I am toying with the idea of buying a truck good for hauling goods and supplies and also one, which will be good when going on mountain explorations with the family. due to financial considerations, I have decided to get a second hand one.
The one I am thinking about is the Delica 4x4 2500 CC diesel, with the choice of engine based on the fact that the torque is good, and the fuel economics are very great. Moreover, it seats 7 or takes a big amount of gear, and both will be advantages to me.
Now, do any of you have any experiences with that kind of big bulky cross between a van and offroader?
The Delica Van was one of my choices as well before choosing the Isuzu…
The good:
Deisel torque.
Roomy.
Some off road capability/Part-time 4 wheel drive/proper transfer case/locking hubs.
The bad:
Top heavy.
short wheelbase/heavy body roll.
Unsophisticated deisel engine. Will have problems with emissions tests.
Limited ground clearance for the heavy duty stuff/smallish tires
Hard to find in decent condition/overpriced.
Rust prone.
You’ll never be able to use any underground parking again…Too tall.
I’ll be happy to assist your search in any way I can…Might I also recommend checking out a used 2.5 liter Jeep Cherokee as well. Many of these types of vehicles in Taiwan are beat, so don’t be in a hurry! I spent 7 months looking for mine, and still ended up doing some heavy repairs to get the truck ‘like new again’. On any off-road vehicle here, you need to check the suspension/drive train carefully. I have nothing but high-praise for the Rodeo, but the taxes…
I’ll also be happy to take you out for an off-road 101 class. Including approaches, clearing obstacles, and safe towing/escapes…It’s surprisingly easy to get into trouble here once you venture off the ‘beaten path’. If you plan to travel alone, you’ll need a slew of straps, hooks, body armor, air compressor and a high-jack.
Pm me (lost your number) and we’ll get cracking on the search…
The roominess of a delica is very important, as well - last weekend we discovered that the bare minimum of camping gear could not fit into the nissan. Moreover, as my business has started to heat up, I will need additional sample carting space soon.
I ahve PM’ed you, and look forward to go car-hunting.
Are you foreign 4WD’ers more careful in the Taiwan environment than local 4WD’ers I have had the misfortune of experiencing? Have seen some hideously negligent environmental vandals up in the mountains… flogging the bejesus out of the place. Horrible stuff.
We have a good off-road area in Kuanshi and it is designated as such. I do venture out onto some beaches/riverbanks for camping where the alternative would be a long walk. I don’t do river crossings or bash off trail. The SUV is for getting me where I need to go only, and yes, I’ve seen hideous damage done here by people who want to ‘jungle bash’…
Forturnately, it’s not easy to get off the trails here, so for the most part, people stick to established trails. I did read an article concerning a dispute between the park service/off road clubs disputing access to one of the high altitude lakes in Hsinchu county…Seems the park service was concerned about the damage caused by unscrupulus off roaders…And rightly so. The downside is that the off road clubs refuse to accept this and have gone so far as to tear down the barracades blocking the entrance, or bashing a new trail to circumnavigate the barrier…
This is reckless off-roading at it’s worst, and continues to tarnish the folks out there that do it responsibly. There are hundreds of kilometers of mountain top fire trails waiting to be explored, and as long as these people can follow some pretty basic rules, then a healthy balance could be reached.
A decent off road vehicle is a tool, nothing more…I despise the current soccer mom trend in the US, and would not have much interest in owning one there unless I had the free time allowed in Taiwan to pursue my outdooring interests…
Mr. He enjoys the outdoors and has come to realize he needs something larger to fit all his camping gear and kids as I have. He also found from his last camping experience that to get away from the mountain karaoke/city slickers that more remote areas are in order…The beauty of Taiwan camping is that it’s fairly easy to find some dead-end road that ends up next to a pristine river and not see another person for days on end…It’s also nice to have a decent campsite with all the amenities, especially when kids/city dwelling Taiwanese spouses are involved. To combine these things with a passenger car is nearly impossible, and downright dangerous as Mark Western and I found out the hard way…
My old nissan was packed to the gills and could hardly pull itself up to the Yulao pass - on the way back after I drank all the beer, it was much easier.
I don’t know, if a Jeep cherokee is as good, then OK, but well - 4 people with a Taiwanese wife demanding showers and a tent to do them in - space is at a premium.
As much ground clearance as possible, while keeping your body as low as possible. I would be leery of rollover on some of the trails we play on. In Kuanshi, we take it to about 8/10ths of the vehicles ability, to the point we need spotters to avoid panel damage. The articulation (suspension flex) doesn’t seem that good in the delica, and the center of gravity is high. The Cherokee is solid axle front and rear, which even stock will do wonders at keeping your tires on the ground. Two years ago, I had to yank a Delica out of the sand in Kenting, and the trusty Rodeo never spun a tire doing so despite towing a 3,000 pound plus vehicle. The older Isuzus came stock with Dana 44 limited slip rear-ends, coupled with an extremely tough suspension. They are awesome off-road for a long wheelbase SUV.
In conclusion, I would recommend the Delica as long as you are aware of it’s shortcomings…High center of gravity, open differentials front and rear, smallish tires, and mediocre ground clearance. For hauling the family goodies/ with some off roading ability, it should suit your needs nicely…
