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Baby Boomer
When
Col Crowther bought this grey-import 70 Series Toyota LandCruiser, he had
Baby Troupe’s education all planned out
Story & Pictures by Dave Sadler
After
realizing his old Suzuki Sierra’s carrying capacity was too small for
the trails he had in mind, Col decided on some prerequisites. The next
truck was to be a diesel, Nissan or Toyota. and able to carry the gear to
keep him and Stella (wife not beer) dry, comfy and warm.
That
was over two years ago and now the grey imported 1991 Toyota 70 Series
Land Cruiser Prado lovingly known as Baby Troupe is well up for it. A
touring success!!
Hot
Shower anyone |
Although
Col built his Prado to a budget he still managed to create a vehicle
packed with communications the Iraqi army would be chuffed to bits
with, if they were in Australia at least. The Garmin GPS, in-car
navigation hardware, and laptop running OziExplorer all working
together to let Col know just where he is getting muddy, relaxing,
or plain ol’ enjoying the flora and fauna of the Aussie bush. The
remote, snorkel-mounted antennae for the GPS, making sure that same
Aussie bush does not interfere with the tracking of the satellites
needed to pinpoint his whereabouts. |
| Baby
Troupe has been pulling some pretty serious off-road trips, as Col
and Stella are very active in the Central Coast 4WD Club, and like
to get off the bitumen as often as possible, meaning that Col’s
homemade drawer system really comes to the party, when they make a
sharp exit from the weekly grind, and hit the trail. As does the
fridge, a great addition to keep the Stella (beer not wife) icy
cold.
After some
research Col has discovered, the baby Troop Carrier, or Jap market
Prado has Bundera suspension and diffs, a 2.4L diesel Surf engine
and transmission, and a stretched Bundera body. The chassis is the
same size as other 70 series trucks, so a Troop Carrier bull bar and
tow-bar fit neatly. |
Col’s
new shower and clothes washer in one |
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Rack
‘em up
After
the roof-racks were installed, Col noticed his fuel economy was
getting to an unacceptable level. He decided that as the racks were
only used to hold the shovel and broom, he could make a new rack and
fix it to the spare-tyre holder.
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Inside
Story
Being
a computer technician gave Col somewhat of a head start on the
navigation system in Baby Troupe. A combination of second-hand
markets, eBay and help from friends has resulted in a system for
under $2,000, one that rivals those found in luxury cars.
The
remote GPS aerial on the snorkel feeds a Garmin GPS12XL, which being
NMEA compatible, is connected to the on-board laptop. This in turn
is running OziExplorer, and powered by a DSE 300W inverter
(batteries just far too short lived). All this wizardry then shows
up on the flat panel screen in Baby Troupe’s cockpit. Result: Col
and Stella don’t get lost. Or at least if they do, they know how
to get home again. Other modifications include the EA Ford Falcon
cargo barrier, which Col has fitted as an excellent safety feature
and storage wall. The storage drawers are another example of how a
home project can give professional results, and the Waeco 50L fridge
slides neatly away into the unit.
The
40 channel UHF radios (in car and hand-held) help out with local
communication on the club trips, which have recently seen Col and
Baby Troupe as leaders.
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Muddy
Stuff
The
exterior of Baby Troupe has been improved with a 2in OME coil-spring
lift and OME shocks, plus an Airflow snorkel with spare Donaldson
filter attachment.
The
front-end holds a TJM steel winch bar, with a Hayman Reese towbar
(second-hand from a Troop Carrier) bringing up the rear. Narva 220mm
Bull Lights and Hopper Stoppers light the way & clear the
wildlife respectively, while a set of 265/75-16 BFG Mud Terrains
help keep a sure footprint.
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Although
the project was brewed up somewhere in deepest Gosford, Baby Troupe
wouldn’t be the fine and functional, fun fourby she is without the help
of the following people, Col’s good lady Stella; David Parlour and Steve Power for help on the Satellite Navigation; Nick
Mannell for advice on suspension; and Steve Rowlandson and Darren McRae
from the Offroadshop for help on the shower install.
If
you would like to chat further with Col, log onto www.4wdmonthly.com.au/forum,
as he is one of our moderators – just look for Baby Troupe.
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