Advocate I
Obviously we see a lot of threads here asking "what vehicle is best." And like most matters of preference, we see a lot of varying opinions and often staunch brand-loyalty. It's much like asking "blondes or brunettes (but hey, what about redheads)?", "1911 vs. polymer?", "Whiskey or beer?" etc. etc. Now, I'm not at all complaining about these threads, they help folks make one of the biggest decisions related to this hobby (which is often also a large financial obligation) - choosing what vehicle to buy. Heck, I actually enjoy those threads and weigh-in with my $0.02 (which is worse less by the day, and not just because of inflation) on many of them.
But here's where I do my best Walt Kowalski face and wave my fist in the air: in almost ALL of these threads the topic starter doesn't actually provide us with the basic information we need to give a reasonably informative response. I find myself writing the same questions, over and over, so I thought, why not enumerate them here?
If you're considering starting a "what vehicle is best?" thread, here is some information you may want to include:
Of course, it's fair to note that the answers to these questions often evolve and change. I know plenty of folks who started in a Subi or cross-over doing "soft roading" and ended up years later in a Rubicon on 40"s doing Fordyce. I know plenty of folks who have gone the other way too, eschewing their hardcore crawlers in favor of comfortable and practical SUVs. Still, having an idea where you stand on these topics will help us point y'all in the right direction!
-TJ
But here's where I do my best Walt Kowalski face and wave my fist in the air: in almost ALL of these threads the topic starter doesn't actually provide us with the basic information we need to give a reasonably informative response. I find myself writing the same questions, over and over, so I thought, why not enumerate them here?
If you're considering starting a "what vehicle is best?" thread, here is some information you may want to include:
- What is Overlanding/Off Roading to YOU? Do you prefer to stick to groomed forest service roads? Do you want to be able to Overland famous trails like the Rubicon Trail? Do you live somewhere with deep mud, even on "well groomed" trails? Do you often encounter snow? In general, what will the roads/trails you plan to use consist of?
- Will your Overlander also be your daily driver? If so, what is your daily drive like? Do you have a long freeway commute? Or perhaps you have a short, in-town commute that can still take a long time because of traffic. Maybe you have work/family obligations that mean you often need to take long non-Overlanding road trips where MPG and comfort are a must. Or maybe you won't DD your Overlander at all and you're thus more willing to sacrifice comfort, MPG, etc.
- Who, and what go with you on Overland trips (or on non-Overland trips if your vehicle must be multi-purpose)? Are you a solo cholo most of the time, or are you a family of 7 with 4 dogs, 3 cats and a parakeet that comes along? The answer to this question will greatly limit the scope of your vehicle search, at least if you're in the latter group.
- Do you want to sleep IN, ON, or NEAR your vehicle? Obviously the answer to the previous question is closely tied to this one. If you're a single person that Overlands alone you might be happy sleeping in a small-ish SUV or cross-over. If you're a family of 4 that won't work. If your preference is to sleep IN your vehicle it will really impact the options. If you want to sleep ON your vehicle (RTTs) things are a bit less limited. Even still, a RTT sized to accommodate a family isn't going to fit well on a small cross-over. If you're more into the traditional ground tent route, then perhaps your sleeping choice doesn't limit vehicles as much... but all of that gear can get bulky too.
- What comforts "must" you have with you? Are you currently a backpacker that can pack 2 weeks of food and gear into 1 cubic foot? Or are you coming out of a 45 foot diesel pusher and want as many of those amenities as possible? In many ways what you are looking to get for comfort will give a direction for Overlanding. Be it minimalism in a smaller rig, or perhaps something more like #vanlife, an expedition trailer, or a Four Wheel Camper to have more of "home" out on the trail. There is nothing wrong with either approach, but they do point to different vehicles.
- Are you mechanically inclined, and/or interested in a "project" or a vehicle that requires more maintenance? There are a lot of great, really neat Overlanders out there that I'd love to have... but I'd never recommend to someone who doesn't want to repair and maintain a finicky vehicle (like, perhaps, my beloved WJs). The answer to the next question can also dictate how "hands off" your ownership and Overlanding experience can be, but even with unlimited funds there is a broad spectrum of dependability out there.
- And finally, as disclosed by the last bullet I'll end my questions with the big one: what is your budget!?! The world is coin-operated, and unfortunately this question plays the biggest part in selecting the "right" vehicle for the majority of folks getting into Overlanding. It doesn't matter if you're looking at $5k or $500k, your budget will dictate a lot. Be realistic, particularly if looking at the lower end of the spectrum, pad used vehicle prices by 20% as a (very rough) rule-of-thumb to get them up to snuff. That is to say, you can expect a $10k used Overlander to need $2k of general repair and maintenance no matter how solid it might seem out first. Like any rule-of-thumb there are going to be cases where that guess is completely inaccurate, unfortunately that will generally mean the vehicle needs more money than expected as opposed to less.
Of course, it's fair to note that the answers to these questions often evolve and change. I know plenty of folks who started in a Subi or cross-over doing "soft roading" and ended up years later in a Rubicon on 40"s doing Fordyce. I know plenty of folks who have gone the other way too, eschewing their hardcore crawlers in favor of comfortable and practical SUVs. Still, having an idea where you stand on these topics will help us point y'all in the right direction!
-TJ
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