Five best overland vehicles in North America?

[charlieaarons]

I think this thread is in response to an enquiry about what kind of vehicles North Americans should try to get to drive elsewhere in the world. I think we can all accept that NA vehicles are a good choice when driving in NA.

Charlie

 

[Token]

Seriously? No rub issues, no turning radius issues &c?

Pretty much.. I've got 35's under my H3 with no lift.. At FULL lock it slightly rub the front sway bar.. That could be corrected with an extra inch or so on the links.. My turning radius is still pretty close to what it was and that's if it changed any at all.. Either way I'm still tighter than a Jeep TJ..

I know several folks that went from the OEM 35's on their H2 to 37's and while I haven't straight up asked, I don't recall hearing any of them complain about it.. I quite often hear H3 owners whinning about a bit of rub when moving up to 35's.. But it's seriously not enough to be concerned about.. I think if it was a 35" AT tire rather than the MT it prolly wouldn't rub at all..

 

[Christian P.]

Let's make something clear:

The best thing to do for a North American who wants to drive overseas (Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia) is to fly over to either Australia and buy a Land Cruiser diesel (and then ship it) or UK and buy a Defender.
Both models are plentiful and cheap in these countries.
In both countries you can register/insurance the vehicle without being a resident.

But that does not work well in the real world for several reasons - people are not well informed, they don't want to deal with the paperwork or they prefer to have the vehicle at home beforehand to get it ready.

That being said, there are excellent vehicle options available here that would get you through 99% of the situation and will allow you to drive everywhere.

Chris S. and Tom are without doubt experts but don't forget that there are thousands of other people driving all over the continents with all sort of vehicles.

I have myself seen VW buses, 2CV, Mitsubishi vans, Ford F350, Iveco, Nissan Frontier, even 2 Trabant...the list is endless.

We have to be extra careful not to give an impression that you must have a Defender or else you better stay home. That is ridiculous.

Parts availability is always a risk no matter what you are driving.

In Ethiopia I was traveling with a German guy with a newish BMW R1200GS. His rear bearing gave up and he had to have one shipped to Addis Adaba. It is not the best situation but it can be done - the worst that could happen is that you are going to be waiting for a while and pay extra duties.

100 Series Land Cruiser are a perfect example of a car that is available here and is seen all over the world - even in the gas version and with IFS.
I have seen the petrol version everywhere, from Cape Town to Syria.
Yes it would be nicer to have a diesel but a lot of people prefer the gas version as it gives them more power when driving in sand.

I have also met a guy personally whose transmission gave up in Mozambique and ended up having to tow the truck back to Johannesburg - and he had a diesel.

(you can read the whole story here, it's pretty funny)

http://www.greenafrican.com/?p=333

So there is no guarantee either way.

Like everything else in life, it's all a matter of balance and calculated risk vs cost.

So to get back to my original point, I say we have more choices here than we are lead to believe.

 

[charlieaarons]

Let's make something clear:

We have to be extra careful not to give an impression that you must have a Defender or else you better stay home. That is ridiculous.
.

You are absolutely right.

Charlie

 

[Scott Brady]

As far as I can tell, Chris' question was "Five Best". I do not believe there was ever any doubt that significant adventures can be had in a Tercel, but that car can simply not be on the "Five Best" list.

I believe we can also assume that Chris' intent was vehicles that could endure some rough road, unimproved road travel, like routes in Utah, along the coasts of Baja, through Copper Canyon, into the jungles of Belize, the Southwest Circuit of Bolivia, Caratera Austral, etc.

There are the most effective tools for vehicle-supported travel and there are ways that people choose to travel. In my experience, those are often not the same. However, I would gladly take a Tercel in the Gobi than a Defender in my driveway. . .

 

[Wonderland]

Any way of buying a Toyota HiLux in Mexico?

I live close to the Border I see them here all the time. Saw one last night at dinner actually.

If this vehicle is going to be used for World travel...makes sense for parts availability.

 

[JRhetts]

My vote for top of the list (if you will accept sleeping outside the vehicle rather than in a house on the vehicle): Jeep Rubicon Unlimited. With a roof rack and roof top tent you have great payload and off-pavement performance, as well as interior space and creature comfort.

How do I know? I drove one 10,000 miles over 3 months from the US to Panama, including a rugged detour through the jungle in Guatemala. It not only handled that, it was very comfortable and reliable to drive on what passes for pavement (+ potholes). Stock wheels & tires but OME springs and shocks to accommodate greater payload. (Yes, we took stuff we never used.)

 

[Chris S]

There are the most effective tools for vehicle-supported travel and there are ways that people choose to travel. In my experience, those are often not the same.

