Window shopping for overland travel.
Having had a few chats with Tim about Troopys, specifically of the pop top variety. With friends of his using one to explore Australia, not to mention major forbidden fruit for an American, he obviously finds that idea quite appealing! He is not the only one.
Not quite forbidden fruit over here.
The final iteration of the ‘narrow’ body Troop Carrier, came with the 1HD-FTE turbo diesel 6, from the late model 100 Series. There are only a couple for sale in Australia at any one time, however, that is the pick of the bunch it would seem to me. These are around AU$30-40k.
https://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Toyota-Landcruiser-2006/OAG-AD-14876887/?Cr=1
[Or around the same price as a ‘multivalve’ diesel turbo 80, interestingly.
https://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Toyota-Landcruiser-1998/OAG-AD-15008668/?Cr=5]
This would be around $15-20k over the cost of the 105, before any mods. Let alone a pop top and fit out. Not to mention less good off road, and on road, than the 105.
So what is the benefit? Better set up and pack down? Better accomodation? (I’m theorising here obviously). Yes, to both, probably. However, maybe not by enough over what we have to justify the investment.
Set up and pack down. With a good fit out I can see this being very slick with a Troopy. If we intended to be moving everyday, or similarly often. This would probably be a deal maker for me.
Accomodation is not so convincing. A troopy is not that big inside, once you start to think about living in it. Most of the time the weather in Oz is good enough that spreading out outside is not a problem. Our current set up already provides good comfort in a wide range of conditions. It can also be left set up while we explore the area in the truck.
So one big tick for the Troopy, is it enough? Are their better options? What if it was a bit bigger?
Ah, the Excursion. Surely something like that would be big enough inside for anyone? (apparently not, as the author tows a trailer which he puts a RTT on, WTF!) Anyway, I enjoyed that article, which was shortly followed by another one in true ExPo style about how to take a minimalist approach, simplifying your set up by spending a load of cash on new gear, love ExPo...
Anyway, it got me thinking about a larger SUV. However, there is very little available over here. No such thing as an Excursion, although we did get a Holden Surburban.
https://www.carsales.com.au/car/holden/suburban/
Which is, yes, a RHD Surburban with a Holden badge on the front. Although it is 4x4 (I’m presuming most Suburbs’s are RWD), with the 5.7 V8 (petrol). It is not without its appeal, but a bit like coming off a Dirt Every Day Marathon and being convinced you and your mates really need to get a couple of old Jeeps, an old Army truck, a V8 wrecker and a angle grinder to make some mad off road mutant. Most American things, make most sense in America.
Not all though. The F-Truck has been a grey import (correction, it seems Ford did bring them in for a time) staple over here for many years now. You see them around pretty regularly, and also in the country as opposed to just the city, this is important. Why a pick up? Are you not a wagon dude? Well with a pick up, you can have a slide on, and that brings a whole world of advantages, and with an F-Truck, you can have a good sized slide on without any worries about it not being enough vehicle for the load.
Sumin’ like this.
With sumin’ like this.
(almost) All the mod cons, plus the ability to take it with you, and the ability to leave it in one location while you drive away too.
We are talking a whole new level of investment now. Not just the slide on but a new bus to sit it on too, but hey we’re window shopping.
When I was dragged round the 4x4 and boating show last year, my eyes were opened to the modern caravan. In the UK caravans and caravanners (new word?) don’t have a very good reputation, mostly to do with holding up traffic on the UK’s narrow roads. So I had this fixed idea in my head from that, that I would never be a caravanner, but you know what? Now I think I might just be, one day.
Interior comfort is on another level compared to any other option. Space, toilet, shower, bed and somewhere to lounge around, proper kitchen. You could live out of these for months, no problem. Of course many retirees do just that.
Plus, being Australia, we have developed proper off road versions. This idea has a lot of appeal. Park the van in a remote spot, unhitch the Cruiser and go exploring the trails of the area. Just need those well paying jobs you can do on the road now...
http://www.lotuscaravans.com.au
How off road is an off road caravan? Well, I guess we are soon to find out...
So, I started at a $15k trade-in and ended up at a $100k caravan, isn’t that how window shopping goes?