MJB, thanks for the info… Look forward to seeing the pictures. The Isuzu in the clip was not like the one you have pictures of on the web. That one is a short wheelbase and yours by the look of it is pretty long. That is if it is the rodeos that I have seen here. That is what I am saying. The shorter wheelbase the better of the two, usually. Not always, but usually. Well thanks for the info. and hope to hear more.
No problem…the truck that made the climb look easy was a 2001 Isuzu Vehicross. Short wheelbase concept truck that only sold a few thousand in the US. However, if you look at the truck following, you’ll see a 108.1 inch wheelbased 2nd Generation Rodeo getting spooled up for the climb. He made it too.
I don’t spend every waking minute crawling on rocks…In fact, my main purpose for owning the Rodeo is gaining access to more remote/interesting camping/hiking areas. I go wheeling on occasion. It’s good practice, and let’s you know the full capabilities and limitations of your vehicle. There’s a very good offroading area within 20 minutes of my house, but it’s designed more for short-wheelbased trucks. Still fun though.
But, again a short-wheeled based truck isn’t really all that convenient as a daily driver unless you are single. I pined for a wrangler for the longest time, and even drove a few, before realizing that they are utterly useless for a family vehicle.
So, again it comes down to the Rodeo or Cherokee…Tough call. The taxes are cheaper by about 12,000NT yearly for the Cherokee. Gas mileage is better but not hugely so. The 4.0Liter inline six is also an option, but the taxes would be well over 40k per year.
The Rodeo is roomier,more luxurious, drives and handles better, uses a ladder on frame construction (truck), as opposed to unibody (car) on the Cherokee and has a far more powerful 190bhp V6 as it’s base powerplant.
Off road the two are roughly comparable. The Cherokee gets the nod for articulation with it’s solid front axle, but the Rodeo makes up for this with the superior Dana 44 limited slip rear end.
Parts are cheaper for the Cherokee, but again not hugely so.
I’d still recommend the Rodeo or Trooper over the Cherokee, especially in Taiwan. If you go up into the mountain areas to the police checkpoints/rescue services, you’ll see dead and dying Cherokees everywhere, and parked right next to them are functioning Rodeos that are just as old…It’s simply a stronger truck.
[quote=“hexuan”]Can’t believe they don’t sell Land Rovers here. I bet half the so-called “off-roaders” in Taiwan have never heard of them.[/quote]You can buy a Disco off the showroom floor, or a (Ford) Freelander. There are a few enthusiasts around with old Mk2 and Mk3 Land Rovers also. A good friend of mine has a Range Rover (:drool:). They are rather pricey, which is probably why you don’t see too many of them.
So you can buy a Land Rover 90 here?
Looks like they carry both the Defender 90 and 110. Take your pick.
landrover.com.tw/chinese/home/home.asp
I’ve only ever seen the Disco and the Range Rover in the showroom however. YMMV.
Here’s what I think of when I think of Landrover. This is much cleaner than my dad’s one, though. Synchromesh? We don’ need no steenkin’ synchromesh!
If you drive an old defender, remember to fit an extra heater into it, especially when travelling in colder climates. Back home one of my mates had one, and we used to pack ourselves into the woolies before heading out, as the car would be cold at all times. Also, until recently, they came without power steering, so parking in Taipei is likely to give you a pretty good workout.
Hi guys, I am the one with the Surf that MJB mentioned and I can now do a lot more with it than before. A simple change of tires and a world of difference. I cut out some of the wheel well and put on larger BFGoodrich all Terrains and it has made a huge difference. The tires are essential to good and fun off roading. I kept popping tires every month or so. I can wheel with a lot of vehicles out there and I push it sometimes. 
Do not underestimate the Toyota Surf. 
Oh ya, I just took her out for a short run the other day and we were climbing slopes of 40+ degrees. This thing can do some cool stuff. It surprises me sometimes. Almost lost it a couple of times on the slopes though. Luck was there that night.
Luck had nothing to do with it. It was me yelling that we were tipping over!
A lot of fun on the edge. Hope the edge holds up though.
