Vehicle Conundrum... starting out, best vehicle to buy...

[robertbruce]

hi everyone...

what's the best vehicle to purchase for extended remote stays for detecting and/or sluicing?
I've currently got a very very capable and very very comfortable 4.5T 4x4 Bus but it may be a little big and heavy and ignorant...

Selling it will provide me with equipment like a gpx5000 and sluice...
Else im limited to a pan...

I was thinking landcruiser ute or troopy
Water is my main concern, i want to carry 400-500 liters, enough for a month.

I will miss the comfort of the bus but i need to be totally practical in fastracking my learning curve. I figure starting with the grouse will give me the best chance of quickest success....
or will it?

your thoughts are appreciated

 

[Arwon]

If your looking to buy one of the new generation CRD diesels, make sure you invest in a 4 micron fuel filter as a minimum.

I have a CRD diesel 4x4 and picked up some diry diesel on a recent trip to VIC and it wrecked the injection pump and injectors due to the very close tolerances and high pressure they operate at, total cost of repairs is just under 10K. Thankfully my insurance covered me, but the word is that they will soon exclude dirty fuel from their insurance.

My repairer told me that he is fixing 2 CRD diesels per week due to dirty fuel on average and said that no one vehicle manufacture stands out, they all suffer from dirty fuel.

Now I purchased my fuel from servo's on my way to VIC via the Hume H'way so I thought I would be safe, I only hear horror stories from fuel in remote outback areas, can happen anywhere and at any time.

4 injectors @ $675 each
1 injection pump @ $4000
1 common rail @ $2000
Remove and clean fuel tanks $?????
Labour $??????

 

[robertbruce]

i hear you Arwon, i don't like diesel and can not afford one...
I am considering an older troopy, preferably with a SBC conversion on dual fuel...

judicial use of gas will give excellent overall fuel economy and total cost of ownership...

 

[misscadillac1964]

4x4 diesels repairs - services - replacement parts etc are expensive
I've gone a bronco - f-truck stuff does the trick - dime a dozen parts and super easy to work on.

 

[Heatho]

I don't like diesel either, it actually gets a nasty fungus that grows in it, once an underground tank is infected it's very hard to get rid of, grows in big clumps and the stuff you treat it with is probably not good for injectors and engines either.

I liking my 2003 4L petrol Landcruiser Prado, a bit thirsty but not too bad, goes most places stock standard, has plenty of space. I bought it with 200000k's on it and it goes great.

 

[AussieTreasureDigger]

Troopy for me, as late as i can afford.

 

[groveraus]

As wonderful as the power, torque and comfort the new CRD's give you they can be prone to dirty fuel.

I have a Land Rover Discovery 3 and a possible rebuild from dirty fuel would cost around $15000 I have been told. So when setting up my car I got "Water Watch" installed from Responsive Engineering in Canberra at about $900 and have a Donaldson inline filter to be installed. Costly yes but cheap insurance.

David at Responsive Engineering says they do 3-4 engines a week and that is why he developed the Water Watch system.

The other idea is an old clunker that is pre-CRD but you can be up for as much in running and repair costs to other components that a newish CRD makes sense.

Then there is the setting up of the car. If you want to carry 400-500 litres of water and then all the other stuff you may be over your GVM for most cars especially if you want to tow anything.

If I didn't have to haul wife, fours kids and a 22 foot caravan around I would have gone for a Land Cruiser because I had discounted the Discovery all together but when you get down to it you get much more of a car for the money when buying a Land Rover Discovery 3 than a LC 100-200.

I am a little biased toward the Disco 3 but it will get you everywhere you want to go and then back again carrying all that you need.

 

[robertbruce]

Firstly, let me say a HUGE THANKS for all of your replys. I'm not trying to start a diesel vs petrol vs lpg(when avail) im just trying to work out the "cheapest total cost of ownership taking into account all the things that can happen"... Dirty fuel is high on my list of cons against diesel.

The other idea is an old clunker that is pre-CRD but you can be up for as much in running and repair costs to other components that a newish CRD makes sense.

AuFever, you are exactly correct, my option of a SBC counters that if it's a decent conversion, i hate adapter plates...

4x4 diesels repairs - services - replacement parts etc are expensive
I've gone a bronco - f-truck stuff does the trick - dime a dozen parts and super easy to work on.

yep, yep, my bus has effy driveline, cheap as chips... knuckle washer seals $43us, Landcruiser knuckle washer seals a WHOPPING $243.00...
Lucky for us, we know some of the parts are interchangable...

Troopy for me, as late as i can afford.

ATD... im not sure about late model Troopy. I lost faith with Toyota post'99. ASAIK, they downrated the gearbox and other drive parts to the point where LandCruiser has problem with diffs and box's now-a-days. Turbo Diesel driveline stayed the same but turbos are expensive to fix and the petrol is too thirsty in my book...

I'm single so the set-up and weight capacity isnt a biggy for me. I would be prepared to tow a water trailer if need...
i guess it all depends on what "type" of prospecting i want to do...