The pricing of a 4×4 electric winch can vary from a few hundred to a few thousand. This might suggest there’s a difference in how a winch functions across the different brands. The reality is but the vast majority work exactly the same — and I’m going to try to explain how…

A typical 12v winch has a few common components.

Winch Motor: The power source of your winch. As you’d guess, it’s 12 volt and electric. These motors are high power and while that gives you the pulling power you need, draws a lot of energy from your battery. It won’t take long for a winch to drain one or both your batteries if your car isn’t running and the alternator not charging.

Winch Gearbox: Helps to maximise the power out of your motor. It’s just a bunch of cogs doing some fascinating things. You’re able to disengage the gearbox as well (like putting the car in neutral) to unwind the winch quickly – free spool.

Winch Spool: The thing that your cable or rope rolls up into. Sit’s in between the motor and the gearbox.

Winch Solenoid: Powers up the motor and the direction that it turns (wind in or wind out)

Winch Control / Switch: These connect to the solid to tell it what direction you want it to run. Can come in a few different shapes and sizes. Wireless, handheld and in the cab.

Winch Brake: Kinda essential to be able to stop the winch when it’s not in motion!

How a 4×4 winch operates.

… you using all winch safety protocols.

1. You free spool the gearbox, run the winch lead to its anchor point
2. Engage the gearbox
3. On the controls select wind in, it sends a signal to the solenoid with the direction you want it todo
4. The solenoid connects power to the winch motor in the right way to wind in
5. The motor spins and turns a rod attached to the gearbox
6. Gearbox rotates the spool connected to the wire/rope
7. The rope is wrapped around the spool
8. The distance between you and the anchor point is shortened.
   i.e., If the tree you anchored to has a stronger footing than you, you’ll move towards it and away from your bog hole.
9. Stop winding, the brake is activated

That’s it.

Let’s got into some detail:

Winch Motor:

There are two main types of winch motor, series wound, and a permanent magnet. Their wiring is completely different, so it’s important you know which one you have. I think, and I could be wrong, permanent magnets are using on smaller winces, a Series wound is far more common these days due to their high initial torque. They come in different sizes (HP), and the quality can vary. A better motor can often be where your extra money goes.

The motors used in series wound winches have 4 connections.

• An earth — which needs to be earthed
• A — Armature
• Y1 — Power for one direction
• Y2 — Power for the other direction

Kyleb in a post on 4×4 Earth describes it better than I can

On a series wound winch, the field winding creates the magnetic field around the armature. When you push the button to winch in, the solenoid connects power from the battery to the field winding (Let’s call it Terminal F1) and then the other side of the field winding (Call it terminal F2) is connected to the +12V side of armature (the moving centre of the motor) while the other side of the armature winding is connected to ground. When you winch out, the power is applied through the series winding in the opposite direction, so the battery is connected to field winding terminal F2, then field winding terminal F1 is connected to the +12V side of the armature while the other side of the armature remains connected to ground. The current flowing through the field winding is reversed, causing the magnetic field to change, thereby causing the motor to spin in the opposite direction.

Series wound or permanent magnet how do you tell the difference?

The series wound will have 4 terminals, permanent magnet likely to only have two.

Winch Gears/Gearbox:

There is subtle variation; however, any modern day winch will use a planetary gear setup. There’s no way on earth I’ll be able to explain how that works, but if you’re a nerd, this a great video that walks you through how this type of gear setup works.

The quality of the material and precision in the engineering is what you’re getting when you pay a little more for your winch. Breaking teeth is a sure-fire way to end the life of a winch. It’s also potentially what ends of life of your 4x4s much more expensive gearbox as well! Noting that your winch should have a lever to put the gearbox into ‘neutral’ so you can pull out the winch line (wire/rope) faster than it will unwind under power and save your battery and motor in the process.

Winch Spool/Drum:

This is the bit in the middle, that the wire or the rope connects to, and rotates both ways to wind the rope in or out. It’s driven by the gearbox and rarely fails.

Winch Solenoid:

There is a difference in the type of solenoid you need depending on your type of motor (magnet or series wound). I’ll talk about the more common, series wound. What the solenoid does is route power to Y1 or Y2, dependant on what you indicate from the controller. Remembering Y1 and Y2 dictate the direction the winch will turn.

This intermediate is used because winch motors draw a lot of current, this needs big thick wires. Which would be impractical to use on direct switches. Solenoids are interchangeable, but you need to make sure that it’s rated for more than the AMPS your winch motor will draw. These in my experience is the most common component to fail on a winch — I carry a spare with me. They are cheap to replace — much less expensive than a complete winch. Be sure to do your troubleshooting before you fork out for a new winch when it could just be your solenoid.

Winch controller or switch

This is just a two-way switch that sends a signal to your solenoid to turn on Y1 or Y2. There are three states.

1. Normally off: sending no signal
2. In: Sending to winch to power Y1
3. Out: Sending to the solenoid to power Y2

This is the same on all types of controls. In-cab, handheld, and wireless.

Winch Brake:

Imagine you are winching yourself up a hill and you need to stop and inspect some terrain ahead, your brake is what prevents the winch from unwinding under pressure. I’ve heard ‘stories’ of these winches failing, but never actually experienced it myself. Pretty important part of a winch though!

So that’s the not so complicated jigsaw puzzle that is your 12v 4×4 winch.

Some extra bits, so you know what they are.

Winch hook: Pretty obvious this one, but the thing you connect to your tree trunk protector or another anchor point

Winch thimble: If you don’t have a hook, you might have a thimble, that’s not common, but a much better solution than a hook in my opinion.

Winch fairlead: Helps either the cable or the rope feed out. If you have wire, it will be 4 cylinders that roll, if rope, it will be a smooth retangle with a little slit in the middle.

Interpreting the hype…

When winch shopping you’ll come across a bunch of numbers…

• KW or HP of motors
• Line Pull
• Gear ratios

… and so on

While you do want something that’s got the capacity you need, 9,000lbs and up for a 4×4, the rest is just useless information. Do you really care if something winches you one second faster than something else?

They don’t share with you material details (okay some of the expensive ones do). They don’t share the credentials of the company that actually makes them, or the manufacturing process. They don’t share duty cycles, they don’t share warranty return rates. This is the actual facts you would need to know to make a genuinely informed decision on reliability. So you’ve got a make a call yourself.

Don’t forget though, that quality is your only real trade-off when it comes to the cost of making a winch when you know how similar they all are in design and construction. Don’t fall for the hype!

The post How a 12 volt 4×4 winch works appeared first on 4x4 Fever.

I’ve written a lot of articles about winches, and my personal approach to how I install them get’s asked about all the time. I figured I’d share in a bit more detail how I install 12-volt winches in my 4x4s. Noting I’m not an auto elec, so if there’s way to improve it, and you’re not an armchair expert or a troll, then I’d love to hear.

