No one had anything bad to say about them other than being a bit heavy for off-roading.

Our goals where set high. Was this the Topping up at Derj junction, I was on the verge of heading back to Tunisia. Dawn revealed an orange sky and a thick dusty haze. I’d always fancied trying the Funduro. We covered just 40kms, when the Isuzu got stuck on a dune we’d all had enough and called it a day.

Eventually, a mysterious internet connection provided an invite at a price and my permit was telexed from Tripoli in early April. As I ate my bowl of oily stew a little German Isuzu pulled in and, as always in the desert, we sized each other up. The bike had come with a new o-ring chain, some brand I’d never heard of, but I figured it would last the trip. We design and built a custom three link suspension with a panhard bar. As expected, I was a lot quicker than Rainer’s ex-trans African Isuzu, but I didn’t mind stopping and waiting.

An hour or so down the track they’d chanced upon a date plantation where a guy had topped off a jerrican’s worth from his pickup’s oil drum.I poured the fuel into the tank and we were on the move again, but now the riding became really hard as the track squeezed between the dunes and rocky outcrops. To keep this axle bulletproof we used Dutchman Motor Sport custom axle shafts made from high-strength chromoly steel. The 27-litre Acerbis tank managed to look barely bigger than the original but promised a useful 500km range. We also utilized the AccuTune Off-Road 2” Fox bump stops with a 10” limit straps to prevent any damage to the coil overs.The front would not be complete without suspension to hold all these components in place. Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
We choose this axle housing axle housing because it is the smallest shape possible and strongest shape too, there are also no abrupt edges to hang up on passing rocks.The axle has a very strong wall thickness by using 3 1/2" x 3/8 DOM steel. My guide book says it’s much more scenic than the boring direct route.’‘I doubt I’ve got enough fuel to go that far, especially if the piste gets sandy.’ We paused for a moment to consider the implications.‘Well, I have some spare petrol, about six litres.’ said Rainer whose Isuzu was diesel.We topped up the bike’s tank and decided to take a gamble and press on.But by late afternoon we’d got ourselves lost.

A week later I was still aching.At Idri I bade farewell to the tough German couple and headed north, butt-, leg-, arm-, hand- and back sore after the 600km pummeling. Here, look. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Any thighter and the chain would pull out the countershaft srocket so there was nothing for it but to hire a van to get the bike home.Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) The bike started up but a few miles later cut out again. We all added a truss for the front axle.For our transfer case we used Revolution Gear kit that changes the factory transfer case's low range from the stock 2.0:1 ratio by over 50% to a new low of 3.07:1. Isuzu Trooper in Atlanta, GA 1.00 listings starting at $7,500.00 Isuzu Trooper in Bedford, VA 3.00 listings starting at $1,395.00 Isuzu Trooper in Charlotte, NC 1.00 listings Isuzu Trooper in Dallas, TX 1.00 listings starting at $2,750.00 Isuzu Trooper in Denver, CO 1.00 listings starting at $3,988.00 Isuzu Trooper in … Heavy winds prolonged my retreat and at one point I had the distinctly novel sensation of leaning  round a bend while braced against a 50mph crosswind. Mon Mar 06, 2017 2:47 am. A brief chat revealed that Rainer and Katja were also heading across the Red Plateau and would be happy to have another vehicle along for safety [Katja took most of these pictures from the car with my camera but I’m sorry to say I have not photos of them].The aptly named the Red Plateau, a barren, undulating prairie of rust-coloured gravel cut by dry water courses.
By now temperatures were climbing steeply right across the Sahara and with it, expected water consumption and a host of other problems.A couple of months earlier a New Year’s meet up with a guy who worked in the Libyan oil fields actually put me off the whole idea. By paddling madly I just managed to regain firmer ground in time to grab yet another desperate slug of water. We knew that stock Isuzu Trooper would not be enough. We located what seemed the right place and ploughed into the sands where the Isuzu soon mired. You can even say that this is the best all-around vehicle we have built to date. A combination of half empty tank and minimal throttle at cruising speed added to the afternoon heat saw the trickling petrol evaporate in the added fuel filter and cause vapour lock – cutting off the fuel supply. The vapour lock was easily fixed with a cardboard heat shield (My French guidebook (all that was available) claimed the route across the plateau was a straightforward 450km gravel track with a well half way. About 2 months ago, I purchased a 93 Trooper S Automatic for $250. Hang on, I just did that!