The sickly factory horns.

I noticed something funny when we bought Toyotie. I’d seen countless photos of Land Cruisers, studied them online, crawled around inside one, and so on, but I didn’t really know them. Everything was a little different than what I was used to in the Jeep or other vehicles I’d owned. Sure, I pretty much immediately figured out all of the basics, but there was obviously a lot more to learn.

For one thing, it took me a bit to figure out the window wipers – front and back – which turned on in the opposite direction from the Jeep. And how do I open that fuel door? And the hood? Uh, and I know nothing about the fuses or where things are under the hood, and hey are those locking lug nuts? Do I have a special key for those like I had on the Jeep?

I sure hoped nothing broke or otherwise needed attention before I figured out the basics.

Another issue was modifications. I had a list as you saw from my previous post, but those were almost in the realm of hypotheses. The “book learning” was important, particularly with regard to mitigating and preventing trouble before it occurred… But despite that knowledge, I still wouldn’t know many other things for certain until I had some hands-on, and had gained a real understanding of Toyotie. Let me give you a prime example. » Continue Reading

Yours truly, scruffy but very much enjoying the ferry ride from Angel Island to San Francisco.

We had a busy and wonderful weekend at Angel Island. I’d been to Angel Island several times in the past, most recently a few years back for a pair of mountain biking & geocaching day visits. I’d never camped overnight on the island though so I was really looking forward to that.

Luckily, I’d managed to score campsite reservations seconds after they went on sale several months ago. Weekends are always busy on Angel Island during the summer and September and October and the best times to visit. Adding in Fleet Week creates a “perfect storm” of demand.

As soon as we arrived in the city we could feel the energy building. There’s so much to see and Allison especially was very excited. We passed by the Embarcadero Ferry Building where the market was already in full swing, before  paying a small fortune for parking close to Pier 39. We passed by the early-morning setup for Fleet Week display booths and the crowds of tourists, joggers, and workers were already out in force.

I’d paid for the round-trip ferry tickets in advance and we picked those up at the self-serve kiosk before standing in line to board the ferry at Pier 41. Eventually we loaded up and cruised over to Angel Island, passing by Alcatraz on the way. We sat inside as it was chilly and a bit foggy, and although it was fun I made a mental note that we had to do it right and sit out on the deck for the ride home. Allison was definitely stoked though – it was her first ferry ride on the Bay – and that was fun to see.

After going ashore at Ayala Cove, we made a brief stop at the visitor center before making the 2.5-mile hike and 788′ climb to the top of Mt. Livermore, the highpoint of the island. We were able to secure a bench for lunch and watched the Air Show lunch from there. It was a good show although Allison got bored with it about halfway through.

The weather was perfect and it wasn’t until we were getting scorched that we realized that we’d neglected to put on sunblock. Fortunately I’d brought some and only Carrie ended up with a funny red pattern on her face.

After the show ended several hours later in the afternoon we made the trek down to Sunset Camp #9, our home for the night. After I got the tent set up I started on our dinner, which consisted of Tuscan beef stew, pasta puttanesca, and raspberry crumble for dessert. We were all pretty tired and went to bed early, although Carrie and I took some time to appreciate the evening lights before crashing for the night.

In the morning we had our traditional blueberry oatmeal for breakfast, packed up and made the trek back to the cove. I opted to take as many trails as possible that I hadn’t been on before, taking the Fire Road to the North Ridge Trail, which I really enjoyed. It reminded me a lot of hiking in the Marin hills when I was young, with plenty of oaks, fragrant California Bay trees, and even a stretch with some manzanita.

We descended something like 120 or so steps which put us back at the cove, where we dumped our packs on the benches in the ferry boarding area. The cafe had just opened its doors so I got some coffee for Carrie and I, and she and Allison shared a fresh, warm croissant.

Soon after that the ferry docked and we were off, this time sitting on the top deck for the ride over to Tiburon in Marin, then across the Bay again to the Embarcadero Ferry Building, then finally one brief last hop back to Pier 41 where we’d started. With our coats on the ride back was very pleasant and I think you really have to sit outside to really enjoy the ferry ride experience. The ferry makes a great bookend to an Angel Island visit.

After the short trek back to Toyotie, we drove a few miles over to the 21st Amendment brewery for an outstanding lunch and of course their beer tasting menu which Carrie and I shared. After that it was about an hour to drive home, wrapping up our busy and insanely fun weekend trip.

