Dedicated rig vs. Daily driver?

[dsayer]

Hey all,
I've been perusing the threads and checking out rigs, trips, etc. that have been posted on the site. Just got me wondering how many of you have a dedicated overlanding rig vs. a daily driver that you use for occasional overlanding. If you have a daily driver, in which direction did you make the most compromises? Seems like I see a lot of impressive and very clean rigs sitting in the parking lot at work and dropping the kids off at school.

Personally, I struggled with keeping my 06 Xterra as a dedicated rig and buying a purely "on road" daily driver vs. a daily driver with just enough capability to meet my needs. After an honest assessment, I don't really need a true off roader to get to my hunting areas or hiking/camping spots, I spend a lot of time driving I65, and my biggest trip of the year is an elk hunting trip to Colorado. While I spend time on forest or BLM roads on that trip and some can be a little hairy, I haven't been to a trailhead yet that didn't have a stock Subaru Outback parked there.

 

[smritte]

I have both. My 19 Tacoma is my daily with slightly bigger tires and just upgraded suspension. The lift it just enough to level it. My 96 FJ80 is my toy. I learned a long time ago to have a toy and a daily. If you wheel your daily and it breaks your walking to work. My daily gets better mileage and I don't have to worry about putting a ton of miles on my toy.
The daily doesn't have to be special, just something to go to work in.

 

[leeloo]

Had 2 vehicles, too much of a hassle and cost. Got a wrangler 4xe , out of the box more than enough for the few trips I do, and I commute electric. Only 1 insurance, one set of tires, 1 service, you get the drift... Life got a lot simpler. Got a good insurance that covers a replacement vehicle in case of accident, break down or what ever..
Since it is soo good off road out the box, I did not modified anything, just moved the trunk 12V plug, got some roof bars and a roof box if I need to carry more stuff, and that is about it. And I plan to keep this way.
It is not always possible or practical, depends on the how many people have to travel with it, if you require extensive modifications that ruin the vehicle as a daily.. and a so on.

 

[Red_Leaf_Overland]

I have 2 vehicles ( 3 if I count my wife's Honda). My daily driver is my 19 Compass Trailhawk with a 2" lift and slightly larger tires, and my offroad rig is my 06 TJ unlimited. I have had the TJ for a long time, before my wife was my wife, and long before the 2 kids. It doesn't get out quite as often as I would enjoy taking it out, but it was built to be a solo rig with 1 passenger. I take it when I go out with my Rock crawling buddies and we wheel into a site by a lake and there's nobody around for miles.
That being said, the TJ was my daily driver for years and it was built pretty much the same as it is now ( it was on 35s then and not 37s) because I lived in an apartment in the middle of a big city and that was the only vehicle I had/could have. Now I don't commute to work nearly as far and have a driveway big enough to keep and extra vehicle and a few trailers near by for whatever I need to get done.
Both oof my vehicles get driven off road, but one stays a little closer to it than the other lol.

 

[reaver]

I went the dedicated rig route. Yes, the upkeep cost is more, but, when something does go sideways (and things do go sideways), I have a vehicle in perfect working order at home for commuting/daily needs/going to Lowe's.

Another advantage is that my adventure rog is an SUV, built to suit what I need, and my daily is a truck. It works well for me, but won't be ideal for everyone.

 

[MMc]

I have a driveway queen and daily driver. The daily driver is a 04 with 170k on it, Ballena Blanca is a 12 with 130k on it. I am not caught up with having to look a part. I have long said if can't go 160mph of have 4x4 with lockers it is just transportation. The daily gets 25 mph and keeps the off the queen, the truck kited for how I use it. I camp almost monthly for 4 to 14 day. It's nice to have a second car so when I am doing maintenance or repairs I am not under the gun time wise.

 

[KonzaLander]

Daily driver. I have tried the 'sensible, efficient' daily driver + trail rig methodology in the past and it failed miserably. I want to actually enjoy driving those 25k miles every year, so I end up driving the fun trail rig more often than the daily driver

I drive my 380k mile Land Cruiser every day and use it for overland travel. That said, I do have a couple of 'hobby' vehicles that can be used for the daily grind if the Cruiser is ever stuck on jack stands. Sure I have to perform more continued maintenance on my Cruiser, but that also forces to me to continually inspect it on a regular basis. By driving it every day I am also more in tune to what it is telling me. Every slight vibration, sound, squeak and rattle is analyzed by myself daily. I know it is maintained and I should have no surprises when 2,000 miles from home. Whenever I drive one of my 'hobby' vehicles, like the Jeep TJ I've had for 20 years, something always surprises me when I am going down the road even though I stay on top of maintenance.

The compromise with daily driving the rig is increased maintenance and fuel cost. I also can't (or don't) leave the vehicle loaded up and ready to go, but a trailer had made this pretty much a non issue. I am very selective in what aftermarket parts I am willing to install on a daily driver since I will demand more from those parts. This means I deviate less from a stock vehicle which in turn maintains the vehicles reliability...