For a while now, I’ve used standard series wound winches. Which I’ve explained how they work here. The main principles of my winch setup are.

1. Isolation at the main power source
2. Isolation of the control box in the cab
3. The solenoid in the engine bay
4. In-cab control
5. Fixed or wireless hand control

1. Isolation at the primary power source

When I’m driving around, I like to be able to turn off the winch at the source – the main power line from the battery. The equivalent of turning off the power to the house at the mains. It’s just a safety thing I’ve always done.

You might find a basic one in your winch kit. Runva’s do.

Or… you can pick up this tidy unit from Jaycar.

Important: If you need to buy one of these, 99% of the ones you’ll find on eBay etc will not be appropriate. You need one that is rated for 500 AMPs plus at a continuous load. They might say something like rated to 1000 AMPs, but likely to be just a few seconds not continuously. The above for example from Jaycar is rated at 500 AMPs continuous and why it’s $60, not $20.

2. Isolation of the control box in the cab

Your control box is triggered by a small 12v input. I put a switch on that line so that I can avoid any accidental activation, in particular on the in-cab controls. There’s a heap of switches on eBay you can use, many factory styles. I like the ones that integrate with your interior lights so you can find them in the dark — few more $’s though.

3. The solenoid in the engine bay

I like to move the solenoid into the engine bay, to keep it out of the weather and also putting it in a much more accessible location to replace (I carry a spare with me). There is a couple of tradeoffs’s here.

• Heat: At times there can be a fair bit of heat in the engine bay
• Longer power wires: Longer wires will give you a larger voltage drop, and thus the winch will draw more AMPs to function. This in excess can put your motor under load and burn it out.

As a result, I think through where I can put the solenoid with the shortest possible cable length, but also get the protection that I want.  The extended cables I buy are at a minimum 2 gauge or 35mm2 welding wire , but to minimise voltage drops and preserve your motor I suggest 70mm2 wire and some high-quality matching connections and insulators professionally put on when I know my exact lengths.

4. In-cab control

Along with my isolation in the cab, I also have a factory look winch in / winch out switch. Inside your cabin is a safe spot to be when your winching.

5. Fixed or wireless hand control

Along with the in-cab switch, I also keep the integrity of the hand controls – manual lead or the wireless version. Usually, what comes with the winch.

What I’ll order for a winch install:

1. The winch (and all the standard contents)
2. A heavy duty main isolation switch (unless one comes with the winch)
3. New in cab isolation switch
4. New in cab winch control switches
5. Some lengths of small 5amp wire (for the in-cab lines)
6. Some longer lengths of main winch wire.
7. Depending on where I mount the solenoid, the only additional materials is some steel to fabricate up a simple bracket.

Other considerations I think about are

1. Rub risks on the wires. Any place where the wire is touching metal, I wrap things up in some of that black flexible conduit to give a bit of extra protection. The plastic insulation is pretty thick in winch cables, but this is an additional safeguard
2. Winching override on your dual battery charger. Some of the dual battery charging systems have a feature where you can force an open circuit across both batteries when the winch is running. Guaranteeing you are sharing the load rather than pulling all those AMPs from just one battery. It’s a bit of a devil in disguise though as if you run them both flat you’re not going anywhere.
3. Anchor points. When putting in a winch, I’ll often pair a winch install it with putting in some stronger anchor points.

Time the install takes…

This install will take 2 or 3 times longer than a standard one. You could show this post to an auto electrician, and they will be able to do it for you but expect to foot the bill for the extra labour costs, or if you’ve got a bit of knowledge you can do it yourself. It’s hard to quote precisely how long, as it differs car to car, but with all the gear and no dramas, you can get it done in one afternoon. I’ve been using this setup for a while now, and it’s worked well. My only malfunctioning winch was a TJM that let go through water seeping in through the terminals – nothing to do with the install.

Here’s where everything goes

Thoughts/feedback to help the next visitor.

As I said at the beginning, if you feel there’s way to improve this install, and you’re not an armchair expert or a troll then please shout out in the comments to help others.

The post 12-volt 4X4 Winch setup appeared first on 4x4 Fever.

Since that review, Runva has come a long way. I’ve purchased a few more of their winches for a couple of other 4x4s, had a few of conversations with Michael the general manager of Runva Australia and based on all this, I wanted to expand on my initial review.

Runva’s range of winches.

Let’s start with their range, the standout aspect for me is their decision to think less about profit, more about value for us as offroaders – a seriously RARE thing in our world.

They offer among other things a ‘bare’ winch. It comes with only with motor spool and gearbox. No rope, no solenoid, or control box.

Given all these 12 volt winches pretty much work the same, significant components are often interchangeable. When your motor lets go, the manufacturers often make you buy a whole new unit (or price a replacement motor at the same amount as a new unit). Runva don’t do that, they allow but just the motor/spool, enabling you to re-use some of the working parts (rope/solenoid/controls). I have a particular approach to how to install a 4×4 winch, so this is valuable.

As for the lineup, some of the different options that actually find a little confusing

The 11XP and13XP are available in premium and standard. The premium versions are a little more expensive but offer a better warranty. Cool makes sense, but it’s the ‘EW’ models that just confuse me. Comparable capacities to the XP, seem to be cheaper, yet this range goes to a monster 20,000lbs and also has a premium version. In my discussions with Runva, it seems their XP range is the one for us, and I like to keep it simple, so I’ve just stuck with XP and XP premiums in my purchases.

So if it’s an XP then which one? 11, 13 or the premium. Let me simplify it further… there’s $150 between the 11xp and 13xp premium – a tank of fuel. Unless there’s a size problem, buy the more substantial premium. We originally purchased the 11xp standard, and it is stronger than we’ll ever need, fast enough, doesn’t overheat. Why you want the premium, and why I’ve purchased two of them, is because water is the curse of all functioning winches and the premium comes with better waterproofing. In my mind, it’s worth the tank of fuel.

Let’s talk about price — in the real world.

So, I’m saying spend $1K. This is, of course, a lot more, and a lot less than you can spend on a winch. As I’ve said many times, most of these winches function in the same way, so why pay $1K. My logic is when they are all the same, quality is the only real trade-off. And with a winch, quality does matter. It will live 99.9% of its life as a brick in the front of your 4×4. Soaking up all that dust, mud and water as you roam around this land of oz. But that 0.01% when you need to use it, you need it to work.

Going cheap

You could, of course, go the 4WD supercentre option, and pick something up for under $400. If that’s your plan, my advice would be to buy two and carry one unopened in the back of your rig as a spare. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are plenty of instances where these 4wd supercentre winches have lived a long and hard life, but, it’s simple math.

They don’t sell enough of these to get 3x production efficiency to sell the same thing at a lower price. So their alternative is to sacrifice on the quality of components and manufacturing. So, it would be a reasonable assumption to make that you will have a higher likelihood of failure with a cheap winch.

