My voodoo 2011 is my most beloved car of all time as it feels special, is totally reliable, great fun, super practical, and very smooth to drive. Brilliant ownership experience for people who value such things.
Ah. Yes they are fantastic. We will truly miss ours. It just sold Thursday but it is the best for our future. We can't wait to get another one someday.
My wife and I are expecting and this is totally why I want a fj cruiser. Cant wait for more camping trips! Seeing that there alot of room for baby in the back has sealed this decision. Thank you man.
Congratulations! There is definitely enough room for the two of you plus a little one. I made another video about putting the carseat in the FJ if you want to watch it for size references th-cam.com/video/mpbqBRljVTM/w-d-xo.html
Whole crap boy! After seeing what you two did to live out of the FJ I can hardly wait to see the neat ideas and solutions you come up with for the bus. 👍🏻
Haha thanks man! Yeah the FJ turned out to be super practical and functional for us. We used a lot of the knowledge we gained from the FJ in planning for the bus
Great build guys, you really work out what gear you need when you travel for long periods...minimal and practical is key. I've spent the last 5 years taking gear out and putting gear in and finally feel my FJ is setup the way we like it. I love your storage setup in the back too, very similar to mine with everything accessible easily. Oh I'm going to check out the buddy heater too, looks like a winner. Liked and subbed, looking forward to more content!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. There's always something that would do or do not need. I have a good rule of thumb that it either needs to serve 1 very important purpose, or at least 3 different purposes. If you think hard enough, you can usually make things multi functional.
Really liked the motion sensor light idea, especially after whacking my shin on my 08 FJC's hitch ball mount while fumbling around in the trunk at night.
Ugh! Thats the worst feeling ever! It just hurts so bad! but thanks glad we could shed some light (lol) on giving you a solution. There's a link in the description on the one we have.
Backroad Purpose shoot that’s not bad on mileage actually! Especially for the year. Give me a shout when you decide. I’m in Oklahoma and looking somewhere in the end of the year to buy one. No rush! Hah
Wow!!! That was awesome!!! What a great set-up...very well thought out! I'll check out the link for the sensors and some of the other items for my rooftop.
Thanks so much for sharing your rig and all the links to your build. We have been talking about getting the roof top tent more so now, and there are many more ideas I am looking at thanks to your video. Much appreciated
Very cool! We loved our RTT. Glad we could help! Let us know if you need any help with figuring things out. We have so much knowledge about this stuff now
Good job mate, Kudos from Australia, love our Orange Clay FJ (Magma) & took a few idea's away from this, good work pal living the dream, be safe & best wishes to you & your family
CONGRATS ON BEING DAD AND MOM. LUCK KID MAN! BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPEN. I KNOW BECAUSE I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE CALLED DAD BY TWO BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN. THANK GOODNESS THAT THEY TOOK AFTER THEIR MUM.
Excellent video. Thank you for sharing all you have done. I'm considering buying an FJ and this has been incredible to view and consider my options. I am in Australia, and so our camping can be remote. This looks like it ticks all the boxes. You tip with the battery is appreciated. Thank you.
Those are pretty different of course. Depends of you want something bigger and need a truck or if you want something a little more urban friendly and with a little better resale value.
So my wife wanted a wrangler and i wanted a 4runner just fir the sake of a better more reliable track record. Toyotas traditionally hold up better ovee a longer period of time over a wrangler. The FJ was the compromise. So we bought that as a daily and then decided to use that for the trip instead of buying another car.
Or maybe get a trailer and put the tent on top. That will give you mobility and also free up valuable roof space for storage etc. Great build none the less 👍
Do you think you’ll ever do a video about the rooftop tent? Pros? Cons? You seems super innovative and I’d love to know more of your thoughts on the tent. Great video!
I think we will. Maybe we will try to do that soon! We don't have the FJ anymore but I still have a ton of footage from the trip. Keep an eye out and we will get one posted for you.
Really nice rig and set-up. One question I have is related to the FJs stock fuel economy, which is poor (IMHO) so did all that extra weight take it down even more?
Honestly. With everything we did and the stages we did it in with adding the gear but also with taking it off. I honestly believe that the poor MPG in our case is 100% because of the tires. After taking all of the stuff off and all of the stuff out of it. All that is left is the winch, bumper, roof rack, and tires. We get the same MPG now as we did when it was loaded down.
I have a few tips on setting up the awning. The first step of an easy setup actually starts as the last step of packing it away. When packing it away, only minimally collapse the arms and leave legs as they are so everything is almost already fully extended to where you need it when you setup next time. Now, on to setup: After you open the cover and undo the straps, unroll the awning just enough to set it on top of the cover, maybe two or three wraps. While the roll is sitting on top of the cover, fold the arms out in a slight V pattern, just wide enough apart to unroll the awning between them - rather than on top of them. (This will make your vehicle look like it's trying to give you a hug. Awww!) Proceed to unroll the rest of the awning and allow the legs to fold down. They should be nearly the correct height already. Holding the leg assembly vertical, start the arm from one side into its hole. It doesn't have to be perfect, just lined up enough for you to work the other side. On the other side, fully seat and adjust the pole, then do the same for the first side. It took a year or so of frequent use before I figured this out.
dude yes! that seems like a much smarter way of doing it. we've always left the legs the same length but to unroll is partially and then underneath the rails is a much smarter way of doing it. we'll definitely try it that way next!
Hi, this video just pumped me up to set up my FJ, I am new to the FJ world! One question, how do you locate spots to sleep at like the one you just showed?
