A look at Scott's awesome Hilux Surf (3rd Gen 4Runner) overlanding setup

You've seen this truck tackle some of the best of New Zealand - now we take a look around Scotts KZN185 Hilux Surf (or diesel 3rd Gen 4Runner) and see how he's set it up to tackle anything he throws at it while being super comfortable at camp.
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[@r32dorifto]

such a well build surf, nothing too crazy but yet so functional. Love it! Absolutely jealous of the all white tail lights, they look so good!

[@OverlandNZTV]

Always fun to try and keep builds simple eh! They do look awesome - make the rear of the vehicle look so much more modern!

[@alwynealleyne4730]

HMMM another blue brother from around the world, cheers seems we have similar ideas..... love it

[@gdefendi]

Very inspirational, seeing that it doesn't need I fully set up truck. to. reach amazing places. well done guys

[@OverlandNZTV]

It's easy to get carried away eh - but you defo' don't! Getting out there and exploring is way more fun than having all the gear 👍 Cheers!

[@tqprojects1018]

put a Anderson plug on the front of the ball bar for solar blanket

[@RideorDieRob]

I watched this video over and over, awaiting the arrival of my 96 Stellar Blue Surf from Japan to the states. It was stock, and within a matter of a few months, I'm proud to say I feel pretty damn awesome hitting the trails with my Dobinsons lifted Surf on 32's. Thanks for the inspiration guys.

[@OverlandNZTV]

That's awesome! Glad we could inspire you. Enjoy your new Surf!

[@jennifercarelli1820]

I just bought a 92. I live on the Ocean and can’t wait to use it! USA CAPE COD MA NAUSET BEACH OFF ROAD-RACE POINT P TOWN! Enjoy and thank you for sharing

[@mtivexploration4201]

Good to see simple truck setups. Just got my Prado and looking at ideas. Thanks guys.

[@OverlandNZTV]

Don’t need anything too crazy eh! Getting out there is more important than having all the gear 👍

[@macca2885]

Always interesting seeing everyone's different setups. Takes a lot off time and thinking to get ya head around how best to do all ya wiring etc. been there....... still there. Good one mate.

[@OverlandNZTV]

Cheers man!

[@manolo8866]

I love how simple and practical you have done the truck

[@OverlandNZTV]

Cheers mate! Keeping things simple is, in our opinion, always better!

[@theblishknovk]

Just waiting for NZ to open again.

[@nz2blue]

Mines a work mobile at the moment, and those draws are nice, I'll be using that. I'm working on a surf at the moment, got it a few months ago cant wait to get it near this level of efficiency.

[@OverlandNZTV]

Scotty has done a real nice job of his draws eh! Well, whole setup to be fair. Works really well on day trips and longer trips

[@jaws1845]

Probably already been mentioned. My surf had tv aerial that had wires connecting from the roof to the back tail lights and into the interior. I replaced that wire with my solar and placed the battery where you have yours.

[@RodrigoPereira-eq3sy]

Sick bro

[@jjreilly7676]

Hey mate I have the same surf model I’m just looking at the lift kit and what is the rear load did you put 100kg constant load or no load comfort? Cool set up 👌

[@dedalliance1]

That's a really cool setup. I almost bought a JDM Surf Hilux here in the US it came up at an auction was in pretty good condition only like 130k miles / 180k km with the factory wide body 1994 and the 3.0l turbo diesel mostly stock. The winning bid was 13,750 which was really a pretty dang good deal but I just wasn't ready to spend that much money on one myself yet. Once I get my truck paid off though I'll be 100% debt free and then it's game on to hunt one down and buy it cash.

[@OverlandNZTV]

It’s pretty sweet eh! They’re awesome vehicles and don’t really need much to be good offroad. Hopefully you can own one in the future!

[@mrstealyoblocks4473]

Importing a Surf to Canada soon... will definitely be upgrading a few things with my rooftop tent

[@OverlandNZTV]

Nice! Should be good fun! And something unique there - can't imagine there are too many on the road. They're awesome when nicely setup!

