Does anyone make a ute that's as tough as a Pajero?

[old Jack]

Does the G Wagon come in dual cab?

Not in the Professional Civilan range but it does in the military 6wd range supplied to the Austalian Defence Forces.

https://www.army.gov.au/our-work/equipment-of-the-army/vehicles/g-wagon

https://www.army.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1846/f/g_wagon_booklet.pdf

Looks like the G wagon and its derivatives have only 2 seats across in the first and second rows.

OJ.

[erad]

Here is what Kiwi needs: - The Toyota MegaCruiser:

https://www.exploroz.com/forum/139253/landcruiser-collection

[pharb]

Dare I suggest an ML Triton?

Same engine as your NS.
Some trim levels have Super Select like your NS.
Pajero tough driveline, including same "big" rear axle like the last of the Gen 2, not the lighter rear axle that was fitted to the MN.
If you believe Google images they only seem to crack chassis's when fitted with big trays or camper bodies, or off road, high ball weight trailer use.
Biggest negative as a ute is smallist in class ute size, but I would suggest with 1200mm long tray, box, or body arrangement you would still have 30% more length, plus width and hieght than a Paj, and more usable.

Rear seat room? Even though 2 of my sons, and my Dad have MLs I haven't checked how rear seat room compares to my NX. But when they were first released in about 2006 they were reported to be huge advantage over other twin cabs at the time, although that wouldn't be hard. I'll check out on weekend when we all go camping together.

Age? Comparable to the last of the 100 series I think. And can still find "low" mileage ones if you look around. Although I consider anything with less than 200,00km low mileage (he says with only one of the 8 Pajeros and Tritons in the family with under 250,000km on the clock )

[Onslow]

I've just been through exactly the same process Kiwi. The Pajero is very hard to beat in every way. I needed more space and carrying capacity. My conclusions on each option were the same as yours and it took 12 months to finally make a decision. The Toyota 80, 100 and 105 Series seem very reliable and would handle your needs. For my thinking they were all getting a little long in the tooth.

I ended up with a 200 Series which has worked for my purpose. Relative to your end-use, it has much more space in the second row seat area, and the second row seats move back and forward - much better for growing kids. It has much more space in the rear cargo area too. And the roof weight capacity is double that of the Pajero, if you're game to put that sort of weight up top. It would require a gvm upgrade though, as the standard specs are not much better than a Paj. I've gone from a 3350kg gvm up to a 3845kg gvm which is a substantial change for a wagon. In Aust the 200 Series ute conversion is common too, so that could be an option.

[bennyb29]

Going with the opinions of the others on this thread, the only sensible option I can foresee for an upgrade is the LC 100 or 200 series. Ute conversions on these are quite common, and there are quite a few videos on YouTube as well. Pity we will miss seeing the Pajero in some exotic locales once you upgrade to the new tourer, though.

[craka]

Can't give you any advise regarding what to chose but rather what not. I've known two people with dual cab rangers that have had a mirage of electrical problems with them.

[pharb]

https://www.turnbulltoyota.com.au/demo-car/toyota/landcruiser/gxl-4x4/8584541/

[Merts]

A few thoughts for you.

Ignore the comments about twin cab chassis cracking. That literally only ever happens when they are massively overloaded, particularly with long canopies with too much overhang.

Hilux's unbreakable reputation is mainly advertising hype. They have been pretty decent vehicles, but I wouldn't touch the current model with a barge pole.

D-Max is a good solid unit. We have one in our work fleet and it's fairly pleasant to drive, and the engine is a proven performer.

My previous vehicle was an NS Paj. I'm now in an MQ Triton. Don't let the smaller engine put you off. It (the engine) is at least as good as the Paj powerplant. The back seat is also heaps better than the Paj, as someone can sit in the middle for more than ten minutes without bursting into tears from the discomfort.
Storage wise, the tray with a canopy will carry a lot more gear than you can get in the rear of the Paj.
Cons are it's leaf rear end is not as comfortable or as good handling as the Pajero with its independent suspension on all corners.
Pro is that due to the body on chassis setup you are a bit more isolated from corrugations than you are in the Pajero, so travelling of rough dirt roads is more pleasant in the Triton and I'm never terrified that the dash is going to fall off....

