This board was recommended, so hope you can all help.

I am planning to leave Japan in June, ship a vehicle to Vladivostok in Far Eastern Russia and drive back to Europe. That vehicle will, of course be a Toyota Landcruiser for its durability, service network in that part of the world....the problem is WHICH Landcruiser ?? After some research, these are the criteria :-

1) Tough & Mechanically Simple

Not being very mechanical myself, I would prefer something with a minimum of electronics and preferably a carburettor (no fuel injection). I want a mechanic to be able to look under the hood and work it out even if he is not very familiar with Landcruisers.

2) Diesel or Petrol

Am I right in thinking Diesel is preferable for the low octane fuel often found in Russia etc. ?

3) Tires / Spare Parts

Someone has recommended Michelin XYZ tires as the toughest around but interested in your views. Also would like to know which essential spares you recommend I take with me.

4) 4WD clubs/contacts in Russia/Mongolia/Central Asia

Anyone know of any ?

As I live in Japan, there are lots of 2nd hand LCs to choose from. Several people have suggested I look at a mid-to-late 80's LC which would make it a 70 or 75 series, 5 speed diesel....

Thanks in advance.
Dominick

Hey Dominick
Sounds like you are planning a nice little trip ther. Quick question. Whats your budget like? Are you limited to the late 80s due to $$? Cause personally, I would much prefer a nice coil sprung diesel HZJ80 or HZJ105 than a SWB 70 or 75 series on leafs. An advantage to the late 80s 7x series will be that the front and rear diffs will be the same. After 1990, the front dif was switched to a reverse cut 8" diff on both the 7x and 8x series.. Just my opinion.

Ross

Guess my total budget for the car, including any customisation is about USD 8000 so looking to pick the vehicle up for 5-6K and then doing some work on it. Have a couple of agents in Japan who buy from the auctions so relatively cheap but will have to check how much the later models go for (was offered one 1989 70 series for about US$4000 recently.

The main consideration however is to get something tough but mechanically simple which is why some people had recommende the 70 series...are the HZ80's very electronic heavy ?

Please keep the opinions coming...

Originally posted by Dominick
The main consideration however is to get something tough but mechanically simple which is why some people had recommende the 70 series...are the HZ80's very electronic heavy ?

The 80 series is not too different, electronic wise: depending on which varient you get. Some year 7x series y might have the same 1HZ motor as found in the HZJ80. I am not sure of when Japan switched from the 2H to the 1HZ though. They get things earlier than the rest of the world. But 1990 seems about right. If you want simple, don't get the 1HD-(F)(T)E powered 80. 1HZ is indirect injected 12 valve diesel. 1HD is a direct inject 12 (later 24 valve) turbo motor with more gizmos than the 1HZ. It also had big end bearing problems in the early years. You can't go wrong with a 1HZ 80 series, in my opinion.

Ross

Check out the Toyota-gib site, they have good spares kits. In my opinion, get a 75/78 series Troopcarrier with 1HZ diesel, 5spd, and Michelin XZL 7.50R16s. Almost as strong as XZYs but better traction; same construction. Contact me at m37@gci.net.
Charlie

Hey Charlie
Is there any overt advantage to choosing a 1HZ powered 75 over a 1HZ 80? Other than the leaves versus coils, is there anything that makes a 75 better? I personally think it's apples for oranges between the two, and would consider both for what Dom is planning. Whaddaya think?

Ross

Edit: I just checked the Toy Japan site, and they get the 4 door 77/9 series wagons. Cool! Better looking than a troopcarrier!

Probably not much difference as long as the 80 is the basic trim model. I wouldn't want an electric transfer shift on a trip from Vladivostok or Port Arthur to Paris. Or power windows. Too much stuff to break.
Charlie

I think the basic models of the 80 series are only available in Gibraltar, South Africa and Australia. The 70 series in Japan are four door like a 60. I would get a OME suspention kit for softer ride and use split rims with tubes and michelin xzl 7.50R16. Get developing country spares like washable air filters.

Don't forget the Kalashnikov:D

Charlie, one snag in your suggestions, they don't sell the HZJ75 (or any 75 troopie, for that matter) in Japan. No 75 pickups, either. Besides, 75 series troopies have the *worst* ride of any Land Cruiser I've owned/driven, they can be punishing on long trips.

