Tata Yodha Converted Into Overlanding Vehicle [Video]
The overlanding culture is flourishing in India. Over the past few years, we have seen many build motorhomes and overlanding vehicles and do cross-country roadtrips. Many of these were based on premium SUVs. A recent video shared on YouTube shows a different case- a man converted a Tata Yodha into an overlanding vehicle!
This story is based on a video shared by the Small Town Rider. It starts by giving a brief introduction of the overlander's owner. He runs a YouTube channel called 'SufiSwami' and creates travel content. He has chosen a 2023 Tata Yodha as the base for his overlander. The vehicle gets 4x4 hardware as well.
For the uninitiated, the Yodha is a commercial pickup truck that Tata Motors launched in India in 2017. This YouTuber has given it extensive modifications and upgrades to suit his travel. A home-like setup now sits on the truck's load deck.
In the beginning of the video, we see the exterior of the vehicle. There are a lot of stickers on the bodywork, showing the owner's YouTube channel and ideologies. The front bumper has been replaced with an off-road spec metal unit which has tow hooks on it. This will be useful if the vehicle has to be recovered from an off-road track.
It also has aftermarket alloy wheels shod with normal tyres. Even a footstep has been installed for easier ingress and egress. The overall build quality seems good. The overlander also gets several auxiliary lamps and a roof-mounted bar light.
We then get to see the interior. The owner has swapped the stock seats with more comfortable ones. These get cosy handrests and are even ventilated. This owner isn't ready to compromise on comfort and practicality. The steering wheel and seat upholstery are finished in a tan colour. The steering wheel itself is leather-wrapped. The roofliner and door trims are custom-made as well.
The owner has installed 360-degree camera in this build, which can be very useful considering its proportions. He says he struggled with the installation and had to do quite some work to get it set up and calibrated properly. This system uses three different displays. The driver's cabin also has a slew of controls. These switches control various vehicle and aux functions. Even the master switch for the auxiliary battery (the one that powers the living space) is placed within the driver's reach.
Two foldable rear seats are also part of the cabin. Woofers have been placed beneath them. Opening the rear doors gives you access to this row. From here, you can walk into the living space. There is a dedicated door that opens outside as well. The vehicle has also been fitted with automatic solar lamps. There is also an external kitchen setup integrated into the vehicle. The cooking gas cylinder has been kept outside the cabin. Also present are a couple of external storage compartments, water taps and a camping chair.
The deck-mounted living space offers a lot of storage spaces, and a bed space. Other amenities include fan, bathroom, lights, air conditioning, and a kitchen space. You can also see a mini inverter/generator inside. The next party trick is the extendable roof. The roof of this vehicle can be extended upwards (up to 3 ft), which would generate enough room for people to sit on it and enjoy the view around. The roof is electrically operated using a button that sits on the driver-side.
Talking of the powertrain, the Yodha houses a common rail diesel engine under its hood. It is capable of producing 85 HP and 250 Nm of torque. It comes mated to a rugged manual gearbox. This owner seems to be enjoying his overlanding time with the Yodha. You can watch more of his videos on the Sufiswami YouTube channel.