most capable off-road pickup?

leelikesbikes

Adventurer
hmmm

IMO the taco is too small and gutless, when i go out camping/exploring i usually have a couple dirtbikes, or my wifes quad and my trials bike, and a weeks worth of camping gear, ive had a couple of tacoma's and they are fun to wheel, but they lack the payload capacity i want in a truck. ive found if you put a thousand lbs worth of camping gear and dirtbikes in a tacoma and try and go 75 over the passes with the a/c on you get about 10mpg. a brute would be awesome if i wanted a mini truck.
ive wheeled all over the west and there are alot of people with lockers, winches, etc that dont venture far from the pavement, i drove a stock 4runner through the rubicon a few years ago, so you dont NEED all that stuff, but if you already know how to wheel you can go even more places with greate security if you have a well set up rig.
 

phydough

Observer
While it surely isn't for everyone, the Raptor (2010 SuperCab 6.2) is my choice. It does have drawbacks and limitations; it can't carry much (930 lbs), can't tow much (6000 lbs), it's fat (86.3"wide & 6100 lbs), it's thirsty (11.3 mpg average over 46,000 miles), it has a very short bed (5'7"), it's low (9.5"), it is not a Trophy Truck or even a $$ prerunner :)().

What it is is a Ford F-150 with a factory option of fancy suspension bits, gears and curvy body parts (ok, more than that but...).

Can it rock crawl like a Jeep? Probably, as long as the Jeep never engages 4WD. Can it rock crawl with a Power Wagon? Maybe, I haven't been wheeling with a PW yet.

It is my favorite. I live 7 miles from pavement and a run into town is minimum 14 miles. Most of my travels consist of semi rough fire roads. I like speed. A road that keeps my F250 to 25 MPH because of the roughness can be done comfortably at twice that.

Is it the bestest truck made? Opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one and values only his own.

What's the most off-road capable factory pick-up available in the US?

Dunno, that's up for debate. Comes down to the use and requirements of a potential buyer, empirical evidence and opinions.

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Casner Ridge.JPG
 
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Clutch

<---Pass
IMO the taco is too small and gutless, when i go out camping/exploring i usually have a couple dirtbikes, or my wifes quad and my trials bike, and a weeks worth of camping gear, ive had a couple of tacoma's and they are fun to wheel, but they lack the payload capacity i want in a truck. ive found if you put a thousand lbs worth of camping gear and dirtbikes in a tacoma and try and go 75 over the passes with the a/c on you get about 10mpg. a brute would be awesome if i wanted a mini truck.
ive wheeled all over the west and there are alot of people with lockers, winches, etc that dont venture far from the pavement, i drove a stock 4runner through the rubicon a few years ago, so you dont NEED all that stuff, but if you already know how to wheel you can go even more places with greate security if you have a well set up rig.

I have a Tacoma (down from a F250), pulls a 3 bike trailer. A 300 2T, 100 2T, and BMW GS800, bed loaded with gear, and Wildernest at one time. Now it won't break any speed records, over mountain passes...I am usually not in hurry, save the speed needs for the dirt bikes.

If you spread your gear between the truck and the trailer...it isn't too bad. I am light bare bones packer though. Then when you get to your destination, you have a nimble little truck to run around in if you have to. We have used my Tacoma to go fetch broken down bikes in some pretty hairy areas...since my buddies don't want to take their big fancy pants full size diesels in...
 

Clutch

<---Pass
While it surely isn't for everyone, the Raptor (2010 SuperCab 6.2) is my choice. It does have drawbacks and limitations; it can't carry much (930 lbs), can't tow much (6000 lbs), it's fat (86.3"wide & 6100 lbs), it's thirsty (11.3 mpg average over 46,000 miles), it has a very short bed (5'7"), it's low (9.5"), it is not a Trophy Truck or even a $$$ prerunner :)().

What it is is a Ford F-150 with a factory option of fancy suspension bits, gears and curvy body parts (ok, more than that but...).

Can it rock crawl like a Jeep? Probably, as long as the Jeep never engages 4WD. Can it rock crawl with a Power Wagon? Maybe, I haven't been wheeling with a PW yet.

