Alcan 5000 Rally Grenadier

[Crankshaft Culture]

Day 1 is in the books. A few notes:

The speedometer on ours can't be put into km/h, despite the speed warning appearing in km/h. INEOS has said they've noted to fix in a future software update.

We're getting just under 17 MPG on premium fuel.

Our speedometer runs 3 MPH fast. If you're going 60, our GPS odometers say 63. This is not uncommon. Our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek is the same way.

The ride is quite good and the seats feel very comfortable after a 12 hr drive. The highbeams are also good. I just wish we could utilize the grille-mounted driving lights without being in Off Rode Mode, but so be it. (If there's another way to use them, let me know.)

We're currently 6th of 16 in class.

Next stop: Peace River, AB!

Andy

 

[[ Adam ]]

View attachment 7845105

We're getting just under 17 MPG on premium fuel.

Our speedometer runs 3 MPH fast. If you're going 60, our GPS odometers say 63. This is not uncommon. Our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek is the same way.

Congratulations! I think the Grenadier is especially well suited to long distance road rallies, and it's something I think Ineos ought to get behind sponsoring and supporting Grenadier drivers in the Americas. Thanks for being a pioneer in that regard.

Re: the speedo, I experienced the same issue with accuracy.

If possible, try and log your actual fuel consumption with an app on your phone - I found the onboard computer calculations to be ... Optimistic.

 

[Barney]

View attachment 7845105

Day 1 is in the books. A few notes:

The speedometer on ours can't be put into km/h, despite the speed warning appearing in km/h. INEOS has said they've noted to fix in a future software update.

We're getting just under 17 MPG on premium fuel.

Our speedometer runs 3 MPH fast. If you're going 60, our GPS odometers say 63. This is not uncommon. Our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek is the same way.

The ride is quite good and the seats feel very comfortable after a 12 hr drive. The highbeams are also good. I just wish we could utilize the grille-mounted driving lights without being in Off Rode Mode, but so be it. (If there's another way to use them, let me know.)

We're currently 6th of 16 in class.

Next stop: Peace River, AB!

Andy

I don't know if I understood you. For me, the center high beam headlights work when I turn on the light switch in the roof console and turn on the high beam using the steering wheel lever. Without off-road mode.

 

[Krabby]

I don't know if I understood you. For me, the center high beam headlights work when I turn on the light switch in the roof console and turn on the high beam using the steering wheel lever. Without off-road mode.

I believe the NA situation requires off-road mode.

 

[[ Adam ]]

I believe the NA situation requires off-road mode.

Correct - various jurisdictions have different rules regarding lighting.

 

[Tom109]

Correct - various jurisdictions have different rules regarding lighting.

I wonder if this feed is located above the roof panel? Should be easy to rectify to ROW vehicles.

 

[holdmybeer]

Two (wife & husband?) teams in Grenadiers. My wife and I are cheering for you both! See you next year?

But I gotta say ... having owned an early 1970s Mercury, I'm also cheering for these two dudes from Portland OR in a 1973 Capri:

 

[Crankshaft Culture]

Just an update from day 4 of the Alcan 5000. We're in Yellowknife, NT today and it's -18 F with a -41 F windchill. Now it's a winter rally!

We are actually in 1st place in our class of 17 vehicles which is super exciting. It's a very, very tight competition.

We had big winds and temp drops yesterday. The fuel economy went from the upper 17s to 15 MPG due to conditions. It feels very solid and planted on the poor roads up here, especially when covered in snow. The parking brake appears to be stuck down (better than up!) and I don't plan on yanking it to try it. It's probably frozen from the 60° F temperature swing. (Then again, so am I.)

The Michelin Ice-X tires are performing very well.

Andy

 

[Krabby]

Just an update from day 4 of the Alcan 5000. We're in Yellowknife, NT today and it's -18 F with a -41 F windchill. Now it's a winter rally!

