Editor’s note: Bryon Dorr built up this vehicle and has sent it to auction for personal sale.
Adventure rigs come in all shapes and sizes. But for me, the basics are always the same. I need a vehicle that can carry lots of kayaks, work well in all weather, be able to tackle remote and rugged terrain, and have enough room in it to sleep comfortably.
I built my Lexus GX460 back in 2019. At the time, I needed a vehicle that was also nimble, super-reliable, and extremely versatile. That’s why I chose the GX 460 platform. It’s basically a V8 Toyota 4Runner with luxury touches and a curvy body.
It’s been immensely reliable for the nearly 7 years and 33,000 miles I’ve owned it. I’ve used it on 1,000+-mile off-road overland adventures, cross-country highway drives, and to tackle the urban jungle as my around-town family hauler.
Oh, and on weekends, it’s been my outdoor adventure shuttle rig. From whitewater kayaking, surf kayaking, mountain biking, road cycling, e-foiling, and skiing/snowboarding, this rig has been used for some serious adventure.
Sadly, I now must part with my beloved Lexus overland SUV build, as my adventure needs have changed. This vehicle was mostly designed as my personal go-anywhere photography/work vehicle.
Now, I’ve got bigger adventure needs for my family of three — lots more details on that front very soon — which this SUV just wasn’t made for.
‘Exploring Elements’ Lexus GX 460
I built this rig in 2019, and it debuted at the SEMA Show that year — it even won a Top 10 Overland Vehicle Award. Since then, it has covered thousands of miles of dirt and adventure, and found its way ono more than one magazine cover.
It’s also been my personal daily driver — when not driving press vehicles that I review here on GearJunkie.
And, it’s been the reliable Lexus/Toyota product you’d expect it to be. Even with 119,031 miles on the odometer, this machine runs like new.
Adventure-Focused Daily Driver
While my wife’s Ioniq 5 EV is undoubtedly a better around-town daily driver, this big SUV does a pretty reasonable job at those duties. Especially so when you consider its capabilities off-road and as a remote basecamp.
At heart, I’m a whitewater kayaker, and I see this build as the ultimate kayak shuttle rig. It has everything I ever needed or wanted to transport lots of kayaks (I’ve carried seven on it), gear, and people to any river anywhere. The roof rack in particular is perfect for kayak transport, with its built-in crossbars — a unique design I haven’t and couldn’t find anywhere else.
It’s been great for winter ski/snowboard missions in the mountains as well. Reliable and safe in all conditions, which has been super-important to me when transporting my wife and young kid in adverse weather.
It also makes a great photography rig — my professional passion — as it can get anywhere in any weather, and the platform on the rack is perfect for getting high-angle shots.
While this debuted at SEMA, it’s not a typical “SEMA build.” This one is completely functional and was built to work, not just for show.
It has been my primary mode of transport for nearly 7 years. Besides a dead battery, which I just replaced a few weeks ago, it has worked flawlessly.
Overland Adventure Build
There are so many custom and high-quality parts on this build that make it the capable, comfortable, and reliable overland rig that it is. My idea for it, which proved to work out, is that I could load it up and take off on work trips to get outdoor, off-road, and overland content at any time.
I could be self-sufficient and comfortable in this rig. Think comfortable bed, power to charge my laptop and cameras, food storage, and secure storage for camping essentials.
Build highlights include a TrailReady front bumper and Roambuilt roof rack, both of which are custom pieces that I helped design from scratch. There weren’t products on the market — and there still aren’t — that meet my high standards and functional needs for these parts, so I had them made.
Also notable is a custom Goose Gear drawer/sleep platform, which provided me with many nights of comfortable and quiet sleep out of the weather.
An Icon Vehicle Dynamics custom Stage 7 suspension system with rear hydraulic bumps allowed me to drive across rugged terrain with ease at much higher speeds than any stock vehicle would be capable of (besides a Ram TRX, B-Raptor, or F-150 Raptor). The rig was regeared with 456 Nitro Gears, which also made it much more drivable with the bigger, heavier tires.
I fitted 34-inch BFG KO3 (LT285/75R17) tires. I chose this size because it is the largest you can fit on this platform without having to do serious surgery — only fender liner trimming and a body mount chop were needed, along with the Icon suspension. The 17-inch EvoCorse Dakar Zero wheels — the same that have won on race Hilux at the Dakar Rally — match the performance and good looks of the KO3 tires.
Of note, on the capability side of things, are ARB AirLockers at both ends and custom-welded rock sliders. The lockers are the easy buttons when things get real on the trail, and the sliders have protected the body from damage countless times.
Of course, those are just the highlights, as this build has so many custom touches that make it so clean and functional. These include:
- Warn Zeon 10S winch with hawse fairlead and Factor55 Flatlink
- PIAA 10-inch lightbar/LED Fogs/HID Spots/LED driving lights
- Dobinsons Safari Snorkel with Sy-Klone pre-filter
- Custom-welded rock sliders
- Dobinsons 4×4 Rear Bumper with dual swing-outs and rear 12-inch LED lightbar
- Kurt Class 3 tow hitch
- MSA Fridge Drop-Slide with cage
- National Luna Legacy DZ50 fridge/freezer
- Hardwired GoalZero Yeti 1500x with Link
- Switch Pros SP9100 8-Switch
- Hardwired 3-way 12V splitter in passenger footwell
- SDHQ billet battery terminals
- ARB TwinCompressor/Manifold Kit/AirUp Kit
- Slee Offroad under-hood compressor bracket
- Custom 3M graphics and blackout package
- Maxtrax MKII traction boards with spare tire carrier
- DMOS Delta Shovel with mount
- Gas jerry can
- Weathertech floormats
All of these mods work together to create capability and comfort — on the highway, trail, and around camp. They are also all top-quality products designed to enhance, not diminish, the legendary reliability and durability of the base vehicle.
Build Different?
I get asked if I’d do anything different with this rig. There are really only two things.
One, I’d put a different rear bumper on it. It came with this bumper, but it’s not held up well. It has some rust, it mounts too tightly to the body and has cracked the rear lower lights on the vehicle, the LED lights have leaked and filled with water a few times (new, upgraded replacements are included in the sale), and the hinges don’t fully function properly.
Sadly, there are very few options for rear GX 460 bumpers in the U.S., and most have some big flaws and/or just aren’t my style. They are also all quite expensive. I believe the Kaymar bumper for the Prado is the best bumper for this vehicle, but it’s near impossible to get in the U.S. these days, is tough to fit to the GX, and is very expensive.
And the second thing I’d do differently is skip the lights on the roof rack. Firstly, they aren’t needed, and the bumper-mounted lights — 10-inch hybrid lightbar, LED fogs, and HID spots — are the perfect combo and all that is needed. Secondly, they put too much light on the windshield, even with the blacked-out hood, light covers, and all the lights being long-range spots. But, the rack lights do look really cool!
Dream Build Up for Auction
Because its time to change adventuremobiles in my changing lifestyle, I’ve put this 2013 Lexus GX 460 build on Bring-a-Trailer, with the auction ending the morning of Saturday, November 8.
I’m going to miss this adventure rig a lot! But, times and needs change, and it’s time to go a bit bigger for the family adventures on my horizon.
Also, for the auction, I put the original heated and cooled front seats back in the vehicle. But, the heated scheel-mann touring seats that I’ve had in it during my ownership — one of my very favorite modifications — are available separately, and will bolt right back in if desired.
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