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 From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace !

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belett0
Not so new now
Not so new now
belett0


Number of posts : 65
Home City : London
Model and year : Toyota Hiace Cruising Cabin 1994
Registration date : 2012-08-15

From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Empty
PostSubject: From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace !   From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Icon_minitimeTue Oct 30, 2012 1:31 pm

Hi,

first of all, thank you everyone for updating and keeping alive this forum ! I m so glad there is so much hiace lovers ! Many informations there are so valuable....
I ve got my toyota hiace 1994 cruising cabin since a few months in Uk, and I m planning to drive it from Montreal to Ushuaia (south Argentina). We re planning to do around 60 000kms in more than a year, and there is already 80 000 miles (129000kms) on the clock. Bus

I d like to do a big check up, so I m wondering what should I replace or inspect. The previous owner didn't find the invoice for timing belt replacement....so I think I ll have to replace it just for the peace of mind. Also planning to replace all the filters and to change the oil, replace the pads for the front brakes.
I will take many bulbs, fuel, air and oil filters to do the basics during the trip, but is there anything else I should bring with me ?

Thank you very much,

David
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Clive
Hiace Master
Hiace Master
Clive


Number of posts : 1094
Home City : Bristol UK
Model and year : 2003 Range Rover 4.4 goes like a rocket and drinks like Oliver Reed!
Registration date : 2008-11-05

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PostSubject: Re: From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace !   From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Icon_minitimeWed Oct 31, 2012 7:46 am

Replace gearbox oil.
Replace diff oil.
Replace front pads, and maybe take a spare set?
Check/replace rear shoes.
Bleed hydraulics and take a bottle of fluid.
New tyres.
Drain and refill coolant, maybe worth new rad?

While doing the timing belt change the external engine drive belts and keep the old ones as spares.
And take plenty of photos to post up!
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WGWarburton
Been here a while
Been here a while



Number of posts : 195
Home City : Central Scotland
Model and year : 94 2.8 Noppo HiTop Super-Long
Registration date : 2012-02-07

From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Empty
PostSubject: Re: From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace !   From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Icon_minitimeWed Oct 31, 2012 10:16 am

Hi,
Wow, great trip. We met some motorcyclists who'd done something similar when we were there.

Firstly, a question- how are you crossing the Darien?

Secondly- I agree with Clive's suggestion to change all the belts. My other thought would be to research what Hiaces were sold in Latin America and try and identify any parts that are likely to be hard to find. If they are reasonably portable it might be worth carrying them as spares, otherwise maybe you can prime someone at home to source-and-ship if you run into trouble.
Security can be an issue, so check window glass, for example. Electronics might well be different, if Latin American models were set up to run on low-grade fuel rather than meet first-world emissions standards.

I'd be thinking about fitting engine temperature monitors, too, as the heat and altitude will make the cooling system work harder, especially if you are travelling slowly on poor roads.

I remember seeing a book on setting up expedition vehicles a while back- the text from then will be out of date, now, but it may have been updated. Obviously you have to be wary of dumping your whole travelling budget into a vehicle but if you can find something like that it should give you some helpful pointers on what to prioritise. I'd say a Hiace is a pretty good choice as a base vehicle, though I'm no expert!!!

Cheers,
W.



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WGWarburton
Been here a while
Been here a while



Number of posts : 195
Home City : Central Scotland
Model and year : 94 2.8 Noppo HiTop Super-Long
Registration date : 2012-02-07

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PostSubject: Re: From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace !   From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Icon_minitimeWed Oct 31, 2012 11:16 am

Hi,
Have you seen this?

http://www.xor.org.uk/silkroute/equipment/choosevan.htm

Strikes me as very valuable background.

Cheers,
W.
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belett0
Not so new now
Not so new now
belett0


Number of posts : 65
Home City : London
Model and year : Toyota Hiace Cruising Cabin 1994
Registration date : 2012-08-15

From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Empty
PostSubject: Re: From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace !   From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Icon_minitimeWed Oct 31, 2012 11:52 am

thank you very much guys ! I ll try to find a new rad, I was already wondering about this, especially because of the extreme heat in the death valley, and extreme altitude in central america, Peru and Bolivia.
I ll have to find a good place to replace the rear shoes and the rad, it sounds way too complex compared to my skills.
Talking about altitude, I heard it would help to replace the air filter with a KN one, do you think this will improve the flow ? I didn't find a place to buy new filters, and the only think I saw was from Wix. (fuel, air and oil)

Security is already a big issue ! We are running out of budget for a proper alarm system, so I ll try to setup a kill switch to cut the fuel admission. Windows are a good point as well ! I saw some anti theft window films, but they are really expensive ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk4uB3GqV0o

I heard they run on low grade fuel in south america, what can I expect from that ? less horsepower I guess, do I need a special fuel filter ?

