kiwi van driver

[WINJA]

How bout one of these?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...n-29774267.htm

I HAD THE ISUZU VERSION OF THIS AND IT WAS 4 WHEEL DRIVE WITH BARN DOORS , IM A VAN PERV BUT TO ME A CAR HAS TO BE SOMETHING TO PICK UP A BIKE SO I LIKE VANS AND LOVE BIKES

[Rainbow Wizard]

How bout one of these?

Seen a large number of that type of van with rollover damage. My money's on the L400 but WINJA's too uppercase to ask me so far.

[FROSTY:Me]

Hiace jumbo high roof.The 2.8 diesels just seem to keep on going

[Two Smoker]

Only driven a few Hiace 2.8's... Have driven an econovan (and have seen the highside of 160) and its ok, but i prefer the Hiace... Im keen to have a go in a L300... especially if it is like squids...

[Motu]

The Dyna is more truck than van,that looks like a 4x4 to me too.It'd be a pig to drive....and I know WINGA doesn't like pigs at all.Tough as nails if you could take the pounding,lower gearing too,bigger brick so less economical.

[Rainbow Wizard]

...I know WINGA doesn't like pigs at all....

Shouldn't that be WINJA ??? By the way MR UPPERCASE, looks like this unsolicited reference could be of some use beyond its amusement factor.....
from a mate just up in Africa on missionary work:

Question: When you’re on the Congo border, and your 1995 Toyota Hiace [with 500,000km on the clock] has cracked the sump plug [understandably, since the roads it’s just crossed for the past 3 days have been the worst in the world, it was no surprise that a passing rock or 20 smashed the housing of the oil bung.], and there are no spare parts, what do you do?
A] Call in a helicopter with a spare part?
B] Create a makeshift part yourselves and keep topping up the oil tank?
C] Get another truck and pay another $US400 for the trip?
D] Call in a man to fix it.
Of course, this is Uganda, and so B is the correct answer. [“A” would be right if you were American. “C” would be okay if you were rich. And “D” would apply if you were British.]

Fortunately the oil leak was noted by Charles our driver [no right-thinking mzungu (whitey) would attempt to drive in these conditions] exactly when we stopped.

The prescription was this. Send the mechanic away somewhere mysterious on the back of a Suzuki 50cc Stepthrough [1970s model – still manufactured and supplied brand new here – as is the 1959 Honda Super Cub!]. By the way – doesn’t this explain why you can’t get a step-through for love or money in New Zealand? They’re all here!

Stepthroughs are the number 2 means of public transport.
No 1 is the back of a [Chinese] 28in frame pushbike – also used for carriage of anything from drums to 4 or 5 bunches of bananas to poles to building steel. One of them was taking up half the carriageway when we passed yesterday. Our driver honked on the horn, and the bodaboda boy [the cyclist for hire] discovered quickly the principle of the triangle. No, we didn’t hit him but his load became an extreme hypotenuse. Good, since we were free-wheeling down a long slope at 130km/h [realise that the tyres are pretty well bald, and a blow-out at that speed doesn’t bear thinking about].

The bike trip usually costs a few cents for the passenger. But you, and those in the passing truck, are praying all the while.
The Stepthrough is No 2 means of transport. The pillion pays 50c to a dollar.

No 3 was our nemesis – the Toyota Hiace. People have claimed to find examples with 1 million kilometres on the clock. They are the main means of place-to-place transport with anything up to 18 humans and the odd goat aboard. They’re called ‘taxis’, but they’re the main service transport for the millions who come and go from their work each day.

(Thanks to Peter Minson, ex Christchurch in case you've met him)

[750Y]

I've had a dyna like the one in the pic. it was ok, very sturdy, but a bit of as pig as Motu says, but the roof is too low. My old man is a painter & always had vans. the hiaces were pretty tinny but he'd get a good run outa them, the l300 was probably the best van he's had but not quite the longeiveity of the toyota but a far better van to drive.
I've had hilux's & l200 utes and noticed the same thing. Have You considered gutting a people mover? they are not bad...