Personally, I am with RustyCruiser, I would shoot for a diesel-powered 80 series of the 90-95 vintage. Good ride, good cargo capacity, very solid drivetrain, and with a 1HZ or 1HD-T, relatively simple to work on. Split rims is a good idea, and XZL's are *serious* expedition tires. Make sure you have at least TWO complete spares, as well as an extra tire, plenty of inner tubes, and a good set of tire irons/tire repair tools. OME suspension will do wonders to the overall condition of your kidneys at the end of the trip!

I would highly recommend a Safari or OEM snorkel with a precleaner; contrary to popular belief, they're not so much for water crossings as for helping the engine breathe clean air. Get some secure boxes for your valuables and mount them permanently to the inside of the truck.

One thing I've seen on a lot of overland expedition vehicles is the rear cargo area side glass replaced with steel or aluminum panels that help to obscure the cargo area from prying eyes and reduce chances of a break-in. I've also seen sections of steel mesh (expanded steel) mounted to the inside of the rear window, wide enough to see through, but strong enough to prevent the window from getting smashed and thieves reaching into the truck and snagging valuable cargo.

In terms of spares, make sure you take the usual survival items (belts, hoses, timing belt), a good set of tools, and above all, MANUALS in english! Heck, if you can source an engine manual in Cyrilic (sp?) it wouldn't be a bad idea, it's gotta be worth its weight in gold in case something happens.

Also, spend some money on GOOD lights. I would take a minimum of two fog lights and two driving lights, preferably mounted to a bullbar, they will be invaluable during poor driving conditions. Once installed (make sure you get lights with covers on them, like IPF's), tack weld them the nut to the mounting tab, again, to prevent them from walking off with someone!

Packing your cargo is going to be an exercise in logistics. I *strongly* recommend a couple of trial runs, weekend camping trips with ALL the gear you plan to take on the overland trip. This will help narrow down the amount and allow you to prioritize the cargo for packing purposes. If you can afford it, buy an electric fride/freezer (Engels is the best, ARB is an Engels license, there are several other great Aussie brands), they're excellent for this kind of trip and cuts down your dependence on ice supplies.

For this kind of long trip, sleeping on or inside the truck is invaluable, it allows you to setup and break camp relatively quickly and gets you off the ground. There are a variety of roof-top tents out there, with the South African brands leading the pack in terms of quality and reliability (ECHO, EEZI-AWN, HANNIBAL), with the British BROWNCHURCH, the Italian MAGGIOLINA and a number of Australian brands close behind. For a roof-top tent, you will need a good roofrack. Try to keep it as light and as low-profile as you can, you want to avoid carrying heavy items on it, except for the inevitable jerry cans (use the NATO-style cans, forget the US-made blitz and USMC, they're *junk*) and maybe a set of sturdy sand ladders.

Do an internet search on "overland expedition outfitters", you'll get a lot of hits, especially from Europe. The most enthusiastic overlanders are the British and the Germans, there are several reputable companies in each country dedicated to outfitting Land Cruisers and Land Rovers for this kind of trip, but there are also a couple of French, Italian and Dutch firms that may be worth looking into. I would start scrounging up some Land Rover Owner International (UK), Off Road (Germany) and Bushdriver (OZ) magazines, they cover long range trips on a regular basis and have a lot of pertinent information.

I also reccomend the following books for additional research:

1. Vehicle-Dependent Expeditions by Tom Sheppard
2. Sahara Overland by Chris Scott

Both books are well-written by experienced expeditioners and have a lot of great information for a trip of this magnitude.

Finally, I don't mean to be the wet blanket here, but I have some experience with long range trips like this, and I think your budget may be a little low; this is the kind of trip where any corners cut on the preparation of the vehicle will be *extremely costly* once the expedition starts, might as well shoot for a better vehicle and increase your chances of success.

A couple more tips. You might want to consider a water filtration system, there are several brands available, and on a trip like this, crucial. At the same time, it wouldn't hurt to add an onboard shower for the trip!

A chassis-mounted fresh water tank would be very convenient, and I would *strongly* recommend installing a long-range fuel tank, even on a diesel Land Cruiser. Australia is the world's best source for these (Long Ranger, Davis-Brown), but there are excellent German models on the market as well.

Good luck, and PLEASE consider doing an expedition write-up for Toyota Trails upon your return, this is the kind of trip that many of our readers salivate over (including me)! :)

If you have any questions/comments, feel free to contact me directly, I'll help in any way I can.