@WGWarburton : we re still working on the Darien gap crossing, and we re trying to do it from Costa Rica to Ecuador with a container. Otherwise, the "usual" way is to take a container from Colon to Caratagena. That is a one of the reasons we took an hiace, it fits into a container ! They re is enough space to live inside for 2 people, especially with the pop up roof. It s robust, and it s been exported to many countries. How do you fit a temperature monitor on that engine ? Could you point me out to a good one ?

I know this website, very valuable ! But the last part is really scary, when you realize what could happen.......

Again, thank you very much !
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WGWarburton
Been here a while
Been here a while



Number of posts : 195
Home City : Central Scotland
Model and year : 94 2.8 Noppo HiTop Super-Long
Registration date : 2012-02-07

From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Empty
PostSubject: Re: From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace !   From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Icon_minitimeWed Oct 31, 2012 1:05 pm

belett0 wrote:
thank you very much guys ! I ll try to find a new rad, I was already wondering about this, especially because of the extreme heat in the death valley, and extreme altitude in central america, Peru and Bolivia.
I ll have to find a good place to replace the rear shoes and the rad, it sounds way too complex compared to my skills.
Talking about altitude, I heard it would help to replace the air filter with a KN one, do you think this will improve the flow ? I didn't find a place to buy new filters, and the only think I saw was from Wix. (fuel, air and oil)

Security is already a big issue ! We are running out of budget for a proper alarm system, so I ll try to setup a kill switch to cut the fuel admission. Windows are a good point as well ! I saw some anti theft window films, but they are really expensive ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk4uB3GqV0o

I heard they run on low grade fuel in south america, what can I expect from that ? less horsepower I guess, do I need a special fuel filter ?

@WGWarburton : we re still working on the Darien gap crossing, and we re trying to do it from Costa Rica to Ecuador with a container. Otherwise, the "usual" way is to take a container from Colon to Caratagena. That is a one of the reasons we took an hiace, it fits into a container ! They re is enough space to live inside for 2 people, especially with the pop up roof. It s robust, and it s been exported to many countries. How do you fit a temperature monitor on that engine ? Could you point me out to a good one ?

I know this website, very valuable ! But the last part is really scary, when you realize what could happen.......

Again, thank you very much !

On security, I'd be more worried about theft from the vehicle than theft of the vehicle. If you can find courtyards and compounds to park up in, that's helpful. As is parking up out of sight and away from built-up areas when sleeping inside.
Not sure about filters, but you're looking for effective ones that you can change often, not "performance" ones. Older VWs used to have oil-bath filters instead of paper ones- ideal as you can wash out and re-use instead of needing a regular supply. Try to use what's available locally but from reputable brands, not cheap knock-offs.
You might need to change the air filter housing to use a Latin-American version, for example, if the Japanese/European one is designed for a low-emissions setup running in clean air. I don't know if that's the case but it'd be worth trying to find out.
If you have a catalytic converter, or similar, it might be worth looking into whether you can remove it when you leave the USA? If not, then double check you can import it!!
The TM2 engine monitor looks like it's a good option:
http://enginewatchdog.com/contact.html
I don't know if they are available in the UK/Canada, though? Must be alternatives but I don't know of them (sorry!).
[edit] Aha! Try here: http://www.coolantalarm.co.uk

Window film sounds like a good idea to me. No personal experience, though!

I assume you have a diesel. Low grade fuel is likely to be dirtier (extra filters, change them frequently) and may have water contamination. It's also more likely to clog up injectors, for example, as it won't have the fancy additives we get here. I would expect local solutions (injector cleaner?) to be available, though finding a trustworthy mechanic may be difficult- bear in mind that anyone driving an imported vehicle is going to be perceived as rich, no matter what their actual situation.

Container transit sounds right (the Motorcyclists got their bikes containered, I'm pretty sure). Probably wise to ask for advice from others when in the area. We didn't have a vehicle except when we hired one (pickup in the Atacama, Lada 4x4 in Patagonia) or shared a VW Baywindow (with the owner through Guatamala & Mexico) so didn't have this issue. We were able to get a passenger ferry from Cartagena to Colon. This was in 1995, though!!! :-).

I assume there's a good reason why you're taking a vehicle from the UK to Canada instead of buying there.

While it's a bit off-topic for this board, it might be worth reconsidering whether you need a vehicle in South America. You can get to most places you want to go using public transport (we took a bus from Manaus in Brazil through the Amazon basin and into Venezuela, for example) and you will spend a lot of time & effort dealing with the hassles of having a vehicle (you'll attract more attention and need to worry about its security, as well as your own).
South America is (or was when I was there) generally a safe place to travel but there is a fair bit of petty theft and corruption in some places. Violent crime levels are low (as long as you arn't a drug dealer) but it's easier for someone to find a way to scam you if you have a vehicle.
Don't try to bribe anyone in Chile.

...and watch your vehicle budget carefully. It's easy to spend a lot of money upfront but you probably won't know what you really need until you have been on the road for a while! Worth doing as much research as you can (like this!) and trying to learn from other people's mistakes.

We all learn from mistakes but the best mistakes to learn from are other peoples!!

Cheers,
W.



