Toyota 80 Series Landcruiser
Exploring off roads in Australia
Imogen and Luke are currently finalizing their Toyota 80 Series Landcruiser conversion for living the dream – exploring Australia’s off roads, living tiny and enjoying life to the fullest.
Quick facts Toyota 80 Series Landcruiser:
- car manufacturer: Toyota
- model: 80 Series Landcruiser
- year of construction: 1995
- how many seats: 2 Seats – We removed all back seats
- how many kilometers: 310 000km
- output of the motor: 1HZ
- consumption at 100km: 15L/100km
- driving license classify: Manual Car license
- motor fuel: Diesel
- price: $14 500 AUD
- costs of repair per year: $1 000 AUD roughly
Hello you! Before we talk about your van, let us please know your name, where you are from and what you do for a living..
We are Luke and Imogen and we are from Perth Western Australia. We both work on Rottnest island. Imogen is a Housekeeping Supervisor and Luke works in Maintenance.
What drew you to travel in a van?
We both love the outdoors and the ocean. We also love the freedom that traveling and camping brings and the memories which you can make at all these amazing spots around Australia.
What exact van do you own and why did you choose it?
We have a 1995 Toyota Landcruiser 80 series. Her name is Sally! We chose an 80 Series because of the reliability of the car and how it will be able to take us to some of the most secluded spots in Australia.
Is the interior made by yourself or did you hire a carpenter?
We had the draw system made by a local Perth company Black Label Storage Solutions who specialise in 4WD and van fit outs. Luke has also done some of the other work himself.
How long did you work on your van until it was finished and ready to travel with?
It has taken us over 1 year to convert the car into the ideal traveling home on wheels. Currently we are still working on it and finalising the last few modifications before we start traveling in it full time, for hopefully 2 years!
Tell us your most important camping gadgets of all time!
A good Gas cooker! We have the Coleman Hyperflame cook top which connects to a LPG gas bottle. Our mosquito net is the next. Sometimes it can get really hot at night and we don’t have a fan in the car when we sleep. So it’s nice to be able to open the back door at night and allow the breeze to flow through the car without the worry of mosquitoes and other bugs getting into the car.
Do you earn money while traveling? If so, how?
At this moment we don’t unless we are going to stop at a spot for a period of time and find some casual work. We have worked our buts off this last year to save up the money we think we would be able to survive without working for about a year. If the opportunity came up for us to earn some money whilst travelling we would definitely consider it. Finding a way to earn money and to be able to travel full time is something we would love to do one day.
Which countries have you seen already with your van?
Just Australia! Australia is such an isolated and large country that it will be impossible to see all of it no matter how long you spend on the road. It would be too expensive to transport Sally overseas.
How long are you on the road already and do you live in your vehicle full time?
We aren’t currently on the road, we are planning to head off in May at this stage. We are planning to be on the road for 2 years and will be living in the car full time.
Some people prefer campsites for the night, others love free camping somewhere in the middle of nowhere. What do you prefer and why?
We love free camping! You can find some of the most amazing camps by free camping. We want to keep our cost down as low as possible so by finding free camps will help us a lot. we have been using the app Wiki Camps to help us find free camps or low cost camps which other people travelling have recommended.
Did your van ever break down or did you have any troubles in that department?
Fingers crossed we haven’t had a major break down whilst camping yet. There have been a few small issues with the car but nothing which couldn’t be fixed.
What makes travelling and living in a van such a great experience?
The freedom which the car brings to us is the greatest experience. We love how your days don’t need to be planned out as much and that plans can change everyday. Not one day will be the same.
Nothing is perfect – what´s the down side of vanlife?
We can’t say that there is much of a down side to life on the road. It would just be having limited space to store or buy new things.
What tips would you give new vanlifers?
Yes we do, and would love to meet more. We are all like-minded people who love to explore and see the outdoors.
Do you sometimes make new friends on the road/meet other vanlifers?
Have a go at everything, be open to new experience and expect that things may not always go to plan.
What are your future plans when it comes to traveling/living in your van?
We would love to do it as a full time or for as long as possible before we are ready to settle down in one place. We are really open to anything at this point.
Check out more of Imogen, Luke and Sally on their Instagram travel account @sallythe80 and on their personal ones @immy_kelsch & @lukedrws.