[naj]

Good day to all TBHPians.
Have tried to browse thro' most threads for buying a pick-up or a crew cab but could not find a purposeful/useful thread.I feel that this segment is not discussed in comprehension.I will be very obliged if Tbhp could guide me with their valuable inputs.This could well be a ready guide for quite some of us here.
With swelling Pay packages and ever emerging life styles many people are buying farm houses and farm lands.Thought I am also one of them , I have decided to be a serious fruit grower .My farm land is about 60 km from Pune and drive entrails some patches of broken roads. Off -roading is not the "make your own road type" but a equally bad muddy roads with rocks in between.
I would like to stress that though Mahindra get -away is an very atractive preposition ,I will not like to ferry cow dung in it.I want something more practical.And it feels a bit too expensive too.
I drive a Ikon 1.6 and driving a pickup can be quite a different kind of experience.When-ever I travel to the farm in my car i can only think of one remark that Autocar says about those meaty offroading Fusion ads-Show it a boulder and it will curl up and die.
I require this pick up to ferry mud,fertilizers,cow dung,farm equipment etc.

• Cars short listed-Mahindra campus/any pick up from the mahindra genere, Tata pickups,Mahindra invader converted into a singe cabin hard top,rally gypsy
• Price range- 5.5 lac
• Maintenance & After Sales Service (A.S.S.) expectations-reasonably good
• Average distance traveled per month- cant say
• Where car will be mostly used (city / highway / rough roads etc)highway/rough roads
• Chauffer driven / self driven-self and may be my dad who is 65
• Whether the vehicle will be shared by other members of family-dad -age 65
• Any specific requirements from car (ex. Better luggage space, responsive engine, rear seat comfort) -compact -power steering, air conditioning-must.
• How long you intend on keeping this car (and how important resale is to you)till it or me curls up and dies.

[ram_hyundai]

IMO-the new TATA mobile is a work horse.Has more loading area at least visually than the mahindra pick up.I think the floor area is important to you too.So i put my bet on the TATA pick up.
ram

[condor]

naj : I have decided to be a serious fruit grower .My farm land is about 60 km from Pune and drive entrails some patches of broken roads. Off -roading is not the "make your own road type" but a equally bad muddy roads with rocks in between.

Congrats. Wishing you a fruitful farming experience !

Have you checked this :
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...oline-4x2.html

naj : ... though Mahindra get -away is an very atractive preposition ,I will not like to ferry cow dung in it.

I require this pick up to ferry mud,fertilizers,cow dung,farm equipment etc.

So you wil be carrying cowdung ? Basically, you will have to do it. So let's see :

First analyze your usage. How often are you doing all these things ?
* Just driving
* Carrying equipment
* Carrying chemical fertilizers
* Carrying manure
* Carrying produce

* What if you engage a tractor (on hire) to carry the manure ? Esp Manure is transacted by the tractor-load or pit-wise. You may not need to carry manure by yourself.

* Who drives in each of these cases ?
* How much do you carry each time ?

* How big is your farm ?
* How often do you go there ?

For the usage you intend to apply your vehicle to, it is possible that one vehicle may not be best suited for everything.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/651641-post23.html


Tata Pick-ups :
* TL is an option. But 7.5L min
* 207 Di Crew-cab : you wont like it. It's too crude

Mahindra :
* Invader - converted : will touch 6.5 easily if you include conversion. Cant carry manuare or large loads.
[ * Same for Gypsy ]
* Getaway : check budget. Check parking space.
* Bolero Camper - Not bad. But check your available parking space. Not much of creature comforts.

A.S.S:
Mahindra & Tata are your options. Equal

For the budget /price range you have mentioned, check out a Mahindra Maxx - the one tonner. It's available for pvt use (white-board) regn in Karnataka, under certain conditions. See if you have any loop holes in MH MV Act for white board regn for specfic use on farms.

Average distance travelled - anaylse your usage, based on points above.

And considering these points:

naj :

• Where car will be mostly used (city / highway / rough roads etc)highway/rough roads
• Chauffer driven / self driven-self and may be my dad who is 65
• Whether the vehicle will be shared by other members of family-dad -age 65
• Any specific requirements from car (ex. Better luggage space, responsive engine, rear seat comfort) -compact -power steering, air conditioning-must.
• How long you intend on keeping this car (and how important resale is to you)till it or me curls up and dies.

