Custom Land Cruiser Conversion
Welcome to the fourth and final installment of our custom Land Cruiser Camper Conversion. In Part 4, Sheri and I return to Cape Town to oversee completion of our build and prepare for departure. During the final two months, it's all hands on deck as we work with Paul and the teams at R&D Offroad and Alu-Cab to smooth out the rough edges and undertake the tedious business of transforming Maggie into a comfortable and road ready Toyota overland camper. Below you'll also find detailed specs and photos of the completed build.
To expand on the build series, we put together a post on our 12 favorite pieces of overland gear that we don't leave home without. Click here to check out our list - we hope it helps if you're looking to outfit or convert a vehicle for an upcoming trip!
Table of Contents
Completing the Build
With Southern Africa’s winter looming, we were eager to complete work and hit the road. Launching our trip at the beginning of Southern Africa’s winter was always the goal. It’s an ideal time for wildlife photography as temperatures are mild, skies are perpetually blue, and wildlife is easy to spot.
In May, we returned to Truckee, CA to prep for our return to Africa. Once again, our stay was all business as we sourced equipment for our Land Cruiser and prepared for another extended trip abroad. It was a month-long blur as we traveled to Santa Barbara for doctor visits, picked up camera equipment in San Luis Obispo, and made runs to Reno to winterize motorcycles and take care of a myriad of other to-do’s. In between, we managed an overnight in San Francisco to visit friends and that was pretty much it. It was time to return to Cape Town.
In early June, we were on a flight to South Africa and, once again, we were loaded down with as much as we could carry. Much of it was equipment needed to complete the Troopy camper build. The rest was gear for our upcoming trip. Most of it arrived with us. What didn’t arrive received an all-expense-paid holiday to Seattle courtesy of American Airlines.
Returning to Cape Town energized us. With no return ticket, it was time to wrap thing up and hit the road. To kick things off, we met with Paul and the team at R&D to walk through progress made while we were away. I admit we were on edge - flush with nervous excitement. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what we’d find. At the start of the build, I wasn’t completely confident the fabrication team at R&D got our vision. In retrospect, my uncertainty likely came down to the level of customization, which was a little different than R&D’s previous projects.
So what then was our reaction? In short, we were quite pleased. With her pop-top roof and custom interior installed, Maggie looked transformed. Everything was polished perfect. I have to hand it to Paul and the team at R&D. They understood our vision and clearly worked overtime to ensure our first impression was positive. It worked. Maggie’s unveiling exceeded expectations.
On the surface, Maggie appeared ready for departure. But, as the saying goes, beauty is skin deep. Under the hood, much remained to be done. At the unveiling, Maggie was ready in much the same way a prototype supercar is ready when unveiled at the Geneva auto show. She was photo perfect but unfit to drive off the stage.
The next few days were the hardest of the build. Following the unveiling we were excited. Soon, however, our excitement was replaced with nervousness. We were overwhelmed. Digging back into the project, it didn’t take long to realize just how much work was yet to be done. Our longstanding goal was to be on the road by June. But with (at the very most) three weeks to go, it seemed unlikely we would be departing anytime soon.
In the days following Maggie’s unveiling, we progressed backward as our picture perfect Land Cruiser was deconstructed to make everything work. First, part of the storage system came out. Then the water tank came off. Soon after the seat covers were removed… Somewhere along the way, the exhaust was missing too. It’s a great example of how going forward sometimes means taking a few steps back.
I liken the remaining work to the ‘details’ when planning a wedding. If the fitment, pop-top roof, and storage system are analogous to selecting the date, church, and reception site, then what remained was akin to ironing out details like the guest list, photographer, and invitations:
“Do we really need to invite your Aunt Mabel? Don’t you remember how she stripped off her clothes and danced on the picnic table at the family reunion? How did that even happen? There wasn’t even any alcohol. Can you imagine what she’ll be like with alcohol? Let’s not invite her. Your mom probably won’t even notice she’s missing.”
“$5,000 for a photographer? What the %$#@?? Where do we draw the line on all this spending? Can’t we save some money and just have everyone take selfies? Maybe we can put a selfie stick on each table or something. We could tie cute bows around them. They’ll look lovely.”
