I think that the 100 series Land Cruiser is one of the best 4wd vehicles ever built. The GX part time 4wd version is great.

It has the best compromise available of all time for off road capability, on road handling and executive luxury appeal. It is the only large 4wd vehicle that could be armoured without any modification to the chassis and still maintained quite good handling capabilities with only up rated brakes and suspension.

Organisations throughout the world bought them. The UN alone still has thousands of them scattered around the globe.

For the conditions found in developing countries, this fairly simply built and very reliable vehicle became an icon. Nicknamed in many countries for its status and appearance. In Uganda they call it the Balloon and in Sudan they call it Monica! Rounded and curvaceous it is. Some would even say sexy. Better than the 80 series, also an awesome vehicle.

The 200 Series

So what are these many organisations going to do when it’s time for new vehicles? Go for the 200 series?

If they are after “Bling,” then why not.  Good looking with loads of plastic spoiler to get spoilt and expensive to replace. Packed full of electronics, with fancy key entrance and related push button start.  Independent front suspension which in my opinion won’t last the harsh driving conditions let alone the harsh drivers found in lower income countries.

Picture being stuck in the middle of the Sahel with this vehicle failing to start? Or the electronic management system going down. A twin turbo V8 diesel.  Great if you want to nip down the Autobahn. But you don’t need that acceleration rate and speed knocking around most of sub Saharan Africa unless you want to end up on your roof. The 1HZ is a great engine even though doing the valve clearances are beyond the capabilities of most workshops. It has some low down grunt, not the whiz bang wheel spin ability of the V8.

What were they thinking?

For the life of me I cannot fathom the reasoning behind the decision to end the 100 series. The 76 series 5 door doesn’t come any where near replacing it.

So what have Toyota been doing over the past few years or so?  Produced a new Hilux that doesn’t come up to the mark.  Got rid of the old model Hilux which even with independent front suspension (one of the best of the rigid front suspension systems out there) had a fairly good off road capability and reliability. And drove well on unsealed roads as long as you banged it into H4.

Made the 5 door boxy station wagon 76 series.  This will appeal to the NGO and maybe UN market. I don’t like it. It reminds me of that horrible Land Cruiser II that they had back in the early 90s. Gone the rugged 75 series.  But there’s the 78 series now you say. Still it’s not as popular as the 75.  Those front coil springs aren’t really up to the job if you ask me. If you are going to coil a vehicle, do it all round with decent springs that don’t knock the bump stops out within a short time.  At least Land Rover got that one right!

What’s the Alternative Now?

So enter Nissan.  I predict that they will probably take over the developing country, NGO and UN market in the relatively near future.  They already have with peace keeping missions for instance.

The new Nissan Patrol GX model in station wagon and pick up models is not bad at all.  I did a comparison for a client between the Patrol GX and the 100 series GX and the Toyota model just came out in front on drivability and service back up in most of sub Saharan Africa.  But if I had to do the same now the Patrol would be streets ahead for simplicity reasons alone. You can still do the valve clearances with a spanner, screw driver and a set of feeler gauges.  And the fuel system can take some abuse from poor quality fuel. I’m not sure that this will be so with the 200. It has a simple, strong and fairly flexible live axle beam suspension system front and rear that can and does deal with the rigors of driving in harsh areas. It also has a fairly good off road capability with LSD fitted in the rear axle.

Also, they can supply a rugged, simple double cabin pick up that comes with a rear diff lock as standard. The J83 model. This vehicle drives well and is simple to maintain. It just don’t look as nice as the Hilux. No Bling!!

Both of these models are ideal for field work in harsh environments with Patrol giving that executive appeal as well.  But then some organisations are governed by policy. For instance one organisation I was speaking to recently will only buy vehicles that have ABS and SRS for safety reasons. Both the Nissan models I have been harping on about may not come with those systems fitted as standard but a driver can be taught to carry out an emergency braking technique that can equal and if not better ABS on unsealed roads. And if a driver is taught and practices correct defensive driving techniques he/she stands a better chance of not needing SRS which once deploys in a remote field setting may be difficult to reset!

