2014 FJ Cruiser
The FJ had around 10,000 miles when I bought her.
Within the first few months I changed out the wheels, tires and added rock sliders. Things just sort of escalated from there. Within the first year I added front and rear bumpers, winch, roof rack, CB/Ham radio’s and some pretty serious lights. Each of these items has their place and value the further you travel away from the pavement.
Previous to buying the FJ I had no experience driving off road. It wasn’t unusual for me to struggle to get to some remote location only to find a Toyota Corolla waiting there.
After a year of camping and exploring off road I took a 4WD class. The class was 90% common sense but driving with others through challenging terrain gave me some confidence to push my truck further off road. Shortly after the class I did a 4WD tour of Death Valley with a group of jeeps. I learned first hand that my little truck was fairly capable. Much more so than its human driver. I had a lot to learn.
I developed a healthy respect for off camber shelf roads. Shelf roads are usually former mining or service roads that zig zag up the sides of a mountain. Often they are narrow, covered in loose rock and slant downwards towards the drop off. They are rarely wide enough to turn around on so once you commit you are committed. When I was younger I would routinely hike on trails eight inches wide along cliffs with sheer drop offs while carrying a pack. Really never gave it much thought but now in my later years heights terrify me. I face them down every chance I get just to keep the fear at bay. It was around this time that I developed my three zones of off roading chart. (See figure on the left)
I took out the rear seats in the FJ Cruiser and built a simple sleeping platform then slowly acquired all those things you need to be somewhat comfortable out in the boondocks. One of the biggest game changers for me was the toilet bucket. I haven’t used a gas station restroom since. The other item in this pic is an ARB refrigerator.
With camping gear somewhat in place I began to seek out remote places where I could just sit and stare for hours at some marvel of nature. My trips were generally only two to three days. I soon realized that in order to take longer trips I would need to work on making myself more comfortable. I know of people that full time in rigs not much more fancy than the FJ Crusier but I had been out enough times to know that wasn’t me. I wanted to be able to go out in the rain, wind and snow and not feel like a contestant on Survivor at the end of the day.
Pro’s and Con’s of the Toyota FJ Cruiser
Pro’s
Bullet proof- Top Gear spent several episodes trying to kill a Toyota truck. I believe it.
Interior- Love the retro dash and layout. Side flip down sun visors are cool
Flat windshield- Maybe its a Love/Hate thing. Some complain about the lack of visibility and compared to a Land Cruiser this is true. But driving around in what feels like a tank is pretty cool too.
Road manners- Travels down the highway at 65mph as well as most cars yet is fairly capable off road. Are you going to keep with a group of lifted jeeps with front and rear lockers? You will for most of it unless there’s that one obstacle that requires a front locker. A solid front axle is hard to beat when navigating big rocks.
Con’s
The smaller size makes it great for Forest Service Roads but also limits your gear and companions. At best you can haul two people and a dog comfortably. Add gear for a few days and you are packed to the gills.
Tow capacity- Fine for a light weight trail or fiberglass trailer. I added a brake controller and transmission fluid cooler just to pull a 17 foot Casita travel trailer. I would not tow anything heavier than that. It did quite well with the Casita though.
That’s it really. Some people don’t care for the styling but its dependable and capable off road. Whats not to like?
FJ Gear
Following is a list of most of the the gear I acquired to help make the FJ a good off road camping vehicle.
Could you go with less? Of course, you really just need a rental car, a few gallons of water and a sleeping bag to get off road and go camping but for me part of the fun has been putting this all together and making things as functional as I could.
Links for reviews and how and where to purchase for most of the items here can be found on the Gear page.
Suspension/Drive Train
Icon 2.5 shocks
Icon dual rate overland springs
Goodyear Duratrac tires.
Califabrication pan hard bar and control arms
Brake Controller
Transmission Fluid Cooler
Recovery and Protection
All Pro Rock Sliders
Warn Synthetic Line Winch
Factor 55 Pro Link
ARB Pulley
ARB Snatch Strap
ARB Tree Strap
ARB Plug Kit
Camping
Cabela’s sleeping pad
Cabela’s Mountain Trapper sleeping bag
ARB 12 volt Refridgerator
ArkPak 12 volt charging/inverter Portable Power pack
12 volt Lifeline AGM battery
Propane Stove
Snow Peak folding chairs
Viair 400P Compressor
HiLift
Demello Front and Rear Bumper
Eezi Awn Awning
In Conclusion
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a dependable and functional truck for daily use and off-roading. It’s styling is somewhat polarizing but I happen to like the retro interior and oversized gauges. The side mounted driver and passenger sun shades are sorely missed on any vehicle I now drive.There is a blind spot because of the low profile windshield and A pillar but nothing you can’t adjust to.
While it is not as capable as a solid axle four wheel drive it will get you to most anywhere you want to go for camping.
If I were to go down this path again I would opt for a used Lexus. Its basically the same platform as the Land Cruiser but easier to find. The added horse power and interior space would be welcome. In addition the body design allows for better off road visibility and tire placement in rough terrain.
Even so I am sure to shed a tear on the day I let her go.
