Since 1979, Toyota has built a massive off-road cult following with their super reliable engines that simply will not die (ask the folks at Top Gear) and simple yet effective designs. The original FJ40s are a very popular weekend off-road vehicle, they stand out like buoys in the sea of red and white CJs you see littered across Southern California. When the new FJ Cruiser hit the market it 2007 it was a huge hit. However, in the following years sales fell dramatically and they ceased production in 2014. When Overlanding emerged on the scene a few years back, FJ Cruisers became popular again. Overlanding enthusiasts travel to remote locations where they are self-reliant for weeks or months at a time. The immense cargo space and the simple body on frame design with its capability of maneuvering over any form of terrain make the FJ Cruiser the perfect overland rig.
The newer generation FJ Cruiser is reported to hold any where from 70-80% of its original value. Very clean examples with low miles go for as much as $35,000-$40,000. After doing a lot of research and combing the internet, I settled on an 2008 with about 70,000 miles, which at the time (2016) equaled to roughly 8,000 miles a year. The previous owner was an older gentleman that never took it off road and only used it for light hunting trips in his backyard of Yucaipa, CA. I drove it home for an amazing price of $19,500. The best part of the truck was that it had all the bells and whistles that most people didn’t order from the factory. The features included a rear E-locker, subwoofer and factory 115V power outlet in the trunk. As a car enthusiast who’d never owned an automatic transmission, I was pretty skeptical at first. But for off-roading and rock crawling the automatic was the right choice.
It wasn’t long before I started personalizing the truck. I began with a set of FN Six Shooter 17in wheels and a new set of 35in BFG KO A/T to match the previous tires that came on the truck. The next step was to get some good suspension and upgrade the roof rack for more cargo and to mount my roof top tent. When it came to suspension, Icon seemed to be the right choice due to their amazing customer service and their reliability. Last but certainly not least was my front bumper. The stock FJ bumpers have silver accent wings on the front and rear that look a little odd and out of place. So I decided to get a pre-runner style bumper with a winch mount. The new bumper changed the look of the truck immensely. The next mods I’ll be looking into will be mostly interior and electronic. They will include off-road lights and a dual battery setup. With the second battery I’ll be able to use my “regular” battery strictly for cranking the engine and the second battery will be only for auxiliary accessories such as any off-road lights, solar panels, etc. Overall, the FJ Cruiser is the perfect duality rig. If you’re looking for that serene camping spot for you and your dogs or if you want to climb the difficult Rubicons in Big Bear or even do a 100 mile off-road trip with your buds there’s no getting around that this would be the right tool for just about any job.
