[Urban_Nomad]

Had an absolutely kickass trip to Bikaner recently. Loaded up the bikes and had a blast ripping around in the desert

Some notes on highway performance:

- best to cruise at 100 to 110.gets loud and coarse beyond that
- is a very comfortable place to spend hours behind the wheel
- not so great FE. Very similar to what I get in the city. 11kmpl
- relatively low FE I believe is due to the short gearing as the vehicle is supposed to do no more than 80 from the factory

[S15]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

I picked up an S cab for around 9.65 lac otr

Is yours the hi-ride variant or the normal one?
And are the alloys standard?

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by S15

Is yours the hi-ride variant or the normal one?
And are the alloys standard?

Hi ride. Alloys aren't standard. Comes with steel wheels

[ak916]

Hi Everyone, This maybe slightly OT but i couldnt find a better thread to ask this question. I am also in the market for a pickup to convert to camper and want a white board. But i guess that SCabs, Tata Yodha, Bolero Campers etc arent available for white board registration?

I know that taking a yellow board vehicle across state borders can be more painful but can anyone here tell what does managing a yellow board vehicle entail? So i know that the initial cost of acquiring is lower since you dont pay 15 years of road tax.

1) What are the regular scheduled payments to govt for yellow board 5 seater pickups?
2) How much more is the insurance?
3) Can we cross state borders without having to stand in a queue to get permits? Are all states issuing permits online?

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by ak916

I know that taking a yellow board vehicle across state borders can be more painful but can anyone here tell what does managing a yellow board vehicle entail? So i know that the initial cost of acquiring is lower since you dont pay 15 years of road tax.

Your understanding is correct. Initial road tax is less and depending on the state where the vehicle is registered, you don’t need to pay RTO for that particular state. Also, the vehicle fitness and registration fees for that state have to be deposited every year/ or two depending on local rules.

Will answer point vice-

1) What are the regular scheduled payments to govt for yellow board 5 seater pickups?

Fitness and RTO in the original state every Year or once in two years based on local rules.

2) How much more is the insurance?

Not much difference.

3) Can we cross state borders without having to stand in a queue to get permits? Are all states issuing permits online?

Yes, most states have online but some insist on passing through a particular lane and getting documents checked. This can be cumbersome.

[LazyGunner]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

I picked up an S cab for around 9.65 lac otr noida in December last year. It’s incredible value for what it is. My use case - needed a vehicle that I could ferry my family around in relative comfort and also lod up my motorcycle and drive straight to the trail / rallies and cut out the boring droneways completely. Summary:

I might be coming here a little late. But will ask and hope to get some answers
I am planning to look for a 4x4 pick-up to transport my bike to trails and back. Maybe in the next year or so. Here is some background and the options I have

Why a pick-up:
I ride a Himalayan which is quite capable of touring, doing 90-100 all day long on the highways. Even if the trails are 150-300 km away, it has not been a problem so far. I just make an overnighter trip out of it! But a few weeks ago, I bought one of those 50cc grass cutter engine pocket bikes for my 6-year-old son. He's enjoying riding it in a field nearby our house. If he continues to enjoy it even after a year, I plan to upgrade his bike to something serious and I will need the means to transport it to and fro a field, an easy trail, or a training facility if everything goes well!

Why 4x4:
If I'm really investing in a pick-up why not go all the way? Also, last weekend I went to a trail 200 km away from my house and managed to burn the clutch on my Himalayan 7-8 km deep inside the trail. I had to ride pillion with a friend to the nearest village, to look for a 4x4 to go back to the trail and retrieve the bike but failed to find one. We managed to pull it out using a tractor which took only 6 hrs for the whole operation to complete. After coming back to the main road, still didn't find a vehicle to transport it back to Bengaluru so left my bike at a friend's place. Had to go back yesterday and make arrangements to bring it home safely. Now, if I had my own 4x4 pickup and had the skills to drive it in rough terrain, things would have been so much easier.

Basically, idea is to own a pick-up to comfortably transport the bike(s) and have the ability to use it as a rescue vehicle in extreme scenarios. On the plus side, it opens up a new world of 4 wheeler offroading as well!

Having said that, here is what I considered:
1. Isuzu V-Cross : At 23.5L ex-showroom, it is way beyond my budget, especially for a 2nd car. Completely ruled out. Even 60-70k km used ones are going for 18L+ which rules out the option for me. (But what a drool-worthy possession it would be!)
2. Pre-owned 4x4 Thar(older generations) : If I get rid of the rear seats, I might be able to fit in my son's mini bike(?) but to carry my Himalayan, any kind of modification will be illegal and unsafe.
3. Pre-owned Xenon / Scorpio Getaway : Why doesn't anybody sell these? Especially the 4x4s
4. Bolero Camper 4x4 : Given its price, and relatively smaller size, this may just fit the bill. I'll be thrilled if I get a pre-owned vehicle in decent condition.

I started calling Mahindra showrooms near me and was told that I can't register it as a private vehicle because of its lack of airbags. But I have seen campers with whiteboards and apparently, it was allowed before and not anymore. Mahindra salesman suggested that I can take it as a commercial vehicle only and it won't be a problem. But my understanding is slightly different and hence the following questions:
1. Is it possible to register it as a commercial vehicle on an individual's name?
2. If yes, do I need a special license to drive it?
3. I understand there won't be lifetime tax, but will I be paying tax every year, and is it a huge difference?
4. If I take it on a yellow board, as an individual, is there a way I can rent it out for others (an idea I got from this thread, but haven't explored yet)
5. Also, the Cargo area of the Camper looks smaller than that of Isuzu, and might be tricky to load two bikes (even with the tailgate open). That is something I'm still trying to find out.

Thanks in advance!

[Arjun.hb]

Hi lazy gunner,

It’s wonderful you have found an amazing father son activity. Coming to your requirements, getaway is the ideal choice but they are hard to come by and cost a pretty penny. You also have Tata Yodha crew cab 4x4 which meets your requirements. But it can only be registered as a commercial vehicle. One advantage it has over camper is that it has a larger and flat loading deck, unlike the camper that has wheel well intruding into the loading bay.

As for your license, you just need to get it updated to operate commercial vehicle. Small job for any RTO agent. Also as per law you need to wear a khakhi uniform (read a shirt, not strictly enforced) and paint your bumpers yellow front and rear.

This is all we do, in Karnataka, to privately operate pickups and crew cabs in plantations. Rental service is a no go unless you rent out with a eligible driver.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Arjun

[LazyGunner]

Originally Posted by Arjun.hb

Hi lazy gunner,

It’s wonderful you have found an amazing father son activity. Coming to your requirements, getaway is the ideal choice but they are hard to come by and cost a pretty penny. You also have Tata Yodha crew cab 4x4 which meets your requirements. But it can only be registered as a commercial vehicle. One advantage it has over camper is that it has a larger and flat loading deck, unlike the camper that has wheel well intruding into the loading bay.

As for your license, you just need to get it updated to operate commercial vehicle. Small job for any RTO agent. Also as per law you need to wear a khakhi uniform (read a shirt, not strictly enforced) and paint your bumpers yellow front and rear.

This is all we do, in Karnataka, to privately operate pickups and crew cabs in plantations. Rental service is a no go unless you rent out with a eligible driver.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Arjun

Thanks a lot for your response Arjun! Like you said Getaway would have been perfect. As I'm not in a hurry to get the pick-up, I have asked my friends in Chikkamagalur-Sakleshpur area hoping that I might get lucky in a few months, if not rightaway.

I will check-out the Tata Yodha variants as well. While flatbed is definitely more advantageous without wheel well coming in the way, I'm also wondering if the cargo area itself is placed higher - it will slightly be more complicated to load/unload the bike. Even with a longer ramp, I'm a little worried about the incline angle. if it turns out to be a non-issue, Tata Yodha definitely sounds like a good option. It looks far better than the Bolero from the front
Also, about the yellow bumper, while talking about one of the other models Mahindra salesperson mentioned that bumper can be given in body color and it is not enforced strictly. I will check this part too!

Regards,
Bhushan

[Arjun.hb]

Yes. The Yodha loading deck is much higher. Will definitely be cumbersome to load the bike.

A left field option would be custom build a Gypsy with pick up like loading bed and hard top cabin. Not very difficult and way more convenient with registration and such. Also, infinitely more capable off road compared to these load carrier 4WD.

Pic credit to their respective owners.

[LazyGunner]

Originally Posted by Arjun.hb

Yes. The Yodha loading deck is much higher. Will definitely be cumbersome to load the bike.

A left field option would be custom build a Gypsy with pick up like loading bed and hard top cabin. Not very difficult and way more convenient with registration and such. Also, infinitely more capable off road compared to these load carrier 4WD.

Pic credit to their respective owners.