Dude! thanks for watching. Congrats on the fj. That rig changed our lives. Heres a video I made about that topic actually. th-cam.com/video/QaiOyWg--rg/w-d-xo.html
I love watching y’alls videos! I have a 2010 fj, just purchased a RTT would it be safe to mount to factory rack for the first few trips and work up to purchase a different rack system in your experience? We are super excited to camp as a family off trails!
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy them! I need to get another 4X4 so we can go on some good trips again. I would do it. I think using the factory rack is plenty good but I would focus on getting a new rack as soon as possible. The OEM rack has a curve to it and I've heard it could bend the RTT overtime. But I think using is a few times wouldnt hurt.
Nice video. About those motion sensor lights, it is a good idea. But if the range of the sensors are that limited that you have to be very close for them to detect you, then they are not that useful!
Wow nice set up, I've held off putting a roof top tent on top as I think it is too much of a wind brake. I do have to ask thou, with the fuel can soo close to the tent window, do you get fumes inside the tent?
I thought it would be too and its really not a big difference with or withoutthe RTT. And that fuel tank it air tight so nothing escapes. Plus we only had fuel in it when we were doing a pretty large trip.
It did! the vehicle was self sufficient for about 2 days and 2 nights before the fridge went into reserve mode. That includes us charging our phones, cameras, and running our LED lights at night.
Awesome job!! Can you tell me if there is a way to attach kayaks to the truck also? Can the tent come off and can kayaks be attached on top of the roof? I’m a off-road newbie so I have no idea. Our xterra has a roof rack but I’m looking to get an FJ soon thanks
Backroad Purpose oh good to know! So I would really have to leave the tent at home if kayaking? I guess what I’m also asking is, if the tent is off the truck, is there a rack on yours that kayaks can be attached to?
Backroad Purpose awesome!! We are moving to NC soon. I have a few cars I may sell and plan to get an FJ when I get out there. I may need to pick your brain a bit when the time comes. Thanks for your help!! That bumper looks so awesome with the winch. Terrific setup with all this and the drawers. Good stuff. This will help me get my photography to a new level for the birds and landscapes.
Great video. I am in the process of setting up my FJ for camping. I was intrigued by your battery setup. The battery in your link is Group 31, does is fit in the stock Toyota battery tray or did you have to replace? Good luck with your family.
The tent seems to add quite a bit to the height of the vehicle. Wondering how much noise was added and what sort of range you got on that 19 gallon tank. Did you track your mileage before and after the conversion? These things aren't known for their economy, I know. If you did it again, would you consider an overland trailer in tow or stick with the rooftop tent? What were your main complaints about the tent?
The RTT is about 12 inches tall so it does add some height. with the 3inch lift and the 33's we were right at 9ft. We could not fit in most parking garages but we could still go through most drive thrus and never had an issue with bridges. I tracked MPG almost every tank.. Im weird. before we did the mods we got about 17mpg. with all the gear we got about 12-13mg and with the rtt off and cabinet out we got about 13mpg. I think the loss in MPG was entirely because of the tires. I loved our set up. If we ever do a build again I will most likely do it this way. If this was my DD and I had to drive to work 5 days a week, I would get a trailer... idk maybe not. Driving this tank around and always have what you need is awesome. This set up truly was perfect for everything. Trails, Snow, Desert, Downtowns, small backroads, suburban areas. It really was just like driving a regular car... The matress sucked. I wish we would have upgraded the 3inch mattress topped way earlier. We go ours from Target for $150 and it was awesome!
Outstanding Guys! Great video with some fabulous tips. I have to ask with all the extra weight what fuel consumption? Loved the light sensor can you give more details on make and power supply of the trigger? Do you have a lift if yes did you add sway bar relocation mod and differential lowering kit? If you didn't add these mods did you experience any mechanical probs? Well done guys keep Adventuring and sharing. Yours Adventurously Simon :)
Hey Simon! Glad you enjoyed the video! The sensor is linked in the description. It's just a battery powered light you can get at Home Depot. The FJ is lifted 3"s but we did not do anything else like swaybars, or contral arms or diff drop. We had no issue with it what so ever. actually drove pretty similar to factory. With all the weight, believe it or not we actually didn't lose any MPG. We did lose MPG when we put the tires on. The stuff on the rough did nothing to improve our MPG when we took it off. Still getting 14mpg with just the bumper, roof rack, and tires on the FJ.
Really!! That is interesting ref fuel consumption I guess it is so thirsty to begin with and not so air dynamic. So damage done from the start. Now you said that, I might now invest in a roof tent and awning. Also interesting to hear with all that extra weight and a lift you didn't swap out differential and sway bar. I'm fitting bilsteinnext week then heading into the Sahara desert If your ever near southern Spain look me up my home is yours Simon www.simonnewbound.com for pics of my Desert Shuttle :)
@@SimonNewbound Yeah thats my thoughts exactly. I mean, how much worse could it actually get lol. I was really hoping taking everything off would improve the MPG but once everything was off it really made no difference. Thank you so much. We'll make our way out there someday for sure! Loved the site. very clean and interesting. If you get sometime check out our new company. weamplifyyou.com
Hi, I am picking up a very low mileage 2012 FJ this week and am planning the changes/upgrades I'd like to start with as everyone does I imagine. I would really like to spend some time picking your brain related to what to look for, where to start, etc. Would this be possible? Really enjoyed the video, it was quite helpful. Thank you.
