My four-wheel partner – Life happens…

VEHICLE: 2009 Toyota Prado 120 4.0-litre V6

OWNER: Tristan Hall

Overlanding was not a word that existed in TRISTAN HALL’S vocabulary when he owned his first Toyota Prado. The bug only bit after he’d sold it and his search for the perfect adventure partner began. Through trial and error, another Prado turned out to be the perfect solution in the end.

Pre-pandemic, we owned a white Toyota Prado 120, which – if I have to be honest – was actually the first of the many vehicles I had owned, that I truly fell in love with. At the time I had never even heard the term ‘overlanding’ and it was simply purchased as a practical vehicle.

However, family circumstances resulted in us making the terrible decision (hindsight is always 20:20, right) of selling it to have two cars instead… and then the pandemic changed everything!

With the need to own two vehicles removed and my discovery of and growing interest in overlanding, we decided to sell the two compact cars for a SUV again. Unfortunately, the pandemic and the riots in South Africa pushed used car prices through the roof and we couldn’t really afford another Toyota. In doing some searching for a more afford alternative, we purchased a Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 Auto.

Along with the purchase, we were introduced to the Suzuki Auto Club in Gauteng. We did some 4×4 training and started going out on club adventures. The 4×4/overlanding bug had truly bitten. We fitted a roof rack, some Takla seat covers – complete with the vehicle’s nickname, Ridgeback – and some other 4×4 protection.

As great at the GV was, though, it lacked the ability to go where the Jimny drivers in the club could. Also, we missed the storage capacity and the large fuel tank of our Prado. So, in 2022 we began our search for another Prado. We dragged our feet somewhat and missed out on two great options, so when we came across the grey 2009 Prado 120 4.0-litre V6 model, we snapped it up without hesitation. Thus, it became our Ridgeback 2.0 project.

Having cut my teeth on DIY storage builds for the GV, I planned out a more elaborate build for the Prado. Drawers, a fridge slide, a 50-litre water tank and a LiFePO4 battery solution, all done working at night while the neighbours’ generators ran to mask the noise of the power tools.

In time I found a longer Eezi-Awn K9 roof rack for the Prado, as well as some custom rock sliders from another Prado 120 owner who was upgrading to smaller ones. I even came across an older, Toyota approved ARB bumper while trading in Prado bits and pieces coming off my vehicle.

The added weight necessitated a change in the suspension, and I was put in contact with Dries du Toit from RAW 4×4, who spent several hours patiently answering questions and giving advice. The only challenge was trying to load our Oztent RX-5 on the roof rack with the added height (and some family struggling to climb in), but the lift improved the off-road ability immensely when tagging along with the Jimny guys at the Suzuki Club events.

I am tremendously proud of what I have accomplished with this build, and I think it suits our requirements rather well. While it does not look like we will be taking that Namibia trip we have been dreaming of for my birthday next year, we have been getting our overlanding feet wet with a few local adventures and it’s been a blast! Family camping right next to the beach in KwaZulu-Natal or by a lake at a game farm in Mpumalanga have been definite highlights – priceless experiences which have left a deep impression on our boys. That has been the best thing with this build; the family moments shared, the new friends made, and the skills or confidence gained.

We look forward to greater adventures and making many unforgettable memories with Ridgeback 2.0 in the years to come.

*Follow the adventures of the Halls and Ridgeback 2.0 on social media: @RidgebackGV.

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