Thoughts on a RR 4x4 Farmtruck (no Azn!)

[BellyBuilder]

Hi guys,

I'm looking into the possibility of picking up a used cheap RR 4x4 pickup for Farmtruck duties instead of using a on-its-last-legs tractor.

I didn't realise they were potentially so cheap, such as this one: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mitsubishi-L200-Single-Cab-2-5TD/172726042393?



The vehicle will not be going on the road so MOT is irrelevant, and as long as it starts and stops safely that is all that will be required of it, plus hauling logs, towing the odd car etc. etc. up a moderately slopey field.

Using the above Mitsu L200 as an example, can anyone recommend some very grippy tyres that would do the job on said slopey wet/muddy field? I'm not sure what the green-lane boys use for their antics tyre-wise (plus I'm not interested in GL'ing anyway).

If the above Mitsu isn't the best as a 4WD, can anyone suggest anything better at under £1K? I've never liked Landies and don't want a project - just want something that will go and stop. Petrol would be preferable to diesel if the choice is there?

Not sure if being jacked up slightly like the above one would be good, perhaps others can comment?

Any thoughts? Ta.

[chris y]

I have no idea, one question though, why not diesel?

For almost all vehicles I'd go for petrol, I'm not a diesel fan at all, but for low speed with torque off road and being able to use red diesel as its never going on the road I'd have thought it would be a good idea.

[BellyBuilder]

Slow to warm up and more complicated are the negatives, but as you say, low speed torque and red diesel are the positives.
Ok, lets not narrow it down then - petrol or diesel is fine.

[alecf]

I said special tracs are cheap enough. As there's loads of cheap imitations on eBay about.
I think you will struggle for a petrol version diesels on the pickups seem to be alot easier to obtain.
Get an early one and there bullet proof and run on red.

[fad]

Insa turbos are cheap BFG MT copies and work well.

Have a snout on 4x4AT there's loadsa choice.

[Ryannn]

Had no issues with my Pajero/Shogun. Much cheaper than a defender and mine is just as capable (I've had both).

Switchable 4wd drew me to mine and there's plenty of rotten ones out there for off road use.

Get a LWB and chop the roof off?! Lol

[BellyBuilder]

Jun 16, 2017 19:21:47 GMT alecf said:

I said special tracs are cheap enough. As there's loads of cheap imitations on eBay about.
I think you will struggle for a petrol version diesels on the pickups seem to be alot easier to obtain.
Get an early one and there bullet proof and run on red.

Thanks for the info mate.

[BellyBuilder]

Jun 16, 2017 19:40:32 GMT fad said:

Insa turbos are cheap BFG MT copies and work well.

Have a snout on 4x4AT there's loadsa choice.

Great website, prices seem good and as you say lots of choice! Cheers mate.

[BellyBuilder]

Jun 16, 2017 19:45:53 GMT Ryannn said:

Had no issues with my Pajero/Shogun. Much cheaper than a defender and mine is just as capable (I've had both).

Switchable 4wd drew me to mine and there's plenty of rotten ones out there for off road use.

Get a LWB and chop the roof off?! Lol

They're a good choice but unfortunately need the full redneck mode to chuck stuff in and out of.

[Rob M]

I had an L200 Pick up ( single cab) for a while, couldnt fault it.
There is also a very good L200 forum out there who will be only too happy to help and advise.
Probably a better value and capable 4x4 than most.

[fad]

Jun 16, 2017 20:02:08 GMT Rob M said:

I had an L200 Pick up ( single cab) for a while, couldnt fault it.
There is also a very good L200 forum out there who will be only too happy to help and advise.
Probably a better value and capable 4x4 than most.

Great for donuts and drifting in RWD too.

[BellyBuilder]

Is there anything that's worth avoiding like the plague under £1K?

The Mitsu L200 looks very much like the Nissan D22. A Hi-Lux would be nice but they seem like they could be out of my price range or a Low-Lux instead.

Single cab only as there's no need to have a crew cab, unless towing weight is better with a CC?

[Rob M]

Jun 16, 2017 20:06:14 GMT fad said:

Jun 16, 2017 20:02:08 GMT Rob M said:

I had an L200 Pick up ( single cab) for a while, couldnt fault it.
There is also a very good L200 forum out there who will be only too happy to help and advise.
Probably a better value and capable 4x4 than most.

Great for donuts and drifting in RWD too.

I think the Bulgarian foreign chap I sold mine to would have been more more impressed with the load area at the back which, I guess, would have taken a rocket launcher across the Syrian desert no bother.

[igor]

Our real farmer neighbour has a 4x4 diesel L200 from the mid '80s. Goes hard for what it is and pulls like a school boy in low range. Tows a big tandem axle trailer with two round bales sweet as and once pulled my Falcon with a trailer full of firewood out of a wet place I really ought not to have driven into with ease. I've driven it a couple of times and rather like it.
If you're mostly driving off-road you might consider farm service lug tyres all around. Many of the country boys here do that on their utes, especially in the winter. It is not uncommon to see 4x4 utes on tractor grip tyres in the main street when there is a decent snowfall.

[welshpug]

these old diesels are pretty simple. nothing complicated about a mechanical pump and 4 injectors.

[BellyBuilder]

Seems like another vote for the L200!

[daslandroverman]

They all have their issues.
Rot can be a big thing on all the Japanese models, with Navara's being pretty prone for it.
Mechanically L200's crack heads, Navara's can have engine issues, but are better known for lunching gearboxes, Toyota and Isuzu seem better in that respect.

The Isuzu Rodeo is fairly hardy thing all round, whilst nobody has mentioned the Ford Ranger.

Perhaps not the best or most capable pickup available, but certainly bats a good average, with consistency and pretty good reliability.

Unsurprisingly, I'd rather have a Land Rover for the job, but you've already noted you don't want one, and truth be told, you'll likely only get a real nail for the money you'd spend on a cheap J pickup.

[Rex Kramer]

I've not long sold one of those of a similar vintage. Rot, rot and rot are the things to look out for. The example there doesn't have the troublesome electronic injection that graces the post 02 models, and also won't suffer the very frequent HGF either, so an earlier model is the one to choose.

If you want to use it in the slime then Colway M/Ts or similar are cheap and effective.

Other than that they're robust and capable. Mine went anywhere that some quite highly modified Defenders could, aided by the rear difflock. The only real handicap is the large rear overhang, which can be awkward for really challenging off road stuff, but wont be an issue for more regular off road use.

Navaras of the era suffer significant chassis snapping problems which isn't getting any better with age and corrosion.

Rangers etc of the era are thin in the ground.

If you're after a cheap pickup, then the early L200 is the one to have. There are better trucks out there for sure, but not for bargain basement money.

[braeburn]

I have got a mk1 ranger as my daily.
Can't fault it really. Reliable, parts are cheap, not the fastest thing, but could pull a house with it.
This is my second ranger. Previously I had a hilux, which was also ok, but they are overpriced.
Navarras seem to have some kind of habit of snapping chassis, and exploding engines.
L200s are pretty good, but parts are fairly expensive, and I was put off by the fuel economy of them.

[Rex Kramer]

A mech injected L200 will run on about 80% veg in warm weather, 50/50 in winter. Used to visit Costco for my weekly fill up at 60p/L.

On diesel, driven normally, did better than my D1 dieseasel ever did