Thoughts and reasons for your chosen rig

[WUzombies]

I wanted a pre-2005 E-150. I wanted the half-ton for some weight and purchase savings and I wanted pre-2005 to stay away from some electronics. Also the 250s and 350s are primarily work rigs and beat to hell. We were in a fully loaded 2011 Routan, but even with a strong computer background I couldn't really work on it.

So I now have something I can wrench on easily, and build off of. What was amazing is I found an '03 with 30,000 miles on it for a reasonable price. That is now what is in my driveway and what I'm using for my base to build my ultimate family adventure van.

Goals:

• Haul all of our camping gear in comfort
• Be something reliable and that I can do the work on
• Be something I can find parts for in BFE if need be

Checked all three. Why not 4WD? I've had one, all it did was get me more stuck. I'm not looking to tackle jeep trails, just fire roads and light off road work to reach interesting destinations.

 

[TxTerra]

Ever since the first Xterra commercial came out back in '99, i knew i wanted one. Sadly Nissan went away from actually promoting the xterras for what they were originally designed to do, and let the line die out.

When i purchased it back in '06 i was on the edge of getting a wrangler or a xterra. What sold me on the Xterra was the ability to actually carry you, your buddies, and all your gear to where you were going comfortably. You cant get that in a TJ wrangler. It took me a long time to find a 4wd xterra in the forest green color (tons of the yellow *blech*) at a decent price.

Now with all the additions i have made, i can take all my jeep buddies camping in style cause i have the room to haul all their stuff with me too. Of course this comes with a cost of they cook the food and supply most of the drinks, lol!

 

[TreXTerra]

2006 XTerra with the Off Road trim.

At the time I picked this vehicle it really came down to three possibilities: The Toyota FJ Cruiser, the Jeep JK Unlimited, and the XTerra Off Road. I was not a fan of independent front suspension, but I eliminated the Jeep for a couple reasons. First was cost, the Jeep was just too expensive for what it was; the second was reliability, I had an XJ before and it was a giant steaming pile of "holy balls, it has to go to the shop again." Finally, when I was in the market, Jeep was in the midst of bankruptcy and the future of the company was very much in doubt.

The second choice was the FJ Cruiser. I had been watching the development of it since it was released as a concept and I really wanted to love it. I just could not get around some of the things I considered to be design flaws. The vertical windscreen comes at the cost of a very jutting roof line, this made it impossible for me to see traffic lights and gave me the impression I was driving a machine gun bunker. The lack of real back doors and claustrophobic back seat were also marks in the "con" category. This same design also contributed to the generally terrible visibility. Finally, the reports of body rips were starting to show up online and there were concerns about the strength of the vehicle in general.

The last one, which started as an "also ran" was the Nissan XTerra, which quickly jumped into the lead. It has a traditional lift gate on the back which doubles as sun and rain protection (I still miss the clamshell on the FJ80), it had four doors for easier access, and the lower belt line was a plus for better visibility. I liked the many storage nooks around the interior and the wet box on the roof. The manual 6-speed and locking rear diff were also bonuses. The XTerra had a great turning radius and the intermediate wheel base is a real advantage off road, balancing maneuverability and stability. I knew the XTerra was a bit aged, but that was a benefit in my book. The "old" styling and low belt line meant better visibility than the squinty windows on the Toyota.

Once I landed on the XTerra, it turned into trying to find one with the right configuration. I wanted the manual transmission with the the Off Road package. For about a month the only 6-speed with a locking diff was a rough high-miles example on the other side of the country. Finally I lucked out an a clean one went up on my local listings. I scrambled to go see it, my mechanic got it in for and inspection the same day and within 24 hours the deal was done and I was the owner of an unmolested XTerra that was exactly what I wanted.

The XTerra was a the right blend of rugged utility, reliability, and cost. So far I've been very happy with it and the overbuilt chassis has been a fantastic platform for modifications.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

We bought the 2015 Jeep Patriot as a family rig to get in and out of our hunting land with an off grid cabin. My wife drives it daily to work as well.

These things don't get the respect they deserve, ours has the 2.4 with the 6 speed and all the bells and whistles, leather, sunroof, etc. It has an a/c outlet, 8+ inches of ground clearance, full time 4x4 with a "lock", and is a snow eater. I guess there were some problems with some of the ones with the CVT's, but after 16,000 miles so far and a terrible winter last year I really like it for the money. It has the boxey look and walks into and out of our muddy woods with no problems.

 

[TxTerra]

be careful of the CVT transmissions. They do not handle being stuck well at all

 

[Murphy Slaw]

be careful of the CVT transmissions. They do not handle being stuck well at all

Mine's the 6 speed automatic.

