[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

You cannot change color of your car according to RTO rules. You have to take permission from RTO, and get the color change notified on the RC etc.,

Thanks TSK..spoken like a true Moderater hahaha! I'm sure that there must be some way i could get those permissions. Many people have carried out modifications and restored vehicles and opted for a color change in the past.

Also instead of the car actually being painted over i could opt for those really high Quality Vinyls in a Camouflage Print for all the Outside panels of the vehicle. They are pretty hard wearing and can be removed at a later date.

The Car under the Vinyls would essentially remain white only.

What do you think?

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

Thanks TSK..spoken like a true Moderater hahaha! I'm sure that there must be some way i could get those permissions. Many people have carried out modifications and restored vehicles and opted for a color change in the past.

Also instead of the car actually being painted over i could opt for those really high Quality Vinyls in a Camouflage Print for all the Outside panels of the vehicle. They are pretty hard wearing and can be removed at a later date.

The Car under the Vinyls would essentially remain white only.

What do you think?

Yes vinyl will do. Regarding color change, many RTOs, esp those in small cities omitted "color" of car from RC book. Due to this reason, you could actually make it whatever color you want. But I think now this practice has completely stopped.
You can go for Vinyls though. On a personal note, I feel it would ruin such a clean and nice vehicle.
A mod like a snorkel would be nice and usefull if you ever intend water fording.

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

A mod like a snorkel would be nice and usefull if you ever intend water fording.

There are some very high quality Vinyls available abroad now..maybe i could source those. Here are some rough representations of what i intend to do with the Vinyl Wraps.



The snorkel and suspension lift would aid greatly in water fording and are the precise reason i want to get those, though the opportunity to use them may be few and far between.

We already use a Warne Winch on our Pajero and i think its invaluable for recovery operations.

Basically i want to convert my City Slicker Fortuner to Jungle Jim capable of handling most of what i throw at it

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

There are some very high quality Vinyls available abroad now..maybe i could source those. Here are some rough representations of what i intend to do with the Vinyl Wraps.
Attachment 896089
Attachment 896090

The snorkel and suspension lift would aid greatly in water fording and are the precise reason i want to get those, though the opportunity to use them may be few and far between.

We already use a Warne Winch on our Pajero and i think its invaluable for recovery operations.

Basically i want to convert my City Slicker Fortuner to Jungle Jim capable of handling most of what i throw at it

If you get such a vinyl job, expect getting stopped by cops every time they have a "challan drive".

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

If you get such a vinyl job, expect getting stopped by cops every time they have a "challan drive".

I doubt very much that would happen. I have never heard of a vehicle being pulled over for paint! In any case once i have the requisite permissions from the RTO the cops would not be able to do much.

In any case this is all information that is good to know. I have done some research and been given a quote for RS 125/sq ft. for a 3M vinyl with the graphic i want printed on it inclusive of installation.

I asked the company that will be carrying out the work and they told me that as long as i have no branding or advertisement being carried out on the vehicle there should be no problem.

Vehicles that are doing branding or advertisement have to pay a monthly tax to the RTO.

Private vehicles who are getting this done may get the Color/Print added to their RC details to avoid any harassment from the cops. There may be a one time charge for the same.

Thanks for the warning though TSK!

[nilanjanray]

Manuuj,

AFAIK you can't use a searchlight - especially one that can be used to cover the jungle on both sides. Earlier people used to hunt in the night using such lights. In the Southern jungles, you can't even flash a torch to your right or left when driving in the night in a sanctuary or national park.

Btw, if you carry out all those mods and put Army stickers at the back and front, don't think anyone would be messing with you. Just joking :-). In any case, your T Fort would be the most unique looking on in India...

Comforting to know about the servicing costs. I took my SX4 for the 40K service recently, and it cost 7K+!

[columbus]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

Its been a very satisfying two years with the Fortuner. Everything works as it has done from the first day and it feels and looks great.

I have been thinking of a few mods that i can carry out on the Fortuner. These are all mostly Cosmetic and not mechanical as i dont want to mess with the Toyota's reliability.

For now its just wishful thinking...Sighhhh..

Hi! Manuuj

Congrats for the 50K and delighted to know the service costs.
What is the conditions of the tyres after 50K ?

