RoyB Note Australian "Hard floor" Off Road Camper.

Dowindtracker2 wrote:
Wranglers have been using a VM diesel for some time, how have they been holding up.

The Wrangler uses the older 2.8 engine, the VM Motori replaced the 3 Litre Mercedes Unit. Jeeps have now improved their build quality under Fiat and are selling better here. No problems with the VM Motori.

There's a new modern 2.4D engine. Toyota is only redoing the front clip, not a new model.

Same engine just smaller. We do not get the 2.4D

The South African are raving about the new Ford Ranger 3.0 diesel. Nissan South Africa sells both the Navara/Frontier and an older NP300/Hardbody. The NP300 is likely what we'll get as the rental.

The Ford was Australian developed, has won awards Internationally, but does not sell well here. The Hilux still outsells it although it is a 9 yr old design. The Ford has been beaten by the Navara and Triton in the past in sales and was the 8th best selling vehicle in Australia. The Hilux has been the best selling "car" in Australia for many months. The Ford is made in South Africa, unlike the Hilux.
New Car sales November figures.
Pickup 4×4 Segment Winners

Toyota Hilux 4×4 (2,388 – 22.3%)
Ford Ranger 4×4 (1,501 – 14%)
Mitsubishi Triton (1,441 – 13.4%)

There's a new modern 2.4D engine. Toyota is only redoing the front clip, not a new model. The South African are raving about the new Ford Ranger 3.0 diesel. Nissan South Africa sells both the Navara/Frontier and an older NP300/Hardbody. The NP300 is likely what we'll get as the rental.

Americans have big price difference between gas and diesel, so it's understandable why they under-truck with 1/2 tons. In Canada both gas and diesel are about the same and more expense. That also goes for the trucks, so we're more apt to go 3/4 or 1ton diesel.

Wranglers have been using a VM diesel for some time, how have they been holding up.

Downwindtracker 2 wrote:
The new common rail, turbo charged, intercooled, direct injection diesels are truly great for 4x4s.Almost unlimited torque and great fuel economy which translates into range. Their only downside, which I wouldn't have thought about, except for reading a South African 4x4 forum is fuel. Questionable fuel will leave a gasser sputtering but a diesel stopped.

We camp. This June we're going to Namibia and renting a Nissan petrol bakkie (pick-up). Would have loved to rent the new Hilux 2.4D but they were 50% more and they didn't answer their E-mails.

Very few people buy Petrol Pickups outside the US. In Australia most of the Petrol ones have disappeared. The Hilux 2.4 D is not sold in Australia, only the 3.0D. The Hilux is pretty ancient and the newer Diesel Pickups run rings around it in performance and refinement. Toyota is working on a brand new model with a lot of input from their Australian operation.

Downwindtracker2 wrote:
The standard Jayco had a much heavier and better designed frame than even our North American "off-road" tent trailers. Even the aluminum tent extrusions were at least twice as thick. But at $21,000 AUD they were twice as expensive as what we Canadians we paying, Both our $ were about equal and at $ .95 USD. BTW Their hitches were really impressive.

Jayco Australia is not related to the US company so that is why you cannot get their products. Even with the high prices(small market), there is a staggering number of Manufacturers.Build quality is very good compared to US RV's I have examined.

The new common rail, turbo charged, intercooled, direct injection diesels are truly great for 4x4s.Almost unlimited torque and great fuel economy which translates into range. Their only downside, which I wouldn't have thought about, except for reading a South African 4x4 forum is fuel. Questionable fuel will leave a gasser sputtering but a diesel stopped.

We camp. This June we're going to Namibia and renting a Nissan petrol bakkie (pick-up). Would have loved to rent the new Hilux 2.4D but they were 50% more and they didn't answer their E-mails.

We Camp. One of our camping trips was the eastern half of the lap of Australia in a camper van. As tourists we went to a RV show, my son at the time was building a Aussie style camping trailer, so we picked up some brochures for him. We also looked at their tent trailers. The standard Jayco had a much heavier and better designed frame than even our North American "off-road" tent trailers. Even the aluminum tent extrusions were at least twice as thick. But at $21,000 AUD they were twice as expensive as what we Canadians we paying, Both our $ were about equal and at $ .95 USD. BTW Their hitches were really impressive.

Less Stuff wrote:
Well The Jeep branded Livenlite sure looks cool behind a Jeep.
But you don't like Jeeps as well, right?

As I mentioned (and obvious in the photo)it was way too fragile and it did not carry much. No we would not use a Wrangler for towing Off Road. Grand Cherokee with a 3 Litre Diesel is pretty reasonable tug for mainly paved and some Off Road locations.

Less Stuff wrote:
But you don't like Jeeps as well, right?

Petrol/Gas Jeeps are pretty rare as people stopped buying Gas SUV's for Off Road use a long time ago. The Wrangler is OK for some rock crawling(see your bottom photo), not as an Off Road vehicle.

RobertRyan wrote:

Someone imported some from the US because they were cheap. Did not last long, not all that robust.Also they carry less and are harder to put up.

This is a Goldstream RV traditional Camper. Only needs one person to put it away and up. A lot more Furniture etc than the Livinlite.

Well The Jeep branded Livenlite sure looks cool behind a Jeep.
But you don't like Jeeps as well, right?

Less Stuff wrote:
This American made tent trailer line is similar.:

Someone imported some from the US because they were cheap. Did not last long, not all that robust.Also they carry less and are harder to put up.

This is a Goldstream RV traditional Camper. Only needs one person to put it away and up. A lot more Furniture etc than the Livinlite.
http://www.goldstreamrv.com.au/campers/details/3-star-2.html

This American made tent trailer line is similar.:
livinlite

This might look nice behind my Jeep.