I wanna go to, especially as Ironman described the trip to me in rather… interesting terms.
You haven’t mentioned anything about the Suzuki Jimny. Do you happen to know anything about it? I don’t know much, other than that it’s small sized and small engined (1.3L). The photos I’ve seen show it tackling very tough terrain, but of course, a photo is a photo, not real live experience.
cheers,
DB
They whomp ass off road… 
I’m headed off for work, will post later on what I’ve seen the Jimmy do even in stock form…With lockers? Unbelievable.
The Jimmy is good. I have seen it do a lot of cool stuff. It is really amazing. It is not a Jeep but if driven right it can do a lot. The short wheelbase helps it out a lot. Put good tires on it and as MJB says “lockers” then go have fun. Rollover might be a problem though if lifted too much. It is quite high centred in the beginning. Ironman, What stories are you telling? It was only a stomach in the mouth experience a few times. 
You are a good co-pilot though. The screams help make it fun. Don’t forget the seatbelt when you go out with me. When it’s time to romp, it’s time to romp. Took her out on the sand today too. Did a good job. Would have tried more had I not been alone. 
Our outing from a couple of weeks ago…
pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/michaeljb … ?.dir=b71d
Had to leave the long wheelbase trucks home for this one. In the group photo you’ll see a well equipped Jimmy with selectable front/rear lockers.
The boy made short work of almost any obstacle up there, including the steep hill climb shown that two locked jeeps running 33MTs had real trouble with.
I want my wife to get one so I can beat the crap out of it…What a perfect little toy 
I’d be more impressed if the guy in image #0785 was pulling that jeep out with his testicles rather than just his hands. What a lightweight!
I always rent a Jimny or Katana when I go to Bali. There isn’t much room in them and they’re pretty agricultural, but it’s amazing what they can scramble over. Opens the bowels as much as the eyes.
Thanks for the pics MJB. Some nice ones. Now we will have to try to get some of us out there. Keep on sending those pics.
Hate to demonstrate my ignorance here, but I’m not totally sure what “lockers” are. Is this an accessory you add on, or do you replace the differentials totally? Do you have a link so that maybe I can better understand just what these are? How much do lockers cost? Any information about this is greatly appreciated.
While I’m at it - is there any chance at all of adding 4WD to an existing 2WD vehicle, or is that totally absurd?
I admit to being a novice. I’ve never owned a 4x4, but I’m interested.
cheers,
DB
[quote=“Dog’s_Breakfast”]I’m not totally sure what “lockers” are.
[/quote]
No problem. Diff lockers are exclusive to off-roading/drag racing. What they do is give added traction off road by “locking” the differential in place, thereby disabling the differentials normal operation of allowing the two wheels to spin at different speeds. An open or limited slip differential on any car will allow the wheels to spin at different speeds. This is neccessary because the turning radius of the inside/outside wheel are different. When you are off-roading, this creates a problem as tires are lifted off the ground. An open/limited slip differential will try to send only enough power to the wheel to get it moving, and if you have zero traction on one wheel, thats what you’ll get.
With a diff locker, the power is applied equally to both wheels regardless of whether one is on the ground or not. So, even if one tire is off the ground, the other will still get 50% of the power. This has huge implicatios for off roading, as it allows much greater traction in uneven terrain. It also allows for greater ‘suspension flex’.
[quote=“Dog’s_Breakfast”] Do you have a link so that maybe I can better understand just what these are?
[/quote]
Try these:
auto.howstuffworks.com/differential3.htm
powertrax.com/nsexploded.html
richmondgear.com/02powertrax.html
arb.com.au/
Now there are downsides to having lockers, as it will force your front end to shovel/understeer, because the inside/outside wheel turning radius will be the same. On pavement, it will create tons of ‘drivetrain bind’. That is why the best of both worlds is a selectable locker, one that you can turn on and off. Lockers are useless on snow/ice and can actually be dangerous in certain conditions. You’ll often hear clunking, or have tires chirp when driving with lockers on the street.
Converting a 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive is cost prohibitive and complicated.