The BIG TRIP - What would you take?

[rlynch356]

FWIW.... I tend to try and stay as OEM Plus as possible.. so small lift if any, 17" tires on 285/70, stuff like that..
or use vendors you can get worldwide (like ARB) easily and get warranty work or spares easily.
the 5.7 200 was sold in a bunch of countries or at least the parts are order able via the dealer networks.
ARB has vendors all over the world.

But depending on where in the world I might just buy local or just take the 200 with what you have and maybe a bull bar already on it.
or do both

Leaded gas will eventually kill the cat's but honestly the 4 O2 sensors are reading Air/Fuel mix as its main job, I bet a cat delete would have minimal impact on the truck, leaded gas won't really hurt a port injected engine... basically its just provides more lubrication..
DFI is a different story..

 

[UPR LC]

My only other advise is to do all your preventative maintenance well in advance of your ship date. That way you can test the new parts and make sure you do not have any issues with the new parts or work before you leave.

I never like doing major work (brakes, radiator, spark plugs, suspension, etc) right before a trip. I like to get a few hundred miles on the new systems before I leave for a big trip.

One thing that I have heard and have no personal experience, the overseas shipping companies are not always reliable and aftermarket components that are easy to remove may get stolen during transit. I have read where Dakar rally teams will have things stolen off the rigs during overseas transit (tools, computers, etc).

Have fun!

 

[stonepa]

Unless your shipping is being paid for by your employer, i would strongly advise skipping shipping a vehicle the size of a Land Cruiser. The last time I checked (prior to covid) it cost $3k USD to ship a vehicle in a container to Europe or RSA. Roll on Roll Off was cheaper but not much. Buddy just shipped a vehicle from Australia and it cost him $20kUSD. Prices are through the roof for a variety of reasons but I doubt they will change much soon.

That being said, even used Land Cruiser prices, whether 78, 79, or 200, are through the roof globally. Maybe go with a long term mini lease on a hire 4x4?

 

[AeroAggie]

Two year thread update and some new questions....

We are currently in Mexico and will be here for approximately another year (ignoring the constant threat government layoffs). Next stop is Madagascar, but touring other parts of Africa is a strong possibility.

I have now installed most of the mods listed in my first post on this thread, except for the winch:

• 2.5" Bilstein lift - I ditched the InstaBro Icons before we left the US
• Slee dual compressor mount
• Slee aux battery tray
• Slee accessory tray
• Slee main battery tray (fits Group31)
• ARB dual compressor
• Redarc trailer brake controller
• Firestone Airbags (these are great!) We towed a heavy-ish 6x12 Uhaul across the US and these made all the difference.
• Redarc BCDC1225 dual battery system wired to link batteries jump start and winch power.
  • Installing this took way longer than expected due to shipping times to get a new battery across the border. I could not find a good Group 35 locally, so I ordered directly from Odyssey.
  • My main battery did in fact die prematurely, but luckily it happened in my garage and I was able to get a new battery delivered in less than an hour. I couldn't find a suitable group 31 battery so I settled for another group 24 for now. It should last me until I leave Mexico, but if it doesn't, it has free replacement warranty that will cover me until then. I'll try to get a group 31 when I get to Africa.

Future stuff for Africa and beyond:

• Snorkel (?)
• Winch
• ARB roof rack, with mounts for recovery gear, gas, etc.
• Awning

Based on recommendations from friends who have been all over Africa and the less-developed parts of Asia, I'm strongly thinking about a snorkel. There will be be frequent water crossings but I think dust may be the bigger threat. Outside of major cities, literally everything in Madagascar is "offroad" or at least minimally maintained. In rainy season roads become rivers and water crossings are the norm, not the exception.

• Which snorkels have the best dust separator or filter at the top of the stack?

I'll put some installation pictures in the next post.

Salud!

 

[AeroAggie]

ARB Dual on a Slee mount. LTH Group24 on a Slee mount.

Fuses are Marine Rated Battery Fuses on MRBF terminals. Dual 40A for the compressor, 40A for the BCDC1225, and 200A for the SBI212 solenoid.

Odyssey group 35 on a Slee mount, BCDC1225D on Slee mount, and SBI 212 on a Slee accessory tray.

My entire tool kit has to fit in here. Wrenches, pliers, sockets, torque wrenches, wire crimpers, and Fluke multimeter. I can take some or all of this on trail runs if necessary.

 

[AeroAggie]

Cabin filter after 1 year of Mexico pollution. I can feel this in my lungs and sinuses every day. I think I'll replace these on a more aggressive cadence from now on.

 

[Fisher23]

LRA 40 gallon tank for sure !

Snorkel with the 6 air lines. Diff's, axels, starter, trans.