“OK, so we really need to make a decision on invitations? Which one of the 832 different stationery options do you like? Maybe we can start with the finish? I was thinking linen but could totally do matte as well. Before we decide, maybe we should finalize the weight. I think I read somewhere you’re supposed to select the weight first. Or do you want to figure out the thickness first? No, let’s just decide on weight. Didn’t you say you like the 80lbs? Or was it 60lbs? I told you we should be writing this stuff down. Now I can’t remember. I don’t even care anymore. Let’s just go with some paper from our ink jet printer."
Our details ran the gamut. The storage system and pop-top needed refinement. The water system needed to be installed. The windows still needed security film, tinting, mosquito protection, and blackout shades. The seat cushions needed to be sewn. The exhaust system needed to be re-routed. The flooring needed to be laid. The driving lights replaced with HID. The airbag light debugged. And on it went. It was a lot, and we soon raced straight past our June departure deadline.
The Daily Grind
In June and July we were all over the place. Bouncing back and forth like ping pong balls between R&D Offroad, Alu-Cab, outside vendors, and an ever growing list of retailers supplying everything from flooring and window treatments to magnets and security locks. Here are some excerpts from our journal for June and July:
Wednesday, June 15:
Met with R&D team about window security. Many ideas discussed but no decisions. More thought needed.
Seat cushions back from the upholsterer. Look nice but center cushion too big and doesn’t fit. Side cushion doesn’t split to allow access to the toilet. Will have to be reworked.
Got Maggie back from Toyota after second failed attempt to identify airbag light issue. Johan said he’d take a look. Maggie has been pulled apart by R&D trying to ID problem.
Wednesday, June 22:
Took Maggie to Powerflow to re-route exhaust. Everyone loves the sound but after driving concluded it’s too loud. We’ll be lucky not to scare an elephant into charging. Will return tomorrow to have Powerflow quiet noise.
Met with Soundmatch to discuss speaker options. Thought it would be an easy install but they couldn’t find place to mount. How on earth did our tiny car in California have nine speakers yet we can’t find room for two in a Land Cruiser. Back to the drawing board.
Met with Paul to review tools & spares. Paul added to our list. Revised version looks long enough to fill half our storage with spare parts. I thought the whole point of buying a new car was that we didn’t need spares.
Saturday, July 2:
Picked up Maggie from Alu-Cab. Big improvement. They replaced tent closures, installed mosquito net and sunshade on hatch, added pockets to tent, and fixed runs in paint. Forgot to replace bed board, which is still too big. Will return to address later.
Friday, July 15:
We’re now one month past June 17 target departure with much left to do. Getting nervous about missing cool/dry months in Southern Africa.
Dropped Maggie off at tinting company for the third attempt at fixing botched security film. Let’s hope third time is the charm!
Took Maggie home for quick test. First night sleeping in tent. Major milestone. Tent works great. Very pleased with ease-of-access and fairy lights (nice warm light).
Wednesday, July 20:
Delivery day! Picked up Maggie from R&D and went for celebratory lunch at Primi Patty. Party was short-lived. Started raining when we arrived at restaurant. Tent leaking in two places. Called Alu-Cab. Warwick said bring truck ASAP and they’d sort it out. Jeremy offered his Ranger to drive until they fix the problem. Thankful for that. Fingers crossed it will be ready tomorrow.
In a nutshell, June and July were all about ironing out details, tough decision-making and problem-solving. Progress was slow, which put pressure on us to get it done and depart. It was a phase we found simultaneously exhilarating, frustrating, challenging, and stressful. Emotions that my brother, fresh off his home renovation, reminded me are the norm rather than the exception. It’s something we knew going into the project but often forgot. Custom building anything – a home, car, sailboat, or whatever else – almost certainly comes with an endless sea of difficult decisions, construction hiccups, and production delays. In effect, it’s all par for the course.
The truth is, while frustrating at times, the whole experience constitutes one of those memorable times in our lives we now reflect on with nostalgia. Cape Town is a wonderful city, one of our favorite places on earth, and staying longer than expected was no hardship. It’s one of the reasons we chose to do the work there in the first place.
