The advantage of your typical troop carrier is not only ground clearance, but Toyotas reputation for its suitability to the most rugged terrains. Where converted to a camper with a pop top roof, you have a four wheel drive camping vehicle that can handle the best of the toughest conditions.

The internal size is however a limiting factor to the width of the body, which can make the liveability feel that bit more restricted. A number of commercial size vans, such as Mercedes offer a four wheel drive option. While a fit out can create as good a feel as the comforts of home, its off road capabilities would be limited to its lower ground clearance.

Motorhome manufacturers of the four wheel drive option, tend to class them as all terrain vehicles to direct the expectations of owners away from the capabilities you would expect from the more purpose built four wheel drive vehicles.

Vans are a popular choice for a fit out, either commercially or by the do it yourselfer. There’s cases where people have fitted out a van for under a thousand dollars. Of course the other end of the scale can obviously have close to no limits.

The issue of compromise arises here. If you want to go absolutely bush, regardless of the harshest of corrugated road conditions or boggy sand, your troop carrier would be your choice. If the desire is for more comforts with an eye pleasing décor, a luxurious motorhome may not as well survive the Gibb River road, but it will at least give you the confidence to drift off road where conditions are not excessively harsh to be detrimental to the vehicle and all the plush finishings.

Pros: Fully self contained and enclosed living with the flexibility and accessibility of the specific four wheel drive. Four wheel drive vans typically lack the ground clearance of the purpose built typical four wheel drive vehicles. Commercial van or RV manufacturers prefer to refer to their four wheel drive vans as all terrain vehicles to lower the capability expectations.   

Cons: More confined living space, particularly with the troop carrier given the width is limited to the internal vehicle width. Van conversions offer more space top create a live-able area, though they are generally not as robust a four wheel drive.