Needin'Advice
Observer
First, let me say that I wasn't really sure where to post this one, so hopefully this works. Secondly, I understand that what I am asking is not really about an expedition vehicle, but I'm not on the hardcore offroad forums and some are a little to negative and rude for my liking. I don't mind searching them for info, but not really interested in posting.
So my question(s) is (are) about a casual off road vehicle for SE Ohio hills, trails, mud, etc.. I am not needing a hardcore rock crawler or 2.5 ton axles with jumbo mud boggers. Here's what I am looking for:
1. A vehicle to go up and down our driveway in the winter when we get snow & ice.
2. Something that can seat the family of 4 (my wife, 2 boys ages 5 and 2 and myself)
3. A vehicle that can run around our trails, some of the neighbors trails, and run up and down the gravel roads at at least 30 mph. Street legal is a bonus, but I can run my road and a few others without tags. People run 4wheelers and utvs around out here all the time.
4. I also want to maintain a dry passenger space with heat and maybe even a/c. If we get into the mud, I want it on the truck, not in it.
5. Also, a utility vehicle. Something I can throw the chain saw in, carry some fire wood, take down to the neighbors fishing pond, basically a do it all vehicle for rural living.
I am surely missing some ideas, but that gives you a basic idea. Now, here is what I have and what I am considering. I am of course open to other suggestions as well.
A few years ago, I bought a '94 toyota reg cab pickup because I wanted a utv and couldn't afford (justify the cost of) one. Its a 4cyl, 5 spd, wooden bed, ag tractor tires. Fun little beast and I only have about $1600 in it. The good aspects are listed above plus I don't really care if I hit a tree or bang it around. The Problems: Running over 20mph on those tires will shake the fillings out of your teeth, it currently doesn't run and I can't figure it out(posted in the toyota forum a while back, and got some suggestions, but never solved it), reg cap doesn't sit 4 people, needs a locker or welded diff in the rear.
I could weld the diff and try to get creative and make it a 4 seater somehow, but not really sure how that would turn out. Could still have a small bed on it too. Have to get it running too, of course.
We also have the wife's old cj7 that has been sitting for about 14 years and she is wanting to get it running again. She drove it in college, top down cruising around with her friends and even drove it for the first handful of years of her work career. It basically needs a frame of restoration at this point. If we do all that, I can't image taking it in the woods and beating it up. It would likely be more of a cuise for some summer ice cream kind of ride. No matter what, we will keep the Jeep. My wife bought it when she was 17 with some of the insurance $ from when her mom died. The emotional value is way more than even the inflated jeep value.
We also have an '04 xterra. Was my wife's daily driver until recently. Bought it new and put about 200k trouble free miles on it. It is paid for, runs, seats 4, strwet legal amd plated, but is nice enough that I am not sure if I want to beat it up. It obviuosly doesn't have a bed and it would also need a locker and maybe some slightly larger and more aggressive tires. It does have the 4.9 gears, stock.
Or, we could sell the toyota (not for much since it is beat up and doesn't run) and look for a samurai. If we don't use the xterra, we would sell it and put that $ toward the Jeep.
So here is where all of you come in. What are your thoughts, questions and suggestions? How do the toyota and nissan compare in off road capability? Is a samurai better or worse? Some of my trails are pretty tight, but they can always be opened up if necessary.
Are there better options that I am not considering?
I gues the goal is a relatively low budget, utility vehicle that mixes the convience and capability of a side-by-side, with the benefits of an actual vehicle.
Fire away! Thanks in advance.
So my question(s) is (are) about a casual off road vehicle for SE Ohio hills, trails, mud, etc.. I am not needing a hardcore rock crawler or 2.5 ton axles with jumbo mud boggers. Here's what I am looking for:
1. A vehicle to go up and down our driveway in the winter when we get snow & ice.
2. Something that can seat the family of 4 (my wife, 2 boys ages 5 and 2 and myself)
3. A vehicle that can run around our trails, some of the neighbors trails, and run up and down the gravel roads at at least 30 mph. Street legal is a bonus, but I can run my road and a few others without tags. People run 4wheelers and utvs around out here all the time.
4. I also want to maintain a dry passenger space with heat and maybe even a/c. If we get into the mud, I want it on the truck, not in it.
5. Also, a utility vehicle. Something I can throw the chain saw in, carry some fire wood, take down to the neighbors fishing pond, basically a do it all vehicle for rural living.
I am surely missing some ideas, but that gives you a basic idea. Now, here is what I have and what I am considering. I am of course open to other suggestions as well.
A few years ago, I bought a '94 toyota reg cab pickup because I wanted a utv and couldn't afford (justify the cost of) one. Its a 4cyl, 5 spd, wooden bed, ag tractor tires. Fun little beast and I only have about $1600 in it. The good aspects are listed above plus I don't really care if I hit a tree or bang it around. The Problems: Running over 20mph on those tires will shake the fillings out of your teeth, it currently doesn't run and I can't figure it out(posted in the toyota forum a while back, and got some suggestions, but never solved it), reg cap doesn't sit 4 people, needs a locker or welded diff in the rear.
I could weld the diff and try to get creative and make it a 4 seater somehow, but not really sure how that would turn out. Could still have a small bed on it too. Have to get it running too, of course.
We also have the wife's old cj7 that has been sitting for about 14 years and she is wanting to get it running again. She drove it in college, top down cruising around with her friends and even drove it for the first handful of years of her work career. It basically needs a frame of restoration at this point. If we do all that, I can't image taking it in the woods and beating it up. It would likely be more of a cuise for some summer ice cream kind of ride. No matter what, we will keep the Jeep. My wife bought it when she was 17 with some of the insurance $ from when her mom died. The emotional value is way more than even the inflated jeep value.
We also have an '04 xterra. Was my wife's daily driver until recently. Bought it new and put about 200k trouble free miles on it. It is paid for, runs, seats 4, strwet legal amd plated, but is nice enough that I am not sure if I want to beat it up. It obviuosly doesn't have a bed and it would also need a locker and maybe some slightly larger and more aggressive tires. It does have the 4.9 gears, stock.
Or, we could sell the toyota (not for much since it is beat up and doesn't run) and look for a samurai. If we don't use the xterra, we would sell it and put that $ toward the Jeep.
So here is where all of you come in. What are your thoughts, questions and suggestions? How do the toyota and nissan compare in off road capability? Is a samurai better or worse? Some of my trails are pretty tight, but they can always be opened up if necessary.
Are there better options that I am not considering?
I gues the goal is a relatively low budget, utility vehicle that mixes the convience and capability of a side-by-side, with the benefits of an actual vehicle.
Fire away! Thanks in advance.
Last edited:
