The Toyota HiLux has long been one of the most popular foundations for 4×4 builds in Australia and around the world, and for good reason. It’s tough, widely supported in the aftermarket, and adaptable enough to suit everything from daily driving to full-scale remote touring and competition-level off-roading.

Across these builds, there’s a clear split in purpose but a shared focus on reliability and capability. Some setups are built for long-distance travel, carrying the essentials for weeks off-grid across deserts, coastlines and high country tracks. Others are far more extreme, with portal axles, long-travel suspension and heavily modified drivetrains designed to handle rock crawling, competition events and punishing terrain.

What ties them together is real-world use. These aren’t showroom builds, they’re rigs that have been pushed into remote parts of Australia, tested on rough tracks, and refined over time based on experience rather than theory. The result is a cross-section of HiLux builds that show just how far the platform can be taken, depending on how far you want to go.

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2015 Toyota HiLux SR5

Submitted by True Blue Overland

True Blue Overland’s SR5 is set up for full-time touring, and three-and-a-half years on the road has the runs on the board to prove it.

Out front it runs ARB protection. Underneath, a three-inch suspension lift using Bilstein shocks with a GVM upgrade carries the extra touring weight. In the tray, a chassis-mounted canopy houses a REDARC lithium battery system that keeps the rig running off-grid.

The build has been earning its keep across some of the more remote parts of the country, most recently a fortnight wandering through the West MacDonnell Ranges in the Northern Territory.

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1983 Toyota HiLux RN46

Submitted by Josh Bohm

Josh Bohm built this RN46 as a no-compromise tough tourer, and the spec list shows it.

The engine is a 2.4-litre diesel that has been comprehensively reworked: a 12mm pump, TD04 turbo, new injectors, heavy-duty clutch, front-mount intercooler, and a tune by JP Performance. The driveline matches the engine, with braced front and rear diffs, 4.88 gears with air lockers, Longfield CVs, Trail Gear twin sticks, and Trail Gear 4.7 transfer case gears sitting behind a five-speed manual.

Underneath, 16-inch 2.5 triple bypass shocks work with custom one-off leaf springs front and rear, a wide-track setup, U-bolt flip kit, Snake Racing track bar, high steer, and a high-clearance crossmember. Rolling stock is 33-inch Maxxis Razrs on 15-inch rims, with disc brakes all round, power steering, and a CCDA-spec half cage tying the chassis together.

Recovery and electrical are equally serious: a mid-mounted Warn high-mount winch behind the cab with air free-spool and braced mount, a 24-volt system, an Enerdrive setup, and Stedi rock lights. The body has been worked over with an exo cage, half doors, sliding rear window, bobbed tub, custom rock sliders, fully restored interior, and a custom canopy. A three-week trip to Tasmania has been the best place Josh has taken it.

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2003 Toyota HiLux

Submitted by Tim Rumble

Tim Rumble’s V6 petrol HiLux was built to go anywhere, and nearly two years of full-time travel proved it could.

The 2003 model ran a full exhaust, two-inch lift, one-inch body lift, and a front diff locker, rolling on 32-inch mud tyres mounted to 15-inch Bushproof steel wheels. Up front, an XROX bull bar and 12,000lb winch handled the hard work, with rock sliders and custom rear tub bar work rounding out the build.

The Cape York Peninsula in 2019 was the standout trip, along with countless other remote destinations across the country. After nearly two years of full-time travel, Tim upgraded to a 2015 model better suited to long-distance touring.

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Toyota HiLux

Submitted by Freddie Dougall

Freddie Dougall’s UK-registered HiLux was built for an extended overland journey, and it has already covered Portugal, Spain, Morocco, and most of Australia.

The build centres on Old Man Emu suspension, an ARB front bar, and a Gobi-X rear swing-away bumper. Power on board is handled by a full REDARC 12V setup in the rear, with a Bush Company rooftop tent and awning completing the self-sufficient touring configuration. The HiLux was shipped to Australia for a 12-month road trip, with Coffin Bay National Park in South Australia a recent highlight.

