1990 Toyota Land Cruiser Gets Expertly Converted Into a Badass Camper With a Pop-Top Roof

Meet Kelsey and Tim, the owners and converters of one hell of an overlanding machine. What we have here is a 1990 Toyota Land Cruiser, also known as the "80 series." The vehicle's origin is Germany – that's why it sports a turbocharged, straight-six diesel engine, which wasn't available in the US.

Toyota borrowed the engine from the 70 series, making it lighter, smaller, and stronger. It's paired with a five-speed manual transmission and outputs 165 hp and 267 lb-ft. (362 Nm) of torque.

Tim says the rig gets a gas mileage of about 22 to 26 MPG (10.9 to 12.8 L/100km). To make sure they could go the distance, the couple installed an extra diesel tank, increasing the total fuel capacity to 65 gallons (246 liters). It's enough for them to drive for a couple of weeks before needing to fill up.

One important mechanical detail regarding this Land Cruiser is its full-time 4x4 drivetrain, another feature unavailable on North American models. Moreover, it boasts front, center, and rear differential locks.

Why would someone convert a Land Cruiser and not a van or a truck? Well, the answer is quite obvious: off-road capability. You lose some valuable real estate, which you would get on most other types of rigs, but you can head on hardcore trails. In Kelsey and Tim's case, they wanted to go on the dunes of Paracas, Peru, and follow the Dakar rally routes right through the dunes.

You'll notice the vehicle rides on 33-inch mud-terrain Toyo tires, with a spare one mounted on top of the driver's cabin. Next to it, the couple installed a Safari snorkel. Other notable roof features are a WeBoost cell phone signal booster antenna, a ham radio antenna, a small storage box, and 252 W solar panels mounted to the pop-top roof.

You might not know something about snorkels – most people associate them with water crossings. And it's true: snorkels prevent water from flooding the airbox and engine. However, their main purpose is to allow clean air to circulate into the engine. The closer the air intake is to the ground, the higher chance of heavily polluted air, filled with dust and other microparticles, entering the engine.

The most major transformation this Land Cruiser underwent was the addition of a sizeable camper box at the rear. This isn't any run-of-the-mill box - it's a carbon composite box with a carbon roof manufactured by Maltec, a German company.

Naturally, the couple had to cut its body to fit it. What was left is a tiny part of the rear door on the passenger side, which hides an air compressor connection.

This box significantly increases the interior real estate of this vehicle but doesn't affect its "off-roadability" or departure angle since the rear is angled. Moreover, Tim shared that their overlander is about as light as a normal Land Cruiser.

You'll notice two windows on each side, two storage compartments, rock rails for protection, a pull-out ladder, and a rear-mounted shovel.

Let's continue the tour inside, starting with the driver's cabin. Kelsey and Tim didn't modify it that much – they fitted a bunch of switches for the air compressor, recirculating water system, lights, and more, as well as a phone holder. I'm also very fond of the Scheelmann seats they opted for.

To enter the camper box, you can either use the rear door or pass on through from the driver's cabin. You'll discover a clean and striking aesthetic, consisting of black walls and ceiling paired with copper-colored cabinetry, with the look finished off by various black touches and a superb teak floor.

The couple has to raise the pop-top roof to be able to stand up - without it, full-time traveling in this Land Cruiser would be a lot more challenging. The roof is supported by gas struts and comes with zippable windows and a platform, which can be raised for extra headroom or lowered to serve as a bed.

On the passenger side, Kelsey and Tim devised the kitchen. It features a long black countertop, a Webasto diesel cooktop, a tiny sink, and a 45-liter fridge. Furthermore, to my surprise, there are many storage spaces in the form of drawers and cabinets, one of which holds a Webasto diesel heater.

On the opposite side, you'll notice a floor-to-ceiling unit housing a shower connection and a control panel with a water/battery monitor, switches for all the electrical appliances, and a heater controller. By the way, this rig is equipped with a 100 Ah deep-cycle battery.

One efficient and very useful feature is a 3-gallon (11-liter) water heater. It's connected to a 20-gallon (76-liter) freshwater tank and uses the heat from the engine to warm up the water. Tim shared that they have hot water even 24 hours after they heat the engine.

Next, we have an L-shaped couch, which hides a massive storage spot, the rig's power system, and the water heater. Of course, the couch can be transformed into a bed by folding out its top panel and rearranging the cushions. Even though it's a comfortable solution, it's not the main bed - Kelsey and Tim sleep on the pop-top roof platform I mentioned earlier.

All in all, this 1990 Toyota Land Cruiser is not only an off-roading beast but also a well-equipped and aesthetically pleasing tiny home on wheels. I was really curious about how much this all cost to build (and I bet you are, too).

Unfortunately, after scouring through the couple's YouTube channel, I still couldn't find any info about that. Considering the many features inside and outside this rig, I'm sure it wasn't cheap to make.