Holy Cow... a year travelling with 5 Kids and a Camper Trailer, what an adventure.
My family structure is a little different but we did similar in that we sold a GQ Patrol and Salary scarificed to get a 2 year old GU. Greatest decision we ever made really.
At the moment I would probably suggest going new as the price on the patrols is the lowest ever and there are some good deals to be made BUT a 2nd handy under 2 years old with a lot of fruit could also be an option plus you can trade your lemon either way. You should be able to extend the factory warranty as part of the Salary sacrifice or what I did is waited a year then claimed it back.
The latest 3.0 litre Patrol engines are as reliable as any and for general use need no mods at all however they are a Common Rail engine and irregardless of Ford/Toyota/Nissan the fuel systems cost about 1/2 the car so clean fuel and good maint. is essential.
Many will advocate EGR blocks, manual Boost Control, 2.75 inch exhaust, 3 inch exhaust, Chips, etc etc.
They all have their purposes and I have some on my truck but they are not the end of the world. IF you want to fit any/all then fine but on the CRD none are absolutely 'must haves'.
Probably 90% or more of the Patrols on Aussie roads would be either stock or have a chip and exhaust work.
I would suggest an EGT gauge and a on board diagnostic (OBD) gauge such as a Scangauge which can read Boost Pressure, Coolant, Fuel flows etc would be top of my list then Exhaust and Chips etc
Vehicle mods such as lifts, tyres, long range tanks etc would be up to you and your budget. With the 3rd row seats in place you won't get much in teh back so will have a big roof load.
I would NOT fit winches, steel bars etc unless you absolutely need them as the weight is significant. A roof rack and towing the camper with a family of 7 will be enough load to worry about as you will be up at GVM anyway.
Now, Fuel economy... that is a gamble. For some reason only known to the Gods CRD engines seem to have wildly varying economy figures and it is the luck of the draw what you get.
You will see figures quoted from as low as 10 LHP up to 17 or more for just the vehicle.
I get 12.5 LPH averaged over the last 80,000 K's. My truck is heavy with steel bars, winch, draws, roof rack, long range tanks and towing my big rrsed heavy camper I get 14 to 16sitting on 90 to 95 KPH but my vehicle has mods as well. Some get better economy some get a lot worse.
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