He owned 8 Land Rovers and then bought a Toyota...

How many times have you heard that a Land Rover owner has changed his or her vehicle and purchased a Toyota? In short, I have now purchased a Toyota after owning eight Land Rovers over the last two decades!

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 120 Series

Vehicle of choice this time is a 2007 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado D-4D (1KD-FTV).
And it was not based on the fact that Toyota owners are quick to explain the lack of tools needed, the reliability of the vehicle or the fact that they a perception to last forever.

Here's my thoughts on why I moved from Land Rover...

Land Rover or Toyota: What happened in 2013?

Was Land Rover or Toyota the preferred vehicle choice in 2013 for independent trans-Africa overland travel?  In this blog post I outlined the preferred vehicle choice for 2013, average travel time in 2013 and a summary of different vehicles used over the last four years.

The Africa Overland Network was formally launched in September 2000 and currently has over 800 independent overland websites listed - this website provides an excellent base for actively monitoring overland trips departing per year.

Over the last decade of independent overland travel, the preferred vehicle has been Land Rover but in 2011, Toyota became the preferred vehicle of choice.  In 2012, Land Rover bounced back to claim the number 1 spot. What happened in 2013?

Here are the links to the previous overland website statistics: 2010 | 2011 | 2012

The 2013 Stats...

Land Rover and Toyota once again proved to be the most popular choice for overland travel in Africa (departing in 2013). A total of 53 websites are listed on the website (departure date in 2013), surprisingly the same number for 2012.  I acknowledge that I have probably missed a few trips (and websites) as its hard to keep updated and often travelers don't know about The Africa Overland Network.

Unique Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Series

I knew that Land Rovers had a tendency to be radically modified until I came across these two Toyota Land Cruiser 79Series.

Toyota Zone, the magazine for Toyota owners in South Africa, published two articles with links to the unique Land Cruisers below...  Be sure to click on the photos to read the full articles on the Toyota Zone website:

The Collins Family Land Cruiser Camper

Schalk and Retha Kruger - Six Wheel Land Cruiser

Thirty Thousand - Film Review

Why do you travel overland?  Is it to claim a title of completing a continent overland?  Is it to explore cultures? Or simply to surf uncharted waters along the West coast of Africa?

This is exactly what three Australian surfers did in 2010.  Andrew, Richard and Tristan equipped a Toyota Land Cruiser troopy and headed South searching for those uncharted surfing waves along the West coast of Africa.   The emphasis of their trip was not the overland travel, rather the surf.

I managed to squeeze into a packed cinema to watch the premier of their film which has been launched on DVD as well.  The film is only 50min long but keeps you entertained as the crew head South highlighting a few surfing spots along the West coast.  Majority of the film is focused on the surf which will appeal to all surfers, however, it has just enough content of the African continent to keep you watching.

Africa Overland Vehicle Choice - 2011 Statistics

The main focus for the Africa Overland Network is to link past, current and future independent overland websites.  As a result, the website has captured journey time, primary route and vehicle choice. It is currently the most updated website dedicated to independent overlanders.  As a result, the statistics on vehicle choice and travel time tell an interesting story.

Leading up to 2010, the Land Rover was the preferred vehicle of choice for the overlander.  There were a number of reason why Land Rover was the preferred vehicle:  Majority of trip started from the North and headed South across Africa.  The cost of equipping a Land Rover was generally cheaper in the Northern hemisphere due to the availability of spare parts, overland accessories and certified mechanics.
Toyota was catching up - with the cost of the vehicle, availability of spares and accessories, the landscape was changing... The Toyota Land Cruiser was becoming affordable, and offered an alternative to Land Rover.
You can read all about Land Rover vs Toyota in the 2010 report: Which Overlander?

Big Changes in 2011
This year has been an interesting one... two big highlights have occurred that are worth mentioning.

Toyota - Unstoppable Big 6

I spotted this advert in the 1965 Desert Magazine:

For unstoppable, grab-hold-and-go power, professional 4 wheelers depend on the Toyota Land Cruiser.

Trade up to Toyota and get the big 6:
1. Power: 6-cyclinder, 135HP
2. Speed: 85mph on the highway all day long
3. Gradeability: 67%
4. Hi-Lo Gearing: 9 forward gear combindations
5. Ruggedness: heavy duty, tank-tough Toyota construction
6. Comfort: carries 7 men on foam rubber seats, plus gear

Additional reading:
Toyota Land Cruiser - gaining traction as an overlander
Land Rover vs Toyota - how the stats show the changes.

Land Rover vs Toyota: Which overlander?

Any idea what percentage of independent overland trips use Land Rover's vs Toyota's?  Read on to see what percentage of overland trips use Land Rover's vs Toyota's vs other vehicles.

Here are a few interesting statistics from The Africa Overland Network pages.  

Please note that these stats are generated from the independent overland websites listed on The Africa Overland Network.  Although they offer an interesting read, please keep in mind that not all overland travellers keep an online journal and I certainly have not captured all the overland websites that have been created to remember an independent overland trip.

Total Trips currently listed on the website (In-active websites excluded):

Total Trips	546
Africa	409
Americas	24
Asia	56
World	57

The trips are split between the following vehicle types:

Toyota Land Cruiser - Gaining traction as an overlander's vehicle

The Toyota Land Cruiser - reliable, comfortable, sound proof and above all, available on the 2nd hand market at an attractive price point to modify into an expedition vehicle.

Land Rover might have truly opened Africa, but currently Toyota are the preferred vehicle of choice.

Here's a quick overview of the various Toyota model's that have crossed Africa, Asia and South America).  Similiar to the Land Rover article, the criteria is an overland expedition and website detailing the trip.