It is my favorite. I live 7 miles from pavement and a run into town is minimum 14 miles. Most of my travels consist of semi rough fire roads. I like speed. A road that keeps my F-250 to 25 MPH because of the roughness can be done comfortably at twice that.

Is it the bestest truck made? Opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one and values only his own.



Dunno, that's up for debate. Comes down to the use and requirements of a potential buyer, empirical evidence and opinions.

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View attachment 177324
View attachment 177325

nice!

one of my dream combos is to take this

LTtaco.jpg

and cram this super charged 5.7 into it, note that it is in a Tacoma...so it fits. ;)

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DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
LOL Kermit! We've been rolling the gutless wonder on 30" tires for years, the whole time unwittingly driving a pile of crap. Not into hauling dirt bikes, although we do 2 and 3 week trips with MTB in tow quite comfortably.

To answer the question, I'd have to answer the Powerwagon seems pretty nice by the numbers for when I win the lottery. But Imelda The Wonder Hilux is easily the best $5K I've ever spent. The place she's been, the things she's done. Heck yeah.
 

redthies

Renaissance Redneck
Man, do I love these threads where the OP asks a very vague yet loaded question, and then sits back and watches all the usual suspects beat each other over the head with their loyalties! Four pages and not another peep from the OP.

I still vote PW, but I'm not rushing out to buy one...
 

phydough

Observer
Opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one and values only his own.

That's right, I went there.

Any question like that is an argument in the making. I just might consider a Power Wagon for my next truck though.
 

Clutch

<---Pass
Man, do I love these threads where the OP asks a very vague yet loaded question, and then sits back and watches all the usual suspects beat each other over the head with their loyalties! Four pages and not another peep from the OP.

I still vote PW, but I'm not rushing out to buy one...

LOL

I like the Power Wagon and Raptor, however I am the type of guy who likes to start with the base model and add what I think it s good, not what the factory thinks is good...are they cool for factory trucks, yes. Would I throw my money at them, that would be a no.

Ford does spec the Raptor with weak suspension in MY opinion. ;) better buying aftermarket.

If you're gonna get a heavy pick-em-truck like the Ram, get a diesel...why even waste your time with the gasser? Not much better combo than a Cummins and the manny trans. Hell, if you do not know how to add a winch to your vehicle, you probably shouldn't be going off-road into the boonies in the first place.

Killer, Kermit. Hope you know a shoehorn salesman.

Oh, I knows some peoples. ;) I have half an inkling to toss a LS engine in my Tacoma so I can keep a manual trans. sling some LT boingers under dar, then go eat Raptors for lunch. :D

LOL Kermit! We've been rolling the gutless wonder on 30" tires for years, the whole time unwittingly driving a pile of crap. Not into hauling dirt bikes, although we do 2 and 3 week trips with MTB in tow quite comfortably.

I am a quasi minimalist, the Tacoma works great for me.

It doesn't do too bad towing the bikes, half the time you don't even know the trailer is back there. My rule of thumb for towing with the Taco, is to tow at half capacity.

Generally there are 2-3 dirt bikes on the trailer, which is well under half. Just shy of 1500 lbs. including trailer. I have camped out of it like you said for weeks on end, with no problem. I have kept up to my buddy's diesel F350 who was pulling a 24' TT, from AZ to CO....I had to rev the hell out of the engine, and go faster than I like. But he was shocked that he couldn't loose me...and he was trying.

485132_10151261033204630_1814757909_n.jpg

If I want to really haul ********, I ditch the trailer, and use my hitch carrier.

578004_10151283116474630_323056012_n.jpg

To answer the question, I'd have to answer the Powerwagon seems pretty nice by the numbers for when I win the lottery. But Imelda The Wonder Hilux is easily the best $5K I've ever spent. The place she's been, the things she's done. Heck yeah.

Lotto winning...well, I would buy all my favorite vehicles. ;)

Power Wagon didn't make the cut...but you know how many bikes I could fit in a Merc Zetros!? :D

zetros_1833_l1.jpg
 
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Bayou Boy

Adventurer
Not if you know what you are doing.

