Should I Change Vehicles?

[KPMetrics]

The title says it all I guess. I have a lightly built 04 WJ that I use for weekends out in the local national forest. I use it to run forest roads and logging trails to get out to great camping and trout fishing spots. But, it is 15 years old. It was a daily driver for a decade and has 180k miles on it. It has been well maintained, but that's a lot of miles considering nothing has been rebuilt/overhauled.

I also have a 2016 F150 that I bought new and it only has 15k miles on it. With the V8, upgraded payload, and 4x4 with rear locker I'm thinking of tasking this guy with longer range trips.

Other than the fact that I love my Jeep, is there any reason why I shouldn't be thinking more about my truck for really getting out there?

 

[RoarinRow]

I guess it depends on where you're going and what the terrain will be like. I'd say it depends on where you go and the road getting there that will determine which vehicle you use.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

The title says it all I guess. I have a lightly built 04 WJ that I use for weekends out in the local national forest. I use it to run forest roads and logging trails to get out to great camping and trout fishing spots. But, it is 15 years old. It was a daily driver for a decade and has 180k miles on it. It has been well maintained, but that's a lot of miles considering nothing has been rebuilt/overhauled.

I also have a 2016 F150 that I bought new and it only has 15k miles on it. With the V8, upgraded payload, and 4x4 with rear locker I'm thinking of tasking this guy with longer range trips.

Other than the fact that I love my Jeep, is there any reason why I shouldn't be thinking more about my truck for really getting out there?

I have more than one vehicle for different types of OB ventures. Why not continue with the jeep at what your doing now with it. The truck will be good for the better roads with some technical glitches here and there. Long distance, more comfort is needed in my opinion. I'll ask you a question. Would you be comfortable driving 200+ miles a day on dirt roads in the Jeep. Check out some of the OB video road trips and see how suitable they would be for a jeep or Truck.

 

[KPMetrics]

That's a really good point. Most of what I hit now is within 50 miles or so. I'm lucky to live right on the Green Mountain National Forest boundary so I've got tons of what I like to do nearby. The Jeep being a grand cherokee is actually really comfortable since it only has a 2" lift on it. That said, if I were going to do 200 miles my truck would be a LOT more comfortable and I'd not have any bit of worry about a breakdown in the back of my mind.

I can definitely keep running the Jeep for nearby trout chasing days and overnighters. Maybe I'll grab a set of bins for my gear (it's mostly in a set of drawers in the Jeep) for a trip in the truck. Maybe a 4 day jaunt further north than I usually go and stretch it out to a 4 day weekend or something.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

That's a really good point. Most of what I hit now is within 50 miles or so. I'm lucky to live right on the Green Mountain National Forest boundary so I've got tons of what I like to do nearby. The Jeep being a grand cherokee is actually really comfortable since it only has a 2" lift on it. That said, if I were going to do 200 miles my truck would be a LOT more comfortable and I'd not have any bit of worry about a breakdown in the back of my mind.

I can definitely keep running the Jeep for nearby trout chasing days and overnighters. Maybe I'll grab a set of bins for my gear (it's mostly in a set of drawers in the Jeep) for a trip in the truck. Maybe a 4 day jaunt further north than I usually go and stretch it out to a 4 day weekend or something.

I really like the Cherokee jeeps. I have a friend who was a Shell service station owner. He bought one back in 1974 as a service vehicle. He was still driving it in 2000 with over 375,000 miles on the original engine. It was one of those years that Cherokee painted them in Indian theme, canary yellow and was a sharp truck even in 2000. There is an
OB'er here in OB that has a bunch of Cherokee jeep video's on YouTube. He is from Idaho I believe. Check him out.

 

[Anak]

What motor in the WJ?

If the 4.0L inline 6 then I wouldn't worry about it.

If the V-8 with the fancy valvetrain I might be more concerned.

The 4.0L is a pretty reliable motor. Things like the water pump, alternator and starter might bite you, but those really are not big issues. The day comes you need to deal with the front crank oil seal it might make sense to open up the timing cover and replace the timing chain and the chain damper, along with the harmonic balancer, but plenty of folks are taking those engines past 300K without any issue.

A fresh chain in the T-case might be another thing to consider.

I have no clue about the WJ transmission and how well those hold up long term. I suppose that would bear some looking into.

 

[KPMetrics]

It's the 4.0 engine so it has that going for it. That 42RE tranny is the weak link, but it's never towed or been wheeled hard so it hasn't seen a lot of strain.

The typical load on the vehicle is me, my daughter, a couple of kayaks and 2 days of camping gear and some fly rods...

 

[reaver]

I really like the Cherokee jeeps. I have a friend who was a Shell service station owner. He bought one back in 1974 as a service vehicle. He was still driving it in 2000 with over 375,000 miles on the original engine. It was one of those years that Cherokee painted them in Indian theme, canary yellow and was a sharp truck even in 2000. There is an
OB'er here in OB that has a bunch of Cherokee jeep video's on YouTube. He is from Idaho I believe. Check him out.

That's ghcoe. SW Idaho overlanding on YouTube. He's a cool guy. I regularly wheel with him on his trips.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

That's ghcoe. SW Idaho overlanding on YouTube. He's a cool guy. I regularly wheel with him on his trips.

I like his videos and the trails he rides are sometime worse than some the OB takes. Your jeep will do fine, like Anak has advised. Those inline six cylinders are good engines. If my Land Rover Discovery engine ever goes I plan a ford 300 c.i. inline six with seven main bearings and forged steel crank from the factory as a swap in. I have raced this engine and it's the best I have ever seen.