As for the mods you are planning i would HIGHLY recommend a rear LSD or Diff locks as the FIRST thing you should think of. I have personally got my Fort stuck on Mandavi beach Gujarat. Front right and rear left lost traction and i was dead as a Dodo. Even though two tyres had traction all i got was wheel spin on two tyres which were in Air since the central differential even when locked in LL mode keeps on giving power to the wheels which have the least traction. The absence of LSD or a Diff lock severely limits the Offroad capabilities of the Fortuner. Its sad to see that it was'nt introduced in the refreshed version also.
Although i did manage to come out on my own from that sand pit but not before a good hour of sweating and some nice comments from wifey and kid..

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Manuuj,

AFAIK you can't use a searchlight - especially one that can be used to cover the jungle on both sides. Earlier people used to hunt in the night using such lights. In the Southern jungles, you can't even flash a torch to your right or left when driving in the night in a sanctuary or national park.

Btw, if you carry out all those mods and put Army stickers at the back and front, don't think anyone would be messing with you. Just joking :-). In any case, your T Fort would be the most unique looking on in India...

Comforting to know about the servicing costs. I took my SX4 for the 40K service recently, and it cost 7K+!

Hi Nilanjan!! Good to hear from you!

Any night safari is now illegal in reserve forests but as i said the modifications are for purely cosmetic reasons. At this point i am just thinking aloud..dont really know when i actually undertake any of the modifications. Just wishful thinking at the moment.

The service costs are very reasonable and combined with the reliability factor add to the appeal of the Fortuner greatly.

Do keep me informed about any trips you may plan for the Kumaon ranges. Would love to join up with you.

Originally Posted by columbus

Hi! Manuuj

Congrats for the 50K and delighted to know the service costs.
What is the conditions of the tyres after 50K ?

As for the mods you are planning i would HIGHLY recommend a rear LSD or Diff locks as the FIRST thing you should think of. I have personally got my Fort stuck on Mandavi beach Gujarat. Front right and rear left lost traction and i was dead as a Dodo. Even though two tyres had traction all i got was wheel spin on two tyres which were in Air since the central differential even when locked in LL mode keeps on giving power to the wheels which have the least traction. The absence of LSD or a Diff lock severely limits the Offroad capabilities of the Fortuner. Its sad to see that it was'nt introduced in the refreshed version also.
Although i did manage to come out on my own from that sand pit but not before a good hour of sweating and some nice comments from wifey and kid..

The tyres are in pretty good shape actually. There was a photo i had posted from my recent corbett trip in which one of the front tyres looked like it was losing tread on one side. Thankfully upon closer inspection i realized it was just the fine sand that had got stuck in the grooves and made the tyres look bald on one side.

The tyres should be good for another 15,000 kms atleast. At almost 12,500 a pop they will be the biggest expense on the Fortuner in about 6 months time.

As far as the Rear LSD and Diff Lock goes i would love to have that done but am afraid i dont know any specialist who can carry out such a job. Also the reliability factor of this aftermarket add on will have me worried.

I wish Toyota would offer it as an add on that can be fitted at their workshops by Toyota trained technicians. In that case i would be among the first few in line for it.

We can dream..cant we?

[Manuuj]

Mini Trip to Pong Dam, Dharamasala and Mcleoadganj.

The 2nd of April holds a special place in my heart. It is the day my niece Zara who is my sisters daughter was born. We therefore found ourselves driving to Jalandhar, Punjab where my sister also lives to celebrate Zara's 7th Birthday..

It was decided that we would leave on Sunday 1st of April and be back in a couple of days. Zara was unaware that we were coming and was actually on the phone with my Mom reprimanding her for not coming to visit her on her Birthday that we barged into her room with my Mom still holding her cell phone. Zara's expression was priceless and made the whole drive and sudden trip extremely worthwhile.

Earlier at Delhi I took the Fortuner for fuel and it had hungrily gulped down 72 litres. The fuel indicator was on E at that time and Range that the MID showed was 0 km. I was heartened to note that there is a cushion of about 7-8 litres which is easily good for about 80-100 kms driving even when the indicators are predicting doom at any moment.

We left around 3 pm from my house and were in Jalandhar by 10 pm with a short break at Savoy Greens at Karnal. The highway is in a very bad state due to ongoing roadworks and one has to be careful for the road narrowing suddenly at places. As such it is difficult to maintain a good pace over distances. In Rajasthan where i took 5 hours to cover 440 kms the 375 kms to Jalandhar from Delhi took 6 and a half hours.

Even then i got a good FE of about 13.6 kmpl due to sedate driving at around 80-100 kmph.

The 2nd and 3rd of April were spent relaxing in Jalandhar itself and spending time with family.

