There are many things that play into making an overland vehicle great. It must be reliable enough to bring you safely to your destination, capable enough to navigate the obstacles you encounter, and comfortable enough to make every day living easy and enjoyable. Building such a platform used to be difficult, but over the past few decades ARB has set out to make it as easy as picking up their catalog. Our team has used most of their products on various vehicles around the world, so when we had the opportunity to use a Land Cruiser built with nearly all of them, we of course said yes.
Our first peek at this truck was in the snow and slop of Overland Expo West. The beautiful silver 100 series was sitting in a mud pit between several filthy vehicles, yet it had managed to stay almost completely clean. It didn’t take long to find out why. Walking up to the ARB booth, we were introduced to a friendly man by the name of Doug Pettis. Besides being the proud owner of this Toyota, he also happens to be the President of ARB USA. Doug walked us through every aspect of the truck from bumper to bumper, and to say he knew it like the back of his hand would be an understatement. The smallest details were accounted for, from the perfectly aligned switches on the dash, to the precise angle of opening the swing-out to the tailgate. If you were to place a grain of sand on the seats he would have noticed. He is a perfectionist, and it shows in the absolutely flawless nature of this carefully built Land Cruiser.
When most people think ARB, the first thing that comes to mind is a gleaming bull-bar on the front of their vehicle, and rightfully so. These air-bag compatible bumpers improve approach angle, add support for a winch, look great, and most importantly, provide the critical protection needed from back country animal strikes. The front of this cruiser is adorned with a deluxe bar that has been painted to match the vehicle, and includes recessed indicators, fog lamps, and space for factory recovery points. The design is meant to save you in two different ways. First, the shape of the bar pushes animals down and to the sides of the vehicle, preventing them from rolling up the hood and into your very surprised face. Second, the spacing and reinforcement protects vital components, like the radiator and engine, from absorbing a direct strike. Damage to these systems often means complete immobilization in the back-country, and no means of getting home or to medical attention.
As much as this bumper improves safety though, the best line of defense for impacts is still avoidance, which at night means proper lighting. ARB used the bumper’s center mounting locations to install a pair of AR32 Intensity LED driving lights. These models not only produce a wide flood pattern for side coverage, but a spot beam for maximum reach. The combination gives drivers more visibility, and therefore a much better reaction time than standard high-beams can provide.
Of course when operating a large vehicle like this off-road, protection from rocks and terrain is just as important as protection from impacts. Starting just aft of the bumper, ARB installed a color matched set of side rails and steps that secure into the Land Cruiser’s frame. These steel tubes help shield the fenders and rocker panels from boulders, ledges, and other obstacles encountered in close quarters, as well as functioning as an integrated set of sliders. Their combined coverage defends the most commonly struck panels on the body, but they still leave the vital components underneath the vehicle exposed.
To avoid puncturing the oil pan, damaging the transfer case, or destroying the transmission pan, Doug purchased a full set of Slee Off-Road skid plates. The three piece set is comprised of a belly pan, intermediate guard, and front skid plate, which protect nearly everything forward of the rear differential. By upgrading to the slightly more expensive aluminum options, the total weight of the plates came to 125 pounds instead of 178.
ARB’s final piece of armor was a color matched modular rear bar with dual swing outs and an integrated tow hitch. Doug opted for a spare tire carrier on the right side, along with a rigid backup light for improved visibility at night. On the left, a dual jerry can holder was mounted for fuel or water on long trips. Despite the obvious value of water while overlanding, the extra fuel capacity for the thirsty V-8 is probably a better fit.
The capability of the 100 series is good from the factory, but ARB knew some simple changes could make it exceptional. They started with a brand new set of 275/70/R18 Goodyear Duratrac’s for improved traction and durability in the dirt. Next, an ARB twin air compressor and pump up kit was installed under the hood on a custom mounting bracket. This valuable addition allows drivers to air down to very low pressures when more tire surface is needed, and then air up again afterwards to avoid damage at cruising speeds. It also makes it possible to fix flats, maintain a tire with a slow leak, and even operate air-tools up to 85LPM.
Arguably the most effective performance upgrade though, was the addition of front and rear ARB air lockers. These differential modifications allow the Land Cruiser to deliver nearly all of its available torque to the wheels with traction, instead of freely spinning those without. We liked that ARB ran the air lockers to the dual compressor already under the hood, but we really loved the little touch of custom wiring them to the factory Toyota switch. It’s seamless, and it’s stylish.
Next, ARB installed a Safari Snorkel, something many people believe is just for water crossings. In reality, they do far more than that. On long overland journeys dust can become a real issue, often clogging air filters at an accelerated rate. A snorkel combats this by elevating the intake point above the windshield, where the air is usually much cleaner. It also has the benefit of acting like a cold-air intake, bringing in cooler air than its stock location in the engine bay, and there for boosting power.
Finally, on the off chance this cruiser somehow managed to get stuck, unlikely, ARB tucked a Warn 10-S winch into the bull-bar for self-recovery. We have a feeling it will be used to pull other vehicles out far more often than itself.
All of this equipment is great, but an overlanding vehicle needs to be more than just capable, it needs to be comfortable as well. It needs to accommodate someone living in it day in and day out for long periods of time, which means a few more changes need to be made.
A sleeping system comes first, so ARB chose to mount their Simpson Series 3 roof top tent on a matching touring rack. This combination is easy to deploy and allows travelers to leave their pillows and bedding ready to go inside the tent. It features a comfortable mattress, weatherproof fabrics, and a durable cover for protection while stored. To complement the tent, a 2500 series awning was installed for shade on sunny days, and staying dry on rainy ones. It makes for the perfect spot to hang out and relax, and even has optional mosquito enclosures and fully floored changing rooms.
Organization and space efficiency is also key when living in your vehicle. ARB gets this, which is why they started the interior build by isolating the cargo area with their 100 series barrier. They then installed two Outback Solutions roller drawers with a whopping 63 quart fridge mounted to the left slide top. Both the fridge and drawers are accessible with the pull of a lever, and together they hold enough supplies to keep this Land Cruiser stocked for a very long time.
If you’ve been paying attention, you’re probably realizing that all these accessories weigh a lot, and handling this vehicle with an expedition load would be no small task. You’re right, which is why ARB made a few more upgrades along the way. For starters, the suspension was swapped out for a brand new set of heavy-duty Old Man Emu(OME) springs and shocks. These ensure safe handling with less exaggerated steering responses, and a smooth ride on long dirt roads. They did increase the ride height which limited the vehicle’s stock upper control arms, but a new set from SPC performance provided an extra 4 degrees of caster to fix the problem.
Acceleration and deceleration become more difficult with the additional weight as well, so ARB wisely upgraded both the gears and brakes. The axle ratio was changed from the stock 4.10 to a 4.30 for better low end power, and a Slee brake line kit with high performance DBA rotors was installed for slowing the behemoth down. The result of these swaps is a 100 series that handles like a much lighter and more nimble vehicle.
By the end of our time with this Cruiser, not a single member of our staff was disappointed with it. Sure a few jokes passed between the Land Rover fanatics about lost souls and Toyotas being appliances, but don’t think they didn’t smile behind the wheel. It’s fun to drive, great to look at, and all the parts work seamlessly together, yet it wasn’t any of those factors that made us fall in love with it. What makes this truck exceptional is not that everything works, but that it all works over and over again, every time you ask it to. At the end of the day it is exactly what an overland vehicle should be; reliable, capable, and comfortable, but it is also more than that. It is a passport to the world, all you have to do is turn the key.
