I am looking to get a late model Trooper for a light wheeler/camping rig. I've look at ARB products and Independent 4x4 to get some ideas, I am just thinking it will have a small lift and 285 A/Ts, nothing too crazy. I am a Toyota guy but I like the boxy styling of the Troopers and you can get one for a fraction of the price of a Land Cruiser or 4Runner.

Can anyone tell me what years are the best and what to avoid?
What sort of options did they come with that I should look for?
Any suggestions on modifications to make?
What should I expect to pay for a low mileage (under 100k) Trooper?

Sorry for all of the super basic questions, I have been wheeling a while but Isuzus are completely new to me. I saw a lifted Trooper recently and it was enough to make take a closer look at these vehicles.

Thanks,

Harry

I think that all Trooper ('98+) are about the same. I would look for a 2000 5 speed, 5 speeds have a part time 4x4. Autos have TOD all TOD's have LSD.
Some burn more oil than others, Just wastch the oil level. They all suck at mpg 14-16.
Limited came with leather, armrests, powerseats and a huge sunroof.
Mods are as endless as with a Toyota. ARB front bumper, small lift and 285's are norm. Snorkles and lockers are options. SAS'd Troopers are out there.
Around here 2000-2001 Troopers ~100k start at about $5-6k.
Prices are dropping by the day...

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Could be wrong but 5sp on base model for 98 model only.
I would go for 2001 or 2002 year & not the base model;most likely less issue with oil consumption and/or manifold gasket failures. High end models have electric folding side mirrors standard as well.
Timing belt change due at 75k/100k depending on service(normal/severe).
Auto trans fluid should have been replaced/flushed per/or close to schedule.
Since it would be for light wheeling/camping only:
I would go for 265 AT's instead - better gas mileage to/from camps. Should be less noisy as well.
Shocks & springs from ARB/OME etc should replace the OEM ones. Just have to crank the t-bars to level.
Trooper comes with rear LSD so that should be good enough.
Locker up front, ARB bull bar/winch, sliders can be installed but should not be necessary for 'light' wheeling.

HTH

About the only "trick" is looking for an engine with a screw-in PCV valve...these have the redesigned piston rings and are much less likely to be an oil burner. 02 should have this, possibly some 01s. The older design engines have a push-in PCV valve.

Other than that they are a great value, roomy, ruggedly built and reliable.

A Trooper with a mild OME coil spring lift of about 1.25" and 265/75 tires can do quite a bit off road. I did lots of trails at Moab with that setup on my old 99 Trooper. You can go 285s with the lift, but personally I would stick with 265s, as that is only 7% off of stock ratio, versus about 11% for 285s.

I'm a Toyota guy too, but I luv my 00 Trooper.
The TOD system is great, the rear axle is on par with a D60 strength wise, Tera has a crawler gear for it.
The 3.5 engine is a mixed bag, lots of power, MPG sux, cracked heads is somewhat of a problem, and the oil consumption on some (as mentioned above).

I've had a 1st gen (87) and currently drive a 2nd gen (1993). Love the thing. Base model 3.2 SOHC 5-speed; get 18 mpg in mixed driving (more if I keep speeds down). Manual hubs with lever-shifted TC. Very comfortable, quiet, and smooth. Uses 1 quart of oil per month, and is a gutless wonder. The best thing, and it's hard to describe, is that the front end feels "tight". no slop at all. I don't flog this car off road but I've taken my share of trips through Idaho basalt.

I'm amazed at how many early 2nd gens I'm seeing in the sub-$2000 range. Bargain.

Good luck

Thanks for the replies guys, this is exactly the information I am looking for. I will probably try to find a 2002, it seems like prices are reasonable for even newer, low mileage Troopers.

Not for the TOD transfer case they don't. Independent4x has 3.07:1 crawler gears for the regular t-case, but you have to find a 5-speed model for that t-case...not sure if any 5-speeds were available in 02. I know some were in 99.

If you are referring to the rear axle, there basically aren't any regear options for the modified 12-bolt. You could swap in a 95-97 regular 12-bolt and have a few regear options: 4.56 and 4.77.

This concerns me. There are no gears for the "modified" 12 Bolt? What about lockers?

What years used this rear axle? I might have to stick to 265s instead of 285s...

The modified 12-bolt was used 98+, had 4.30 gears. At one time, 5.38 gears were available from Iceland of all places, but I haven't heard of anyone being successful in getting those for several years now...not sure if they are even still available there. FWIW lots of guys have run 265/75 and 285/75 tires with these axles. That's a 7% and 11% deviation respectively from the stock 245/70 size.

A 95-97 Trooper 12-bolt axle will swap in directly, except for there might possibly be antilock brake sensor issues, I haven't looked into that. This axle would have 4.56 gears, and you would also have a choice of rare 4.77, and even rarer 5.38 gears (I wouldn't count on finding 5.38s, the front 10-bolt gears were sold out several years ago).

Re: lockers, the only option for the modified 12-bolt is ARB. In the front 10-bolt you have the option of ARB or Aussie locker. There is an Aussie for the regular 12-bolt also.