Best all-purpose family/hunting vehicle?

I ran a Toyota pickup in the early 80's and a 4Runner in the early 90's. Both were very, very tough well engineered from an engine drive train perspective. The down side was the bodies. Despite spraying the southern Ontario winters ate them up at an alarming rate, until the vehicle was just eaten away, so you had a good motor and drive train attached to a rusted out frame/body. Ford F-150, had one of those nightmares and will never drive another.
Switched to Dodges when they went to the new body style. First a gaser and then the current one a diesel. It is ten years old this year and hasn't given me any reason to trade her in. Yep parts break a wear out like anything mechanical, but there tough well made trucks for the most part. I actually own a Cummins diesel with a Dodge truck wrapped around it. Hard combination to beat.
 
randyhub said:
I moved away from Dodge-FIAT-Jeep or whatever they will be next month for a safer much more capable vehicle which is a Toyota FJ.

Arguable. Don't see any FJ's running the rubicon in stock form. Sure it could be done, but being more capable than a Jeep, uh......no

After reading and reading I decided on the FJ due to it having true truck running gear unlike the JK's mini van engine....

News Flash. The Jeeps actually have true truck running gear. Solid axles, manual shift transfer cases and lockers. Minivan engine? Maybe, but so does the FJ if your making that comparison

We have a family so while the top off thing was cool what was not was the fact that the JKs offer no side curtain airbags as well we had a 3500 lb trailer that could not be towed by the JK.

They can tow 3500lbs.

Also I drove a JK with the 3.8 Caravan engine that was lifted and larger tires it was like driving a SUV with half an engine absolutely horrible on the highway passing....

For starts, its not a caravan engine. Its a engine shared on several platforms, including half tons. And you drove a lifted jeep on larger tires, that probably wasn't geared correctly to account for the increased tire size. Try than on any vehicle, and you'll see reduced performance.

We were on the #1 driving thru Medicine Hat puling our trailer with all the bikes as well and since I was towing I switch to Premium to our right a black 4 door JK pulling 2 Harleys on a trailer comes flying into the merging lane I move over he gives me stink eye???

Switching to premium wastes your money, does nothing for performance and actually decreases your fuel mileage. If its does not call for it, it doesn't need it. Maybe he gave you the stink eye because you cut him off?

So I laugh and punch it up the hill he just gets smaller in the mirror wife is yelling how much is this costing in fuel??

She's right. You accomplished what, exactly?

2011 and older Jeeps just are underpowered (4 litres excluded).

Sure they were, as are most vehicles. We are getting better at making things more efficient, more powerful every year. Jeep, Toyota, GM, they are all building the better ever year

Good luck and remember pay a bit more pay for technology and have a piece of mind knowing everyone is safe with airbags everywhere, stability control, traction control.

Wrap yourself in bubble wrap on the way to work too?

Randy
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ap said:
i agree that a) you need rustproofing and b) the best seems to be krown (maybe rust check if its the same) but on some vehicles they really only delay the inevitable. Nothing wrong with delaying but a guy who expects krown to prevent rust for a decade may be dreaming (my personal experience btw).
The downside is that oiling makes a very ugly mess eventually under the hood and working on the vehicle really becomes a filthy nightmare unless you can steam clean the vehicle first. I use krown and will continue to .. But there are caveats.

it does make it a little messy, yes, but its not bad if you're doing light work, oil changes, battery/alternator replacement, etc. Also, if you buy a new vehicle (or less than 2-3 years old, some (i know rust check for a fact) offer programs that if you use their system regularly ever year, they will cover the cost of any corrosion if it occurs, labor, parts, etc.


too bad about lack of power in the newer jeeps ...

they aren't underpowered, the test driver drove one not properly geared with oversized tires. They've got plenty of oomph.

i have an older (95+/-) cherokee at the farm with a 4.0l ho and it has plenty of power and lots of torque (and an appetite to go with it!) and i will say parts are cheap and easily available. Certainly cheaper than toyota/lexus parts in canada. Speaking of canada used to be that foreign (eg japanese) vehicles were more expensive to insure than domestics ... Is this still true?

not sure, i believe they use to be due to the replacement cost of parts. They are still more expensive than domestic, but they've come a long ways in the last few years to compete.

if you do go with a newer or new f150 ... I would avoid the ecoboost ... Quick search on youtube will tell you why.

jury still out on this one. Some have good luck, others....don't. I wouldn't personally buy one.
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txs
 
TXS said:
randyhub said:
I moved away from Dodge-FIAT-Jeep or whatever they will be next month for a safer much more capable vehicle which is a Toyota FJ.

