My comment will be number 100. This video is epic, expecially in the first minutes over the dunes. I bought one just one year ago, what a lovely car. Who else is still watching this in 2024? ❤

😂

I think 180 degree awning would be better than a 270 - you have the tail gate for shelter at the rear and you could always design a canvas rain gutter that you could velco between the awning and the inside of the tailgate (when up) joining the two. Also - check out how they set up the back kitchen area of the tear drop trailer/campers - some really good ideas there - a "pass through" my also be handy

Andrew with all due respect you rarely taking your vehicles off road, pretty much any 4wd van or pickup truck will be miles ahead of your troopy on those corrugated gravel roads. Your are missing on some great drives because of your troopy affair :-)

Yet another great video. Great brainstorming ping-pong between you and Heine. Both of you will be seriously challenged by this project, having enormous fun and satisfaction in the process. P.S. The concept is perfect.

awesome and excited to see the build like you we can't wait to see the end result, and who in South Africa will offer this as I do believe there would be a great market for it

Would running a skinnier tire like this be safe on a 100 series land cruiser?

Absolutely fantastic video.Thank you for your efforts!💝💝

Really really great video. Informative and also entertaining🍺🍺🍺

What’s the engine capacity of this Hiace ? Any possibility for modification for long range fuel/water tanks underneath of the vehicle ?

Cruiser fanboys having a meltdown.

Great ideas coming forward ⛺️👍

This was your first touring vehicle I think and there is lots to learnt nothing is perfect first time

Is toyota bringing out the 4x4 hi ace van in the future i hope so

Quite frankly the US may have made a lot of progress in building vans but they are still only copying what has been invented in Europe. The European "Bulli"-Scene has decades more experience in building small vans like Volkswagen T1-2-3-4 and even the newer ones like T-5-7. You shold definitely have a look into this. The have remarkable builds. Maybe visit a euopean expo next time :)

How much more was the van with the conversion to 4x4 than the troop carrier?

Have you nerver sen an Vw California?

Andrew how do you feel about having a rear tailgate that opens up as opposed to barn doors? It makes a handy roof without having to put a rear awning out, but barn doors seem so useful as you have hamdy walls full of things, and tables etc when open. On the other hand this will make your kitchen very accessible from the sides. Interested to see what you do with this

When it comes to the pop top conversion all you will need to do is engineer a RHSring fraim to surround the cut out and transferring the rigidity from the flat roof to the ring fraim, the bed base also becomes structural when down and almost dose what the roof skin dose , just need locators in the unhinged corners to brace when closed, I am going through the same process on a different van in qld, also fitted a lot out along the lines you are moving towards with my past business. Good luck , it will be a great build and will be nice to see a move away from the landcrusier norm😂

Excellent story time!

One problem I see is. Some / most islands do NOT allow all wheel drive veichles a permit to access. I look foward to your build. New innovations and pushing the envelope

Welcome to #vanlife

Hey guys, you have a great air suspension company in Australia. Airbag Man ...Oh wait, sorry, I just remember Andrew thinks air suspension is not reliable. ;o) Cheers! (A proud LR4 owner)

Sliding door slide system will crud up, good luck getting it open!

Hi Andrew, this concept is fantastic, I like the description of troopy van conversion. As a tradie just wondering if the conversion would work for tradies daily work with tools and ladders. Would the pop up roof be able to take load ? I think there will be a few tradies interested in this concept.looking forward to this project 👍 Cheers

I appreciate you calling it how you see it, refreshingly honest with your opinion in this industry. I agree with your assessment of the vehicle in general. I do own and drive a Pajero, and while I love it I do recognise the faults. People get way too caught up in supporting "their team" mentality, but there's no excuse for resorting to personal attack. I would own a Toyota if I could afford it, but I really appreciate my Pajero taking me on adventures that I can afford. The stock Pajero definitely needs a 2" lift kit to increase the clearance for 4wding, and is very plasticy, and it's widely known for the most uncomfortable seats among 4x4s, but the engine and gearbox (my 2009 shares a gearbox with a prado I believe) are very good and regularly last well over half a million kms with regular servicing and common issues addressed. Thank you Andrew for your wonderful, entertaining and educational videos! Keep them coming please!!