We are actually in 1st place in our class of 17 vehicles which is super exciting. It's a very, very tight competition.

We had big winds and temp drops yesterday. The fuel economy went from the upper 17s to 15 MPG due to conditions. It feels very solid and planted on the poor roads up here, especially when covered in snow. The parking brake appears to be stuck down (better than up!) and I don't plan on yanking it to try it. It's probably frozen from the 60° F temperature swing. (Then again, so am I.)

The Michelin Ice-X tires are performing very well.

Andy

How’s your hvac experience going?

 

[Crankshaft Culture]

Well, we did it and took 1st Place in the 2S (truck/SUV) class in the Grenadier! There were 17 other vehicles in the class and it came down to the wire, but we did it!

The rig was excellent on bad roads at speed. It never bottomed out or felt squirrelly. It's a great long-distance vehicle. Very impressed.

Regarding the HVAC -- it put out plenty of heat. However, it seemed to be difficult to regulate. It was either all hot or all cold. Not sure what that's about, but at -37°F (-38°C) we were fine to be toasty warm and crack a window if needed.

I can't speak highly enough of the Michelin Ice-X tires we used. They were excellent on snow and ice and we're quiet on pavement. No flats either.

The Grenadier is really a rock-solid rig and it held up great over our 5,000 mile trek.

Funny story: We stopped at the gas station in Glennallen, AK. A woman pulled up in front of us and got out. I thought, uh oh--an angry local wondering why were clogging up their gas station and roads. Instead she came over and said she had just ordered a green Grenadier and heard this rally was coming through and there were two Grenadiers on the event. She was shocked to see it at her local fueling station! She was great!

Anyway, it's being shipped back to Portland from Anchorage. It was a great trip, and the Grenadier proved its worth.

- Andy

 

[[ Adam ]]

Well, we did it and took 1st Place in the 2S (truck/SUV) class in the Grenadier! There were 17 other vehicles in the class and it came down to the wire, but we did it!

The rig was excellent on bad roads at speed. It never bottomed out or felt squirrelly. It's a great long-distance vehicle. Very impressed.

Regarding the HVAC -- it put out plenty of heat. However, it seemed to be difficult to regulate. It was either all hot or all cold. Not sure what that's about, but at -37°F (-38°C) we were fine to be toasty warm and crack a window if needed.

I can't speak highly enough of the Michelin Ice-X tires we used. They were excellent on snow and ice and we're quiet on pavement. No flats either.

The Grenadier is really a rock-solid rig and it held up great over our 5,000 mile trek.

Funny story: We stopped at the gas station in Glennallen, AK. A woman pulled up in front of us and got out. I thought, uh oh--an angry local wondering why were clogging up their gas station and roads. Instead she came over and said she had just ordered a green Grenadier and heard this rally was coming through and there were two Grenadiers on the event. She was shocked to see it at her local fueling station! She was great!

Anyway, it's being shipped back to Portland from Anchorage. It was a great trip, and the Grenadier proved its worth.

- Andy

Congratulations!

I'm hopeful you are the first of many such successful ventures in a Grenadier. I hope Ineos is taking note - the American road rally is the Grenadiers sweet spot!

 

[grnamin]

Congra

Well, we did it and took 1st Place in the 2S (truck/SUV) class in the Grenadier! There were 17 other vehicles in the class and it came down to the wire, but we did it!

The rig was excellent on bad roads at speed. It never bottomed out or felt squirrelly. It's a great long-distance vehicle. Very impressed.

Regarding the HVAC -- it put out plenty of heat. However, it seemed to be difficult to regulate. It was either all hot or all cold. Not sure what that's about, but at -37°F (-38°C) we were fine to be toasty warm and crack a window if needed.

I can't speak highly enough of the Michelin Ice-X tires we used. They were excellent on snow and ice and we're quiet on pavement. No flats either.

