the places I have been with only a few exceptions. The best part about running 34s on 17s is the sidewall. It makes all the difference, for many reasons.

The pull you are experiencing is probably partially an artifact of the 20s with a relatively low profile tire. I definitely experienced it. You may also want to find a really good alignment shop and have it adjusted. While its possible that you may need to replace the shocks, I would start with the AHC flush and a good alignment and go from there.

Dropping to 17s or 18s will definitely make a huge difference, though the 20s are also fine if you can fit a tire with much more sidewall, though you will need to figure out spacing, etc.

 

[1world1love]

I realized that I haven’t posted in awhile so here are a couple from our last trip in late August. We went up to Tahoe National Forest for some high mountain camping. It was a highly unusual trip for a number of reasons. One interesting one is that normally in the Sierras in the summer, you can expect random thunderstorms every day in the afternoons. However, on this trip, we got a late afternoon thunderstorm, but although thunder went away, the rain didn’t stop for about 10 hours. It was a steady rain all night long. We weren’t complaining though because it kept the dust and heat at bay.

 

[1world1love]

 

[1world1love]

That last pic is looking across the wilderness to Fordyce Lake and behind it you can see Signal Peak. If you look closely, you can see the radio tower.

Interestingly, the same time last year I was on another trip with @100kiwi and @TLC2013 where we’re on top of that peak: