Nearly twelve months ago I got a new work Troopie.
The old one was tough. If the metal dash was rattling you tightened up a few of the hexagonal screw heads sticking out of the dash. Now it’s a lot more difficult.
You want a UHF radio? Where would you like it? And just screw it into the metal dash in the correct position.
And she would go and go and go and go. You can see how she handled compared to a Patrol in this post
The new one is nice.
And plastic.
It also handled like a dog until the suspension and track were sorted out.
It doesn’t have the bits that make this feel like it can take the punishment the old girl could. And there are a few things missing. In the picture above you can see next to the steering column a dirty little knob that was the hand throttle. In the rough you take your foot off the accelerator and use the hand throttle allowing for consistent power delivery over rough terrain rather than your foot bouncing on and off the the throttle. The new one only has a switch for a fast idle when starting it in the cold.
The panic bar has also gone in the new vehicle. As part of the softening up of the vehicle and to meet mining company OH&S requirements there are air bags. A panic handle on the outside of an air bag doesn’t work well. Out bush I don’t really want an air bag. But I would like my passenger to be able to be firm in their seat over rough terrain. The panic bar was also of great assistance for elderly patients to grab and pull themselves up into the high vehicle.
Eleven months on I am still more worried when I need to take it through the mud or sand and I am worried about the mechanicals (no way can I even begin to sort out the V8 turbo diesel should it die) it make up for it in comfort, ride and performance.
But I still have the old girl in the shed.
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