Custom 4x4s
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It seems the level of vehicles we see at the top end of touring 4x4 builds is only limited by the imagination of their owners, and the talents of the vehicle builders.
While cost-prohibitive to most of us, this is a booming part of the 4x4 world with customers lining up at the workshops building them.
One such workshop that is making all the right moves and creating some exceptional rigs is Brisbane's Rambler 4x4. We’ve seen plenty of Rambler builds on the pages of 4X4 Australia over the years, ranging from simple touring Isuzu D-MAX utes to chopped and converted LandCruisers costing twice as much as the original purchase price.
JUMP AHEAD
Rambler 4x4 maestro, Kris Humphrys, tells us that there’s no limit to his customers’ dreams and ideas, and he provides a turn-key solution to put those dreams on the road.
“Most of our customers are looking for all inclusive touring packages,” Kris says. “Most common requirements are GVM/GCM upgrades, interior upgrades – improved comfort in the seats, leather, sound deadening and stereo upgrades – 12-volt battery systems and upright fridges are also a part of most builds.”
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Rambler is truly a one-stop shop for this style of vehicle build. They talk to the customer about what they want and what they plan to do with the vehicle. They will then source and purchase the vehicle and get the build underway pre-registration if required to meet the SSM (Second Stage of Manufacture) and engineering requirements, before completing the total fit-out.
Finally, Rambler delivers the fully modified, accessorised, built and registered vehicle to the customer just like they are taking delivery from a new car dealership. Kris will even put a big bow on top of it for handover if that’s your thing.
With this well-proven experience in creating turn-key touring 4x4 vehicles for their customers, we turned to Rambler to take a look at some of their latest creations and see what sort of rigs people are asking for and what works best. What makes the ultimate touring 4x4?
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Toyota LandCruisers are always popular options for such builds and we’ve seen a few incredible LC200s that show what is possible. Rambler debuted its first 300 Series double-cab conversion at the 2023 Brisbane 4x4 Show in conjunction with ASG 4x4, and we couldn’t wait to get a closer look at it and see how it drives.
The LandCruiser 79 is the perennial off road touring favourite but making what Toyota gives us fit for purpose can still take a lot of work and modification depending on what the owner wants. Rambler had a perfect example of what is possible with the Toyota workhorse lined up alongside the new 300.
Full-size American pick-up trucks are becoming much more prevalent on Australian bush tracks as third-party remanufacturers bring more models to Australia with factory backing. Rambler has seen this growth as well, and it caters to those wanting a US truck.
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A Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss was given the Rambler treatment to rectify the deficiencies of the OEM offering, and to provide the counterpoint to the Toyotas in this top-shelf trio.
Make no mistake, these three rigs are all top-shelf offerings, and buyers won’t see any change from $250,000 for any of them, so let’s see how they stack up as touring solutions.
To put these three tourers to the test we spent a few days with them out on south-east Queensland’s Scenic Rim region where we were able to drive them on and off road, including towing with a 3.5-tonne van behind them.
It’s not every day we get the chance to drive three quarter-of-a-million dollars worth of top-notch fourbies out on the tracks, and we could hardly wait to get behind the wheel.
Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series
As the newest vehicle in this group, and the first LC300 ute conversion we’d seen, we were super keen to see how it drives.
With its V6 diesel engine and softer styling than the LC200 that preceded it, many potential buyers have questioned if it really does stack up to the 200 and its V8 engine, none more so than owners of converted 200s.
This example was the first 300 to be built by ASG and Rambler, and much of what they have learnt doing similar conversion on 200s was applied again, but of course there are differences between the two models.
This vehicle started life as a base-level LandCruiser GX but even at this specification the start point was a $90,000 wagon.
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ASG 4x4 offers LandCruiser wagon chassis extensions in three lengths and this one has the longest of them at 650mm, which is added ahead of the rear axle and suspension.
The suspension design remains the same live axle on a multi-link arrangement with coil springs, although the standard springs and shocks have been replaced with TJM XGS components on this rig. Naturally, a longer tailshaft is needed to send drive back to the rear axle and a new one was fabricated to suit.
ASG’s ute conversion starts with the LandCruiser’s interior being stripped out right up to the dashboard before the rear side windows are removed, the back is cut off at the rear wheel arches, and a new panel and rear window are fabricated and fitted to seal the cabin up again. As this vehicle has the long wheelbase chassis extension, small but handy storage units are fabricated into the space previously occupied by the original wheel arches.