@@BackroadPurpose Initially, I suspect the on and off-road split will be 80/20 mostly on-road. I'm looking to the upgrades I can do that will add the most safety as a novice off-roader without negatively impacting the on-road performance. Thoughts?
@@JasonWh Honestly this set up was perfect for that. We drove 45k miles on this set up and did about 8,000 offroad. It drove perfect. very smooth. nice and quiet. Old Man Emu Lift Kit was a perfect choice. not too pricey but still did everything great on and off-road. We went with their "Heavy" set up so I would suggest the medium if you are not loading it all the way down.
Great video, incredibly interesting and full of information. The Toyota FJ cruiser is a very good vehicle, why did you choose the FJ vs the Toyota 4Runner? I am consider getting a new off road vehicle and have been considering the FJ Cruiser and the 4Runner. Which of the two vehicles would you recommend and why? Thank you and really enjoyed your vide. Thanks for sharing .
My wife originally wanted a wrangler unlimited and I wanted a 4runner so we compromised on the FJ. Now that we have Milo the FJ is doable but the 4runner would be a bit nicer to have with the seperate doors.
Hey man awesome video! My question for you (sorry if you addressed this in another vid) is where do you sleep when in a city? Do you always have to drive out to the nearest camp site? Or do you set up your roof top tents at Walmart or rest stops as well?
We actually never set it up in the city. Kind of creeped us out to be honest. We budgeted for a few hotels throughout the trip so we started in those when we wanted to explore bigger inner cities.
With regards to the battery, how often would you have to keep the car on to make sure that the fridge never drained your battery or could you leave the car off for a few days without fear of the battery going flat?
Hey! the battery has a reserve in it so it would not die. The FJ could sit for about two days with charging all of our gear before the fridge would cut off.
It did work but I dont think it would work out well if we were taller. We're only 5'8" and the seat would not scoot back any further... Thanks for watching!
I’m 6”5 with a car seat. Right now it’s on the passenger side and we can’t move the seat all the way back. I noticed yours was center. Did that allow you to move the front seat all the way back?
totally understand the debate! We love our FJ and I think it best falls down to, do you need or want 4 doors? They're both very similar on driving and offroad but the 4runner is more roomy. The FJ did great with all the extra wait. honestly, after taking everything off, we never really noticed a difference.
I have been looking for a FJ for a while and all I can find have high miles and cost 8000 to 15000. What is your opinion on mileage. They seem to hold up and I could probably fix most things although fixing stuff is what I like to do.
I guess for me it all depends on the price. I'd buy one with 190k miles for 8 grand. I wouldn't by one with 240k miles. We sold ours with 140k for $20k.
Hey, great video. Quick question: does this system change at all when you're sleeping in bear country? My boyfriend and I are primarily backpackers, so we're used to hanging up all of our stuff in bear bags.
the only thing we did different was put trash up in a tree about 20 yards away instead of next to or in the FJ. the idea was to distract them a bit but I've heard bears are wicked smart.
@@BackroadPurpose cant blame you there. I have an H3 but been really wanting an FJ. My hummer is an excellent offroader but I love the FJ style. I had the top tent on my Jeep Wrangler and loved it.
@@Rogue.Rider0 Hummers are always a blast. We love our FJ but we're actually about to post it for sale. I'm making a video about it right now actually. It'll be posted tomorrow morning.
We had the smittybilt which was actually only $800. Some do cost upwards for $1000 and up to $3500 from what I've seen. I'm it sure about the warranties though.
I could easily live out of my Nissan Armada. I have a Tuff Stuff Trailhead rooftop tent with awning, 53qt refrigerator, Renogy 200 watt solar power system with dual batteries, water system, shower, awning, Camp chef stove and oven combo, and tons of food. And just to add more to it, I also have a teardrop camper.
Love your rig! Sorry you decided to sell it, it must have been hard. We have an FJ coming via Carvana in a few days. Hoping it’s a keeper. I know you ran 33’s wondering how high your lift was? It’s got the perfect look sitting still! ARB® OMEFJC10HKS - 2.5" x 2.5" OME™ Front and Rear Suspension Lift Kit?
Dude congrats! we loved it! It really did change our lives. But yeah we had the Old Man Emu 2.5" lift kit with the 285/70/17 bfg ko2s. We went with the heavy because of the weight. if you're not building it out like we did. I think medium is good and then I would recommend get the P-metric size tires and no the LT 10ply. the 10ply were stronger but the pmetric ride better.
Definitely is. Not to much "sliding" with those big junks of metal right there. But we were never intended to do much rocking crawling. We mainly just wanted protection if we dropped off a rock or fallin tree or something. Plus, we're both short and needed the steps to reach the roof.
Hey man, I'm thinking of purchasing the same roof rack and roof tent for my Fj cruiser. Is the Warrior roof rack compatible with the OEM roof rack bolts? Does the warrior roof rack align to holes on the roof of the FJ? Or do I need to make other adjustments? Thanks!
Hey man! It's a direct bolt in. You use the factory rack holes. No drilling or anything. Just make sure you silicone the bolts so that they don't leak.
What are the springs you're running in the front? 2886? I have the same bumper on the front with an OME lift and I'm getting some sag. Did you regear with all that extra weight?
Cool man. I guess it depends where you got it from. OME was including the 886 with the FJ heavy kit but decided to down it to 885 since folks were calling about their suspension being ripped apart lol. 886 is sold for the tacoma heavy now but makes sense for a FJ with weight up front, like your rig. Really cool rig, I can tell you were meticulous about it so I'm taking notes :). Another question! Do keep your fridge running on that battery when the car is off at all? Or does it retain temps until you get going again?
