Advice on 4x4s please!

[BigRed]

I had 3 Troopers, they are fabulous, but you need to stick with the 3.1 engine. Do NOT buy the newer 3.0 engine, they suffer with oil starvation and they blow up. It is a crying shame, but please don't buy one, even if it has the recall work done. When our last Trooper died, we bought Jeep Grand Cherokee. It is the 2.8 Merc engine and gearbox. It is permanent 4WD, with a shift to enable you to get serious with 4WD Low. I tow a very large trailer with it and it is very good, it is a very civilised comfortable vehicle and you get a lot for your money second hand.

 

[Kat]

What are peoples views on LPG conversions?

Do they take up load space? The interior space is the absolute priority for now, the trailer will be for the future so in the mean time DH needs to fit his whole tradestand inside the vehicle. I have heard that often they compromise the boot space or rear footwell.

We have been squishing everything into his polo for far too long and it is no longer realistic, the thing is literally loaded to the roof, and all the footwells etc are full (apart from the drivers of course). Things are starting to get damaged because we haven't got space for it all and often we have to take my car as well! Surely a big 4x4 is going to be more economical to run that taking two small hatchbacks or doing two trips with one small hatchback!

Does LPG conversion affect the power or the towing capacity? Am I right that if you want to get it converted yourself you have to buy a petrol engine?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Sanolly]

Also if you do get a trooper look into the Citation models, they're the ones with all the extra's!

 

[JenHunt]

from what I understand - LPG conversions on 4x4 sacrifices a lot of the power that you'd get from a diesel engine.

 

[a_e_d]

I looked at an LPG converted Trooper. tank was in the boot and it did seem to take up a lot of room. at the time the advantages of LPG outweighed that as I was getting rid of a coupe but now I am used to the boot space in mine I am not sure I would give up the space. it was a SWB so maybe with a LWB there would still be plenty of room.

 

[LouBerry]

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you and have narrowed it down to pretty much either an izuzu (3.1), nissan terrano or x-trail, Fourtrak or a Shogun.
Trying to find any of the above for the right money and right condition is proving to be a lot harder than I thought.
Would have thought 4 x 4 owners would be flogging their trucks off at the moment to downsize to small cars but no!

I've pretty much come to the conclusion not to touch - freelanders, izuzu 3l engines, be very careful when buying Discoverys as you would need to get the right one as they can turn into money pits. Be careful with Navaras the D22 model as the engine had a recall but only if you had full service history, so a lot of them didn't get the upgraded engines put in them.

Other than that good luck I'm seriously thinking of trying to find somebody local i can do a lorry share with instead so i can run a cheaper car.