Returning home to Stellenbosch after a long day did much to keep things in perspective. Picturesque vineyards, backed by mountains, line the road on the drive home from R&D Offroad. Returning home from Alu-Cab offers a stunning drive up the coast. Put simply, it’s the type of pinch-yourself perfect daily commute we dreamt of during the countless hours spent sitting in traffic in DC and Chicago.
Our daily routine was pretty ideal. We usually started the day with a flat white or latte at Deluxe in Stellenbosch. It was the perfect way to prime the brain for a long morning of problem-solving at R&D Offroad. Lunch was hit or miss. Often there was only time to scarf something down. Time permitting, however, we tried to find someplace interesting to break up the day. Often this meant lunch at Caffe Neo on the water in Sea Point or one of the many vineyards around Stellenbosch. Our afternoons were frequently spent running errands between stores, vendors, R&D Offroad, and Alu-Cab before returning to Stellenbosch at the end of a long day.
Stellenbosch, and to a lesser extent Constantia, have always been our locations of choice during extended stays in South Africa. Tucked just out of reach of the hustle and bustle of Cape Town, Stellenbosch is our oasis. It’s the place we go to unwind at the end of a long day in the city. And to unwind, we often grab a beer or glass of wine at one of Stellenbosch’s many cafes like Manoushe, Thirsty Scarecrow, or Craft.
From the time we officially took delivery of Maggie on July 20th, it took another three weeks to prepare for departure and work all the little post delivery bugs out.
The Finished Product
On August 11, we were ready – departure day at last. Behind us was a yearlong process, which had been challenging and indeed trying at times. The end product, however, was well worth every bit of effort and expense.
As I write this post, it’s been nearly a year since we left Cape Town and we couldn’t be more pleased with Maggie’s performance. In Southern Africa, we put Maggie through her paces traveling over 70% on unpaved roads (the majority of that in the bush) as we photographed wildlife in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. With temperatures topping 113 degrees, it was a hot and dusty slog through a relentless combination of sand, rock, and water. In November 2016, we shipped Maggie to South America to continue our journey, heading for Patagonia to photograph pumas, condors, sea lions, and penguins. Currently, we’re on the Carretera Austral where it’s winter and Maggie’s battling an entirely different environment. It’s a land of snow, ice, and bitter cold that’s challenging us in new ways. Through it all, Maggie’s proven every bit as comfortable and capable as we hoped. She’s our perfect overland vehicle – the manifestation of a decade-long dream.
Below you’ll find an overview of the finished product with detailed specs and photos. Want to see Maggie in action? Be sure to follow our journey here on wanderlibre.com, as well as Facebook and Instagram, as we’ll be posting regular photos and updates on Maggie as she negotiates the world by road.
To read the Parts 1- 3 of our Toyota Land Cruiser Troopy camper conversion, click on the following links:
Land Cruiser Troop Carrier Conversion Part 1
Land Cruiser Troop Carrier Conversion Part 2
Land Cruiser Troop Carrier Conversion Part 3
Detailed Build Specs
Base Vehicle:
- 2015 Toyota Land Cruiser 78 Series Troop Carrier
Engine, Air, Fuel & Exhaust:
- 4.2L (model: 1HZ) 6 cylinder diesel (naturally aspirated)
- 180L Fuel Capacity (90L main tank + 90L sub tank)
- 2x Fuel Filters (1x Racor filter 445T 10 Micron + 1x Toyota factory filter)
- Custom Side Exhaust (necessary to make room for SS water tank)
- Safari Snorkel: Cruiser 70/76
Transmission & Differentials:
- Factory Five-Speed Manual Transmission
- Manual / Auto Locking Front Hubs
- Front / Rear Factory Locking Differentials
- Raised Breathers (Diffs & Transfer Case)
Wheels / Tires:
- 6 x 16” Tubeless Steel Wheel
- 6 x BFG Mud Terrain KM2 (285/75/R16)
- Gobi-X Dual Wheel Carrier (w/ custom Hi-Lift Jack & shovel mount)
- Viair 400H Air Compressor (installed under hood). Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon.
