SWB big enough for 2 people?

[demented]

Hey guys,
as soon as we sell off our forester we'll be buying a new NS paj. The only dilema I have is whether I need LWB or not. Most of our driving will be from a rural area to town for work, but we plan on a couple of long remote trips each year (Simpson etc.).

Is there anyone out there who has tried these kinds of trips in a SWB? How did you go for space?

I know I'll need a long range tank of course, and we'll be using a roof top tent, so the sleeping gear wont be in the car, but will there be enough room for two adults? I don't want to buy another car which is great "except" for one major flaw which means we need to upgrade again.

Any experiences positive or negative would be great!

Cheers,

Chris

[matthewfnorbert]

given that interior space is basically the same from the rear headrest forward as in the lwb then that should not be an issue, you do lose some storage space behind the rear seat. if there is only 2 then fold one or both seats down..

[4wd26]

considering I can pack enough (with roof racks) into a Gen1 SWB for 2 adults and 2 small kids you should be fine. I looked at upgrading and found that the gen4 SWB is actually quite big.

Roof top tent may restrict you a bit (not sure on the roof dimentions BUT you may still be able to put a little bit axtra in front or behind if you needed to. In other words get a bit larger roof rack than is required for the roof top tent.

If you have fridge and other things in the back it would be worth seting up some sort of custom storage unit, and I don't think there is a cargo barrier for the SWB as yet so this would be built into the storage unit.

If you can get away with smaller it would be the way to go, think of the rampover angle on the sand dunes and not having to lug all those extra kgs around.

[WALLYBURGER]

HI, we had an Outlander(which we traded for a LWB NS) with 3 kids and space in the passenger area was ok - just - and the NS SWB is wider and longer in that area than the Outlander.Although the Pajero doesn`t have much as much luggage space.If you can get away with it get the SWB but if you have any doubts at all,get the LWB.I would get the LWB.

[macguru]

SWB Travel Experience

Well, my wife and I have just completed a 2 week trip to the flinders ranges in a swb ns, so i feel qualified to answer your questions. I may talk about performance as well.......

We folded up the rear seats but did not remove them, just the headrests, & stuffed sleeping bags down where they go. The back had 2 nally bins of camping gear & food, a tent bag, an esky, water & gas (in the car) and 2 personal bags. Chairs went on the roofracks. I had a thule tray but took it off because it whistled at 80km ! (left it at home & just used the bars) . No trailer. Only the one spare but all 5 tyres were new. We had enough room but would be better suited to staying in cabins than camping. you could even take a 3rd person. Otherwise you need a trailer.
The petrol model has fantastic power for a 4wd but its more suited to short trips, & city use complemented by weekend fun which is what i wanted. If you are planning a long trip , camping you need a trailer. And get a diesel, preferably a lwb. The petrol uses 95 octane and as 4wds have the aerodynamics of a housebrick you will suck the premium juice at 120km/h, especially if you load up your roof Mind you, passing at 140-150km/h is effortless. You are around the other car in a flash. Mostly, we cruised at 110-115. On smooth roads & corrugated dirt roads its fantastic. On lumpy mid west bitumen its a bit choppy compared to a lwb and i backed off a bit, say 105km/h. Lets face it, in the outback lwb diesel is king. Thats what most people have. but closer to the city, its a different story. I will get a long range tank fitted in any case.
What about off road ? All the 4wds i was with were real ones, not soft roaders. (ie low range & high clearance) All got up a very steep track near Quorn in SA, but i will say the swb pajero did it the easiest. i had up to 3 wheels slipping by the indicators & the traction control got me up the hill first go (i dont have diff locks fitted ). Departure angles are great. Power & low range are great. Oh, remember to take off the towbar tongue ! Ground clearance is ok (but could be better, but then the centre of gravity would be too high for on-road cornering)
I am going to look at using 95 octane 10% ethanol when i can find a regular supply in sydney. Only tried it once so far , power seems fine.
Also we did a trip on a very muddy track in the rain. The traction control & ASC gave me a lot of confidence. An older prado spun out.
So i guess it depends on your priorities ! If you work in the sydney rat race & parallel park & mainly go for weekends SWB petrol is great (its my 3rd one) If you are going to do some grey nomadding up the gunbarrel i would get a diesel lwb landcruiser or traytop and an off road camper trailer. As for my swb, i will get the extra fuel tank, try to buy bio fuel when in town & rent a camper trailer for my next outback trip

Andrew Beavis

[demented]

It was nice to dream

Well, my wife and I have just completed a 2 week trip to the flinders ranges in a swb ns, so i feel qualified to answer your questions.

