Isuzu V-Cross : Offbeat Adventure Drive & Camping with JMD Isuzu

[tazmaan]

When I bought the Isuzu D-max Vcross, it was an impulsive buy! Little did I know the adventure this Truck was going to bring in my life. Since I bought the Vcross in October 2016 I have driven to Ranthambore and Kanha already.

So When I was informed by JMD Isuzu about their plan of a weekend off-roading event around Mumbai, I immediately said yes.

The dates finalized were 20th and 21st January 2017. The entire trip was sponsored by JMD Isuzu.

The event was managed by 'Offbeat Adventure Drives' professionally run by Ravi Nayar and his wife Carmen.

Before I start with the Pictures I would like to credit the respective people who clicked them.

My son getting ready for the Adventure



Ravi Briefing us on the Do's and Dont's and teaching us how to use the Radio



Getting the Stickers



Installing the Radios



Outside JMD showroom



On the way to Lonavala





First Stop for Breakfast

[tazmaan]

Post the Breakfast we drove through the roads/no-roads along the scenic drive up-to the camp.

The sheer site of 9 V-crosses on the road driving in a convoy is intimidating.










A small hick-up on the way



We were at the camp around Lunch time and by the time we reached our Lunch was ready. Some pics of the Camp and our beasts parked at the camp.

The Camp



Dining Area





The Tent





Our Parking









Post lunch we relaxed and later went for a Sunset Drive.

Cont....

[tazmaan]

The sunset drive was a good off road experience. The Isuzu MU-7 was not taken since its not a 4wd.

Sun setting



Lining up for the sunset drive




The Sunset Drive

















Fire on the Mountain



Kids enjoying the adventure



Me and My son



Snacks at a Pit stop during sunset drive.



We had our evening Snack and headed back to the camp where a BBQ and a nice evening with some music was waiting for us.

Cont....

[tazmaan]

Post the Sunset Drive we relaxed and geared up for the evening BBQ. Some random Pics in between.

No Ipad son Grass and dirt is all you get to play with.





Once the sun sets it gets really dark. At this point you realize how cutoff and isolated you are from the world. The silence is scary and the breeze calms you down. We grabbed our torches and headed for the BBQ.

At the BBQ everyone had a story or two to share and we shared our experiences late into the night.











The next morning most of us woke up late had our breakfast, enjoyed our time in the wilderness and left the camp post lunch.

Group Pic




Parting Shots






We drove together up to the Cafe Coffee day near the Toll on express highway, removed our radios and headed back to the urban jungle.

A special thanks to Girish owner of JMD.

Girish Relaxing



What made the adventure more fun was contribution from each and every person on the adventure and the energy they pumped into the adventure. From the Kids, to youngsters to families and oldies all together made an 'Adventure to Remember'

I have a few videos will compile them and post them once they are ready.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the 4x4 Section. Thanks for sharing!

Excellent initiative, kudos to JMD for organising such a fabulous event. It greatly helps build the community, and also contributes to the lifestyle image of this truck.

[.anshuman]

Nice event by Isuzu. Even Isuzu in Gurgaon does organise off roading events, which are great experience for owners of cars and potential customers.

But there is also irresponsible side to such events as well, the local events organised by Isuzu in Gurgaon does harm the environment, they leave a lot of garbage include plastic bags, bottles(including broken glass bottles), plates and what not! at these places. The same places were used by local offroading groups for close to a decade now, yet it was clean, one manufacturer event and the place starts to look like a pile of trash.

[tazmaan]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Nice event by Isuzu. Even Isuzu in Gurgaon does organise off roading events, which are great experience for owners of cars and potential customers.

But there is also irresponsible side to such events as well, the local events organised by Isuzu in Gurgaon does harm the environment, they leave a lot of garbage include plastic bags, bottles(including broken glass bottles), plates and what not! at these places. The same places were used by local offroading groups for close to a decade now, yet it was clean, one manufacturer event and the place starts to look like a pile of trash.

