How to make LEGO Technic 42178 Surface Space Loader minifigure scale

LEGO Technic 42178 Surface Space Loader isn’t minifigure scale, but it can be with just a handful of additional LEGO pieces.

As one of the most affordable, unique and hands-on fun sets of 2024 so far, 42178 Surface Space Loader ticks a lot of boxes and is a must-have for LEGO fans this year, on top of tying almost perfectly into the LEGO Group’s multi-theme-spanning Space project. For all intents and purposes, this transformational vehicle with ratcheted raised and lowered modes fits perfectly with the storytelling and design of the many other Space sets released across the likes of City, Friends and Creator so far.

Except for the fact that it is a Technic set, so by default is not minifigure scale. Indeed, the cabin at the front does include a seat, steering wheel and small console, but these are too big to seat a LEGO character. It’s the one area that could do with improvement, so we’ve had a go ourselves.

With the removal of those three parts mentioned (seat, steering wheel, console), and the addition of a handful of extra pieces, 42178 Surface Space Loader can be turned into something minifigure scale, with seating for one pilot. And the result immediately transforms the set into a bulky off-road transport for your LEGO minifigure astornauts.

It is in the interests of keeping this rebuild process as simple and accessible as possible (with the option to reverse it in just a few steps) that we are only removing the seat, steering wheel and console. The wheel and console easily come out, whilst the seat is removable through first lifting off the roof panels and removing the bubble canopy that houses the cockpit, before sliding out a couple of supports on the (as you look at it) left side. The grey axle should be easy to move and once you slide it along enough the seat will drop out.

You can fill the resulting gap with a Technic bush (if you don’t know the name you’ll still recognise it) or as we have here, a 1x1 Technic liftarm (spacer).

After that, it’s about putting back the pieces otherwise removed and using the light grey 3x5 L-shaped liftarm that juts through the middle of the cabin as the starting point for the minifigure-scale build. We could remove this arm and create space for a two-minifigure-wide set-up, but connecting that back to the vehicle won’t come without difficulty in relation to the canopy, while the back end of the liftarm is somewhat integral to the structure of the vehicle and its removal would take a good few more steps. Today we’re keeping it simple so it stays in place.

The build we are doing is short and without detail and literally requires just a handful of parts as pictured, using the bracket as the point of connection between the seat that you build and the L-shaped liftarm, and similarly attaching the top of the modified 1x2 brick with studs on two sides to the other side of the liftarm.

Between these two small builds, the space either side of the liftarm is nicely filled and creates an easy-to-customise seating area for one minifigure. Add whatever details you want from here, but always check that the canopy still comfortably fits on afterwards.

The result is a one-seater cabin that fits nicely within the canopy and gives 42178 Surface Space Loader the one thing it was missing – a minifigure driver to pilot it around whatever distant planet it is exploring.

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