Make your mind up, which build

[mettisse]

I’ve been watching a lot of videos the last couple of years and have enjoyed most, I like Ronnie Dahl, 4x4 action, Andrew P. W. ( 4xOverland) etc. I completely “ get” it’s overlanding ( touring?) or off-roading and most of the time they can cross each other’s borders, no problem there, and here is the but, for overland primarily, a choice has to be made. The issue for me is, “ do I live in the truck or out of the truck” with my outfit, at the moment I live out as I don’t sleep in it, I tent it, when preparing food or a hot drink it’s outside, if it’s raining, out comes the awning, so pretty well covered eh ? ( pun intended) no, cos when it’s windy game over, not your gentle breeze but gusty squalls. Game over. So, I still do winter trips, for example had a great time last year down in Italy watching ice racing with motorbikes, skiing trips for my old duchess, ( no I don’t, she does and good for 65) But ( here we go again) I can’t comfortably tent it in the inclement, yes I could, but the age card don’t work on the tent scene in the bad weather. So, do I have the wrong truck, should I have a troopy? ( But I love my 80 Bruiser!) camper van? What is a good compromise? Strip out the fridge, drawers etc and put the mattress inside the truck? I dunno, I suppose just bungle on having as much fun as possible and hope for sunny blue skies, please send all replies on a £10 note to this address, best regards to all, Bill Westley

 

[Jacob100]

I can’t help you with the ultimate build, but I can provide two good examples of how NOT to sleep in a Toyota.

I was having a beer and a good snooze in front of YouTube last night when this came on:

No disrespect to the young couple but it just looks painful and for the first minute I thought I was watching a send-up of the whole #vanlife thing: the £400 jackets, the vehicles, the MacBooks, the porridge oats, the revealing Instagram stills. Cringe.

And if you thought that was bad, next up was this cheerful chap. He lives in a Prius. Apparently the done thing over there. I went upstairs to my double bed.

 

[Michael Montgomery]

Hi Bill I'm sure there's plenty of opinions of what best based on everyones needs. Having looked at variant forms over the years is all about getting the best comprise that suits your needs. I'm sure there will be plenty of other views to come around shortly.

I thankfully chose a hard top tent being easy to erect and very durable and stable in all weather types. I guess the only downside is if users find it hard to climb up or down the ladder or go a pee at night.

Another useable products highly regarded is an awning. Mine being a 270 deg giving shelter at the rear to use with the tailgate draws & cooking setup with addiction sides for colder climates as a option. This works well to keep the interior free for all usable facilities you will likely be surprised to carry with you. The 80 hasn't the biggest cargo area like the pickups so something to consider so if your chose to use the interior for sleeping in you will be comprising more so the space for other things. I personably didn't want to comprise the vehicle keeping it a 5 seater being able to take things out or off the vehicle from season to season.

A couple of picture for your attention.....all the best

 

[Shayne]

Faced with the same dilemma only it wasn't age but rather a ferocious midget who works 5 nights a week who demands some comfort at the weekends i ended up with a trailer

More pics here https://www.landcruiserclub.net/community/threads/my-overland-camper-trailer.141579/page-8

 

[Higgy]

I can’t help you with the ultimate build, but I can provide two good examples of how NOT to sleep in a Toyota.

I was having a beer and a good snooze in front of YouTube last night when this came on:

No disrespect to the young couple but it just looks painful and for the first minute I thought I was watching a send-up of the whole #vanlife thing: the £400 jackets, the vehicles, the MacBooks, the porridge oats, the revealing Instagram stills. Cringe.

And if you thought that was bad, next up was this cheerful chap. He lives in a Prius. Apparently the done thing over there. I went upstairs to my double bed.

She would annoy the Hell out of me, Instantly! .... And when they finish their Instagram /You tube. Face book Blog about how great living healthy righteous out doors is. Its back to the Parents Beach side apartment for some muesli and a hot shower... ' Shes fit tho'.. oh! Bill, Sprinter van with a big Mattress...

 

[mettisse]

Dervis, nice looking truck you have there, yep I have the 270 awning, made by a company called Safari, ( Original eh?) freestanding and can add poles and ties as you need them etc etc, don’t fancy a rooftop, and if it were on the list I’d have a clamshell such as yours, my point is that I love what I do but as previously stated sometimes a compromise is the answer, I suppose a troopy body on an 80 chassis/ drivetrain is the answer, At the moment I take the rear seats in and out as the need calls, they will all be in for January for the Ski trip as 6 adults with luggage on the roof rack is the call for that trip. Which, I suppose shows the versatility of the rig. Two seater for the summers tours etc.

