Time to start shopping for a rig...could use your help!

[Andy G]

Found out I’m FINALLY getting my VA disability back pay (to the tune of about 5000-6000 bucks – finally!!!) in the next month or so…supposedly.

Desperately wanting to get an off-road “overlanding” capable rig again – but not wanting to pull the trigger on the first thing that tickles my fancy, I’m turning to you all for suggestions on what to look for.

A few things to get out of the way first, in no particular order…

#1 – This vehicle does NOT have to be a daily driver. I’m stuck in an auto loan on my car, and my wife has her own car, so this rig can be strictly for pleasure.

#2 – I’ve got a wife and 2 kids, so I need to be able to haul them and their gear for camping.

#3 – Refer to #2, we like to get out and camp using a traditional ground tent, cots, sleeping bags, small stove, etc. Or, we’ll get a cabin for a few nights and won’t need the tents and cots. Point is, I need to have some way to haul gear in addition to the people.

#4 – I had an Isuzu Trooper and loved the capability and size of that thing. If it weren’t for the sh!tty transmission, I’d still own it.

#5 – I live in Michigan…which means RUST on most older rigs. Considering that people from the SW consider “oxidized paint” as “body needs work” (hahaha!) I’d strongly consider a fly-and-drive purchase. Yeah, that’ll take a bit of money outta the available cash, but in the long run would be worth it.

Okay, so here’s the vehicles I’m looking at most often on Craigslist (again, no particular order).

Toyota 4Runner
Toyota Tacoma
Jeep Cherokee (XJ)
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Mitsubishi Montero

Wondering if anyone has any other options to throw into the mix? Also any pros/cons of the what I’ve got listed?

Thanks in advance!
Andy

 

[dos531]

For your budget of $5-6k the Grand cherokee or the Montero are going to be your best bet. For $6k you can have a built rig vs a stock high mileage toyota. If you want good capability out of the box, a 2nd gen Montero with the optional rear diff lock is hard to beat. You can throw a set of 33" tires on with no modifications and go tackle most stuff. The downside is lack of much aftermarket support and parts arent as readily available. The Jeep will have more aftermarket support, and has the solid front axle, but will take modification to reach its potential.

 

[Smileyshaun]

I guess the biggest questions are
*how offroad do you want to go ? you can see a lot and travel a lot of places in a almost stock rig
*Do you have funds after the vehicle purchase for upgrades (you could easily double the purchase price with upgrades and maintenance)
* how mechanically inclined are you ( shop labor prices add up quick )
* are you a tall or short family , makes a big difference on what vehicles you will fit in comfortably
* how much room does your camping gear take up , get it all out and stack it up like it would be in a cargo area to get a general idea.

start with these questions and go test drive some rigs to get a better sense of their actual size , you may find some rigs just don't fit you at all and then you can take them off your list .

 

[Smileyshaun]

out of that list the grand Cherokee is probably the best bang for the buck , can be picked up on the cheap , probably street driven and well maintained , decent mpgs I averaged 15-18 on the freeway with 33x10.50s and a 3.5" lift , great parts availibilty , the ride is great on and off road .
they do have some cons.
Quadra track is garbage swap it out for a part time case.
can have some electrical gremlins, more accessory stuff then important driving stuff

have to keep up on maintenance on the suspension and steering components being a 4 link front and rear but thankfully everything is cheap to replace

unibody

they are kinda low from the factory

we had great fun in ours and I really do miss how well it soaked up bumps , would have kept it but I needed something bigger for towing .

 

[Cpol]

tacoma rules

 

[Smileyshaun]

View attachment 72439View attachment 72440tacoma rules

they do but he has a 5-6k budget

 

[Ryan Hoffman]

I nabbed my 94 high Mileage 4Runner in North Dakota for $1800. Outfitted it for another $2000 and have a pretty solid well capable rig with plenty of room for gear. I would recommend a 3rd gen 4Runner (96-02). The 3.4 engine is unbeatable most go 400,000-500,000 miles.

 

[Andy G]

I guess the biggest questions are
*how offroad do you want to go ? you can see a lot and travel a lot of places in a almost stock rig
*Do you have funds after the vehicle purchase for upgrades (you could easily double the purchase price with upgrades and maintenance)
* how mechanically inclined are you ( shop labor prices add up quick )
* are you a tall or short family , makes a big difference on what vehicles you will fit in comfortably
* how much room does your camping gear take up , get it all out and stack it up like it would be in a cargo area to get a general idea.

start with these questions and go test drive some rigs to get a better sense of their actual size , you may find some rigs just don't fit you at all and then you can take them off your list .

