help with ideas for an expo rig for a family with too many kids. lol

dfarm

Observer
So, I came to realize that with the child that's on the way, the old XJ isn't going to work anymore. Tried as much as I could to get 3 car seats across the back seat, and it just isn't going to happen.

I'm. Looking for suggestions for a vehicle that will take the place of the Cherokee, hopefully around the same size, or a bit bigger, with the same off road capabilities, with the added duty of carting around an extra car seat. The other hang up is the fact that I'm also broke, so the price will need to be within 3, maybe 4 grand of what I can sell the 00 xj for.

The only vehicle I have come up with so far is a dodge durango with a third row of seats. I'm hoping that there are more options out there than that, otherwise I'm looking at selling the last cool vehicle I have to buy a mini van, which I'm not excited about, especially since I live in an area that sees ice and snow sometimes.

Thanks.
 

Stroverlander

Adventurer
Then there's always this interesting tidbit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Astro
In testing performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), however, the Astro and Safari fared better... improving to a three-star (driver) and four-star (passenger) rating by 2000. In side impacts, the Astro and Safari both received the highest, five-star rating in every year that the test was administered.

Despite these safety ratings, in 2007 the IIHS reported that in real life situations, the 2001-2004 Chevrolet Astro recorded during calendar years 2002-2005 the least number of killed drivers of all passenger vehicles in the United States, as calculated per every million units on the road.

Ice and snow isn't a problem with an awd Astro/Safari.

Full on winter conditions, I preferred my '97 Safari awd with full-time Borg Warner viscous t-case (pre '99), for everything else I prefer the '99-up part-time electronic NV136 t-case and factory G80 Eaton locking rear diff of my '04 Astro awd. Beyond that, swapping to a 4x4 t-case is a relatively straightforward affair.
 
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dfarm

Observer
Someone is going to have to show me one of these things doing something pretty cool before I can get too excited about getting one. In stock trim, they appear to have about as much ground clearance as my corolla. I also haven't had a good experience with lifting vehicles by cranking up torsion bars. In my experience, you lose your down travel and they ride like poo.
 

Mark Harley

Expedition Leader

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jkcobra

Observer
You should look at the jeep commanders. They have third row seat, 4x4, and you can get a hemi engine if you want. We had one for a few years and it was great for cross country trips and playing in the snow. Never had it off road that much because I also had the wrangler. They have an IFS so you are limited on lift choices, but a few options have come out recently. We would probably still have it, but it was the wife's car and she wanted an X5, so yeah not going to be taking that offroad.

For older vehicles, look at an old suburban or even an expedition. Yes they are bigger but make great full size expedition vehicles.

I just sold my wrangler

And I have seen some really cool lifted minivans, I'm just not ever going to own one :smiley_drive:
 

bob91yj

Resident **************
One of my buddies on the shake down run in Death Valley in his. He has a spacer lift and 30" tires if I remember correctly.

Pictures never do an obstacle justice. We had a motorcycle rider in our group hurt a shoulder and possibly crack some ribs in a fall trying to get up it.

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...and in camp.

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TRACTION

Adventurer
I went from an XJ to a quad cab short bed Dodge Ram 2500 (in my sig) and would never go back. Though larger it's just as capable as a lightly modified XJ and more than suitable for general overlanding (versus hard core wheelin') and pulls extra duty for all kinds of hauling and household duties.
 

Cole

Expedition Leader
I went from an XJ to a quad cab short bed Dodge Ram 2500 (in my sig) and would never go back. Though larger it's just as capable as a lightly modified XJ and more than suitable for general overlanding (versus hard core wheelin') and pulls extra duty for all kinds of hauling and household duties.


Just $0.02 on the topic.

I've had a dozen jeeps from mild to hardcore. Currently have a quad cab short bed 3/4 ton dodge and a van (Eurovan).

Even though the van isn't 4wd it is BY FAR the best vehicle for taking a family camping!!! It's also far more useful for doing general hauling duties. For example 4x8' sheets of plywood fit inside the van with room to spare. I have to put the tailgate down on my dodge to carry a sheet of plywood.

