200 Tourer
We’ve just completed the bulk of the work on a 200 Series LandCruiser build with yet another happy customer. This one in Toyota’s dark and stormy Graphite colour, has had the whole hog done including front and rear e-lockers, a dual battery system, Kaymar twin rear wheel carrier and with a suspension upgrade yet to come – this 200 series will be one serious tourer when completed!
We started the fit out with the TJM Outback bull bar, colour coded to match the graphite paintwork. TJM has two versions of the outback bar for the new face-lift 200 Series – the bumper cut model or the bumper replacement model, depending on the look you are after. On this particular job the customer opted for the bumper replacement bar which has a more aggressive look and the paintwork on the bar blends in well with the factory colour scheme.
The bar houses a 12000lbs TJM synthetic rope winch to handle any recovery duties which has wireless and wired controllers for convenience. Lighting up the tracks are a set of Lightforce HTX driving lights which incorporate HID and LED technology to bring you the best of both worlds, giving a good range of long-distance spot beams and a wide spread beam from the LEDs.
We also fitted a Kaymar rear bar with twin spare wheel carriers, which was also colour coded to match the factory paint scheme. The removal of the spare tyre from underneath the vehicle to the back door has made access to the tyre much easier, and the addition of an extra spare always comes in handy on those remote touring trips.
A snorkel is a must for touring in our adverse Aussie weather conditions which can see you in bull-dust one minute and flooding rains the next. The TJM Airtec snorkel combines functionality and styling and the low-profile design on the 200 Series stays down out of harm’s way on the tracks while still catching plenty of air-flow draft off the front windscreen on the open road.
This 200 Series’ touring range has been dramatically improved by fitting a 170l long-range replacement tank by Long Range Automotive and a Diesel Care pre-filter kit was fitted to give the 200’s fragile fuel injection system the ultimate protection from contaminated fuel. In addition, further engine protection has been added in the form of a HPD billet alloy oil catch can.
Taking care of the 12v power needs for touring is a TJM 25A, three-stage battery charger capable of charging solar power and alternator simultaneously, and solar input is delivered through a Redarc 120W folding solar panel.
When the going gets tough, the tough get Harrop twin e-lockers and that’s exactly what’s been fitted on this 200 for when the tracks get really gnarly. The 200 series is a really capable 4WD straight out of the box but when it comes to goat track territory, you can never have too many traction aids to help drive you through the toughest terrain.
Power is delivered through the stylish but functional 20×9” Ballistic Dagger Alloy wheels and boots include the best all-terrains money can buy in the way of the Mickey Thompson ATZ P3 at 285/55R20 in size.
There’s a Rhino Pioneer Platform for that extra load carrying ability up top and a Rhino Foxwing awning fitted, giving convenience and that added protection form the elements on camping trips.
The interior has been fitted out with a GME XRS370C hand-held UHF which is GME’s top of the range hideaway unit and signal is boosted by a GME All-Terrain 4700 Series 6.6dBi gain antenna. The tidy factory look is obtained by running the wiring through a Lightforce factory Toyota face plate panel. We’ve also used a combination of Lightforce and Stedi switches to keep the interior neat and tidy for all the other accessories as well.
We utilised the factory rear compartment in the back of the wagon behind the rear row seats for fitting an ARB on-board air compressor for pumping up tyres after those summer beach runs. The compressor fits neatly in this other-wise wasted space, leaving floor room for fridges, camping gear and food. There’s also a Redarc Tow Pro Elite electric brake unit fitted to take care of the camper trailer and caravan braking needs.
With a lift kit in the pipeline, this 200 Series will be well equipped to handle all that our wide brown land can throw at it. This one also looks the part and the owner will be touring in style and comfort with plenty functionality to ensure that this is one cruiser that will get there and back again with no worries.
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