Thanks everyone for the replies. In response to Shaun's post...yeah I don't need or want a super modified rig. All of my past 4x4 vehicles have either been stock or slightly modified with no more than a 2" lift and a size or two bigger A/T tires. I've never really needed more. There's hundreds and hundreds of miles of fire / forest service roads and two-tracks in this state to explore. Not wanting or needing to modify something with monster lift and big tires.
As for $$$ I will eventually have the money for upgrades but not wanting to do that right away, if at all. Fortunately I'm fairly mechanically inclined, so that does help keep upkeep costs down.
I'm 6'4" and 250#. The rest of the family is average - and as for the camping gear...well...it depends who is going, but the Trooper I had was perfect for all situations.

Thanks again!

 

[Dave_McNaughton]

I run a jeep Rubicon but if I was having to start again with a budget like yours I would try and find an xj. You can easily get a rack for the roof if you find you are short on space. Being tall would help you put stuff on there. You can find a ton of parts for them and I think an xj on 33s would do most of what you wanted to do. And the 4.0l has a pretty good reputation for reliability

 

[dos531]

Thanks everyone for the replies. In response to Shaun's post...yeah I don't need or want a super modified rig. All of my past 4x4 vehicles have either been stock or slightly modified with no more than a 2" lift and a size or two bigger A/T tires. I've never really needed more. There's hundreds and hundreds of miles of fire / forest service roads and two-tracks in this state to explore. Not wanting or needing to modify something with monster lift and big tires.
As for $$$ I will eventually have the money for upgrades but not wanting to do that right away, if at all. Fortunately I'm fairly mechanically inclined, so that does help keep upkeep costs down.
I'm 6'4" and 250#. The rest of the family is average - and as for the camping gear...well...it depends who is going, but the Trooper I had was perfect for all situations.

Thanks again!

The Gen 2 Montero is going to be bigger than a trooper inside and better built and designed. You can get a good one for around $3-4k and still have some money for minor mods, though for your needs you shouldn't need to modify at all. I'm 6'2" 210 and its very comfortable for me. I can fit myself and 3 others plus all our camping gear without using the roof rack.

 

[wsquared]

6'4" and 250 means that the XJ is probably not going to be a great choice. A Grand Cherokee will probably work better for you....and it probably already has a roof rack on it.

The Grand Cherokees have pretty good support from the aftermarket when it comes to relatively mild mods...and a 2" budget boost and a used set of 32-ish AT's will get you a lot of places. You will want to do a bit of research into the various transfer cases that were offered for the Grand Cherokees....I think that some of them become problematic as the miles add up. Problematic as in "chain inside the transfer case parts and opens an inspection window in the transfer case wall".

 

[Anak]

6' 2" in an XJ works for me. I am long in the torso.

The ZJ Grand Cherokees are probably the best value on the market right now. XJs seem to command a higher price anymore.

Lots of aftermarket support for both.

I would go for the 4.0L over any of the V8 ZJs. Just make sure you carry a spare crankshaft position sensor.

Enjoy the hunt.

 

[Megadoomer]

You probably can get a decent Tahoe for the money. They have a lot of room.

 

[great08]

You may be able to find a first gen Chevy Colorado in that price range.

The 4L60E transmission in those is darn reliable up to 300k miles if it is not abused and is taken care of. They have been put into work vans, silverados, and corvettes to name a few.

Starting in 09' the 5.3 V8 became an available option

If you find one you are interested look to see if it has G80 as an option code on the sticker in the glove box. It is an auto-locker made by Eaton that came as a factory option.

I had a 05' Crew Cab 4cyl 2WD with the auto locker before my current truck. That thing was super reliable since I kept up on preventative maintenance. Even towed around 4500lbs in an enclosed cargo trailer across country a year before I sold it. Had 223,000mi on it when it left my hands. The old man buying it off of me for $3k dollars was getting a great deal.

Also, be sure to get either the 3.73 or 4.10 rear end. There is an option code for that too on the sticker in the glove box. I don't remember the code now though.

