The perfect vehicle situation for Utah...help me decide?!

[johngottfredson]

I don't believe the perfect vehicle exists for your budget, likes, and requirements. I also believe that almost all of us have been in your shoes and as soon as you believe you have found the perfect vehicle your needs/desires change. My family is going through some growing pains right now as well. A Chevy Tahoe was mentioned earlier and would be a good choice but, I still don't think it is perfect. A vehicle that will excel in one area is going to fail in another. I would recomend taking some serious consideration to an older SUV. International Harvester Scout, Chevy Blazer, 78 and up Ford Bronco, solid axle Chevy Suburban, that kind of thing. I honestly think you are going to need two vehicles. One SUV to fit your family and some light camping/wheeling, and a full sized crew cab pick up truck. For your work, and hauling needs.

I don't mean to crush your desires. Just trying to give you my opinion. No disrespect intended.

LT.

I definitely don't take any disrespect from your thoughts on this. As I indicated in earlier posts, I've basically started with the idea of having a setup similar to what zukijames just mentioned: keep the truck, plus an offroad rig. The whole point of this post was to get some thoughts in what I should do with the vehicles I have. Sell what, keep what, buy what?

Based on what others have mentioned, I'm strongly leaning toward selling the Lexus, picking up a samurai, keeping the truck as the tow rig, Montero for the wife. I just really want to think it through so I don't start pining for a Landcruiser as soon as mine is gone...

 

[johngottfredson]

Build the Montero into this http://www.expeditionutah.com/2013/05/on-the-other-side-whitmore-point/

WHAT!!? how have I not seen this rig? Best gen 3 Monty I've seen in a while. I like. Not too crazy so I could sell it to the wife to drive.

 

[Kiel]

get a 100 series and be done with it. Thats's my plan, after samurai, buggy, f-350, cherokee, nissan frontier etc etc

 

[sixstringsteve]

I'm strongly leaning toward selling the Lexus, picking up a samurai, keeping the truck as the tow rig, Montero for the wife. I just really want to think it through so I don't start pining for a Landcruiser as soon as mine is gone...

Don't get me wrong, I love samis. But in my mind, it would take $8k+ a sami to be more capable than the cruiser.

Tonkaman hit the nail on the head. List out all the places you want to go, then see which rig can do those the best.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

get a 100 series and be done with it. Thats's my plan, after samurai, buggy, f-350, cherokee, nissan frontier etc etc

Kool-aide complete. Who is next?

The 100 Series really is a good mix of road comfort and off-road prowess. Granted trails like Hells Revenge and Poison Spider are on the higher end of the scale for it's 'rock-crawling' abilities, it excels on the high speed stuff, can tow moderate loads and haul 5 adults across the globe. That said, I wouldn't sell a clean 80 in favor of one until you have fully used the Land Cruiser for your activities and decide it does in fact lack in some area.

 

[johngottfredson]

Don't get me wrong, I love samis. But in my mind, it would take $8k+ a sami to be more capable than the cruiser.

Tonkaman hit the nail on the head. List out all the places you want to go, then see which rig can do those the best.

That's good advice. My big question is whether the cruiser would overlap too much with the Monty, and whether the Sami would actually get me down more tight trails than the cruiser. That said, I have owned and enjoyed a heavily modded Sami, but have only wheeled stock cruisers, so I have no real experience to judge against.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I don't think Utah has any tight trails where a Sami is going to out-wheel an 80 series. The longer wheelbase of the 80 will come in handy over a sami's small wheelbase. If we were wheeling the Rubicon, or Oregon's tight, rocky trails, that would be a different story altogether.

I agree though, the 80 and the monty overlap quite a bit. If you're not going to go crawling much, the monty should do you just fine.

 

[zukijames]

Sandhallow has some tight stuff..

 

[Kevin B.]

For example, does anyone have extensive experience with 80's up AF canyon? How limiting is the size?

clfrnacwby on this board has had his 2nd gen Tundra up Forest Lake and Mary Ellen, and he didn't even use his sliders (much). I don't think he's planning on doing it again , but I can't see an 80 having any trouble on any of the trails up there.

