Hunting/off-road rig
 

Looking to sell my truck and buy a 4x4 for hunting and just general outdoor pursuits. Was thinking an older jeep or an xterra. What's everyone's opinions and vehicles to start off with. Has to cost less than $4k and 8 will add the mods over time

Bonus points for sending photos of your rig, just to make the post more interesting

A couple of years ago I picked up a 96 grand Cherokee from an older gal, original owner. It’s in super shape and has the 4.0 engine. Darn thing has been bulletproof. I use it running out west yearly doing coyote control work and wolf hunting. Super mileage.
The only weak spot would be towing ability. For the heavy stuff like that I have a cherry older Yukon with a larger engine.

Osky

Sorry haven’t figured out the photo posting here. The Jeep is white, all tinted glass, and I lifted it 2” and added plus shocks and larger Hankook tires.

I'm leaning towards one of those. I'm waiting for one to pop up with the inline 6

I've got a first gen tacoma (2004), it's perfect for what you're describing. They hold their value, but that also means you'll have a hard time finding a good one for less than $6-$7k. If taken care of they'll run 400,000 km easily. Very capable off road even in stock configuration, has a rear diff lock although they are the weakest link I believe.

I also used to have a 2011 Xterra. Great SUV, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one. My only complaint with it was it always felt like it was in the wrong gear. When at highway speed it was either at the top of one gear or struggling in the next. Minor complaint about automatics more than xterra's I guess. P4X edition has different gearing which maybe would have helped.

Taco: https://i.imgur.com/KtWo1k3.jpg

Xterra: https://i.imgur.com/vOZ2DUW.jpg

Edit: I also can't figure out photo posting here....url's it is.

I had a 96 4Runner limited last year for hunting and I literally went anywhere I wanted too it was great and about the same size as the cherokees. Big bonus is that the limited for that generation comes with a rear e-locker although I only ever needed it once. Was the best hunting truck I could’ve ever hoped for. I thought I had a picture but don’t. No lift 33x12.5x17r i regret selling it. Almost 400,000 km and it still ran incredibly well.

My brother is selling his mid 80’s Toyota pick up. Great hunting rig!!

How is the body rust?

A Suzki Samuri if you can find one or one of the R/H drive imported mini Daihatsu or Suzuki Carry pickup trucks.

I think a small truck with a canopy is much more flexible than a SUV. Unless you're pulling out the rear seats and making yourself a bed in the cab.

Quick kijiji search brings up a $4k Nissan Frontier in good condition in Calgary just posted, looks like a good unit...

You can get some decent newer SUV's on the higher end of your budget, like a RAV4 it looks like. Not sure how good they are offroading? The clearance ain't good.

Nothing wrong with a Samurai if you can find a good one other than the price people want for them.

The RHD Japanese mini trucks are absolutely awful off-road. I had a buddy who imported JDM vehicles and I’ve had 3 in the past. They have very little wheel travel and not much clearance. Guys throw on Atv tires, which I did on one, but the bigger tires are hard on the steering/suspension components. They are fun for bombing around town but that’s about it.

My vote is for a Samurai or Jimini.

Positrac, how's that swamp buggy of yours?

I agree, with this. Pickup for me every single time, better for camping out of, better for hauling gear and meat.

As much as I want to love 1/4 ton rigs, the fuel mileage is generally only marginally better than that of a 1/2 ton, while a great deal of towing and hauling capability is sacrificed.

So for me it would be a 88-06 Chev half ton, extended cab and a 6.5 or 8' box, preferably the 350 or 5.3 engine. If you need to get anywhere offroad that a 1/2 ton wont take you throw a quad in the back or lace up your hiking boots.

Still using my 95 Toyota pickup (not Tacoma). Hasn't let me down. Only done simple maintenance and a few minor repairs. Great offroad, still need good tires though. Bought it for $4250, no rust & only 200k then, steal of a deal. You will have to check kijiji alot to find a gem like that before it sells.
I checked multiple times a day for years before I found it, called him 2 minutes after posting. He got 5 calls within the next 15 minutes so they go fast. Good luck & let us know what you decide on / find.

Im hoping to have it done for next summer. The last 5 months not much has happened but once November is out of the way I’ll be back on it.

