Highly Durable Vehicle For Traversing Rough Terrain

Hello /Δ/, I am in need of a strong yet versatile truck capable of traveling in harsh conditions and being able to drive within forests and up hills. This truck will be used to travel into the wilderness of Canada and will be taken presumably hundreds of miles off of a road. What I am looking for is: >Turbocharged diesel engine w/ automatic transmission >Smaller sized truck with extended cab (Interior) and bed (Possible camper...) >4x4 capabilities to be capable of climbing rough hills and uneven locations >Speed is not of importance, although it should be able to work on all US roads... >If possible, cooling for oil and transmission fluid to keep engine working at best (I can modify it myself) >Older truck (Pre-2000) to reduce impact of possible radiological attacks and minimize reliance on electronics (No drive-by-wire) I will be taking this truck far out, diesel engine is preferred 6/8 cylinder with 24/32 valves for maximized air flow and exhaust flow (Engine is very much a glorified air pump...) with twin turbochargers (I can modify this myself if no such truck that fits these specifications exists...). This may be a bit off topic for a board such as this, but I am hoping that at the very least some individuals on this medium can help me. Any help is appreciated!

>>559 My recommendations, though I am not a car / truck enthusiast or expert are the following : * Mercedes-Benz Zetros 6x6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_Zetros * Mercedes-Benz Unimog U4000 Type 437.4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unimog#Unimog_U5023_437.437 * EarthCruister's offerings http://earthcruiser.com/our-vehicles/ , though they may not be as off road as you like. The only down sides to my recommendations that I am aware of is that they are probably out of your budget, and possibly more heavy duty than you are looking for.

>>562 Splendid! Those trucks are perfect for this particular application, I had military trucks in my mind, but I am highly autistic when it comes to purchasing a product, I will end up spending months and conducting tons of research before! I find it would be wise for me to return the favor, the reason I require such a truck is because I want to conduct scientific research and possibly encounter new organisms and possible /x/ type phenomena. It is quite amazing what we are still discovering to this day, pyramids under layers of sand off the coast of various countries, buried civilizations that change our understanding of history, etc. The vast expanse that is the Canadian and Russian wilderness is uninhabited, and a visitor may very well be the first human to walk in some of those locations. Initially, a school bus would have been the vehicle for the job, but these locations are extremely harsh, and during the winters a school bus would become stuck.

Maybe not as large as you require, but a Land Rover Defender is about the most maintainable vehicle there is.

toyota land cruiser with some well-researched modifications. make sure you have a block heater for the canadian winter.

AFIAK, I don't believe any trucks that meet all your criteria exist in stock form. The old Toyota Hilux (Tacoma in NA) had a diesel and four wheel drive. But the diesel wasn't brought to North America. But you can't import one because you'd never get it road legal due to emissions. The size is the tricky part. A small truck with a Diesel engine doesn't really have much of a market, especially in North America were gasoline is cheap, so not too many of them have ever made their way here. If you'd be willing to step into a larger truck though, the 90's Ford F-350 Power Stroke would be a good option to consider. The engine is built with long service in mind so they are very reliable, it has enough power you can tow just about anything with wheels, and with a modest suspension lift and tires you'd have to be trying to get it stuck. You can also find them with dual fuel tanks for extended range which would mean you'd have more room for provisions since you wouldn't need to bring in as much extra diesel on a long journey. > I had military trucks in my mind You might be able to find a Humvee or other military truck that fits the bill, but getting it road legal will be a challenge. Military vehicles are generally exempt from emissions laws so there will be a lot of research and work to get it to pass emissions. If you live in Canada you're going to have a hard time importing one because it will almost certainly be illegal to export from the country of origin (like it is in the US) or illegal to import into Canada. If you don't live in Canada the import/export problem is even worse because in addition to the months of work you'll have done to get into your country and make it road legal, you'll then have to convince the Canadian authorities to let you in driving a military vehicle. Another hidden trap for exotic cars is getting them repaired. Replacement parts are hard to come by. Even doing something simple like changing the oil will be tricky because you'll have to order the filter from a surplus yard. But if you needed something more involved like a control arm or head, you've either got to buy a parts car or fabricate what you need. > Initially, a school bus would have been the vehicle for the job, but these locations are extremely harsh, and during the winters a school bus would become stuck. International makes a 4x4 school bus: http://www.rockymtnbus.com/index.php?s=51&stock_no=IH97-90733 If you wanted a bus to begin with, that's what I'd get. With four wheel drive and as much ground clearance and weight as a school bus has, it will get you where you need to go, no problem.

>>559 If you're bold enough, any truck can be a diesel truck.