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That’s the basics of the wagon to ute conversion process, and then it is all buttoned up and put back on the road ready for its Spinifex Engineering tray and Mini Body canopy. The Mini Body canopy leaves space behind it to retain a short ute tray, and allows the two spare wheels to be situated closer to the rear axle rather than swinging out behind it.
The Toyota rear axle was also strengthened to allow for a GVM upgrade to make the most of the extra space and carrying capacity.
Speaking of GVM, the ASG 300 is certified at 4499kg, which is a big step up from the standard Toyota wagon’s 3280kg. The GCM is up too, to 7999kg from 6750kg, to accommodate the Cruiser’s standard 3500kg towing capacity.
The additional GVM not only allows for the chassis and body modifications but ensures the 300 can be fully kitted out with a full complement of touring accessories. At around 3380kg on the road, the 300 now has a payload close to 1120kg, which is significantly more than a standard 300 Series wagon… and even more than most double-cab 4x4 utes.
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This vehicle is equipped with a TJM bullbar, side rails and steps, a 12,000lb TJM Torq winch, TJM underbody protection, a TJM Airtec snorkel, Rhino-Rack Pioneer platform on backbone mounts, a 150-litre fuel tank from Brown Davis, Lightforce HTX2 driving lights, a Victron 12-volt power system with a pair of Revolution 100Ah lithium batteries and a 120W solar panel on the top of the canopy, and a Bushman upright 130L fridge inside the Spinifex canopy.
There’s also two spare tyres mounted behind the canopy, underbody tool boxes and a myriad of power outlets and other touches that Rambler put into every build.
Of course, there’s a full LED lighting fit-out and the basic GX seats have been reupholstered in leather with extra cushioning and bolstering. A Uniden UHF radio helps with comms while ceramic tinted windows protect from the Queensland sun.
The V6 diesel engine benefits from an ECU retune and a Manta exhaust system while a Superior Engineering diff-drop kit and upper control arms keep all the driveline angles happy with the two-inch taller TJM suspension and 295/70R18 Toyo tyres. A pair of Polyair air bags at the rear help manage loads when towing.
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So to answer our initial thoughts on how the modified 300 drives, it’s bloody amazing! We drove it from Rambler’s workshop in Brisbane’s southern suburbs out to Beaudesert in peak hour traffic and it was every bit as smooth and easy to drive as a stock Toyota wagon. The Manta exhaust system gives the V6 engine an appealing growl and the driveline remains smooth.
The TJM suspension is firm but compliant and controlled, just as we like it, and the ride quality benefits from the longer wheelbase.
As the suburbs made way for back roads and the speed climbed, the benefits of the quality suspension were more evident and the 300 remained composed on the rougher roads. It was the same story on the dirt tracks of the property we tested on, where the Cruiser felt comfortable and easy to drive.
A rutted climb to the scenic highpoint of the property was where we tested the off-road abilities of each vehicle and again the 300 didn’t spin a tyre or put a foot wrong. The added wheelbase was again beneficial in the footprint it gave the Cruiser on the hill, and Toyota’s ETC did a sterling job of controlling the traction. This spec Cruiser is not fitted with any lockers and we relied on the ETC, but if required we could have employed the Crawl Control, which we have found to perform exceptionally well in past tests.
4x4 Project Vehicles
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Plenty of folks build this style of vehicle for towing so we thought we should hook up a van to each of the rigs to see how they hauled. The van was Kris Humphrys’ own Lotus 20 off-roader which he tells us weighs in at 3500kg, so right on the limit of the two LandCruisers here.
Our towing loop covered around 30km of country roads including gravel and sealed roads, some pretty crook backroads, and plenty of hills and descents. Kris set up the van on the back of the Cruiser with his drop hitch and recommended settings in the airbags before we hit the road.
On leaving the property the first thing we wanted to know was how would the 300’s V6 engine go with the trailer behind it, and we were pleasantly surprised… impressed even. That guttural roar from the exhaust was more evident under load and with wider throttle openings but still sounded sweet.
