Following this one as we are looking at possibly upgrading to a second hand 200 series after Christmas depending on vehicle options with the new job!
Holden Man's Landcruiser 200 series VX
- Thread starter Holden_man
- Start date
From a former window tinter you are spot on Matty! The glass is tinted but you need the tint film to give the kids and interior uv protection.
Had a couple of TTD 200's, one of which is still in the family, a 2010 GXL that I sold to "the kids". My Prado won't pull the new 20.64 - 1 so I'm picking up a MY 16 GXL TTD next week (if the dealer is not bull dusting). Anyway;
1 - Ref tinting. The last company 200 I had was a VX with the privacy glass. Custom tinting guy told me to get the privacy glass covered with clear tint to reduce UV and to help keep heat out/in. Do the front windows in as dark a tint as legal (I went one shade illegal...). Cost me $400 to get done by a mob in Osbourne Park.
2 - Batteries. ARB will try and make you add a 3rd battery. Myself and many others preserved the room under the engine bay by spliting the existing batteries. Some will replace them immediately with some big optimas.D27's (have good CCA of 800). That's what's in "the kids" car. This time thanks to a heads up from achjimmy I'll look into the ultimate extreme agm 110ah as the house battery, but might stick to the optima for the cranker. Also, many have gotten away with splitting the existing factory batteries, as the single battery still seems good enough to start the car. This may not apply if you are in snow or some other sub arctic conditions. They then replace these when they eventually die with something better.
3 - I have used the Traxide system in both cars along with HKB's voltage boosting diode bizzo with no ill effects;
http://www.traxide.com.au/isolators/
http://www.hkbelect.com/
Others will go down the BCDC route.
Lcool.org is a useful forum for cruisers and has many friendly and well informed members, just like this place
BTW, you'll love your 200. It won't really free up until 30-50k km...
Cheers
Vince
1 - Ref tinting. The last company 200 I had was a VX with the privacy glass. Custom tinting guy told me to get the privacy glass covered with clear tint to reduce UV and to help keep heat out/in. Do the front windows in as dark a tint as legal (I went one shade illegal...). Cost me $400 to get done by a mob in Osbourne Park.
2 - Batteries. ARB will try and make you add a 3rd battery. Myself and many others preserved the room under the engine bay by spliting the existing batteries. Some will replace them immediately with some big optimas.D27's (have good CCA of 800). That's what's in "the kids" car. This time thanks to a heads up from achjimmy I'll look into the ultimate extreme agm 110ah as the house battery, but might stick to the optima for the cranker. Also, many have gotten away with splitting the existing factory batteries, as the single battery still seems good enough to start the car. This may not apply if you are in snow or some other sub arctic conditions. They then replace these when they eventually die with something better.
3 - I have used the Traxide system in both cars along with HKB's voltage boosting diode bizzo with no ill effects;
http://www.traxide.com.au/isolators/
http://www.hkbelect.com/
Others will go down the BCDC route.
Lcool.org is a useful forum for cruisers and has many friendly and well informed members, just like this place
BTW, you'll love your 200. It won't really free up until 30-50k km...
Cheers
Vince
My standard batteries have been split since new with no ill effect other than my car sits for really long times and once or twice I needed to charge it to start as I don't lock it in the garage and the car keeps looking for the key and causes a drain. I know all the wonderful advantages of a DC to DC but it really just seems like an unecessary complication to me for what a basic isolator will do, but each to their own as long as it works and the isolator and booster fuse certainly does.
I don't mind about the batteries being split, just concerned that I was given the impression that the two batteries aren't strong enough to run everything. I.e. Car, van fridge whilst driving, 4 DVDs players playing and iPods/pads charging.
Also astounded by the differing dealer discounts. Got one for $1100 , the other for $6500.
Also astounded by the differing dealer discounts. Got one for $1100 , the other for $6500.
@Smirke The OEM batteries are strong enough in general, but the life of them might end up being a bit less than if they were coupled. But like any battery, it comes down to how many amps are being drawn at any one time, and for how long.... I've factored that into my calculations and am satisfied to simply replace them when the time comes with a higher CCA on the starter, and high AmpHour on the auxillary.
@Holden_man @dugite57 I have just a standard isolator, albeit a 500A marine grade unit, rather than dc-dc. For just separation, an isolator is fine. For better 'battery management', solar connections etc, definitely a dc-dc unit.
With the right isolator, it will join the batteries for starting so in cold environments you can still have the benefit of two batteries, and then split apart again once suitable for auxillary uses. The alternator charges the main first, then the isolator switches to charge the auxillary once the main is good - the point being the main is always at an optimal charge and not being drained by accessories like it would if not separated.....
FWIW I had a traxide kit in the D4. Tim Sanderson who makes the kits was absolutely brilliant to deal with. As mentioned elsewhere I had a number of issues with the batteries and power drains etc, and he always bent over backwards to offer advice and troubleshoot, including those occasions when on the road and called his mobile needing urgent assistance to resolve something. His knowledge and experience outweighed others by far. However...although I ummed and ahhhed a bit, I wasn't convinced to put his kit in the 200 this time round. There was something about it I just can't put my finger on that caused me to hesitate.....as stupid as that sounds..
@Holden_man @dugite57 I have just a standard isolator, albeit a 500A marine grade unit, rather than dc-dc. For just separation, an isolator is fine. For better 'battery management', solar connections etc, definitely a dc-dc unit.
With the right isolator, it will join the batteries for starting so in cold environments you can still have the benefit of two batteries, and then split apart again once suitable for auxillary uses. The alternator charges the main first, then the isolator switches to charge the auxillary once the main is good - the point being the main is always at an optimal charge and not being drained by accessories like it would if not separated.....