Angel Island & Fleet Week Gallery

Angel Island hiking trail map (PDF)

Toyota OEM 31-tooth speedometer gear

If you follow my blog for the hiking & backpacking posts, thanks for bearing with me as we return to the roots of this site with all the offroad vehicle posts. There are still a lot of those to come but next up will be a trip report and gallery from our backpacking trip to Angel Island during San Francisco’s Fleet Week celebrations.

Moving right along to the latest Toyotie post, I figured I should get into a little detail about the mods I had in mind. If the 4×4 magazines in this country are any indication – and I believe that they are – Americans are pretty much obsessed with modifying and “accessorizing” their rides. So I’ve taken the last version I had of the “Plan A” build plan, given it a quick edit, and listed it below.

As you can see, the list items aren’t written in stone. The very first item was the tires, with three different types listed as potential options, and with some uncertainty as to tire size. I think I would have been happy with any of these options, in a 33×10 or 33×12.5 size.

My original plan was to move the winch from the Jeep to the Land Cruiser. But the Warn x8000i wasn’t ideal because of the 8,000lb. rating, which under the right conditions would stall under the load that is the Land Cruiser. Instead, I opted for the Warn VR12000, a much more powerful winch that was designed for the occasional user like me. It’s still backed by Warn’s full warranty and seems like a quality product.

Warn VR12000 winch

You can see from the list that there are a lot of mods listed, even though I consider this a moderately conservative list. There’s a lot of time (and dollars) involved in the research, sourcing, ordering and installation of these components. Luckily, several of the items are inexpensive and many of them can be installed in a matter of minutes. A good example are the interior LEDs which I prefer because of their low current drain. I’ve had a vehicle door left ajar overnight and woke up the next day to a flat battery. I prefer to avoid those sort of surprises, especially out on the trail!

At the bottom of Plan A the list changes somewhat. Instead of a list of likely purchases, it’s more like a “to do” list of questions that need answers. These are things I need to research, and then make the appropriate decisions. The earlier in the process, the more of these questions there are, and I find I need to keep a list to remember them all.

It should be noted that this is still not a canonical list. Some things I think of and purchase before they ever make the list. Often these are little things I rely on having, like spare fuses, a coin holder, seatbelt locking buckles, a tire pressure gauge, road flares, etc. Not to mention moving my trekking poles, SAR placard, stuff-sack rain jacket & pants, and some other things over from the Jeep.

Most of the sub-projects like the tool and kitchen kits are missing from this list, although they are something I work on in parallel. Those are coming together on their own, over time. I’ve also noticed that some things I have been working on, like finding the right nut for the Hi-Lift jack mount, have been slow to complete, partly because I keep forgetting about them. Those things should really go on the list with the rest.

Once I’ve decided to go ahead and make a purchase, it’s time to shop around for that item. Price is a prime consideration, but not the only one. Other considerations include the supplier (Do I know them? Do I like and/or respect them?), product availability, shipping costs, taxes, etc. As an example, there are many dealers who offer the ARB winch bumper. Total price is certainly a consideration, and shipping for this beast is a bigger part of the cost than usual. In my case, I was able to save about a hundred bucks by combining the bumper and auxiliary gas tank into a single shipment rather than separate deliveries.

Some parts deliveries are bigger than others.

THE “PLAN A” BUILD LIST:

1. Five BFG AT KO LT285/75R-16 (~33”) tires. Or BFG AT KO LT315/75R-16. Or ProComp Xtreme AT. Should get this done before doing the rest.
2. OME 2.5” lift kit – heavy duty version both ends?
3. ARB Deluxe (winch) front bumper. Need winch spacer? – think not. (insert Warn x8000i). Leave off side rock guard bar things.
4. Slee Rear bumper with tire carrier. Or 4×4 Labs w/ tire carrier and jerry can holder.
5. Man-a-fre Long Range aux 24G fuel tank.
6. ARB lockers & compressor, if needed (3 switches: compressor, rear locker, front locker)
7. Safari snorkel. Compressor for OBA if lockers not needed.
8. Remove running boards if needed. Add front mud flaps if possible to obtain. Axle breather extensions if needed.
9. Speedo correction gear, 31 tooth
10. Center diff lock switch

Phase 1.1

1. Install Yaesu if can find spot, otherwise other, external speaker & antenna
2. Install Cobra 75WXST, external speaker & antenna
3. Baja Rack 80 series. Or INTI rack if can find. Or ?
4. FAK
5. Fire Extinguisher – identify mount point
6. Flashlight(s)
7. Rear worklight
8. iPad & mount
9. QwikFists for roof rack, if compatible.
10. Odyssey btty. Dual btty setup?
11. Jerry can carrier if needed
12. Rear interior cargo net attachment points
13. Factory service manual for appropriate year(s)
14. Mount for iPhone
15. Window shade
16. Cargo area mat
17. Masterpull 100’ yellow winch rope & hawse fairlead for winch
18. Interior LEDs
19. Backup LEDs

Phase 2.0

1. Lights, front x4.
2. Mount video camera?
3. Accessory terminal block
4. Scangauge?
5. Tire chains
6. Tow hitch if needed?

