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.

[jailguard]

hi! thank you for all the inputs,over the break, i was able to take my dmax offroading at my friends farm in batangas. i am very happy with my vehicle, as i was able to conquer majority of the obstacles on its stock form. i now i understand better the difference of having a shorter wheelbase. the middle portion of my dmax got hit a number of times, but so did my friends vitara. i guess the vitaras height is lower than my dmax, however due to the wheelbase distance, we were practically the same.(in clearing capabilities). we'll just wanted to thank all of those who replied.

[mbt]

yung maliit na 4x4 may advantage in certain types of wheeling, like in sand and mud kasi magaan. also easier to recover, and tend to have better breakover angles. also better fuel economy. and also more maneuverable in the boondocks and can access narrower trails.

larger 4x4s make better tow vehicles, are more comfortable on the highway, are much more well-suited to long-range expedition-style trips, and maybe less prone to rolling over / more stable while cornering

[miLes]

when my girlfriend and i was still running the trails of maarat we encountered a couple of off roaders exploring, most are on vitaras. i guess the advantage of being on a small 4x4 is that you can go deeper into the mountains since you can fit into most trails

im not too keen on off roading since the trail we were running on was a single track, after the off roaders made their way there well....

anyway i think they got lost because they were asking which way to go to the main dirt road

[niky]

I'd prefer a Suzuki Jimny for a brand new trail vehicle, but best talaga siguro ang lumang Vitara o Samurai. Smaller car=less hassle, more money left over for extra kit.

Of course, nothing beats an old Land Cruiser.

[herbularyo]

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

Correct me if I am wrong, but in my unit it is mounted in tha inside (cabin) portion of the firewall. Approx 12 inches from the floor, 42 inches from the ground.

[mcshaker]

i guess the vitaras height is lower than my dmax, however due to the wheelbase distance, we were practically the same.(in clearing capabilities).

in a way you are right, but not perfectly, ill exagerate things so you can better understand. let us forget about the mountains, but focus on the city, so everyone can relate.
let us compare a jimny and a tacoma.(with regards to wheelbase and height, this is the same as your vitara and dmax scenario, just exagerated) lets say i ask both vehicles to clear 12 inchs of curb. what do you think? are they the same still?

about mud holes, the bigger the tires, the bigger "mudholes" you can clear. i believe that is self explanatory. what appears as a mudpit to you, may be a mud hole to me.

about being able to go into the mountains deeper, you are absolutely right, but that doesnt mean a smaller rig is more capable in terms of offroadability. you my friend you are pointing out its capacity to fit into smaller holes. thus validating my mudhole theory.
good day!