I like the idea of keeping the Powerstroke for utility/family hauling/backcountry camping, put a mild build on the LX so it can handle trails without offending your wife's daily driver sensibilities, then get to building a buggy for the fun stuff. I wish I had big comfy fullsize truck for hooning around the outback. I miss my F250.

 

[sabatoa1]

I love my buggy it was very inexpensive and works well, I built it out of a wrecked Toyota 4runner. If you are looking at having a very capable trail rig, buy something wrecked for really cheap and turn it into a OHV. It is less expensive to register every year, and fun to build. It can be any type of vehicle just be look at what kind of after market support there is for that vehicle. I think that you could build up your 80 to be very capable off-road, but if you are wanting to do some of the higher rated trails why build up something that might be capable and cost more money.

 

[mbryson]

I could be interested in that F*rd if I decide to sell my 2012 JKU (auto, 4" lift, 35" Toyos, 4.88s and ARBs).


For my $, I'd stick with the known of your LX450 and keep the pickup around because they are nice to have. (speaking from a guy that hasn't had a solid pickup for a year, I miss it quite a bit more than I thought I would---do I "need" it, no, but they are super nice to have around. You sound like you've got a pretty impressive investment in the Super Duty. I'd keep it and get your $ out of it. If you do sell it, I'd love to take a swing at it first. Exactly what I think I'd be looking for again if I put myself in the market.)

 

[sixstringsteve]

I think that you could build up your 80 to be very capable off-road, but if you are wanting to do some of the higher rated trails why build up something that might be capable and cost more money.

Good advice. Also, it's extremely nerve-racking taking an expensive, pristine daily driver rig on hardcore trails. The consequences of rolling are stressful, and it makes it less fun to do the hardcore stuff. If you roll a built 80, it's worth very little in the end. Sure, you could turn it into a buggy eventually, but as sabatoa1 pointed out, it'd be a lot cheaper to just start with a buggy. Bang for the buck, buying a pre-built buggy sure saves a ton of money over building it (though sabatoa1 may be the exception to that rule, his buggy seems to have stayed within a tight budget and is still very capable).

 

[sawtooth4x4]

I like my Range Rover. It has a V8, I don't need to tow it places. I can hop in it and drive it anywhere, anytime, and almost on any trail I want. I avoid places that will dent the body, I'm just not into that kind of rock crawling anymore.

I have owned:

• 1985 Toyota xtra cab 4x4 (on 33's and a supra motor swap)
• 2006 Jeep Commander (3" lift and 32" tires)
• 1978 Jeep Wagoneer (31" tires, no lift)
• 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee (Stock, hated it and didn't do anything to it except sell it a couple months later).
• 2001 Land Rover Range Rover (3" lift, 33" tires)

With all these vehicles I've found what is most important to me. COMFORT and CAPABILITY. I have had this thing for 3.5 years. Its the longest I have ever owned a vehicle. And I have owned about 30 since I was 16.

I can still drive my Range Rover 85-95 without issue. Its reliable without all the cheesy air suspension crap, and because i make sure i keep up on maintenance. it has some of the best traction control i have ever used on any vehicle off road. It blows Jeeps out of the water and Toyota's away. They cannot compete. In fact, I hate everything else's traction control I have tried. The traction control on my range rover is front and rear and works almost like a detroit. Its damn impressive. I can fit my three kids in the back seat in comfort. There is loads of cargo area in the rear. The seating position for the driver is awesome. Huge windows and an upright seating position make it easy to see over the hood and around the vehicle while driving over obstacles.

It is fairy cheap to lift. Just throw some good Old Man Emu coil springs on it, with some nice Bilstien shocks for about $500 you have a great suspension that is works great and rides very comfortably.

I built a winch into the factory bumper. So should i get stuck, i can still get out.

The major issues I've had to date are replacing the brake accumulator. Underhood Fuse Box, and the Radiator.

The rest has been 100K mile replacement parts that everyone should probably do, such as: brake pads, coolant hoses, fluid changes, new injectors, new valve cover gaskets, new intake gaskets, new mufflers.

