Upgrade ... Add on advice

[grantwilson Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close grantwilson]

Hi guys,

I'm going to be heading around Aus for 3 months in my prado (towing a van).

Could you give me any advice on the essential upgrades I need to do to the STOCK prado.

I have a 120 series and I am thinking of doing these upgrades first

1. Roof racks
2. Bull bar
3. Dual battery
4. Slide out drawer in boot
5. Air compressor

We will be heading off road for day trips and want to be well prepared. Thoughts?

Also if you have any alive on brands that would be really helpful too.

[Graz Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Graz]

Sounds like your going to have some fun.
First thing i would do is your suspension and tyres.
Even if you dont do a lift,the difference better shocks and springs in a 120 is huge.
Its more car like.Wish i did it before my trip up north towing a van.
Every night we pulled up i would feel sea sick because of all the bouncing up and down the road :-)

[grantwilson Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close grantwilson]

Hey Graz... Thanks for the advice. I have up on new tyres but totally agree with the bumpy ride.

What sort of suspension did you put on?

[birdboy Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close birdboy]

Does your van have any batteries/power etc? If so you might not need dual batteries so urgently.
Agree about decent tyres being the place to start and suspension especially if you're towing.
Everything is nice to have for sure - comes down to dollars really. If money is tight the reality is you could get pretty much everywhere you want with a stock one with decent tyres.

[MDS69 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MDS69]

What type of Prado, petrol or diesel, auto or manual. If an auto and the earlier 120 perhaps consider a transmission cooler.

[Graz Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Graz]

I did a 2in lift and used toughdog adjustable. in a Grande.
But i would not recommend them to you.
There is a heap of suspension talk on here so a quick search will give you heaps to look at.
But any of the name brands will make a huge difference.

[Corigator Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Corigator]

I started off with a Snorkel and dual batteries. Picked up new tires a week later. Glad I did. A UHF radio would also be a great addition. (Did the Cape two days after buying it - hence the snorkel)