Long term travel with a Pajero iO
Hello all,
Can anyone share any experiences with doing long-term travelling with their iO?
I'm a Canadian, going to Australia sometime in the next couple months. I'll be spending about a year there so I'm buying a vehicle. Just wondering if you could give me some advice on whether or not the 5-door Pajero iO would fit my needs. We don't have them here so I have never seen or been in one before.
I'm not a serious off-roader, but I don't want to be limited to the pavement when I go to Australia, so that's why I'm looking at the Pajero, since it's a 4x4. I'll be going solo, so I won't be sharing the costs with anyone.
I'll be working some of the time, and travelling long distances. So I'm looking for something economical. But I would also like to have something that is big enough for me to sleep in, with the gear that I would be taking with me. I don't really want to have to pull out a tent and set it up then take it down every day. My concern is that the Pajero would be too small. (I'm 5'10", or about 180cm, and slim) I would get the 5-door version. But could I actually sleep in it? Do the seats fold down
I don't want to get the full-size Pajero or a Patrol or something just because the cost of the vehicle plus gas would be so much more. Same goes for those campervans that some people have for sale (I've been looking on gumtree). I think those campervans are too big for my budget, and for one person, and alot of them are pretty high mileage as well.
Comments? Perhaps suggestions for a more suitable vehicle if you think the iO isn't the right one? I appreciate your help, especially since I won't be a long-term forumer.
Think Suzuki SideKick
For comparison to a vehicle available in Canada - take a look at the 5 door Suzuki SideKick or Chevy Tracker (89~98) - the 5 door iO, is about the same size.
The rear seats backs are split 50/50 and fold foward to create a flat load space - it's theoretically possible to sleep in one, but it's not something I'd want to do unless it was absolutely necessary. You could get creative and build a sliding platform high enough to clear the front seats in the full foward position and use that to sleep on, with a drawer system below it to stow your gear.
Edit ...
Have a look at the link below - this guy put this "bed base" in a Suzuki Jimny, which you probably don't get in Canada - it's a 2 door 4WD, a little smaller than a Suzuki Samurai - if you can put something like that in a 2 door, imagine what you can do with a five door iO.
http://www.auszookers.com/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=16667
.
My opinion.
Forget sleeping in anything other than a full sized wagon.
Touring solo or 2 up in a small 4x4.
Remove the back seats.
Install a cargo barrier behind the front seats. Use the space created for all your gear.
Fit a "Maggiolina" type 'rooftop camper' for sleeping.
Add to this a side/rear pull out awning with shade cloth as ground cover for your shelter come living space.
Your good to go anywhere.
Non biased view of the IO?
Economical, reliable, safe, capable.
As is the Grand Vitara & Feroza etc.
I have slept in my iO a few
I have slept in my iO a few times, I cut some MDF to size and carried it of the roof racks, had to have supports in the car too, I will setup something permenent (draws in the back with extension and supportsup front) oneday. Im 6'1" so needed to have the seats all the way forward and the MDF rested on the top of the seats.
Its hard and a squees but it can be done, probably not what you want tho, I realy realy realy miss my S2 delica for traveling/camping, Pulled out the middle seats and just fold the rear seats up out the way, that way there was room for matres and gear as well as still having the ability to be a 5 seater when needed, Not as good for off road due to clearance, but its still a real 4x4 so may be all you need, I got 11- 12 / 100k with my 2.8 turbo diesil even with a roof full of hanggliders, impressive considring the size and weight. youll realy apreciate the extra room for long term traveling.
rooftop camper
I never heard of the Maggiolina roof top camper before, I google them and they look very good. Do you think that the roof of the 2 doors io can support one like that and 2 persons....might be a bit much?...no, I am not that big neither my better half:)
I like the swag, but they are big and not always the best with the rain...
Happy io, or happio!
$$Something to be aware of ...
The published roof rail weight limits are usually a "dynamic load" limit - a do-not-exceed figure that is dictated more by the stability of the vehicle than the strength of the roof or rails. Exceeding it with the vehicle stationary is not usually a problem, exceeding it with the vehicle in motion may result in a roll-over. I've seen those roof top tents used with Suzuki Jimnys that I personally would have hesitated to fit them to.
Syndicate
I think you'd struggle to
I think you'd struggle to sleep in the back of an iO. Maybe a toyota hilux surf or 4 runner would be better.
Size is not important; it's how you use it that matters!