I'm in the market to buy a good reliable 4WD that can handle the bouncing around driving up valleys such as the Hopkins, the Godley. and the Havelock.I want a vehicle that what tahr hunters use, except that I'm a mountaineer, and not a hunter.I can pay between 10-15k and want a vehicle with less than 200k on the clock and which is less than 10 years old.I'm open to all suggestions and ideas and are a serious buyer. I hope that someone can point me in the right direction.
mugenb20b,
May 26, 9:19am
A lot of newer SUVs are softer than the older ones, but no vehicle is bulletproof. The only way to insure your vehicle is capable and reliable is by spending money on suspension, driveline, chassis, and engine upgrades.
Oh, and a good SUV that's less than 10 years old and up to $15k! Good luck.
kalebsmum,
May 26, 9:25am
you could look at a nissian safari pre 1997 . Because the range you want won't get you what you are after
m16d,
May 26, 9:26am
Best 4wd for driving up river beds would be a company vehicle.
kingfisher21,
May 26, 9:28am
With a company fuel card.
kalebsmum,
May 26, 9:33am
And company repairs I'm guessing
bubbles244,
May 26, 10:04am
1986-7 toyota hilux.the one they tried to kill on topgear. 2.4 diesel manual 4wd with manual hubs.
Range rover or land rover 110, coil springs on all corners, WAY more comfortable, that is until you break down or run out of fuel, or go broke from owning it
singing1,
May 26, 11:55am
After three years spent in river beds as roads in Albania I can say that the Landrover 110 is good until the water gets close to the door handles, being light they tend to move around a bit with the current, especially the pickups. The 75 series Toyota Landcruisers (troop carrier) are great.
kazbanz,
May 27, 12:05am
just grab a bola-I'm told they are pretty good
pico42,
May 27, 1:29am
Something with a snorkel. Something with half decent clearance. Something that you don't mind getting the carpets wet.
From factory, you are probably looking at a Defender. Reality is that any of the usual 4WD suspects would be fine (eg Landcruiser, Hilux, Safari, Defender etc) with a bit of money spent on key areas.
Your age and budget combination may be difficult to satisfy though.
mrfxit,
May 27, 2:48am
#1. I'm in the market to buy a good reliable 4WD = no worrys #2. can handle the bouncing around driving up valleys such as the Hopkins, the Godley. and the Havelock.= no worrys #3. I want a vehicle that the hunters use, except that I'm a mountaineer, and not a hunter = do-able. #4. I can pay between 10-15k and want a vehicle with less than 200k on the clock and which is less than 10 years old. = YOU WHAT! #5. I'm open to all suggestions and ideas = good to hear #6.a serious buyer = good start #7. I hope that someone can point me in the right direction = you can hope & try & we are willing , but with #4 in the mix . Ummm nope.
chris241,
May 27, 2:52am
LANDCRUISER
mrfxit,
May 27, 2:58am
Snorkel Good rock/mud tyres Diesel Min 1 air lockable diff, better for 2 (drive diff, not drive shaft/ center diff) Min 500mm to 600mm body/ chassis clearance Rock slider side steps Winch & gear Selectable 4x4 hi/low gearbox (a lot of modern 4x4/suv's are NOT selectable) Pref for live axle but a good Ifs setup will be ok. ***********
Hey. why would you want to bush bash/ swim a modern 4x4 Comfort & appearance mean NOTHING if you are stuck in a wet river bed or sliding down /up a steep bank
mrfxit,
May 27, 3:00am
Good with a few suitable mods
(Talking longer term usage, not just a random 4x4 job)
mugenb20b,
May 27, 3:24am
Obviously OP has looked at all the replies, thought that we are full of it and decided not to post back. Maybe he isn't ready to accept the reality of funds required to meet his needs.
chris241,
May 27, 4:30am
sorry all older than ten years i forgot my magic wond
mrfxit,
May 27, 8:10am
LOL yea . * mutters something about petrol engines not running well under water *
peter148,
May 27, 10:33am
Okay thank you to the serious reponses, but my partner who is the one with the money specified what She wanted.But the simple fact is that we don't want want a tow vehicle and we dont want a long vehicle.There's just the two of us, and all we want to do is to be able to access high country mountains.So the ground is stoney but well worn from other 4WD's traveleling up there all the time.Floods wash away tracks and create steep stoney banks to climb up so we want a vehicle that can handle river crossings.I am happy to take a decent shovel to reduce the angle of embankments for our vehicle to climb up and over.What price range should I be looking at!I am happy to get an extreme short wheel base vehicle such as a Mu if it would reduce the cost.Shoult I be searching for something form the 80's with beam axle leaf suspension. or are there vehicles which have independent front suspension that are very reliable offroad and in river valley travel!
serf407,
May 27, 11:07am
I thought Tahr hunters used Robinson and Hughes Helicopters to access the back country. Is is preferable to have a group of vehicles when accessing the type of rivers you describe ! The convoy tends to pull each other out of situations at times. You might end up walking a long distance travelling by yourselves if a lone vehcile gets stuck. At least take a locator beacon with you. Bee keepers and a few others went for Unimogs to have the weight, clearance and larger tyres for crossing braided rivers.
pico42,
May 27, 12:34pm
Peter148, it's the water in the rivers that is the problem. That and being mountaineers means you are likely traveling by yourself. That YouTube link that was posted is realistic in some circumstances and if you get into difficulty up the Godley, you are a long way from assistance (I understand the Lilybank station owners are still barely tolerant of visitors - but that could be dated).
So that means a vehicle that can keep traction and movement in what could become very deep water very quickly. So wheels on the ground and kept turning.
The unimog suggestion above encapsulates those difficulties.
With the info in your post 25, you are probably looking at a SWB Cruiser, Safari, Defender 90, Mu, maybe a hilux. Vehicles that are too low or light get shifted by the water easily or simply float (especially in the rear) eg Vitaras. What ever you get will need some modifications - the further up the Godley you go, the more the need for armor against rocks, some form of self recovery (winch and ground anchor), snorkel, diff breathers. I am aware some vehicles have made it to the glacier lake up the Godley, but they looked to be serious club/borderline competition vehicles.
That said, if the deepest water you are going through is say 1 foot at most, running clear with a hard based crossing, most 4WDs will be fine. On day like that, you could be fine in a RAV4. Which is what makes your question so hard to answer.
pico42,
May 27, 12:36pm
Or for a short answer sans the novella, I would buy a Defender 90 or SWB Cruiser, based on personal preference and bias. Or lift our Vitara even further.
offrd1,
May 27, 6:31pm
This is the easiest question to answer on this sight.lol.Jeep Wrangler or Maybe a Cherokee,they are very well priced and will go anywhere,especially the Wrangler.a bit of a lift and snorkel and a way you go.don't listen to the naysayers on here.have a look on off road express forum.a NZ site that is good for advice. PS the Defenders are also great but a bit expensive
juniper9,
May 27, 8:25pm
any thing with lsd, snorkel and winch will get you where you want. personally i prefer safari, hilux, or cruser.
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