5,600 km Across India in a Toyota Hilux: Dust, Desert & Dependability

The pickup was just insane almost everywhere, be it high speed highway cruising, broken sections of tarmac, off road trails or more purposeful off road driving.

BHPian megazoid recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Completed a journey of 5600 km in the Hilux covering multiple states and diverse terrain with elder family occupying the back seat. The pickup was just insane almost everywhere, be it high speed highway cruising, broken sections of tarmac, off road trails or more purposeful off road driving. Except for a jumpy back end on encountering a high speed bump or undulation, the Toyota had everything else under control. We had to do a lot of highway mile munching, traverse extremely dusty sections of vast open desert, navigate narrow lanes where one either glared the oncoming vehicle into submission or dropped the wheel into ruts and stones to let them pass as well as tackle off-road trails while carrying a tub full of luggage. The pickup had a carryboy soft lid at the back where all the luggage sat with no lockable boot. The power, drivability and seating are absolutely spot on. The heat was severe in the plains and the air conditioning was doing duty all the time and was wonderfully effective. The materials inside are hardy and abuse friendly and could be used without worry. The luggage tub was full with bags of all shapes and sizes and camera gear while four of us occupied the cabin. Was running the Maxxis Bravo ATs in stock size. These were outstanding except when it came to sudden braking from high speeds where expectedly the effectiveness wasn’t as good as a highway tire. A big surprise for me were the passengers at the back mentioning that they were supremely comfortable except on those occasions where I went bersek and hit sharp undulations at high speed. Was able to use the luggage tub for pictures and spotting, making it a handy place. It took a few hits while off-roading but then what use is a pickup without a few battle scars. The fellow is a keeper.

A few cons while on the topic. One needs to be active to use a pickup, especially while loading and unloading luggage or climbing into the tub for whatever reason. My shirt shouldn’t be soiled and I can’t haul myself up won't work in most cases. It is a good handler but one needs to be wary of the size if navigating tight spaces with thin margins gives you a kick. The tub can get dusty. So, it’s always good to pack items in enclosed containers. The back end can throw you around if you crash through all surfaces alike. The AT tyres will compromise braking on the tarmac if speeds are high.

The vast expanse of the white Rann in the background

Making our way back with the rising moon

Salt flatlands

Setting sun and a pickup

Early morning run

Lots of stuff pushed into the tub

Forgot my dumbbell

Waiting for the winds to subside

Desert life

Occupants of the land.

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