 

[Murfman]

Hey all,
I've been perusing the threads and checking out rigs, trips, etc. that have been posted on the site. Just got me wondering how many of you have a dedicated overlanding rig vs. a daily driver that you use for occasional overlanding. If you have a daily driver, in which direction did you make the most compromises? Seems like I see a lot of impressive and very clean rigs sitting in the parking lot at work and dropping the kids off at school.

Personally, I struggled with keeping my 06 Xterra as a dedicated rig and buying a purely "on road" daily driver vs. a daily driver with just enough capability to meet my needs. After an honest assessment, I don't really need a true off roader to get to my hunting areas or hiking/camping spots, I spend a lot of time driving I65, and my biggest trip of the year is an elk hunting trip to Colorado. While I spend time on forest or BLM roads on that trip and some can be a little hairy, I haven't been to a trailhead yet that didn't have a stock Subaru Outback parked there.

2021 Bronco Wildtrak. Have been wheeling on rated 8 trails in Moab, Stock. It pulls my trailer and will go pretty much anywhere I need to go. All I did was add skid plates and re-enforce the weak steering. I drive it to work, 21 miles each way, every day. I enjoy driving it and it handles like a car.

 

[AggieOE]

Since I live in Houston, TX, I rarely get a chance to explore. As such, our JKUR and 4Runner are our DDs.
Although I could go and get a more practical DD, driving your favorite vehicle DD is just so much more enjoyable and as @leeloo mentioned, less insurance, maintenance, and storage is key. Nothing is worse than the neighbor whose driveway and street is littered with things that one day will run. Less is more.

 

[SLO Rob]

I like feeling like I have the vehicle version of a Swiss Army knife that is capable of whatever is thrown at it, even if that is just asphalt on a sunny day.

I think one of the main points for the daily/dedicated discussion is how well-engineered many of the stock vehicles really are and how little modification they need (even though that's some of the fun of the hobby and lifestyle). To me, if you have something like my 2000 4Runner or your Xterra, they are great at both. It's just a "how are you going to use it?" discussion. Yeah, sometimes I wish I wasn't scrubbing my K02s off going back and forth from work and driving our boys to practices and I had a little sipper to run around in but man, I just love driving that truck.

 

[The Echy Adventures]

I like feeling like I have the vehicle version of a Swiss Army knife that is capable of whatever is thrown at it, even if that is just asphalt on a sunny day.

I think one of the main points for the daily/dedicated discussion is how well-engineered many of the stock vehicles really are and how little modification they need (even though that's some of the fun of the hobby and lifestyle). To me, if you have something like my 2000 4Runner or your Xterra, they are great at both. It's just a "how are you going to use it?" discussion. Yeah, sometimes I wish I wasn't scrubbing my K02s off going back and forth from work and driving our boys to practices and I had a little sipper to run around in but man, I just love driving that truck.

Agreed! I am a family man, but very passionate about the hobby. I tailor my upgrades to what works for me & allows for the whole family to come out & enjoy trips with me, all while using my Wrangler as a daily.

 

[John and Mandi]

We built our rig for fulltime use and kept it after our travels. It's a 1 ton van that has been converted to 4wd, leaf sprung, so it isn't the best for daily driving but we both work from home so we don't drive all that much anyway. Today we took the morning off and went to the beach, we love having a complete mini home everywhere we go. Instead of putting up with less when we go camping we put up with having more when needing to run an errand. Worst part is parking but we had a 1 ton truck before the van so we are use to parking in the back of the lot and walking.

 

[RoarinRow]

My truck is most of the time my daily driver only because to get to my daily driver (2018 Volvo XC90) out of the garage I have to move the truck from the driveway. It's easier to just get in the truck and drive away lol. Plus, I don't like opening and closing the garage due to wear and tear. I'll make an effort to drive my daily driver when I have to go somewhere with the family or if I know the Volvo will be better suited for the place I'm going, such as low parking garages, city parking, etc.

 

[tjZ06]

"Yes" lol. Right now all 3 street vehicles I own are worthy of Overlanding. Well, 2 are and the 3rd would be if it was running. My D'max/Fourwheel Camper is my primary Overland setup, and obviously gives me the most comfort and capacity and is best suited of all of my vehicles for longer trips (with the on-board fridge, 26gal water, heat, sink, cooktop, etc. in the FWC). The WJ is my "Rocklander" if you will, but is the one currently not running (mid motor-swap to a Gen III Hemi). My actual Daily Driver is my '12 Xterra but I use it as an Overlander as well, particularly for shorter trips or when I just feel like throwing a tent down and kicking it old-school. ;)

All of that said, I have been thinking a lot lately about getting an actual "car" that gets good MPG for a daily. My daily commute is actually about a half mile walk, so I've found it hard to justify spending more $ to save fuel if/when I drive. But when I do drive, it seems like it's always far (to see friends for non-Overland stuff, going mountain biking, etc.).