Going expensive

Then we can go the other way to WARN level winches where you double that $1K to $2K (or more). Warn had this free run of being pretty much the only decent winch you’d buy for a long time. With a WARN, you’ll get the oohhh big spender response from your mates, but I’m not sure you get 2X or 3X the winch. While brands like 4WD supercentre showed us how cheap it is actually to make a winch, and made WARN look pretty bad. Runva has taught us how much it costs to build a better quality winch, backed by a customer service focus, and a decent warranty. For me, it’s the perfect middle ground.

My personal experience with the 13XP Premium:

So a couple months out of warranty the TJM on the 105 series crapped out. An autopsy showed water got in through the terminals and fried the motor. I contacted TJM about a replacement motor, and they tried to sell me a new winch, bah. At around the same time, my good mate picked up a new 200 series Landcruiser and was decking it out (ironically with TJM bar work and suspension). Given how happy Dad was with his 11xp, I decided to keep the Runva run going and purchase two 13XP Premiums. One for the 105, the other for the 200.

When the delivery arrived, the unboxing was pretty similar to previous experiences. The leading difference of the premium over standard is water protection — and that’s hard to “see”. I did however very much like the black fairlead. Practically not necessary, but something refreshingly different. The second surprise at the time was no hook, but a ‘u’ shaped end that allowed you to connect a shackle. I really liked that sat flat on the fairlead and forced you to use a shackle to connect it to anchor points – stopping you from not using a tree protector and lazily just wrapping it back on itself around a tree.

Apparently – it’s called a ‘thimble’

They do the thimble on the 11xp not the 13 — I’m not sure why. It was a little weird, to begin with, but when I wrapped my head around why, it was actually ingenious. But I also do have a thing about shackles. Expect a nice big red hook in your xp13 order —  a decent one though.

They also seemed to have fixed the badge issue, and the Chinglish instructions which were good to see. (detailed in initial review).

What was in the box

My personal winch setup needs longer leads to get the control box out of the weather and a bit of other trickery, so I never use everything the kit contains. But like every other winch out there, it has everything you need for a basic setup. Runva’s winches still seem to be the most comprehensive.

The install is pretty much the same as my original review and re-tensioning the rope, and other tests were all as to be expected. More pull than I would ever need, fast enough. That said, speed and lbs numbers don’t interest me that much, reliability does.

So where are we now?

I like that I can share and update these reviews over time. We are two and a half years in on the 11xp — still going strong, one year in on the pair of 13xp premiums — still going strong, and I expect way more than that. They seem to be aging well and confident of a substantial lifespan. I’ll as always keep you informed if that changes.

Where to buy one?

There is a heap of options, but I have three.

• Runva direct: You can buy the full lineup from Runva direct (or straight to the XP13 premium) and close to lowest prices. That’s where we ordered the premiums from. While Runva has one of the best warranties going around, I feel you’re going to be better served to order direct.
• Spares box: I haven’t ordered a winch from them, but I have a bunch of other service parts (brake pads/ discs), etc. Ordering is easy and delivery is reliable and fast. They stock Runvas including the XP13 premium. And the naked units. Good if you need to order more than just a winch.
• The 4WD shed on eBay: I bought a lot of small stuff from this crew in the past. Always delivered quickly and as described. They stock Runvas, and because it’s through eBay, you get eBay’s purchase protections as well.

I doubt you’ll have trouble from any of these. I’m sure at any given time you might be able to save a little more, but these are options I can speak personally too. Note: I do get a little kickback from eBay if you buy through them. Not much, but helps with the site.

Runva is my winch of choice at the moment. I’m about to order another for the Hilux we picked up late last year. A dependable winch that I’ve not been able to fault, all my dealings with them have been great, and they genuinely seem to be interested in serving us well as offroaders rather than extract as much cash as they can.

Initial review of the 11XP Runva Winch

Why the Runva and not the TJM?

At the end of our search for a new winch for the 79 series, we were down to two options. The Runva and the TJM I have in my 105 series. At the end of the day, we decided on the Runva really to experience what this new brand has to offer.

Can it live up to it’s good reputation

First impressions:

Before I even opened the box, there was a little WTF moment. The picture featured a winch with a steel cable. I had actually assumed I was getting the rope and didn’t double check. I thought for a moment I was going to have to spend more cash on a rope.

Then I noticed that on the box was a printed ‘synthetic rope’ label. With a little relief, I did think that if you are going to the trouble of making a unique box with the label ‘rope’ on it, why wouldn’t you put a picture of the winch with some actual rope on it. It’s not that much more effort.

Then I opened the box and started to pull out all the goodies. There were a good things and bad.

The good: The kit is comprehensive. Not only was there the winch, control box, and cables. It includes a fairlead, a bunch of control box mounting brackets, wireless controller. Basically all the options you would want.

The not so good: It had some similarities to when I was unboxing the tigerz11 roof rack. There were clear signs that whilst there was some unique branding, there were some links to import no-name winches all over the internet.

• Sign # 1: The Chinglish in the instructions. Easy to miss, even easier to get right

• Sign # 2: The same wireless remote that you can buy on its own from a ton of suppliers on Alibaba or eBay.
• Sign # 3: Some dodgy packaging and attention the final details.
• Sign # 4: The Runva badge on the control box disintegrated.

… and I don’t even want to know what’s on this terminal cover.

In all fairness:

None of these actually affect the performance of the winch, but it’s a reminder that you’ve taken the cheaper option. It does make you start to wonder what they may have sacrificed on the inside. TJM and Warn would never let that happen (even if they still are Chinese imports).

If the winch is everything it promises to be, I really hope they take the time to get that right, so they can be a product in their own right not just a meh brand off a random Chinese winch assembly line.

Time to install…

We had to adjust the gearbox, which was easy to do following the instructions on the Runva website, and also gave me a little peek inside… everything looked well greased and good to go.

The front ARB bar on the 79 was recent so the bolts came out pretty easy and the front bar was out in a flash. Then came the old Supawinch and in went the Runva. The clutch lever was pretty close to the top of the bar. We’ll probably have to trim the bar to make sure it’s engaged fully. Otherwise, everything else lined up perfectly.

The 79 also needed an offset fairlead, so whilst I was impressed the Runva included a fairlead, it was the wrong one so a little pointless.

The install was easy. The Supawinch already had the cables run to an under bonnet solenoid, so we kept those in place and replaced the solenoid for the new one in the Runva.

We also took the time to run a winch power switch into the dash to make sure the winch couldn’t be started easily by someone who couldn’t access the cab. I always buy these switches of eBay. They are factory fit on the Landcruiser and work with your dash lights making them easier to find in the night.

They’re about double the other factory fit switches on eBay, but I think it’s worth it.

Time to test

With everything connected, it was time to give it a test. We first tried the manual controls and they worked perfectly. It was then time to try out the wireless controls. As I mentioned earlier, these controls are the cheap ones all over the web, and I’d never used them before.

