Next rig? Utv/Jeep/cruiser

[Unimog]

Last time I went out in a rented SXS, one of our group had a wildcat with a LOUDer pipe than stock on it. He thought it was the coolest thing ever made. Everyone else in a five mile radius around him didn't think it was really cool. To be fair, I probably shouldn't speak for everyone else - maybe I'm the only one who didn't find it cool. It didn't ruin my day, but it sure put a damper on my enjoyment of nature and the scenery.

 

[N-Smooth]

Last time I went out in a rented SXS, one of our group had a wildcat with a LOUDer pipe than stock on it. He thought it was the coolest thing ever made. Everyone else in a five mile radius around him didn't think it was really cool. To be fair, I probably shouldn't speak for everyone else - maybe I'm the only one who didn't find it cool. It didn't ruin my day, but it sure put a damper on my enjoyment of nature and the scenery.

The noise is my second largest complaint about them. The first being their complete disregard for trail etiquette and staying on the trails (obviously). We camped in the Little Mill campground on the side of AF Canyon last year. Even on the other side of the river, roughly 150' away from the road we had to actually pause our conversation a bunch of times due to the noise of SXS guys with ridiculously loud exhausts driving up and down the canyon. I was blown away.

Also, like Hickey I'm not really trying to get through trails as fast as possible anymore. I don't like going RR4W speed either but somewhere in the middle is good.

 

[Caleb]

I hate to sway you away from anything because this is only my experience with one style of machine. I feel like a more utilitarian sxs would have suited me better. One with a dump bed. They are slower and not nearly as loud.
If you love to go fast and jump and blast through a trail, and let all of nature know that you are rapidly approaching... mine is perfect.

100% agree with this. I love my sxs, I have an xp4 1000. However, I rarely break 20-30mph, have no desire to go blast through the dunes and if I want to go run in the desert I'll get a dirt bike again. If I were to do it again (and I probably will in a year or two), I would get a General over the xp4.

We use ours primarily to get in to our cabin in the winter, then it putt around our cabin community in the winter, sometimes we'll run in to town to get pizza at the local pizza place, sometimes we'll take it up in to the national forest by our cabin, etc. Nothing that requires a go fast machine. It was fun having tracks on it this year and playing in the snow, but I could do that just as well in a utilitarian machine as well and a jeep or any other wheeled vehicle wouldn't have a chance (many tried but they can't even get to the gate of our community let alone actually get up on the mountain).

 

[Caleb]

The first being their complete disregard for trail etiquette and staying on the trails (obviously).

You say this like it's the machines that have a complete disregard for trail etiquette. I find it hilarious (maybe a bit sad too) that forever the offroad community has had to fight the stigma that we're all redneck dumbasses that just want to tear shit up. Yet, this is the exact same attitude many in the offroad community have towards sxs owners now. There are a lot of dumbasses, I'll give you that, but the blanket statements towards an entire community are so ignorant that I'm embarrassed for you. There are TONS of tread lightly stewards in the sxs community, continuing to spread the false blanket statements does nothing to further keeping trails open.

 

[str8axleguy]

I totally agree that not all sxs owners tear things up. We have a can am turbo 4 seat and most of the time it’s forest roads and trails at low speed. It is awesome to have the power to blast the dunes but only done that once.

 

[pELYgroso]

We've had older Toyotas forever and then went rigless for a couple years before we got a sxs. A Teryx4. It was a blast. Not a dune monster, but we're not really into the dunes. AF canyon was great, green river, moab, all super fun. Then we got a JKU once we had our 3rd kid since the sxs wouldn't fit 5 and we didn't want the baby out in the dust, and we started "wheeling" again with the Jeep. We realized how much we missed wheeling and the sense of community that comes along with wheeling, more so than with a sxs. When wheeling in the sxs, you rarely stop at an obstacle to get out and watch others try to get up it which means the kids don't get out to stretch their legs unless you're stopping for a specific reason. When you do stop, you typically just sit in the sxs since your view is mostly unobstructed. There's far less chatting amongst the riders because the sxs is loud and not enclosed. It's get in and go. It's fun, and we all loved it, but at the end of the day, we realized that we like the Jeep more because we feel more like we're doing something together when we're in the jeep. And we always get more of a community sense when we're around other wheelers vs around other sxs'rs on the trail. We sold the sxs and toy hauler and bought a boat. So now we're doing boating and jeeping.

We just got back from camping in Moab and it was great taking the Jeep around. We ran fins and things and the kids probably ran ahead of us on about half of the trail. They loved it and got super worn out. In a sxs, you're just going too fast on those flatter portions to let the kids run ahead. The trails take longer in a rig, but the family time is better, IMO, and for us, that's what our extra-curricular "toys" are all about. I do still have my dirtbike to go riding with buddies to get my adrenaline fix.

Side note, our JKU has a 3rd row in the back that I've been meaning to take out of there since our 3 kids fit will into the back seat, even with 1 booster seat, 1 infant carseat, and 1 toddler forward facing carseat. If you'd like it, I'll have it available soon. It seats 2 kids comfortably with seatbelts. The kids actually love sitting back there but I want the cargo space.

Hope this perspective helps.

 

[johngottfredson]

We have a winner:

(Hint: it's the one on the left)

1999 Land Cruiser, 245k, no-rust California truck. ARB front bumper, Slee tire carrier rear with ladder/maxtrax holder, sliders, good condition general grabber 33" A/T's, factory rear locker, eBay snorkel, hella lights, rear camp light, CB, ARB awning, custom drawer system. Recent baselining including all new fluids, new battery, various and sundry seals and gaskets. Recent front seats and steering wheel recovering. $12k

What I like:
-key mods are done except winch (warn m8000, now purchased) and suspension (OME heavies, also purchased). Having taken the loss on buying all this stuff new before, I wanted to avoid that. Forever.
-baselining done. I bought this from a friend that just moved back from California, who found all the annoying little drips and squeaks and fixed them. Also, I firmly believe that the only worthwhile thing California contributes to the world is rust free minty vehicles.
-non-nav. I hate, HATE that Toyota integrates the heating controls into their stereo, locking successive generations of owners in a Time Warp back to the technological era of the make of the vehicle. I hate my dad's goofy interface on his 06 LX470, and I hated it in my 2008 cruiser. Love the simple stereo (aftermarket with Bluetooth) and controls of the '99, pre nav era. Feels more analog, like how real land cruisers are supposed to feel. Definitely feels closer to my 80 than my 200.
-color. I like it.
-price. I'm into this for about the same money as a worn out 6 seater sxs. And this has more soul.

What I like less:
-los miles. Double the miles of the highest mile purchase I've ever made. Reeeeaaally testing my faith in Toyota longevity here. However, with my Tundra as my main touring vehicle, I'm planning on <5k miles/yr on this thing. But...still nervous about this one.
-4 speed trans. Turns out there is an actual big difference in peppiness between early 100s and 5 speed vvti 100s, like my dad's. This one feels uncomfortably closer to the 80 than the 200. We'll see if I can talk myself out of going to 4.88's to help things out
-mystery background. My friend bought it from a guy who only owned it for 4 months, during which time he built it up from stock, so bumpers et al are pretty new. But no maintenance records from any previous owners

All in all, pretty excited to find out if this was a good move. I've been enjoying it so far. Got a trip to Moab planned next week to put it through it's paces for a couple of days. We'll see.

 

[johngottfredson]

 

[johngottfredson]