Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 Pop Top Bush Camper [Video Review]

Join Drive South Africa co-founder Steve Conradie (who just happens to be one of our outdoor experts too) as he reviews the Toyota Land Cruiser 4×4 Pop Top Bush Camper. With its compact, yet innovate design features; this versatile vehicle is both a great 4×4 and a comfortable camper.

(Find the video’s transcription below)

Toyota Land Cruiser 4×4 Pop Top Camper Review:

Hi, I’m Steve from Drive South Africa and today we are in the beautiful Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and we’re doing a review on the new two-berth Toyota Land Cruiser Bush Camper, by Kea. This is an awesome vehicle. I have had a few days testing it around the park and I must say; I am very impressed. This vehicle is built on the Land Cruiser body, by Toyota. A unique feature is the pop top, which I will show you in a few minutes, but my overall opinion on this is that it is a complete, versatile, off-road vehicle with all the luxuries of a fully fledged motorhome.

External features of the 4×4 bush camper

Firstly we have two, 90-liter diesel tanks; on this trip, it gave us a range of about 1000 kilometers, in addition, we have 64literss of water, hot and cold. Another great feature on the Toyota Land Cruiser Pop Top is an outdoor shower, awesome for the bush. It’s got a pump on it so you’ve got some great pressure. We also have a 220v socket, which enables you to plug into the nearest campsite and power all your appliances. Right, at the rear of the vehicle, we’ve got a spare wheel, mounted on the back door. For ease of access in the bush, pretty handy when you get stuck in the mud and you don’t feel like climbing under the car and getting yourself all sticky. We also have a nice little floodlight and we have openings for an awning, which we will be putting up for you in a few minutes. Before we go inside, don’t forget to unclip the catchers for the pop top. This is important, otherwise, you may struggle to push the top up. Right, let’s go and have a look inside the Toyota Land Cruiser Pop Top.

Internal features of the 4×4 bush camper

Okay, to pop the roof of the bush camper we grab the two handles, give it a firm push and let the gas lifters do the work – it’s that easy. In the vehicle, we’ve got some storage under these two seats. In addition, we’ve got a nice draw system, a few cupboards to hold all your cutlery, crockery, pots, pans, everything you pretty much need for two people. In addition, we’ve got a nice work surface, with a basin, with hot and cold running water. Another great feature of the Toyota Land Cruiser 4×4 Pop Top Camper is the nice filter system so you can pretty much drink any water you pick up in Africa. Over here we’ve got a few gauges that include: water tank levels and there is the power for your heater, which will allow you to run a heated pump, have a nice shower or run some hot water for your dishes. Over here we have additional storage in the form of cupboards and you can put your clothes in there. We have plenty of lighting around the, we also have a 220v socket that I spoke to you earlier about, where you can plug in your chargers, cameras, laptops – whatever devices you might take into the bush. I’m sitting on a 60-liter fridge, which is positioned nicely behind the driver’s seat for ease of access. Right, to put the table up, first, you take the poll; through the supplied bracket, tighten up the wing nut. Take the table top, very simple, drop it over the pipe, tighten the wing nuts and you can set it pretty much anywhere you want. For the Toyota Land Cruiser Pop Top’s nighttime configuration, you have two options; the first option is the main one, you have a double bed. Very easy to install. All you have to do is pull the shelf out – that easy. Reset your mattresses and you’re good to go. To put it away, it’s very easy; pop the mattresses on top of each other, push the shelf back in and you’re done. The other option, if you’re two people that don’t want to sleep in the same bed – we can turn this table into another bed. To make the single bed, firstly we remove the table top, remove the pip, pull out the shelf, replace the top, configure the mattresses; and the bed is made.

Inside the Toyota Land Cruiser Pop Top

Right, inside the cab we have a standard two-seater configuration, nice and roomy. Plenty of space for a large person like myself. We have a GPS and a full set of maps. We have a radio that has a cd player as well as an auxiliary cable, so you can play your iPod or any additional gadgets you might have. The cab is fully air-conditioned. A nice feature on Toyota Land Cruiser 4×4 Bush Camper is the dual fuel gauges, so we have a gauge for each of the fuel tanks that I’ve mentioned earlier. This gives you a nice indication of what your fuel levels are at the time; all in all, a pretty decent layout. Okay, behind the seat we have our jack, we have wheel spanners, a basic tool kit, we have an emergency triangle and an all-important fire extinguisher. There you have it, we really enjoyed our time in the Kgalagadi and we’re really impressed with the Toyota Land Cruiser Pop Top Camper. I believe the capability of this vehicle is exceptional. We’re really looking forward to having the Toyota Land Cruiser 4×4 Bush Camper in our fleet; I believe it’s going to be a great addition. Ja, we’ll see you in the bush. Visit Drive South Africa to book your Toyota Land Cruiser 4×4 Pop Top Bush Camper today and travel to some of the best 4×4 camping sites Southern Africa has to offer! Planning a 4×4 trip and need to hire a 4×4 vehicle locally,  you might want to have a look at 4×4 hire to find the best vehicle for your adventure.