As soon as I did, I said NO WAY and immediately ripped it out. It has a delay that you need to hold the button and wait a second then it starts, then you let go of the button and there is a delay before it stops.

A winch is a serious device and this delayed feedback on the control is dangerous. I think these things should be banned.

I’m not sure if the brand name versions are the same, but I’m mounting in cab controls to the 79 series and the 100 series now, instead of going for wireless controllers. If anyone knows of a wireless controller that doesn’t have that delay let me know.

With the controllers tested it was time to check everything was tight before we spooled out all the rope and wound it back in under load (something you should do with all new winches). I have a paddock I can do this with, but most people I know find a nice skip bin in an industrial estate on a weekend to do the same thing.

Thoughts on the Runva so far.

Whilst there a few loose edges with the Runva, I can’t forget that I paid less than half the amount I did for the TJM. And the TJM didn’t even come with the rope or a bunch of other things the Runva did. With a warranty they are willing to actually stand by, it also gives me hope that it will stand the test of time.

The winch will be used, so it’s going to be tested and of course, I’ll share the result here on 4X4 Fever. But fingers crossed that we have a new winch strapped to the front of the 79 series that will be there for some time.

If you have any questions on the install feel free to hit me up on Facebook or comment below.

… and if you have any personal experiences with the Runva feel free to contribute in the comments.

Ready to buy one?

Ready to buy one?

There those three options again…

• Runva direct: You can buy the full lineup from Runva direct (or straight to the XP13 premium) and close to lowest prices. That’s where we ordered the premiums from. While Runva has one of the best warranties going around, I feel you’re going to be better served to order direct.
• Spares box: I haven’t ordered a winch from them, but I have a bunch of other service parts (brake pads/ discs), etc. Ordering is easy and delivery is reliable and fast. They stock Runvas including the XP13 premium. And the naked units. Good if you need to order more than just a winch.
• The 4WD shed on eBay: I bought a lot of small stuff from this crew in the past. Always delivered quickly and as described. They stock Runvas, and because it’s through eBay, you get eBay’s purchase protections as well.

The post Runva Winch Review – From the perspective of real customer appeared first on 4x4 Fever.

I break them down into four levels.

1. Broke but still going strong
2. Limping by still mobile
3. Immobile and close to a town (or a person)
4. Immobile and far away from anything and anyone

These issues can feel anything from an inconvenience to holiday ruining to life threatening. Apart from 4 which might see you grabbing for your EPIRB with some calmness, a little wisdom, and some positivity. Mechanical issues can often turn from emotionally crippling nightmares to a unique memory of your off-road adventure that you’ll tell in the pub for years to come.

On a recent trip to Fraser I was reminded of the roller coaster that is a significant breakdown. Before we left, I had a gut feeling that my clutch was on the way out. It had a few KM’s under its belt. My model 105 has the smaller flywheel and clutch that its auto and younger brothers, and I had felt a tiny bit of slip. Knowing that the Frazer sand is going to expose any vulnerability in my 4wd, I remembered clearly thinkiing if I should change it before we left.

It wasn’t until smoke poured out of the clutch as I was recovering another rig, I knew for sure, I probably should have acted.

While it smoked up a smelly storm, it didn’t let go completely. I was able to cruise around Fazer for another couple of days. Through Indian head, north towards the lighthouse – no worries. It was when though I got it back the blacktop I realised she was never going to make it home. We still had a couple of thousand km’s to drive, a few days to spend at Hervey Bay and the Gold Coast.

This trip was important to us for reasons I won’t go into, and as I drove up the road and the clutch slip-slip-slipped down the road, I thought out trip was ruined.

I found it hard to share with the rest of the group. As we set about trying to find a solution though, the reality of the situation seemed much less catastrophic.

We have Total Care

As tourers around Australia, we made the decision to invest in RACV total care. It’s for Victorians, but you might have an equivalent. For a few hundred a year, they’ll cover a big chunk the cost of getting you and your vehicle (and trailer) home or to a mechanic anywhere in Australia. So even if we had to bail from our trip, it wouldn’t cost the earth to get home.

More than your mechanic can fix things

We all love our local mechanic (or our shed), but there are good mechanics (and people) everywhere. Before we said ‘tow-the-thing-home’, we decided to try to get it fixed. A clutch is a straight forward but a big job. Given I’d have to do at home anyway, if I could get it done in QLD, we could enjoy the rest of our holiday.

This is of course much easier if you have factory warranty and you can just take it to the local dealer and say fix it.

Step 1: Phoning a friend

Before I started talking with local mechanics, I dropped in a call to a mechanic that my father knew. He was 4 hours further north and could do the job, but I was hoping more that he would know a few people in the local area. He gave me one piece of advice I wouldn’t have naturally considered.

Use a nationally authorized mechanic

I don’t want to be pulling out gearboxes all that often so he said to use if possible a Repco authorised repairer or other nationally supported company. That way, warranty issues can be sorted locally rather than from two states away. I ideally hoped to find someone good enough wouldn’t need a warranty claim, but it was still good piece of mind and good advice

Step 2: Phone around

It was a public holiday, which gave me some time to come up with a priority list of mechanics to call the next day. It started with two Repco repairers in Hervey Bay, a specialist independent clutch and brake mechanic finally a whole host of people in Brisbane. At 8:00 AM the next morning I started making calls, and it only took two to find Chris at the Urangan Service Centre.

I described what I needed over the phone, and he said he’d get it done the next day for me. It was perfect timing as that’s when we were due to leave. I said I’ll bring it down now and 15 minutes later I was handing over the keys.

You might say I was in a vulnerable position being so far from home, but you could tell pretty quick that Chris is a nice (and knowledgeable) bloke. All his team was in uniform. The workshop was clean and tidy. It just felt like a good setup.

We drew up a plan, and a said I’d catch him tomorrow.

Early the next day I dropped back in to put something in my car and to make sure he’d found all the parts he needed and to my total surprise he said — mate she’s done.

He’d been able to get started on it earlier.

I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that with a mechanic before and was totally over the moon. We’d broken a clutch and not been delayed by an hour.

Crisis averted!

And for the cost. It turned out cheaper than a clutch I had replaced on a similar Landcruiser about three years ago. Not only did they for it quickly, but they also didn’t try to take advantage of my predicament.

Huge props to Chris and the team.

We got back underway and it didn’t miss a beat all the way home. Smooth gear changes all the way, I reflected on a few things.

1. Piece of mind starts before you leave your house. Good car prep and roadside assistances coverage is worth it in the long run.
2. When it brakes, it’s fixable, and you plan to fix it at home, you might as well try to find a way to do it where you are so you can keep going.
3. Get as much local advice as you can and get one phone early
4. Not all of us are bush mechanics, and modern day 4×4’s don’t lend it themselves to trackside tinkering. And that’s okay.
5. Remeber, breakdowns are part of 4x4ing. Don’t let them get you down.