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2024 Toyota HiLux SR5

Submitted by Nigel Bruce

Nigel Bruce’s SR5 is a clean touring build based in New Zealand, already earning its keep on river crossings below the Denniston Plateau.

The HiLux runs an EFS lift and an Ironman 4×4 bull bar, with an OzRoo tub rack carrying a Feldon Shelter rooftop tent and Darche 270 awning. The image of the Mackley River crossing below the Denniston Plateau shows the build in exactly the kind of country it was set up for.

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2003 Toyota HiLux

Submitted by Zac Miller

Zac Miller’s 1KZ HiLux is a simple, practical build that has already proven itself on some of Queensland’s most remote tracks.

The 2003 model runs a two-inch suspension lift, 33-inch Baja Boss AT tyres, an ARB bull bar, custom side steps, and a custom alloy tub rack. Inside the tray, a drawer setup and dual batteries keep the rig self-sufficient, with a rear locker and RG Colorado leaf conversion rounding out a no-nonsense setup.

A trip north to Lakefield and across to Kowanyama for remote fishing and camping has been the standout run so far.

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2020 Toyota HiLux Rugged X

Submitted by Jack Brook

Jack Brook’s Rugged X is a well-equipped tourer built around a Superior Engineering three-inch lift and a strong lighting and recovery spec.

The HiLux sits on KMC Mesa rims wrapped in Maxxis RAZR 285/70R17s, with an AFN bull bar up front. Three Stedi light bars handle visibility after dark, while a GME XRS UHF keeps communications covered. A Rhino-Rack roof platform, Darche awning, and stainless-steel snorkel from In-House Fabrication round out a clean, trail-ready build.

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2002 Toyota HiLux SR5

Submitted by Jack Macpherson

Jack Macpherson’s 1KZ-TE SR5 is a work in progress, and the trip list is already ahead of the build sheet.

The 3.0-litre turbo-diesel runs a straight-through exhaust and is backed by a 140-amp AGM dual-battery system with a solar controller and ABR Sidewinder isolator. Up front, a steel bar sits alongside XTM spotlights and a KingOne winch, with a Uniden UHF handling comms. Rolling stock is 31-inch Hankook MT2 tyres, and a two-inch Fulcrum lift kit is imminent.

In the tray, a single rear drawer with fridge slide carries a 60-litre myCOOLMAN fridge. A Dune 2.5m awning is already fitted, with a 270-degree unit to follow. HD Prorack roof racks run a custom Maxtrax mounting system, with additional lighting wired into the canopy.

Fraser Island, the Barringtons, and the Watagans have been the standout runs so far, with a planned trip across to South Australia taking in Robe, Beachport, the Great Ocean Road, the Victorian High Country, Kosciuszko, and the NSW south coast next on the list.

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2014 Toyota HiLux SR5

Submitted by Ryan Barnsley

Ryan Barnsley’s inherited SR5 has been steadily upgraded since handover, with lighting and wheels leading the way.

The 3.0-litre turbo-diesel runs Narva LED headlights and 7-inch LED spotlights up front, backed by Himod LED tail lights and a Pedal Torq throttle controller. An ECB bull bar and 3-inch Safari snorkel handle the practical work, with Monster Delta wheels and 32-inch BFG KO2 all-terrains underneath. A half-canopy tray is the next planned addition as the build continues to take shape.

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1987 Toyota HiLux LN65

Submitted by Cameron Grayson

Cameron Grayson’s 1987 LN65 is more than a 4×4 build. It’s a family heirloom that has been rebuilt, driven hard, and handed down with intention.

Cameron’s father purchased the HiLux in 1990, three years after it left the factory, and used it for years of High Country runs with mates before it passed to a family member for 18 years. When the Graysons got it back, a full rebuild followed: a fresh 2.8 turbo-diesel, new gearbox, suspension, and a complete recommission from the ground up.

The rebuilt LN65 made it back to the High Country in 2022, and completed several father and son trips to the Grampians before Cameron’s father passed away from cancer on 3 August 2024. His last wish was to ride on the back of the tray with his dog, Boy. He handed Cameron the keys.

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