Thanks heaps Andrew, this is the exact experience I was hoping to tap into.

Unfortunately it does mean that I'm probably having to go for a LWB though as we're already planning to do the Simpson next year and that requires self sufficiency for at least a week (with a couple of days buffer). Ah well, it was nice to dream about spending the difference on toys from ARB

Thanks again,

Chris

[nj swb]

Thanks heaps Andrew, this is the exact experience I was hoping to tap into.

Unfortunately it does mean that I'm probably having to go for a LWB though as we're already planning to do the Simpson next year and that requires self sufficiency for at least a week (with a couple of days buffer). Ah well, it was nice to dream about spending the difference on toys from ARB

Thanks again,

Chris

Don't give up so easily!

I did the Simpson last year in my NJ shorty, and had everything I needed - without roof racks or trailer. Admittedly, that trip was one-up, but two-up I have done Fraser Island, Cape York and Brisbane-Adelaide via Coongie Lakes and Arkaroola - no roof racks or trailer.

I have a long range tank which holds 120 litres, and could add an auxiliary of 50 or so litres if I choose. I have a storage system in the back for most stuff, including 39 litre Auto Fridge, 30 litres of water and other stuff in crates.

In front of the cargo barrier, the rear seats come out and a false floor goes in - 55 litre water bladder under the floor, although only takes about 35 litres in that position. Beer and wine , tool box, clothes, tent, sleeping gear, day packs stacked up. For the Simpson trip, I also included a jerry can (shhh, don't tell anybody - turned out I didn't need it) and some firewood. Six stacker under the drivers seat (these days, I'd use an MP3 head unit instead), car PC under the passengers seat. Compressor and second battery under the bonnet.



Put some thought and effort into preparation and you can do it with a shorty - but there have been times it would be nice to have a little more room. Either way, you make some sacrifices. Choose the ones you wish to make.

Good luck,

Scott

[matthewfnorbert]

very nice set-up

[Wal]

You'll do the Simpson in a SWB no problem at all if you have a diesel. I crossed it last year in an 05 LWB and only used 95L of fuel so you'll only need one jerry to go from Birdsville to Mt Dare. I had two others with me so but all the gear fitted in very nicely. I'd take out the back seats.

[demented]

Thanks guys

Thanks for the reply guys, much appreciated. We're usually pretty light on the gear we take, so it might be a goer after all Unfortunately I'd hoped to have made my purchase by now, but it seems no-one's interested in second hand foresters
Ah well. No hurry. I'm sure it'll sell in time

P.S. great setup Scott, that's pretty much the setup I'm hoping to end up with eventually

Cheers,

Chris

[macguru]

Do you live in a large city ?

Around the city the swb is a top car, with its high driving position & very nimble acceleration...........
The SWB is such a manoeuverable car as well as a superior off roader with excellent clearance for an unmodded car, its just the long distance touring that I have my doubts about (range, wheelbase, storage, economy(petrol))) ! With a trailer, you can keep alot of the crap out of the vehicle, carry extra fuel and when you get to a 4wd spot, leave it at camp & have the best 4wd. Of course the negative is parking in the main street for that quick double shot cappucino. You often end up going round the corner & walking another 50yds

If we were all rich enough we would have 2 cars. I was looking at the new V8 diesel toyota trayback with a camper or wagon or troopie. Definitely not what i want for my everday car but would be nice outback. In beige to match the dust , with recovery gear & long range tank etc. I might try the kimberly next but would rent something at broome and drop off there or in darwin.

[demented]

We live just outside the ACT, and work in Canberra (not really a city by anyone elses standards ) Given that it's Canberra, parking and traffic aren't really an issue. The most that traffic can add to a drive is 5 minutes at peak "hour" (more like peak 5 minutes) None of that's a complaint. It's nice to have all the perks of a city without most of the costs!

I'm not a big fan of towing anything. We were thinking of the camper trailer route which would mean that the SWB would be completely adequate, but I'd be happier not having to tow. That way I don't have to worry if it's a "trailer firiendly" track we're about to drive up Much happier with a roof top tent, especially as we're not big on staying stationary for long and I've got no recent 4wd experience, so it's going to be enough of an issue relearning the off road driving techniques without the trailer

Thanks everyone for the input. It's great to hear, as it's kept me keen on the SWB. The only competition now, in the same budget range is a second hand hilux or NP LWB, but I'm not really into second hand turbos, so I'd say the SWB it is

Cheers,

Chris