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Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - Joseba Attard
I shear sheep all over the Basque Country and need a new vehicle:

Needs to have room in back for a lot of equipment (metal frame, wooden boards, toolbox trunk, dog crate.

Needs to be able to access tough, rough tracks.

As I do a lot of miles, it needs to be fairly fuel efficient.

Also needs at least 3 seats in back.

Have been looking at 4x4 kangoos, dangel partners, berlingos, vitara lwb. Any ideas? Nissan Navara any good? Budget up to €6000.

So far have been using our family megane estate with a roof rack and at times a trailer but it's getting wrecked on the rough terrain and my wife isn't very happy about taking it to work the next day smelling of sheep!

Edited by Joseba Attard on 29/12/2017 at 06:42

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - nellyjak

Sounds like you would be better off considering a double cab type vehicle.?

L200/Hilux/Ranger etc....and be able to keep the "sheepy" stuff completely separate from the cab. (and using a hard cover/top for the rear "bed").

I guess it's what is available in your price range of course?..but I would think even a well used Hilux (for example) still offers a good degree of reliability.

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - Joseba Attard

Thanks, pickups are quite pricey here, except for the Nissan Navara for some reason. Maybe more of them sold here. They're certainly quite popular. They just seem enormous and the thought of travelling long distances in them is scary in terms of fuel consumption.

Edited by Joseba Attard on 29/12/2017 at 08:06

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - nellyjak

Yep...understand the limitations you have in price terms ...though given your work and the terrain you need to deal with, I doubt that the ruggedness and reliability you seek will make a brilliant marriage with good fuel consumption..?

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - Joseba Attard

Very true. The ideal thing would be a 4x4 van, but I just can't find anything. Was looking for a VW syncro but they're pricey and hard to find. Thanks for your advice. Going to have a look at a couple of pickups today. May just have to up my prices to clients to cover fuel costs!

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - nellyjak

Sounds a good plan...good luck with the search.

Something like this might be worth considering too....not mega brilliant mpg perhaps but relatively cheap-ish to buy..and usually reliable.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/56-07-model-mitsubishi-shogun-l...h

The "commercial" versions of the Shogun/Pajero or Isuzu Trooper might be worth a look.

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - John F

Toyota Hilux. Pick-up of choice for rocky terrain - 1000 arab insurgents can't be wrong.

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - Engineer Andy

Toyota Hilux. Pick-up of choice for rocky terrain - 1000 arab insurgents can't be wrong.

Given that it survived everything the (now former) Top Gear tem could (literally) through at it, it makes sense as a no-nonsense robust utility vehicle.

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - Joseba Attard

Good call. Here the Pajero is called the "Montero" as unfortunately Mitsubishi didn't do their homework at the naming stage of their branding and "pajero" means something quite different! I'll let you look it up!

Talking to the older guys from around here, the 2.8 diesel version is the one to go for as the others just guzzle fuel.

The Hilux would be a dream vehicle for this job, mainly because of its reputation for being pretty unbreakable. It didn't get great reviews when compared with other pickups (Navara came out top), but it is a Toyota at the end of the day. Unfortunately they're way out of our price range, so may have to compromise.

Edited by Joseba Attard on 29/12/2017 at 17:55

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - mss1tw

Navaras are rubbish. Buy cheap buy twice. It's a tool you need, I'm sure you don't scrimp on your shearing equipment and its maintenance

Hilux all the way

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - nellyjak

Yep...can't disagree with that...if it were me then it would definitely be the Hilux.

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - colinh

Cheapest Hilux on the Spanish car market website coches.net is €14,500 for a 2012 one, which has done 121k+ kms!!

www.coches.net/toyota-hilux-25-d-d-4d-145-cv--4x4-...x

Edited by colinh on 29/12/2017 at 12:20

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - Metropolis.
I can’t read the advert as it’s in spanish but this sort of thing will do you well:
www.coches.net/suzuki-grand-vitara-xl7-20-diesel-d...x

Long wheelbase version of the grand vitara so parts are easily and cheaply available despite the xl7 itself not being very common, capable off road, body on frame toughness, low ratio box, economical in diesel form (although the 2.7 petrol is a lovely engine!) and reliable. Unless you are going rock crawling the clearance on this will be ample.
Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - HGV ~ P Valentine

I can't say which one is the best 4x4, but I can sympathise with your family having to travel in a car smelling of sheep.

