which 4wd confortable and suitable for heavy off road use?

I am not sure what article you read, but I would say you picked about the most suitable off road vehicle for heavy use and suitable for taking anywhere in Asia or Europe, even with dirty diesel.

They are very well regarded and will have good resale value.

Go with your gut feelings.... you are right..... the Toyota is the way to go. That magazine you were reading must have been sponsored by Nissan ha ha (well Nissan is owned by Renault now isnt it?)

When we started looking it was between the Toyota 100 series and the Patrol. Size inside, mechanicals and comfort. The Toyota GXL won out as it was just a few inches longer so we could lie comfortably in the back. And it was a better ride. We also wanted a turbo diesel and automatic gearbox.

Phil

The Troopcarrier (Bushcamper) would be the ideal vehicle for going anywhere. We have had one (Hj75) for 20+ years and have taken it in lots of outback places, and lived in it for up to 4 months at a time. Cant imagine what the magazine writer was thinking? Troopys carry a big load, have a lot of length and space, excellent visibility and as tough as any vehicle you will find and tougher than most. Some say not the most comfortable vehicle but we have been happy with ours with decent seat covers fitted. And they are fun to drive. Have a look in our blogs for more details.

Cheers,

Val

Hi Martine

Firstly you have chosen the best site for the best and most honest answers available.

Firstly I would bet that the article that you read was not talking about Australian conditions. I can assure you that we (Australia) have some of the toughest four wheel drive conditions in the world and this is shown by all the major players in the four wheel drive market using our Outback conditions as testing grounds for new vehicles and also other well know aftermarket manufacturers for test their products.

When you travel around our great outback areas, you will see in almost every mining venture, station country and the like only 1 type of vehicle for reliability and trusted performance, and they are not the cheapest either............Toyota.

There is one good saying, 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do' and if you stick with Toyota, you cannot go wrong.



Enjoy our great country.


Cheers


Stephen

Martine

I would also recommend a Troopy. They have been designed for those conditions and have proven themselves over and over again for decades.

This 2 hour DVD features a convoy travelling on the Canning.http://www.lifestylevideos.com.au/CanningStockRoute-dvd.html
It gives you an excellent insight into what to expect in that part of the country. One of the cars is a Troopy that looks like it is stock standard right down to its tyres. It has no trouble at all handling the conditions. They are even passed by a left hand drive version from Germany that is travelling in the opposite direction.

Martine
I would agree, a toyota diesel ute, troopy or landcruiser is the way to go. Just make sure you time it that you are not travelling around the remote areas of central Australia during the summer. We have lost too may international tourists out there already. If you have little or no hard 4x4 driving experience, a driving course should be a top priority when you arrive.
My wife and I have just completed a 17500km trip around the north west of Australia and there are many spectacular places to see and many of them can only be seen in a 4x4. Unlike France where you are never far from civilization, we have many places that you can be at least 300km from even basic help and recovery does not come cheap. We came across a chap on the Nullarbor who had blown a water pump on his Toyota truck. It was 500km back to Kalgoorlie and about 900km to Ceduna. His wife travelled back to Kalgoorlie with someone and picked up the part from the airport - which was only available in Perth.
I guess what I am saying is - come and enjoy the best country in the world but please treat it with respect and don't underestimate the harshness and remoteness.

Chris W

Martine,

You don't give us an idea of budget, but typically when overseas travellers arrive they become involved in the 'backpacker' community and network. Here you will find fellow travellers, very keen to sell their vehicle that often comes with a full array of camping gear. And as they are leaving the country, they are eager to negotiate on price - no doubt you will be in this situation in six months time!!

These vehicles are often in the $5000 to $15000 price range.

Gumtree.com.au is a common place to find such bargains, and also there will be notices up at backpacker hostels. You'll also see 'for sale' signs on vehicles at free camp places, or at beach carparks where travellers sneak for an overnight stay.

Locals tend to stay away from such vehicles, when in fact they can be good buys. Perhaps not very pretty, maybe a bit rusty on the surface. This doesn't appeal to a local who might want to keep it for many years, but for your circumstance, this does not matter.

It is a courageous thing to come to a new country and buy a vehicle without any local contacts. You are likely to find people generally willing to help you out, much the same as you might find in your own country. And there will be the ones who will tell you wild tales that end up costing lots of money, just like in France!!.

Allow yourself a few days/weeks to acclimatise to the language culture and community before heading out to make your big purchase. Settle in first, and plenty of opportunities will become obvious once you've got a feel for your temporary new country.

Tim

I'm a Nissan owner and a happy one at that but even I would say go with the go with a full sized Toyota with the 1 HZ engine. Non turbo and slow but this engine is understressed and will just keep going with the proper care.
They still sell Toyotas with these engines today in some markets in the Middle East and PNG.
By the way what you have in mind is great we have plenty to see here from the Wet Tropics to Marsain landscapes. A sat phone would be a nice accessory- you know just in case.

Thancks so very much for all your kind answers......i guess my choice seems to be a good
one...actually it was not an article but an add as i was looking for prices and availibility in Oz.....As i far as i myself...even if i am French i feel 'australian by heart" as i am having
a love affair with Oz since 2000 ,when i first arrived by "luck" after being in Indonesia....I am a woman painter of 62 ,as i was living in Qlds i started fallen in love with eucaliptus taking hundreds pictures of them , being a urban before i for the fist time connect myself very strongly with wild nature and got addicted.....since then i have gone mostly all around oz which i could do with 2wd ,now i have still the most beautifull to see but the most remote also..so i decide to sale my place in the south of France to live my dream....
besides eucas i also love red dust tracks ( i have allways enjoyed driving and going through the kimberleys i found "corrugated tracks" fun to drive on ) and also know i will
come backs to take picrures of the beautifull rocks on the beach of Broome and those of
Cape Leveque which for me so far the most beautifull place on the planet)
Besides this i know i cannot go the most remote places on my own so i am looking for
convoys to join after the 'wet" and possibility to join a 4wd club in Broome or Darwin to
get more experience in 4wd driving........
i am also looking for what most conmfort i can get on this Toys...researching budgets
involved either buying here in France and shipping in Oz or buying in Oz resaling it after 6 months or going on with it in Asia..........quite a bit of research !!!!!!!!!! Thancks again for your warm answers
cheers
martine

links to the add i referd to
it s says it

a link one of the french version of the troopy
french option

also you can look on my pictures on my facebook page at
"martine myrmirian"

oupssss!!!!!!
new try to insert links

it s says it

french version