Winches, lockers, mid travel suspension, 33-35" tires are crutches...

In the right hands that Tacoma can go anywhere, perhaps more places a Power Wagon or Raptor can go.

Most "capable" is a relative term, people can argue numbers all day long, unless the driver is well versed in driving
off-road...the "most capable" is worthless in the wrong hands.

My observations in the dirt bike world, is that "most" engineers worry too much about numbers to hone their
off-road riding skills, while the guy (or girl for that matter) who has a little less on their mind are some of the best riders
out there.

I would assume it is the same in the 4 wheeled world. But this is just an observation of mine, yours may differ.

No one said anything about larger tires or skill level. Load that truck up for camping. (it'll be at gross btw.) With those cheap P-metric tires and take it on anything more than a mild trail at anything more than a snails pace and it's a sliced sidewall waiting to happen. Maybe your trails have nice smooth rocks but some have rocks as sharp as knives. The tires put on trucks today are designed for economy and ride, period. Manufacturers have figured out that very few people load trucks to max payload and if so, it's rare and for short distances. Tire selection mirrors that observation. When I'm driving a truck at gross or even a little above for thousands of miles with my family inside, I'm not doing it on car tires, especially 40 miles from a paved road. You do what you want.
 

Clutch

<---Pass
No one said anything about larger tires or skill level. Load that truck up for camping. (it'll be at gross btw.) With those cheap P-metric tires and take it on anything more than a mild trail at anything more than a snails pace and it's a sliced sidewall waiting to happen. Maybe your trails have nice smooth rocks but some have rocks as sharp as knives. The tires put on trucks today are designed for economy and ride, period. Manufacturers have figured out that very few people load trucks to max payload and if so, it's rare and for short distances. Tire selection mirrors that observation. When I'm driving a truck at gross or even a little above for thousands of miles with my family inside, I'm not doing it on car tires, especially 40 miles from a paved road. You do what you want.

You have never been to AZ have you? :D What the Hell do you pack for camping anyways? When I am solo & dog (which is often, the girlfriend is too busy with school to go right now), everything I need fits in the extra cab, use the bed to sleep in. As of late I use hammock... Heck, it is a luxury compared to camping off a motorcycle.

Even when she does come, between two dirt bikes, the gear, the camping BS gear, plus trailer we aren't at gross. What I have noticed mostly on this forum is, people bring waaay too much crap. No bikes, and just the two us, the bed is a 1/4 full. No joke.

I can make stock spec tires work, and for (What?) $800 more for some decent all terrains, and you're well under the $45-50K cost of a Power Wagon or Raptor, a base RC Tacoma 4WD is $22.5K...which will still go the same places they will go. RC-4WD Tacoma has a better payload than the Raptor, 1435# to the Ford's 980# BTW...who is at gross payload faster now?

A buddy and I were doing some rock crawling in our bone stock Tacomas out here in Florence AZ, this was before I added a 2.5 lift, and was on 31" BFG AT's.

We came to a gnarly spot where we had to crawl up and over a Volkswagen sized boulder, where a jacked up modified Blazer was coming, down. He got out and start making fun of us, you'll never get those POS Jap trucks up this!!! We both crawled right up and over with no problem...shut him up pretty quick.

You can take a stock truck A LOT of places. The Toyota may not be the most powerful, or have the highest capacities. But it has the shortest wheelbase and available manual trans, plus one of the most reliable drive trains on the planet....

"most capable" from the factory is relative...
 
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Clutch

<---Pass
As mentioned AEV Brute. No contest. A Wrangler Rubicon with the factory warranted truck bed option that is installed by the dealer... http://www.aev-conversions.com/vehicles/brute-double-cab


Brutes are pretty bad ********. would have to go with the single cab though. The DC is loooooong....

i consider the Brute after market...not unlike the Ram Runner. they weren't built on an assembly line.

red_brute_moab.jpg

Tough decision between that and a built RC Taco though, the whole IFS vs. SFA, Jeep vs. Toy thing...

be a cool side by side comparison in mixed terrain.

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