LX450 + CHINOOK CONVERSION

swcruiser

Observer
sorry guys! I was suppose to get another 4-5 days on it last month but ran out of time.. I got about a day and a half... :mad: I did get a chance to mount the horizontal propane tank and start on a Rear bumper with underbody skids! Also finished up mounting all the dual battery fuses, etc. sorry i don't have pics of the tank yet. I will also be installing an OEM 80 series subtank I just received from OZ. I will be in AZ in another month to get some real time on it. I plan to complete..

all interior drawers
underbody boxes
interior cushions
 

swcruiser

Observer
propane tank

Here are some pics of the underbody tank... Its bolted in and Ill added some additional bracing and a skip plate during the next step.tank2.jpgtank1.jpgchinook4.jpg
 

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swcruiser

Observer
The other pics are the Chinook with 1.5" spacers and 315 Toyo ATIIs. I really like these tires and the stance of the truck is much improved....:bike_rider:
 

swcruiser

Observer
Thanks Guys! I only wish I could document a little better and move a little faster... Working on my vacation days moves things to slowly. I should have it more or less completed by early May.

things left to do:
Interior drawers and closet
interior sanding and finishing
wall panels
Electrical- (dual batter setup and fuse box already completed)
hook up lights, heater, thermostat, freezer, stove
interior carpet
cushions and covers
exterior underbody boxes
rear skid plate
 

mhiscox

Expedition Leader
It's a work of art, and will be widely-appreciated whenever it gets done. Thanks for keeping us in the loop.
 

Mundo4x4Casa

West slope, N. Ser. Nev.
sw,
I like the way you think. After reading this post thru and thru, I couldn't find what you did with the rear suspension to take the added weight. Does it have coil suspension? I'm used to big 'ol leaf springs and this is one of the first RV's of any size that looks to have coils. How did you approach that?
This would be an ideal rig for stealth camping along the way while traveling. We're planning a 4 month odyssey around the boundary states (U.S.), not in the summer time and would like to paint the whole rig some other color than white. In fact, I like your color choice for blending into the urban jungle. That or Mountbatten Pink.
I sure like your ideas. The LX450 is such a full-featured luxo platform on which to do a build.
regards, as always, jefe
 

swcruiser

Observer
Coils

Jefe,
Thanks! Yes the LX450/ land cruiser platform uses coils. If your interested in this platform you should check out IH8mud.com... They/we are cruiser fanatics... I own 3 right now! I swapped into the heaviest coils offered by OME (Old Man Emu) I can't remember the exact load difference but I think it is 3x stock with 2.5" lift? These are relatively inexpensive and without knowing the weight of the finished project i figured it was a good starting point. The rear started to sag with the stockers. There are also places that can do custom coils. The Landcruisers can be lifted up to 3" with very little additional work. I bought air bags and plan to try these out as well, they have been used in a few different land cruiser applications and there are good reports. its a bit of an experiment until i complete everything and then get it fully loaded. As for shocks ADS is local and they make off road racing shocks so I may go this route depending on price. This has been a budget build so far and considering how much time to use it I have in the short term don't think i can justify $500+ /shock prices. When i finally take and extended trip I will reconsider... :)

Let me know if you have any other questions.
 
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swcruiser

Observer
Jefe,
I forgot to mention. The color was actually suppose to be much lighter... if your spraying bedliner the pearl doesn't show up. I really wanted a light tan/olive color as these colors really blend in down in the southwest. I don't know why but I never liked white nor standing out like a sore thumb in the wilderness.
 

swcruiser

Observer
Just went down to get it weighed. Can anyone guess the weight?? I think you will be surprised

6100 lbs.
This includes the puma 12V compressor and 4 cushions, all lighting, a roll of sunbrella for the awning plus my 35 lbs. of tools.

Things still to add:
still need to add battery- 65 lbs.
Cushions (4 additional)- 10 lbs.
Fiberglass underbody boxes- 100 lbs.
Additional interior wood- 45 lbs.
solar panel- 25 lbs.
Sliders- 90lbs.?

Im pretty happy with weight so far!
 

swcruiser

Observer
Forgot to mention the lx450 was 6405 lbs. Stock. With all the extras on my other lx450 it's probably over 7000. So I'm pretty encouraged by the numbers so far.
 

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