@@philipcoufal1830 yeah I would say it is a bit stiff now that all the gear is off. The Battery has enough reserve to power the fridge with the car off for about two days. So we kept it running all the time.
@@BackroadPurpose I have another question about the x2 battery! Did you go with the group 31? Have you drained it? I'm trying to understand how the "reserve" works. Planning a trip to devil's river (Texas) and it'll be hot as hell so I'm trying to figure out how to run a window unit in the RTT. Any insight is much appreciated sir.
![[RED BEARD] Битва Легенд!!! FJ vs Wrangler vs Hummer H3](/img/n.gif)
My voodoo 2011 is my most beloved car of all time as it feels special, is totally reliable, great fun, super practical, and very smooth to drive. Brilliant ownership experience for people who value such things.
I think one of the first videos I have seen about living in an FJ, I think it's very informative. Awesome.
Lol yeah it was a bit difficult trying to find examples when building the car but I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
I’ve had my Voodoo Blue 2007 FJ for...sheesh...12 years. I will never get rid of it. It is such a great vehicle for many needs.
Ah. Yes they are fantastic. We will truly miss ours. It just sold Thursday but it is the best for our future. We can't wait to get another one someday.
Backroad Purpose No way in hades will ever get rid of her. She has become a part of who I am.
@@BoilerBloodline we totally understand.
My wife and I are expecting and this is totally why I want a fj cruiser. Cant wait for more camping trips! Seeing that there alot of room for baby in the back has sealed this decision. Thank you man.
Congratulations! There is definitely enough room for the two of you plus a little one. I made another video about putting the carseat in the FJ if you want to watch it for size references th-cam.com/video/mpbqBRljVTM/w-d-xo.html
@@BackroadPurpose thank you so much! You guys are an awesome couple and that is one epic fj!
@@timothylavelua8320 Totally glad to help! Thanks for watching our videos!
Whole crap boy! After seeing what you two did to live out of the FJ I can hardly wait to see the neat ideas and solutions you come up with for the bus. 👍🏻
Haha thanks man! Yeah the FJ turned out to be super practical and functional for us. We used a lot of the knowledge we gained from the FJ in planning for the bus
Great build guys, you really work out what gear you need when you travel for long periods...minimal and practical is key. I've spent the last 5 years taking gear out and putting gear in and finally feel my FJ is setup the way we like it. I love your storage setup in the back too, very similar to mine with everything accessible easily. Oh I'm going to check out the buddy heater too, looks like a winner. Liked and subbed, looking forward to more content!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. There's always something that would do or do not need. I have a good rule of thumb that it either needs to serve 1 very important purpose, or at least 3 different purposes. If you think hard enough, you can usually make things multi functional.
Really liked the motion sensor light idea, especially after whacking my shin on my 08 FJC's hitch ball mount while fumbling around in the trunk at night.
Ugh! Thats the worst feeling ever! It just hurts so bad! but thanks glad we could shed some light (lol) on giving you a solution.
There's a link in the description on the one we have.
Watched this video a few times now. Love the FJ and have been wanting to buy one even more since watching this!
Aw how awesome! Thanks for watching. Not to get you too excited yet but ours MIGHT be for sale soon. Still trying to figure everything out.
Backroad Purpose how many miles are on it now? You guys went everywhere!! Lol
@@pdooley9570 lol we really did. It's a 2010 with 138k. We bought it at 45K
Backroad Purpose shoot that’s not bad on mileage actually! Especially for the year. Give me a shout when you decide. I’m in Oklahoma and looking somewhere in the end of the year to buy one. No rush! Hah
Wow!!! That was awesome!!! What a great set-up...very well thought out! I'll check out the link for the sensors and some of the other items for my rooftop.
Thank you!! Glad we could help. If you have any questions definitely shoot us a message!
THanks fellow FJ...cruisers got a lot of ideas from your set-up & nice precise vid! Wellness to you and your fam!
Thanks my guy! Definitely glad you enjoyed the video!
I have a 2007 FJ. Thanks for the vid! Extremely well thought out.
Thank you! We defiantly took our time trying to plan this out and It worked out just the way we intended it to
Thanks ,we also have a FJ we pull a small camp trailer but we like your set up .
Very cool! We're considering a small teardrop now that we have little Milo with us
Awesome walk around. Great ideas.
I’m making a off-road trailer to carry my tent, should be fun.
Fj forever
Very cool! Overland Trailers are rad. And make it so much easier to get out of town fast.
Great VEDIO production! TRUCK,TENT,GEAR, PLACEMENT OF EVERYTHING, Editing very nice job Thanks for your time.
Thanks for taking the time to send us some kinds words!!
Thanks so much for sharing your rig and all the links to your build. We have been talking about getting the roof top tent more so now, and there are many more ideas I am looking at thanks to your video. Much appreciated
Very cool! We loved our RTT. Glad we could help! Let us know if you need any help with figuring things out. We have so much knowledge about this stuff now
Really awesome job! Great video - thank you! Oh & congrats on your baby!
Thank you so much! He's been a joy to have around. Now he's actually a big brother!
@@BackroadPurpose Awesome! God Bless your family!
The fuckin footage this guy got and the edits made is INSANE! Phenomenal artist!
Thanks brother! I really appreciate the kind words!!
