AusVarmint

Which would you pick and why out of a Lancruiser troopy 75 series (or later)
OR
80 series wagon

To set up for young family camping vehicle. 1 and a 3 year old and 2 of US.

weekends away camping, trips to snow, spotlighting trips for me. general fun stuff- no rock hopping or comps etc but desert trips might be on the cards as well

-I want diesel (IF poss turbo diesel)
-Dual batteries for fridge and for the transformer to run my CPAP machine but also for really, really, REALLY bright hunting spotlight and driving lights- Ettomagah pub truck bright
-DVD player in roof
-comfortable seat for me as I'm sick of the broken fucked up seat in my current car
-maybe tow a camper trailer or a dirt bike trailer in a year or 3
-daily driver for me to and from work


Thanks
later
P

i dont know much about the troopies but i have a mate with an 80 seriest cruiser and he loves it. I would imagine that the 80 might be a little more comfy that the troopy as i think the troopy runs leaf springs and 80 had coils - could be wrong cause is has happend once before

if ur wanting to modify it down the future, best bet is to go down the 80 series path. i had a 75 troopy with pretty much the works done to it (v8 chev, spoa, big tyres) and it was expensive to do! most places sell lift kits etc for the 80 series. also, it gets annoying moving the seats forward everytime someone wants to get out of the back, so the 4 doors will make it easy. if i had my money again i would of put it in to buying a nice 80. a lot more comfy on longer trips as well!

Pat go with the 80. The 70 series is called a commercial vehicle for good reason.

The 80 is wider, longer and much more comfortable and it has a tailgate (top thing to have if you ever need to change nappies on a little one).

The only downside to the 80 is constant 4wd. It drives thru the front diff 90% of the time and is prone to understeer. If i ever replaced mine it would be with another 80 in part time 4wd confiuration (base model, DX etc)

I have been very happy with my 80 series and has been a great vehicle for trips away as well as touring on holiday. It is only the DX version but is fitted with the basic necessities. One of the things I like best about it being a DX, when peple get in with dirty boots or sand from the beach it all just comes off the rubber floor mats very easy.
Pete

kickin back if the full time 4wd is you only complaint about the 80 you can get kits to change them to part time. you will save wear and tear and it will also give you slightly better fuel economy

G'Day Pat

I have had both. My '96 80 series naturally asthmatic diesel (DX Model) was by far and away the most capable 4wd i have ever owned. I bought it to do my field work during my PhD and of the 250000+ km it did more than half was on bush tracks or pure off road. It was a sad day when i traded it on our current 100 series. If i had a few more dollars i would have kept it as a knock around 4wd but the money just couldnt be justified.

As for troopys, my dad had a 75 series he got in 88. My sister has it now and it is still going strong (albeit on its second engine, the first one lasted just under 600000km). I had an old 47 series troopy which was bare boned rugged and bloody excellent. We have the previous model in our work fleet and it is a shitload more comfortable than the old leaf spring models. My current work bus is a V8 turbo diesel model cab chassis ute and it rocks. I am a bit wary of having something completly dependent on a computer to run though.

FWIW, If you can camp with a minimum of baggage then the 80 is the go. If you can manage roof racks for swags and lighter stuff then go the 80. I would only recomend the troopy if you really needed the space as the 80 is better on road, off road and all round. mechanically they are identical for age but the 80 combines the best elements of comfort with the most rugged 4wd platform toyota ever produced.

G'day Pat,

I would agree with Dr G, summed it up pritty good. The 75series is the work horse while the 80 can do a lot of that but with town clothes on.
I beleive the 80 was one of the best wagons made, lot of them around here still and the people that changed over to the 100 always said the 80 was better in the bush. The 100 drives better on the black stuff, because of the inderpendent front end i would say, but that is where it gets let down in the bush.

At the end of the day I would say it will come down to the best deal you can get for you dollars spent.

Cheers

having driven both for years both on and off road. the 80 series is the best by far {imho}the 100 series seem to float over the road.i believe the all round visibility is better in the 80.
the troopy is a great workhorse but uncomfortable on the benches in the back plus a bummer to get in and out of.on the other hand can be kitted up very well with sliding cupboards ect.
i also recommend getting touring seats if you intend to do a lot of driving in one go.your back and butt will be grateful
fuel wise 15 to 28 mpg depending how you drive {diesel}

The 80 Series has coils as opposed to the leaves of the Troopy - would ride nicer and be more comfy as an everyday driver too.

The Troopy would have more luggage room, but is stuck with only two doors - which is a pain for getting kids in and out.

ok ogre6br here it is its your new bus

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zNXNyKuHZ_A

Found the perfect car for hunting. Get you there in comfort and you can stand on the back seat and shoot, its got a five speed box and the air con works.
The boot release is attached to the door on the dog box, for quick release of the hounds at the push of a button while on the go. The spotty cast a bit of light on the windscreen so they riveted a peice of tin to the roof to help fix that problem.
All I can say is FMD

That is farking classy, i would rate that as the best ea i have ever seen.

Well done who ever owns that little gem

Talk about Aussie inventiveness!

The question is how to get it road registered?