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Writer's pictureCharline Ribotta

Which Overland SetUp Is Your Favourite For The Hilux?


These are my Toyota Hilux’ different upgrades through the past few years until today.

For info, I bought Rafiki -my Toyota Hilux- in February 2021 as my first car ever at the age of 33. I’m its third owner although Rafiki’s mileage was 91,000 km only.

It’s a 2013 Hilux model built in 2014. It’s a 2.5L D-4D Xtra-cab pickup truck (I’m a solo traveler: so I needed a large load bed but enough space to lay down on the passenger seat if I cannot sleep in the tent for any reasons -like safety reasons).


I chose the Hilux over the Land Cruise because less expensive but especially because I had an amazing very first experience overlanding Southern Africa with a Hilux I rented in 2020 (see photo below).

I spent months drawing the overlanding 4x4 of my dream (but keeping it basic with only the off-road essential elements).

Rafiki today’s mileage is 192,000km; I drove 80,000km across Africa and the Middle East from January 2022 to June 2024.


0 mechanical issues (thanks Toyota!).


The photo below is Rafiki with the FrontRunner rooftop tent which lasted for the first 15 months of the solo expedition.

The photo below is Rafiki with the Bundutec electric rooftop tent (which I’m still busy selling if anybody’s interested) and which made my adventure more comfortable and easy.

The photo below is today’s setup by Alu-Cab. A proper camper for 4x4s which I hope will last for the next years to come and help me to create unforgettable memories for the next solo overland expedition I have in mind.

So, which setup do you prefer?


1 Comment


rob_e_b72
Nov 14

Two things which will always be cool regardless of the location and regardless of what is being "worn":-

1) Rafiki

2) Charline 😎

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