FWIW I had a traxide kit in the D4. Tim Sanderson who makes the kits was absolutely brilliant to deal with. As mentioned elsewhere I had a number of issues with the batteries and power drains etc, and he always bent over backwards to offer advice and troubleshoot, including those occasions when on the road and called his mobile needing urgent assistance to resolve something. His knowledge and experience outweighed others by far. However...although I ummed and ahhhed a bit, I wasn't convinced to put his kit in the 200 this time round. There was something about it I just can't put my finger on that caused me to hesitate.....as stupid as that sounds..
I've gone for plain old white. Same as the 2010 one and the Prado. The VX was black but it was getting dirty just sitting in the drive. Don't get me wrong, I like the other colours, but find white the most practical for me. I'll even go for the black bulbar as the last one on the prado was meant to be colour coded white and they did a total mismatch and it was cream!!!
Got the car a couple weeks ago. Compared to the Ranger the aircon is brilliant cools it down two minutes flat from start up and it's averaging 38 degrees maximum out here at the moment. The headlight are also brilliant. Lense type not reflector. Don't think I'll worry about spotties. The amount of room inside compared to the Ranger and Prado is amazing,
Only pain at the moment is having to wait till aftermarket suppliers catch up to the new model. I've wrapped the rear seat in plastic just in case we have a kid missing a vomit bag. Murphies law she'll now projectile vomit into the front seat. $1000 for Black Duck seat covers but they were brilliant on the Ranger.
Only pain at the moment is having to wait till aftermarket suppliers catch up to the new model. I've wrapped the rear seat in plastic just in case we have a kid missing a vomit bag. Murphies law she'll now projectile vomit into the front seat. $1000 for Black Duck seat covers but they were brilliant on the Ranger.
Just envisioned the projectile vomit while reading this. Got my fingers crossed it doesn't happen.
Went one darker than legal with the Ranget
Dont think illdo the cruiser. Fronts are alresdy uv protected and I believe thr rears are also. Being laminated, it's the plastic layer inside the laminate that gives the uv protectiona
Geeze I hate using a phone to post. Appologies for my incoherance will edit on a computer latter
I rrckon there's a lot of hype from tinters, and not a lot from car salesman that want commision for tint as an extra. But it does mske the car look better. Really dark tint also makes me look better to other drivers looking in my window.
I just emailed Toyoya for the specs of the glass with respect to UV rating. Will post the answer when they reply. I find it hard to believe in the age of law suits that privacy glass wouldn't have a reasonable UV rating.
So much for emailing Toyota directly to Vehicle Specification...They referred me to a dealer cause they don't have that sort of information/training. Waste of time. I made a mistake before too, the side/rear windows are Tempered not laminated.
/Anyway I went to the glass manufacturers website (DOT20=Asahi Glass Japan) http://www.agc-automotive.com/english/products/my.html and they specify the clear UV glass on the front side windows as 90% UV protection and the Privacy glass as 95% UV protection. the rear glass is not just coloured glass. Considering how the wavelengths of light work 95% is probably just as good as "up to 99%" as specified by most window tinters. 80% of IR heat is also stopped with Privacy glass.
When they say "up to 99%" its related to what wavelength the light is UVa and UVb and visible light being different wavelengths.
The 99% protection would be down the UVb end of the scale and the Privacy Glass probably does the same sort of thing. Data is just stated in a different way.
I think I'll just get front windows tinted maximum legal.
http://www.wfaanz.org.au/AutoAU.htm
http://www.windowtint.com.au/more-info/29/window-tinting-laws
/Anyway I went to the glass manufacturers website (DOT20=Asahi Glass Japan) http://www.agc-automotive.com/english/products/my.html and they specify the clear UV glass on the front side windows as 90% UV protection and the Privacy glass as 95% UV protection. the rear glass is not just coloured glass. Considering how the wavelengths of light work 95% is probably just as good as "up to 99%" as specified by most window tinters. 80% of IR heat is also stopped with Privacy glass.
When they say "up to 99%" its related to what wavelength the light is UVa and UVb and visible light being different wavelengths.
The 99% protection would be down the UVb end of the scale and the Privacy Glass probably does the same sort of thing. Data is just stated in a different way.
I think I'll just get front windows tinted maximum legal.
http://www.wfaanz.org.au/AutoAU.htm
http://www.windowtint.com.au/more-info/29/window-tinting-laws
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Ours is getting built in feb as well, and delivered in March. Hopefully before the caravan and camping show, as I want it to get its Mickey Mouse ears then.
Not yet @Holden_man . As soon as it gets to freo port, it heads out east to a car warehouse, past my house and the dealership, then gets brought back to the dealership. Bit silly if you ask me. They should just drop them off on the way past! I guess that will add 2 weeks and then it needs its "stuff" added to it, so add on a few more weeks. Think I may tell the guy he has a time limit, as I want the clearview guys to put the mirrors on.@Smirke did you get the tracking # and password from your dealer for your cruiser? so you can see its progress. Our dealer told us we would have it 2 weeks from when it hits the port.
We've been watching since November
Similar for us. We must have it for the caravan show (18th march), then get it organised to tow the van to coral bay, then finish it off for our trip across the top starting July 1.
will email car guy monday to let him know the timeline.....incase he forgets.
will email car guy monday to let him know the timeline.....incase he forgets.
@Holden_man and @Smirke , such timing !!!!!!!!...I will have my fingers crossed for you both..................waiting 2 weeks for my new second hand van is painfull enough, couldn't handle your wait times.
PS: Don't post pics, knowing what you are getting is bad enough for us who can only drool....V8 yum.
PS: Don't post pics, knowing what you are getting is bad enough for us who can only drool....V8 yum.