WTF

The most important thing you will require in order to be able to do overlanding is having a capable and reliable vehicle. Preferably a 4x4 with high ground clearance, in order to handle off-roading and long-distance travel. Like Australia and many other continents, Africa has some of the most challenging roads and 4x4 routes from sand dunes, climbing rocky mountain paths to crossing flooding rivers.

After many hours of research and then deciding to buy a Toyota Landcruiser due to its reliability and parts availability, we went on a hunt, viewing and test-driving multiple types of Landcruiser's. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints we could not afford a brand-new car. We were keen on getting an old 76, 79, 80 or 100 Landcruiser, that was until we tried out the 200 model. Even though this was a real stretch for what we could afford, even after our trade in. We however did not give up hope and continued on with our search. This eventually paid off and we found a 2009 Landcruiser 200 VX diesel model that we could afford. It was love at first sight and after a quick test drive, we knew that we had found the car of our dreams. 

Due to its unusual number plate we decided to call it "WTF".  I will leave this up to your interpretation. The car had immense power compared to the other 200's we had tested. It was only once we had purchased and brought our new baby home, did we realise that the reason it had so much more power was due to its 5 stage Uni chip. To our surprise it also had an additional 60l long-range fuel tank and Bilstein aftermarket shocks. Besides the obvious Snorkel, Road rage rims and Cooper ST Max tires. All these extra's saved us so much money as we did not have to do these costly upgrades in order to get it overland ready.

After using the vehicle for a few years and many kilometers behind the wheel, we can honestly say that some of its best features are as follows. The sunroof, as this has allowed us to capture some extraordinary photos of wildlife., especially when the grass is very tall, or we were stuck in a long que of cars to get to a sighting. The aircon has kept us cool even when the temperatures soared over 40 degrees Celsius. Not to mention the center consol fridge which works almost instantaneously to cool down our water and refreshments to almost teeth shattering, just above freezing temperature. For the days when the temperatures where minus 8 degrees Celsius, the heated leather seats kept us nice and toasty. We have just loved the way the back door opens and have used the tail gate as a welcome place to sit or as a table to make some much need coffee or a bite to eat. The huge space in the back has given us the opportunity to design and build our own fridge slider and ammo box holder. This idea was more cost-effective than installing a build in cupboard and free's up space for loading other things in the back when we are not overlanding. This vehicle is so versatile and easy to modify.  We love the comfort and style no matter if we are on or off road, for everyday use or overlanding.

We were forced to get the vehicle new shoes as the Cooper Max tires that came with the vehicle when we purchased it started cracking along the side wall even though there was still 8mm tread left. After doing extensive research we decided to go with BF Goodridge's KO2 tires, due to its extra thick side wall and have never looked back. 

We decided to upgrade the front brakes to grooved brake disc with EBC green pads. This improved the stopping power dramatically.

Fuel consumption for a V8 engine has not been as heavy as we expected, especially dragging almost 5 tons or even when driving through thick sand. Injector cleaner is a must as the vehicle has high mileage. We always carry a spare diesel filter as the 200 Landcruiser does not appreciate dirty diesel. Which seems to be freely available throughout Southern Africa. 

We purchased the following from either Front Runner direct or through Facebook marketplace. Front runner roof rack, jerry cans and holder, gas bottle holder, roof tent brackets and fishing pole light holder, Sandtracks and brackets. The light bar and Tentco 2,4m awning we purchased elsewhere. The potjie holder was designed and made by us.

We added an awesome new 3mm steel bumper designed and manufactured by Danie van Rooyen at Maximum Effort.

After our trip to Namibia, we luckily found out that Mike M Suspension services Billstein shocks as we had to fix our front shocks as one had burst. They did a superb job at a fraction of the cost of replacing them.

As the vehicle came with a full-service history done mainly by Toyota, we continued servicing the vehicle at Toyota in Midrand. We unfortunately started experiencing steering issues and needed to replace the steering rack. The part alone was around R 40 000.00 excluding labour. After more research we came across N1 4x4 who had an original part for us from Australia at a fraction of the cost. We are eternally grateful for all their assistance and will definitely make use of them again. We can highly recommend them for all things Landcruiser in Gauteng.    

Besides the routine services we have a wish list of things we would still like to do to the Landcruiser, starting with servicing the back shocks. Rear disc upgrade discs and pads (same as front). Getting some front seat covers. To Fit a De Graaf performance exhaust. We would also love to add a 4x4 winch to our beautiful bumper. We would love to get a pangolin wrap, to protect the paint work from scratches especially when overlanding. Install a 16-inch touch screen with usb. Fit a back bumper with spare wheel holder. We look forward to making this wish list a reality and will tackle it as and when the budget allows, as we have always done.