jeep-N-montero
Expedition Leader
Jerry, I lived in Colorado for 8 years and drove many of the trails, let me know where you are at and I can make some suggestions.
Stock or near stock vehicles
- Thread starter rfroy
- Start date
Jerry, I lived in Colorado for 8 years and drove many of the trails, let me know where you are at and I can make some suggestions.
jeep-N-montero
Expedition Leader
That Crown Vic is a retired interceptor package with rear LSD and full skid plates, the guy is a hoot to talk to as well.
Clutch
<---Pass
Just goes to show ya, you don't need much. Man, I bet that guy has some stories to tell..
Close to stock 4runner
I like to think of my 4runner as the 97 4runner that toyota should have built. I have come to learn that when it comes to parts availability, overall reliability, and less $ spent the closer to stock the better (this is only my personal experience with my current platform, and i am in no way saying that modifying a vehicle makes it less reliable).
This truck has been a good balance of needs vs wants, and overall i'm happy with my 4runner that i feel is "close to stock".
My basic setup consists of:
-a stock engine, trans, t-case
-axles removed from a 99 4runner limited, to gain the 4.30 gears and rear locker option
-tundra trd coils with bilstein struts
-ome 890 coils with first gen toyota tundra TRD bilstein shocks
-stock spare steel wheels and 265/75/16's
-me built skids, rear control arms and diy4x4 sliders.
-lots of preventative maintenance!
Overall its a pretty capable truck, that's still comfortable and can pull decent mpg.
Mike
I like to think of my 4runner as the 97 4runner that toyota should have built. I have come to learn that when it comes to parts availability, overall reliability, and less $ spent the closer to stock the better (this is only my personal experience with my current platform, and i am in no way saying that modifying a vehicle makes it less reliable).
This truck has been a good balance of needs vs wants, and overall i'm happy with my 4runner that i feel is "close to stock".
My basic setup consists of:
-a stock engine, trans, t-case
-axles removed from a 99 4runner limited, to gain the 4.30 gears and rear locker option
-tundra trd coils with bilstein struts
-ome 890 coils with first gen toyota tundra TRD bilstein shocks
-stock spare steel wheels and 265/75/16's
-me built skids, rear control arms and diy4x4 sliders.
-lots of preventative maintenance!
Overall its a pretty capable truck, that's still comfortable and can pull decent mpg.
Mike
From what I've seen and experienced, exploration and expedition, can be mostly on road- or mostly off road- or something in between.
Spend less time and effort for the build; spend more on the trip and travel. I too have been a victim of the perpetual build- by the time Im done, there may be no dirt roads that I can drive on legally.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
Nah; but the Rustang did.
My brother's crowd was the drag racing crowd. Chevys with 396s, a couple of crazy MOPARs too.
Dad sold the Coronet to one of my buddies and he still has it.
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
Very true. I did a lot of "exploring" in a 2wd Ford Ranger when I lived in Wyoming. Of course I was restricted to paved or well graded dirt roads, but I still managed to see, and do, a lot.
That's how I look at it. Money is a zero-sum game: Every dollar you spend adding a capability that your vehicle doesn't really need is a dollar you can't spend on traveling.
I would love to take a 3-week trip to Alaska in mid-Summer. If I did, I wouldn't take my 4runner: Too big and too expensive to drive. I'd outfit my DD Mazda 2wd pickup (same thing as a Ranger) for camping and spend the rest of my money on gas, food and other travel expenses!
Very true. I did a lot of "exploring" in a 2wd Ford Ranger when I lived in Wyoming. Of course I was restricted to paved or well graded dirt roads, but I still managed to see, and do, a lot.
That's how I look at it. Money is a zero-sum game: Every dollar you spend adding a capability that your vehicle doesn't really need is a dollar you can't spend on traveling.
I would love to take a 3-week trip to Alaska in mid-Summer. If I did, I wouldn't take my 4runner: Too big and too expensive to drive. I'd outfit my DD Mazda 2wd pickup (same thing as a Ranger) for camping and spend the rest of my money on gas, food and other travel expenses!
My thoughts exactly! I have a car that is paid for and was my DD but I figure I could sell it and take the money and travel this summer. I have gone many places in Colorado with just a 2wd Toyota in the early 80's but those trails are now 4wd only. I have no problems with county dirt roads or fire roads but I don't do rocks in anything costing more than $5000. My son says I need to live a little. He has a wrangler with a lift kit, big tires and oh yah a busted transmission from crawling on the rocks.
Clutch
<---Pass
You can get waaay back in without 4WD....who says a 4 wheeled vehicle has to carry you? Plenty of other ways to do it, hiking, cycling, motorbikes, boats...
What you don't spend on mods, you can buy other equipment. My dirt bike takes me further "in" than my Tacoma ever could. All I need is something to haul my gear.
What you don't spend on mods, you can buy other equipment. My dirt bike takes me further "in" than my Tacoma ever could. All I need is something to haul my gear.
Ridge Runner
Delta V
My dad had one of these before his Mustang and it was our camping rig. People used to come up on us in Jeeps at our favorite sites and say, "how the heck did you get that in here?"
Before he got his CJ-5, my grandfather's "Jeep" was a '31 Chevy 2 door sedan.
If you do intend on going, consider flying there, and renting a car. I rented an RV, but had my family with me. the Cost of getting your truck up there and back will easily exceed the cost to fly+rental.Very true. I did a lot of "exploring" in a 2wd Ford Ranger when I lived in Wyoming. Of course I was restricted to paved or well graded dirt roads, but I still managed to see, and do, a lot.
That's how I look at it. Money is a zero-sum game: Every dollar you spend adding a capability that your vehicle doesn't really need is a dollar you can't spend on traveling.
I would love to take a 3-week trip to Alaska in mid-Summer. If I did, I wouldn't take my 4runner: Too big and too expensive to drive. I'd outfit my DD Mazda 2wd pickup (same thing as a Ranger) for camping and spend the rest of my money on gas, food and other travel expenses!
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
I've been to Alaska 3 times, arriving by air twice and by ship once. So if I go again I'll drive, just for the experience of doing it.
In addition to saving $$ for travel by not modifying a vehicle too much you save time too. For me $ and time are the two most precious resources. I don't mind going to work and I do actually like turning wrenches to keep my rigs maintained but I'd MUCH rather be out exploring. I can cover all but the most challenging ROADS (not 4x4 trails), including old double tracks with my loaded AWD Astro van (220k miles) with +2 tires, 2" lift shackles, slightly cranked t-bars AND...a cooler full of delicious food and beer.
I drive slow and careful but I still often end up catching up to the overbuilt rigs that have to drive even slower because they have too much heavy steel bolted to every nook and crannies. That said we always want more and I keep thinking I need low range...so I succumbed to buying another rig.
I also have an inverter installed in that van for almost 3 years...I have used it 0 (zero) times.
I drive slow and careful but I still often end up catching up to the overbuilt rigs that have to drive even slower because they have too much heavy steel bolted to every nook and crannies. That said we always want more and I keep thinking I need low range...so I succumbed to buying another rig.
I also have an inverter installed in that van for almost 3 years...I have used it 0 (zero) times.