Samurai as a expo truck

[sross]

The tranny and t-case will definatly be rebuilt. I'll probably replace the head gasket in addition to servicing the front and rear axles. The timing belt will be replaced. The carb needs to be rebuilt but from what I have read, the hitachi carb on the sami is really complicated and is best left to the pros. Probably looking at a couple hundred bucks to send that out and have it rebuilt but worth it. The 15 gallon petro works tank will go in. I'm debating the lockers right now. A winch would cheaper than arb's and probably more useful. The suspension will be the last thing I do. I plan to load it up with everything I'm taking plus 200 lbs and then weigh it. I'll figure out the springs and shocks based on that. This will be a motorcycle style expo but with a cooler. I initially wanted to do it on a bike but when I had a buddy teach me to ride I found that I didn't love it. It was cool but I don't think I could stay motivated for 8-9 months on a bike. Comfy seats and carpet will be installed. I'm going to insulate the interior as well. The best thing about all this work is that I can go to the autoshop on post and get proffessional help and do the labor myself and Sami parts are cheap! I get to learn and do it for less than just about any work on the cruiser. I'm thinking a roof rack for a place to keep a tailgating style awning and a camp chair and table. I also think it will be a great conversation starter. If even half the guys that talk about driving south in modded 80 series actually do it they can't be an unusual sight. A beat up sami with SC tags seems like it would be a good bit more unusual. This will be a pretty open ended trip so if I find I can only stand to be in the truck for a couple hundred miles at a time then that is how far I'll go. I should probably start checking out the adv. bike forums.

 

[ExplorerExplorer]

I've been seriously considering a Sammi for my travels... I think it would be a real solid truck, a small lift, and 235/75-15's in a MT tread... It would be perfecty for me for weekend, week-long trips, and I would have my Explorer for longer trips (longer than a week)... Plus, the Sammi gets much better gas mileage (14/15 vs ~20)... You could even build a light trailer if you needed more room...

 

[ShearPin]

I went as far as Guatemala in my 88" Series III Land Rover. As you've mentioned backpacking equipment keeps things light and simple. I took my Optimus Stove, hiking pots and pans, and some freeze dried stuff. Two person tent and basic sleeping stuff with Therma Rest pads. My wife finds the therma rest and a sleeping bag fleece liner are also useful in the event the hotel/hostel/guest house isn't "comfortable".

In Mex/Guat/Belize (with the exception being Baja,Mex.) I've rarely cooked - keeping my cooking equipment as a back-up or if my intestine needs a break. You will find good food available everywhere from roadside palapas to offers of home cooked meals. The food is always good and cheap - conversation is an added plus.

The tent is more of a back-up as well - you'll be amazed how small a town can be and still have rooms for rent - cheap. My experience is "outback" style camping is rare to find - the offer of a flat spot in a back yard being more the norm - of course, there are exceptions. Ruins often have camp grounds as well.

Water and fuel was the bulk of my weight and I kept it low with twin tanks in my Rover and water in simple jerry cans. With two people and gear I had no need for a roof rack. I'am not sure if there are retrofits for larger fuel tanks - with 26 gallons in underseat tanks and 10 in jerrys in the rear I never wanted for more.

In short - I think the Samurai would be a great rig for the trip. I have some friends here in Canada who've run them over the years and always comment on how tough and capable they are. Speed and ride are less of an issue then you think where you're headed. In Mexico there are new toll highways everywhere but if you stick to the old and scenic highways speed is a non issue. Due to a transmission issue I drove from the Guat border to Texas at 25 mph and was rarely harassed on these routes - there will be far slower vehicles/animals etc. on the roads. Belize and Guat saw a lot of dirt travel leaving the slow Rover happily in its element....

Forgot - I ran 235/75/16 Goodyear MTR's on one trip and BFG MT's on another to the same area - both great tires.

Sounds like a great trip...


Henry
www.4x4freedom.com

 

[sross]

Right now the roof rack is going to just be a place to throw wet/dirty stuff. I have read a lot from people who bring all this gear and then end up staying in a room 6 nights a week or more. Folks do this trip in vw golfs so the samurai should have no issues.

The fuel options in the samurai are fairly limited to a larger 15 gallon tank and jerry cans. In the rear a double stack drawer system taking up one half and the cooler taking up the other.

I've been thinking of a way to mount the doors on the rear quarter panels so they can be taken off the hinges on particularly hot days. I just have to mock it up a few times. I'm broke at the moment because of the 80 series but next month should be able to get some work done on the Sami.

 

[4Rescue]

EDIT:
So apprently I'm none too bright and I missed the whole point of his question being that he HAS both of the trucks in question... I'm an idiot, disregard the following banter... sorry: Dave

Why not a 1st Gen 4Runner??? Kind of a cross between a Cruiser and a Suzi... I know mine could easily be outfitted for 2 people to live comfortably out of indefinatly with the ability to re-fuel and re-coup food as in traveling to SA. I can imagine that the 22RE and Toyota Hilux drivetrain should be about as common as the old Chevy's that are everywhere. Maybe that'a a bad thing??? Do they get stolen often??? How about an Oz-imports 4dr SFA Hillux??? That would DEF. get you down and back and give you added room that is sorely missing in Single cab Toyota P/U's...