Anyway, those are my thoughts.

[NFT5]

+1 on the Triton MQ/MR.


That engine is a little pearler, with no real issues. Have a look on the Triton forum and you'll see very few complaints other than a shaky passenger seat. Same thing here with the (I wish I was a) Pajero Sport.



The suspension, like all factory suspensions, can be fixed and ride quality improves out of sight with a bit of weight in the back.


They're sold world-wide so, other than the USA, parts should be available on your travels. Only issue I'd see is that they're not quite as wide as a Pajero and, while comfortable for two, the back seat may be a bit of a squeeze for three.


Land Cruiser 100/200 or Patrol ute conversion? Sure, but remember that to work best these need a chassis lengthening and then you're in the middle of nowhere with a non-standard vehicle. Not to mention the cost.

[Having Fun]

+1 on the Triton MQ/MR.


That engine is a little pearler, with no real issues. Have a look on the Triton forum and you'll see very few complaints other than a shaky passenger seat. Same thing here with the (I wish I was a) Pajero Sport.



The suspension, like all factory suspensions, can be fixed and ride quality improves out of sight with a bit of weight in the back.


They're sold world-wide so, other than the USA, parts should be available on your travels. Only issue I'd see is that they're not quite as wide as a Pajero and, while comfortable for two, the back seat may be a bit of a squeeze for three.


Land Cruiser 100/200 or Patrol ute conversion? Sure, but remember that to work best these need a chassis lengthening and then you're in the middle of nowhere with a non-standard vehicle. Not to mention the cost.

Except............. he's looking for more space & the Triton is the smallest Ute in it's class. It doesn't come close to a Pajero in that regard.

[benckj]

Can’t beat the yank-tanks for size and power. Not really my thing anymore but they certainly have the room, reliability and comfort. Economy will be an issue as they like to visit petrol stations. Good mate of mine just dumped his new Ranger for a 6.2l petrol Dodge Ram to haul his caravan with great results.

[NFT5]

Except............. he's looking for more space & the Triton is the smallest Ute in it's class. It doesn't come close to a Pajero in that regard.

Oh?

A double cab ute with an aluminium canopy would do wonders for resolving the space issue,

Having had both Pajeros and Tritons, even the ML had masses more cargo space than any Pajero with the back seats not folded down.

Triton - Unsure about these. I think with the small engine it's gone the wrong direction for the kind of overland vehicle build I'm contemplating, plus it's a smaller ute than others. Still, it's about the only ute with a true full time 4wd ability, which is impressive (all others can only use 2wd on-road). Trayon did a write up recently in which they advised everyone against buying a Triton or Navara ute, as they consider them the weakest builds and worst quality - seems harsh!

It is narrower than the Ranger and has a shorter wheelbase. The narrowness I addressed in my earlier post regarding room for the kids. But it has Super Select and a good modern engine which, with typical Mitsubishi toughness in gearbox and diffs, makes for something worth putting on the list.

[dreamerman]

This is my 1 cent worth. I used to drive a Ssangyong Actyon Sports Dual Cab as a family vehicle for almost 5 years. I have never taken it 4WDing but have done quiet a few dirt roads. It was unbreakable and never had an issue. I once had manual transmission issues (difficult to get into gear) but that is because the idiots at dealership did not put in the correct oil (has to be FUCH, nothing else). I sold it and bought a Pajero

[Merts]

Except............. he's looking for more space & the Triton is the smallest Ute in it's class. It doesn't come close to a Pajero in that regard.

Like Chris, I've had both.