Wow 60seriesguy, I’m impressed!

I cut and pasted your input to keep for myself ... not that I’m planning anything like that ... but I can dream!

The one thing I would add would be to get a filter to keep from getting bad fuel in your tank. I’ve been to enough third-world countries to see the wide variety of fuel offered. You can pick one up fairly cheaply from Mr Funnel (http://www.mrfunnel.com/) or others.

Just my .02 worth.

- Jake

Thanks, I used to be an expedition guide in South America before moving to the US, so this used to be my bread and butter.

Good comment on the fuel filter, one of those heavy-duty RACOR units mounted on the firewall for easy access would be ideal for a diesel 80 series.

I have a book about offroad driving by Tom Sheppard. It concentrates on driving och preparing vehicles for expeditions. But he's very patriotic about Landrovers, and thinks that Landrovers are far superior than landcruisers and G-wagen and Nissan Patrols.

Yeah, well, he's British, you know, "for Queen and Country" and all that jazz.... I subscribe to Land Rover Owner International (of the best 4x4 rags in the world as far as I'm concerned), and rarely an issue comes without some griping about Land Rover losing market sales to Toyota and Nissan in Africa, the Middle East, South America and Southeast Asia...

I'm not cutting on Rovers, they have their own appeal, but for expedition work, they just cannot compare. Chris Scott, the author of Sahara Overland, who is also British, names the Land Cruiser as his vehicle of choice for exploring North Africa, he even drives an HJ60 exclusively!

Sheppard's book is great. In North America I would "practice" for a huge overland expedition with couple of Baja trips to troubleshoot everything. Tough to do in Japan.
Re the 70 series - right - LWBs not sold in Japan. Newer ones do have front coils, though, and the rear coils of an 80 will DEFINITELY need help with an expedition of this nature.
Charlie

You are in for a great time. I have ridden the trans-siberian railroad, but you are doing it the right way, in a cruiser. 60seriesguy obviously knows what he is talking about, and I would like to echo his advice on the water filter, it is a must. Do not drink untreated water, at least boil it. Also it would be a good idea to get some vaccinations. If you need an interpreter let me know, although I doubt if the boss would be too keen on the idea.

Wow, some excellent advice to this question. More like a gear planner outline in response to a project summary request, actually.

I also agree the budget's a little light, but that depends on your answer to the following questions. First, are you actually planning on doing overland travel (offroad trail or cross country), or will you simply be using what they call laconically "roads" over there? In other words, is your plan simply to make the drive, or to be offroad as much as possible? I ask this because you really don't need to have a full on expedition rig if simply intending to make the drive on the best route possible. Just buy a secondhand Lada when you get there.

Second, I'd imagine you're going to defray the cost of the trip by reselling the vehicle when you get there, right? If so, you should consider the difficulty of getting your money back out of a vehicle you bring from Japan that's RHD - Europe is LHD unless you bring it to England. Even there, I'd think a fully rigged expedition vehicle would not be the quickest to unload. So another strike toward getting a LHD vehicle and perhaps one not so radically fit.

So, travelling the best routes available in a rugged 4WD car that gets better mileage than a fully outfitted expedition vehicle, staying in a tent (it's summer there), and more easily reselling the vehicle in Europe might be a tenable strategy. Particularly vs travelling in a high profile decked out expedition rig that's not only a specialty item to unload, but expensive to outfit, feed fuel and maintain, and has the steering wheel on the wrong side for the entire drive.

I'd go light, cheap and simple to unload. The time spent finding the appropriate Lada type rig on arrival before heading out (after whatever remote research could be done) would probably be equivalent to the time you'll spend at the end trying to recover your money selling a specialty vehicle when everyone knows you want to return to Japan (you'll either get bottom dollar or spend a month waiting to sell it).

Just my two cents. Bravo on the plan to venture out!!

You also might want to contact Gary and Monika Wescott. They drove across the old USSR in 1996.

www.turtleexpedition.com (http://www.turtleexpedition.com)

The trip was topically documented in Fourwheeeler magazine.

CAS

for all your advice, especially Landcruiser guy !

- Have already ordered Tom Sheppard book as came across it the other day.
- Also found the Westcott site. For those of you interested, also have a look at the following LC expeditions;

www.markandmichelle.com
www.destoop.com

Think the long-range fuel tank and roof tent a v. good idea and would love to have a fridge and shower though not sure if there's time to do everything....