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Gold Hunting 4WD


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Yes the 4 Runner was an OZ model few years back, taken off the OZ market  before the Prado was introduced. Had a top rep as all Toyotas do here in OZ, in fact you drive down any highway in OZ, Toyotas would have to be the most popular by far and every second in the bush or better. I went down from the larger Toyota to the Hilux for its lightness and narrowness and nimbleness as Steve has found, but think it appears they may be now made for lighter duty than the bush bashing we require.

 

I`ll report back on this after I take it up with Toyota, because it is relevant to our fever. See if they answer my emails or are like Minelab in that dept.(gotta have a shot at Minelab at every opportunity :rolleyes: ) Thinking back my first Toyota was a Stout back in early 70`s. The Stout was the forerunner to the Hilux but only in 2WD and 30cwt. I love my Toyotas and rely on them as much as my Minelabs. The theme to the Toyota TV ads in OZ is "Oh what a feeling" not sure I agree with it at the moment. :)

 

Strange the diesel Toyotas aren`t everywhere in US, reckon that`d have something to do with your big manufactures influencing the Govt. We have very few locally produced 4WDs, well even cars too in OZ. Not sure but think sleeping in front seat downunder is "resting" too, well it`ll do.

 

My Hilux with its turbo direct injected diesel pulls a mates 19ft boat surprisingly easy up and down the great divide. Toyota have progressed a lot with that little diesel, Dale yours would be the indirect injected I suspect as in Missus Prado.

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Hi All

 

This is my Rig, IMHO Toyota made a big mistake moving away from the rugged build of these 90's model Hi-Lux's, these things are tough as!!!! mine has 590000 k's on it 1990 model which I have had since 1994.

Ute.jpg

cheers

Lee

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That machine with todays zippy Hilux diesel motor would be the bees knees for gold hunters, but the market has turned Toyota away from that. Comes down to supply and demand I guess.

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Here is my old 4-Runner in Alaska. It was a 2005 but after years of Alaska wet weather and salted roads was getting some body rust, so I sold it when I moved south with 170,000 miles on it. Upgraded to a used 2008 6 cyl with "only" 75,000 miles on it. I have towed 3000 lbs with it and it does ok but but it cuts the gas mileage in half.post-1-0-69508600-1422739555.jpg

I sleep in the front seat a lot. There are many places where camping is not allowed, but in the U.S. sleeping in the front seat of your rig is "resting" not "camping".

Thanks Steve.

They do appear to be the same chassis.

That no camping rule must suck! I never listern to what the stupid government says when it comes to stupid laws like that.

I had the cops try bother and move me on when I stopped on the side of the road in between country towns on a long commute between Sydney and the central Australian desert.

I just said that I got sleepy all of a sudden.

Then asked if I should drive when I was at high risk of falling asleep at the wheel?

They said that I should not!

Then they just left me alone as they have a duty of care.

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Yes the 4 Runner was an OZ model few years back, taken off the OZ market  before the Prado was introduced. Had a top rep as all Toyotas do here in OZ, in fact you drive down any highway in OZ, Toyotas would have to be the most popular by far and every second in the bush or better. I went down from the larger Toyota to the Hilux for its lightness and narrowness and nimbleness as Steve has found, but think it appears they may be now made for lighter duty than the bush bashing we require.

 

I`ll report back on this after I take it up with Toyota, because it is relevant to our fever. See if they answer my emails or are like Minelab in that dept.(gotta have a shot at Minelab at every opportunity :rolleyes: ) Thinking back my first Toyota was a Stout back in early 70`s. The Stout was the forerunner to the Hilux but only in 2WD and 30cwt. I love my Toyotas and rely on them as much as my Minelabs. The theme to the Toyota TV ads in OZ is "Oh what a feeling" not sure I agree with it at the moment. :)

 

Strange the diesel Toyotas aren`t everywhere in US, reckon that`d have something to do with your big manufactures influencing the Govt. We have very few locally produced 4WDs, well even cars too in OZ. Not sure but think sleeping in front seat downunder is "resting" too, well it`ll do.

 

My Hilux with its turbo direct injected diesel pulls a mates 19ft boat surprisingly easy up and down the great divide. Toyota have progressed a lot with that little diesel, Dale yours would be the indirect injected I suspect as in Missus Prado.

Its not that it wont pull the weight its the handling and stopping is adversly affected once you go over the tonne.

Im not talking about in a road towing situation, I'm talking about on rough bush tracks.

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Got you Dale, I found that even with the troopie once loaded. On road the troopies old 2H diesel couldn`t pull your hat off, off road that was no concern how you loaded it was,  put it in hot dry fine sand loaded up and you were buggered. Naught to do with the motor. I made my troopie worse by building a fold out camping top on it complete with solar panels, that weight up top isn`t desirable but comfy, with bed always ready, on those long trips. Is a difficult quest to have a vehicle whose all up weight is over 31/2 tonne and still be able to negotiate bush bashing. Probably the best compromise, is one vehicle for each person.

 

At least than you`d have heaps of load carrying capacity on the way out from Lasseter's reef with the tonnes of gold. :rolleyes:

 

That s/wb Cruiser sure looks good in that scenery. 327 under the bonnet tis a rocket.

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I spent a good portion of my life flying around Alaska as a passenger in small planes - very small planes. Many many hours propped up in the back seat asleep. I have logged lots of hours sleeping on jets, which tends to be poor as the seats really do not recline and too many people waking me up when I would obviously rather be sleeping.

 

My Toyota I can put that seat all the way back, and I have a long pad for the seat, whatever blankets suits the weather, and a good pillow. I sleep better in my truck sometimes than at home, where four dogs always seem to have me up for one reason or another.

 

For more extended in truck camping I pull the headrest off the passenger seat, run it forward a bit, and lay it all the way back until it is flush with the rear seat. Toss a 6 foot long 4" thick foam pad on that with low spots bolstered underneath with blankets and I have a nice soft bed ready to use.

 

But the front seat does me well enough for a night or two. Recently I was out in northern Nevada. I intended to use my tent, but the wind was really blowing, so I just crawled in the front seat. Woke up at 4AM to the truck shaking and little "splat. splat, splat" noises. I turned on the headlights and saw fat flakes of snow going sideways at 40 mph! Seat went forward, truck turned on, and I was on my way home in minutes. I like being mobile at the drop of a hat.

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