Arguable. Don't see any FJ's running the rubicon in stock form. Sure it could be done, but being more capable than a Jeep, uh......no

Ah how much do you really drive the Rubicon......

After reading and reading I decided on the FJ due to it having true truck running gear unlike the JK's mini van engine....

News Flash. The Jeeps actually have true truck running gear. Solid axles, manual shift transfer cases and lockers. Minivan engine? Maybe, but so does the FJ if your making that comparison

Wrong again the FJ runs a 4l Tacoma truck engine...Not a Dynasty/Caravan engine. :)

We have a family so while the top off thing was cool what was not was the fact that the JKs offer no side curtain airbags as well we had a 3500 lb trailer that could not be towed by the JK.

They can tow 3500lbs.
Ever towed before? 3500 lb trailer, people, liquids, food, stuff, equal 4200 lb towing with a JK would be suicide....

Also I drove a JK with the 3.8 Caravan engine that was lifted and larger tires it was like driving a SUV with half an engine absolutely horrible on the highway passing....

For starts, its not a caravan engine. Its a engine shared on several platforms, including half tons. And you drove a lifted jeep on larger tires, that probably wasn't geared correctly to account for the increased tire size. Try than on any vehicle, and you'll see reduced performance.

Wrong again it is a 3.8 l Caravan/Dynasty engine there is no such thing as a 3.8 l truck by Dodge..... Why should I have change my gears didn't have to with my FJ????

We were on the #1 driving thru Medicine Hat puling our trailer with all the bikes as well and since I was towing I switch to Premium to our right a black 4 door JK pulling 2 Harleys on a trailer comes flying into the merging lane I move over he gives me stink eye???

Switching to premium wastes your money, does nothing for performance and actually decreases your fuel mileage. If its does not call for it, it doesn't need it. Maybe he gave you the stink eye because you cut him off?

Hey reg for driving in the city premium for towing I can use both but when you have a engine with VVTI I have a choice, the 3.8l makes no difference as it was an 80s carry over..... I actually moved over for him he had the attitude not me at the beginning.

So I laugh and punch it up the hill he just gets smaller in the mirror wife is yelling how much is this costing in fuel??

She's right. You accomplished what, exactly?
Let him know maybe his Caravan hybrid wasn't as capable as he thought. :)

2011 and older Jeeps just are underpowered (4 litres excluded).

Sure they were, as are most vehicles. We are getting better at making things more efficient, more powerful every year. Jeep, Toyota, GM, they are all building the better ever year
The FJ had VVTI engine technology in 2006 Dodge-FIAT just figured it out.......


Good luck and remember pay a bit more pay for technology and have a piece of mind knowing everyone is safe with airbags everywhere, stability control, traction control.

Wrap yourself in bubble wrap on the way to work too?
Nope just value my families safety and mine as well, may want to check how safe a topless Jeep is........

Sorry after drinking Jeep koolaid for 20 years I decided to make an informed choice. :)

Randy
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Comments above do some reading up on the Caravan engine thing and towing for Jeeps as the internet can help with accurate statements.
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My FJ and my wife's RAV4 are no more expensive to insure then her Caravan and my Jeep were.

Far as parts go I do not buy from Dealerships now I am off warranty only replaced an alternator on the FJ it was less than 200.00 not much more then a Jeep's alternator at Parts Source. I also replace the brakes as they are 7 years old now slotted rotors with ceramic pads were like 360.00 so I am not seeing any extra costs in maintenance,what I am seeing is less visits to the Dodge Dealership. :)

Randy
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pleased to hear that .. last time I asked why my insurance was high for my Honda, Toyota and two Lexi and very low for the Jeep... was told by my insurance agent it was because they were foreign....

As for prices of parts ... I only purchase parts for my Landcruiser (LX450) from US dealers - who won't ship to Canada now - as (despite how much I enjoy the free cup of cappuccino and the girls with skirts so short you can see their uterus at the local Canadian Lexus Dealer) prices in Canada are often (hell ALWAYS!!) twice that of the US. I still paid $200 in the US for a water pump compared to the $49.00 for the Jeep pump her in Canada. ... you may find prices similar but so far I have been pleasantly surprised what after market parts cost for the Jeep. I am not saying its a better vehicle than my Toyota mfr'd vehicles but it works surprisingly well all things considered!
 