Suspension:
- Koni Heavy Track Raid Shocks (Rear)
- Old Man Emu Coil Springs (Front)
- Old Man Emu Sport Shock (Front)
- Old Man Emu Steering Dampener
- Old Man Emu Leaf Springs (Rear)
Protection and Recovery:
- Warn 9.5XP-S Winch (w/ 90’ Plasma Cable). Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- MaxTrax (4x). Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- Hi-Lift Jack 1.2M. Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- ARB Commercial Bumper – Non-Flared
- Gobi-X Steering Guard
- Gobi-X Rear Bumper
- Blue Sea Winch Cut Off Switch
- Mean Green Recovery Hitch
- Assorted Recovery Equipment (tow rope, snatch block, shackles, etc)
Electrical/Charging:
- CTEK D250S DC to DC Charger. Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- CTEK MXS10 220V Charge. Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- Victron BMV-702 Battery Monito. Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- Victron 800W Pure Sine Inverte. Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- Dual USB Dash Socket
- BMW Nav V GPS w/ Hardwired 12v Mount
- 3 socket holder with 2xHella and Dual USB
- USB on underside of roof shelf
- Custom Vented Electrics Box mounted behind passenger seat
- 220v Marine Quality Caravan Plug
- LED Exterior lights
- Lead Crystal 120Ah battery
- Solbian Flexipanel 100W Solar Panel
- National Luna lights on sides and back of truck
Cooking & Water:
- Engel 32L Fridge/Freezer . Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- Shurflo Aqua King Jr Water Pump. Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- Origo 3000 Non-Pressurized 2 Burner Alcohol Stove. Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- Stainless Steel Countertop for easy cleaning
- Dometic VA 8005 SS Marine Sink
- Nature Pure QC2 Water Purifier w/ Pre-Filter
- Stainless Steel ~75L Water Tank (Chassis Mounted)
- Gobi-X Stainless Steel Folding Table
- Outback Adventures Trailgater Stainless Steel Drop Down Table with Bamboo Cutting Board
Comfort/Convenience:
- Alu-Cab Custom Pop-Top Roof
- Lewmar Marine Roof Hatch. Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- Front Runner Chairs. Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- Webasto Airtop 2000ST 12V Heater (heat: diesel). Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- Dometic Marine Toilet, Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- 12v Hella Turbo Fan. Click here to see the latest prices on Amazo
- Fairy Lights (Warm White). Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- Custom Cushions for Living Area with Melvill and Moon fabric
- Melville and Moon Passenger and Driver Seat Covers
- Custom Made Mosquito Window Coverings
- Sony Touch Screen Stereo
- Toyota Black Rubber Floor Mats
- LED Interior lights
- Built-in Shower w/ Removable Hose at Back Door
- Gobi-X Fold Down Rear Step
Security/Privacy:
- Tuffy Series II Console (Lockable Box). Click here to see the latest prices on Amazon
- HID Driving Lights w/ +4k Lumen Spotlight
- Custom Made Window Covers
- Security Mesh Guards at Rear Doors
- Drop-Down Lockable Cargo Barrier
- 6mm Removable Security Bars (Side windows)
- Llumar 200 Micron Security Film w/ 15% Tint Rear / 70% Front
- Rear Spotlight with Emergency Switch
- Fuel Shut-Off Switch
- Main Battery & Auxiliary Battery Cutoff Switches
- Basic Alarm System (No Immobilizer)
Troopy Camper Conversion Highlights:
Pop-Top Roof:
- Pop-top serves as bed for two adults, expanded headroom / living area (when bed is stowed) and an elevated game viewing platform.
- When closed, Lewmar marine hatch provides access to roof for game viewing / photography
- Checker-plate roof surface is capable of supporting the weight of an adult
- Roof has flexible gear rails / tie down system for two kayaks, 2 pairs of MAXTRAX, and a solar panel
- Tent windows can be opened / removed for game viewing / photography
- Roof can be opened / closed from inside vehicle
Storage System / Living Area:
- Integrated storage system in cargo area doubles as comfortable living area with built-in seating, kitchen, and toilet
- Seating area easily converts to second bed for 2 adults
- Easy access from front seats or cargo doors via center isle
- Ample lockable storage for photography equipment, electronics, and other gear
- Generous in-wall storage compartments capable of holding spare parts and other supplies.