These are things to consider I guess, but I think a Suzuki just takes a whole different mind-set to travel in for long long distances. Hell, two people traveled all over from N to S america on Honda Trail 90s!!!!!!!!! Being as I own one I can attest to how much planning and inginuity that would take. You CAN do alot with a very little

However!!! Since this IS a Suzuki question: There IS the OH so AWESOME LWB Suzuki Sami. that you could find up in Canada I belive. That like nearly every other truck like it is about perfect IMO if you don't mind smaller trucks (Jeep LJ, CJ-8/6 and MY 1st Gen 4Runner being the compareable 2dr. Mid Wheel-base trucks I can think of). You gain Valuable Wheel-base off-road with a platform that's still nimble off-road, room for gear and comfort in ride from the added W/b. as well. Add a removable Hard-Top and you;ve got all sorts of options as you now have sort of a bolt-patern to create a camper shell ala' the XV-JP and you can see how much fun one of those could be. The LWB Sami is a really neat truck IMO but apparently pretty rare.

We are lucky anough to have more then a few AWESOME examples here on the board and I belive that last years UA had a Hemi-Swapped LWB Sami that absolutely cruised over everything. Now I'm dreaming of LWB Sami's...great another truck I'll never own...boooooooo

Cheers

Dave

 

[Harald Hansen]

I think doing the trip in a Samurai is an excellent idea. Nthing the "look at it as a big motorcycle" advice up-thread. It's easy to work on as everything is so light, and it's maneuverable in the smallest villages. Recovery is also easier than the larger LC. Any passer-by in a pickup can pull you out of a ditch in pinch.

I read the thread and now I want a Samurai as well... :smiley_drive:

 

[sross]

Just found a guy selling a rebuilt engine for $600 obo so sent him an email to see about setting that up. I also found a pic of what can only be classified as an expo sami:

 

[maximumrob]

Do it in a Samurai. That will make your story telling much more interesting, and gives you something to lay claim to that few out there will try.

Don't worry about the lack of storage space. Motorcyclists seem to do just fine (I was one).

When is somebody going to post pictures of their bad little truck?

 

[CYi5]

John Bull in Big Bear.

YJ Springs, 265/75 M/Ts, 6.5 T-Case gears, herculined interior, homemade sliders, fun project cars. It pretty much tops out at 60mph, but i need to swap in tracker gears to get some power back. I'd probably stick with a nice OME setup if you plan on lifting it at all.

No way I'd put an RTT on top of my rig, even stock would be sketch. They do track very well when flat towing.

 

[4Rescue]

^^^^^ NICE Samurai mate. Those little trucks are flat out awesome. It's always amazing to me what a Sami on 33's can do compared to only slightly larger trucks on much bigger tires These things just blow me away out on the trails here in the NW, they really never fail to impress. Plus, if you flop one, it only takes 3 guys to tip it back over adn you're on your way. Xtreme 4x4 on TV built a little Sam i with a swapped in VW Diesel that was just plain amazing. The Diesel sounded like a mini bulldozer and ran off Veggi-Oil to boot. I Love Sami's. Like I said, I espescially like the uber-Rare LWB's.

Cheers

Dave

 

[sross]

How do you like the yj's? I'm going to keep in sua so my only real options are ome and yj spings. I'm only trying to clear 235's. I got some work done "kinda" today. Went to swap out the water pump today and rounded off a bolt that is in way to tight of a spot to hit with a nut splitter or a dremel. I have an idea of how to to get it off but didn't have the tools on me today.

I go on leave next week so no work will get done until the 15th when I get paid again. Engine rebuild guy hasn't emailed me back yet but I plan on replacing all my vaccum hoses and belts when I get back. Will get a pic up Monday.

I've been thinking replacing the rear windows with sheet metal and putting some kind of grated barrier between the rear and driver's area. It would work in the cruiser but might be claustrophic in the sami.

Its supposed to rain all day tomorrow so I think I will work on a gear list and check out routes for the trip online. I'm set on making this an open ended trip that ends when I get tired of it but one has to stay motivated.

 

[CYi5]

They flex alright, but not all I was expecting. The samurai is such a light vehicle there's never much weight pushing down on the rear, so not a ton of flex back there. Ride is..eh. Short wheelbase...I've tried ranchos and now on to doetsch tech. i never really thought about running YJ's spring under, just went straight to the SOA.

I think if you stick with SUA you'll have a better ride, less axle wrap. This is a picture just to show you size wise..265/75, so same height you're looking for, yours will just be skinny. I'm not sure if you'll be able to fit those without rubbing with just a 3" SUA lift.

Are you planning on regearing the diffs?

I'll also be rebuilding the engine this fall, it leaks oil like it wasn't meant to be there.

 

[Prflyer]

wow, new on this forum and I have pretty much the same rigs, a 92 80 and an 86 Sami, I have used the Sami quite a bit more for financial reason, its just so simple to fix and add things, not a long ranger confort wise but a great fun vehicle, I do live on a 100 by 35 mile island so there is no long range runs
here is a pic of the "flea"

it rides on 33's super swampers

 

[chet]

I have had YJ springs on two samurais now. one short and one long. The short one started spring under then I did a spring over and kept the YJ's All configurations flexed VERY well and rode amazing! Shocks are the major factor. Ranchos plain suck on a samurai. Doetsch techs apparently work well and on a spring under just longer shocks will work but going spring over both sammys have had ford shock towers welded on the front and angled shocks in the back with 12" stroke shocks to get the travel.

I would not put a roof rack or a RTT on a sammy as it will absolutely kill your mileage and power. plus it will make it sway in the wind quite bad (I tried it with my tin top and hated it) You can build a back bumper rack if you need to and they work well.

 

[Cackalak Han]

Looking forward to the report. I think it would be awesome to do it in the Samurai. I would love to pick one of those things up.