Sure, it’s no V8, but it’s not an offensive sound at all. Pulling power was impressive and the 10-speed auto did a smooth job of shifting through the ratios and both up and down as speed varied. No complaints at all on the performance of the 300’s drivetrain up hills or down dales.
The chassis performed superbly too, with the extra wheelbase and airbags managing the weight on the back over uneven terrain and rough roads. The ride was comfortable and composed and capped off what was a polished performance by the new Cruiser.
Toyota LandCruiser 79
The LandCruiser 70 Series has been the sweetheart of the off-road touring crowd for almost 40 years thanks to its rugged construction, no-frills design and get-on-with-the-job abilities.
Ongoing evolution that saw the introduction of a coil sprung front axle and a V8 engine only cemented its position and it remains a perennial favourite. That doesn’t mean it can’t be improved upon, and the 70 is one of the most modified 4x4s on the market today.
This LC79 double-cab is no exception as the total cost of its modifications and accessories tally up to twice that of the original purchase price. Do the maths and you’ll figure that this is a big dollar farm truck!
Starting with a trip to ASG 4x4’s Toowoomba engineering facility the Cruiser had its chassis cut and an additional 300mm added to the wheelbase to improve stability, ride quality and load-carrying ability.
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To improve the handling and ride quality the rear axle was replaced with a wider one, correcting the front to rear wheel track differentiation, and the old leaf spring setup was turfed out in favour of a coil-conversion kit from Superior Engineering. This is a full weld-in kit that includes upper and lower arms and a Panhard rod, coil springs and reinforced coil mounts and chassis, and a rear swaybar and its mounts.
The rear-end conversion was installed with a Superior Engineering four-inch suspension kit that includes remote reservoir shocks, coils, billet front arms and heavy duty steering arms. Superior’s brake upgrade kit was also added to improve stopping power.
With these chassis and suspension modifications the 79 was re-rated with a 4000kg GVM (up from 3400kg on a 2022 model pre-upgrade model).
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The major modifications didn’t end there with a further step toward modernity coming with an automatic transmission conversion. This conversion from Wholesale Automatics in Melbourne uses the Toyota six-speed auto which mates seamlessly and works well behind the single-turbo 1VD engine.
The engine itself copped a bigger turbocharger and injectors, a PWR top-mount intercooler, Legendex exhaust system and an ECU tune to make the most of the new hardware. An Accushift controller allows tuning of the transmission to optimise the combo.
Once the chassis and driveline modifications were in place the accessories could go on, including a Midi Body canopy and tray from Spinifex plus underbody storage boxes, rear ladder, RV Storage drawers and a Bushman 130L upright fridge.
The 12-volt power system consists of an Enerdrive DC-DC charger and inverter, a 200Ah lithium battery and a roof-mounted solar panel.
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Protection-wise, there’s a TJM bulbar, side rails and steps combo, while a Hayman Reese X-Bar had its recovery points powder-coated yellow before being bolted under the back. TJM again supplied the winch and intake snorkel, while a trio of Lightforce’s hybrid HTX2 lights are mounted on the bullbar.
The 70 Series interior is known to be very basic and workman-like but the Rambler team did its best to change that on this rig: after liberal soundproofing was installed under the carpet, the seats were re-bolstered and trimmed in leather; a Cruiser Consoles centre console surrounds the automatic transmission shifter and provides some extra storage; and a full Alpine sound system and head unit provide a huge upgrade over the standard audio equipment.
You could say that the team at Rambler did just about everything possible to transform this LandCruiser 79 from the working-class truck it was when Toyota built it to the top-tier touring rig that it is now. Yet all the modifications and accessories have been fitted to add to its abilities without taking anything away from its tough-truck roots.
And that’s exactly how it translates when you get behind the wheel of the 79. It’s tall and narrow with its huge flat glasshouse surrounding the cabin but the seats, trim and sound system tell you that this 70 is something else.
Latest Gear Guides
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The coil-sprung four-link rear-end is a lot more compliant than the OE leaf-spring setup allowing for more axle articulation and, as a result, improved passenger comfort. The Superior Engineering adjustable shocks help a lot here as well.
This Cruiser walked over bumps, ruts and obstacles around the farm property rather than bouncing over them the way a standard 79 would tend to. It slinked its way up the rutted hillclimb without raising a sweat but still lifted a front wheel as the rear dropped into the rut.