2022 now, Wow‼ awesome set up🤗 you guys are geniuses
Good job mate, Kudos from Australia, love our Orange Clay FJ (Magma) & took a few idea's away from this, good work pal living the dream, be safe & best wishes to you & your family
Glad we could help! Australia is definitely part of our list! Thanks for following the journey and taking the time to comment!
This looks amazing. Beautiful rig and well thought out customization! Getting my 2014 TT on Monday and you are a great inspiration to me. Cheers!
Thank you very much! Yeah we really enjoyed this build. It did a great job for us. We sure do miss this rig. Congratulations on the new FJ!
CONGRATS ON BEING DAD AND MOM. LUCK KID MAN! BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPEN. I KNOW BECAUSE I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE CALLED DAD BY TWO BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN. THANK GOODNESS THAT THEY TOOK AFTER THEIR MUM.
Thank you so much! It has been such treat so far having this dude in our lives and we are so excited to watch him grow into a little man.
Excellent video. Thank you for sharing all you have done. I'm considering buying an FJ and this has been incredible to view and consider my options. I am in Australia, and so our camping can be remote. This looks like it ticks all the boxes. You tip with the battery is appreciated. Thank you.
oh very cool! thank you so much for watching and commenting. If I can help in any other way let me know!!
Enjoy your stuff. Very infirmative
Love that WRV sticker. Great build, great info, THANKS!
Thanks man! And I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. Be good!
LOVE the roof top tent! wonder where your cook station is...
We had a 20"x2' table that we could set up and set our coleman two burner stove on!
Nice setup bro. 10 months is amazing dude. I have to beg my wife to do a 2 day camping trip with me :) I still love her though :)
Haha my wife definitely has a couple standards that need to be met when we go but this was actually her idea for the trip.
Nice build, gave me some insight on my explorer setup. Thank you. Be safe my friend. Happy trails.
Thanks man! If theres anything else I can do let me know!
Love your set up bro! The motion sensor lights are a brilliant idea! Were they solar or wired in? Have the model number? thx man!
Thanks!! They're actually battery powered but i have the link in the description!!
Your rooftop tent is beautiful and looks cosy!
Thank you! We really enjoyed it. Crazy to think we slept almost 300 night up there.
Hey, dude I'm from pagosa springs!!! Greatest place in Colorado!!!
Dude it was epic! We loved it. Wish we were there later in the year though. Can't wait to go back
Awesome video man! I love the idea of the motion sensor lights!
Thanks! It was so simple and cheap and did exactly what we needed it do to.
Love this!!! I'm on the fence with the Tundra or FJ Cruiser
Those are pretty different of course. Depends of you want something bigger and need a truck or if you want something a little more urban friendly and with a little better resale value.
Backroad Purpose Yes I know it’s hard to find those FJs we have one near me but it’s $31k 2014 90k milles on it!! All white
@@SpottedXtreme sounds like your average deal. It took us 6 months to find the right one for us.
Two wildly different vehicles, brah. Tundra with a camper would be nice tho.
OMG....... just perfect, kuddos from MIAMI
Miami is awesome! Thanks for watching!
Awesome. Some great ideas I will look to include in my FJ. Thanks.
Very cool! Thanks for watching. Definitely shoot me a message if you have any questions or ideas
I use my suicide doors for changing too I love my fj!
Its so practical!!
Awesome rig! Great video and set up!
Thanks allot friend!
Nice build dude!! Haven't regretted the FJ one bit
Thanks sir! It worked out pretty well for us. Hope this brings you some value!
Great build and thanks for the video.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Such a cool video man all the different locations with your FJ is priceless! well done! Ive got one and i love it!
Thank you, my friend! It was one heck of a trip. We will sure miss that rig.
Nice setup, Can I ask why you picked an FJ not a Jeep Wrangler for example?
So my wife wanted a wrangler and i wanted a 4runner just fir the sake of a better more reliable track record. Toyotas traditionally hold up better ovee a longer period of time over a wrangler. The FJ was the compromise. So we bought that as a daily and then decided to use that for the trip instead of buying another car.
@ more capable......😂😂😂😂
Emad Daghreri because he’s smart
Great video man! Love it :D
Thanks a bunch friend!!
Or maybe get a trailer and put the tent on top. That will give you mobility and also free up valuable roof space for storage etc. Great build none the less 👍
Thanks! We thought about it but didn't want the hassle or a trailer driving and parking in bigger cities
Very nice video! Keep them coming please
Thanks a lot! I've got one coming this week!
How did you mount the refrigerator slider to the cargo hold? Oh, awesome!
The fridge is actually sitting on basically a huge tray. I can tag you in some picture on Instagram if you send me a DM.
Absolutely amazing, thanks for the video👍👍👍
Thank you very much and you are welcome!
Great video. Very informative. But some constructive critique. Two words. Video stabilization. Cheers!
This was an Awesome video!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!
Glad you enjoyed the video!
Cool set up.
Thank you! We loved it.
Do you think you’ll ever do a video about the rooftop tent? Pros? Cons? You seems super innovative and I’d love to know more of your thoughts on the tent. Great video!
I think we will. Maybe we will try to do that soon! We don't have the FJ anymore but I still have a ton of footage from the trip. Keep an eye out and we will get one posted for you.
Really nice rig and set-up. One question I have is related to the FJs stock fuel economy, which is poor (IMHO) so did all that extra weight take it down even more?
Honestly. With everything we did and the stages we did it in with adding the gear but also with taking it off. I honestly believe that the poor MPG in our case is 100% because of the tires. After taking all of the stuff off and all of the stuff out of it. All that is left is the winch, bumper, roof rack, and tires. We get the same MPG now as we did when it was loaded down.