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belett0
Not so new now
Not so new now
belett0


Number of posts : 65
Home City : London
Model and year : Toyota Hiace Cruising Cabin 1994
Registration date : 2012-08-15

From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Empty
PostSubject: Re: From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace !   From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Icon_minitimeWed Oct 31, 2012 3:25 pm


Thanks for your message !
On the security side, we have to deal with car jacking and theft from the vehicle. For the second point, I m gonna add a safe and a few hidden places in the vehicle to store important papers and cameras.
I ll have a look to oil bath filters, that seems a great option.

When travelling in a container, you keep the keys, and you can store all your stuff in the vehicle. Compared to roll-on roll-off ferries where you give the keys to someone, and you can be sure they will carefully inspect your vehicle and steal everything... We will also fly from Costa Rica to the Galapagos, and then to Ecuador while the van is on the ship.

So why are we taking the van from Uk (you re not the first one to wonder about that), it is cheaper than in Canada (I ve been there for a year, had a toyota as well, and you have to pay very expensive taxes and the plate. ) another important reason is very simple, there is a lot to plan for this trip, and having the vehicle in Uk gives us more time to service it, to try it and also, to move our stuff abroad ! (clothes, camping, photo and hiking gear, etc....) Also, because of the salt in Quebec, it s not a good idea to get a car over there, Vancouver is better, but then, that means doing the first leg of our trip (around 5000kms) with another vehicle.

We ve been driving an hiace for months in Australia and New Zealand, and we did a few trips in Iceland and Canada, so we already have some experience, but doing the same thing for one year is completely different. Altitude, vehicle maintenance and safety are new problems to solve :p
Having your own vehicle is cheaper than transports when you are almost everyday on the road, and there are many places in the wild where the only way to get there is to pay a very expensive tour or to do it yourself with your car !

anyway, we plan for the worst, but hope for the best Smile
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belett0
Not so new now
Not so new now
belett0


Number of posts : 65
Home City : London
Model and year : Toyota Hiace Cruising Cabin 1994
Registration date : 2012-08-15

From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Empty
PostSubject: Re: From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace !   From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Icon_minitimeFri Nov 02, 2012 10:29 am


Hi,

I saw somewhere that you need to replace the water pump when your replace the timing belt. Can you guys confirm that ? I guess it s cheaper to do both at the same time. The vehicle doesn t have so much mileage, but it s 17 years old...

cheers,

David
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Clive
Hiace Master
Hiace Master
Clive


Number of posts : 1094
Home City : Bristol UK
Model and year : 2003 Range Rover 4.4 goes like a rocket and drinks like Oliver Reed!
Registration date : 2008-11-05

From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Empty
PostSubject: Re: From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace !   From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Icon_minitimeFri Nov 02, 2012 11:18 am

You don't need to be but while you are there as you say, why not
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belett0
Not so new now
Not so new now
belett0


Number of posts : 65
Home City : London
Model and year : Toyota Hiace Cruising Cabin 1994
Registration date : 2012-08-15

From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Empty
PostSubject: Re: From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace !   From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Icon_minitimeFri Mar 06, 2015 8:58 am

Hi guys !
After about 18 months and 75 000kms on the road, we are finally back from this amazing journey ! Before going any further, I'd like to say thank you to everyone on this board, for all the precious information and for your messages when we had mechanical issues ! Our van is sold, but I look forward to get another cruising cabin Smile
I was gonna say the van did well and we never had anything serious to repair, but the engine broke a few weeks after the sale.... Still surprised since we took so much care of it, taking lot of time to warm up the engine before driving, and cruising gently at 90kph.

Anyway, if anyone is thinking about doing this, do it ! It is now very easy to cross borders from Canada to Argentina, and since a few months, there is a new working ferry to cross the Darien between Panama and Colombia.
You can find parts for the van in central and south America, labor and parts are cheap, and there is a looooot of hiaces down there.

Traveling with your own vehicle/home is a totally different experience, you don't have to rely on touristic tours, and you can avoid all the tourist traps. You can pitch your home wherever you want, and have your window against the Andes almost every day.

Here is a selection of the best pictures of the trip, sorry, text is in french, but photo description is in english !
1st leg, Canada to Ecuador :
http://le-voyage.eu/crossing-the-equator/

2nd leg, Ecuador to Argentina :
http://le-voyage.eu/dequateur-a-ushuaia/

3rd leg, Argentina to Europe :
http://le-voyage.eu/dushuaia-a-bariloche-derniere-partie/

Thanks again everyone !

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Clive
Hiace Master
Hiace Master
Clive


Number of posts : 1094
Home City : Bristol UK
Model and year : 2003 Range Rover 4.4 goes like a rocket and drinks like Oliver Reed!
Registration date : 2008-11-05

From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Empty
PostSubject: Re: From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace !   From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Icon_minitimeFri Mar 06, 2015 9:25 pm

Cracking photos!
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PostSubject: Re: From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace !   From London to Ushuaia with my Hiace ! Icon_minitime

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