Andrew, I just popped for another sermon in the church of Toyota

Andrew, I have been doing a bit of a look on two Middle eastern suppliers of Toyota Genuine Parts, and it appears that the first 5 digits of the part numbers for the rear shock absorbers and springs are the same between the Hiace and the Hilux. This means that you should be able to remove the rear shocks and take a run over to Don Kyatt in Kewdale and have them compare them. I would also be interesting to see a pair of parabolics on as well. At least the front is easy, you know it is 200 series. As for running back to South Africa all the time, you have done that in a previous life. You have lived in Perth (best choice) now for a number of years, and OK, covid was a problem, but how about more Australian content

Can you retrofit an internal door release handle for the rear door so you can open and close it from the inside?

So interesting to hear about that stupid intrusion for those drivers who drive from the right hand side of the vehicle. I have been hearing about that issue since the vehicle started being tested. What is so funny is that INEIS, a British company, owned by a Brit, who specifically stated he wanted to replace the Defender, has failed; but…. INEOS have failed only in the countries that the Defender was originally aimed for. So, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and another 61 countries. I know a number of Brits who wont buy a Grenadier due to that awful intrusion for drivers. Ratcliffe, you are a cockwomble.

In some countries, this car comes with an extra high ceiling, that would make a real double decks inside the car...

Most of the van life stuff you saw in the US will not be taken very far offroad. They are usually designed to be lived inside, not outside like you are planning. That is why there is more emphasis on the kitchen. And you're right, probably 95% of the US vanlife people will never do any proper offroading.

Actually... look at the VW T6 California! It's the perfect layout!

I really love the possibilities what is offered by the Hiace platform. The higher rear ‘dirty storage’ is great. How about gulping access to that, or split gullwing access. Looking forward to the development of this. Regards Nick

Andrew, Heiner, nice discussions and directions with this build. If you want the have the lady upstairs in the tent .. better make sure that there are some nice easy sturdy "steps" that can help her get upstairs. Most poptop vans that I have seen make you either lift yourself up 1.5m to get in, or a flimpsie small ladder to climb in. The Hymer Venture S uses the kitchen cabinets as a stair leading upstairs ... Making getting in and out of bed much easier for the older travelers 😁

Have a look at the Bushwakka Kamelback LandCruiser.

In my head I'm now replaying all the ASPW's rants about the ladder frame and solid axles being the only option..... and here we go! 😀

Very excited for this build. But also excited because this video was a teaser for the Strictly Come Dancing 33:35 featuring ASPW

well what you can do wit back door? put light there, put shower there, put owning there, put ther something to dry your clothes

Loved this two mates brainstorming. This is going to be interesting not another Troopie 😬.

Andrew, I wish you could see my van. Totally inspired by everything I learned watching your build videos, plus real world experiences. It’s nothing like all the other vans out there. Winner of most unique DIY at Adventure Van Expo, Evergreen, Colo. last year.

Take a look at the north. European vans are quite closer in size to a troopy and quite similar as well as overlanders being build on these as a basis. E.g. take a look at TerraCamper and "endlos freisein" to name just two ends of the full spectrum available. To add to the brainstorming: a less structural break to the chassis would be to open it above the front seats only to access a (still removable) roof tent. Loving your approach of just doing it 🤙

I am very excited to see you building the van. In your opinion, do you think the hiace is capable enough to do something like van Zyls pas in Namibia when it is finished?

40 years of overlanding is crazy😮! I've been following you for more than 10 years🎉

Hi Andrew have you thought of the same van but it has a sliding door on each side so you could do the kitchen from the side.

Hi just a quick one. Have you thought about when you go through water and your side doors let water in. The other thing is when you go over high rocks and you hit the side door bottom will it bend or dent the bottom and prevent the door from sliding.

Ugh, that ugly lump! 😱 WTF! That's so dumb! Wait, why no other review shows that ugly lump? Andrew, thanks so much, you've helped me deleted Grenadier from my list

Can we adjust the caster to improve Grenadier's self-centering?

Love the brainstorming. .....so interesting.