 

[hardtrailz]

I did not choose mine for overlanding. i chose it to replace a similar vehicle. I have come to find that many things I liked about it cross over and support its use for overlanding. I run a 2006 Chevy Trailblazer. Dimensions are about equal to the JKU so it is a great size and wheelbase. It has an incredible turning radius. Tons of safety stuff and was the first SUV to not need an rollover warning. It has about 300 HP and great torque from the base Inline 6 and they can be found with a V-8. It has a fully boxed frame. A 2.72:1 Transfer case. A solid easily up-gradable transmission. Oddball front IFS setup, but a linked rear and mechanical locker. It still gets 15-16 mpg on 35 inch rubber. It is comfortable inside and drives great. It is extremely reliable and parts and repairs are cheap and easy for DIY. Aftermarket is minimal and that is about the only downfall, but bumpers, skids and decent suspension--even bolt-in coilover-- is available if you search.

I really did not think the truck would be all it has when I bought it, but I know now it will never leave me. It is my go-to, no worries, any conditions vehicle. My kids love it, my wife can drive it, and I enjoy it.

 

[SLO Rob]

@hardtrailz I hadn't seen a Trailblazer done before yours and really hadn't considered it as a platform, but damn, that thing looks awesome! Nice rig!

 

[HangryMachinist]

I picked this Jeep Grand Cherokee because I came from a 94 F350 and wanted a nicer ride and more comfort. It should be more capable with its Quadra Drive system. The Ford only had LS in the back and I was able to do a lot with just that. It makes me very excited to see how the Jeep fairs.

 

[MidwestOverlanders]

I chose my rig for a few reasons. We were initially looking at a 2016 Tacoma or a 2016 Jeep Rubicon. I was pretty sold on the Taco or Rubi. Then the news came that my wife was pregnant with our first born. So that's when I thought that I might need more of a reliable family vehicle rather than a dedicated overlanding vehicle. I'm a large guy at 290lbs, so I need something that I can comfortably drive for long distances and driving back south to visit family with the baby...that's when a fullsize came back in the equation.

I wasn't happy with the new F150 design, absolutely loved the new GM's but not keen on some of their build quality, and finally discovered the Tundra TRD Pro. For the type of adventures we planned on having, the TRD Pro was perfect in stock format. Decent tires, tuned suspension, massive rear seating/cargo, and plenty of power to tow that boat in our foreseeable future. At the end of the day, the rear cargo room is what won the decision for us.

 

[onetonsub]

1989 GMC Suburban.
My suburban has been in my family since the early 90s, I learned how to drive in the thing. And like hidesertwheelin said, I'm familiar with these trucks, parts are abundant and cheap, they're tough, roomy and surprisingly capable. I've built the hell out of my rig and just about everything on it can be replaced at a napa store. I've used as many OEM parts as possible. Upgrades are cheap, especially since I've built everything myself.

 

[RescueRangers]

We had an '03 Suburban Z71 when we were doing 18th Century living history due to the cargo capacity required by the hobby. When we stepped away from that hobby we down sized to a '12 Liberty Arctic. The KK is a cool little vehicle but aftermarket parts were few and expensive. We picked the JKU Sahara for its capabilities, cargo space, and really cheap parts.

 

[überlander]

I had a '08 Grand Cherokee (HEM), it was fantastic for everything except internal cargo space, and an average MPG of between 13 and 15 on the interstate (I drive a lot for work).

I ended up with 2. My '14 KL Trailhawk that gets me 27/28ish MPG on the interstate, and pretends to be a Cadillac and still tackles some offroad obstacles better than my WK did.

Because that clearly didn't solve my space issues, I ended up picking up a '08 XK HEMI and gave myself a hwy MPG bottom requirement of 10 MPG.

So far it's worked out amazingly. There is a strong possibility that they will both end up on the my trip across Washington State next summer!

Woo hoo I'm not the only 14 Cherokee Trailhawk here, you made any modifications yet? I'm getting ready to make a roof rack and some limb risers myself since from what I've seen the aftermarket is scant for the TH KL.

 

[jdunk]

Woo hoo I'm not the only 14 Cherokee Trailhawk here, you made any modifications yet? I'm getting ready to make a roof rack and some limb risers myself since from what I've seen the aftermarket is scant for the TH KL.

I have sliders from Rocky Road. Not the Super-Sliders, but the regular ones. They've paid for themselves a couple times over...

Otherwise it's unmodified.

It's an amazing little machine. The fact that the powertrain is all tucked up above the armor (that works pretty well) means that 8.7 inches of ground clearance really is 8.7 inches. No worrying about the pumpkin on this one!

