Time to start shopping for a new (to me) vehicle...looking for your thoughts/suggestions!

[Andy G]

Found out I’m FINALLY getting my VA disability back pay (to the tune of about 5000-6000 bucks – finally!!!) in the next month or so…supposedly.

Desperately wanting to get an off-road “overlanding” capable rig again – but not wanting to pull the trigger on the first thing that tickles my fancy, I’m turning to you all for suggestions on what to look for.

A few things to get out of the way first, in no particular order…

#1 – This vehicle does NOT have to be a daily driver. I’m stuck in an auto loan on my car, and my wife has her own car, so this rig can be strictly for pleasure.

#2 – I’ve got a wife and 2 kids, so I need to be able to haul them and their gear for camping.

#3 – Refer to #2, we like to get out and camp using a traditional ground tent, cots, sleeping bags, small stove, etc. Or, we’ll get a cabin for a few nights and won’t need the tents and cots. Point is, I need to have some way to haul gear in addition to the people.

#4 – I had an Isuzu Trooper and loved the capability and size of that thing. If it weren’t for the sh!tty transmission, I’d still own it.

#5 – I live in Michigan…which means RUST on most older rigs. Considering that people from the SW consider “oxidized paint” as “body needs work” (hahaha!) I’d strongly consider a fly-and-drive purchase. Yeah, that’ll take a bit of money outta the available cash, but in the long run would be worth it.

Okay, so here’s the vehicles I’m looking at most often on Craigslist (again, no particular order).

Toyota 4Runner
Toyota Tacoma
Jeep Cherokee (XJ)
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Mitsubishi Montero

Wondering if anyone has any other options to throw into the mix? Also any pros/cons of the what I’ve got listed?

Thanks in advance!
Andy

 

[rnArmy]

Consider a Gen II Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 truck short-bed with the extended cab (1996 was the first year with OBD-II). They have solid axles front and rear, a back seat, & put a cap on the bed and it'll hold a huge amount of stuff. They come with V-8 engines, and with a small 2" lift front and rear will easily clear 33" tires. MPG isn't the greatest, but the ride will be comfortable, and plenty of space to spread-out inside for the family.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

How about a small trailer to haul camping gear behind a vehicle you already own? Stash away 1/2 of the money and spent the rest on gas and food for numerous trips.

 

[rayra]

Just happen to have a 2005 Tahoe LTZ/Z71 4wd here in SoCal that we're putting up for sale. A mere 200k mi on it but otherwise in great condition. Good size for 4 people and ~36cu' of cargo space behind the 2nd row. Not a speck of rust on it.
Ready to go anywhere right now, only thing not working are the adjustable pedals, stuck in the short-legged position.

 

[Andy G]

Thanks for the replies. I like the trailer idea and have bounced that around in my skull a few times. Right now I have a Toyota Camry and my wife has a Kia Soul, so that's why the pursuit of a 4x4.

Cherokee's are a bit small but if I've got a trailer to haul gear with, it makes that size more manageable.

Also, I forgot to mention I won't be doing heavy / hard-core offroading. There's hundreds and hundreds of miles of fire / forest service roads and two-tracks in this state to explore. Not wanting or needing to modify something with monster lift and big tires. I've found all my other 4x4's have either been stock or had no more than a 2" lift and I've been happy getting around with just that.

 

[Martinjmpr]

You will pay a significant "Toyota tax" on anything with a T emblem. For the size of your family I might suggest that a Sequoia would be a better choice than a 4runner. 4runners are fine for 2 people but put 4 in there with gear and it will get very tight very quickly. BTW the same is true of the Montero or any other "mid sized" SUV. 1st gen (2001- 2007) Sequoias are in your price range but you have to be OK with high miles (160,000+). I'd look for a 2006 - 2007 to get the 5 speed transmission, earlier models had a 4 speed (but on the plus side, they have a floor-mounted T-case shifter too.)

For the same amount of room and lower miles at the same price point think domestic: Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon, Yukon XL, Expedition and Expedition EL. The Expeditions will have independent rear suspension (starting in 2003) but you're not building a rock crawler so that should be OK. From my experience, Expeditions are significantly cheaper for the same year/miles as compared to Tahoe or Suburban - as to why that is, you'll have to make your own judgment.

Pre-2015 Expeditions should all have the 5.4 Triton V8. I think they got the 6 speed auto in 2009. Starting in 2015 Expeditions and EL's got the 3.5 twin turbo EcoBoost.

Suburban 1500 /Tahoe - at your price point you'd probably be looking at a later GMT800 model (2000 - 2006.) You can often find early (07-08) GMT 900 Suburban/Tahoe in your price range, but beware, these often had AFM (Active Fuel Management) issues. Personally I'd prefer a lower-mile GMT-800 over a higher-mile newer GMT-900 truck, but then I already drive a GMT-800 so my opinion is not objective. I think it took GM several years to work out the AFM issue and for that matter, they got the 6 speed auto in 2009 so if you want a GMT-900 (2007 - 2014) I'd hold out for a 2009+ model.