That tall cab and big glasshouse certainly gives the best driver vision among this trio, with an excellent view over the bonnet on the descent. The automatic transmission still retains the 79s impressive engine braking for control when descending steep hills.
On the open road the 79 is far better mannered at highway speeds than a standard Cruiser. It’s composed and well planted on the road and doesn’t buck as much over humps and potholes. We’re sure that the sound of the V8 engine bellowing out of the side-exit exhaust could be heard clear across the Scenic Rim as we toured around.
We didn’t expect a strong towing performance from the 79 as it was never set up to haul a trailer. It doesn’t have airbags to help its coil-converted rear-end and Kris had to fit a Bluetooth brake controller when we hitched his van up behind it. But it did perform better than we all expected.
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Yes, it dropped heavily in the back with the van attached, and the van pushed and bucked the rear-end over rough roads more than the other two rigs on this test, but it didn’t fare too bad at all. Certainly nothing that couldn’t be easily fixed if you were buying this vehicle for regular towing duties.
Something you would want to fix though is the roar of the exhaust. Sure, it’s sweet-sounding at first but with the extra load on and more throttle input required, the aural disturbance soon became an annoyance, and I wouldn’t want to put up with it day after day on long trips.
The V8 provides plenty of power and the auto transmission is well matched to it both when towing and not. A small gripe with the auto when towing is that it was reluctant to manually shift back when descending a hill when asked to. The Toyota shifter offers fore and aft manual shifting but it wouldn’t always shift down when we requested. Perhaps this is something that could be sorted in the tuning.
The Rambler 79 is an exceptional off-road touring vehicle and does just about everything you could ever want of an off road truck. Sure it's not the best here for towing but that’s not what it was built for. I still find it hard to think about the fact it now costs three times as much as it originally did when sold new by Toyota.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Trail Boss
The American interloper in this trio certainly takes the brash Yankee persona and turns it up to 11!
From its bright red paint to its booming petrol V8 the big Chev sure does make its presence felt among the Toyota twins. It’s unfortunate that you can’t get the Trail Boss model in Australia any more, as it was the most affordable and, as we said at the time, the best model in the local line-up. At $105,000 it represented a better buy than the more luxurious LTZ, which will now set you back closer to $120K from GMSV, and more again for the ZR2.
Aside from being the odd one out among the Toyotas, and the only vehicle here with a petrol engine, the other big difference with the Silverado build was that it didn’t start with a chassis extension as the two LandCruisers required.
The Silverado 1500 is already a big rig and its 3745mm standard wheelbase is 565mm longer than that of the standard LC79 double-cab, and 895mm longer than a stock LC300. It’s even longer between the axles than both of these stretched Cruisers, making it a far better platform for a comfortable, stable tourer able to carry big loads over long distances.
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Where the 1500 has always fallen short is in its standard GVM, but Rambler has fixed this with its Chev builds. The standard GVM is 3210kg, leaving just a 752kg payload for the LT Trail Boss, which is hardly enough for a full-on touring setup with all the fruit. If you were to add a 4500kg trailer into the mix, with around 450kg on the tow ball, you’d hardly be left with much GCM at all.
Rambler’s fix was to team up with Touring Solutions Australia to develop a suitable GVM and GCM upgrade kit, and they have succeeded with this vehicle now approved with a 4499kg GVM and a 8999kg GCM.
As mentioned, the Silverado in even standard trim can tow up to 4500kg when using a 70mm tow ball, or other suitably rated hitch, and this is something no LandCruiser can legally accomplish. Full-size American pick-up trucks really are the kings when it comes to towing.
To achieve the higher GVM a heavier duty suspension package was developed for the 1500 using a kit from Rough Country featuring the brand’s premium Vertex 2.5-inch, adjustable remote reservoir shocks, struts and upper control arms at the front, and a rear leaf pack from EFS with airbags for load management. This new suspension package was enough to get the rating up to what Rambler wanted.
Camping Buyers' Guides
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And the suspension package works well; the Chev rides and handles like you’d never expect of an American truck. The springs more than manage the weight while shocks do a stellar job of controlling it all.
Driving the 1500 around the farm property, the Chev feels softer in its suspension than the Cruisers, but it is always controlled and well managed. This makes it comfortable and capable on rougher tracks.