[@jgrant61]

Hey Mate, awesome truck! love the steup youve done with drawers, done something similar in mine but i use it to sleep on top of aswell. wondering if you had to cut around the gas/wheel arch on the left side? i decided to go straight on top of it but lost ALOT of head space (as you mentioned too with sleeping in it). any advice would be appreciated! got the same too kzn185 diesel and loving it

[@OverlandNZTV]

Yeah I did cut around the arches. Basically you set your uprights as wide as you can, then cut them to the height you want the whole unit to be. Then the flaps on the side have hinges on them and the left side one is cut to the contour of the arch. Seems a pain to do but it works out all good. The top of the arch is pretty much the same level as the drawer unit. Good luck!

[@caanh6610]

Awesome!

[@OverlandNZTV]

Cheers!

[@NOD3.]

Hey man! Love your set up! I've got the same gen surf and very similar set up except I don't have a 270 awning. I'm looking at sussing one out but am abit worried on how it fits when opening the boot door. Have you had any issues with it ?

[@OverlandNZTV]

It's pretty tight but it just works with the hatch..

[@bakarikihonga5717]

Thanks for your video, but I want to buy toyota hilux surf but I want to know which version is economical in fuel?

[@alighalib359]

How did you mount the rtv track? Did they bolt to the factory track locations? Cheers mate. Have the same truck in petrol!

[@OverlandNZTV]

They do indeed - factory tracks were unbolted and pulled off, holes filled in, new holes drilled for the RTV rails, heaps of rivets and sealant on each side - works mint and is super strong!

[@alexanderglover83]

Great set up! are you running the heavy duty or standard dobinsons with the roof tent?

[@OverlandNZTV]

Running the heavy duty shocks and springs, and recently swapped out the rears with 100kg constant load springs. Makes for flatter cornering on the road and less static sag with all the gear attached! -Scotty

[@rickhahn2564]

where do you get parts

[@FraserRobinson1]

Hi man, amazing set up! You mention that you installed new RTV tracks, can you please tell me what roof racks / tray you are using? And do you have any other items mounted up there additionally to your RTT? I've got a surf myself and I am struggling to find out what the vehicle's roof load rating is. Thanks!

[@OverlandNZTV]

G'day Fraser. I'm using the Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform tray at the moment, experimenting using that instead of the vortex bars and I like it. Also connected to that is the batwing, so it's probably about 95-100kg all up. Everything is solid as and I haven't worried too much about what the factory rating is.

[@Moh1cans]

Hey mate how is the boot door opening with the 270 awning? Dose it open right up or only 2/3rds

[@OverlandNZTV]

G'day Mark. It's not ideal but I'm a short guy so it doesn't bother me too much. I can probably open the boot hatch about 4/5ths of the way.

[@YATO275]

beautiful tuck mate! just bought a 97 model. new to the 4x4 game. where did you get your roof rack from? I just want one for an awning and maybe for a roof top crows nest tent in the future. can you recommend one? (in Auckland) also, i have a 2inch lift and 265/75r16 tires on mine but my tire rubs the back/bottom drivers side of the wheel-well on full lock. any ideas how to remedy? i dont want to lift it more as id probably have to get it certed for that.

[@OverlandNZTV]

Cheers mate! Nice - hope it goes well for you! Rack is from Rhino Rack - any good roof rack supplier will supply and fit them. We're in Wellington, so not sure on places in Auckland sorry. What offset wheels are you running? And have you had an alignment done? Need them to pull the castor forward - and even then you might need to get a big hammer in there, from memory there are bits you can flatten down that help. More lift on an IFS vehicle isn't the solution, you'll still have rub as it travels through its range of motion. Cheers!

[@YATO275]

@@OverlandNZTV I haven't checked but apparently a lot of people run the same Steeleies as mine. Yup all of that has been done. I've trimmed the font bumper a lil on both sides and it's awguds now. I e read that these have problems with the head cracking due to heat? Have you encountered this or have you worked your cooling system? Appreciate your time replying.

[@user-rp4hh5iu5l]

what snorkel is that?! love the build!

[@OverlandNZTV]

Cheers mate! It's just a generic offbrand one from Trademe/eBay/similar for this shape Surf. Does the trick well

[@zumezoom9593]

What is maximum sized tires installed without cutting or rubbing? Does a proper suspension lift kit help? Does the hilux come originally with leaf springs? If so, would you recommend changing that or keeping it?