I would suggest that you consider separating the usage, and have two vehicles. The rougher one (what ever you decide on - TL / Invader / Bolero Camper / any other - can be driven by the driver. That way, if you decide on a vehicle that doesnt have PS etc, it will still not hurt much.

And, having a separate vehicle for the farm will help you splurge on your city vehilce - or you could even have a Safari / Scorpio to tackle those bad roads, & yet use it in the city comfortably.

[Steeroid]

Mahindra Maxx - the only economical option at this moment.

Mahindra MAXX PIK UP- Silver Jubilee Motors - Authorised dealers for Mahindra & Mahindra's vehicles in Maharashtra. INDIA

Since you're just about to start farming, it makes sense to pick up something utilitarian rather than a lifestyle vehicle like the Bolero Camper/Invader/TL/Xenon.

Like Condor says, a tractor + trailer is the most sensible buy. I'm assuming that you're buying a farm to grow stuff, not just as a lifestyle accessory like the New Delhi Farmhouses.

[naj]

Hi!
Thanks Ram ,Condor and steeroid.
I am a captain in the merchant navy.
I work on 3 on and 3 off rotation.Hence I do have a hell of a holiday in between.And the farming is something I am doing for myself.Something which will keep me occupied and I feel that I can derive a lot of satisfaction from it.
Hence I will be doing the rounds in the pick up.I am NOT to be in actual hard core farming like sugarcane etc, but fruits which are relatively easy and I can manage.
I am kind off more inclined towards the campus,bolero pick up or the tata 207 provided it has the two most important comforts of an AC and PS.
The TL /gateaway seems costly because I can utilise those funds in the plantation project.Parking in the city of pune is no problem .I have got space.
In India we really do not have options as for as a pickup or a truck is concerned.
And here is a image factor too.I am lucky that my son is small.If he was grown up perhaps he could have frowned at the sight of his father in a rustic maxi cab,more so in front of his hep friend circle.
A tractor and trailer is something I will not drive ???.But just for information ,there are a lot of subsidies for that .Now one can get a mini tractor and trailer for 1.1 lacs provided you are a farmer .Mr Bachan can also qualify for it , in Maharastra.
Recently Mahindra have launched a face lifted camper .Will go and check it out and post a review.

[shankar.balan]

few suggestions are Mahindra UTILITI, Mahindra Bolero Camper, Mahindra PIK UP which are all relatively less expensive and functional but totally without frills!

[dinar]

If you do not mind the yellow plates than there are a lot of option in the market, tata 207DI,M&M camper,MAX,etc, cops usually tend to stop these vehicles when ever they get chance. If you want a private passing vehicle than you will have to go in for TL or getaway and some models of camper I think as there are seats at the back [ in the bed].
M&M has launched a limited edition of Camper[don't know whats new in it], but that I believe has private plate passing too. From what I get is you are looking for some light loads like fertilizer and getting grow to market.
You should be fine with a long wheel base bolero. We did fine with the 750DP.
And if you are really into the trucks, I suggest you go in for the TL or 207DI, good engines [reliable] and can carry more load as compared to M&M [size is smaller than tata], and more comfortable than the M&Ms. I do have a M&M pickup on the farm they are good but not as good as the tata.[ the control are heavier than those on 207 DI].
Most of the vehicle in this category come with power steering as options but few have the option of AC ,but dealer do the job of fitting them.And by the way there are subsides for these Pick ups too, depending on what you are growing.

[harishF1]

Originally Posted by dinar

If you do not mind the yellow plates than there are a lot of option in the market, tata 207DI,M&M camper,MAX,etc, cops usually tend to stop these vehicles when ever they get chance. If you want a private passing vehicle than you will have to go in for TL or getaway and some models of camper I think as there are seats at the back [ in the bed].
M&M has launched a limited edition of Camper[don't know whats new in it], but that I believe has private plate passing too. From what I get is you are looking for some light loads like fertilizer and getting grow to market.
You should be fine with a long wheel base bolero. We did fine with the 750DP.
And if you are really into the trucks, I suggest you go in for the TL or 207DI, good engines [reliable] and can carry more load as compared to M&M [size is smaller than tata], and more comfortable than the M&Ms. I do have a M&M pickup on the farm they are good but not as good as the tata.[ the control are heavier than those on 207 DI].
Most of the vehicle in this category come with power steering as options but few have the option of AC ,but dealer do the job of fitting them.And by the way there are subsides for these Pick ups too, depending on what you are growing.