Nicely put, Scott. I may have to steal that line!

When you know nothing but get the inspiration it's common to think you must get a 4x4, if for no other reason than it will add to the fun and go-anywhere autonomy. Then when you've done some travelling you realise you can see a lot of the world with just good angles and a low 1st gear plus some technique and timing, ie: knowing where/when to turn back or not to go. That's why I like the idea of a sub $2000 station wagon. The more you know the less you need.

Talking of 4wd Mazda MPV, I wonder if that's the same as the Mazda Bongo we can get here, grey imported from Japan. Looks like a great little overland bus with the same 2.5 TD pre-common rail engine my Mazda pick up had.

I see no mention of a Ford Ranger (same as my old Mazda B2500 but even cheaper here). Is there a reason for that? I loved the cab-and-a-half ('Freestyle, Rap Cab'?) set up with the 'suicide doors' and my ute was as well built as a Hilux (Tacoma), but 30% cheaper to buy.

Chris S

 

[Ron B]

H1 is tough, can hold a LOT of gear.. But they are to blasted wide for a lot of trails.. Single digit MPG and unless you're running the later model Turbo Diesel, you're not gonna break 65mph on the freeway..

they are wide...thankfully the Ford Rapter is now a smidge wider so we aren't the only pig on the trails anymore! There's a pretty funny review on Top Gear a few years ago showing Jeremy Clarkson driving the h1 down some tiny village roads. Many guys are going with a rear-steer mod so it will turn on a dime to help with the tight maneuvering (pretty easy bolt on mod controlled with a joystick).

As far as single digit mpg...maybe in the gas version that was made one year (95 I think, it had an abysmal 8 mpg!) but they all seem to hover in the 14 to 16 range if you keep it stock and under 70. The earlier models had a 3 speed tranny which made cruising at 65 an issue. The td definitely has more poop but if I could do it all over again I'd go with an earlier all mechanical na version...I don't need to go faster than 65 in a 8000 lb truck anyway.

Mechanically they are sound and easy to work on/maintain. However, most of us hate the computer/gm motors, they are like a married couple who frequently won't talk to each other!

rb

 

[Root Moose]

I see no mention of a Ford Ranger (same as my old Mazda B2500 but even cheaper here). Is there a reason for that? I loved the cab-and-a-half ('Freestyle, Rap Cab'?) set up with the 'suicide doors' and my ute was as well built as a Hilux (Tacoma), but 30% cheaper to buy.

I see it as a vehicle that is not perceived to be "cool enough" to be considered.

Rangers are great little trucks. I'm guessing that they look similar enough to the Euro and Oz variants to blend in to the untrained eye overseas.

Viewing the pages on this site I've been surprised to see how many "old iron" Jeeps like CJs and full size Grand Wagoneers there are in other parts of the world.

 

[Scott Brady]

I see it as a vehicle that is not perceived to be "cool enough" to be considered.

Maybe. . . So which of the top-five vehicle submitted would you remove in favor of the Ranger?

 

[Root Moose]

Do you mean your list on post #20 or the OP's list on post #1?

In either case, I see the 4Runner and Tacoma as one choice dependent on what the purchaser is looking for so the Ranger could be squeezed in place of one of those.

From the original post I figure the Sportsmobile is a rolling bandito magnet, likely the same for the "over the top" trucks like the Fuso, etc.

My list of new stuff would probably be (no particular order):

- JK
- Toyota mini-truck (4Runner / Tacoma)
- Nissan mini-truck (Frontier / Xterra)
- Ford Ranger or full size
- Dodge full size

$0.02

 

[nfpgasmask]

Even though Isuzu dropped out of the passenger vehicle market entirely and there is no aftermarket, I still feel that a well maintained, properly outfitted Isuzu Trooper is going to be a fantastic expedition vehicle, especially 1st and 2nd gen models. They are extremely roomy, can fit a nice roof rack, and they have a stout body on frame construction. Sadly however Isuzu fans are an extreme minority in this country, even smaller than the Suzuki crowd.

However, you will find that here in the USA the 4x4 world is mostly dominated by Jeeps with Toyota coming in 2nd. If I didn't have a Trooper, would be looking to get an older Land Cruiser and if I had some serious cash to work with, I would be on the hunt for a D90/110.

Bart

 

[charlieaarons]

I get to pick 5?
In no particular order:

80/100 series Landcruiser
Ford diesel pickup w/7.3 diesel
Dodge diesel pickup with 1st or 2nd generation Cummins
FG140
U500

Charlie

 

[Christian P.]

My 5:

100 Land Cruiser
Toyota Tacoma
Nissan Frontier
Dodge Cummins
Dodge Sprinter
Fuso

oops that's 6.