Toyota Land Cruiser Problems

I WOULD not recommend the turbodiesel Patrol because of the high number of reports of engine failure, which leaves the two Toyotas. Both will do what you want, but I would go for the Prado because it's a little more civilised than the LandCruiser.  I would also go for the diesel rather than the petrol V6 because I believe it will give you better fuel economy on your trip.

I DON'T think you have much chance of getting a result. The vehicle is 17 years old, it's done 180,000km and you have done the servicing yourself. That looks like three strikes and you're out.

You could, with confidence, but it needs to be done by someone who knows what they're doing. The V8 has adjustable tappets that require setting every 40,000km as part of the service schedule, whether it's running on petrol or LPG, and it is important to keep up that maintenance. If you don't, you can get accelerated valve wear. It's also important to make sure the LPG system doesn't run lean. If it does it will run hotter and that will also increase the chances of premature valve wear, which can be even greater if the valve clearances aren't maintained. The Australian LPG Warehouse sells a vapour-injection system for the V8 LandCruiser. They spend a lot of time making sure the combustion temperature is not too high so valve wear doesn't become a problem. It's reckoned you should halve your fuel bill if you convert.

THE Range Rover is renowned for its off-road ability, no reason it won't keep up.

I UNDERSTAND you can get a height-adjustable tow tongue that slides into the Toyota square tube receiver. Hayman Reese, I am told, makes one. There's no need for weight-distribution bars unless the tow-ball weight is excessive.

CARMAKERS tune their cars to suit the average motorist and they also leave a safety margin with their tuning so they can be confident they won't have problems once their cars go into production. Tuners can tune more precisely to achieve a desired outcome, be it more power, torque or fuel economy, and they can play within the manufacturer's safety margin. By some fine-tuning they can extract more power and torque than a manufacturer would dare do. That means you're running closer to the edge when you install a chip, but that doesn't mean you will have a problem. Your best course of action is to choose a chip maker with a long-established, good reputation for doing reliable work, and perhaps with some sort of warranty. Then ask to speak to other owners who have had the same chip fitted to their cars.

DRIVING around Australia today is a very different proposition to what it was in the 1970s. The roads are much better, communication has improved out of sight, and there are more dealers and service agents on the route you're likely to take. Back in the 1970s you went in a big Aussie six because they were tough and unlikely to break down. They were also easy to fix on the side of the road, and parts were relatively easy to get in the middle of nowhere. Today, if you're sticking to the blacktop, I would take a Commodore or Falcon and there are plenty available within your budget. But if I were going off the beaten track I would think about a four-wheel drive with its higher ride height for ground clearance, its ruggedness, and its drive system. Early Nissan Patrols, like an MQ, or early LandCruisers would be good, reliable and tough transport.