The vehicle
Karl.
My home on four wheels — it just has to run, anywhere in the world.
A Toyota Hilux, built into a world-travel platform by Toyota Nestle in Dornstetten and individually certified by the TÜV. The numbers below are real — measured, not guessed.
The datasheet
- Base
- Toyota Hilux Double Cab · 4.0 V6 petrol · Euro 6 · GCC import
- Weight
- uprated to 3,500 kg (front 1,700 / rear 2,250 kg)
- Suspension
- Nestle Advanced (springs & dampers F/R), aligned
- Drivetrain
- permanent AWD · 100 % centre diff lock · front locker
- Wheels
- BFGoodrich A/T 285/60 R18 on alloys · track spacers
- Brakes
- 18″ kit, 380 × 34 mm, 6-piston
- Protection
- full alu underbody guards · rock rails · recovery points · snorkel
- Fuel
- 4.0 V6 petrol (deliberate, see below) · 125 l aluminium tank + 2 jerry cans
- Power
- 220 W solar (2 panels) · 107 Ah AGM (LiFePO₄ planned) · Votronic control · 230 V shore power
- Water
- pressurised, stainless basin, 2 × 16 l fresh
- Living
- standalone heater · compressor fridge · chemical-free dry toilet
- Status
- TÜV individual approval 04/2025, “no detectable defects”
Build & philosophy
Not as much as possible — the right things. Has to run, has to be fixable anywhere, has to carry its weight honestly. Good tools, no cheap shortcuts. So the long haul stays relaxed — not just the weekend.
Why petrol
A deliberate choice against the diesel reflex. No DPF, no AdBlue — both cause more trouble than they’re worth where fuel quality is poor. The 4.0 V6 is simple, robust and, in GCC trim, built for heat and dust. The price — higher consumption — is covered by a 125 l aluminium tank plus two jerry cans: range enough for the legs where fuel stations thin out.
The cabin — EXKAB 1S RF
A demountable cabin by Fabian Loh (EXKAB). An aluminium structure with salt-water-resistant ALMG3 chequer plate — bonded, welded and riveted, so it’s very strong at low weight. Well insulated (walls 30, roof 35, alcove 40 mm), bright HPL interior, pop-top roof. Power, water and living form their own little system that can even be set down on its own.