I have a few tips on setting up the awning. The first step of an easy setup actually starts as the last step of packing it away. When packing it away, only minimally collapse the arms and leave legs as they are so everything is almost already fully extended to where you need it when you setup next time. Now, on to setup: After you open the cover and undo the straps, unroll the awning just enough to set it on top of the cover, maybe two or three wraps. While the roll is sitting on top of the cover, fold the arms out in a slight V pattern, just wide enough apart to unroll the awning between them - rather than on top of them. (This will make your vehicle look like it's trying to give you a hug. Awww!) Proceed to unroll the rest of the awning and allow the legs to fold down. They should be nearly the correct height already. Holding the leg assembly vertical, start the arm from one side into its hole. It doesn't have to be perfect, just lined up enough for you to work the other side. On the other side, fully seat and adjust the pole, then do the same for the first side. It took a year or so of frequent use before I figured this out.
dude yes! that seems like a much smarter way of doing it. we've always left the legs the same length but to unroll is partially and then underneath the rails is a much smarter way of doing it. we'll definitely try it that way next!
Need a video!
Hi, this video just pumped me up to set up my FJ, I am new to the FJ world!
One question, how do you locate spots to sleep at like the one you just showed?
Dude! thanks for watching. Congrats on the fj. That rig changed our lives. Heres a video I made about that topic actually. th-cam.com/video/QaiOyWg--rg/w-d-xo.html
Over landing looks so much fun. Especially during this shitty pandemic
Facts! We sure do miss exploring!
This was awesome brother🤙🏾❗️ Great job with the video, very informative.
Thanks my guy!
OMG! That wireless motion spotlight is kind of tacky but pure genius I'm so doing it!!
Lol definitely tacky. We take it off when driving but so much cheaper!
@@BackroadPurpose Super cool what you guys are doing! I sent you a pm on ig.
Nice setup for sure😊👍
Thank you so much!
Great music! Big up
Thank you!
I love watching y’alls videos! I have a 2010 fj, just purchased a RTT would it be safe to mount to factory rack for the first few trips and work up to purchase a different rack system in your experience?
We are super excited to camp as a family off trails!
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy them! I need to get another 4X4 so we can go on some good trips again. I would do it. I think using the factory rack is plenty good but I would focus on getting a new rack as soon as possible. The OEM rack has a curve to it and I've heard it could bend the RTT overtime. But I think using is a few times wouldnt hurt.
Nice video.
About those motion sensor lights, it is a good idea. But if the range of the sensors are that limited that you have to be very close for them to detect you, then they are not that useful!
True statement. In the video is was not very dark out but when it's solid night time they have about a 60ft detection radius.
@@BackroadPurpose Thanks :)
Nice setup man! Great video!
Thanks a lot! We sure enjoyed it!!
Wow nice set up, I've held off putting a roof top tent on top as I think it is too much of a wind brake. I do have to ask thou, with the fuel can soo close to the tent window, do you get fumes inside the tent?
I thought it would be too and its really not a big difference with or withoutthe RTT. And that fuel tank it air tight so nothing escapes. Plus we only had fuel in it when we were doing a pretty large trip.
are those the old man emu nitrochargers or bp51?
Wow. Simply amazing. Question: Did your X2 battery keep your fridge powered through the night?
It did! the vehicle was self sufficient for about 2 days and 2 nights before the fridge went into reserve mode. That includes us charging our phones, cameras, and running our LED lights at night.
Awesome job!! Can you tell me if there is a way to attach kayaks to the truck also? Can the tent come off and can kayaks be attached on top of the roof? I’m a off-road newbie so I have no idea. Our xterra has a roof rack but I’m looking to get an FJ soon thanks
They have a bunch of different kayak mounts weve seen on other vehicles. The tent is only held on by 4 U-bolts so it's not too much work taking it off
Backroad Purpose oh good to know! So I would really have to leave the tent at home if kayaking? I guess what I’m also asking is, if the tent is off the truck, is there a rack on yours that kayaks can be attached to?
@@MrGflan I'm not 100% sure. I would assume you might be able to play around with your roof space like we did to make it fit.
Backroad Purpose awesome!! We are moving to NC soon. I have a few cars I may sell and plan to get an FJ when I get out there. I may need to pick your brain a bit when the time comes. Thanks for your help!! That bumper looks so awesome with the winch. Terrific setup with all this and the drawers. Good stuff. This will help me get my photography to a new level for the birds and landscapes.
Love the graphics! Did you store your routes in any app?
Great video. I am in the process of setting up my FJ for camping. I was intrigued by your battery setup. The battery in your link is Group 31, does is fit in the stock Toyota battery tray or did you have to replace? Good luck with your family.
It fits in directly to the stock battery tray! It had worked out great for us!
Backroad Purpose Thanks for the prompt reply!!
Very informative video! Thank you for posting!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
The tent seems to add quite a bit to the height of the vehicle. Wondering how much noise was added and what sort of range you got on that 19 gallon tank. Did you track your mileage before and after the conversion? These things aren't known for their economy, I know.
If you did it again, would you consider an overland trailer in tow or stick with the rooftop tent?
What were your main complaints about the tent?
The RTT is about 12 inches tall so it does add some height. with the 3inch lift and the 33's we were right at 9ft. We could not fit in most parking garages but we could still go through most drive thrus and never had an issue with bridges.
