Cover photo: Ironman 4x4 Africa, who make much of the kit on this 79. Thank you.
Toyota sells the 79 as a one-ton bakkie. Owners repeat it as if it settles every argument. It does not, once the car is a tourer.
Put a bar, a canopy, drawers, a fridge and a rooftop tent on a double cab. Add four people and water for the Kgalagadi. You are close to the legal limit before the diesel goes in.
Hardly anyone talks about it when they sell. We checked 942 Land Cruiser 79s on live listings. Not one ad mentions a GVM upgrade. None of the 13 accessory stores we compare sells anything called a GVM upgrade either.
This guide covers what your Cruiser may weigh, how fast a normal build gets there, and what a GVM upgrade really costs. The rand part is the small part.
The short answer
- Weigh the car first. Most owners guess, and most guess low.
- Heavy-duty springs do not raise your GVM. They carry the weight better. Your papers stay the same.
- A real upgrade exists. A Pretoria company takes the 79 to 4,500 kg for about R38,000.
- It turns your bakkie into a truck on paper. That means a Code C1 licence, a professional driving permit, a roadworthy every year and an operator card.
- Most tourers should trim the load or tow a trailer. The upgrade suits a working 79 that really hauls.
Four words, in plain language
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| GVM (gross vehicle mass) | The most the car may weigh, fully loaded, people included. Toyota sets it |
| Tare | The empty weight on your licence papers |
| Payload | What you may carry: GVM minus tare. People count |
| GCM (gross combination mass) | The most the car and a loaded trailer may weigh together |
South African owners say “GVM” but often mean “what my car weighs right now”. Those are two different numbers. The first is a limit. The second is what the weighbridge tells you.
What your Cruiser may weigh from the factory
These are Toyota South Africa’s own figures. The payload column is our sum: GVM minus the empty weight.
| Model (SA spec) | GVM | Empty weight | Payload |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79 single cab 2.8 | 3,300 kg | 2,125 to 2,525 kg | 775 to 1,175 kg |
| 79 single cab 4.0 petrol | 3,200 kg | 2,015 kg | 1,185 kg |
| 79 single cab 4.2 diesel | 3,200 kg | 2,090 kg | 1,110 kg |
| 79 single cab V8 (2025) | 3,300 kg | 2,200 kg | 1,100 kg |
| 79 double cab 2.8 | 3,300 kg | 2,250 to 2,490 kg | 810 to 1,050 kg |
| 79 double cab 4.0 petrol | 3,200 kg | 2,165 kg | 1,035 kg |
| 79 double cab 4.2 diesel | 3,200 kg | 2,245 kg | 955 kg |
| 76 station wagon 2.8 | 3,060 kg | 2,265 to 2,485 kg | 575 to 795 kg |
| 78 Troopy 4.2 diesel | 3,200 kg | 2,250 kg | 950 kg |
Toyota South Africa spec sheets, seen 24 September 2026. The V8 row is from the 2025 single cab sheet.
The empty weight on the 2.8 double cab spans 240 kg across trims and options. So don’t use the brochure. Use the tare on your own papers, or better, a weighbridge ticket.
If you own a V8 double cab, read the GVM off your papers. We could not find it on a Toyota South Africa sheet.
Look at the 76. The family wagon has the least room of the lot. Five people and a loaded fridge use most of it.
How fast a touring build gets there
Here is a 2.8 double cab set up for a Kgalagadi or Botswana trip. The weights are from South African stores and makers. The rows marked “about” are our round numbers.
| Item | Weight |
|---|---|
| Steel bull bar | 57 kg |
| Aluminium canopy | 57 kg |
| Twin drawers | 85 kg |
| 52 litre fridge | 24 kg |
| Food and drink in the fridge | about 30 kg |
| Rooftop tent | 76 kg |
| Lithium second battery | 10 to 15 kg |
| 80 litres of extra diesel | about 67 kg |
| 60 litres of water | 60 kg |
| Four adults | about 320 kg |
| Tools, recovery kit, chairs and bags | about 80 kg |
| Total | about 870 kg |
Weights seen 24 September 2026. Bar: D.A.G at Go-4LO. Canopy: Alu-Cab Explorer at Wolf Customs. Drawers: Zambezi at Big Country 4x4. Fridge: National Luna at Safari Centre. Tent: Alu-Cab Gen 3-R. Water is 1 kg a litre. Diesel is about 0.84 kg a litre.
There is no winch in that list. We found no South African store that lists a winch’s weight, and it adds a fair bit.
Now hold that total against the table above. A light double cab has about 1,050 kg to play with. A heavy one has about 810 kg. So this build sits right on the line. Add a winch, a steel rear bumper and a second spare, and it is over.
Put the same build on a 76 and it is over before the drawers go in.
What being over the limit means
Driving above your GVM is illegal. It is also a gift to an insurer who wants to argue about a claim. CAR magazine and other SA motoring writers have warned that overloading can lead to a claim being turned down.
Toyota built the car to carry its GVM, not more. If an axle, a bearing or the brakes fail on a car that was running overweight, expect questions.