Another negative of the GMT-900 is that starting in 2007 they made the 2 speed transfer case an option on 4wd, so unless it has the Z71 or tow package it will likely only have 4 hi, no 4 lo. That may or may not be a deal breaker for you.

Yukon and Yukon XL are exactly the same as the Tahoe/Suburban EXCEPT if they have the "Denali" package. Denali Yukons are basically identical to Cadillac Escalades - 6.0 V8, 4L65E transmission and no true 4wd, just an AWD with no provision to lock the center diff. This is true of both GMT-800 and 900 trucks.

Finally there is the rare but highly desirable Suburban 2500. This is the 3/4 ton Suburban and has either the 6.0 V8 or the massive 8.1 (that's about 500 cubic inches!) engine. Also has the bulletproof 4L80 transmission. Tough as a rock but if fuel consumption is an issue, might want to stay away. Suburban 2500's are much more common on the GMT-800 platform. They did make them on the GMT-900 platform in both Chevy (Suburban) and GMC (Yukon XL) versions but from what I've seen, the GMT-900 2500's are as rare as hen's teeth. They do exist but expect them to go for top dollar.

 

[MOguy]

Make sure you check for rust. For me it would be easy, the XJ. Make sure you check for rust. Parts are common, it is a capable platform and simple to modify and maintain. Make sure you check for rust. l would get the 4.0 and if possible a 5 speed. Make sure you check for rust.

 

[roving1]

IFS Expeditions? Seriously? No, Just no...my words are broken now lol..

200K GMT 900's? I literally don't know anyone who owns a GMT 900 that isn't fixing it constantly. I mean the Midwest isn't kind to these things but the amount of modules and electrical crap that goes on those things. No way. I'm not trying to crap on the seller. But I am acquainted with people through using these for work or as their personal vehicle. I'm talking about a dozen plus vehicles. None of them are reliable. The replacement parts seem to fail at rates far above other things too. I am brand agnostic as far as what I will consider So I am not just dumping on domestics.

I also live in Michigan. You are 100% on the right track about flying and buying. It's not worth it at all buying a local vehicle. I bought a Tacoma from the desert and took off a 16 year old leaf shackle bolt with a little wrench one handed. It was hilarious. I have done this for two vehicles and I am never buying a Midwest vehicle ever again!

Monteros are underated and cheap. XJ's from the desert or South are shockingly nice even if they need mechanical work because everything will come apart super easy and generally the core components are near bulletproof. The aftermarket for those things is ludicrous too. Nissan Xterras are pretty good if you want to leave them stockish and they tend to be more lower mile examples floating around.

I would post relevant videos but YT is down!

 

[vintageracer]

6.0 LS original engine valve covers never off with 1 transmission rebuild.

The performance and reliability of the Chevy LS engines is why they are one of if not the most used engines for swaps in the USA.

Mileage on truck is now over 362K miles! This truck is my daughter's daily driver.

Something to consider IF you are considering a GM product.

 

[Buliwyf]

XJ, YJ.

 

[colorado matt]

scout II ... heavy ... aerodynamic love child of a brick and a billboard ... dead simple to work on ... cheap .... will go pretty much wherever you point it.... and your budget I bet you could find one that has been gone thru recently and wife is making him "get rid of that old thing".... that old iron gets under your skin .... but an old scout is my answer to a great many questions....Matt

 

[Martinjmpr]

scout II ... heavy ... aerodynamic love child of a brick and a billboard ... dead simple to work on ... cheap .... will go pretty much wherever you point it.... and your budget I bet you could find one that has been gone thru recently and wife is making him "get rid of that old thing".... that old iron gets under your skin .... but an old scout is my answer to a great many questions....Matt

Well, besides the fact that the newest Scout is nearly 40 years old at this point, there's the fact that the OP lives in Michigan, i.e. the land of rust, and Scouts will rust into powder if you look at them too hard, even in CO. How much rust repair have you done?

 

[roving1]

6.0 LS original engine valve covers never off with 1 transmission rebuild.

The performance and reliability of the Chevy LS engines is why they are one of if not the most used engines for swaps in the USA.

Mileage on truck is now over 362K miles! This truck is my daughter's daily driver.

Something to consider IF you are considering a GM product.

The engines are good generally. But not as consistent as other marks. There are more bad apples mixed in with the good.

But the rest of the truck is not particularly good and one of the least optimized for off roading OEM.

There is no way I would buy a 200K vehicle from any company unless the vehicle platform had a legendary reputation for reliability. GMT 900 does not qualify IMHO. 300K is an outlier. I'm glad you had great luck with one, and since GM made a gazillion I'm sure there are others. But as a % of the whole most of them are scrap before 200K.

 

[Buliwyf]

Weeee....

 

[slowtwitch]

Tundra. Basically same mileage as Taco, way more room for your fam and stuff, can probably find at same price or cheaper than Taco. Drive the hell out of it, have no issues, enjoy your resale value.