One of the guys here on AO has a 1992 Toyota 4Runner that is in mint shape. Has about 160,000 original Ks on it. He bought it from me, we owned it since new. It was my wife's car, I think it saw gravel two or three times in its life time as I always had a dedicated hunting rig. I had lots of Toyotas for hunting rigs, very hard to beat them for that kind of work.


http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...hlight=4Runner


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That’s a nice rig Dean. Hard to find one like that where you know the history of it and with that few kilometres on it. $9,000 doesn’t sound outrageous either.

Take the best, mechanically sound truck you can into the bush, walking out is a hassle :happy0180:

My number one criteria was body on frame construction, not unibody. With the twisting that is done off road, it is far too easy to total a unibody vehicle. Don't ask how I know.


I now have a 1999 4Runner the past 20 years, 422000 km, still runs beautifully. If you are looking at one of these, an important rust location to check is immediately above the rear view mirror. Much rust there, and new windshields won't seal.


Vic

That is actually a steal of a deal for one of those in mint shape. When I put it on auto trader back in Jan I had a dozen calls on it in two days. Some were from as far away as Ont and Colorado. Sold it to an AO member because he had seen a reference to me selling it when we were discussing my wife buying a new vehicle to replace it. Cant believe he still has it, have to think maybe Covid is slowing the interest from out of province, plus I don't know if he has it listed anywhere but on AO.

How that 4runner is still for sale is beyond me! My 4runner has been so reliable i almost don't believe it myself. Put good tires on it and it is an extremely capable off road rig. I put a hitch mounted basket on the back for carrying game. 430,000 km and still going strong! Only issue is the skinny wheelbase often has trouble following the ruts of someone with a full-size truck.

I was in your position recently and could not be happier with my 2004 2500 Suburban. Very solid, smooth on the highway and capable off road.

IMO, the full size GM SUVs of this generation are great hunting rigs and the Suburban/Yukon XL have a 4 x 8 space when third row removed and second row folded flat into the floor. I was not sold on Tahoe or Yukon, because if we go this big, why not have the full length? Fits in standard garage.

The obvious downsides are the turning radius and fuel consumption, if you are sensitive to either of those.

Full size (and truck frame) SUV and a utility trailer is my ideal setup for versatility.

100% no doubt go for a Toyota. An older Tacoma might be hard to find for 4K. But a 1997-2002 4runner should be easily possible, especially if you don’t care for rust. These things are the way to go, super reliable, cheap and easy to mod. And they do great off road

Any pick up that is 4x4 and has good tires. SUVs work but if you plan to hunt bigger game then deer they can be a pain. It’s also easier to clean a truck box then the back of an SUV

Done both now it’s pick up only for me.

I have had xterras before. A gen 1 and gen 2.

Solid, no frills rig. Back seats fold flat, its all hard plastic back there. Throw a tarp down and the is lots of room for meat.

You can also sleep back there. You can do all the standard mods to make it into what you want.

I'd suggest though if your looking into a gen 2 to research SMOD. It only effects the auto transmission ones.

I had a 2009 manual and it was a beast.

Love those rigs. Damn shame they stopped making themnafter 2015.


Hey id even looking at Hummer h3's.

I’d second your comments.

I had a Gen1 (2000) that I did a ton of mods to. It was an excellent off roader and will stand toe to toe with some of what should have been more capable 4x4’s I’ve had. Maybe it was the wheel base or balance but it was great in the snow too, and I’m talking 18+ inches of the wet heavy stuff back on Vancouver Island. Not sure why I never built up another one because they are solid rigs.

About average for the year if anyone is interested shoot me a PM I can arrange pictures.

How serious do you want to get? Nearly thirty posts and somehow the quintessential 4x4 has been missed but I’ll bring it to the party.

I started with one of these about eight years ago. It cost me $1800 and it was pretty gross inside but rust free as most are. It had the manual transmission and a 4.0 straight six so I was off to a good start.

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She cleaned up well.

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Then I bed lined the interior.

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I did a lot of things to her over the next six years. A few worth mentioning. I put a front bumper on it and had a buddy bend some tubing for the grill guard. I then bought an old 8274 for a song, rebuilt it and put it out front.