I have been looking for a vehicle with loads of attitude and tons of fun and I feel that the bolero camper suits this well. The vehicle seems to kind of balance on and off road (4X4 version) performance, though not the best in terms of creature comforts and on road performance. The 4X4 version comes without the A/c and PS...

Considering my current requirement, I need some clarifications on a few aspects:
> I am willing to go in for a 4wd camper and add the A/c and PS as an add-on. I guess my guarantee would go in for a toss. Please confirm.
> I hate the rear overhang of the camper. Need to know if the chasis (and the loading bay) can be shortened by a third? I know its a risky proposition tampering with the chasis. However, considering its ladder on frame, let me know if its feasible, without affecting the overall dynamics of the vehicle.
> Can I remove a leaf or 2 from the rear suspension for a smoother ride? The vehicle is meant to carry farm loads, while I may carry a few passengers in the rear seating row. The loading bay would not be used at all for most days...
> I understand that they dont provide the CRDe on the camper as of now, which is available in the Bolero. Do you think Mahindras would offer the camper with this new engine developing close to 100 bhp? Any idea when? I dont want to buy this beast and feel its outdated in a years time...
> I checked out the Bolero 4wd also, and this also comes only with the non-CRDe specs.
> I have not come across much on the off-road performance of the camper in comparison with the legendary MMs and Gypsies. Can any one assist with the links, if already available or throw some light on this?
> Lastly, for the above changes, it may be wiser to buy a used camper and do the necessary changes as per my requirements (to keep it within my budget of around 5 Lakhs). Since the camper comes with leaf springs in front (unlike the boleros), is it easy to convert a used 2wd to 4wd? If so, what are the costs involved and would I get a 4wd gear box/ transfer case (new or used) somewhere for this? Or can I mate a MM540's parts for the camper?
assist!!!

[GTO]

@ Harish : Since you are looking at a more comfortable ride, common-rail engine and a PS + air-con, why don't you consider the Tata Xenon instead? Great work truck for those who are in that segment. And much more "comfortable" than the Mahindras.

[vkochar]

I also suggest the TATA XENON as GTO above recommends.

A close friend ( wildlife photographer ) of mine has just brought one of these in Punjab and is all praises about it, although I have never sat or driven a Xenon before.

[dinar]

The Bolero camper [limited edition or something] comes all the equipment you requires, but One thing all the 4x4 models in M&M stable are solid axle , except the Scorpio and getaway.
The xenon is more comfortable but looking at your budget, I would suggest stretch it and get a TATA TL4X4, it's got most of the stuff you wont, come LSD at the rear. The engine is a bit under powered for the size. but not too much.and it is cheaper than the xenon 2wd.

[beejay]

Great thread. Reminds me of my friends completely modded 207Di. Will try to get some snaps and post the same here. It was as butch as it can get. Unfortunately the drive was horrible. Used to jump and wobble all around. The engine was fantastic though.

The Tata Xenon has to be your car.

[Parm]

TATA XENON would be my choice over every other similar vehicle in this segment!

go and TD xenon!

[KMT]

If you are going to use the vehicle as a work-horse, I suggest you look into one that is legally allowed to tow trailers. From what I know Mahindra vehicles are the only ones that are allowed to tow trailers.

All TATA ones say that you should not drill the chassis to attach a tow hook. Does anyone know if anything other than a Mahindra is allowed to tro trailers?

With a tow hook, you can buy a trailer to transport chemicals, manure that will corrode and wreck a normal load bed in a pickup such as a XENON. It also helps if you need to tow waterpumps, generators etc on a farm.

From experience we use a CJ 4WD jeep with a trailer, we had a tatamobile years back, while it was easier to drive than a Jeep, it was less flexible.

The back seats of the Jeep are also good to move labour around...

[harishF1]

Thanks for all your comments. however, if I can afford a Xenon, I wont post my queries out here, would have straight away walked into the showroom for 1 and I hope that day isnt too far. now coming to the queries I have and the budget I have could someone help with a point to point response? This would surely help me decide.