But let’s still all hope for some trouble-free trips for a while.

Feel free to share your experiences with on track breakdowns, to show others there’s life long after a broken this or that.

The post On track breakdowns: Catastrophe or cool story appeared first on 4x4 Fever.

Hayman Reece, Tekonsha then Red Arc will quickly become known to you. Today, I wanted to share my experience with the Red Arc Controller.

Let’s start with their most redeeming feature. Protecting your knees.

Sometimes it’s a real challenge to mount your electronic controller and it seems even harder with modern cars. You need to controls close enough to see, but far enough out of your way for it not to be an inconvenience.

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve whacked this (soon to be removed) setup with my knees resulting in nothing but a stream of swear words

I’m pretty certain this is the main reason people pick Red Arcs over anything else — and I can understand why.

Look at the Red Arc install in the 100 series as a comparison.

Red Arcs come in with two main groups. Manual / user-controlled and multi-control – they call a ‘Tow Pro’.

The main difference between the two is the Tow Pros have both Inertia sensors which figure out how hard you are braking and apply the equivalent to the trailer and manual control.

The user-controlled versions just have the manual settings. This is what I’ve put in the 100 series, but I’d probably do the Tow Pro in the 200 when I replace it. Just because it does more towing.

Why did I choose the Red Arc?

I think the Tekonsha might have the edge when it comes to technical performance. I’ve used Prodigy P2s and P3s and they have never let me down. But it’s not that far ahead enough to tip over the clean installation of the Red Arc.

Even knowing I could do a better install of theTekonsha than what I showed in the 200 series (it was like that when we purchased it), that big unit still going to seem out of place. The Rec Arc sits perfectly accessible but hardly noticeable.

Red Arc’s have also never let me down.

If I were lugging around a 6 ton, four axle gooseneck behind a Chevy pickup then I would probably go the other way. What I’d never do is buy a cheap brand I’ve never heard of.

The Hayman. It’s pretty clear that they are just rebadging the Tekonsha or copying the Red Arc. I’d rather give my money directly to the people coming up with the ideas for the products than the ones that think they can just do a better job selling it.

Something to consider when Installing the Red Arc (or any other unit)

Unless you know what you’re doing with wiring or know someone who does (actually knows rather than says) I’d considering getting a pro to fit your system. Leaves a little less to chance when you’re lugging around a couple of ton behind you.

Happy towing and may the skin on your knees stay forever!

The post Red Arc Brake Controller Review appeared first on 4x4 Fever.

But today, I want to show you exactly one of the tricks they use to overinflate the value of their products. They’ve been doing it for a long time; it’s misleading you all and someone needs to stop them.

Yesterday I got an email from them with another sale with some ‘new’ products. Interested in what they have to offer I checked it out. I noticed a 24 LED torch at 78% off.

I thought hmm… I’ve seen those torches before. They are not worth $69. In fact, I can buy them shipped to my doorstep for about $5 on Ali Express.

or for $8 on eBay

You are being misled.

How can they say it’s worth $69?

4WD Supa Centre recently changed their comparative pricing in their emails to say ‘worth*.’

Mentioning later worth = means the approximate value of comparable products from the larger brands in the Australian market to our products.

Sorry guys worth means

“the level at which someone or something deserves to be valued or rated.”

In the case of your torch, it’s three times less than the price you are charging.

Stop it. Just stop it.

Stop misleading the 4X4 community with cheap marketing tactics. Your stuff is cheap import gear; we know that, and we should understand the risks we take when we buy from you.

Stop trying to compare your stuff to imaginary or prices or completely different things.

It’s a lie, it’s wrong, its illegal and tells us all what sort of company we’re dealing with.

The post 4WD Supa Centre: How they lie to you appeared first on 4x4 Fever.

More than anything else, though, it’s a wicked playground for off-roading, bike riding and bushwalkers.

Accessing Bunyip:

There are two ways to get to Bunyip.

• Through the Yarra Valley:
  Heading down the Warburton Highway, you can enter bunyip via Kirth Kiln / Beenak or Powelltown.
• Via the princess highway (Tynong)
  Through the prince’s highway past Pakenham then turn left at Tynong, and you’ll end up at Bunyip.

Bunyips not huge, so there’s no advantage to one over the other. The entry point is probably best selected more by which direction you are arriving from.

Supplies

You’re not that far from everything you need. On the Yarra Valley side, Lilydale is the last big suburbia, but you’ll find larger supermarkets dotted down the Warburton Highway.

From the prices highway site, Packenham is a big township with everything you need, but also bunyip (the town not forest) will be enough for most.

Bunyip camping spots

There’s more day tripping then weekending at Bunyip, and that’s probably why there there’s not a heap of camping options. You can find some scattered clear spots along the tracks. And the locals all have a few secret spots. Hit up some members of the local offroad clubs and they might help you out, but for something predictable you’ve got two main options.

Kirth Kiln Camping

Technically not in Bunyip, there’s some cleared spots around kirth Kiln. There you’ll find a little river and a kiln to check out. You could get a formula one car to the campsite, though, and there’s limited space. So on a long weekend (or a summer weekend) get there early or expect a crap spot. Lot’s of bikes, lot’s of offroaders, so there’s probably better places to do if you’re looking for seclusion.

Location

Facilities (the important ones anyway)

• Toilet (drop)
• Running water (from the river)
• Fires are allowed.
• Pets are allowed here (but not in Bunyip)

Nash Creek Campground

There’s a few spots nice spots at Nash Creek, the only true assigned campground in Bunyip. It’s right in the middle of the forest. This seems on again/off again, but you might need to book and pay for a spot here. Check with Parks Victoria before you commit to this spot. But remember like Kirth Kiln, expect bikes, expect others, expect noise regardless if you book or pay otherwise.

Location:

Facilities

• Toilet (drop)
• Running water (from the river)
• Fires are allowed.
• Not pets are allowed

Bunyip 4×4 tracks

Tracks are bunyips most redeeming features, and there’s a real rabbit warren of places to explore. The area isn’t massive, so it’s a case of much head in, see a track you like the look of, head up it, and head back out once you’ve had enough. You’ll find mud, including high country clay. Ruts and hills and tracks for mild to wild. The locals will know the right spots at all time of the year as it can change. There’s also an every increasing instance of track closures which can be frustrating.

• Andersons Track (-37.935871, 145.678452)
  Hardest track in Bunyip – by a mile. It’s passable with all terrains and no lift in the dry summer, add a bit of water to the mix and I’ve watched doubled locked, lifted patrols with 35inch + rubber struggle to get 100 meters up.

• Little Bunyip Track (-37.934586, 145.672867)
  This can get a little challenging in the wet, but a fun track. If you’ve got road rubber, you might struggle, but one to check out if you are in the area.