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Then I built some rocker panel protection from a $20 piece of steel I bought.

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I built the control arms with 2” DOM and used EMF heims which are arguably the best rod end on the market and built by Clayton just east of Calgary. These are his small rod ends. And in the years I owned the Jeep I never even had to tighten them, they were awesome.

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I got stuck one day and wanted a rear winch so I built a rear bumper to hold a warn out of another $20 piece of RHS.

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I ran my breathers and air intake up into the cowel where the wiper motor is. Put a 3” suspension lift and 1” body lift on then did a tummy tuck and gas tank lift. On 35” swampers I had nearly 21” under the belly.

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I had a steel job box with brackets that would snap into the rear seat brackets and it held all my trail spares, chainsaw, tools etc. when I didn’t have it back there I had two gun boots.

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I ran another holder over the windshield.

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Then I had the wife reupholster my seats in 1000d cordura. Even when disgusting like this I could roll into the car wash. Hit them with the wash gun, dry them off and sit on them without getting wet.

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I took the 2.5hp motor off my winch and put the 7.8 hp motor off the 15k winch onto my 8274 and that sucker could pull. I don’t know how much but it would snap 3/8 Amsteel rope without stalling. It also pulled 130’ a min. I used two batteries up front and an upgraded alternator off the Cherokee. It fed a contactor under the hood and I used a cordless remote or momentary rocker switch on the dash to control both winches. I had a three position switch to turn both winches off or arm the front and back and subsequently activate the rocker switch or remote.

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I decided I needed some flat fenders so I built some.

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I ran the jackall inside bolted to the roll cage under the hard tip over the rear window. I had a few other odds and ends but regardless I wheeled the heck out of that Jeep and took it wherever I wanted to go. The only issues it ever had where my own fault like a broken fuel line after the gas tank tuck or U joints from abusing the rear drive shaft at a 24 degree angle with the tummy tuck.

I put a high pinion 30 in the front and had the factory Dana 44 (yea I know girls axles) they were regeared to 4.88 and locked on both ends. I ran Q78 swampers in the summer and some 315/70/17 duratracs in the winter. I carried a set of tire chains on occasion as well but rarely used them.

It started as a replacement to my Suzuki sidekick that I used for a hunting wagon but turned into a hobby and eventually got to the point I could take it more places then most vehicles will ever go.

For those who have been into tay lake from the Alford lake side I could make it in there without winching and never avoiding any mud hole. This doesn’t look like much but I drove up this on the way into the lake without winching or scraping my belly.

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I lost the rear spare tire early in because I hit it twice. Once climbing a hill and once dropping off a ledge. So it never went back on. I had onboard air and enough plugs to fix a flat. I also had wire to sew a torn sidewall and a couple of tubes in case I couldn’t fix a tire. Regardless the bias tires were so tough I never even had a flat.

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The rear winch worked great for running bear baits. Coming out backwards or anchoring myself while I winched other guys out.

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Then three kids came along and I broke down and bought the family model for our off-road pursuits. The old tj got parted out and I watched it leave my garage in pieces over the course of a week. The new one sucks in off-road capability compared to the short wheel base but it’s better on fuel and so much easier with the kids.

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You can fit a pair of kids in car seats, a calf sled and a moose in one too.

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I packed that Jeep into my sea can when I left Canada but if I ever move back I’ll throw a gm V8 under the hood. A Ford high pinion 60 and 10.5 sterling under her, locked obviously on some 42x11 swampers.



Anyway, you want an off-road weapon you’ll need to build one. Mine didn’t get stuck unless I tried and I had a lot of fun in it.

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Im biased , samurai is best for a strictly Bush truck though not great on the hwy for long drives.green one is for sale btw

Man I miss my keep for outdoor pursuits! I had a thing called the perfect rack in it. Double long gun holder that ran from the footmans loop to the roll bar:)
But room wise trucks are the way to go. If you’re just hunting and fishing and not planning on doing any bogging. Anything that you deem dependable, really. Half ton, quarter ton, doesn’t matter if you’re just driving the back roads to the field and walking in, and some odd goat trails. With 4x4, a box for gear and game and some good tires and your set. But if your planning on some more aggressive stuff all the mentions above are good choices.