Landscape and adventure photography often involves the pursuit of images far away from paved roads. Those of us who are afflicted with chasing the light in locations deep in the backcountry have a certain set of needs – a rugged and reliable vehicle to get us where we’re going, shelter for those all-too-short nights, secure storage for our expensive gear, a way to charge batteries where wall sockets don’t exist and a convenient food storage and preparation system. In this post I’ll introduce the concept of the “Ultimate Off-Road Vehicle for Outdoor Photography” and discuss how I plan to build such a beast using my 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser as the guinea pig.
What I’m not doing is building a rock crawler. Yes, the final vehicle will be capable of running tough four wheel drive trails like Black Bear Pass, Lockhart Basin or the Rubicon but it will also be comfortable on long stretches of two lane tarmac or high speed highway. It’s my daily driver. I need to be able to run to the grocery store without rattling loose a few fillings. The Ultimate Off-Road Vehicle for Outdoor Photography will essentially be built for overlanding – with the specific needs of photographers in mind. If all goes as planned, the build will be finished by the spring of 2013, at which time I’ll do a few shakedown trips in the Desert Southwest to dial everything in.
I’m detailing the whole build right here on my blog. I’ll periodically post updates on the build process, including the logic behind every piece of equipment added to the FJ. Photographers have some unique needs when it comes to building an off-road vehicle. As a working landscape and adventure photographer with over 15 years of experience in off-road driving, I’m in a perfect position to build a vehicle that meets the needs of active outdoor photographers. It’ll be a fun project and I hope that by sharing my experience I’ll be able to help other outdoor photographers go farther and safer in their own 4×4’s.
The image above is my FJ Cruiser in its current state. As you can see, it isn’t bone stock. Even before the new car smell wore off I installed a 2.5″ Old Man Emu suspension lift and a set of 285/70/17 off-road tires. I’ll discuss tire and lift options in a later blog post. The other obvious addition is a roof top tent – that big white thing on the roof rack. Again, I’ll cover roof top tents in another blog post. Obviously, I didn’t order the FJ direct from the factory with a Bret Edge Photography wrap pre-installed but the rest of the truck is essentially in stock form.
I created a new blog category, Ultimate Photo 4×4, where all posts related to the build will be housed. My new website will also have an entire page dedicated to the project. Look for the new site to launch in early November.
Finally, I’d like to welcome my first project sponsor: Expedition One. You won’t find a company that produces a more attractive, better built bumper for your off-road rig. And, every one of their products are made right here in Utah. Look for a blog post in about a month explaining why I chose Expedition One and why you want solid, off-road bumpers on your own rig.
Project FJ Update: Suspension and Tires
Got a question about the Ultimate Off-Road Vehicle for Outdoor Photography build? Leave it in the comments section and I’ll respond as soon as I can!
35 Responses to “Building the Ultimate Off-Road Vehicle for Outdoor Photography”
Ken Rowland says:
Bret, this sounds totally cool. Looking forward to seeing the build progress!
Black Mesa Images says:
Excellent topic and have been waiting for this write up ever since you announced it. Will be anxiously following this one!
Ben Chase says:
This is going to be awesome.
I’m actually looking at early-to-mid 2000’s model year of the Toyota Land Cruiser for the exact same concept you’re going for with the FJ.
Looking forward to how this develops!
Ben
Randy Langstraat says:
I have an Expedition One front bumper on my JK and love it. It was the only bumper available for the JK that had the features I wanted but still looked good on the front.
Anne McKinnell says:
That is impressive!! Want want want
The decals look awesome!!
Ed Bogart says:
Impressive. I may use a few ideas as I build my CJ7 for vacations/photography and days off.
Bret Edge says:
Please do, Ed! A big part of the reason I’m doing this is to give other photographers ideas of what is possible with their own vehicles.
Bret Edge says:
Thanks so much, Anne! I’ll trade you my FJ for a year on the road in your sweet trailer. Deal?
Bret Edge says:
That’s one of the main reasons I went with Expedition One, Randy. They are the ONLY aftermarket bumper that retains the stock tow hitch, which was important to me because I do tow a trailer on a regular basis when traveling.
Bret Edge says:
You can’t go wrong with a Land Cruiser, Ben. First of all, it’s a Toyota and will run virtually problem free forever. Secondly, they’re extremely capable off-road despite their large-ish size. And, they’re loaded w/ luxury! Please do keep me posted if you decide to pursue your own project. It would be cool to create a sort of “directory” of rigs used by outdoor photographers.
Bret Edge says:
Thanks for following along with the build/adventure! Let me know if you have any questions along the way.
Bret Edge says:
Thanks so much, Ken! It’ll definitely be a fun and interesting adventure.
Robin Black says:
I’ll be following this series very closely–we’re just starting to look at what we need to do to our Jeep Liberty 4×4 to make it a little tougher (and better suited to photography).
Bret Edge says:
Thanks for following along, Robin! The Liberty gets a bad rap that is totally undeserved. When properly equipped they’re extremely capable. Let me know if you have any questions along the way. Happy to help however I can.
Dave Beedon says:
Sounds like a fun project. But have you considered that you could avoid all that hassle simply by buying a stock Toyota Sienna? It will do practically everything you want your dream vehicle to do—without modification. (I might be exaggerating a little bit.)
For more information, check out my Flickr coverage of my Sienna (affectionately called “the Green Weenie”): http://www.flickr.com/photos/listorama/sets/72157605470839848/with/2411315129/ .
Happy modifying!
Bret Edge says:
You know what’s funny, Dave? We used to own a Toyota Sienna and I loved it. I joked with my wife that if it had 4 wheel drive and more ground clearance, I’d never get rid of it. Great gas mileage, comfortable on long trips, TONS of room – it was awesome! I’m diggin’ the Green Weenie. Looks like it gets around!
Bill Pelzmann says:
I’ll be looking forward to your progress reports.
Be sure to look into the Goal Zero solar panels and battery packs for your power needs.
Bret Edge says:
Thanks for the comment and suggestion, Bill. Goal Zero is really the only solution I’m even considering as a solution for power in the backcountry. Their products are much better than anything else currently available.
Ben Chase says:
Another idea I’m throwing around is getting a Maggie for my 2002 Tundra, and doing some basic mods to make it an expo/overland vehicle.
I’m surprised there isn’t a lighter, lithium-ion technology that weighs less than your standard lead-acid batteries. The weight is what gives me pause with the Goal Zero stuff.
Bret Edge says:
I think you’ll love a Maggiolina RTT, Ben. Mounting it just above your bed rails behind the cabin is the best way to go to minimize impact on your gas mileage, too. I’ve seen a couple sweet Tundra’s set up for overlanding, including the one on Expedition One’s home page: http://www.exp-one.com
I also wish there was a more compact solution for backcountry power but there doesn’t seem to be at this time. The Goal Zero stuff has all the features I want but they are heavy.
Albert Capizzo says:
You’ve done the right thing starting with a Toyota. I’ve got an older 4×4 Tacoma with almost 300K miles on it, and just came back from the Abajo Mtns (yesterday) driving an ‘03 4×4 4Runner. Put 3,000 miles on it and it would do anything I asked it to do in the mountains. Which was a lot!
My friend said, ” this truck has all kinds of capability, it just looks to good to beat it up so much!”
Bret Edge says:
Thanks, Al. I’m a diehard Toyota owner. My 2001 Tacoma had 180,000 hard miles on it when I traded it for the FJ in 2007 and I only ever had to do scheduled maintenance. The FJ now has almost 55,000 miles on it and same thing. There are other vehicles that are just as good off-road and some that even provide more amenities but I don’t think I’ll ever deviate from Toyota. Not trying to start a war with anyone who uses a Jeep, Isuzu, Nissan, Land Rover, etc. as those are fine vehicles but my personal preference will always be Toyota.
raydownsphoto says:
I am thinking of putting a full rack on my Tundra 4×4 as a shooting platform like Ansel did…I find when using the TS lenses I get a better shot a little higher up…just looking for some suguestions. I have a full shell on the back to keep things dry and its a X series crew cab.
Bret Edge says:
I think it’s a great idea to have a rack on top that allows you to shoot from an elevated position. If I had a larger vehicle I’d do the same. Unfortunately, my roof to tent takes up the whole rack. You might check out Expedition One. I don’t know if they have an off-the-shelf rack for a Tundra w/ a shell but they can probably fab something for you.
Jenn Grover says:
Bret, I am really curious to see what you design for internal storage….I have played around with a couple of ideas but nothing I am sold on yet. I have to come up with a way to keep photography and camping gear separate.
Bret Edge says:
Thanks, Jenn. Internal storage is turning out to be one of the biggest challenges. The FJ isn’t a large vehicle and there isn’t much room behind the rear seat. You can’t even fit a 50L fridge on a slide back there without folding down one of the seats. I’ll figure something out, though. Stay tuned!
Bob Faucher says:
Bret, anything new on the project? Other than comments, I haven’t seen any updates on the vehicle’s progress.