Conclusion

I have to thank my dear departed Dad for the title. He gave me two bits of engineering advice before I left home to join up. 1) is the title and 2) is “tight is tight too tight is broke”. Use a torque wrench. This is one that definitely applies to my neck of the woods. After joining up I came across the KISS principle which to this day I still try to follow.

Come on Toyota there’s a huge market for simple 4wd vehicles in the developing world why make it more complicated than it should or has to be?

When talking of the double cab pick up (dcpu), most of us in this region automatically think of the Toyota Hilux. The first 4×4 double cab version was made available in South Africa in 1984. I’m sure that any 4×4 enthusiast remembers the original leaf sprung model. Its robust reliability spoke for itself. It was a good, strong, simple vehicle. This made it popular with UN and other humanitarian organisations and commercial enterprise. This is the model that the gang on Top Gear tried to kill through various different methods.

It produced a great compromise between a passenger vehicle and a pick up. It became an icon and the most popular choice of bakkie (Afrikaans) in South Africa to the Ute (Utility) in Australia.

It had a tendency to roll over if driven badly and was wrongly blamed for many a death/injury of UN agency and humanitarian staff. In my opinion the vehicle behaved well when driven on unsealed roads correctly.

Rumour has it that Toyota changed the front suspension design to independent after a threat from the UN that it would stop purchasing their vehicles if they did not make them less likely to roll over. Although I would like to think that was true, I think it’s one of those myths that go around. Anyway, the commercial sector has so much more purchasing power than the UN.

The change in design did make the Hilux easier to drive but did have an effect on it’s off-road capability and robustness. The vehicle handled brilliantly on unsealed roads with H4 engaged. This took away the chances of the empty back end swinging around on rough and corrugated roads. Cornering was now a pleasure. There was no over-steer or under-steer to worry about, it was fairly neutral. You felt safe in it as long as you didn’t go too fast of course.

The 4wd Manufacturers

This great compromise led to the majority of 4wd manufacturers coming up with their own versions. All pitting for the same market. Trying to outsell each other with different features. Great for the consumer. But which one to buy has now become something of a debate. Everyone seems to have an opinion on which one is the best. Including me.

Land Rover even came up with one. It was dubbed the Tomb Raider after the one that was used in the film. It didn’t have much success though as with the majority of the Land Rover range these days. It seemed that after decades of development (or not) they still couldn’t make one that didn’t leak and cats could not still escape from when locked inside.

Anyway, the Japanese (purveyors of reliable vehicles with little personality) cornered the market again. Ford has had a pretty good bash at making one with the Ranger but it still is not as popular as its Asian cousin.

So, enter the new Hilux and its fight to keep supremacy in an ever increasingly competitive market. Well, in my view they made a bit of a hash of it. Yes, the low centre of gravity makes it less susceptible to roll over but it lost a lot of its off road capability. In some areas it’s being offered with a lockable rear differential to compensate for this. Also, as with the majority of other double cabin pick ups, it under steers.

Over-steer /Under-steer

With my job I get to drive the majority of 4wd vehicles that are on the market in this region and we do put them through a fairly stringent test as the drivers have to understand the limitations of their own particular vehicles. One of the exercises we do on our High range course, for example, is the slalom (weaving in and out of traffic cones). This doesn’t sound like much fun but come along and do it and you won’t want to stop.

We slowly increase the speed at which the exercise is done and we get to a point where for one reason or another, the driver doesn’t make it through the exercise. One the main factors for the DCPUs not making it are under-steer.

• Under-steer is when the front tyres use up all available traction to steer the vehicle and doesn’t respond to driver steering input.
• Over-steer is when the rear wheels lose all available traction and the back of the vehicle starts to drift to the outside of the corner.

