2000 Toyota Landcruiser 100
We purchased this 2000 Toyota Landcruiser 100 V8 in 2007 with 100,000 miles and initially it served as the all round family SUV. Over the years and another 150,000 miles our trusted Cruiser has received many upgrades which turned it into a go anywhere expedition vehicle that can still get a family of four and their gear to many back country destinations as long as the participants are willing to sleep in a ground tent.
The stock suspension has been upgraded with ARB torsion bars in the front and Tough Dog progressive coil springs in the rear. Custom tuned remote reservoir shocks from Slee Offroad combined with 33 inch BFG AT KO2 Tires provide a fantastically smooth and controlled ride both on and off road. Slee Offroad upper control arms in the front allow for more wheel travel and the rear lower trailing arms have been upgraded to the heavy duty versions. ARB Air Lockers front and rear ensure on demand traction when needed, and the ARB air compressor can be used to air up the tires as well.
Slee Offroad skid plates protect engine, transmission and transfer case and a 40 gallon replacement tank from LRA ensures a range of about 500 miles. It is well known that Toyota’s 4.7L 2UZ-FE V8 is a fantastically reliable engine which delivers adequate power and torque, but gas mileage is not great at 13-15 mpg depending on load and road conditions. The four speed automatic transmission has been upgraded with a Nomad A343 valve body for firmer shift points and cooler operation under load.
The front of the truck is protected by a high profile aluminum bumper from Dissent Offroad complete with a 12,500 lbs Come Up winch as well as fog and offroad lights from Rigid Industries. In the back there is a high clearance wrap around steel bumper from Dissent Offroad with a swing out tire carrier one the driver side and a small fold out shelf with a bike rack receiver on the passenger side. On the roof you find a full rack from FrontRunner with accessories to carry skis, kayaks, paddle boards as well as paddles and shovels on the side. For a while we ran a rooftop tent from James Baroud, but as our two boys grew we sold it and went back to a four season base camp tent from Big Agnes.
Inside the cabin the front seats have been upgraded with the legendary German Scheelmann seats which provide better comfort on long trips than just about any new car seats from the factory. We also upgraded the original radio with a Pioneer AVH-4200NEX Multimedia AV Receiver with 7 inch touch screen supporting Apple CarPlay thus bringing the dashboard functionality up to par with latest technology.
In the back there is a trusted Engel 45L Fridge/Freezer on one side fed by a second battery which can be charged from the alternator via battery separator or a hood mounted 90W solar panel from Cascadia4x4. On the other side there is a homemade removable shelf that can be extended over the folded rear seat to form a generous sleeping platform for one person, or a tight space for two people if needed.