Bret Edge says:
Bob: Yes! The FJ has been outfitted with new front and rear off-road bumpers, a winch and new front suspension. I hope to have a post up soon about the bumpers and winch. The season has been much busier than I anticipated and it hasn’t left much time for writing blog posts. Stay tuned…
Dave C says:
Bret, I’ve started a similar process but based on an ‘08 4Runner. I felt like I needed the extra length and light – and indeed I can sleep in a flat front seat. Toyota a tough decision for one born in the land of the Defender. I’ve just completed a 6000 mile loop, San Fran, Bishop, The Wave, Burr Trail, White Rim, Bisti, Gunnison, Fantasy Canyon, and various spots on the Colorado.
The only mod I have at the moment is a GoPro mount on the bonnet/hood, an a plywood trunk cover.
Thinking of lifts and bike rack, but trying to keep it all to a minimum or internal partly for fuel efficiency.
Looking forward to the next project update.
Bret Edge says:
Thanks for the comment, Dave. Honestly, if I could go back in time, I’d have gotten a Tacoma. More room, almost the same off-road capability, better gas mileage. But since I’ve got an FJ and can’t afford to upgrade to a Tacoma now, I’m making do with what I’ve got. The 4Runner is a beastly machine & I mean that in a good way. My wife has a 2010 4Runner and even in stock trim it does quite well off the beaten path. And, being a Toyota, it’ll run forever with no troubles.
If you’re satisfied with the off-road prowess of your stock 4Runner there’s not much need for external modifications. If you want a significant increase in capability the single best thing you can do is to install a lift. Nothing extreme is needed – just a 2″ to 3″ suspension lift. Add some good all-terrain tires and you’ll go places you never imagined possible. I’ve got 3″ of lift with 33″ mud-terrain tires and I only lost about 2 MPG. If you stick w/ stock size all-terrains you might not lose anything.
Your 6,000 mile road trip sounds awesome. You visited some amazing locations!
Kevin says:
Saw this on ExpeditionPortal and was inspired to rethink my ‘10 Tacoma build. Would love to travel more with my photo gear.
I’m sure the lady would enjoy more photos of the outdoors than my typical client, women in few clothes.
Love the progress and look forward to seeing your build.
Bret Edge says:
Thanks for checking out my build and blog post. I’ll be updating it soon with the next phase of the build. I’m off to check out your website – you know, to see some outdoor photos.
Dave C says:
Thanks for the feedback Brett. Yes, I was looking very closely at the Tacoma, mainly with the intention of putting a Four Wheel Camper on the back. This was mainly inspired by Jack Dykinga, whose workshop I did a few years ago. In the end I decided I could sleep in a 4Runner and have a more general purpose vehicle more cheaply.
With the 4Runner I’m getting 24MPG on the highway. This year I plan on migrating north with the seasons, summering in Alaska (up to Prudhoe Bay), then migrating south with Fall. So I’m quite keen on keeping the MPG up with mileages like that.
That said I am open to lifts and bigger tires if they give me good access to photo locations. The White Rim road is the most challenging I’ve done in the 4Runner and it was great. I realise that especially in the Moab area there are loads of trails that my 4Runner could not handle. But my question is are they good photo locations?
I passed your gallery in Moab a few times. Some of the nose prints on the windows are mine as you were always out. This I see as a good sign.
)
I enjoyed your update post.
Bret Edge says:
Thanks for the comment, Dave! I didn’t know Jack had a Tacoma with a Four Wheel Camper on the back. That’s a pretty sweet set-up but I’d be a bit uncomfortable doing any real rough off-road driving with something so top heavy. I know people do it but I’d rather not. It would be an awesome way to go for dirt roads and mild 4WD trails, like the White Rim.
There’s no doubt a lift and bigger tires will give you more access to more areas. For example, in the San Juan Mountains of SW Colorado, many of the basins are accessible only if you’ve got some pretty good ground clearance and tires that can handle the sharp rocks. Around Moab the first few areas that come to mind are Poison Spider Mesa, Elephant Hill (Canyonlands) and Lockhart Basin.
It is important to be realistic about how you intend to use your vehicle, though. If you spend a lot of time putting on highway miles and not as much time exploring backroads, you’re probably better off opting for a set up that will give you better fuel economy. Perhaps a good compromise is to install all-terrain tires that are one size larger than stock, if they’ll fit. You won’t take too much of a hit on fuel economy and you’ll increase your off-road performance.
Please do stop by the gallery on your next visit to Moab. It would be great to meet you!