What is the reading on the odometer?
419 458 km

How many were off-road?
120 000 km

How much did it cost?
R151 540 in 1999

How many owners has it had?
One

Why a Toyota?
Land Cruiser is simply the best.

Does it have a nickname?
No, the bakkie doesn’t come when I call it yet.

Where have you been in it?
Every province in the country, all the parks of Sanparks, Botswana (Moremi, Savuti and Chobe), Namibia (the Caprivi, Etosha and the Namib), Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls), Mozambique (Machangulu, and Maputo to Beira).

Your dream destination?
I would love to visit the Serengeti, Zambia and Mana Pools.

Any breakdowns?
Twice. One of the back wheel bearings conked out in Moremi once.
The injector tip broke in the Kruger Park due to excessive paraffin in the diesel that I had filled up with in Mozambique (I worked in Mozambique for 18 months, and the diesel there doesn’t contain much lubricant).

Repairs up to now?
A leaking radiator was replaced.

Any modifications?
A Warn winch, a dual battery system, a long-range diesel tank (it now holds 180 litres of fuel), a new suspension and a drawer system on which I pack the freezer among others.

What do you like about it?
It’s reliability

And what don’t you like about Cruisers?
The new ones are simply too expensive.

If you could change anything?
The fuel price. There is nothing wrong with the Cruiser.

Your best memory of the vehicle?
I never have to wonder whether I will get to my destination and back; I know I will.

Will you be confident to travel through Africa in it?
Easily 

What do you pack specifically for a long trip?
I make sure the freezer, rooftop or dome tent, braai grid, three-legged pots, camera and lenses are packed in.

If it were a person or celebrity, who would it be?
The tough Cruiser is the Jan Wilkens of bakkies.

If we gave you R10 000 to spend on it?
Diesel … Africa, here I come. (Or diff locks.)