My HZJ78 2000 Troopcarrier Bushcamper

I have already posted some of this info in the expo cruiser thread, but thought I'd start a separate thread to put some more pics up without cluttering up that thread, and to put up more info on mods and pics as it progresses.


This is the current state of my Toyota HZJ78 Land Cruiser Troopcarrier Bushcamper...

_MG_0295b.jpg



- Built in April, 2000
- Originally (?) bought by the Australian Army
- Sold by Army to Sydney rental company in 2002
- Converted from standard Troopcarrier to Bushcamper in July 2002
- Sold by Sydney rental company to me in January 2008


Modifications (already installed when I bought it):
- Fibreglass high-roof 'Bushcamper' campervan conversion
- Rear campervan fit out, kitchen bench/cupboards, sink, pullout top double bed, side bench seat that pulls out on lower level to 1.5 width bed
- Water tank
- Engel MT45F 40 litre fridge
- External gas cylinder storage box
- Portable 'camping-style' gas stove
- ARB steel winch bull bar
- Warn XD9000 electric winch
- Dual batteries
- Hi-Lift jack Model HL-485


Modifications (that I have installed after I bought it):
- DTS turbo kit, with boost compensator on fuel pump
- 3" exhaust
- VDO EGT gauge (pyrometer)
- Autron pillar pod for EGT gauge
- Bogaard Electronic Services turbo timer
- 16x8" 'Terra Black' steel King Wheels rims
- 305/70R16 (approx 33x12.5") Mickey Thompson MTZ tyres
- ARB fibreglass 'Body Flare' flares
- Recaro Expert L seats
- Momo Race leather steering wheel and Momo Anatomico Short leather gear knob
- Nokia CK-7W Bluetooth hands free mobile (cell) phone kit
- Force RC-CR6120 mobile (cell) phone cradle to suit Nokia 6120 Classic phone
- ARB M002 High Performance Modular Wiring System headlight wiring loom
- IPF 910H high/low beam H4 halogen head lamp inserts
- IPF H4-12V Clear Special Halogen Bulb 110/80W quartz halogen head lamp globes
- Doug's Tub glove box insert
- Fumoto F-103 oil drain valve (replaces standard sump plug)
- Modified bull bar, moved centre crossbar down to accomodate large driving lights, fitted slimline number plate, added new tabs to centre cross bar for driving lights and additional tabs for aerials and fog lights
- G.Mouse BU-353 USB GPS Receiver (SiRF Star III GPS chipset)
- Raon Digital Vega Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC)
- 50mm (approx. 2") body lift
- Stripped existing surface of bull bar (sand blasted), after welding modifications on bull bar to suit body lift, and fresh powdercoat applied
- Harrop/Eaton ELocker - Front
- Konig Rallye heavy duty snow chains (2 pairs for 4 wheels), size 296 to suit 305/70R16 tyres
- Daystar Winch Isolator
- 2 x IPF 840 series fog lights
- GME AE4018K UHF CB antenna
- Laser Code 745 Collinear Fibreglass Radome Multiband (850-900-1800-1900-2100MHz) mobile (cell) phone antenna
- Piranha BT75D dual battery cradle and BT75DR rear battery cradle to fit three 12" batteries into the engine bay

Modifications (bought, but not installed yet):
- 2 x Lightforce XGT driving lights, with a cheap HID conversion kit
- Lightforce driving light wiring harness/loom
- 4 x Blue Sea blade fuse blocks
- Toyota Australia OEM (made by EGR Automotive) 78/79 series headlight/turn-signal protectors
- Toyota Australia OEM window weathershields
- Icom IC-400 PRO UHF CB radio

Modifications (planned soon):
- Volvo C303 Portal Axles, with disc brake conversion, and rear anti-wrap bar
- Exedy Safari Tuff heavy duty clutch kit
- 315/75R16 (approx 35x12.5") Mickey Thompson tyres
- 16x10" Eastern Wheel Works custom steel wheels (3" or 3.5", instead of standard 4" backspace)
- Staun internal bead locks
- Harrop/Eaton ELocker - Rear
- ARB air compressor
- Piranha dual battery management system
- Custom fuse/relay boxes in engine bay and dash for neat/ordered wiring of additional accessories
- Window tint for all side and rear windows