On Wednesday the 4th of April we decided to make a visit to the nearby Pong Dam in Himachal.
We loaded up the picnic basket in the Fortuner and left around 4 in the evening from Jalandhar via Bhogpur and Dasuya for Pong Dam which is about 100 kms away to a place called Lodge at Pong for Dinner.

I will let the snaps do the talking:

Looking back at the house in Jalandhar's outskirts as we left for a fun filled day at Pong Dam

We join the highway that leads us to Jalandhar City from our house.

It was almost 4 pm when we left to pick up my brother from the Industrial area on the way out to the Highway that would take us to Pong Dam via Bhogpur and Dasuya.

Jalandhar to Bhogpur section is well made and a delight to drive on. Bhogpur to Dasuya is a NIGHTMARE such that i could not even take a single pic. Under construction with heavy truck and bus traffic, cows, dogs, cyclists..you name it its there.

Road is good again from Dasuya to Pong.

Pong Dam


Look at the snow covered peaks in the distance!! I decided then and there that i would leave for there the next day. These are the hills near which Dharamsala and Mcleodganj about 170 odd kms away from Jalandhar are located.

Pong Dam




Road from Pong Dam to Lodge at Pong which is a little ahead.

Forest track road to Lodge at Pong. We saw a fox on the way back on this track at night.

The Lodge at Pong

Fortuner parked up at the Lodge.

Looking at the Fortuner from the rooftop

View from the Rooftop. We had a very tasty and freshly cooked dinner here under an almost full moon.


After a wonderful dinner we returned to Jalandhar at about 1 AM after a day spent relaxing and eating at the beautiful Lodge at Pong. Needless to say we packed up and left for Dharamsala the very next day but more on that in the next post.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by columbus

Front right and rear left lost traction and i was dead as a Dodo. Even though two tyres had traction all i got was wheel spin on two tyres which were in Air since the central differential even when locked in LL mode keeps on giving power to the wheels which have the least traction. The absence of LSD or a Diff lock severely limits the Offroad capabilities of the Fortuner. Its sad to see that it was'nt introduced in the refreshed version also.

Did you:
1. Reduce tyre pressure before going on the beach
2. Use hand brake to increase resistance to the spinning wheels?
If so, did these measures help?

I am thinking of buying a small spade and keeping it at the back for this kind of situation.

Originally Posted by Manuuj

Mini Trip to Pong Dam, Dharamasala and Mcleoadganj.

Seems you had a nice trip Manuuj. One advantage of staying in the North, the Himalayas are so close!

[columbus]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Did you:
1. Reduce tyre pressure before going on the beach
2. Use hand brake to increase resistance to the spinning wheels?
If so, did these measures help?

No i did not reduce the tyre pressure since i forgot my foot pump in hotel and did not see any air filling station nearby. Hence did not take the risk of reducing the tyre pressure. I finally managed to come out by stuffing the rubber mats beneath the tyres. Those innova rubber mats sure are multipurpose things .

I am thinking of buying a small spade and keeping it at the back for this kind of situation.

Yep thats a good idea. Our General Guderian has a fantastic foldable spade which he keeps in his fort. I am now looking for that kind of thing.


Seems you had a nice trip Manuuj. One advantage of staying in the North, the Himalayas are so close!

Nice trip Manuuj. Staying in delhi certainly makes the Himalayas more accessible. Driving to Delhi from Bhopal is real a PITA.

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Seems you had a nice trip Manuuj. One advantage of staying in the North, the Himalayas are so close!

Originally Posted by columbus

Nice trip Manuuj. Staying in delhi certainly makes the Himalayas more accessible. Driving to Delhi from Bhopal is real a PITA.

Yes!! It sure has these advantages..The hills of the north, the deserts to the west and the Corbett's jungles to the east are all a few hours drive away.

Back to the mini-travelouge now..

After a wonderful picnic my appetite for a road trip had been whetted. Seeing the snow clad peaks so close yet so far made me want to pack up and drive there instantly. As i woke up the next day we discussed it over the breakfast table. My brother was planning to hold a dealers meet in Dharamsala next month where all his dealers from all over India would be hosted for two nights for a technical and social conference with their families.

The hotel reservations had been done and we needed to go and give some advances and finalize details like the menu etc in the next couple of weeks anyway. It was decided that i would do that now by making this trip that i was keen on anyway. As my mother wanted to visit the temple of Chintpurni Devi Mata which is enroute and also the Shani Temple at Baijnath the trip was on and we left around 12 noon.

I got 58 litres of gas filled with the ODO reading 730 kms covered with an average of 12.6 kmpl over the last 4 days of driving in the city, highway, single laned hill roads, and some jungle tracks.