On the rutted low-range climb, the Chev was a bit harder to place as the view over the big bonnet (should I say hood?) is not so good. At the trickiest point on the track the wider wheel track saw the near-side rear wheel drop into the rut which in turn picked up the driver’s front, halting progress until the auto-locking rear differential kicked in to push forward again. It’s a capable off-road vehicle but its size requires a bit more care with where you place it on tracks to get you through.
Where the 1500 really excels is on the more open tracks where you can open up that 6.2-litre V8 and have some fun. The suspension package really comes into its own when you push it on the tracks as well, controlling the size and mass very well, allowing you to enjoy the drive.
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There’s a lot to like about the V8 and 10-speed auto driveline in the Chev. It might suck petrol instead of diesel but with 623Nm of torque in standard trim it’s never wanting for grunt, and the 313kW power peak is nothing to be sneezed at either.
Speaking of petrol, the Chev likes a bit of it, so there’s a 185-litre Brown Davis fuel tank tucked underneath where you’ll also find a full Manta exhaust system that sounds beautiful, and never annoying like that on the 79.
This is Kris’s own car so with the suspension and GVM requirements sorted out he was able to set the Chev up just the way he likes it, and for towing his van.
Of course there’s a Spinifex Manufacturing Midi Body canopy and underside storage boxes on the back, and inside it are the ever-present Bushman 130L fridge and a comprehensive 12-volt system, this one featuring Redarc Redvision products and a 240Ah lithium battery.
There’s also a full Spinifex slide-out pantry with a sink, oven, induction cooktop, 70-litre water tank, coffee machine and sound system on one side, and RV Storage drawers on the other, with open space for storage.
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A Rhino-Rack Pioneer platform on the canopy mounts an awning while on the back wall are the spare wheel and a Pro Eagle trolley jack, mounted where it is out of the way while still being easy to access when needed.
Another Pioneer platform holds the solar panel, a shovel and some Maxtrax atop the cabin, with a sextet of Lightforce Striker lights across the front. There’s also a quartet of Rok lights mounted in the Fab Fours front bar, as well as a 20-inch Viper lightbar. Kris obviously likes his Australian-made Lightforce gear!
As the Silverado is Kris’s rig, and is set up to tow his caravan, it’s no surprise that it does the job so well; effortless performance from the V8 engine and 10-speed transmission, exemplary behaviour from the cleverly developed suspension package, and big comfy seats make this a top tow-rig.
We’d expect the V8 petrol engine to use more fuel than the V6 diesel in the 300 but the cost of that could balance out with the price of unleaded fuel cheaper than diesel, and long-term servicing costs less than a modern diesel engine.
Verdict: The ultimate 4x4 tourer
Take three exceptionally equipped and well constructed 4x4s, each costing more than $250,000, and all designed to fulfil a touring-vehicle brief, and you know it will be a tough choice to pick a winner.
While they were all designed to do a similar task they each go about it in different ways, and each have their strong points and advantages.
The LandCruiser 79 is the pick of the bunch for off-road work, and certainly so if you want to explore some of the more difficult terrain around Australia. The Superior Engineering coil conversion, auto transmission and touring mods make it better all round for this use, and you know it’s going to be the most solid rig out of this trio. As someone who owns a 70 series, my heart draws me to this build, and I’d have it in my shed anytime.
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The Silverado is beast in every regard and if you were going to be travelling with the family on board, neither of the Toyotas can match it for interior space, comfort and features; trust us, your kids riding in the back will thank you. Nor can they match it for towing capacity, with its big 4500kg rating. The modifications to it, including the all important GVM/GCM increase, transform this Silverado into a formidable on- and off-road tourer. There’s a lot to love about the big red Chev!
A combination of refinement and capability make the LandCruiser 300 the winner here though. Again, the improvements made to it by Rambler and ASG 4x4 amplify all its strong points… with no negative impacts. On test it towed superbly, it drove up the rutted low-range climb easier than the other two, and it does it all with a level of refinement, equipment and safety that put it a class above the other two rigs here. I bet it would be the most fuel efficient of the three rigs too.
With a touring 4x4 that you’re going to be doing lap of the map in, you want that breadth of capabilities, to accommodate both passengers and kit securely, and the ability to take on all tracks and challenges with confidence, and the Rambler 300 delivers just that.
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