Just know in Alberta my FJ and RAV4 combined cost 1400.00 a year for insurance with RBC without glass, the FJ windshield cost 219.00 though. :(. As far as parts go have not had to replace much in the past few years they are Toyotas. But I did have to replace waterpumps in 2 4 litre Jeeps and 1 3.8l Dodge engine. :)

I use the Toyota dealerships for oil changes and the alternator replacement I got from Parts Source can't afford a Lexus.

Randy
 
TXS said:
randyhub said:
I did, they verify my statements.
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Here you go this will help.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_3.3_&_3.8_engine

Sorry I was wrong said the 80s it was 1991. :)

This engine was Chrysler's first 60° V6 engine designed and built in-house for front wheel drive vehicles, and their first V6 not based on a V8. It was designed as a larger, more powerful option to the Mitsubishi 3.0 V6 in the minivans and debuted in 1990.

The engine has been produced in two major variants differing by their piston displacement: a 3.3 l (201 cu in) and a 3.8 l (232 cu in). The 3.3 was dropped after 2010 with the Chrysler minivans, and the 3.8 was dropped after 2011 with the Jeep Wrangler, ending 21 years in production.

Granted they had to change a few parts to bolt it into the JK and remap the engine, but the block, crank, heads, valve train, is all the same platform, regardless Dodge followed thru with yet another Caravan engine being the Pentastar.
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I've got the inline 4.0 6 cylinder in my jeep YJ with 4:10 gears on 33's and I tell ya, she has way more power than she needs. I actually think I need to step up to 35's to even things out a little. Right now she feels like a torky sports car haha buckforty on the HWY no problem.

5 grand over 7 years driving daily in the BC interior with at bare minimum 12 1000km or more trips per year on and off road. For hunting trips and to visit down on the coast. She also handles the elevation changes like a dream (sea lvl to my place at 3000ft).
Pretty hard to beat the YJ when it comes to a daily driver/all around hunting vehicle for "best bang for the buck".
 
45ACPKING said:
I've got the inline 4.0 6 cylinder in my jeep YJ with 4:10 gears on 33's and I tell ya, she has way more power than she needs. I actually think I need to step up to 35's to even things out a little. Right now she feels like a torky sports car haha buckforty on the HWY no problem.

5 grand over 7 years driving daily in the BC interior with at bare minimum 12 1000km or more trips per year on and off road. For hunting trips and to visit down on the coast. She also handles the elevation changes like a dream (sea lvl to my place at 3000ft).
Pretty hard to beat the YJ when it comes to a daily driver/all around hunting vehicle for "best bang for the buck".
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Agreed I miss the fun I had with my 92 YJ and my TJ loved those engines!!!! But have to say ABS and stability control sure takes the spookiness out of driving on ice. :)

 
randyhub said:
Agreed I miss the fun I had with my 92 YJ and my TJ loved those engines!!!! But have to say ABS and stability control sure takes the spookiness out of driving on ice. :)

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HA! Yes, we get about 7 months of winter conditions here at home. Goodyear Territory tires are the answer to driving a YJ or TJ full time in the winter :) I tried a lot of tires, coopers, swampers, nitto and a few others. Driving the short wheel base got much more stable on the ice and deep snow once I found the right tires.
With the tru trac up front and selectable locker in rear and a set of semi truck chains, my jeep is unstoppable in the winter :D
 
Yeah I miss driving my TJ up piled up snow in malls with no parking, that short wheelbase was fun, damn trailer and kids. :(

Randy
 
AP said:
The downside is that oiling makes a VERY ugly mess eventually under the hood and working on the vehicle really becomes a filthy nightmare unless you can steam clean the vehicle first. I use Krown and will continue to .. BUT there are caveats.
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it also makes body repair and paint that much harder and costly. Someone would have to pay me to buy a vehicle that had been rust proofed that way.
 
Delica is an interesting vehicle that is growing in popularity. I've seen one in Ontario but it had bc plates. I can't seem to find anyone in Ontario who insures Right Hand Drive but they would make for a nice hunting/city vehicle.
 
my rig, before the lift and tires



but i'll admit...... one must get creative when they forget the trailer back at camp.....
 
for quite a few yrs we did it all with a very uncomfortable to drive '55 CJ-5 Willys with a 235 6 cyl chuvy in it. The dam driver's seat was jammed up against the rear tire fender well and would not go any further back! Right foot on the gas pedal had to be sideways! Other than that, it was a great vehicle with super swamper tires. Pushed through snow passed the top of the hood!
 
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