-TJ

 

[AggieOE]

My truck is most of the time my daily driver only because to get to my daily driver (2018 Volvo XC90) out of the garage I have to move the truck from the driveway. It's easier to just get in the truck and drive away lol. Plus, I don't like opening and closing the garage due to wear and tear. I'll make an effort to drive my daily driver when I have to go somewhere with the family or if I know the Volvo will be better suited for the place I'm going, such as low parking garages, city parking, etc.

I think this is the first time I've ever heard of concern for wear and tear on a garage door. lol I genuinely don't know their lifespan of them but can say I have yet to have an issue with functioning two different doors multiple times a day. That being said, I did replace the motor on one of mine (it was 20-yrs old).
But I definitely get you on the small yet annoying burden of shuffling cars.

 

[dsayer]

Had 2 vehicles, too much of a hassle and cost. Got a wrangler 4xe , out of the box more than enough for the few trips I do, and I commute electric. Only 1 insurance, one set of tires, 1 service, you get the drift... Life got a lot simpler. Got a good insurance that covers a replacement vehicle in case of accident, break down or what ever..
Since it is soo good off road out the box, I did not modified anything, just moved the trunk 12V plug, got some roof bars and a roof box if I need to carry more stuff, and that is about it. And I plan to keep this way.
It is not always possible or practical, depends on the how many people have to travel with it, if you require extensive modifications that ruin the vehicle as a daily.. and a so on.

Ah the 4xe was my number 1 (initial) choice for exactly those reasons but I couldn't swing the payment right now. We also need a vehicle that's able to tote the kids and dog around and we often drive to my mom's house 12 hours away. My wife has a Honda HRV that we've outgrown. That had me looking at the 4xe ZJ, but that's even further out of reach. Ultimately settled on selling the Xterra and buying a Subaru Outback Wilderness.

 

[dsayer]

I have 2 vehicles ( 3 if I count my wife's Honda). My daily driver is my 19 Compass Trailhawk with a 2" lift and slightly larger tires, and my offroad rig is my 06 TJ unlimited. I have had the TJ for a long time, before my wife was my wife, and long before the 2 kids. It doesn't get out quite as often as I would enjoy taking it out, but it was built to be a solo rig with 1 passenger. I take it when I go out with my Rock crawling buddies and we wheel into a site by a lake and there's nobody around for miles.
That being said, the TJ was my daily driver for years and it was built pretty much the same as it is now ( it was on 35s then and not 37s) because I lived in an apartment in the middle of a big city and that was the only vehicle I had/could have. Now I don't commute to work nearly as far and have a driveway big enough to keep and extra vehicle and a few trailers near by for whatever I need to get done.
Both oof my vehicles get driven off road, but one stays a little closer to it than the other lol.

That TJ is a baad looking rig! That Compass looks great with the little lift, too.

 

[dsayer]

I think one of the main points for the daily/dedicated discussion is how well-engineered many of the stock vehicles really are and how little modification they need

I think this is more true than most realize. I've had a 98 XJ that was a decommissioned police vehicle but otherwise stock, an 83 Blazer running on 35s, and the Xterra Off Road and never found a trail I couldn't handle. For transparency though, I rarely go out specifically to go wheeling. I'm more of a utilitarian off roader, meaning that I'll take a rough road if there's a great hunting spot at the end of it. The Xterra was my daily driver for 14 years and about 150k miles.

 

[dsayer]

Cool variety of opinions and rigs in this thread!

I'm going to try to rig up this new Outback with a bunch of temporary/removable options for solo overlanding, family camping, hunting, etc. while still being able to comfortably drive long distances and get the car seats in and out easily as needed. Roof rack, receiver hitch for a cargo basket, REI car cot, cheapo rolling under bed storage, etc. I'm probably going to drive these Yokohama Geolander ATs that came with the wilderness trim for now, but I've already been looking more aggressive options. They do make the KO2s in the right size for my Outback and that could look pretty dang sweet.

 

[RoarinRow]

My truck is most of the time my daily driver only because to get to my daily driver (2018 Volvo XC90) out of the garage I have to move the truck from the driveway. It's easier to just get in the truck and drive away lol. Plus, I don't like opening and closing the garage due to wear and tear. I'll make an effort to drive my daily driver when I have to go somewhere with the family or if I know the Volvo will be better suited for the place I'm going, such as low parking garages, city parking, etc.

I think this is the first time I've ever heard of concern for wear and tear on a garage door. lol I genuinely don't know their lifespan of them but can say I have yet to have an issue with functioning two different doors multiple times a day. That being said, I did replace the motor on one of mine (it was 20-yrs old).
But I definitely get you on the small yet annoying burden of shuffling cars.

I only mention my garage opener because as you just noted my garage / home is 20 years old lol. It’s on borrowed time. So when I do take out my daily driver I’m like, hope the garage opens when I get home lol.