 

[MarkW]

It depends on your type of travelling and needs really, everyone is different.

Do you tend to stop in one place and do day trips from there or are you on the move every couple of days?. Also how long are you away for? Days, weeks or months, shorter trips you can put up with more of a compromise on comfort than on long trips.

For me a troopy would be the ideal overlander, capable off road and enough space inside for inclement weather or cold places. My current set up is great when the weathers good or only the odd day of rain but when it gets cold it’s not so fun. The Setup for me works fine even over several months of travel. That cold is a problem when you prefer 30-35 degrees though!

If you want more comfort than a troopy with a bit less off road capability then the IVECO 4x4’s are getting very popular with a camper body. I’ve seen 10-15 of them over the last few weeks

 

[mettisse]

Yes, I’ve made choice in that I e compromised at every level, my 8o Bruiser is my tow truck for my Froader it’s very handy with the fridge cooker etc, great for touring holidays with all my kit on board ( seats out) but, when the weather turns, its redundant, we are straight into a b&b or hotel, and, well, that loses us the “Intrepid Traveller “ award don’t it? It would’ve been sort of nice if we could sit in the truck with the rain and hail persisting down like Katie did in the Oxo tv ads years ago, but we can’t, and I still love my 80 to bits.

 

[Jacob100]

Dare I mention the C-word?

Money no object, I’d invest in a compact off-road caravan from Germany or Australia and be sorted for life (or at least a very long time).

In the meantime I’m very happy with my tiny 2-berth Eriba from 1993. It’s not an overland setup - that was never the intention - but the construction and build is far stronger than any conventional van.

Just a thought. Keep your 80 the way it is and add a little comfort when you feel like it or when the weather calls for it.

 

[Your Mileage May Vary]

Here's an observation I've made of some long-term travellers.

Emil and Liliana Schmid, who earned their place in the Guiness Book of Records, having spent 34+ years travelling the world non-stop. And they are still going strong. So far, they have driven 468,000 miles through 186 countries in their 1982 FJ60.

Gunther Holtorf often accompanied by his partner Christine, travelled approximately 900,000 km across the world in a G-Wagen named Otto. He visited 215 countries in 26 years before he stopped. Christine, sadly passed away after some 20 years. If memory serves, he was 56 years old when he started the journey. She was younger.

There are others, but these are the two that immediately come to mind.

Unless I'm mistaken, one thing these two couples have in common is they sleep/slept inside their vehicles and carry/carried gear mainly on the roof. This may be unique to world travellers, but it demonstrates to me that sleeping in your vehicle can be done comfortably, and for a long long time.

Your Mileage May Vary.

 

[Charlie]

I’ve been watching a lot of videos the last couple of years and have enjoyed most, I like Ronnie Dahl, 4x4 action, Andrew P. W. ( 4xOverland) etc. I completely “ get” it’s overlanding ( touring?) or off-roading and most of the time they can cross each other’s borders, no problem there, and here is the but, for overland primarily, a choice has to be made. The issue for me is, “ do I live in the truck or out of the truck” with my outfit, at the moment I live out as I don’t sleep in it, I tent it, when preparing food or a hot drink it’s outside, if it’s raining, out comes the awning, so pretty well covered eh ? ( pun intended) no, cos when it’s windy game over, not your gentle breeze but gusty squalls. Game over. So, I still do winter trips, for example had a great time last year down in Italy watching ice racing with motorbikes, skiing trips for my old duchess, ( no I don’t, she does and good for 65) But ( here we go again) I can’t comfortably tent it in the inclement, yes I could, but the age card don’t work on the tent scene in the bad weather. So, do I have the wrong truck, should I have a troopy? ( But I love my 80 Bruiser!) camper van? What is a good compromise? Strip out the fridge, drawers etc and put the mattress inside the truck? I dunno, I suppose just bungle on having as much fun as possible and hope for sunny blue skies, please send all replies on a £10 note to this address, best regards to all, Bill Westley

I guess a lot depends on where you plan to travel, security being the first priority and the climate the second.
I built my dream overland truck, an 80 series with a hard shell roof top tent. This was a great vehicle and I was very happy with it until I went to Iceland. After that trip I decided to start building a Troopy with a AluCab pop top, and have since sold my 80. The Troopy is set up as an overland camper for 2 people, I can either sleep in the roof or on the rear bench seat if the weather is bad or security is questionable. 2 people could sit in the back of the Troopy with the roof up, but you are never going to have much interior living space in a Troopy sized vehicle.