>>559 >smaller sized truck >speed is not important >6/8 cylinders get a 4 pot

http://www.govplanet.com/ pick a state, any state, and browse their selection of used light/medium trucks. these trucks are all diesel, exempt from federal emissions standards, and often need a good month or two of electrical/minor mechanical work (brake master cyl. and ext. lighting for example) http://www.govplanet.com/for-sale/Light-Medium-Tactical-Vehicle-%28LMTV%29-1994-Stewart-%26-Stevenson-M1079-LMTV-4x4-Van-Truck-Kentucky/1100488?h=5000%2Cct%7C30%2Cl2%7CUSA-KY&rr=0.5&hitprm=&pnLink=yes

>tfw this is as close as I'm coming to a Hilux Surf in the USA I love it tho.

>Turbocharged diesel engine w/ automatic transmission not common. But, for everything else, an older(80s and early 90s) 4WD toyota pickup is street legal in the US, really easy to maintain/modify, and durable as fuarrrk. Also mandatory jacking off the diesel hilux

>>559 What you want is a Landrover Defender. These things are indestructable, and easy to maintain (which is a pro), they survive deserts, scottish highlands and antarctia, most importantly, they survive dumb drivers (=drivers who have no idea what they are doing in terrain). They're pretty affordable, too, and often come with camping-related second-market extensions.

>>559 https://youtu.be/3j7n00Xx38o

>>814 >Landrover Defender not the best choice in North America, you can get them fairly cheap, they are easy to work on, but parts are a pain in the ass and expensive to get.

>>565 god damn look at that long wheel base defender Isuzu did some swaggy double cab trucks: >Isuzu Elf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isuzu_Elf#Fourth_generation >Isuzu Faster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isuzu_Faster#South_America_2 I'm not really familiar with their off-road abilities. I'm used to just wanting haulage space in the back over (mostly) paved roads. I'd use a volkswagen transporter for that kind of job.

Anything with a Cummins engine. They're pretty much indestructible. Not sure if they ever came with the Torqueflite, or just manual. Finding one that isn't rotted out will be hard work because Yanks don't like to use underseal, even in states that get fuarrrk tons of snow and ice, and salt the roads. First gens, power is about 160 brake and 400 pounds of torque. Although depend on the condition of the engine. Second gens start at 175/420 and go up to 245/505 for the high output. Lower power and torque outputs on the auto boxes. Third gens introduced the 6.7 litre Cummins. Power outputs for that lump up to 350/650lbs on 2500/3500 chassis. Fourth gens nothing really changed engine wise. Fifth gen 6.7 litre Cummins (2019 models) on the 2500/3500 chassis will make 385 brake and over 900 lbs of torque. For anyone serious about diesel in North America, Cummins is the only road going choice. Maybe Paccar if you're looking at trucks. And by trucks I mean truck trucks, not pickup trucks. If it's diesel in a big ass pickup truck you seek, a Cummins in a Dodge 2500 or 3500 chassis is what you want. Parts are EVERYWHERE for diesel Dodge pickups in North America. Even more so than any Land Rover or Japanese motors. I'm in the UK. Land Rovers are everywhere, but they have the "Land Rover tax", even here. Which will only get worse now that the Defender is no longer being made. Vehicles over a decade old, or with 100k+ miles on them still retain their value well because they're much sought after. And the UK has an incredibly high rate of depreciation for vehicles. Japanese motors might be readily available in North America, but many of them are spec'd by the American public with gasoline engines because it's usually cheaper and more readily available. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cummins_B_Series_engine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Pickup Even the first gen Cummins was turbocharged. While Ford and GMs offerings at the same time were N/A. I drive an old VW Passat with the PD130 engine. An incredibly resilient engine for which parts are common as muck due to them being put in everything under the VAG banner. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Volkswagen_Group_diesel_engines#1.9_R4_TDI_PD_43-118kW But if I was in North America it would be a diesel Cummins I would be driving. Unfortunately we never really got an "every day" Cummins in the UK. They were only ever found in agricultural, construction, industry, power generators, rail and truck. But then we also had a better selection of diesels available than North America. The 3 litre V6 engines from VAG were used in everything from Audi to VW. BHP and torque figures ranging from 200 to 260 bhp depending on application... and that's before tuning. Tuned easily sees over 300 brake and 600 nm of torque. The 4.2 found in the A8, Q7, VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne was an impressive lump as well. But the new 4.0 in the A8, SQ7 and Bentley Bentayga is a brute. Audi also put a 6.0 V12 diesel in the Q7. 500 brake and 1000nm of torque. Unfortunately they're rare as hens teeth in Europe, never mind North America.

>>1017 A Dodge Ram Van is £250 tax, soykafloads of insurance because it's a V8, and fuel consumption is measured by counting it on your fingers. I couldn't even afford to run one as a day trip van. We're essentially priced out of American stuff in Europe. I'd be looking for a Volkswagen LT35, VW Transporter, tall-cab Ford Transit, or an Opel Combi. I might take the VW Passat idea and see if I can run with it. What are your views on these options? Also, what can be done when the government starts double/treble taxing petrol with pollution zone charges and tells us all to fuarrrk off to electric vehicles? Can a petrol car be converted to bioethanol? Or do you need a diesel for that?