Land Cruiser Camper Build - Selecting the Right Gear

[@mongo1243]

It's nice to see you back to being excited about your journeys.

[@BenStinnett]

Thanks so much man! We went through some tough times but I couldn’t be more excited about the future 🙌

[@zenmachine50]

brilliant! knowing intimately everything about the stuff that goes into a troopy and reducing it to a minimum must be the way to go. I am trying to work it out myself. No easy task. your experience will help us novices a lot

[@BenStinnett]

Happy to hear it man! I’ve done dozens of sketches and changed my mind on the loadout just as many times 😅 hopefully my experience and the right and wrong choices I make will help others 🙌

[@buschtaxi75driver55]

The Boxio one is great. I know them and I will purchase one as well. We have something similair in our mountain cabin and it does work perfectly. Big shout from Switzerland, Bruno

[@BenStinnett]

That is awesome! I love that it’s no frills, and well priced. I don’t think you can go wrong with one.

[@AdolfAdolfovich1375]

Good luck, Ben! 🎥👍

[@BenStinnett]

Thanks so much Adolf 🙌 I’m about to be making big progress, and can’t wait!

[@johnwebb2232]

It's nice to see some of the toys for your build inside the troopy Ben. I can't wait to see it all underway. I'm actually thinking of installing an offshore outlet in the 4runner as sometimes I pull into a campground with shore power. It will be beneficial to me as sometimes I need a heating pad for my back, as where the jackery will drain too quickly for that kind of power. Pluss I could use it for many other things. Speaking of which, am I wrong to be assuming that you might be installing an induction burner into the troopy? If so, I'm sorry if I ruined the surprise for everyone. Told you I can't wait for the build 😅😅😅 take care, and be safe out there .

[@BenStinnett]

Shore power is so nice! Great for those campgrounds where it’s available, or even for a quick top off of the batteries when solar isn’t keeping up. You’re on the right track 🤫 I’m trying to get rid of propane entirely, and add some additional warm weather comfort while I’m at it 🥶

[@johnwebb2232]

@BenStinnett don't get me wrong, though, I'm going to hate putting a hole into the 4runner, but I think once it's done, the job will look good, and i I'm going to love getting into a warm cozy truck with my heater running. Since I think it will be safer than a diesel heater.

[@sanjuan4942]

Nice looking forward to see the refitting and all the thought behind it

[@BenStinnett]

Thanks man! I’ve certainly been putting a ton of thought into it, but can’t promise those thoughts will turn out to be any good lol 😅 I’ve got high hopes though!

[@saginawdan]

Great stuff, Ben. I was unaware of the mini Star Link. We use the OG and it is very awkward for storage, but we are very happy with Star Link's performance. Looking forward to more build videos - thanks, Dan. 🌲

[@BenStinnett]

Thanks so much Dan! It was hard to pull the trigger on another set of hardware, but I think the benefits are well worth it. 12v power, built in router, and SO much more compact 🙌

[@michaelbradley3907]

Where is the kegerator gonna go? 😂

[@BenStinnett]

Haha you know I gotta find a home for that 😂

[@buschtaxi75driver55]

Hello Ben, spot on as usual. The main task should be to reduce weight where you can. I really like this fridge very much but is it as reliable as an Engels ? Mine has been running for over 15 years with no issue. Also, I'm still thinking wheter I need a freezer departement or not 'cause I'm not eating much beef anyway. What are your thoughts on this one ? Cheers, Bruno

[@BenStinnett]

Hey Bruno! Engels are definitely legendary, and I always say if it’s working for you, then put that money in your gas tank! The main difference between the two is the compressor. Engel uses a great Japanese swing compressor, and Iceco is using the German Secop/Danfoss. The Secops are definitely well proven in the Marine world with a large market share and long history of reliability. Hopefully that holds true in an overland environment, but either way I’ll keep you updated here 🙌

[@Eddie_-_]

Funny that all KZbinrs seems to be so excited about this Icecoo. Is that just a coincidence or just very aggressive marketing? The unbiased reviews online seems to be less favorable.

[@Eddie_-_]

Sorry for sounding negative. The videos you do are really great and excited to follow your refit.

[@BenStinnett]

I appreciate the comment Eddie! And I totally get it. I’ve decided to be very intentional with the the brands I work with, I get emails daily asking to send me products that I regularly turn down because I don’t see myself needing or using them, and I refuse to become a shill for some company just to make a quick buck. With this fridge, I was actually influenced by videos from guys like David at Off the Grind, then got to see it in person at the expo, and then reached out because I thought it was the right fridge for this build. Seeing how much marketing there is, I think it’s going to be really cool to see how it stands up to long term use and abuse in the troopy, and to share it all transparently. No gimmicks, no sugarcoating 🤙

[@Eddie_-_]

@@BenStinnett thanks for your straightforward and honest clarification. Appreciate it. Good luck with your build. Truly inspiring

[@timshaw8187]

Can you not just use a bluetti power pack, and just charge it via the alternator and solar

[@Eddie_-_]

I would not recommend that for a full live aboard overlander. Much more reliable to build a stand alone system and easier to repair if something breaks down the road.

[@BenStinnett]

Hey Tim! I ran that type of solution for a while on my 4Runner. It was great for weekend trips, but like Eddie said I think for a long term, long range overlander it makes more sense to build the system. Using the individual components for solar, alternator, and shore charging means that if something breaks I can still limp along with power until I can replace it. Whereas if something breaks in power pack like the bluetti it’s more of a black box and I’d likely be completely without power until I could source a replacement.

[@timshaw8187]

Fully understand redundancy is the key word