Best all-purpose family/hunting vehicle?

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Rugdoc

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I'm looking to replace my 1995 Nissan 4x4 pickup as the frame is cracked beyond redemption.

I live in a city and need a general purpose single vehicle to scoot around shopping etc., but something that can make numerous trips to local marshes with a load of decoys and assorted waterfowling gear from October to January. I also do some serious 4-wheeling in May and June black bear hunting and usually make four or five serious big game trips September to November too, packing enough gear to stay out 3 or 4 nights. This requires room of course, rough mountain road capability and as snow falls I need all season capability too.

I'm thinking of an SUV like the Nissan XTerra for example or even the Suzuki or GM Trackers type vehicles too, though I prefer something big enough to sleep in or at least have room for a mule deer.

What works for you?
 
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Rugdoc said:
I'm looking to replace my 1995 Nissan 4x4 pickup as the frame is cracked beyond redemption.

I live in a city and need a general purpose single vehicle to scoot around shopping etc., but something that can make numerous trips to local marshes with a load of decoys and assorted waterfowling gear from October to January. I also do some serious 4-wheeling in May and June black bear hunting and usually make four or five serious big game trips September to November too, packing enough gear to stay out 3 or 4 nights. This requires room of course, rough mountain road capability and as snow falls I need all season capability too.

I'm thinking of an SUV like the Nissan XTerra for example or even the Suzuki or GM Trackers type vehicles too, though I prefer something big enough to sleep in or at least have room for a mule deer.

What works for you?
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I think you will have trouble getting big game in a tracker. I can get 5 people , guns ,ammo , food, beer, and a couple moose in this. :) Off rd capable and fast (495 horsepower)
 

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My wife isn't scared of trucks, but a full size crew cab pickup is not what I have in mind. I need something we can both drive comfortably.

I like the Toyota Land Cruiser too, but they are out of my price range.
 
Rugdoc said:
My wife isn't scared of trucks, but a full size crew cab pickup is not what I have in mind. I need something we can both drive comfortably.

I like the Toyota Land Cruiser too, but they are out of my price range.
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my wife has a Jeep wrangler , 4 door, it should do what your looking for.
 
I have been using a 1976 f100 full time 4wd short box for everything you decribed since 1996. I can haul camping gear 2 other fat guys several firearms chainsaws game crain food 2 spare tires cable rope tire chains spare parts and a 60" moose in it. Kinda tight but just perfect.
 
We have a Subaru forester and a Subaru Baja. Great all weather, great in the city. Also great through washouts and down trails. Pulls a mid-sized trailer just fine. Not huge, but not wimpy either.
 
Full size breakdown IMO
Dodge's ride rough, great powertrains.
Ford's are fuel pigs, stay away from the diesels
Chevy's ride good, great mileage, suspension is the weak point.
But someone will be along in minute to declare this all false, lol
 
I like the '05 and earlier Toyota 4-Runner Sport V8. Narrow, good off-road and on-road( lifted 3" ARB/OME ) and fit a deer in the back no problem. Tows 7500 pound trailer no problem and VERY reliable!!
 
I can't see it being done with one vehicle. I have a 1 ton diesel for the big trips & long hauls, a 3/4 ton diese 4x4l for a fire wood and run through the trees truck and an old 4x4 4 cylinder diesel toyota that goes to the worst places and gets towed moose hunting in a 20' car hauler.
Works for me.:)
 
Sounds like you need an SUV. Not the soccer mom escalade for mall trips, but something with true off-road prowl ness, agility, versatility, comfort, towing power and still be economical.

While you said you need something else due to your trucks frame condition, you didn't specify what your budget was either, so I'm going to break it down into 3 groups. New, used, and cheap.

New. If you can afford it, look at the jeep jk. It's the 4 door wrangler, it solid front and rear axles, room for 4, reliable, tough and easy to live with on a daily basis. Decent tow ratings, you can load the back up with decoys, or tow a small trailer full of quads, and you'll get to where you are going. If you can wait til next year, they are putting their baby diesel (echo diesel), which will net almost 40mpg.

Used. Jeep grand Cherokee. Circa 1999-2004. These things are beasts. Room for 5, fold down rear seats, all kinds of creature comforts, smooth luxurious ride, quiet interior and good value (many under 10k now). Don't discount this as a soccer mom mobile, these things came with 4.7 litre V8's, can tow 6500lbs, solid front and rear diff's, an epic 4x4 system, tough as nails SUV. They made a lot of them, so parts are cheap. I have an 04 myself, and did a complete brake job (front and rear pads, new rotors all 4 corners) for $250. I can tow my 14 foot enclosed trailer with 2 quads and a weeks worth of hunting gear in tow, while still having room for ma buddies, and still have space in the back.

Cheap. Buy a new car, so etching with decent mpg, room for family and cheap insurance. Then buy a cheap beater truck. Mainly anything gm, ford or dodge pre-1980. So long as it isn't to plagued with rust, it'll last another 30 years of abuse and won't ask for anything other than the occasional quart of oil and never miss a gas station. It'll haul, tow and drive you anywhere, and best of all, most can be had for around 1-2k.

Personally prefer my jeep grand Cherokee. It really can do it all.
 
Ps don't touch any of the foreign SUV wannabe's like the xterra, Tuscan, etc. They are fine if you never leave the pavement or tow anything, but it sounds like you do. Suspension parts are physically smaller than North American counterparts, therefore don't stand up to much abuse, and are very expensive to replace. Tow rating are low ( think 1500lbs area), power output isn't great and the 4x4 systems are sometimes very complicated, something sure to let you down when you need it most. I know a couple who had an xterra, they lived on a rural road with its fair share of pot holes, frost heaves and springtime flooding. The front end was replaced at least 3 times before it finally gave out and twisted the unibody to the point it wasn't worth fixing anymore. They bought it new, didn't make it through the second winter.
 
I run 2 older trucks, a Sonoma for most of the town and lighter hunting and a gmc 3500 crew cab for when it is needed. The big one is hard on fuel and a pain to park in the city but it can haul a lot. Occasional driving insurance keeps the rates way down ( $35 a month for one) and it's nice to have a back up.
 
d it most. I know a couple who had an xterra, they lived on a rural road with its fair share of pot holes, frost heaves and springtime flooding. The front end was replaced at least 3 times before it finally gave out and twisted the unibody to the point it wasn't worth fixing anymore. They bought it new, didn't make it through the second winter.
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Xterras are body on frame. Nice try though.
 
I had an 1998 Cherokee Sport with a 4.0 L / automatic.
They are pretty freaking insane, I drove mine everywhere. I'm oilpatch so it's seen Pink Mountain to Waskada. Great mileage, awesome power and really capable.
Downside? Really cold and really noisy.
But I harvested deer in mine; why not? Sure the Buck's jaw was on the console between the seats...MEH. The rear seat folds down flat as a billiard table, not like so many other SUV's.
150-160 KMS/hr for an hour or two; sure, done it on the Med Hat to Cowtown run to the airport at 4:00 AM. Only get 16-17 MPG @ 150 KM/H.
The best mileage I ever got was 27 M/Gallon ( I still only can think in MPG, lol) and both those numbers were w/ a Ouji board. Admittedly the 27 was based on a late night cold weather run at 80-90 km/hour.
Mine had an Edelbrock header & a 'Cold Air Intake'..3.25 or 3.54 gears, something like that.
 
I just got a 08 ranger 4x4 in the spring. Been a great rig for cuising logging roads
Tows my quad trailer around and my wall tent and all the gear.
Not a tun of room but cheep on fuel
 
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