This was the first thing my cousin proposed when I told him about my requirement. I'm a little worried about customizing the vehicle and having to deal with the traffic police on the roads. But like you said, off-road capability of such a vehicle would be much superior. I will go back and check if there is a legal and safe way of carrying bikes with it.

The more I dig in to the topic, the more I am understanding about these vehicles. I will continue to check the forum and the internet. Your responses have been immensely helpful! thank you very much.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by Arjun.hb

As for your license, you just need to get it updated to operate commercial vehicle. Small job for any RTO agent. Also as per law you need to wear a khakhi uniform (read a shirt, not strictly enforced) and paint your bumpers yellow front and rear.

So it is only yellow plate passenger vehicles that we can drive with the ordinary license? I thought we could drive yellow plate pickups too without the 'badge'. In Kerala you have to paint the whole front bonnet yeloow as per rule.

Originally Posted by LazyGunner

I'm also wondering if the cargo area itself is placed higher -

Yes it is. That is why you get the nice rectangle loadbay. The bed will be placed on top of the chassis, unlike the standard bed which would sit much lower between the wheels.

[Shubhendra]

Originally Posted by LazyGunner

3. Pre-owned Xenon / Scorpio Getaway : Why doesn't anybody sell these? Especially the 4x4s

Preferred option is Isuzu as it's a family friendly and refined vehicle. However you can not go wrong with Getaway, I would avoid Xenon as its maintenance heavy vehicle (specially suspension).
Spread the word around and you should be able to get one.
I met my dear friend last week while coming from upper north, he was coming back from Goa, He owns a Isuzu V-Cross and carries his GSA across country. He has never faced a problem with cops. He alone loads and unloads the GSA 1250 (~250 kgs).

[LazyGunner]

Originally Posted by Shubhendra

Preferred option is Isuzu as it's a family friendly and refined vehicle. However you can not go wrong with Getaway, I would avoid Xenon as its maintenance heavy vehicle (specially suspension).
Spread the word around and you should be able to get one.
I met my dear friend last week while coming from upper north, he was coming back from Goa, He owns a Isuzu V-Cross and carries his GSA across country. He has never faced a problem with cops. He alone loads and unloads the GSA 1250 (~250 kgs).

This is the ideal set-up! A good friend owns a V-Cross (nicely done up too). He carries 2 Himalayans. One of those two is a rally motorcycle. Wish it was a little more feasible for me financially. If I blow all the money on the pick-up, will not have enough for the bikes to carry in it

Point noted about the Xenon. I'll keep in mind when(if) I find something.

I'm also curious about the trailer pulled by the Scorpio in your pic. Is it legal on our roads? Anymore info about this particular one?

I have also seen the tow-hitch receiver set-up by bhpian ambarkhan on his Thar. He also mentions it was built with your inputs. Any thoughts on legalities of that set-up on our roads? Bengaluru Traffic Police, while not as strict as MVD in Kerala, are still a pain to deal with. Not sure how is it up north.

Thanks,
Bhushan

[AKTransAM]

Originally Posted by Shubhendra

He owns a Isuzu V-Cross and carries his GSA across country. He has never faced a problem with cops. He alone loads and unloads the GSA 1250 (~250 kgs).

Attachment 2390872

Just out of curiosity, why would the cops hassle anyone if they had a bike in the bed of their pickup truck? Honest question. Is it because it's something that stands out and they'd pull you over?

[Shubhendra]

Originally Posted by LazyGunner

I'm also curious about the trailer pulled by the Scorpio in your pic. Is it legal on our roads? Anymore info about this particular one?

I have also seen the tow-hitch receiver set-up by bhpian ambarkhan on his Thar. He also mentions it was built with your inputs. Any thoughts on legalities of that set-up on our roads? Bengaluru Traffic Police, while not as strict as MVD in Kerala, are still a pain to deal with. Not sure how is it up north.

I am using this Scorpio-trailer setup for quite some time now. It's legal as Trailer has aa separate registration number, RC, insurance and fitness.In RC, it's mentioned that its for personal use. So far, no issues, except a few toll attendants who get puzzled which toll category this vehicle falls under

Originally Posted by AKTransAM

Just out of curiosity, why would the cops hassle anyone if they had a bike in the bed of their pickup truck? Honest question. Is it because it's something that stands out and they'd pull you over?

Its not very common in India for people to carry these objects, hence they smell it as an opportunity .
Also as per MVA, nothing should stick out of the vehicle (private/commercial), hence it needs explanation.