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We contemplated this many years ago when the toyhaulers were first coming on scene, early-90's. None at that time were even close to being able to carry the amount of weight we required. So we went a different route, we chose to go motorhome and pull an enclosed trailer. This worked great...

Careful there, nothing says a rig has to be beat to hell to be a "true" off-road rig. I have always taken it as a compliment when people have asked me if my Jeeps have ever seen off-road.:D Mike.

Sorry to hear of your wife. Looking forward to seeing your build continue. I have always liked the FJ80's as well. They make a pretty good overall vehicle, daily driver/weekend wheeler yet still a nice level of comfort. Mike.

I did not know that. I haven't seen that on any of mine but door jambs are one of my pet peeves. I clean and wipe them down thoroughly when washing my vehicles and I usually lube door hinges as part of my PM's on my personal vehicles. I haven't paid that close attention on any of the ones I...

Steve, I don't think reliability wise there is really any difference between the two. The 5.9 was a fuel hog compared to the 5.2. The 5.9 was only offered in the "Limited" and is quite rare. The 5.2's are very popular and thus more readily available. With my ZJ on 31's and 4" of lift I was...

It may be tight getting two bikes in there without scratching them or stacking them one on top of the other. My son machined/fabricated a neat little mount for his that spanned across the rear cargo area with the rear seat folded down flush that the front forks resided in. His mountain bike...

Most of the ones I have done have fallen in the 120k-140k mile range. When my wife's hit around the 120k mark I replaced it. When I bought my 1996 ZJ it already had 153k (if memory serves) on it so I changed it immediately. Mike.

For backing plates that is about all that is available as pretty much all lathe backing plates are cast iron. I was able to locate a fairly inexpensive one on ebay last summer and snagged it just for this application. Mike.

Steve, based on your list with emphasis on carrying your bikes personally I would go with the Toyota. That is somewhat hard for me to say because I am Jeep through and through but having a shell covered pickup bed for carrying the bikes vs. an SUV is a slight nudge to the top of the list...

Little project from last night. I have needed to get my 6" 3-jaw chuck to 8" rotary table adapter completed for nearly 9 months now but haven't had time and it has just been on the "to do" list. Well I have a set of handlebar clamps to machine for a customer and I need the chuck/rotary table...

Trailer has turned out great Nate. Mike.

Steve, the Super C's built on the Kodiak/Top Kick are a nice intermediate size and many have upwards of a 10k pound towing capacity. Engine access is better than on a lot of Class A DP's. I have heard some complain about engine noise and they ride like a truck. Well, they are a truck so I...

I would disagree with this. When flat-towing our Jeep, we can be disconnected in less than a minute and hooked back up in 2-3 minutes. HUGE difference between that and a 5th wheel or bumper pull for that matter. We have traveled with both and are sitting in the lawn chairs enjoying a cold one...

The outside perimeter is 2x3x.125" tubing. The crossmembers are 1.5" square tubing by .188" wall thickness. Definitely overkill but I had gotten a really good deal on this steel from the local scrap yard. I think the crossmembers could easily be .125" wall thickness, but I will admist I think...

CAT is no longer in the OTR engine manufacturing game but their parts availability are still great. Cummins and Detroit are about the same as parts accessability, pretty good overall. Personally, I like a sleeved diesel engine vs. a non-sleeved engine but that is just me. If a rebuild ever...

Agreed. Our 10.5' camper did not have slides but my brothers 12'4" Lance did and it was still on the small side. Can't imagine that for full-timing but that is just me. Mike.

Steve, a small or mid-size 4x4 pickup with a shell could safely carry your bikes and provide protection from the elements while still being able to be flat towed. There is your run around vehicle, off-road capable vehicle and storage all in one. Most diesel coaches would have no problem towing...

Steve, when my wife and I were upgrading in 2006 from our previous coach and not finding the "exact one" I was looking for, I did a lot of research and wanted to do a bus conversion myself. I had seen some that others were building and thought I could do as good if not better job on one. My...

With those specific requirement, I would still lean towards a diesel coach. More in the 34-36 foot range which will give you your nimble driving requirement and still allow you to stay in smaller BLM, Forest Service or State parks. It is able to tow either a smaller enclose trailer or flat-tow...

I can see your reasoning there with everything but the budget portion.:rofl: This was probably the biggest reason we went from ZJ to JKU, kept our creature comforts yet more off-road capabilities and still tows great behind the coach. Mike.