I hope you find what you need soon for your sake as much as theirs my friend.

happpy new year.

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - Joseba Attard

Thank you everyone for the wonderful advice and encouragement. I'm new to this website and you've all been a massive help! Unfortunately my car searching was cut short today as my dad was airlifted to hospital with heart failure! Timing! Tsk tsk! Thankfully he's doing well, and once I refocus, I'll get back onto the case.

Happy new year to you all. Enjoy your time with loved ones. Life is fragile. Too fragile even for a Hliux!

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - nellyjak

Sorry to hear about your Dad...hope all continues to go well.

Have a good New Year and hope that your vehicle search can continue soon.

..and yes, I'm well aware of the Spanish interpretation of "Pajero"...lol

Edited by nellyjak on 29/12/2017 at 18:17

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - gordonbennet

Navara chassis break, just under the rear edge of the cab, rust hidden inside the box section doing its thing, a search on Youtube will show the problem.

Ford Ranger and its Mazda twin are tough motors, 2005 on Hilux in twin cab form is a more comfortable vehicle though, but may well be twice the price of an equivalent Ranger.

oops, bad timing of the post, hope your father makes a speedy recovery.

Edited by gordonbennet on 29/12/2017 at 18:16

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - KannyGit

Condolences about your dad.

Have you thought of a Peugeot Partner Grand Raid ?

Not sure they were offered in Europe (I'm in Africa) - they come with raised suspension, metal under plates, limited slip differential.

It's not 4x4 but I've been in some interesting areas where it surprised me (Maluti mountains). Back seats fold down when you need them. Better ground clearance than VW Caddy and fuel economy in the low to high 7l/100km range. (2.0 Hdi variant - don't get the 1.6 or 1.4 diesel).

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - edlithgow

Oldish Toyota Hilux pickup might be within your budget and would keep some of the smelliness out of the cab.

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - edlithgow

Vitara's are popular here in Taiwan among those who go off-roading in the mountains. Relatively good mileage for a 4X4 (Its competition here is the Jeep Wrangler though) and reasonable offroad ability, I'm told.

Daihatsu Fourtrack is another, but I dunno if its available in Spain.

Watch out for aftermarket wide/big wheels on the Vitara, which are very popular because they do look good on the short wheel base model but can cause rapid wear of the drive train.

Some years suffer cylinder head cracks, I think along the line of the spark plugs (on petrol engines, obviously). Can't remember the details but I THINK it was the early years of the alloy head after transition from cast iron. If I get a chance I'll check.

Old model Jeep Cherokee? There's also a pickup truck on the same platform. Jeep reputation for unreliability but relatively cheap, comfortable and roomy

If you want cheap and rugged, are there any Lada's left locally? Cue howls of derision from the Brits, but they are pretty tough and used to be almost free. Not much room in the 4X4 but an estate is still pretty rugged.Not much fun to drive long distances though. and probably not many left.

That seems to be a general feature. Vehicles characterised by rugged simplicity, which seems to be what you want (think Peugeot 504 estate, Datsun 1200 "Bakkie" pickup) are out of style.

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - edlithgow

I mistyped. Its the block that cracks on the Vitara, not the head.

"The aluminum block on this vehicle is very prone to cracking. It's a factory casting defect, and well known issue with the 1.6 liter motor....

The crack is along the left side of the block, where the water jackets reside in this section of the motor."

Discussed here:

tw.forumosa.com/t/your-opinions-on-a-1996-vitara/2...6

I wonder if its big enough for your purposes anyway though.

Sheep shearer in Spain needs advice - edlithgow

www.commercialmotor.com/used-vehicles/advert-detai...2

4k pounds

Sheep shearer in Spain needs adviceT - piggy

Those Spanish sheep must be tough indeed if the OP can contempate shearing in January! :)

Sheep shearer in Spain needs adviceT - Bilboman

Basque breeds are indeed tough: sheep, dogs and more besides. A land where men are men and... (I'll leave readers to imagine the ending of that potentially un-PC comment! :-) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_breeds_and_cultivars