Owners on 4x4community also warn that overloaded double cabs crack their chassis. That is forum talk, not measured data. But nobody who has seen one crack wants to find out.
Fix it for free first: weigh and trim
Start at a weighbridge. A Pretoria regular on 4x4community sends owners to the one at Donkerhoek on the N4. Phone first to check they will weigh a private car. Weigh the car the way you travel: full tanks, full fridge, everyone on board.
If the bridge allows it, weigh the front and rear axles apart. A car can be under its GVM and still have too much on the back. Water, drawers, a spare on the back and a rooftop tent on the canopy all sit behind the rear axle.
Then look at the heavy items. The canopy is the big one. An aluminium canopy is about 57 kg. A full canopy camper unit is 210 kg (Wolf Customs, September 2026). That gap alone weighs about as much as two passengers.
The other free fix is a trailer. Water, fuel and camping gear move off the bakkie and onto the towbar. A trailer up to 750 kg needs no extra licence code. Above that, you need Code EB. Our camper trailer guide covers renting one.
Heavy springs carry the load, they don’t raise it
When the rear of a loaded 79 sits down, most owners buy springs. Stores sell them as “Heavy” or “Extra Heavy”. Those names describe how stiff the spring is. They are not a legal rating.
Good springs are still the right buy for a car that always carries weight. The car sits level, brakes straighter and stops bottoming out. But the GVM on your papers stays at 3,300 kg. Our 79 lift kit guide covers how to pick springs by weight.
The same goes for Australian “GVM kits”. In Australia, some of those kits come with the paperwork to raise the rating. Bought here, they are just springs.
Live prices · 24 September 2026
Suspension kits for the 79 in stock now
17 in stock at 5 South African stores today, from R13 797 to R129 999. Typical price about R44 400.
How a GVM upgrade works in South Africa
For years, owners on 4x4community said you simply could not raise a GVM here. Only the maker’s figure counted. That has changed.
Ulterio Motiv, in Lyttelton, Pretoria, now sells a GVM upgrade for the 79. It is a sister company of SVI Engineering, the armoured vehicle builder. It is the only South African offer we found that changes the registered GVM, not just the springs.
| What you get | Detail |
|---|---|
| New GVM | 4,500 kg |
| Brakes | A hydraulic brake booster and braided brake hoses |
| Engine and gearbox | Left standard |
| Paperwork | The registration work at the traffic department is included |
| Time | About two weeks |
| Price | From R33,000 before VAT (about R37,950 with VAT) |
| Fits | The 79. TopAuto reports it works on older 79s too |
Ulterio Motiv’s page, seen 24 September 2026. The VAT figure is our sum.
The brakes are the right thing to add. More weight needs more stopping. A brake booster adds force to the brake pedal. Braided hoses swell less under pressure, so the pedal stays firm.
On paper, the gain is big. A heavy 2.8 double cab goes from about 810 kg of payload to about 2,010 kg.
Ulterio’s own page calls the 4,500 kg figure the “payload”. It is the GVM. The payload is what is left after the car’s own weight.
Get these answers in writing before you pay:
- Which documents will I get, and will my new licence disc show 4,500 kg?
- Which authority approved the new rating?
- What is my new GCM, the most the car and trailer may weigh together?
- Do the brakes meet SABS 1207 or SABS 1051, the standards the regulations ask for above 3,500 kg?
A proper upgrade ends with new registration papers and a new licence disc. If your disc still says 3,300 kg, you have not upgraded anything. You have just bought brakes.
The catch: your bakkie becomes a truck on paper
This is the part most owners miss. It costs far more than R38,000 in time and admin.
South Africa’s road traffic regulations treat a bakkie as a goods vehicle. A Code B licence covers a goods vehicle up to 3,500 kg GVM. Go past that line and the rules change.
| Your Cruiser | Licence code you need |
|---|---|
| Standard 79, no trailer or a light one | B |
| Standard 79 towing a trailer over 750 kg | EB |
| Upgraded 79 (4,500 kg), no trailer or a light one | C1 (the old Code 10) |
| Upgraded 79 towing a trailer over 750 kg | EC1, not EB |
National Road Traffic Regulations, regulation 99. A “light” trailer here means 750 kg GVM or less.
That last row catches people. An EB licence only covers a goods vehicle up to 3,500 kg. Tow the caravan with an upgraded 79 and EB no longer covers you.
The licence is only the start. Here is what the same regulations ask of a goods vehicle over 3,500 kg GVM.
| What | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Professional driving permit (PrDP) | You need one, category G |
| Roadworthy test | Every year, when you renew the licence |
| Testing station | It must be a grade A station. A grade B station may not test it |
| Operator registration | You register as the operator and carry an operator card on the car |
| Markings | A chevron sign at the back, and reflective contour tape on the sides and back |
| Brakes | Must meet SABS 1207 or SABS 1051 |
| Speed limits | No change. The 80 km/h truck limit starts at 9,000 kg |
National Road Traffic Regulations 115, 135, 142, 154, 191, 192A, 265 and 293.