Modifications (plans for the future):
- 2" suspension lift
- Longfield 30 spline axles/CV's
- Different ratio diff gears to suit larger tyres
- Heavy duty rock sliders/steps
- Custom rear bar, with dual wheel carriers, and external winch
- External rear winch, move existing Warn XD9000 winch to rear, buy new Warn XD9000 or similar for front bar
- Heavy duty front and rear brush bars and rear quarter panel protection incorporated into sliders and rear bar
- roof bar around perimeter of fibreglass roof, like roof rack but without centre mesh basket
- 4 to 6 Lightforce driving lights on roof bar above windscreen
- 3 to 6 Hella work lights around sides/rear on roof bar
- Brackets to hold shovel/axe/crowbar/highlift jack/maxxis maxtrax/reversing camera/etc. on roof bar
- Custom aluminium box on one side of rear wheel carriers to hold snowboards, chainsaw, snow chains, recovery equipment, etc.
- Possibly consider larger tyres, up to 38x15.5", plus all required mods to make them fit without rubbing guards/etc.
- EndlessAir air compressor, including tank and quick-fit connectors on front and rear bars
- Reversing camera/screen
- 2nd Icom IC-400 PRO (or IC-440) UHF CB radio
- 2nd GME AE4018K UHF CB antenna
- Icom IC-41S handheld UHF CB radio
- Some sort of HF radio (maybe something like IC-706MKIIG H.F./6m/2m/70cm, or Yaesu FT-857D H.F./6m/2m/70cm)
- Some sort of HF antenna
- Towtruck-style jumper leads, heavy duty leads/clips, with anderson plug on bull bar (or in grill)
- Intercooler for turbo
- 2nd VDO gauge for existing Autron pillar pod (maybe oil temp or pressure?)
- Dometic (Eberspacher) Airtronic D2 diesel/electric motorhome heater
- Twine 4WD & Car Hotwater Shower (Shurflo Kit) or The Original Glind Aussie Car and Boat Shower
- Install gas stove/cook-top into kitchen bench, and have permanently connected gas cylinder to stove, rather than existing portable 'camping-style' stove/cylinder
- 17" flip down LCD monitor (for video and computer display)
- Alpine IVA-W502E double DIN DVD player/screen
- DLS Ultimate A3 stereo amplifier
- Seas Lotus Reference stereo speakers
- Dynamat sound deadening/diffusers
- Interior LED lighting
- Undner bonnet (hood) LED lighting
- Rock lights in wheel arches
- Work lights for front/rear winches
- Permanently mounted GPS/computer LCD screens/etc. on/next to dashboard
- Autron AusCruise cruise control
- Remote tyre pressure monitoring system
- Longer range diesel tanks and larger water tank
- Interior re-trim in black, paint brown dashboard and plastic dash and other pieces black, replace brown vinyl floor with black vinyl
- Rud heavy duty off-road snow chains for all four wheels
- Rud lighter duty on-road snow chains for 2 wheels
 
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A little history, and some more 70 series bushcamper pics because people asked for them...

I bought myself a bushcamper after renting similar bushcampers during snowboarding holidays to New Zealand over the last 6-7 years.

These are some photos of one bushcamper that I hired on an earlier NZ holiday...

The turnoff from the highway to access Broken River ski field...
BushCamperNZScanBRTurn.jpg


The view along the Broken River ski field access road, on the way out...
BushCamperNZScanBRAccess.jpg


In the Broken River ski field car park, with the goods lift in the background, it's a 15 minutre hike up to the ski field from the car park...
BushCamperNZScanBRCarpark2.jpg


Another pic in the Broken River ski field car park...
BushCamperNZScanBRCarpark.jpg


The turnoff from the highway to the Lyndon Road, the back way from the Canterbury club fields back to Methven...
BushCamperNZScanLyndonRoad.jpg


The view along side the access road coming out from Mount Olympus ski field...
BushCamperNZScanMtORoad.jpg


Parked at the Mount Olympus ski field bottom hut, waiting for the OK on the radio to proceed up the access road to the ski field car park...
BushCamperNZScanMtOBotHut.jpg


Coming out of the gate to the Mount Olympus ski field access road...
BushCamperNZScanMtOAccGate.jpg


At one of the switchback bends while coming down the Mount Olympus ski field access road...
BushCamperNZScanMtOAccBend.jpg


At the turnoff to Lake Ohau lodge and Ohau ski field, Lake Ohau in the background...
BushCamperNZScanLakeOhau.jpg
 

roscoFJ73

Adventurer
Great pics Simon. Ill have to hit the snowfields atthe right time next time Im over that way.

