I start my Hard Mode without using any trailers and have a Tuz 420 by rank 3 in Taymyr and a second Tuz 420, (recovered using the first one from Rift) by rank 4. I shipped the second Tuz to Michigan to do all recoveries with.
I start with Chevy, but do not get all-terrain tires to save money.
I don't repair the Fleetstar, but drag it into garage. I install the AWD upgrade on it to get extra cash for selling RWD. It is cheaper to upgrade all of Fleetstar's components over time and then just use 50 repair points to fix the fuel tank. But that will wait.
I then take my Chevy to get upgraded suspension for Chevy, GMC, and Fleetstar, all of which are very easily accessible. I discover the GMC so that I can upgrade the suspension on it and sell the stock one.
From GMC location I go through town (not the swamp) to get the Scout 800 and drive it straight from its location to Smithfield Damb garage to upgrade wheels to 35' all-terrain and get a roof rack. Then I drive the Scout to the gas station in Smithfield Damb and top it completely off. I then go back to Chevy which is where Scout was found and drive it down to the same gas station in Smithfield Damb. I use the Chevy to tow a fully fueled Scout to Smithfield garage for transfer.
I do not refuel the Chevy until I come back to Michigan with TUZ 420.
I upgrade suspension on Chevy, selling stock, and drive GMC to Black River Garage, where I upgrade its and Fleetstar's suspensions, selling the stock. I also dismount the sideboard bed from GMC to use it on Taiga.
Now I have about 10,500 in cash and ready to go to Drowned Lands. I drive the Scout to Taiga and here comes a tricky part. As soon as Taiga gets in range, it will start draining fuel, so I quickly activate the S.O.S task and immediately repair the Taiga's fuel tank. If you do it right you will have about 170 liters remaining in the Taiga.
I then use Scout's roof rack to fuel taiga another 120 L for a total of 290. I then use Scout's fuel of 40 L to top off Taiga to 330 L. My Scout is left with just about half a tank which is plenty for 2 more trips to Taiga from Garage. I repair Taiga 300 points, (630 needed) and make 2 more trips to complete the repairs. While in Garage I sell repair attachment and buy a new one for a $750 refill, times two. After a 3rd trip to Taiga, the Scout has 270 repair points left (save them) and it is almost out of fuel, but I use Taiga to tow it back to garage.
Here I upgrade the Taiga's tires to all-terrain singles and mount the free vibration module. The snorkel is also needed before going to Zimnegorsk, but it will wait, otherwise we will not have enough cash for fueling. I then drain any remaining fuel in Scout which I left outside the garage to top off Taiga, and head to South scan point.
On the way back you can do a recovery of the Loaf mission if you had to recover to garage for some reason to make back the lost cash. Otherwise I just leave it be.
After the South point I scan the North and go straight to the Gas Station. I'm usually here with 1/4 tank. Fuel up an head to the West scan point through the Farm and then south on the road to a dry spot across the marsh followed by some forest. With the scan contract completed our cash is about 12,000.
I head back to the gas station, refuel and go to garage. Here I mount the sideboard bed and a $2300 snorkel.
I deliver a container to the antena, come back and take 2 service spare parts there as well. Then I go to warehouse and get the steel beams. If fuel is low at this point, I swing by gas station and refuel before delivering the steel to antena. Now we get another $6600, rank 3 and access to Zimnegorsk.
I drive straight there, refuling at Quarry gas station on the way. In Zimnegorsk, I cross the river (snorkel is a must) and then go right directly to TUZ420 location instead of following a muddy road.
Once discovered, I fuel Tuz from Taiga, but leave 50 L in Taiga. (It will needed to use engine power of Taiga to get Tuz through the swamp on the way back). I then use Tuz to grab a Taiga's raised suspension upgrade at the Oil Site and head back to Taiga and tow it to Garage in Drowned Lands using Tuz.
I go through swamp instead of the river to prevent engine damage to Tuz. Here Taiga uses engine to help. Just prior to exiting Zimnegorsk, I use Tuz to grab an upgraded Taiga engine just to the right of the map exit.
I tow Taiga to Garage, refueling both vehicles at Drownlands gas station. I then upgrade Taiga's engine and suspension to get extra cash.
Then I install roofrack on Tuz and use it to tow the empty Scout to Rift, fueling both vehicles and their roof racks at Quarry gas station. The Scout should have 270 repair points remaining in it after we finished SOS task.
Upon entering Rift, I leave Scout at entrance and go recover the second Tuz. I tow it to the entrance to be repaired, however you must repair the suspension before you do that, otherwise it will drag the bottom on the ground and take more damage (damage you will not have enough repair points to fix)
Once at the entrance , I use Tuz and Scout to fully repair the second Tuz and I use all of fuel from both roof racks and Scout to refuel it. There's a gas station in Rift, but it is the most expensive fuel in the game (8/L) You don't need to buy it, and as I said early I do not use scout fuel trailers parked there. I delete all trailers I come across. You might need fuel from the first Tuz to complete the task. Now we're rank 4.
I exit all 3 vehicles from Rift and completely refuel the first Tuz and its roof rack from the other 2 vehicles. I leave the first Tuz here for later and use remaining fuel in second Tuz to tow the Scout to the gas station. I take only the fuel I need to make it to Garage (about 120L) because fuel is 3 tines more expensive here than in Michigan, and the second Tuz will be going there to be refueled.
In the Garage, I transfer Tuz to Smithfield Damb Garage, but do not buy the roof rack for it yet. Otherwise you will have no money to fuel it. The roof rack can be bought after a couple of recovery tasks. The reason I use Smithfield garage is because Tuz is almost out of fuel, and there is a partially fueled Chevy here which can share enough fuel to get to the gas station which is much closer than the one in Black River.
I usually start with Whitestar and get it upgraded before going back to BlackRiver to start missions there.
Do not sell the second Tuz as it only sells for 74,000 and there's not many worthy trucks that you can buy for the money. You can sell it later, after you complete all recovery missions in Taymyr.