Some others to check out:

• Robertson Creek Tk
• Gentle Annie Tk
• Tea Tree Tk
• Bunyip Ridge Tk

Please let me know if there are any more you discover that you’d like to include.

Other things check out while in the neighborhood.

As we mentioned in at the beginning, Bunyip is more playground than anything seriously awe-inspiring or historical. A quick stop and Kirth Kiln or even Four Brothers Rocks is worth a quick look. There are a few excellent picnic areas, but if you’re in a 4×4, you can stop where ever you like.

Local 4×4 club

4×4 Adventure Club (INC)

The Yarra Valley 4×4 club will know the Bunyip area well and are a decent size club.

Be sure to tell us about your trip in the comments.

We’d love to hear about your recent trip. How tracks were, where you stayed and anything else that could interest the next person about to head int bunyip. And of course, if anything changes to what we experienced above.

The post Bunyip State Forest appeared first on 4x4 Fever.

There’s been an amazingly constructive and positive discussion happening on the post since we shared it and one of them Chris, offered to put together his own experience with his new Alpha. Here’s a review of the Black Series Alpha Camper from someone that actually owns one …

The pick up

I picked up the Alpha and all was set and ready. Rego stuff as easy as it is when dealing with the Roads guys. Passed inspection fast and easy. No prob.

Took it home and checked it out. So far so good.

• Issue 1. The hose from the water tank to the tap was not sealing at the connection. Sucking air. No good.
• Issue 2. The gas bottle holders were too big to hold the gas bottles. At tightest setting you could still lift the bottles straight up. Loose as…

Took it back to GIC. To fix the air leak from the tank to the tap they suggested a new hose or even a new tap. No clue as to how to fix the gas bottle thing.

Now before anyone poo poos GIC, a point or 2. The guys at the showroom are sales guys, not mechanics, so there’s not much point carrying on.

Yes it is brand new and this shouldn’t happen… but it did and I easily fixed it! I had to as we were leaving the next day for our shake down test camp.

Thanks to my wife’s suggestion, credit where it’s due, the air sucking hose was sealed up just using plumbing thread tape around the male end, about 4 or 5 turns, tight fit, clicked in. Fixed! Better than new (?). No sucking air!

The gas bottle holders were a bit different. The guys didn’t know why the bottles didn’t fit, so left me to ponder while they answered the phone. I took the bottle around to some of the other models and found that the higher end models had the proper rubber collars/spacers on the gas bottle holders and they fit snug as a bug. Got some rubber collars/spacers from the guys and all fixed. Seems there may be an attempt at cost cutting on the Commando/Sergeant/Alpha models.

Let me say that the GIC sales guys were great and I feel they may have been a bit set up and left to pick up the slack from elsewhere.

These two issues are know on social media. We found out later. They were very easily fixed. Makes me wonder though…

The first trip

Off we went. Melbourne to Pambula. Tows like it’s on rails. The Alpha has an extended draw bar and is rock solid! Towed behind a 2014 Nissan Patrol, 4cyl turbo diesel, 5 speed man.

We had already put up the tent once to weather it, found it reasonably OK. As a first go we did OK. At the camp site we had to put it up in failing light trying to beat the thunderstorm we had driven through an hour earlier. We didn’t quite beat it but putting it up the second time was way easier and a bit more fun. We got pummeled but laughed all the way through it. You know, if it’s going to rain at least it really bucketed. Tent held up really well. More on that later. Rain cleared. Starry cool night. Got the annex roof up quite quickly too. All pretty straight forward but we will get better over time.

Next day, in daylight, put up the full annex. Pretty easy and no issues. Pummeled with rain that day and into the night. This time got a few leaks in the main tent but we really copped it. The annex hadn’t been weathered at all so we expected the worst but were pleasantly surprised at how well we came through. The canvas is heavy and solid and a bit stiff as it’s new but really good quality, heavy stitching and good strong zips and fly screens.

The bed is fantastic! Full Queen-size! I’m 6’5″ and it’s the best camp sleep I’ve ever had! Could be a touch thicker, but I could lose some weight too I suppose.

So far so good.

Awkward bits (not bad just awkward) follow.

The locks are OK but seem to be a bit on the lite or soft(?) side. Again brand new and a bit stiff but they all worked fine.

The camp kitchen, or opening tailgate, has a very weak locking pin position that may be an issue if not heeded. I can think of a better/stronger spot that I might try for in the future.

We found that the work bench was great. If you wanted to put a gas cooker on it, the gas hose would have to be on the left hand side or the back of the stove. The right side is a bit too cramped up to the sink. We had a gas stove on a stand (that caught fire but that’s another story, nothing to do with the camper) with a gas lantern and it all worked to a tee! I’ll try and post some pictures.

The drain for the sink is a lite plastic extending hose easily forgotten when you close the kitchen up, so is easily damaged but also easily fixed. Might try and look at that too.

One annoying point was the annex has no allowance for the spare wheel on the tailgate when you open it out. You have to remove the spare wheel assembly or just put up with the annex being pushed out looking “off”. Some sort of zip assembly in the annex might be a good idea.

Inside the main tent you can access the 3 compartments under the bed…… BUT the opening to these drawers is too small to be able to open them out. The only way around this is to un-peg the 2 closest points at the floor and lift the wall and floor up to allow the draws to open. Caution is required as there is a very high chance of ripping the wall if not careful.

It seems to me that the tent is made for the Commando model and then fitted to the larger Sergeant and Alpha models as an after thought. While the tent does work these are the few little issues.

Bottom line!

We bought an Alpha. We knew there were some issues (from other posts). We paid $8,890 (not $35K) which included $400 delivery charge from Sydney and got a lot of extras eg boat carrier, portable toilet, cover and a few more. We were not expecting a $35k camper. We love our camper and are clocking up some experiences with it. We are dealing with issues as they pop up and so far they are all very minor and easily dealt with. We will be dragging it up the guts of Oz and around to the north east up to FNQ. It will be punished. It will be used. So far I am confident it will do the hard yards… or miles… or K’s….whatever. I’m sure any issues that “pop up” can be easily addressed. After touring around Oz on a bike with a tent, this is luxury.

We are very happy. We bought the best we were prepared to pay for at the time.

Tally Ho!!

Chris HB

..and from 4×4 Fever, Chris mate — thanks so much for sharing this!

The post Alpha Black Series Camper Review – From an owners perspective appeared first on 4x4 Fever.

Let’s look at some dates…

• 40 seres – > 1960 to 1984 – > 14 years
• 60 series -> 1980 to 1989 – > 9 years
• 80 series – 1990 to 1997 – > 7 years
• 100 series -> 1998 to 2007 – > 9 years
• 200 series ->2007 to 201? – > 10 years and counting
• 300 series -> ?