 

[überlander]

I have sliders from Rocky Road. Not the Super-Sliders, but the regular ones. They've paid for themselves a couple times over...

Otherwise it's unmodified.

It's an amazing little machine. The fact that the powertrain is all tucked up above the armor (that works pretty well) means that 8.7 inches of ground clearance really is 8.7 inches. No worrying about the pumpkin on this one!

I've done some crazy trips in mine, and those are some awesome photos, here's my baby...

 

[überlander]

I have sliders from Rocky Road. Not the Super-Sliders, but the regular ones. They've paid for themselves a couple times over...

Otherwise it's unmodified.

It's an amazing little machine. The fact that the powertrain is all tucked up above the armor (that works pretty well) means that 8.7 inches of ground clearance really is 8.7 inches. No worrying about the pumpkin on this one!

I have plans but so far all I've done is remove the factory plastic rails, a large rock in El Paso caught mine and made it loose, so I took them off and sealed em up, no regrets

 

[IronPercheron]

Because it's a friggin animal.

Seriously it's a pack mule...
Bought it off a deer lease coming up on 3 years ago last time it was registered according to the sticker was 1994 they had put a lift kit on it and larger tires and the winch bumper.

the ball joints where absolutely gone so I put a new set of ball joints in it a tune-up tail light bulb and got it inspected and that is the last time I put a wrench on that truck for repair and not a modification... the tires were complete crap so I got a set of Humvee tires and slapped on there I've been very happy since.

351W V8, C6 3 speed auto trans with no overdrive to worry about burning up, and NP208 Tcase, 9 inch ford rear end, and a soft and slightly frustrating ttb front suspension... stout. Pulls good, towed an 86 f250 diesel home with it on a 18ft trailer.

This truck has served several purposes it's hard to believe sometimes how versitile its been.

I worked the hell out of it on my dad's Farm and for some time I was a part of an off-road Recovery Group and drove it all over the county recovering other vehicles... not your average 4 runners and such... more often than not it was a cummins, powerstroke or duramax with and without RV's... awful hard on a 30 year old ride.

I love camping with it, wheeling with it, and just recently loaded it to the teeth with gear to help with flood relief of need be. And I do mean everything to chainsaw fuel oil my rucksack that's good for 72 hours food and water for about three days as well Sledge hammers axes spare tire loads of recovery gear the generator welder leads and tools for that extension cords lights shovels pickaxe you name it it's in there including oxy acetylene torch.... not the first time he's been loaded up like this

Fold n tumble rear seat makes for roomy sleep or storage.... soft tops are an option.

Right now, after all that abuse, it's getting what it deserves. A Dana 44 HD solid axle swap Dana 60 rear np205 203 Doubler and I'm looking very hard at an inline 6 swap maybe even propane conversion not sure yet I need to figure out my fuel consumption rates and see if it's worth the trouble.

Anyways here's Uncle Ruckus I have debated replacing it several times who discovered that I simply can't I may build another newer rig and it may not even be American but I will definitely always keep this truck.


When the group recovered a sunk dozer


I don't know my ground clearance to the inch... but it falls in the category between over not around and purdy damn good. (Made it over that big drift wood one day... it was spooky)

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[Daniel Etter]

I was looking for a new vehicle when my jeep turned into a submarine. I was looking at getting a wrangler but they are far to common. My neighbor decided to sell the H3 at the same time and he took insane care of it, so I snatched it up for a great deal! Built up Hummers are pretty uncommon and I liked how capable it was in stock form. So I added a few modifications to make it even more offroad/beach capable and have enjoyed it ever since!

 

[überlander]

I was looking for a new vehicle when my jeep turned into a submarine. I was looking at getting a wrangler but they are far to common. My neighbor decided to sell the H3 at the same time and he took insane care of it, so I snatched it up for a great deal! Built up Hummers are pretty uncommon and I liked how capable it was in stock form. So I added a few modifications to make it even more offroad/beach capable and have enjoyed it ever since!

Heck yea, dare to be different, had your same reasoning for not getting a Wrangler, I'll look for pictures of your H3 for sure.

 

[ECUDrummer]

I originally had a 2wd Silverado but traded it in for my 2013 4runner for extra interior room when my wife was 5 months pregnant. Bought it as is in the below pic and it's been extremely capable so far. Just want a few extra things for it (awning, CB, front bumper etc) to make it even better. Bought for reliability (financed most of it so I wanted a vehicle that was going to outlive the note), versatility (handles great on pavement and has been extremely capable offroad), looks, and parts availability (in addition to the added interior room over my previous ride).