A quick update on my impressions after reaching 20,000km in my Trialmaster Utility Wagon, having done a mix of daily driving, 4WD day trips and a recent 6000km adventure through outback NSW, QLD, and SA.
Average fuel consumption (diesel) 11.7 L/100km (no towing).
Very comfortable driving position, even when spending all day at the wheel. I have no issues with the steering or the footrest.
Love the powertrain. The engine provides more than adequate grunt, and the gearbox works seamlessly. I like the way it automatically downshifts when you brake on descents, and having 8 gears to play with in low range gives you a lot of flexibility.
I regard it as a blessing that mine is not equipped with the latest ADAS systems, but I appreciate the ESC which has helped me out a few times on fast gravel roads. In off-road situations, the ESC OFF-ROAD mode works well, but I'm in the habit of turning ESC off completely when driving in sand.
I always lock the centre diff as soon as I go off-road. I've had the occasional issue with the transfer case not wanting to shift back out of low when I’ve been doing long stretches of demanding off-road work, especially when the rear and front diff locks have been used, but I’m having this problem less frequently now, possibly because I’ve got into the habit of unlocking the centre diff before moving back to high range.
Some people find the controls somewhat bewildering when they first get into the driver’s seat. After some time at the wheel you get used to where everything is. I can now lock the rear and front diffs and engage hill descent control without hunting for the switches. Likewise I’ve learnt the location of the auxiliary switches that I use for the UHF, fridge, lightbar, camping lights etc.
I’ve connected a 2000W inverter (and some other accessories) directly to the auxiliary battery, and I’ve added a CTEK D250SE for solar input. My auto electrician found the Grenadier very easy to work on.
More details of my build can be found here …
drive.google.com
Things I’d change ??
Redesign the silly panic button on the key that’s way too easy to set off accidentally.
Change the head unit software so that the rear view camera still works (without having to manually turn it on) in Off-road mode.
I’m very much looking forward to being able to use Apple CarPlay for navigation, and I’m told that the update is not too far off.
Overall, I’m very happy with my purchase. The vehicle is very solidly built, and it’s very capable without the need for aftermarket modification. Mine has taken a few big hits underneath, and the paintwork is no longer perfect, but that’s what I signed up for.
You can see some of my adventures here …