The 40 series being the odd one out, Toyota has given each model of the big bad flagship Landcruiser about a decade run.

If you’re a little Landcruiser crazy like me, you’ve probably been starting to think — the new one is about due!

Just to tease us all the 200 series recently had a facelift and a few little tweaks here and there. Maybe it’s the last update we’ll see to this model that raised many eyebrows for good reasons and bad.

If the new model arrives in the next year or two, what it certain is they’ll always come out with something no-one will expect. The thumping twin turbo v8 diesel, KDSS and a bunch of electronics standard, were some of the most memorable features of the 200 series. No poverty pack option and small fuel tanks in the Sahara and VX  (both have been corrected) and the first 6 figure price tag might be the things Toyota don’t want you to remember.

But what about the 300 series?

About 1 in 5 (maybe a little less) of Toyotas sold in Australia are a Landcruiser. When you consider how many different Toyotas there are it’s not a bad result given the price tag. Hopefully that and global sales still means it’s a model our Totoya overlords still see a value and invest in.

To keep us all amused as this new model looms, let’s look at some of the rabbits they might pull out.

The engine

This could go two ways. Give fuel consumption the good old two finger salute (which they did with the 200 series) and come out with and even more insanely powerful engine, or they could find a way to make a hybrid setup work and still be able to tow anything. It would love to see them get a hybrid done, but given a lot of these beasts head to the middle east, where fuel isn’t such a thing, they might go with the two fingers. Regardless, the engine is always a talking point and a big part of the Landcruiser legend.

• 60 series: 12-ht turbo that loves to do a million km
• 80 series:1hz unbreakable non-turbo
• 100 series: 1HD-FTE – oh yeah
• 200 series: 1VD-FTV – V8 twin turbo – OMG

Off-road

The KDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System) came out on the 200 series. There seems to be a bit of a love hate with this as it’s a pain in to modify (comparably) but it does give you an extra off-road capability from the standard. It also was a concerted effort to maintain the 200 series off-road potential and reputation – that wasn’t some electronic gadget. And even better it was invented by us Aussies!!!!

While the KDSS is mechanical, I expect bigger advancements in offroad capability will come either with added smarts (electronically) – or by better design (clearance / entry and exit angles). It’s hard to image Toyota being able to go much further unless they go 4-wheel steering or some tank like traction system. Maybe a hovercraft model?

Interioir

What Totoya do well be screw together a pretty good car. They think about driver experience both functionally and aesthetically, and I’m sure this new model will raise the bar. Sit in a 40, then a 60, then an 80, then a 100, then a 200 and you’ll get a real sense for how much they step it up each time. Look to the new Hilux for some inspiration but I’m sure they’ll go up again.

Towing

For Toyota, you have to say the 79 series these days own offroad, but the 200 owns the second great pursuit of Aussies, towing the caravan around this vast island. On a trip to Fraser Island, the number of white 200 series towing caravans down the highway was pretty insane. But they’re not wrong.

I don’t care what the tow capacity of all these utes are, including the Hilux, there’s no match for the 200 series Landcruiser for towing. There are import pickups that can tow more, but there are nowhere near as comfortable or refined. Towing is exactly why we own one.

I’m hoping that they find a way to go up again to separate themselves from the Utes who might have the same tow rating but not the same real overall capabilities.

Gizmos

This tends to go like this…

• The new Sahara will get a bunch of new gizmos
• The VX will have what the Sahara had the model before
• The GLX and GX will get the most of the functional and safety gizmos but not the luxurious ones (i.e., leather)

I expect nothing different. KDSS might become all range thing, so might be all the driving mode selectors you see on the Sahara. You’ll see more personalisation in the top models and a stack of nice to haves so you can make your martinis 24/7. Of course, the Sahara won’t have everything as they’ll need to leave some room for the even more luxurious (and expensive) Lexus to deliver on.

Safety

You can only hope that there is a heap of new advancements with this through all the models, not just the expensive ones. Brake assist, alerts of driver drowsiness, and blind spot detection along with airbags and stability and traction control. We hope it gets the lot, but likely to come down to how affordable were all these when the model was being developed.

Size and space

You have wonder if the cruiser can afford to go and bigger. I don’t think it can and will likely do more with less space over expand. But I could be wrong. Toyota sells a heap of their bigger tundras in the US. So they still may think bigger is always better. Probably because none of them have tried to navigate the tight tracks of the snowy mountain ranges

Whatever happens, it will be an event!

Just like Mac v’s PC, and cannon v’s Nikon, there will be a heap of praise and criticisms pointed in the direction of the 300 series when it lands.

Time will be the ultimate storyteller of the 300 series Landcruiser. Just as it was the first time something with a Landcruiser badge rolled off the Toyota factory floor.

… and we’ll look forward to following it

A kind of update but not …

Asked Toyota’s PR department again, this is the response.

Rumors (from comments)

• Release date: October 2017
• No Diesel option

Don’t hold me to account on any of them

The post Toyota Landcruiser 300 Series – Where are you? appeared first on 4x4 Fever.

It was big, heavy, handled like crap, but would never break and was forgiving for someone just figuring out what a clutch was. It was my parents but it wasn’t long until I owned my very own (the grey one featured in this post).  It’s time to pay homage the this 1980’s offroading marvel.

It was 1980 and the word ‘SUV’ was becoming a thing. Creature comforts like air conditioning and power steering were becoming a requirement, not an expensive extra. It was a real turning point for the Landcruiser.

It’s older brothers were built with simplicity and offroad potential in mind and nothing else. The 60 series Landcruiser gave us the first glimpse of offroad sacrifices (albeit small) made to serve on-road driving comfort.

Today this is more extreme, and you can’t blame Toyota. We’d be unlikely to have a Landcruiser today if they didn’t adapt. The last offroading dinosaur the defender is gone. While the 60 series Landcruiser did start a change, it also gave us ‘that’ engine.

The timeline of the 60 series

1980 was the first year of the 60 series and after a million sales the next year, a high roof was introduced to give the ability for the 7th and 8th or 9th passenger in the very back a little more room.

It was in 1985 that the 60 series is most remembered. The year the 12H-T turbodiesel came to town. Some people rate as the best engine Toyota ever made and the distinct sound of the engine and turbo inspired the term the whistling 60.

You’ll only pay a couple of grand for a 60 series these days, but a quality 12H-T 60 series will command more than a turbo diesel 80 and often more than a 100 series. That’s how iconic this little engine was. And it’s probably fair given a million km’s was a real possibility.

There was a little facelift in 1988. which easy to tell with the dual rectangle lights on the front instead of round. The petrol also moved from carburetor to fuel injection.

1989 was the last year for the 60. But it was a pretty amazing (almost) a decade run.

Landcruiser 60 Series Specs

Body:

This was the generation that Toyotas completely let go of their Jeep heritage, and I’m glad they did. Sill simple but with a few more curves this four-door wagon is easy to distinguish.