The step in height of a van makes lots of kid/dog camping things much easier.

There are some cool conversions out there CHEAP! All they need is 4wd, or as mentioned above an AWD Astafari;-)



Edit for a couple of pictures. This is my vw but of course the same thing can be done with a Astrofari or conversion van.

9540104943_919918552b_b_d.jpg


This will give you an idea of the family space inside my tiny vw van. It sleeps 5 inside!! The rear bench is a queen bed, there is a full bed in the Poptop and you can have a hammock for one kid across the front seats! You can also stand up in it!!(there is also several feet of space behind this seat not in the picture)

All this could be done inside something like an Astro, conversion van converted to 4x4 etc for a tight budget like the OP said he has.

After 25 years of jeeps I've found the van to be a brilliant adventure vehicle for the family. So much more you can do with it other than just trudge along a trail and set up a tent.

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dfarm

Observer
I don't ever really "test the limits" of the xj. Its what I'd consider a very mild build at this point. 4.5" short arm lift/31" tires. I had planned to add 1 locker and some armor and bumpers and that was pretty much it. It is what I think it should have been from the factory. That being said, there are 3 orv parks within a 90 minute drive of me, and it is fun to go play a couple of times a year.

I do have a crew cab d200, and there is a part of me that wants to convert it to 4x4, but it's still 20' bumper to bumper, so for cruising forrest service roads and getting around in the snow it would be ok, but forget about any of the trails around me.

I'm thinking about just buying the wife an awd mini van and selling the xj to fund a fsj build to use as a "toy" for the 10% of the time that a van won't do what I want to do.
 
Here's my two cents...it's not the people capacity but the gear capacity that becomes the issue. I say this as a dad/husband with four kids. We have gone through the evolution from a mid 90s wrangler, to mini-vans, to Tahoes and now an 01 Astro (2wd) and an 04 Suburban (4wd). When we do our familty trips (6-8/yr) the suburban is what we take and sometimes I still have to use the hitch hauler. Sounds like my kids are a little older, 10yrs old to 17yrs old, but eventually yours will get there too. As the kids get older, you want to have enough room that they are not on top of each other and still be able to haul all the required gear, too. The astro is great from a person capacity, more room to stretch out than a mini-van, but still a little tight for a larger family gear-wise on a long trip, or where lots of stuff needs to be brought along. My only regret is my Astro is not awd. the pics up thread have started me thinking....good luck with your search/decision..
 

Jaynen

Adventurer
Wish it was more possible to find like a eurovan with 4wd. The westfalia synchros always go for insane money. Guys are putting in lockers and 2 stage transfer cases etc into the astro's also.


The Montero is a decent option, at least has a backseat and came with a rear locker in gen 2 on the SR model, or winter package gen 2.5 model
 

bigtrkltltrl

Observer
I have had a CJ-7 FJ40 and a few pickups and the a 98 grand Cherokee all had a 3 inch lift to them. I sold my grand Cherokee and bought a 91 suburban for 700. I bought this for the TBI and solid front axle. And parts are cheap and plentiful. It is used as a toy or occasionally DD. I did find out a large lift is required for the rear overhang. Feels like ten feet. But with 6" of lift and 37's it hangs with the TJ's with 3"+. And I can carry more gear and tools with room for my two kids. I did remove the third row for storage of my full size spare. I have done Moab stock with 33's and then with my lift. Have not done Moab with the new tires but it does great. It surprises almost all the jeeps I see in the trail. But it does plow the trails a little wider and I have my fair share of Utah pin striping. I have even done four wheeler trails with it. It does take a little patience on the smaller trails. And be willing to rub one side or the other. But since it is a toy/beater it does great. I have probably 5k total including the vehicle price invested with a new engine. My Grand Cherokee I had that invested with. 3 inch lift and 31's but I needed more lift for the trails and to get rid of the death wobble issue. But those lifts were 2500 +. And being in a full size rig on the trails You are always noticed.
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Sorry for the novel but my rambling seem to never end some times. Good luck with the choice. What ever you choose will work great for your style of wheeling.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
 

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