True but here the organiser had taken care of the environment. We were briefed not to litter, there were people who cleaned everything afterwards. There were dustbins organised and toilets, soaps etc were environment friendly. We were not asked to carry our tooth paste even since the one they gave was bio degradable. I was amazed and also learned how to value nature.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Nice write up Tazmaan.

I've gone on a few signature glamping trips with Ravi and Carmen and have been their ardent fan ever since.

I recognise this location since we had gone there just post monsoon and it was a heavenly experience.

Had posted some pics of the same on my Pajero thread:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ve...ml#post4068811

[drmohitg]

Suddenly from last two days I am hearing a lot about the Isuzu V-cross truck from all corners and now this thread. How is your truck holding up specially in the few problem areas mentioned in the official review like mud water seeping in through the hand break area inside the cabin?

Off-topic but in a few pics it feels as if the alpha male of the pride is still the Endeavour leading the way for the others ( I am sure it was not intended that way).

[tazmaan]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Suddenly from last two days I am hearing a lot about the Isuzu V-cross truck from all corners and now this thread. How is your truck holding up specially in the few problem areas mentioned in the official review like mud water seeping in through the hand break area inside the cabin?

Off-topic but in a few pics it feels as if the alpha male of the pride is still the Endeavour leading the way for the others ( I am sure it was not intended that way).

True the V-Cross club is growing and most of the owners are very Passionate about their truck. The VFM package and immense potential for mods makes the V-Cross a good contender for lifestyle vehicle.

I have had no issues with my V-Cross which were mentioned in the official reviews. Infact none of the owners I have come across have faced those issues. I feel the issues were limited to the pre-production batches. I have my truck 'Peted' and its a lot of fun to drive.

The Ford Endeavor was actually leading since it was driven by the Tour Organizer/Guide. With the 3.2 Engine it was definitely the alpha car except for the Size.


This is through dash cam app. The engine noise you hear is actually radio noise.

https://youtu.be/aBbFuuCXrPc

This was shot by one of the fellow V-Crosser

https://youtu.be/Ct3c7pKabpg

[ragh_bhushan]

Awesome report there tazmaan! That convoy sure looks intimidating.
Could you please tell me the location of this site? Would love to take my truck there sometime. Thanks!

[hillsnrains]

Originally Posted by ragh_bhushan

Awesome report there tazmaan! That convoy sure looks intimidating.
Could you please tell me the location of this site? Would love to take my truck there sometime. Thanks!

This place is around Tail Baila. I have done rock climbing and rappelling couple of years ago at this very place.

One should drive past Amby valley when coming from Lonavala.

[Aditya]

Hey Tazmaan,

Vehicles like the V-Cross are totally useless if not used for the purpose that are meant to serve. This is a brilliant initiative by JMD Isuzu to help owners discover the capabilities of the pickup truck. Of course, it's very good to see you using the vehicle on your trips to the wilderness.

Along with the Mustang, the V-Cross is my favourite vehicle launched in India in 2016. I thoroughly enjoyed the 4-5 days that I had the vehicle with me. It's as tough as a nail and has that old school charm that I love so much. While it is not an outright off-roader, it has enough capabilities to keep most owners happy. On the highway too, it can easily maintaining good speeds.

Regarding the problems that were experienced in the test vehicle, I think the car was put through a lot before we got it. I don't think customer vehicles should have any problem. Still, it will be a good idea to check things periodically - just to be on the safer side.

Wish you many miles of happy motoring.

[ravinayar]

Originally Posted by ragh_bhushan

Awesome report there tazmaan! That convoy sure looks intimidating.
Could you please tell me the location of this site? Would love to take my truck there sometime. Thanks!

Hi Ragh_bhushan, You cannot just take your truck and go off-roading anywhere. You need to take proper permissions first, otherwise you are liable to either get into a confrontation with the Villagers or worse have your vehicle confiscated by the authorities. Any 4x4 enthusiast will be able to share stories on this. All permissions are taken for events such as this.

[tazmaan]

The second round of the JMD Isuzu off-road weekend is happening over the next weekend. Will revert back with pictures.