Black Rock Desert Overlanding: An Classic Landcruiser Expedition Across the Nevada Playa
Field Report, Spring 2015. Great Basin Desert, Nevada. Team: Patrick Ma (PDW), Elias Fedorowski (Exploro), Chris Van Loan (BAE), Agustin Bella III (BAE). Photography by Chris Van Loan.
Two Classic Land Cruisers and a Great Basin Expedition
In the spring of 2015, we planned an expedition to the Great Basin Desert with travel companions from Prometheus Design Werx and Exploro. The mission was straightforward: a weekend of high desert trail riding, exploration, and a deliberate escape from the city. The vehicles, however, were anything but ordinary.
Patrick from PDW arrived in his fully restored FJ40, a beautiful green Land Cruiser with an array of custom features including a diesel engine swap. On any other day that four-wheel drive would have been the star of the show. But Elias from Exploro had something even more exceptional: an ultra-rare HJ47 diesel, fully restored, and one of just four like it in the world. Built as part of a limited production run for Toyota executives touring a mining operation in Australia, the HJ47 offers exponentially more cabin space, width, and headroom than the FJ40 series. It rides on 255/55/16 KM2 Mud Terrains and carries a massive 3 Dog rooftop tent on a custom rack.
Crossing the Playa: A Dry Lake Bed at Speed
We started our trek on the outskirts of a massive dry lake bed, its scorched surface reflecting in pale shades of white and tan under the sun. Our camp for the night lay on the opposite bank, so we aimed the Land Cruisers across the dusty expanse and set off. The fine silt swirled behind the classic FJs as the wind carried it toward the distant horizon.
Finding the Oasis: A Nevada Hot Spring in the High Desert
Eventually the group arrived at a small hot spring and set up camp in the surrounding grasslands a few hundred yards from the water. Hot spring etiquette dictates that no one camps directly on the spring, keeping access open for all travelers. We broke for lunch, set up awnings, camp chairs, and tables, and explored the paradise of hot creeks and grasslands on foot.
The area draws Osprey, bats hunting insects at dusk, and a wide variety of waterfowl taking refuge in the wetlands. We spotted wildlife moving through throughout the afternoon. It was the clouds building on the horizon, though, that demanded our attention.
High Desert Weather: When the Playa Turns
A fast-moving hail storm rolled in across the lake bed, bringing a wall of alkaline playa dust with it. We packed any exposed gear and sheltered under the awning of Patrick's FJ40 as the storm passed. High desert weather is notoriously unpredictable. Temperatures, wind, and conditions can shift with little warning, and the playa offers no shelter when they do.
As evening closed in, we pitched large expedition tents loaned for field trial by Bay Area Expeditions. Heavier and more cumbersome than what we would typically carry, they were well suited to the conditions and made for a generous camp space. The area teems with snakes, spiders, scorpions, and sand spiders native to the oasis ecosystem, so a floored shelter was a welcome comfort. Standing room to organize gear and change clothing is a small luxury that earns its weight on a multi-day desert camp.
Night Driving the Great Basin by Moonlight
Just as the camp settled in, the moon came out. We decided to take the FJ40 out for a night drive across the playa. The high desert by moonlight can be so bright that a headlamp is unnecessary. It is a genuinely surreal experience. The HJ47 was committed to the rooftop tent for the night, but Patrick's FJ40 was ready. The small diesel rumbled to life at the turn of the key, and we made our way out into the desert.
Exploring a Nevada Ghost Town from the 1930s
The following day we set out on trails to an abandoned ghost town. It was a functioning mine from the 1930s through the 1980s, and in its prime housed several hundred people. The conditions must have been extraordinarily austere. Many of the town's structures were built from railroad ties, and those are among the few still standing.
People raised families here. There was reportedly even a school. Railroad tracks nearby would have provided some access to supplies, but life in this remote corner of the Great Basin would have been far from easy. After taking time to absorb the scene, we began the return to camp for our final night.
Intact issue of Vogue, 1984, found inside one of the remaining structures.
The Case for the Classic Land Cruiser
The group broke camp early on the final morning. It was a long drive back to the city, and we wanted to take our time with it. As we rolled across the playa to the steady thrum of the diesel engines, it was difficult not to want one of these vehicles for keeps.
The FJ40's capability, compact footprint, solid axle construction, and completely serviceable mechanics paired with Toyota's build quality and timeless design make these trucks nearly irresistible. Perhaps that is why 40-year-old Land Cruisers continue to appreciate in value and why most people who own one expect to keep it. For the kind of adventures that take you to places like this, they are hard to beat.
Story by Chris Van Loan. Photography by Chris Van Loan (Bay Area Expeditions).
