300 Series Gear Guide

ARB Summit Bullbar & Side Steps

In my opinion still the best looking bar for the 300 Series despite the premium you pay for the privilege.

UHF

The GME XRS UHF is one of those pieces of kit that I literally never think about because it just does its job. I have the 7.5db antenna fitted which is great for open road travel where we use it most to communicate with truckers and other travellers. I would suggest opting for a lower gain antenna if you live or travel in mainly hilly terrain.

Winch

The WARN 12,000lb beast is definitely not the cheapest bit of kit, but for solo overlanding it is a must-have. Our winch has recovered the cruiser (and our hybrid caravan) on several occasions and never let us down.

Longranger tank

Our Long Ranger heavy duty tank has rectified on of the more perplexing design decisions as Toyota moved from the 200 Series to the 300 Series. Despite what the marketing will tell you, the 300 is not markedly more fuel efficient than its predecessor (particularly when towing). Yet, the 300 Series carries 50L less fuel.

Recovery kit

I’ve owned and used a few different brands of kits, and can confidently say the brand of your kit matters far less than having it with you when you need it. My kit is an ARB Weekender kit with a bunch of extra shackles, winch extension straps and trunk protectors. Travelling with a friend can replace a lot of this gear with a pair of shackles and a snatch strap or rope.

Spotlights

My pick for spotlights was the 9” Narva EX2. My view on spotlights is I want a LOT of light, and they need to turn on and off. I see little utility in the ‘toy’ factor of several other brands with different modes and exorbitant price tags. The Narva spots are a simple light that is internally switched (no need for external wiring harnesses and relays) and provide exceptional lighting.

Richards Auto Wiring Kits

I’ve used the high beam pickup and secondary wiring kit from Richards Auto. They are extremely easy to install with great instructions.

Roof rack

The ARB Base Rack is an interesting entrant to the roof rack market (which is messy). I really like the welded construction with nothing to rattle loose and the rack has been quiet in all configurations I’ve had it. The only downside is the lack of a t-slot meaning you need to buy specific mounting hardware for the rack (KAON makes some great mounts though).

Rear bar

The Cruiser Company rear bar has to be one of my absolute favourite additions to the car. I wanted a second spare wheel and the option to carry fuel or water. There are sleeker, pricier options out there, but this bar is elegantly simple and built like a bomb shelter.

Shower

The Ontap Portable Shower is one seriously cool piece of kit. Just add 12V and you’ve got a shower anywhere you can take a jerry can (which is right there on the back of my car!). As a bonus little add-on, the jerry can has a threaded fitting that takes a standard garden tap so you can access drinking or hand-washing water anytime.

Drawer system

The Drifta drawer system is a piece of kit I drooled over for several years before I could fit the first set to my 100 Series and was the first thing I ordered while waiting for my 300 Series. Super light, no rattles and almost physics-defying use of space. The other huge bonus is the pullout table (since the 300 Series doesn’t have a tailgate for some reason).

Starlink

Everyone has heard of Starlink by now, the Starlink Mini is probably the go-to for overlanding setups. We have an older V2 unit hard-mounted our roof rack with a DishyDock power supply and 12V router.

Maxtrax

Maxtrax are the standard mall-crawler accessory. I’ve put mine through hell and they’re still holding up like new (except that time I spun the teeth off). Just make sure you use the recovery straps or you’ll end up burying yours on the beach like I did.

Seat covers

The Gotya Covered seat covers are exceptional quality and have stood the test of time, 2 children and 2 dogs in the cruiser and they look like new with a bit of a clean. A top notch product at a great price.

Rear shelf

The guys at KAON make some seriously cool gear and their cargo barriers and shelves are a prime example of their high standards. The shelf buys back space that you wouldn’t be able to use otherwise plus their gear is cut to a molle pattern so gives you a place to hang gear.

Snap shades

Snap Shades - If you’ve had a baby screaming at you because the sun was in their eyes while you’re barreling down the highway at 100km/h, then you understand how great it is to have a set of shades you can fit and forget. Not only that, but they dramatically reduce UV radiation entry and keep your car much cooler.

Compressor

I opted for the TJM Pro Series Single Compressor because I could fit it under the bonnet, and it has a 100% duty cycle for when I need to inflate 8 tyres.

Suspension & GVM

The OME BP51 kit hasn’t put a foot wrong in over 40,000km of ownership and enabled the 3.9 tonne GVM upgrade we fitted to the cruiser. Our kit includes OME upper control arms and a set of spring seat reinforcement plates to increase the rear axle load rating.

Towing mirrors

Clearviews are the only towing mirror solution for the 300 Series in my opinion. The mirrors are double-mounted to prevent stressing the aluminium door skin and they do not vibrate at all even at full extension.