Isuzu NPS 75/55 4x4 Build Series - Episode 1

Hi, we are Briohny & Andrew - Owners of Accelerate Off-Grid Touring and Accelerate Auto Electrics & Air Conditioning and...

WE BOUGHT AN ISUZU NPS 75/155 MANUAL 4x4 TRUCK.

Come along with us as we build our Ultimate Off-Grid Touring Vehicle to tour Australia in with our three children. 

Before our third child Atlas was born, we made a plan to travel Australia when he turned four (February 2023). We ordered the NPS in October of 2021, and while we did have some hiccups with delivery, thankfully the team at All Terrain Warriors managed to still get us a truck by the delivery date!

WHY WE CHOSE TO BUY A TRUCK TO TOUR IN 

We've had a 200 series Landcruiser and 79 series Landcruiser. We wanted a ute with a canopy, not a wagon - but the 79 Series didn't have enough space in the rear seat to fit anything, not even the kids water bottles! 

We were left with a few options we debated; 

1. Chop a Landcruiser 200 Series - costs really start from $250k. Plus when we were ordering the 200 was coming to an end and 300 series wasn't out yet but taking orders, who knows when 'the chop' would be engineered. 
2. American truck - there are a few on the market now and geez they are cool, but we really didn't want to worry about weights
3. Truck - we looked at the Isuzu & ??. We test drove both, talked to owners of both and did lots of research. We decided on the Isuzu.

The NPS truck can be a total weight of 7 1/2 tonne on its own. It's got 7 1/2 tonne GBM - and as it sits in the video with 200 litres of water and 280 litres of fuel, it's bang on 4 1/2 tonne - with the tray, the super singles, all of it. So that leaves another three tonne that can fit in accessories, family and water etc.

We don't want to be juggling weights all the time, and don't want to be worrying about what they can / can't take with them and if we are 'legal'.

STAGE 1 OF THE BUILD

When the truck finally arrived, it went straight to the brilliant team at All Terrain Warriors, just down the road in Coolum, for ATW to complete the first lot of mods.  ATW installed.

• Front bull bar
• Suspension - King's remote res shocks and parabolic springs with the rear airbags
• ATW Custom tray (which will later be accompanied by a canopy)
• 8 litre headboard tank
• 120 litre tank up under the rear at the back where the span only sits.
• Rear winch bar
• Rear tow bar
• Front and Rear 17,000 pound Sherpa Winch
• 37's on 19 1/2 inch rims - which are a little bit rougher, but we've done that to provide the full GBM rather than going with 17's.

TRUCK OR CAR LICENSE? 

The big question... do we need a truck or a car license to drive this beast? The NPS will need to be on a truck registration at some point, however it's not currently. Why? Here's a sneaky little trick for you.

If you register it with super singles on a car licence, and then you put it to truck, it means you can go back to super singles, Later on. If it's registered as a truck first up, if then goes back to car, you can't put super singles on it.

IS THERE A WEIGHT LIMIT WITH TRUCK LICENSE VS CAR LICENCE? 

In QLD at the time we looked into this, when registered as a car it's limit can only be 4 1/2 tonnes. If it is going to weigh over that it will need to be on a truck registration.

STAGE 2...STAY TUNED  

The next stage is going to be a custom canopy built using a local Sunshine Coast canopy builder w/ Roof-Top Tent, Tinny Topper and Full Electrical Fit-out. 

- TINT 

- FULL WRAP 

- FRONT AIRBAGS 

- CANOPY 

- ROOF RACK 

- SPOTLIGHTS ACROSS THE FRONT 

- SUSPENSION SEATS 

- ELECTRICAL UPGRADES 

+ more! 

Watch the full run-down to episode 1 via our YouTube Channel now by clicking here.