Updates from the Equator, Part 1 - Road Tripping Through the Southwest with Suzuki’s Midsize Pickup

By Mark Williams for PickupTrucks.com

I learned a long time ago that when someone tosses you the keys, you grab ‘em. So when Suzuki offered me the chance to drive a modified Equator from Dallas to Los Angeles, I jumped at the chance.

My goal is to write a full review of the Equator but I'll also be blogging about my experiences along the 1,500 mile route, from Texas back to California. Sure, it’s a long way, but this is truck country and I'm bound to see some interesting rigs and sights along the way. No doubt, I’ll see some scenic landscapes too.

But first up, let's take a look at the truck. As you can see, this four-wheel drive Equator has some big tires, a rear locker, and an ARB bed-mounted collapsible tent, so I'll try to test its off-road capability a time or two along the way and with its portable shelter.

Ted Giles, from STI Fleet Services, met me at the airport. He dangled a set of keys in his hand and it didn’t take me long to toss my camping gear and luggage in the back and beeline it to the open road.

There’s nothing quite like a road trip, especially when the truck you’re driving doesn’t need to be back to the owners for several days. Still, our intentions here are professional and our interests focused on discerning whether this modified suspension lift, front and rear armor, and camping gear is enough to change the personality of this relatively sedate mid-size pickup.

I’ve got a few stops to make along the way, much of it exploring state and national parks that I’ve never been to, and another with a unique truck builder that I met at SEMA. There's much more to come!

For now, feel free to let us know if there's some favorite spot you have along the way that you can recommend. We’re likely headed to Big Bend National Park, Texas, then to Las Cruces, New Mexico, on through Kingman, Arizona, and finally into the Coachella Valley, past the Salton Sea in California.

Until next time!

Comments (12) in Aftermarket, Compact/Midsize, Road Test, Suzuki, Suzuki Equator, Weblogs