Now, under steer is built into a vehicle as it’s deemed to be easier to control than over steer. All you have to do is decelerate rather than counter steer as well. But why make it under steer so early? I can understand that if you are driving on a tarmac road (have adhesion going on) with all your lane to play with then under steer would be easier to correct. But in this region where 80% of roads are unsealed (no adhesion) which are narrow and lined with, at times, severely negatively cambered shoulders; having a vehicle that under steers early may lead hitting that negative camber before having a chance to decelerate leading to disastrous consequences.

The under steer is there whether the vehicle is in H2 or H4.  Although in my view it’s more apparent in H4 which is a shame as H4 is supposed to give the driver more control in circumstances like this!

It’s a sad day when I can take my old high center of gravity Defender through the slalom at the same speed and not lose control but this is what we get with the majority of DCPUs.

So, which one is the best these days (2009)?

Before I give my opinion let me say that I have been doing some promotional work along side the Nissan dealer here in Uganda and it is having no bearing on my opinion.

• Toyota Hilux – under steers
• Mitsubishi L200 – under steers.
• Ford Ranger – under steers.
• Nissan Hard body J86 – under steers.
• Nissan Navara  – under steers.
• Nissan hard body J83 – great.

There are some that I haven’t mentioned (Wingle Great Wall, I’m not going there!); but I just wanted to cover the most popular ones.  Is it a coincidence that all the under steers are turbo charged engines and have fairly wide tyres (read less tread focus when driving on unsealed roads)?

In my view the J83 model goes back to simplicity, which for this driving environment is ideal. No electric windows or central locking to fail in the field. No flimsy plastic to vibrate loose. A good, reliable normally aspirated diesel engine that still gives adequate performance and relatively good economy. It handles well on and off the tarmac. It has a lockable rear differential to compensate for its lack of off road capability.

But it still is not as popular as it should be and the answer to that it has no bling value. Along side its J86 sister and the Hilux it looks pretty mundane, no personality whatsoever. But if I had to get more bang for my buck and want a simple vehicle for light duty field work this would be my vehicle of choice.

January the 16th 2009 will be a date remembered by all OnCourse staff. Two of the team lost their lives to a tragic Road Traffic Collision.

Ronald Kato and Wilfred Tamale had finished work and were on their way home and going to the market /get a hair cut respectively.

They reached the Kitende junction on Entebbe Road and as they were entering, the bicycle they were riding was hit by a 4wd vehicle. Kato was killed instantly and Wilfred died later that evening, in Nsambia hospital, of head injuries.

Our thanks go out to the hospital staff for trying their best to keep him alive and making him comfortable in his last minutes.

These two valued members of the OnCourse team were young men and leave behind young families. Families that now do not have a main income.

This is the tragedy of road traffic collision death. OnCourse preaches road safety and safe driving habits in all that we do but when an incident like this happens on your doorstep it really drives it home.

Black Spot

That particular junction has been highlighted as a collision black spot. Last year 8 people lost their lives at that junction alone. This year so far the tally is two.

I’m not sure of the fatality figures for Entebbe Road as a whole but it has to be one of the most dangerous roads in Uganda with respect to how long it is. The road itself goes through developing trading centres and the junctions at these centres are busy places with taxi and boda boda stages. This should be ample warning to vehicle users to approach them with caution. But as usual drivers make dangerous assumptions and keep on travelling at too fast a speed.

I’ve forgotten how many times I have been overtaken while waiting to turn right at the Kitende junction. Also the junction is on the brow of a hill!

Fatality Markers

OnCourse has decided to request permission to put in two white crosses in a safe place at this junction as a remembrance to Kato and Wilfred and hopefully as a warning to other road users that this junction is dangerous.

White crosses are designed to give motorists a first-hand reminder of the potential dangers involved with driving and to target crash factors such as speed, inattention, inexperience and drink driving.

