big 4x4 vs. small 4x4

[jailguard]

good evening, im new in the 4x4 scene. i recently bought a dmax, and i plan to take it off roading. a few friends of mine said i should have bought a suzuki vitara for my offroading hobby. what are the advantages and disadvantages? personally, im a big person, and i feel cramped on a small 4x4. however, as some friends have pointed out, smaller vehicles are better daw in the mountains. i saw a site at 4x4ph. however, im not very satisfied with the postings. thank you

[paj4x4]

Depends on how serious you would be in off roading. A number off roaders would recommend a rig equipped with solid (rigid) axles on both ends. Examples of this would be the Suzuki Samurai, Land Cruiser 40, 60, 70, and 80 series, Nissan Patrol, and Land Rover Defender. The DMAX has an IFS (Independent Front Suspension) set up. Vitaras, Pajeros, Troopers, and LC Prado (90 series) are also IFS equipped rigs. But its not to say that IFS equipped rigs won't perform well off road.

A small 4x4, such as the Samurai or Vitara, will be much lighter than big 4x4 rigs therefore one distinct advantage would be the lower weight of the rig. Mas madali ka makalusot sa mud holes. Disadvantage would be you won't be able to pack that much passengers and stuff into your rig.

I suggest you try out your rig's capabilities first before deciding what upgrades you want to undertake. The guys in 4x4ph.com goes on trails on a regular basis. Join one trail outing first. By the way, they're nice guys so they'll accomodate whatever query/ies you may have.

[wildthing]

another rumor, the computer box ng dmax is under the driver side chair....pangit na location for water fording...very prone na mabasa.

[KCboy]

jailguard,
since u have ur dmax already, make themost out of it. tama si paj4x4, check 4x4ph.com, the guys there are nice and will try to answer all your queries about offroading. that's where i got the offroad bug. hehehehe.

[ghosthunter]

the Fiat Panda is said to be as capable as the LandRover. Maybe its a bit slower but it can handle the rough stuff just as well.

[trup]

one more thing to consider if your planning to take your d-max off road, be ready to have small scratches, baka manghinayang ka and not fully enjoy the fun of trailing, what most of the guys did sa 4x4ph is to have a capable off roader(w/c u can use daily) and a less expensive dedicated trail rig w/c u can REALLY play with....

[OTEP]

Size is relative to what kind of wheeling you do.

However, a new Dmax is not exactly a weapon of choice unless you don't mind messing up your factory fresh vehicle. However, it does perform pretty well off-road provided you know its limits.

Trail stripes are common in most local trails even if you drive a very narrow 4x4. And banging the undercarriage on terra firma is sometimes unavoidable (hence, skidplates).

A dedicated trail rig is still the best way to go if you have the resource. Suzuki Samurais, Land Cruisers, even Kia Rocstas and Ssangyong Korandos.

[apexi_66]

another rumor, the computer box ng dmax is under the driver side chair....pangit na location for water fording...very prone na mabasa.

Toyota Fortuner ganyan din ang location ng computer box,floor mounted kaya siguro itinaas ang body.

[PROTREK]

Naku! daming kontrobersya dyan kung Big rig or small rig ba mas maganda. For me,I like big rigs, lots of space, more comfortable on long drives kahit magtrailing pa tayo sa dulo ng pilipinas

[jim]

ako yung 'TAMA LANG RIG'. nasa sayo naman yan kung saan ka sanay at kung ano yung gamay mong imaneho off-road. ang tama lang sa akin ay yung mga wrangler type rig na pwedeng mayupi, magasgas, mabali at mabasa ang mga parts. its a personal choice actually

kakahinayang ang dmax mo kung extreme offroading ang gagawin mo. light off-roading ka na lang muna until magamay mo ang rig mo.