[@OverlandNZTV]

You might be able to squeeze one size bigger tyres on - but depends on the vehicle, some allow it, some need cutting/will rub. Suspension doesn’t help fit tires on an IFS vehicle - a good whee alignment and correct offset wheels do the trick if you don’t want to chop stuff. Hilux Surfs have coils in the back - way more comfortable than the leafs in a normal Hilux 👍

[@zumezoom9593]

@@OverlandNZTV thank you sir. I just learned something new.

[@ZiddyNZ]

Where did you get the solar blanket?! It looks awesome! Really keen for something like this with my own KZN185 Surf.

[@OverlandNZTV]

It's actually from Supercheap Auto! Works good

[@ZiddyNZ]

@@OverlandNZTV Thanks for the reply! I'll look into it!

[@andreicheptitski1510]

Might need some bash plates from ACFab. Hit me up if you want some.

[@PatrickBellWebDev]

Hey man, did you do the snorkel install yourself? I'm waiting on a 1998 SSRX to get through compliance in Chch (thanks, old mate COVID) which is bone stock. I'm keen to do this exact build for our honeymoon. Keen to know how much you did yourself and at roughly what cost.

[@OverlandNZTV]

I've done everything myself. Cutting the hole in the guard for the snorkel was hectic! Check out the components on our site, should give you an idea about total cost overland.nz/the-trucks/surf

[@oscarrasmussen3089]

Hey there, any chance you’d know the dimensions of the rhino rack that’s on your surf? Looking at putting one on mine. Cheers

[@OverlandNZTV]

Heya - it's a 1328MM X 1236MM tray - could possibly go bigger though if you needed a tad more space, took this one off my Hilux and put it on Scott's Surf - so had to fit a dual cab ute. Hope that helps!

[@oscarrasmussen3089]

@@OverlandNZTV perfect! Just the info I needed. Loving the videos, keep up the good work mate.

[@althafazh304]

i need those taillights

[@mlungu3787]

Kia ora, question bro - have you done much towing. I have a 1996 SSR-GT TDi Intercooler. I'm tempted to buy a small 11ft caravan but a little nervous - knowing some Surf's reputation for overheating. New radiator put in about 2 years back. Anyone else with an answer, be stoked to hear from ya. Chur chur

[@OverlandNZTV]

G'day! It tows the jetski like it's not there and that's 400-500kg. The main thing you should watch is the EGR temperatures - get a gauge for monitoring that. They don't like being under load for an extended amount of time towing uphill, but hey, what does.

[@marusaru8873]

Where is this place. Looks amazing.

[@OverlandNZTV]

East Coast of the Wairarapa 👍

[@blinkybillford]

White rock. Via the light house carpark.

[@jgrant61]

what size tyres?

[@OverlandNZTV]

245/75R16s on 16x8 -22 offset wheels 👍

[@jacobrosco5762]

I'm guessing your in the south island

[@OverlandNZTV]

North Island - based in Wellington 👍

[@John-zt7tb]

Hi Scott. Just wanting to ask regarding the price you paid for it. Ive been looking for 1996-1999 Hilux surf on the market and it seems they are priced around $20-25K on less than 200,000km mileage. Does it sound pretty reasonable for price and its age? Great set up by the way! 👍

[@OverlandNZTV]

Hey John. I know the 3rd gen Surfs fetch a great price in the NZ secondhand market at the moment, especially with the 1kz diesel. For a really mint one around 200k I wouldn't be shocked at a $20-25k price tag! Make sure they've replaced the factory shocks and springs, have good tyres, a good service history, and you're set. I've owned mine for over 60,000 kms now and haven't had a part fail yet, aside from the regular maintenance items. Good luck with your search!

[@John-zt7tb]

@@OverlandNZTV hi thanks for your response. Yup its crazy as ei seeing newer cars sold lower than the 3rd gen Surf! Just proves they are beasts offroad! Im new to this and have just been doing research as much as I can until I decide to buy. Thanks for the tips as well bro! Keep posting and shredding the trails man