They use this road safety system in the U.S., Australia, Canada, etc to highlight hazardous areas. It has been, I believe, quite effective. It is know by various names including: Roadside Crash Marker Program, Highway Fatality Marker, and White Cross Memorial Marker Program.

I hope we won’t have to add any more at this spot over the coming year. But then again I’m sure we will.

Our thoughts go out to the families. And my thanks go out to the rest of the OnCourse team for helping out with the arrangements at this sad time.

Road safety is a collective responsibility.
Mick.

Update January 21, 2009:

• On January 17th another person was killed at the same junction with the 2009 tally now at 3.
• Here is a little information about the Montana program.

Central locking system in this one failed. Seems that some systems cannot take the rigours of African road conditions. Or they may just be poorly refitted/fitted when the armouring was carried out.

This one had been to a workshop to be fixed and this is how it came back. Security compromised?

Emergency Tool Kit

Emergency tool kit found behind this panel in the rear of the vehicle. Needed a Philips screwdriver to undo the panel. Guess where it was found? You got it! I was told that the panel is generally left off to access jack and other emergency tools etc. The panel is part of the armouring! Security compromised?

Bull Bar and HF Mounting

Not much thought given to this HF antennae modification (maybe the radio fitter?). For one it’s a killer. Not such a bad thing if it’s the right target but statistically speaking it would probably be a child running out in the road who gets it.

Also the bull bar (which is a really nice one) is supposed to protect equipment not make it more vulnerable! The HF radio is probably fitted to help with communication in remote environments – I would want it to work … if the aerial gets damaged …?

• The aerial also makes another blind spot on a vehicle that’s blind spots have already been made larger.
• The mounting also makes it impossible to use the inbuilt high lift jack point.
• It has also decreased the vehicles approach angle. The bull bar that is fitted actually increases the angle!

As an alternative solution, the company that makes the bar (ARB) also makes a rear bar with a spare wheel holder and the ability to mount the aerial high up at the back of the vehicle.

Another example – spot the faults …

The HF mounting was made a local Jua kali shop. (slang term for metal workers associated with Mango trees)

• Approach angle gone.
• Blind spot given by aerial which is now vulnerable to damage.
• Number plate obscured.

Plus poorly fitted winch in my opinion:

• Can’t see what’s happening on the drum so no idea what’s happening with the wire.
• Control box fitted in a vulnerable location.
• That hook has probably already been damaged and the roller fairlead!
• Could do with a winch saver.

BTW, Who’s Going To Fix It?

This vehicle went in for repair! The guys did a cracking job though. Apparently the locking system had failed and they tried to jimmy the door open. Vehicle was still being used.

BTW, Who’s Going To Fix It? Part II

I didn’t get a picture of this one, but an organisation operating in this region imported a 4wd from one of the better supplier of armoured vehicles. The vehicle was well kitted out and batteries were protected. The company had fitted a cut off switch in the engine compartment so that batteries could be disconnected.

Unfortunately, the organisation was not aware of the cut out switch and when they received the vehicle of course it wouldn’t start .

Instead of contacting the supplier, they sent the vehicle off to the guy under the Mango tree who decided to “rewire” the main electrical system.

Anyone who’s worked in developing countries will know what I mean. Anyway he did manage to get it started but at the same time blew a few fuses. Repair was carried out to these fuses by wrapping some copper wire around them and off the vehicle went. Fixed. Right. Not long after the repair, I believe it was probably a few minutes, smoke stared billowing out of the bonnet and luckily the engine fire extinguisher worked when the driver pushed it.

Of course both batteries were then damaged. These were the special expensive ones that are little bit smaller than the average ones. The battery boxes were too small for the new batteries and it took, by the looks of things, a rather large sledgehammer to make enough space for the new ones which are of course now not secured in place!

BTW, Who’s Going To Fix It? Part III

So even if you do buy the best make sure you have a good plan as to who will maintain it /and do the repairs.