I may have gotten lucky and bought a pretty good Range Rover. But it was in need of some mechanical TLC when I bought it.

 

[johngottfredson]

I could be interested in that F*rd if I decide to sell my 2012 JKU (auto, 4" lift, 35" Toyos, 4.88s and ARBs).


For my $, I'd stick with the known of your LX450 and keep the pickup around because they are nice to have. (speaking from a guy that hasn't had a solid pickup for a year, I miss it quite a bit more than I thought I would---do I "need" it, no, but they are super nice to have around. You sound like you've got a pretty impressive investment in the Super Duty. I'd keep it and get your $ out of it. If you do sell it, I'd love to take a swing at it first. Exactly what I think I'd be looking for again if I put myself in the market.)

Having a truck was never a question for me. The closest thing to not having a truck would be a going to a 4 dr tacoma...pretty sure my cruiser has more cargo room than that little bed

i am am happy with this truck - it has a new factory transmission, new injectors, k&n intake, 4" exhaust...just had Kevin at six states go through it and do magical things to the driveline when he did the detroit rear, e-locker front and gears. Runs awesome.

 

[Bart]

My only observation, when asking a Toyota focused forum, expect mostly Toyota centric recommendations.

 

[johngottfredson]

Good advice. Also, it's extremely nerve-racking taking an expensive, pristine daily driver rig on hardcore trails. The consequences of rolling are stressful, and it makes it less fun to do the hardcore stuff. If you roll a built 80, it's worth very little in the end. Sure, you could turn it into a buggy eventually, but as sabatoa1 pointed out, it'd be a lot cheaper to just start with a buggy. Bang for the buck, buying a pre-built buggy sure saves a ton of money over building it (though sabatoa1 may be the exception to that rule, his buggy seems to have stayed within a tight budget and is still very capable).

I agree with this. I remember when my Sami tipped over, we just got a few guys, tipped it upright, laughed a bit, and kept going up the trail. So, I was leaning toward a trail beater, but should prolly give some more thought to a picking up a well-thought out buggy that someone is simply tired of and wants to let it go on the cheap...

 

[Kevin B.]

My only observation, when asking a Toyota focused forum, expect mostly Toyota centric recommendations.

Is this a Toyota focused forum? I think we Yota freaks are just louder. I bet the Jeep owners on RME still outnumber the Yota owners by a wide margin.

 

[johngottfredson]

My only observation, when asking a Toyota focused forum, expect mostly Toyota centric recommendations.

Seriously. I actually saw a thread on ih8mud where a guy was considering a Montero over a cruiser, and they took it personal. It wasn't a discussion about his personal wheeling needs, but which rig is more "capable," which to THEM meant international expeditions through remote and dangerous locales. And subsequently, his personal character was deficient because he even considered another vehicle.

I actually have have been pleased with some of the non-biased opinions guys have shared here.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Now that I see how built and reliable your ford is, I would definitely keep it, even if it's not your primary wheeling/camping rig.

Got any pics of these rigs?

 

[johngottfredson]

I'm definitely wanting to keep the ford. As I said earlier, if I was starting with nothing I would look at the tacomas, but that's not the case, and the full-size would have some great practical uses for me.

I think I'm going to keep the Monty for the wife. She likes it, and I don't want her to be putting a lot of miles on a cruiser if I sold the Monty.

So I'm looking at A) build the 80 and never look back. B) get a trail beater (Sami, jeep...rover?) and never care about trail rash, depreciation, spray painting it, etc, or C) get a cheap buggy that someone else put the time, $$$, and thought in to.

Im not not super interested in a super custom project. I don't have tons of time, an enclosed garage, the mechanical/ fab skills, or frankly, the interest to be tinkering with things all the time. I think that steers me away from anything that's not plug-and-play. I like the idea of taking a cruiser to Kurt and picking it up with good things done to it, or a Sami or jeep where everyone has them figured out, so I don't have to spend too much of my life working on the vehicle, rather than out playing with it.

So maybe that should be my defining criteria....which vehicle is the most plug and play?