We reached the temple by 3 after a brief stopover at the Coffee Cafe Day on the outskirts of Hoshiarpur. The road is in very good condition and as the sky started getting overcast and the temperature dropped our mood was uplifted even more.

There was a huge rush at the temple as it was a day of special religious significance and we were finished with Darshan by 5 pm. After a late lunch at the HPTC hotel at Bharwain we left for Dharmsala which was still a good 80 kms away which takes about two hours in the hills.

The road from Bharwain to Kangra is very picturesque but sadly in pitiful condition due to the heavy rains and snow of this past winter.

We made it to Dharamsala in time and headed for Norbulingka Monastery where they have a beautiful guest house cum hotel where we had decided to stay.

The next couple of days were spent visiting and finalizing hotels for the upcoming conferance and visiting the Mahakal and Shani temple at Baijnath before we headed back to Jalandhar..as before i will let the pics do the talking.

I must point out that the road from Dharmsala to Baijnath via Chamundadevi and Palampur is one of the most beautiful roads i have driven on both in terms of quality of tarmac and the beautiful vistas. It snakes its way through some tea gardens with views of raging rivers as they make their way down from the huge snow clad mountains all around.

The Fortuner behaved very well with the only grouse being the super stiff ride quality.

Upon getting back to Jalandhar i drove the Pajero extensively on some bad roads and rough patches. I found that the ride quality especially for rear passengers was far far better in the Pajero than the Fortuner. The engine noise was much less and the engine seemed smoother also.

The Fortuner was ahead in ergonomics, driveability and power.

The pics now..

Cafe Coffee day on the outskirts of Hoshiarpur. Picked up some sandwiches and hot coffee here.

Distances to go yet.

Road to Chintpurni Mata Temple has low hills and good roads. Watch out for Monkeys that frequently run across the road. Sadly some street vendors sell bread to tourists who then throw the bread out of moving cars and buses to the Monkeys. This leads to many monkeys getting into accidents or causing accidents as vehicles swerve to avoid them. Apart from this the bread itself is harmful for the monkeys.

Reached Bharwian with promise of rain ahead. The HPTC hotel here is clean and serves great food and snacks.

Darshan at the temple. Jai Mata Di!

Ready to depart..the Q7 would head back to Jalandhar and we would venture on.

After a brief shower we treated to some spectacular sights that pictures cannot do justice to.

The hills we saw from Pong Dam the previous day are much closer now

The Fortuner parked up at beautiful guest house at Norbulinga Monastery..that is my mom.

Breakfast at Norbulinga Monastery the next day

..seated by the lilting music of the waterfall

Beautiful vistas and roads

Traffic Jam in the hills in Dharamsala

On the way to Baijnath.. the views are breathtaking

Mahakal and Shani Temple ahead of Baijnath that my mother wanted to visit. An interesting fact is that you are supposed to leave your footwear that you were wearing when you reached the temple behind at the temple itself. We bought Bata Rubber slippers for that purpose and exited barefeet, after leaving them behind. Its supposed to ward of bad luck.

Back toward the Plains and the heat..bye bye hills! Until next time...

Fortuner Parked up at the factory in Noida..back in the baking sun. Waiting for the next time it can stretch its legs.


Almost 53k kms on the clock. the 55k mini service will be up soon.

A pleasant surprise on the way back home the same evening..The pleasant hill weather seems to have followed us.


That brings to an end the second and final part of this impromptu travelogue. It was for trips like these that i bought the Fortuner in the first plalce and we have had some interesting experiences and roadtrips in the last couple of years.

Our bond is only going to get stronger.

[suhaas307]

Note From Team-BHP Support-Team: Thread moved from TD & Initial Ownership Reports section to Long-Term Ownership Reviews section. Thank you for your valuable contribution.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

Back to the mini-travelouge now..

Hi Manuuj,
Once again a great set of snaps and a delightful t'logue. Heartwarming to see your Fortuner tackling anything you throw at it - effortlessly.
And loved the last chuck on the ever strengthening bond !

And yes - Congratulations, on graduating from the Initial Ownership section to LTOR section. First Fortuner here to graduate thus...Old Man River !

Have fun.

[dkaile]

Congratulations Mannuj, on being the first Fortuner on TBhp in the Long Term Ownership Review. As Herr' Generale' puts it, Toyota's are reliable to the point of being boring. I say, better boring than knocking on the A S S's. Your Fortuner looks spanking new as ever. Keep updating...