The Grenadier is really a rock-solid rig and it held up great over our 5,000 mile trek.

Funny story: We stopped at the gas station in Glennallen, AK. A woman pulled up in front of us and got out. I thought, uh oh--an angry local wondering why were clogging up their gas station and roads. Instead she came over and said she had just ordered a green Grenadier and heard this rally was coming through and there were two Grenadiers on the event. She was shocked to see it at her local fueling station! She was great!

Anyway, it's being shipped back to Portland from Anchorage. It was a great trip, and the Grenadier proved its worth.

- Andy

Congratulations! What a way to represent!

 

[DaBull]

Well, we did it and took 1st Place in the 2S (truck/SUV) class in the Grenadier! There were 17 other vehicles in the class and it came down to the wire, but we did it!

The rig was excellent on bad roads at speed. It never bottomed out or felt squirrelly. It's a great long-distance vehicle. Very impressed.

Regarding the HVAC -- it put out plenty of heat. However, it seemed to be difficult to regulate. It was either all hot or all cold. Not sure what that's about, but at -37°F (-38°C) we were fine to be toasty warm and crack a window if needed.

I can't speak highly enough of the Michelin Ice-X tires we used. They were excellent on snow and ice and we're quiet on pavement. No flats either.

The Grenadier is really a rock-solid rig and it held up great over our 5,000 mile trek.

Funny story: We stopped at the gas station in Glennallen, AK. A woman pulled up in front of us and got out. I thought, uh oh--an angry local wondering why were clogging up their gas station and roads. Instead she came over and said she had just ordered a green Grenadier and heard this rally was coming through and there were two Grenadiers on the event. She was shocked to see it at her local fueling station! She was great!

Anyway, it's being shipped back to Portland from Anchorage. It was a great trip, and the Grenadier proved its worth.

- Andy

Congratulations! A very nice accomplishment. You have made the Grenadier proud and shown it is fit for purpose. DaBull

 

[parb]

Way cool! Sounds like you had a great time!

 

[Crankshaft Culture]

Congratulations!

I'm hopeful you are the first of many such successful ventures in a Grenadier. I hope Ineos is taking note - the American road rally is the Grenadiers sweet spot!

INEOS provided my wife and me the vehicle (we're automotive journalists) and they're most certainly aware of this.

 

[parb]

where will you write up this adventure?

 

[TD5-90]

I don't know if I understood you. For me, the center high beam headlights work when I turn on the light switch in the roof console and turn on the high beam using the steering wheel lever. Without off-road mode.

Ack. In my case the roof switch has to be pressed twice till the indicator lights up. The aux lights work when in high beam, no offroad mode required.

 

[Crankshaft Culture]

where will you write up this adventure?

I plan on writing about it for Wheels Afield magazine; my wife will have a host, too. I just published a little bit about it on our site, Crankshaft Culture, which is here: https://crankshaftculture.com/2024/03/05/alcan-5000-update-we-won-our-class-in-the-ineos-grenadier/

INEOS put out a press release about our endeavors and I see it's been picked up by a few outlets so far including Expedition Portal. https://expeditionportal.com/ineos-triumphs-at-the-alcan-5000/

 

[Beormund]

Write up in Gear Junkie:

Rallying the 2024 INEOS Grenadier 5,000 Miles in 10 Days Revealed Its Strengths and Weaknesses

We discovered the 2024 INEOS Grenadier's strengths and weaknesses while on the Alcan 5000 Winter Rally.

gearjunkie.com

 

[Lemon35]

RTGT had the ALCAN Grenadier in the show room, dirt and all, on Friday morning. Great achievement.

A couple things that may be of interest to some owners based on discussions here on the forum:

Two cracks low along the base of the windshield where the defroster vent is. The crack on the left side is very similar to the ones posted here and would suggest a bad batch. I was told by one of the reps that air temp dropped to -30 F and the defroster was so effective that the driving pair would crack the windows to vent heat.