Do you know the army history of your 78 series?
Quite a few of those saw service in East Timor and the Solomons on peace keeping duties.
 

Brian894x4

Explorer
Neat stuff! Beautiful rig. I've always been curious. What does something like that weigh with all the modifications, gear and loaded up for a trip? Roughly?
 
I've driven a similar rented Troopie on Fraser Island. Some were high-tops and others had full length racks. Easily hauled 8 people and camping gear for 3 days. Man what I would do for a 70 series in the US, maybe santa will bring one next year!
 

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DaktariEd

2005, 2006 Tech Course Champion: Expedition Trophy
Nice Cruiser! :26_7_2:
Looks like an excellent expedition rig. Great mods too.
Have fun, and Merry Christmas, mates! :wavey:

safari.gif
 

4Rescue

Expedition Leader
My god how I love these trucks... I wish I'd never moved back from OZ, you guy's have all the cool toys eh ;)

Nice rig and thanks for posting more pics for all us Yanks to drool over.

Cheers

Dave
 

toyrunner95

Explorer
Thats it, I deem that all Australians are banned from posting all the cool rigs on here and flaunting it. ITS NOT FAIR I SAY!!!!


I soooooooo want one of those. Can you ship me one piece by piece, like radar did on MASH when he mailed home a whole jeep.
 

1leglance

2007 Expedition Trophy Champion, Overland Certifie
Great pics and nice ride...
I think it would really help our market understand more about your rigs/market if we knew a few things like:
1) How much your rigs cost. Often times we in the USA undersestimate what these great rigs are worth.
2) How often you are out and for how long. We don't seem to take the same amount of time away from work.
3) How common these types of rigs are. I think you have a stronger overlanding culture than we do.

Just curious as I see our market growing but we should be ready to understand it.
 

4Rescue

Expedition Leader
1leglance said:
Great pics and nice ride...
I think it would really help our market understand more about your rigs/market if we knew a few things like:
1) How much your rigs cost. Often times we in the USA undersestimate what these great rigs are worth.
2) How often you are out and for how long. We don't seem to take the same amount of time away from work.
3) How common these types of rigs are. I think you have a stronger overlanding culture than we do.

Just curious as I see our market growing but we should be ready to understand it.
70 series are about as common in oz as the venerable Toyota p/u is here in the states. They're EVERYWHERE. basicly if you see someone here with an f350... Someone in OZ is doing the same work out of the back of a 70series UTE.

Cheers

DAve
 
I'll answer some of the questions a little later.

Meanwhile, here are some more pics of other Bushcampers that I have hired previously on snowboarding holidays in New Zealand...

On West Coast beach, Mount Cook/Tasman in background...
_MG_9234.jpg


Some NZ backcountry...
_MG_8472.jpg


_MG_8459.jpg


Cliffs beside road to Milford Sound...
_MG_8238.jpg


The road down from Ohau ski field...
_MG_8079.jpg


A fairly rough road across a shingle fan...
_MG_5330.jpg


Near Fang Hill Hut...
_MG_5312.jpg
 
The bottom hut car park at Mount Olympus...
_MG_4289.jpg


More of the Mount Olympus access road...
_MG_4283.jpg


_MG_4281.jpg


_MG_1465.jpg


Mount Olympus ski field top car park...
_MG_4279.jpg


Why you have to radio up from the Mount Olympus bottom hut, there isn't much overtaking room on the access road...
_MG_4274.jpg


_MG_1458.jpg


Further down the Lyndon Road...
_MG_4272.jpg


Coming out of Broken River, again, but different year...
_MG_4244.jpg
 

kcowyo

ExPo Original
Simon, those are some wonderful photos.

I can see how you were inspired to buy one for yourself. Would love to see any interior shots as well.

Looking good so far..... :campfire:
.
 

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