 

[JimInBC]

I drive an XJ, did when I lived in Michigan too. It was stock and it got me down everywhere I needed in the UP. that was not wheeling, all 2 track and forest service roads. In Michigan you are going to have to do a bit of metal work on any thing that is older. All that said I would lean towards a ZJ the back seats are much better for kids, they have a head rest, the XJ is a bench seat.

I was out for 2.5 weeks this summer with My wife and son and the XJ carried it all well He is still small enough to need a booster and that gives him a reinforced head rest and the extra suport.. The ZJ has a bit more room and an v8. As you mentioned get as close to stock as you can. THere are a ton of aftermarket out there for you.

 

[Quicksilver]

Nissan Xterra is another option to consider. I love mine.

 

[PicNick]

You could always get a good ole Bronco II. Most stuff for Rangers and Exploders from the same year range fit them. Plus they're usually dumb cheap and don't need much to fit 35's if thats a route you want to go. For your budget, you can redo the interior to make it nice and cushy. I may be biased because this is the route I'm planning on going right now, myself.

 

[StuntmanMike]

out of that list the grand Cherokee is probably the best bang for the buck , can be picked up on the cheap , probably street driven and well maintained , decent mpgs I averaged 15-18 on the freeway with 33x10.50s and a 3.5" lift , great parts availibilty , the ride is great on and off road .
they do have some cons.
Quadra track is garbage swap it out for a part time case.
can have some electrical gremlins, more accessory stuff then important driving stuff

have to keep up on maintenance on the suspension and steering components being a 4 link front and rear but thankfully everything is cheap to replace

unibody

they are kinda low from the factory

we had great fun in ours and I really do miss how well it soaked up bumps , would have kept it but I needed something bigger for towing .View attachment 72441

That is a great looking ZJ! I had a 97 with the 4.0, I really miss that thing. Well, no so much the 4.0, it was a dog. The best ZJ is a 96-98 V8 with a swapped in NP242, IMO.

 

[StuntmanMike]

6' 2" in an XJ works for me. I am long in the torso.

The ZJ Grand Cherokees are probably the best value on the market right now. XJs seem to command a higher price anymore.

Lots of aftermarket support for both.

I would go for the 4.0L over any of the V8 ZJs. Just make sure you carry a spare crankshaft position sensor.

Enjoy the hunt.

I would probably go with a V8 ZJ. I had a 4L ZJ, and it was a dog once I put 31's on it, not to mention 16mpg highway. Coulda had a V8.

Only downside is the fulltime 4wd, but a NP242 swap is fairly cheap/easy. I did it on my 4.0, as it came with the 249 fulltime case.

You're right on XJ's, the prices on nice ones keep climbing, and that's IF you can find a nice one, and not someone's ragged out trail beater.

I actually hardly see any ZJ's for sale near me, every once in a while I look (RI). I see a good amount of ZJ's though, and I think a V8 WJ Limited with the Quadra Drive (not to be mistaken for Quadra-Trac) is a great start. The Q-Drive locks the center diff in 4low, and has auto "lockers" in the front and rear axles, so true 4 wheel drive is possible.

I hated the open diffs in my ZJ.

 

[StuntmanMike]

OP,

One more vehicle suggestion to throw into the mix...

I don't think anyone has mentioned this one yet, and it's one I think I've settled on.

First gen Toyota Sequoia. Based on the Tundra, so you know they last, a Tundra with that 4.7L V8 went 1 million miles. I look at them as a 4Runner on steroids, they even have the roll down rear hatch window. If you're not picky about finding a 05-07 with the 5 speed auto/280hp, you can find the earlier 01-04 with the 4 speed auto/240hp 4.7 for under 5k all day long.

They have ATRAC and a pretty versatile 4wd system, you can run it in 2wd, there's 4wd high and low range, and there's a separate center diff lock button, so you can run 4WD high with the diff unlocked for AWD. The 01-04 has a lever for high/low range, and the 05-07 has a button. I think the lever is pretty cool.

Not a huge aftermarket, but there ARE parts out there. Small 2-3" lifts seem to be pretty simple, and will allow a 33" tire.

These are about 6" longer than the same year Tahoe, so there's more cargo space, and slightly more room behind the 3rd row, which is supposedly more useable. Ground clearance is about 10.6" so even stock these are pretty capable, just watch the running boards and the departure angle.

Mileage is pretty poor, but even my 4 liter powered ZJ Grand Cherokee only got about 16-ish, so the 15mpg a lot of Sequoia owners report is fine with me, considering the size difference that's not bad.