I tracked MPG almost every tank.. Im weird. before we did the mods we got about 17mpg. with all the gear we got about 12-13mg and with the rtt off and cabinet out we got about 13mpg. I think the loss in MPG was entirely because of the tires.
I loved our set up. If we ever do a build again I will most likely do it this way. If this was my DD and I had to drive to work 5 days a week, I would get a trailer... idk maybe not. Driving this tank around and always have what you need is awesome. This set up truly was perfect for everything. Trails, Snow, Desert, Downtowns, small backroads, suburban areas. It really was just like driving a regular car...
The matress sucked. I wish we would have upgraded the 3inch mattress topped way earlier. We go ours from Target for $150 and it was awesome!
Outstanding Guys! Great video with some fabulous tips. I have to ask with all the extra weight what fuel consumption? Loved the light sensor can you give more details on make and power supply of the trigger? Do you have a lift if yes did you add sway bar relocation mod and differential lowering kit? If you didn't add these mods did you experience any mechanical probs? Well done guys keep Adventuring and sharing. Yours Adventurously Simon :)
Hey Simon! Glad you enjoyed the video! The sensor is linked in the description. It's just a battery powered light you can get at Home Depot. The FJ is lifted 3"s but we did not do anything else like swaybars, or contral arms or diff drop. We had no issue with it what so ever. actually drove pretty similar to factory. With all the weight, believe it or not we actually didn't lose any MPG. We did lose MPG when we put the tires on. The stuff on the rough did nothing to improve our MPG when we took it off. Still getting 14mpg with just the bumper, roof rack, and tires on the FJ.
Really!! That is interesting ref fuel consumption I guess it is so thirsty to begin with and not so air dynamic. So damage done from the start. Now you said that, I might now invest in a roof tent and awning. Also interesting to hear with all that extra weight and a lift you didn't swap out differential and sway bar.
I'm fitting bilsteinnext week then heading into the Sahara desert
If your ever near southern Spain look me up my home is yours Simon
www.simonnewbound.com for pics of my Desert Shuttle :)
@@SimonNewbound Yeah thats my thoughts exactly. I mean, how much worse could it actually get lol. I was really hoping taking everything off would improve the MPG but once everything was off it really made no difference.
Thank you so much. We'll make our way out there someday for sure!
Loved the site. very clean and interesting. If you get sometime check out our new company. weamplifyyou.com
Nice set up man
Thank you!!
Bro this is so cool
Hi, I am picking up a very low mileage 2012 FJ this week and am planning the changes/upgrades I'd like to start with as everyone does I imagine. I would really like to spend some time picking your brain related to what to look for, where to start, etc. Would this be possible? Really enjoyed the video, it was quite helpful. Thank you.
Of course it is. How can we help?
@@BackroadPurpose Initially, I suspect the on and off-road split will be 80/20 mostly on-road. I'm looking to the upgrades I can do that will add the most safety as a novice off-roader without negatively impacting the on-road performance. Thoughts?
@@JasonWh Honestly this set up was perfect for that. We drove 45k miles on this set up and did about 8,000 offroad. It drove perfect. very smooth. nice and quiet. Old Man Emu Lift Kit was a perfect choice. not too pricey but still did everything great on and off-road. We went with their "Heavy" set up so I would suggest the medium if you are not loading it all the way down.
What kind of rack do you have for your roof top tent? I'm looking for a rack for my FJ .
Its a Warrior Platform Rack and we love it! It makes our FJ so much more useful
Good work;) thank you for inspiration
Thank you for watching! Glad we could help!
Great video, incredibly interesting and full of information. The Toyota FJ cruiser is a very good vehicle, why did you choose the FJ vs the Toyota
4Runner? I am consider getting a new off road vehicle and have been considering the FJ Cruiser and the 4Runner. Which of the two vehicles would you recommend and why? Thank you and really enjoyed your vide. Thanks for sharing .
My wife originally wanted a wrangler unlimited and I wanted a 4runner so we compromised on the FJ. Now that we have Milo the FJ is doable but the 4runner would be a bit nicer to have with the seperate doors.
Hey man awesome video! My question for you (sorry if you addressed this in another vid) is where do you sleep when in a city? Do you always have to drive out to the nearest camp site? Or do you set up your roof top tents at Walmart or rest stops as well?
We actually never set it up in the city. Kind of creeped us out to be honest. We budgeted for a few hotels throughout the trip so we started in those when we wanted to explore bigger inner cities.
@@BackroadPurpose Thank for the response!
With regards to the battery, how often would you have to keep the car on to make sure that the fridge never drained your battery or could you leave the car off for a few days without fear of the battery going flat?
Hey! the battery has a reserve in it so it would not die. The FJ could sit for about two days with charging all of our gear before the fridge would cut off.
We kept a booster pack in our engine bay just in case it did fail for some reason.
Love the build. How did having a car seat in the back work out for you guys? Was it tight?
It did work but I dont think it would work out well if we were taller. We're only 5'8" and the seat would not scoot back any further... Thanks for watching!
I’m 6”5 with a car seat. Right now it’s on the passenger side and we can’t move the seat all the way back. I noticed yours was center. Did that allow you to move the front seat all the way back?
Good Video
Thanks friend!
Great video.on the fence between the fj an a 4 runner.hows the fj holding up with all the added weight?
totally understand the debate! We love our FJ and I think it best falls down to, do you need or want 4 doors? They're both very similar on driving and offroad but the 4runner is more roomy. The FJ did great with all the extra wait. honestly, after taking everything off, we never really noticed a difference.