Whilst the Triton may be a bees whatsit more narrow than the Pajero, the back seat is way more comfortable for 3 kids than the Pajero. The centre position in the Paj is right up there with the most uncomfortable seat I've ever had the displeasure of putting my backside on. The two outboard positions are quite good, but the middle is horrendous.

Storage wise, an MQ with a canopy has heaps more storage than the rear of a Pajero, which is the main reason I changed from one to the other.

[kiwi1973]

Good to see the very helpful engagement this post prompted.

It's true that I failed to mention the 79 series in my OP. They certainly look very heavy duty, but I feel that they're a vehicle that you'd buy and immediately have to spend a lot of money on to get it up to what I'd want. There are kits to correct the narrower rear wheel track (and upgrade to coils at the same time) and you can convert to auto for another $20k. The total investment is just more money in a vehicle than I'm comfortable with, especially since when touring in developing foreign countries it's usually not possible to get anything more than 3rd party insurance. Right now if my Pajero is stolen or crashed I risk losing my investment in it entirely. I'm more comfortable with the risk because the Pajero was such great value and I've already had so much use from it over the years there's a feeling it doesn't owe me much now - even if it's still got loads of life left.

The commentary on the Triton has convinced me that it is worthy of further consideration if going down the ute route.

Interestingly, I can't find an example of a DMax with a bent chassis. Supposedly it's chassis is constructed from comparatively thick steel with more cross members, even if it has inner guard cracking issues. It's worth noting that Superior Engineering sells weld on chassis bracing kits for most of the utes - either to use for repair, or as a strengthening/preventative.

My experiences touring in foreign countries gives me a rather different perspective on vehicles appropriate to use. Yesterday I was hunting around in Dushanbe for a bush for the front lower control arm. There are no spare parts stores like you would be accustomed to. Instead there is a big market/bazaar (and this in a capital city!). The bazaar has sections selling everything from home appliances, agricultural equipment, paint, fabrics..... and car parts. If I had a Landcruiser 100 or 200 I would have found the bush right away, but there is only one stall selling Mitsubishi Pajero spares. The seller spoke some English and claims to have the bush I need, but his stall is just one big pile of bushes, bolts and other bits jumbled together in no organised manner, so he couldn't find it. He says if I return today he might have found it...! At least he had the alignment bolt - I think I have to cut mine (seized) - I had expected to struggle to find that.

There is an important point in the above: (1) I'd find what I want for a Landcruiser 100/200 really quick. (2) Pajero's are common enough globally that with a bit more work I'll eventually find what I need. (3) NONE of the utes are common anywhere in Russia or Central Asia! I wouldn't find any parts for any ute here. Only two exceptions are that we've started to see the odd Hilux about as we head West and further back in Central Asia we saw one or two older Tritons around. Given that in NZ/Aussie utes are so common, it bears repeating that there are virtually no utes over here, anywhere.

I have not seen one single Dmax or Ford Ranger anywhere between the Russian Far East and here. The Dmax is still in contention for its bulletproof engine. The Ranger - with its reputed myriad of electrical issues that even Ford dealers in Aussie/NZ can't seem to fix, would probably have been abandoned somewhere by now on our route this year.

Regarding the view that the 100 Series may be a bit long in the tooth - we must have seen literally hundreds and hundreds of these all the way from Russia to where we are now. From country to country we find variances in the local population of vehicles, but the 100 series (and quite a few 200 series too) are just staples across the board everywhere.

For a vehicle to use in NZ, or in Aussie (where we'll be coming at some point!) a ute based overland vehicle will be perfectly fine and this is why I'm looking at them. But I'm also still contemplating finding a really tidy example of a 100 series (maybe 200) to use in foreign locales. It looks to me that they have about a 25% bigger boot space, plus more roof space, and that may be just enough for what we need.

Must say though, the process of looking for another vehicle reinforces just how difficult it is to indentify anything that can truly be regarded as an upgrade from a Pajero for the type of use we give ours. As per my OP, no intention of selling the Pajero.