Marlene and Franz love to travel. When they noticed that the usual pitches were too crowded with a van, they switched to an off-roader. At first it was a Pajero with a roof tent. But when they kept getting caught out by fierce storms and had to flee into the car at night, they looked for an alternative. Their choice fell on the Toyota Land Cruiser GRJ76, compact enough for everyday use but tough enough for any adventure. Here we show you Marlene and Franz’s GRJ76 interior build.
Why did you choose the Toyota Land Cruiser GRJ76?
The Land Cruiser has been our dream car for a long time. Before it we travelled with a Pajero + roof tent, but in recent years we very often had surprisingly fierce thunderstorms where we had to flee into the car at night. So we wanted a different car we could also sleep in. It quickly became clear to us that only one car came into question to replace our beloved Pajero. That was the GRJ76. Why the 76 and not the 78? Quite simple: we also use the car day to day, the 78 is just too long for that, and the 76 simply looks better.
Did you build the vehicle out yourselves?
No, we had the build done by Simon at One Off Sonderanfertigung.
What was the goal of the GRJ76 interior build?
The build was meant to let us sleep comfortably in the vehicle and have a cosy retreat to sit in when the weather’s bad. At the same time it mattered to us to use the available space as well as possible for storage, with access from above so we can get to our luggage from inside at any time. Since cooking plays a big role for us, a practical kitchen at the rear door was also essential.
How did you go about the build and the planning?
The Toyota is already the fourth vehicle we’ve converted into a camper. So we knew exactly what we need for our trips. With clear ideas about the build, we quickly had a sense of how it would all look. We first mocked our idea up in cardboard and tested it in the vehicle to see whether everything fits and the seat height works out. Then we sketched our ideas neatly and discussed them with Simon. Based on our sketches he made a first CAD design, which we refined together, including the kitchen, which was also planned in CAD.
Toyota GRJ76 Land Cruiser interior build by Marlene and Franz, built by One Off Sonderanfertigung with a smart kitchen in the rear door and Blidimax thermal privacy matsWhat kinds of cabinets did you build?
With us, all the storage compartments are generally accessible from above through removable flaps; two of them are also accessible from the side via the rear doors. Two more compartments (the ones under the removable slatted base) can be opened via flaps. The build is a mix of Queenply plywood with knotty-oak veneer and Queenply plywood in extra-matt petrol. The floor is vinyl in an oak look. The kitchen at the rear door is powder-coated black steel.
What’s special about your build?
In future we’d like to upgrade our Toyota with a pop-top roof, to gain even more comfort and storage. Our build is designed so we can create extra space for a cabinet on the left side. In that version we’d have a narrower bad-weather bed below and the main bed up top.
We particularly like the consistent design with the hexagon cut-outs, which give the interior a really stylish look.
The rear kitchen is super practical: the gas stove is stowed in the fold-down table, and behind it we’ve built in compartments for spices, so we have everything to hand.
It gets especially cosy thanks to the indirect lighting on the headliner, which creates a pleasant atmosphere. The BlidimaXblack thermal privacy mats from Blickdicht-Manufaktur keep the interior climate pleasant even in great heat or cold, and they also stop anyone looking in. We also love our super comfy mattresses from Vanmade.
How long did the build take?
The actual planning and build at Simon’s took about five weeks. We started our preparations for it around three months earlier, planning, drawing and fine-tuning the details over and over.
Roughly how much did the GRJ76 interior build cost?
The price for a build of this size at One Off Sonderanfertigung is about 9,000 to 10,000 euro.
What else did you modify on the vehicle?
- full rust-proofing at Rostschutzbehandlung.de
- Warn VR EVO 10S winch with Taubenreuther mounting kit
- Gladiator skid plate from Taubenreuther
- ARB compressor under the driver’s seat (Taubenreuther)
- ARB diff locks front and rear (Taubenreuther)
- Factor 55 Ultrahook & Hitchlink (Taubenreuther)
- ARB Baserack from Taubenreuther (Taubenreuther)
- OME BP-51 complete suspension (Taubenreuther)
- ARB Diff Breather Kit (Taubenreuther)
- Safari Snorkel (Taubenreuther)
- Scheelmann seats
- IBS DBM 20AS dual-battery system (Taubenreuther)
- self-built jerry-can holder on the left rear door
- Stedi Type-X Evo 8.5-inch LED driving lights from German Pickup Customs
- Stedi light bar ST3K 41.5-inch from German Pickup Customs
- Stedi Surface LED rock lights RGB from German Pickup Customs
- Stedi LED indicators for the Toyota 70 Series
- Stedi Toyota tall-type switch 7
- Stedi switch fascia panel for the Toyota 70 Series Land Cruiser
- General Tire Grabber X3 285/70 R17
- OZ Racing by TD Experience wheels from Autohaus Dinig
- Apex-RPV STD quick-deflate tyre valves from German Pickup Customs
- rubber wheel-arch flares from Buschmechanik
- 30 mm wheel spacers from Hofmann
- rear-door bags from Outback Gear Solution
- Outback roof console from Taubenreuther
- Midland M5 radio
- Weathershields wind deflectors from German Pickup Customs
What’s still on the to-do list?
- AFN rear bumper from Autohaus Dinig
- pop-top roof with fitting by Buschmechanik
- new sound system, the original is terrible 🙂
What are your next travel destinations?
In autumn we’re off to Greece, and in winter, over Christmas and New Year, to Sardinia. On both trips we’re looking for new routes for our web shop.
Vehicle data:
- Toyota GRJ76
- Year 2023
- Colour Marlin Grey Metallic
- Engine 4.0 V6 petrol
- Tyres, wheels, skid plate, suspension → above under modifications
About us:
We’re Marlene and Franz. Our great passion is travelling, however we can ;-) At the moment we do most of our trips in our off-road camper “Werner”. Before that we travelled in our Pajero V20 “Eddi”. And before that we lived and worked for eight months in a Citroën Jumper, did a tour through Europe and filmed Michelin-starred chefs at work for a company in Austria. After our time in the camper it became clear to us that the van-life hype has simply got too big, that we want to reach places where you can be alone for once, so a 4×4 was needed, which brought us to Eddi.
Marlene got a taste of off-roading as a child with her parents, off-roading in a Jeep Wrangler in Hungary back then. Franz was always super adventurous anyway, so overlanding was and is simply perfect for us.
Our second great passion is photography and filming, which we also do professionally. We’re self-employed and run a small photo and video production company. By now we’re also permanently employed at Taubenreuther. But we still run our shop, YouTube and much more on the side. On our trips we’re always looking for beautiful routes, which we then sell in our shop. On our YouTube channel you can follow us travelling and see where our routes go.
Where you can find Marlene and Franz:
Instagram: @fralene.inthebox
Facebook: @fralenetraveltheworld
YouTube: @fralene.inthebox
Website: www.fralene-inthebox.com