- Full indoor kitchen with removable stove (for outside use), sink, refrigerator, storage for cookware and food, and stainless steel counter space for food prep inside and outside vehicle
- Built-in water purification system with minimum of 95L capacity (~75L SS Tank + 20L Swiss Military Bag)
- Integrated marine toilet and outdoor shower
Special Thanks to Paul Marsh and the Guys at R&D Offroad and Alu-Cab
To be clear, we are demanding and particular. To that end, we’re grateful for the significant support provided by Paul Marsh, as well as Chris, Johan, Shane and the entire R&D team, Jeremy and Warrick at Alu-Cab, and the many other contributors that made our project possible. Our Land Cruiser build was truly a collaborative team effort.
Paul was the glue that pulled all the pieces together. With his help, we sourced our dream vehicle and transformed our vision into the plan that guided R&D, Alu-Cab, and numerous other vendors' work.
Thanks to Alu-Cab for quite literally putting a roof over our heads. We’ve now lived in Maggie nearly a year and our pop-top has proven an invaluable contributor to the comfortable little place that’s our home on the road.
And special thanks to Chris Ingram – captain of the R&D team. Through it all, Chris demonstrated an unyielding commitment to ensuring our satisfaction – reworking anything we requested, as many times as necessary to ensure our complete satisfaction. He is an excellent example of exceptional customer service and a major reason we’re pleased with the end result.
Click below for more topics on Overlanding:
Front Runner Camp Chair Review
Overland Vehicle Security Tips
Drive the World: Southern Africa (video)
Brilliant!!!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the post.
Bravo.
Did you use any sound proofing at all? We noticed that you had insulation along the side walls, does this also act as a sound barrier? Did you address the issue of a relatively noisy drivers cabin?
Hi Cindy,
We thought about soundproofing the driver’s cabin but decided to drive it first. After driving/testing it, we decided it wasn’t necessary as it wasn’t too loud, at least in our opinion. The insulation along the side walls helps, but we did drive the truck quite a bit before installing the insulation and still didn’t find the driver’s cabin too noisy. I hope this helps!
Congratulations on the build, it looks amazingl! Very slick and streamlined, I like it a lot. Will you be doing a video walkthrough?
Hi Nigel, thanks for the compliments. At some point we might do a video walkthrough, but we’re not with the truck right now, so will be a little while. Thanks for your interest!
Excellent build Jim and Sheri. I echo the above thoughts. I would love to see a detailed walk through. Especially of the interiors and small nuances like wiring, tools setup, etc. One other question..with all this mods how much the Troops weigh now and does the NA 4.2 engine develop enough power for a comfortable highway cruise?
Thanks and enjoy the travels
Thanks very much for your kind words and feedback. It’s helpful. Will definitely try do a walkthrough when we return to our Land Cruiser. In the meantime, to answer your question, I believe it weights somewhere around 3600-3800kg fully packed and with water but no fuel (that’s what I believe I remember seeing when it was weighted at the port for shipping but don’t have the docs with me). It’s heavy. That said, on flat highways, it runs fine at 120 kph or so. Hills slow things a good bit. Overall, the 4.2 is quite slow but capable of getting the job done. We’re not in a hurry so it hasn’t bothered us. Perfect for Africa, which is what we selected the engine for. The biggest issues we’ve noticed are 1.) passes takes some effort and is probably the biggest drawback (we used to have an 80 series with the 24v 4.2 turbo and it was much better in this regard). 2.) The 4.2 loaded up isn’t ideal for climbing at high altitudes, particularly above 4,000 meters. That all being said, I wouldn’t change a thing if traveling in Africa. If I was to do South America over again, I’d consider adding a low pressure turbo to help with the Andes and passing. Same goes for the rest of the world. If you’re going to be on fast motorways, are in a hurry, want some help passing, or plan to spend a lot of time climbing mountains, then the LP turbo would be a welcome addition. Hope this helps.
hermosa!! les quedo de maravillas…. todos los detalles… lo mejor de lo mejor….
Tengo un BJ 75 año 1987 al que le puse motor 1HZ y le voy haciendo mejoras todo el tiempo….
