SGV
Adventurer
Hi everyone, I have been lurking around this forum, reading posts and build threads. One of my favorites is the one about building an expedition vehicle for under $15k.
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2200&highlight=blazer
A brief about me. I am in the middle of a career change and pretty soon I will actually have the time to go on week long expeditions. My wife and I enjoy the outdoors: hiking, kayaking, etc, and now want to get into camping and such since we will have time. I used to own a business and had zero time for vacations, but now with the economy and all... Lets just say that I will have the time. I have owned in the past a YJ, XJ, and loved them both. I currently own an '06 Suzuki Grand Vitara which also is a nice car. When I bought it I made all the stupid mistakes that a first time new car buyer makes, including getting 4wd w/out low range. I have had it off road before on 2.5ish log roads (my guesstimate). It does fine, but I really want to get into a vehicle that I can expeditionize (is that a word?)
I was wondering if anyone had an good suggestions on a truck that a newbie could handle i.e. good reliability, simple enough to work on if something breaks, room for two people, two kayaks, and camping gear for a week. It would have to be a "build as I go" as in it should be adequate in stock form. I will add lockers, small lift, bigger tires and so forth as the funds and time arrive.
I have noticed a lot of 90's era vehicles for the members. Is this a good time period to look for? I am mostly concerned about reliabilityin a decade old vehicle. My '97 Cherokee was great, but things kept breaking until I got sick of it and wanted new. I have read some build threads about Cherokee's and they get me all excited all over again, but my reservations are uni-body and reliability. I understand the 4.0 is bulletproof, but I have read about all sorts of other issues with the brand. (Not trying to bash Jeep, I would get another in a heartbeat but I am exploring options for vehicles I know nothing about.)
This is getting long, so I will just list a couple vehicles that peek my interest and a question about them. I would appreciate any ideas for a truck that I don't mention and would love to have any misconceptions or concerns corrected by those in the know. Here they are in no particular order:
Isuzu Trooper: 3.5 or 3.2? I think these are my favorite, but I am limited in my knowledge about them so I don't want to just run out and buy one.
3rd gen 4Runner: No concerns. Would anyone recommend another generation?
1st gen Tacoma: Ditto but very expensive for the years.
Land Cruiser: God things things look awesome. I drool every time I see one. Are they worth close to 10K for a mid-nineties specimen? How reliable are the ones from the 1980's (the FJ60's)?
Discovery: I understand I would want a 1st gen. Are they really not very reliable or will they break the bank in parts costs? As far as appearance goes these are tied for first with the Land Cruiser for me.
Suzuki Sidekick/Vitara/Chevy Tracker: Rugged little fuel misers, but too little?
Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee: Same as from paragraph. Great aftermarket support. For the XJ, low mpg for its body weight. For the Grand, electrical issues??
Mitsubishi Montero I think they look great. Sport or regular? I have read the aftermarket is kind of dry. Appearance wise I think they look great. Also, the Dodge Raider I like, but I have not heard anything good about it.
Nissan Xterra I know nothing about them except the Xterra guys seem to prefer the 1st gen.
I will leave it with these. There are some domestic vehicles I would be interested in, but I am concerned about size. I don't want anything that is huge although I do like that Tahoe that someone here has built as well as the two door ones from the mid 90's.
Most of my off roading would be in New England although the wife would like to head to the Grand Canyon in a year or two. It looks like you southwest guys have a lot of fun.
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2200&highlight=blazer
A brief about me. I am in the middle of a career change and pretty soon I will actually have the time to go on week long expeditions. My wife and I enjoy the outdoors: hiking, kayaking, etc, and now want to get into camping and such since we will have time. I used to own a business and had zero time for vacations, but now with the economy and all... Lets just say that I will have the time. I have owned in the past a YJ, XJ, and loved them both. I currently own an '06 Suzuki Grand Vitara which also is a nice car. When I bought it I made all the stupid mistakes that a first time new car buyer makes, including getting 4wd w/out low range. I have had it off road before on 2.5ish log roads (my guesstimate). It does fine, but I really want to get into a vehicle that I can expeditionize (is that a word?)
I was wondering if anyone had an good suggestions on a truck that a newbie could handle i.e. good reliability, simple enough to work on if something breaks, room for two people, two kayaks, and camping gear for a week. It would have to be a "build as I go" as in it should be adequate in stock form. I will add lockers, small lift, bigger tires and so forth as the funds and time arrive.
I have noticed a lot of 90's era vehicles for the members. Is this a good time period to look for? I am mostly concerned about reliabilityin a decade old vehicle. My '97 Cherokee was great, but things kept breaking until I got sick of it and wanted new. I have read some build threads about Cherokee's and they get me all excited all over again, but my reservations are uni-body and reliability. I understand the 4.0 is bulletproof, but I have read about all sorts of other issues with the brand. (Not trying to bash Jeep, I would get another in a heartbeat but I am exploring options for vehicles I know nothing about.)
This is getting long, so I will just list a couple vehicles that peek my interest and a question about them. I would appreciate any ideas for a truck that I don't mention and would love to have any misconceptions or concerns corrected by those in the know. Here they are in no particular order:
Isuzu Trooper: 3.5 or 3.2? I think these are my favorite, but I am limited in my knowledge about them so I don't want to just run out and buy one.
3rd gen 4Runner: No concerns. Would anyone recommend another generation?
1st gen Tacoma: Ditto but very expensive for the years.
Land Cruiser: God things things look awesome. I drool every time I see one. Are they worth close to 10K for a mid-nineties specimen? How reliable are the ones from the 1980's (the FJ60's)?
Discovery: I understand I would want a 1st gen. Are they really not very reliable or will they break the bank in parts costs? As far as appearance goes these are tied for first with the Land Cruiser for me.
Suzuki Sidekick/Vitara/Chevy Tracker: Rugged little fuel misers, but too little?
Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee: Same as from paragraph. Great aftermarket support. For the XJ, low mpg for its body weight. For the Grand, electrical issues??
Mitsubishi Montero I think they look great. Sport or regular? I have read the aftermarket is kind of dry. Appearance wise I think they look great. Also, the Dodge Raider I like, but I have not heard anything good about it.
Nissan Xterra I know nothing about them except the Xterra guys seem to prefer the 1st gen.
I will leave it with these. There are some domestic vehicles I would be interested in, but I am concerned about size. I don't want anything that is huge although I do like that Tahoe that someone here has built as well as the two door ones from the mid 90's.
Most of my off roading would be in New England although the wife would like to head to the Grand Canyon in a year or two. It looks like you southwest guys have a lot of fun.