Questions:

1. Heavy duty version of 2.5” lift right way to go?
2. Re-gear necessary? – should be ok
3. Which ARB compressor? New dual model is expensive.
4. LR fuel tank: issues, smog, etc.
5. Need extended brake lines or other components for lift?

Other things

1. Review mounting of Thule roof carrier & bag on Baja Rack.
2. Consider Icom 706 MkII? G?
3. Hi Lift Jack mounts to tire carrier?
4. Check rear window tint.
5. Water system?
6. Dual-battery setup?

Hawse fairlead from Slee Offroad. Not crazy about the logo which seems to have escaped the 1970s.

If you have any questions about items on the list, please feel free to reply below.

My early concept sketch build plan.

I have a confession: I’m one of those people that enjoys trip planning almost as much as the trip itself. Similarly, it seems that I also get a kick out of plotting scheming planning a vehicle build.

I hadn’t done one for several years, since I bought the Jeep a decade ago, but now I found myself deeply immersed in another build. I had a lot of other things going on at home and work that needed my attention, but when I did have spare cycles I was often online doing research, educating myself, or just thinking about the build. It even crept into my dreams once or twice.

I started with Plan A even before I’d settle on the final vehicle to purchase. This was something of a rough draft and very much subject to changes. As I learned about tire and lift sizes, what worked and what didn’t, and what I wanted and needed, the list items morphed and shuffled back and forth.

It helped that I had been through the process before, so I knew much of what I’d want based on my experience with the Jeep. And although the build on the Land Cruiser might perhaps be less-involved, I realized that it was still going to be a lot of work.

Out of necessity, my build plan needed some chronological ordering and prioritizing. There were certain prerequisites and preferences I needed to keep in mind. I also wouldn’t have the budget to just do everything at once. For example, I planned for a dual-battery system from the start, which the engine compartment of the late series 80 supported nicely. But I decided that this would have to come at a later stage of the build. Instead I would start off with getting the front bumper and winch sorted. Similarly, I wanted to have some work done on the roof rack, and that would need to be completed prior to mounting auxiliary and work lights, antennas, etc.

I did hope to compress the Land Cruiser build. The Jeep was built up in several stages, over a period of several years. In comparison, I hoped to have the new build completed – mostly – over the course of several months. There were some long-term decisions – like perhaps getting a rooftop tent – that would be put off until later, but in general I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted, at least to start. I would always be open to changes later, based on experience.

When I finally purchased the Land Cruiser, Plan A was immediately overhauled into Plan B. Much of the initial stages of Plan A involved things that had already been recently added to Toyotie, so they didn’t need to be on the list anymore. The lift was done, the tires were on, the rear bumper with tire carrier and jerry can holder was already in place, and so on. Having ARB air lockers was also no longer an issue. Conversely, there were a few repairs (like the busted radio antenna) that now needed to be added near the top of Plan B.

So Plan A was ripped asunder and patched back together like Frankenstein, emerging as Plan B.

Like its predecessor, Plan B would be a dynamic document, as I refined my decisions and altered my priorities.  I would also consider changing my purchase plans based on opportunities, like when something went on sale, saving me money long-term. Again, this was something I had done during the Jeep build. I also might need to delay items based on my schedule, budget, and the availability of the part(s).

Trip plans would also influence the build schedule. If I was going to go on a group run where I needed a CB, I’d have to get one installed or use a handheld. If I was going where there might be snow, the tire chain purchase would get moved forward. However the final order turns out, I have a rough schedule in mind and hope that my budget and other considerations work out so that most of the work is complete by Christmas.

One consideration while putting together the build plan was figuring out exactly what I needed, and – perhaps just as importantly – what I didn’t need. My intention was to stick with OEM Toyota parts for the most part, and not to change out parts where it wasn’t necessary. Figuring that out would take some time. I had to get to know Toyotie… More on that later.

The build also included sub-projects including a tool kit, spare and maintenance parts, and updating my car-camping gear including an update of our cooking set. Each of these would need to be planned as well, and would require more time and research. And plotting and scheming.