A very sad day approaches

[PeterJ]

Hi all, well a very sad day approaches when I will be moving my D4 on to a new home as the replacement nears. I have put a "what's it worth" post because I would like to sell it as a setup touring vehicle and it's hard to be objective sometimes when you know what you have spent and the time devoted to achieve the build. Now I know that what one person's idea of a setup vehicle is rarely works for another but it is what it is, and it has been an excellent vehicle for my purposes.
This forum and the people on it have been great, a fantastic experience and wonderful source of information, thanks to everyone for the help over the years, hopefully I have helped with my contributions.

Best regards to all

Peter

[RHS58]

Replacing it with….?

[PeterJ]

Head over the heart decision, a RAM

[DiscoJeffster]

Head over the heart decision, a RAM

I believe you can get a 50mm gun turret for the top too.

[PeterJ]

[emoji1787][emoji1787]yes, gotta laugh, when we were test driving we noticed that the back window has a sliding port that opens and closes. I made similar comments about why you would need that, and yes to poke the rifle out the back and have a running gun battle came to mind. I think I have seen too many American movies, or perhaps news reports.[emoji17]

[Eric SDV6SE]

They also have a higher than standard roof line, this is on purpose to fit a gun rack.

The RAM box is also specced long enough to be able to fit rifles including semi automatics and sniper rifles. Do a google search on "gun racks in my RAM"

[Narangga]

Head over the heart decision, a RAM

Your wife will love being able to drive that through that chaotic roundabout near where you live! :clap2:

[RHS58]

A RAM. Not something I’d considered. Be interested in your rationale.

[kenl]

The sliding window has been a feature for some time in American pickup trucks.

When I lived there (USA) in the early 70s my mates dad had a pickup with the sliding window and it was used to acess Villa Nova camper on the back of the ute. We would go ice fishing and the kids would ride in the camper in the back and swap through to the front using the window.

I can't remember if this pickup had a gun rack? Most likely it would have, but the guns would have been elsewhere at the time.

[PeterJ]

A RAM. Not something I’d considered. Be interested in your rationale.

Well, the very short version, I had made the decision to go back to petrol for what ever replaced the D4 so the list was P400 Defender/Discovery both eliminated because of cargo capacity not really all that much improved on my D4, (the 98 RON fuel was also a concern) but that was certainly where my heart is. So I waited for the the Defender 130 because it was more Y62 size but was dismayed when the towing spec was down rated, scratch that. Then there was the Y62, money needed to be spent on GVM upgrade, but no air suspension which I have loved about the D4 and you end up with what is fundamentally a very old platform, capable (yes) reliable (yes) but very dated. I nearly jumped that way, and I think I would have been content but in the end I just wanted to get the cargo out of the passenger space. Getting the things we take with us on trips in and out of the back of the D4 was not all that easy (not so much about weight more the bulk) and hopefully with the RAM I have a more easily accessible cargo space. Plenty of pros & cons for the RAM as well, but it is a modern architecture vehicle and has a level of sophistication the Y62 can not match. The price to pay will be dust and dirt in the tub and what ever is in it, so that might just drive me nuts as well but the major loss is 4WD capability, compared to the LR products and to a lesser extent the Y62, it's something I will sorely miss. Compromise!

I did say short didn't I ......... [bighmmm]

[ozscott]

From what I can tell the RAM is a fantastic comfortable and powerful long distance tourer with great seats. They lose comfort and ability on badly corrugated dirt roads and are quite hopeless offroad compared to any Land Cruiser, Patrol or Land Rover but if towing long distance on bitumen it would be the pick of tow vehicles. Cheers

[Saitch]

A mate has a 24' GRP, twin o/boards, Noosa Cat and easily tows it with the Ram. (He did start with a Hummer thingy, but that's a different story[bighmmm])


https://youtu.be/pjmnHW8ON-w

He has also done the full Canning, in company with a 79 series 'cruiser and one of the last produced, old school, Defenders. Apart from minor niggles, loose bits and a few rattles, it was fine, more so than the 'cruiser, in fact. The 'fender had no issues that I'm aware of.

Overall, the three vehicles waltzed it in, on the Canning.

[ozscott]

A mate has a 24' GRP, twin o/boards, Noosa Cat and easily tows it with the Ram. (He did start with a Hummer thingy, but that's a different story[bighmmm])


https://youtu.be/pjmnHW8ON-w

He has also done the full Canning, in company with a 79 series 'cruiser and one of the last produced, old school, Defenders. Apart from minor niggles, loose bits and a few rattles, it was fine, more so than the 'cruiser, in fact. The 'fender had no issues that I'm aware of.

Overall, the three vehicles waltzed it in, on the Canning.I wasn't thinking undulating sand country but gnarled offroad bush tracks. Hard offroading and big yankee trucks don't go hand in hand. Cheers

[scarry]

Head over the heart decision, a RAM

What model,1500 or 2500?

They do have a heap of larger models,most not available in Aus,but my guess its one of those two.

[PeterJ]

What model,1500 or 2500?

Yes a 1500 Limited, the only one available with air suspension and quite a high spec level.

[Saitch]

I wasn't thinking undulating sand country but gnarled offroad bush tracks. Hard offroading and big yankee trucks don't go hand in hand. Cheers

It's often quite interesting watching anything in that line of ute, disembarking the Mulgumpin (Moreton Is.) vehicular ferry when the tide is a bit low and the barge's drawbridge, ramp angle is a bit acute. [biggrin]