• Style: 4 door wagon.
• Length: 4,675 mm
• Width: 1,800 mm
• Height: 1,750 mm / 1950mm (high roof option)
• Wheelbase: 2,730mm
• Seats: 5, 6, 8 or 9
• Towing capacity 2500 lbs (braked)
• Ground Clearance – 225mm
• Kerb Weight – 2290kg
• GVM – 2960kg

Brakes:

Not great, but not horrible is the only way I can describe the brakes on a 60. If you’ve got the diesel and manual chances are good, you’ll never notice as you’ll use the brilliance of engine braking to help. The handbrake though sucks on all land cruisers really so that’s something that you’ll be forever tweaking.

• Font – Disc
• Rear – Drum

Suspension:

This was the last generation of the leaf springs in the Landcruiser wagon. Leafs are reliable and predictable, but nowhere near as comfortable or as flexible / customisable as the coil spring setup found in the 80 and beyond. There are plenty of mods you made for more lift and flex but the compromise you’ll make are more noticeable. The bigger you go with a 60, the faster you’ll find yourself wanting coils – which some have been converted to (legally and illegally).

• Front – Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs
• Rear – Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs

Transmissions

Older 60s are likely to have the four-speed manual, but the latter H55F 5 speed gives you that extra gear on the highway. The 4-speed auto came in around 85, and they are fine with either the turbo diesel or the petrol, but can be a little sluggish on the non-turbo option. All these gearboxes are completely over engineered for the power of their partnered engines. A well looked after gearbox will outlast your engine in most cases.

• 4-speed manual (H41F)
• 5-speed manual (H55F)
• 4-speed auto (A440F)

Engines

There were a few changes through the 60 series generation let’s talk about the petrol engines first

• 2F 4.2: This came in with from the older models and sat in some of the early 60s. Carby, 100KW and totally fine for offroad.
• 3F 4.0L: This was a bit of a step up in power and torque. Similar potential off road, but you’ll notice a difference on road when compared to the 2F.
• 3F-E 4.0L In later model 60s you’ll find the EFI model of the 3F and the best petrol engine you’ll find in a 60 for on road and off. These were only around for a couple of years so can be hard to find.
• 3B 3.4L This was never offered in Australia on the 60 but was offered for a while it South America. It’s a 4cyl diesel inherited from its predecessors and not all that practical on an a big and heavy 60.

And the diesel options on the 60.

• 2H 4.0L: The common, non-turbo diesel engine you’ll find that might always feel a little underpowered but will rarely let you down. You will see a bunch of 2H turbo’s but this is always an aftermarket modification
• 12H-T 4.0L: I’ve already spoken about this engine turbo diesel option. An overhead value turbocharged direct injection diesel engine with 100kw and plenty of torque when you need it. A simple but for the time powerful engine you just couldn’t break

Transfer case:

All 60 series Landcruisers came with a high and low range transfer case and manual locking hubs. The mid to late models though dropped the 2nd gear lever for low and high range in favour of vacuum selector. For reliability the level is the best option and they went back to that with the 100 series.

Landcruiser 60 Series models

Through the history of Landcruiser there have been a few one off’s and times of absence, but they’ve always come back to the same set of models

G and GX
These are your basic models with least number of options (and some might say less that can go wrong)

GXL
Slightly ‘better’ than the G and GX. This is usually a bigger step and whilst it maintains the base model principles it will have a few more comforts.

VX
The VX has always been the Sahara with few features. This has alway been the model I’ve leaned towards.

Sahara
All the bells and whistles. Including some super weird ones like the airconditioned center console. Seats and time are nicer and you’re more likely to find the turbo diesel engine, but there’s an abundance of old electronics (windows / door locks) that can be a pain as they age.

Notable and desirable options

Manual diff locks

The 60 series didn’t come out with LSD differential and traction control was a few models off. The best way to transform the offroad potential of a 60 is a put in lockers. Most of those are aftermarket air locker, however there are a few rare models that have a cable operated diff lock. Expect to pay more than a complete car for a set though if you can find them.

PTO winch

Some 60’s came with a PTO winch. As far as winches go they so much more reliable than the electric winches you see on most 4×4. They work through the gearbox instead of an electric motor.

Buying a 60 Series Landcruiser – here’s a few things to think about

I might do a more formal buying guide for a 60 series in future then there are a few things you need to think about…

• It’s an old car, with old attributes
• It will be noisy on the road
• It will be uncomfortable unless you change the seats
• Most will have the basics like air con/power steering but there’s not a computer to be found
• It will handle like a bus and worse if you lift it
• If you’re always in a rush, you will hate these cars
• Safety has come a long long way since these 60’s were released
• These cars are getting old and parts are getting harder to find.

If you’re an enthusiast you’ll still find the parts you need, but off the shelf, it’s not that common to see 60 series gear. There’s plenty of accessories still, but again, that’s not where the big guys are interested in.

Rust and abuse are the two biggest killers of 60 series

When you’re looking at a 60, you need to look for rust. It’s an old car so expect to have to fix some, but a lot these days many are past the point of repair. If you see rust, assume there 3 times that you can’t see. Gutters and wheel arches are the place to look (and make sure you look for repaired rust). There’s a bunch of techniques for finding bog over metal.

You will pay a fortune for the one version and little for everything else.

If you’re shopping for a 60, you’ll quickly notice that there are versions 4 times more expensive than all the rest – maybe even more. These will always be 12ht turbo models. There’s a lot of engine swaps that have been done so if you’re going to step up for a 12ht, I’d be making sure it was that from that factory. After this peak in price, everything drops pretty sharply. You can pick up a decent 60 pretty cheaply.

Beware the import (sort of).

Many of the 60’s you’ll see on the market (and a lot of the 12hts) are imports from Japan – whilst this is okay for most, the biggest difference is that the import model has 24-volt power over 12-volt in Australian delivered models. In this case you’ll need 24 to 12-volt converters for most aftermarket gear (new stereo) and usable power outlets. You’ll also have more of a challenge replacing things like the alternator. Not show stoppers but still an extra thing to considering and these will normally impact the price a little.

Remember you are buying a 30-year-old+ car

These cars were build to last, and they did. That why you still see them around and many for sale. But you need to realise that whilst most 30-year-olds cars are long gone, these were still of that era. Expect 30-year-old technology brakes, seats and safety features along with the reliability offered on these cars and you should be fine.

And when in doubt drag a mate like me who’s stuck his head under, over and inside out more 60 series than I’d like to admit.

That’s the story of the 60 Series Landcruiser

Being the car I learnt how to drive, I’ll always have fond memories of the 60. At the time of putting together this list, I don’t have one in the garage, but I do expect a turbo diesel at some point will return. That whistling 60 is just too nice a car not to have (just don’t ask my wife).

Feel free to add any more detail you’d like to include or your own experiences in the comments.

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