This 250 Series Prado is a serious rock crawler

Owen Line was suitably proud of his well-built Toyota Fortuner.

The family-friendly wagon was modified to the point that it surprised many with its ability on rocky tracks, but when it was time to upgrade to something new, Toyota had discontinued the compact wagon in Australia. Luckily, this happened not long after Toyota introduced the new 250 Series Prado, giving Owen something else to consider.

The 250 Series was a huge step up from previous Prado models in terms of size, capability and comfort, so it didn’t take much to convince Owen that the new model was the wagon for him. He went straight to the peak of off-road performance in the Prado range and sourced an Altitude model as his new project.

1

Why Owen chose the Prado Altitude

Toyota equips the Prado Altitude with a disconnecting front sway bar for increased wheel travel and a rear differential lock for better traction when driving off-road.

Its 18-inch alloy wheels are better suited to off-road tyres, while the Altitude comes only with five seats, so the cargo area offers more space for touring gear. The Altitude might be the most off-road-capable Prado available from a Toyota showroom, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved, and Owen wasted no time implementing his upgrades.

1

35s and King Shocks for rock crawling

The 18-inch all-terrain tyres fitted to the Altitude might seem aggressive on a showroom floor, but they weren’t going to cut it on Owen’s build.

A set of 35 x 12.5-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Boss muddies dwarfs the rubber Toyota originally fitted, while the Method 703 wheels feature clever Bead Grip technology to help keep the tyres seated on the rims at low pressures without resorting to beadlock wheels. The new tyre and wheel combination provides the perfect set-up for off-road work.

Helping to keep the oversized tyres away from the bodywork is a high-end suspension kit from King Shocks, featuring 2.5-inch remote-reservoir shocks matched with ARB springs and front upper control arms. Matt from ARB Penrith set up the suspension with soft rear coils for slinky rock crawling, which is Owen’s preferred style of off-road driving when it’s time to get the Prado dirty.

1

Protecting the Prado from the rocks

Rock crawling in a full-size family wagon can be hazardous to shiny new body panels.

So Owen had Advanced Installations fit Raslarr front and rear bars and rock sliders for all-round protection. The rear bar has extended kick-ups at the sides to protect the lower sills when the Prado’s front end lifts while crawling, pushing the rear bodywork towards the Sydney sandstone.

The front bar carries a Runva EVO competition winch and incorporates Narva four-in-one replacement foglights, while the rear bar is fitted with reversing lights.

Underneath, the underbody protection from BEI House extends back beneath the transfer case. With tough-track driving Owen’s priority when heading off-road, weight was a major consideration when kitting out the Prado. As a result, you won’t find an elaborate storage system, multiple batteries or a load of touring accessories in the back.

“Most, if not all, of my driving is rock crawling and hard trails wherever I can,” Owen told 4X4 Australia. “That’s why I keep my rigs very minimal in terms of weight, as this helps their rock-crawling ability and allows them to manoeuvre without the issues caused by loading weight everywhere.”

Some of Owen’s favourite places to wheel include Gees Arm South Trail in Wollemi National Park, the Watagans, Coffs Harbour, Lithgow and Yalwal, where there are plenty of hard tracks on which to push the Prado to its limits.

1

Keeping it light and planning for more

The Altitude’s interior is already pretty well sorted by Toyota.

With leather-trimmed seats, a JBL sound system and a large multimedia screen, so Owen hasn’t needed to add anything. He did mention that the CarPlay-enabled screen allows him to use the Newtracs app to find and follow the hard tracks he likes to tackle.

Likewise, the powertrain remains relatively stock, with the 500Nm 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine benefiting from a five-inch Fatboy intake snorkel and a stainless-steel three-inch exhaust system from Windsor Exhausts. Owen calls his Prado Altitude a “gentleman’s rock crawler”, as it’s certainly well equipped while retaining all the interior luxuries of a high-end model.

Future plans include lower overall gearing to further improve low-speed performance and control when wheeling, along with a set of heavy-duty rear lower control arms, as the standard items are susceptible to hits and scrapes on rocky tracks. There was also mention of 74Weld portal axles, but that would be a huge undertaking.

The build has come together with the help of several key workshops, and Owen thanks Matt Prestwidge from ARB Penrith (↗) for his hard work, Advanced Installations (↗) at Emu Heights for fitting the barwork, Matt from MCR Vehicle Accessories (↗) for installing the snorkel and all the crew from the Rock Monkeys 4×4 Group (↗), who always support one another on and off the tracks.

1

Mods and accessories

• Mickey Thompson 35×12.5-inch Baja Boss mud-terrain tyres
• Method 703 wheels with Bead Grip technology
• King Shocks 2.5-inch remote-reservoir shocks
• ARB springs, front upper control arms and soft rear coils
• Raslarr front bar, rear bar and rock sliders
• Runva EVO competition winch
• Narva four-in-one replacement foglights
• BEI House underbody protection
• Fatboy five-inch intake snorkel
• Windsor Exhausts stainless-steel three-inch exhaust system

1

FAQs

Why was the 250 Series Prado chosen for the build?

The 250 Series was a huge step up from previous Prado models in terms of size, capability and comfort. With the Fortuner discontinued in Australia, the new Prado provided a suitable replacement.

What makes the Prado Altitude suited to off-road driving?

The Altitude comes with a disconnecting front sway bar for increased wheel travel and a rear differential lock for better traction when driving off-road. It also comes only with five seats, providing more space for cargo and touring gear.

Why is keeping weight down important for this Prado?

The build is focused on rock crawling and hard trails, so keeping weight to a minimum helps its rock-crawling ability and allows it to manoeuvre without the issues caused by carrying weight everywhere.

Where is the Prado used for off-road driving?

Favourite places to wheel include Gees Arm South Trail in Wollemi National Park, the Watagans, Coffs Harbour, Lithgow and Yalwal, where there are plenty of hard tracks to push the Prado to its limits.

What future upgrades are planned for the Prado?

Future plans include lower overall gearing to improve low-speed performance and control, along with heavy-duty rear lower control arms. There has also been mention of 74Weld portal axles, although that would be a huge undertaking.