Soy de Argentina
Thank you for your kind words. Sounds like you have a fun project with your BJ 75. We love your country and look forward to returning!
Awesome build and dedication Jim & Sheri! I very much appreciate your detailed explanations & tips throughout your blog which’ll help a lot with my first soon-to-be planned trip sometime next year. I’ve been scouting for a car build for sometime now and yours was just perfect! I was wondering if I could use your build using R&D Offroad & Alu-Cab? Would love to use an approved build for my first trip
Happy travels!
Nahar
Thanks Nahar! I know you must be getting excited about your upcoming trip. If you want, send me a message through our Facebook page and we can discuss further.
Without doubt the best write up and step by step of a Troopy build I have seen. Don’t start ours for 2 years, but this will be our reference. We’re you interested in putting in gull windows? Add external showers in one of them?
Any other mods or changes that you would now make, having had some time with the vehicle?
Thanks
Len
Thanks Len! Good luck with your upcoming build. We gave serious consideration to replacing the rear windows with gull windows for a variety of reasons (security, extra access to rear, larger opening for wildlife photography, etc) but decided against it largely because the stock TLC windows (combined with the roof tent windows) make the interior feel quite light and airy and came up with other solutions for a gull windows advantages. Having traveled quite a bit in our Troopy now, I wouldn’t change anything really. A low pressure turbo would have been handy in the Andes as the 1HZ is slow at high altitudes. That said, we built our Troopy for Africa, where the 1HZ’s simplicity is king and the extra power is a nice to have vs. necessity.
What a really lovely conversion. I really like the idea you can jump from the driver seat to the back, have a quick dinner and go to sleep without going out of the véhicule. Really useful in cold/windy conditions.
How did you manage to open the Alucab roof from the inside? Normally only from the outside, right?
All the best for your next trip!
Hi Bernard! Correct, the stock Alu-Cab roof only opens from the outside. That said, we had Alu-Cab build us a custom version of their roof that fastens from the inside. It’s hard to explain the differences without a video, but basically all we need to do from the inside is unfasten 2 straps and push up on the roof and it opens from the inside. To close, we pull the roof down using the same two straps and refasten. It’s quite quick and easy. We’ll be traveling in our Land Cruiser in 2020 and plan to make a video overview of our Troopy, which will show how the tent works. If you’re interested, subscribe to our YouTube page for a notice of when the videos come out.
Wonderful build congratulations guys. How did you fabricate the stainless steel back doors panels? Or are they already manufactured?
Thanks 😊
Thanks! We had R&D Offroad in Cape Town fabricate the back door panels. Great company if you’re in the area!
Hi,
Thanks for detailed reply on NA 4.2. Would you ever consider the V8 (1VD-FTV) turbo diesel for Africa or South America? I’ve heard they can be sensitive with bad fuel.
The V8 turbo is brilliant and would be fine for much of the world. We have friends that have used it in South America – and it would be helpful in the Andes. The downsides are that it is more complex, ie harder to field-repair, and it’s designed to run off of low sulphur diesel. That said, I would personally wouldn’t use it for a trans-Africa trip, especially down the west coast where fuel can be dodgy (You’d probably be fine in southern Africa.)
Great 4 part series. I’ve got a troopy in order and this has some of the best ideas I’ve seen for what I want to do. Very versatile!
Quick question on the airline rails…did you just rivnut these in and any tips or lessons learnt you would have for doing this?
On the floor rails in particular are these just screwed in the wood base or all the way through the metal floor?
The floor rails are screwed into the wood base. Since we didn’t build it, I don’t have tips/lessons learned, but they work well!
Great build guys and great effort for detailing it such perfectly for others and much appreciated,
We are dreaming to build one soon hopefully,
Have you guys installed any water tank anywhere of the body or under body? where pls and how many ltrs?
Thanks! We installed a 70 liter water tank underneath on the driver side, which required re-routing the muffler.
Not sure if it has been asked but is your troopy registered in the US? (i believe you are from the states) I ask because I am looking for information if its possible to build a brand new 2023 troopy in Australia or Africa and then send it to the states.
No, it’s not registered in the states. They unfortunately aren’t legal in the US.