2016 IN YOUR REAR-VIEW: THE BEST BLOGS OF THE YEAR

As the last cheap chocolates are torn from the advent calendar, we find time to reflect on 2016 and the year that was. You, our readers, propelled the Isuzu blog from strength to strength this year, so we wanted to look at some of the posts that sparked interest and (occasionally) touched nerves.

Crafty campervans

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that truck drivers are nomads at heart, yet we were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm for the Build Your Own Campervan post. Readers shared designs, showed their appreciation or tagged other keen travellers. With the level of excitement shown way back in May, we feel confident there’s more than one innovative new Isuzu camper hitting the bitumen this Christmas break.

Kangaroo Caught

Speaking of breakage, you were very keen to weigh in on How to Avoid a Jumper-to-Bumper Collision, giving us your take on all this marsupial mayhem. There wasn’t a lot of sympathy for Skippy, but that’s unsurprising considering our sources indicate kangaroos account for about 14 per cent of single vehicle truck crashes. Your comments featured endless suggestions and anecdotes around avoiding an incident. Most people agreed with our advice that, when a kangaroo pops up in front of you, often the safest course is to brake in a straight line and hit the animal, putting faith in your bullbar. Some of you did show a little too much enthusiasm for doing this however…

Two pedals or three

The award for most contentious subject undoubtedly went to two pedal transmissions, with two, separate posts raising pulses on both sides of the room. Does removing the clutch pedal herald the death of true trucking talent, or is it simply common sense in this new age of improved engine technology? Perhaps the only thing settled was that there’s plenty of passion for the subject, so we’ll just have to see how this trend bears out in the coming years.

A slippery subject

A similar battle royale – if on a more technical level – emerged during the face-off between synthetic and conventional oils. This post weighed up the benefits of new-age technology in oils, forming the strong conclusion that synthetics are better on the whole, with cheaper mineral oils costing truck owners a lot more in the long run. You mostly agreed with this, adding your experiences with each kind of oil, recommendations on the best product for a particular machine, and a general attitude that good oil is still “cheaper than a motor change,” as one reader put it.

Debating dimensions

This wasn’t the only tech post to get a powerful response, with the blog on dimensions generating a lot of interest and fiery feedback. The differing laws in effect in each state drew a lot of unfavourable attention, and there was a general sense that keeping up with these variances is a big ask for interstate drivers.

Battling mother nature

Finally, back in April we saw a whole lot of love for the Q&A with Tasmania Fire Services’ Fleet Manager, Leon ‘Alfy’ Smith, about procuring a fire truck. Whether it was interest in this niche application, respect for our heroic emergency services personnel, or just Alfy’s killer smile, the post resonated particularly well.

See you next year

And that was 2016. Look out for our blog on ‘Kangaroos Driving Two-Pedal Campervans Through Correctly-Proportioned Oil Fires’ early next year. From everyone here at Isuzu, drive safe and enjoy the holiday period. We look forward to your company as we head further down the road in 2017.