Tacoma / 4Runner Buyers Guide for Overlanders?

[bullcrew]

Leg room they will be fine headroom look for a non sunroof unit if you go this direction.

I hate to say it but at those sizes you should be looking at full size I'm 240 lbs and considered a big guy quads and upper body (not gut lol) but when compared to a lineman 6'7" 300lb + fast wrecking machines make guys like me seem small....lol

I'd probably look to a sequoia, newer tundra, possibly fj80 but I get out of the 4runner and its sometimes unexpected by others... my buddy I race with is 6'7" bit 190 height is his issue he dlesnt have a family so hes driving a cj5 now but had a tundra before and he fit height wise pretty good...


Keep us posted as to what worked out I think it would make a good thread oR post for others.

Whether it be a Toyota or whatever......

[nwoods]

Man I'm all over the place. Test drove a GX470 today. Top end of the budget, but what an amazing vehicle. A little scary though, talk about a rolling computer! You can't even adjust the fan speed on the A/C without interacting with the touchscreen display. Seemed way to nice to scratch up on the trail.

Had my eye on a 2002 Trooper, but it sold before I could test fit it.

Test drove a white 4gen 4Runner WITHOUT a sunroof, and I did fit pretty well.... but that GX470 was definitely roomier. The Runner was pretty rough, it's had a hard life, and concerns me a bit.

Also thinking about a Montero...

Dragging the family out this Saturday to test fit various things.

Going to have to give the 100 series another look. It's bigger than I want, and gets worse gas mileage than I'd like, but it ticks the other boxes quite nicely.

Sigh... I hate buying cars on a budget. This would be so much easier if I could just buy an AEV JK :-)

[jarmentrout]

2nd gen xterra might fit.

[nwoods]

Well, so much for my "preapproved" loan. The bank won't issue a loan on a vehicle more than 12 years old with an excess of 100,000 miles on it. Yes, that means a nice clean 2004 4Runner does not qualify, not to mention a nice 2003 Land Cruiser I drove the other day. They'll only give a partial loan (about 60% of the vehicle cost), which doesn't help me at all.

So I'm back to seeking repair options on the original car, the 2002 Volvo XC70.

[Kermit]

$5000 Trooper, comes with a parts vehicle.

Could you sell the Volvo and with savings pay cash?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1999-...#ht_504wt_1167


There is a Volvo salvage yard in Tucson that might have a tranny for your XC70. They may want to buy the XC70 off you as well...

https://plus.google.com/109326897775...gl=US&hl=en-US

[nwoods]

$5000 Trooper, comes with a parts vehicle.

Could you sell the Volvo and with savings pay cash?

Sadly, the Trooper is one of those vehicles that I can't get a loan for, and I don't have the cash to buy it outright. Nor would selling the Volvo get me there if I have to pay the nearly $4k it will take to fix it.

There is a Volvo salvage yard in Tucson that might have a tranny for your XC70. They may want to buy the XC70 off you as well...

https://plus.google.com/109326897775...gl=US&hl=en-US

Interesting....although I suspect most of the XC70's in the yard are there due to bad transmissions... LOL. Still, good link to have in case the repair doesn't work out :-)

[Kermit]

Interesting....although I suspect most of the XC70's in the yard are there due to bad transmissions... LOL. Still, good link to have in case the repair doesn't work out :-)

Could give the guy a call, he might have a good transmission out of wreck, never know.

Sadly, the Trooper is one of those vehicles that I can't get a loan for, and I don't have the cash to buy it outright. Nor would selling the Volvo get me there if I have to pay the nearly $4k it will take to fix it.

I was thinking you could sell the XC70 as it sits, might get $2500 for it...perhaps a small personal loan instead of a vehicle loan.

[p nut]

Well, so much for my "preapproved" loan. The bank won't issue a loan on a vehicle more than 12 years old with an excess of 100,000 miles on it. Yes, that means a nice clean 2004 4Runner does not qualify, not to mention a nice 2003 Land Cruiser I drove the other day. They'll only give a partial loan (about 60% of the vehicle cost), which doesn't help me at all...

Try a credit union. They'll usually do 100% of NADA value and usually even have better rates.

[nwoods]

Try a credit union. They'll usually do 100% of NADA value and usually even have better rates.

It was! www.amerfirst.org

[hornytoad]

For the cash have you looked at a Xterra or Suzuki Grand Vitara? My tall friends (only 6'4" 300lbs) each have one of these vehicles. A quad cab F150 4x4 is another option too. The Suzuki was 18k MSRP and a 1 year old xterra is only 20k so they might be worth looking at. 2005+ for the xterra gets you the 4.0 motor and I think the 2006 Suzuki was available with a stick and a V6.
Both have been dead reliable stock trucks for my friends the xterra has way more aftermarket support.

I work in the oilfield and every other truck out the is a 4 door, 4x4, F150 or F250. They are big, they fit big people, they don't get great gas mileage but there are always around and have lots of aftermarket support.

Good luck!