I have been looking for a FJ for a while and all I can find have high miles and cost 8000 to 15000. What is your opinion on mileage. They seem to hold up and I could probably fix most things although fixing stuff is what I like to do.
I guess for me it all depends on the price. I'd buy one with 190k miles for 8 grand. I wouldn't by one with 240k miles. We sold ours with 140k for $20k.
Hey, great video. Quick question: does this system change at all when you're sleeping in bear country? My boyfriend and I are primarily backpackers, so we're used to hanging up all of our stuff in bear bags.
the only thing we did different was put trash up in a tree about 20 yards away instead of next to or in the FJ. the idea was to distract them a bit but I've heard bears are wicked smart.
That is a sweet setup😃
Thank you very much sir. It was a lot of planning but it worked out well.
Great Video!
Thank you!
Cool set up 🔥🔥👀🔥🔥
thanks mate!!
Love the top tent. Only thing sucks about it is if you had to bail in an emergency.
Very true. That's one of the reason we're going a different route now that Milo is here.
@@BackroadPurpose cant blame you there. I have an H3 but been really wanting an FJ. My hummer is an excellent offroader but I love the FJ style. I had the top tent on my Jeep Wrangler and loved it.
@@Rogue.Rider0 Hummers are always a blast. We love our FJ but we're actually about to post it for sale. I'm making a video about it right now actually. It'll be posted tomorrow morning.
@@BackroadPurpose I'll Be sure to check it out.
Very cool, man.
Thank you!!
What kind of warranty the pop up tent comes with? I know they cost over $2k.
We had the smittybilt which was actually only $800. Some do cost upwards for $1000 and up to $3500 from what I've seen. I'm it sure about the warranties though.
I could easily live out of my Nissan Armada. I have a Tuff Stuff Trailhead rooftop tent with awning, 53qt refrigerator, Renogy 200 watt solar power system with dual batteries, water system, shower, awning, Camp chef stove and oven combo, and tons of food. And just to add more to it, I also have a teardrop camper.
Love your rig! Sorry you decided to sell it, it must have been hard. We have an FJ coming via Carvana in a few days. Hoping it’s a keeper. I know you ran 33’s wondering how high your lift was? It’s got the perfect look sitting still! ARB® OMEFJC10HKS - 2.5" x 2.5" OME™ Front and Rear Suspension Lift Kit?
Dude congrats! we loved it! It really did change our lives. But yeah we had the Old Man Emu 2.5" lift kit with the 285/70/17 bfg ko2s. We went with the heavy because of the weight. if you're not building it out like we did. I think medium is good and then I would recommend get the P-metric size tires and no the LT 10ply. the 10ply were stronger but the pmetric ride better.
Thank you! We are excited. I have watched your TH-cam about your build at least 10 times. You said P metric ride better can they handle off road to?
Hey can someone help me understand sliders with steps that stick out below the actual sliders? Feels counterintuitive??
Definitely is. Not to much "sliding" with those big junks of metal right there. But we were never intended to do much rocking crawling. We mainly just wanted protection if we dropped off a rock or fallin tree or something. Plus, we're both short and needed the steps to reach the roof.
Great setup! Subscribing
Thank you!!
nicely done
Thank you much
Yeah that song by splashed at the start.
Thanks for watching!
Did you guys just camp at random spots that were free and any places to shower along the way. I guess you could always use solar shower.
We stayed at free places and then we would stay at state parks every so often for water and showers and such.
The home depot lights were something I thought about too
So much cheaper then a remote car system
What the first music playing?
Hey thanks for watching our video! the song is Good World Gone Bad th-cam.com/video/STHTa1IlcLE/w-d-xo.html
Hey man, I'm thinking of purchasing the same roof rack and roof tent for my Fj cruiser. Is the Warrior roof rack compatible with the OEM roof rack bolts? Does the warrior roof rack align to holes on the roof of the FJ? Or do I need to make other adjustments?
Thanks!
Hey man! It's a direct bolt in. You use the factory rack holes. No drilling or anything. Just make sure you silicone the bolts so that they don't leak.
@@BackroadPurpose Got it!! Greetings to your beautiful family man.
@@elitenmr8242 thank you so much!!
What are the springs you're running in the front? 2886? I have the same bumper on the front with an OME lift and I'm getting some sag. Did you regear with all that extra weight?
I'm not sure the product code but I know I am running the "heavy" spring load all the way around. I did not regear because I'm still only running 33s.
Cool man. I guess it depends where you got it from. OME was including the 886 with the FJ heavy kit but decided to down it to 885 since folks were calling about their suspension being ripped apart lol. 886 is sold for the tacoma heavy now but makes sense for a FJ with weight up front, like your rig. Really cool rig, I can tell you were meticulous about it so I'm taking notes :). Another question! Do keep your fridge running on that battery when the car is off at all? Or does it retain temps until you get going again?
@@philipcoufal1830 yeah I would say it is a bit stiff now that all the gear is off. The Battery has enough reserve to power the fridge with the car off for about two days. So we kept it running all the time.
@@BackroadPurpose I have another question about the x2 battery! Did you go with the group 31? Have you drained it? I'm trying to understand how the "reserve" works. Planning a trip to devil's river (Texas) and it'll be hot as hell so I'm trying to figure out how to run a window unit in the RTT. Any insight is much appreciated sir.
Where did you all go in Nashville??
Everywhere! We live here!
Backroad Purpose we are just a few hours north of you!
Live in Franklin just south of you. Really wanting to get into overlanding close to home. Any trails you recommend?