Tour of a Killer FJ Cruiser Overlanding Build
Looking for inspiration regarding an FJ Cruiser build? This clip should be required viewing.
Whenever I see an FJ Cruiser on the road, I generally have two thoughts. First, it’s “cool rig” — particularly if it’s finished in Voodoo Blue. The second thing which pops into my head? “Wow, loads of people at Toyota must be kicking themselves for killing it in the States just as the overlanding craze was going ballistic.” Honestly, this might have been an even bigger mistake than turning the Land Cruiser into forbidden fruit. Because the FJ’s lower price point means they’re attainable for more folks, and there would be loads of space at the top of the range to add high-dollar bits from TRD to the package. So I’m going to go ahead and repeat that, at least from a timing perspective, that decision seems less than ideal.
Fortunately, Toyota sold plenty of these babies during the seven years they were available on our shores. So if you’re looking to build an overlanding rig with modern mechanicals and retro style, as long as you’re patient, finding one shouldn’t be too hard. That said, if you’re looking for inspiration about a potential FJ build, this killer clip from Independence Overland should be required viewing. Here, host Tyler Snider provides a through walkaround of the FJ he’s been modifying for the last 12 years. And while he says it’s not the best at any one particular element of off-roading, like rock crawling, the goal with this build was about being well-rounded. From that perspective, it looks like he nailed it.
At nearly 30 minutes long, this isn’t exactly a TikTok video, but there’s a lot of interesting info here, and needless to say, the rig looks trick as hell. When I first watched it, I’ll have to admit when Snider talks about why he chose the beefy Expedition One Kodiak wraparound bumper, I chuckled a bit. Because one of the reasons he went with such a beefy unit was of the potential for a deer strike, which Doug DeMuro just experienced in his Land Cruiser. To be clear, the King of Quirks and Features is going hold off on such a bumper for now.
It was also interesting to learn that while Snider is happy with the extra articulation provided by the Total Chaos upper control arms, he thinks they might be a little extreme for this application. Given that rig still does some plenty of daily driving duty, it would make more sense to fit something more sealed, and take the slight performance hit. Overall, it’s clear that this rig is a much considered and much loved piece of hit — as every dent and dig attests. Watch the video and let me know what you think!
Photos: YouTube