Owners argue about the PrDP on the forums. One side says you only need it if you are paid to drive. The regulation we read has no such exemption. The rule is about the vehicle, not about who pays you.
Check all of this with your licensing office before you book the upgrade. If you already hold C1 and a PrDP, from farming, trucking or the army, the upgrade costs you far less.
Towing: the GCM trap
People upgrade to tow more. It often does the opposite.
The GCM is the most the car and the loaded trailer may weigh together. A GVM upgrade does not raise it unless the GCM is re-rated too. Here is what that means for a fully loaded car.
| Cruiser | GVM | GCM | Most it may tow when fully loaded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard 2.8 79 | 3,300 kg | 6,800 kg | 3,500 kg |
| 79 upgraded to 4,500 kg, same GCM | 4,500 kg | 6,800 kg | 2,300 kg |
| 4.0 petrol or 4.2 diesel 79 | 3,200 kg | 4,700 kg | 1,500 kg |
| 76 station wagon 2.8 | 3,060 kg | 6,560 kg | 3,500 kg |
Toyota South Africa spec sheets, seen 24 September 2026. The upgraded row is our sum.
Ask the upgrader for your new GCM in writing. If they cannot give you one, assume it is still 6,800 kg.
Look at the 4.0 petrol and 4.2 diesel 79s too. Toyota rates them to tow only 1,500 kg with trailer brakes. The 78 Troopy is the same. A big caravan or a loaded boat can take you past that without you knowing.
Going bigger: six wheels
Ulterio also builds six-wheel 79s. These are not accessories. They are new vehicles on paper.
| Conversion | GVM | Price (before VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| 6x4, extra axle with brakes but no drive | up to 5,500 kg | from R389,500 |
| 6x6, all six wheels driven | up to 6,050 kg | R895,000 |
Ulterio Motiv’s page for the 6x4, seen 24 September 2026. The 6x6 price is from CAR magazine, August 2024.
Both need Code C1 and everything in the heavy vehicle table above. They make sense for a big expedition camper or a work body, and very little else.
Warranty and insurance
A new 79 comes with a Toyota warranty of three years or 100,000 km. The Competition Commission’s guidelines for the car parts trade have applied since July 2021. Under them, outside work can cost you some of the carmaker’s cover. The rest of the warranty can still stand.
We could not find Toyota South Africa’s position on a GVM upgrade. So think it through plainly. The upgrade asks the axles, bearings, clutch and brakes to carry more than Toyota rated them for. If one of those fails, expect a hard conversation. Ask your dealer in writing before you upgrade a car under warranty.
For insurance, tell your insurer about the upgrade in writing, and send them the new papers. An overloaded car gives an insurer a reason to argue. So does a car whose papers don’t match what is on the road.
What Australian videos get wrong for South Africa
Much of the 79 content online is Australian. On GVM, it does not carry over.
- The factory number. Australian 79s are rated to weigh more than ours. Use Toyota South Africa’s figures above.
- The licence. An Australian car licence covers a bakkie of about 4.5 tonnes. Ours stops at 3,500 kg.
- The kits. Australia has GVM kits that come with approval paperwork. South Africa has no such scheme. Those springs change nothing on your papers here.
- Towing. Australian 79s have a higher GCM than ours. A “tow 3.5 tonnes at full GVM” claim does not hold here.
Who should do what
| You are | Best move | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| 76 family tourer | Weigh. Trim, or move gear to a trailer. We found no upgrade offer for the 76 | A weighbridge ticket |
| 79 double cab tourer, four people, rooftop tent | Weigh. Drop the heaviest items or tow a trailer | Free, or trailer hire |
| 79 single cab with canopy and drawers | Probably fine. Weigh, then fit springs for the load | From R13,797 for leaf springs, more for a full kit |
| 4.0 petrol or 4.2 diesel 79 that tows | Check the 1,500 kg towing limit before anything else | Free |
| Farm or work 79 that carries over a ton, driver has C1 | The registered upgrade makes sense | From R33,000 before VAT |
| Full expedition camper on a double cab | Weigh the plan before you buy the body. Cost the upgrade and the licence together | From R33,000 before VAT, plus C1 and PrDP |
Spring price from Go-4LO, seen 24 September 2026.
Planning the rest of the build? Our essential additions guide and canopies and trays guide will help you keep it light. The long-range tank guide shows what extra diesel weighs. Every part for your car is on our 79 accessories page.
The bottom line
Your 79 is not a one-tonner once it is a tourer. A kitted double cab is at its limit sooner than you think, and a 76 sooner still.
So weigh it first. Most owners can trim, fit the right springs and tow a trailer, and never touch the paperwork. A registered upgrade is real and fairly priced. But it makes you a heavy vehicle operator, and the licence, the permit and the yearly roadworthy are the true cost.
Thanks to Ironman 4x4 Africa, Ulterio Motiv, Toyota South Africa Motors and photographer Cornel van Heerden for the photos in this guide.
