Mini trucks for hunting

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powdergun

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These little things have started to show up around here. They are a little POS looking thing with 4X4. I'm curious as to a possible hunting running around vehicle that is cheap on gas. Have any of you used one of these things. Especially for hunting and off road ?

Opinions please.
 
Suzuki samurai, perhaps? Many people here use them because they will go many places you don't want to try and get to with a full sized truck. Of course the same people who use them this way usually tow the Suzukis to their hunting grounds because they get the crap beat out of them and breakdowns are common, and walking home after a hunt is a bad idea.
 
There are some very small trucks coming in to western Canada lately. Little cab overs with 650 cc or even smaller motors. I think this is what the poster is referring to .
 
Japanoid.com is one of the Vancouver dealers of these vehicles. I've seen a few around and if you could get one at a decent price I think that the little trucks would work for a basic utility vehicle.
 
A friend of mine sells them. His are usually equipped with quad type tires. They will go through an amazing amount of snow. Last winter was the only time I ever drove one. They are very small inside, I looked like 300lbs of turds stuffed into a 50 lb sac in the cab. As for reliability I have no idea. The price on them is around $6000. They are light, one guy can lift one end up. I'd basically describe them as a quad with a cab. Some of the ones he's had have locking diffs too.
 
Sidekicks have been used for years in bc (with the mid 80's ones being preferred by aficionados :) ), they work like crazy.

I think the little trucks would do very well - if you put on the right tires and possibly threw in a lift kit. I hear you can lift them another 2.5 - 3 inches and that would help (as small as it sounds).

I bet a guy could do a lot worse than that, especially with lockers.
 
Foxer said:
Sidekicks have been used for years in bc (with the mid 80's ones being preferred by aficionados :) ), they work like crazy.

I think the little trucks would do very well - if you put on the right tires and possibly threw in a lift kit. I hear you can lift them another 2.5 - 3 inches and that would help (as small as it sounds).

I bet a guy could do a lot worse than that, especially with lockers.
Click to expand...

It's also cheaper to outfit them for offroad.
 
"...Suzuki Samurai..." Drove an '87, long box(the ride is better and the short box is far too small), for 15 years. Parts are horrendously expensive(it's cheaper to replace the engine than fix it). They rust quickly, then leak and the electrics quit working properly. Especially the wipers. The engine power(read how well they deal with highway speeds) they have depends on the carb.
On the other hand, the 4 wheel drive system works really well. Always figured the automatic free wheeling hubs would break. It never gave me any trouble whatsoever. It'd go places you can't take a bigger truck. With the right tires.
 
as long as they come with lock diffs or if you put them in they should be manufactured as a lock diff .. dont use a welded up diff as they tend to grenade, leaving u with no movement . not fun half way up a track in the forrest .
( this experience comes from some 4x4-ing but mainly drifting )
 
I've got 2 little suzuki's now, the Old LJ series both 1979

an LJ80V which is the van body version, this one is registered as a on road vehicle

and a LJ81 which I just picked up, its bigger, but still about the size of one of those big ATV's the gators or JohnDeer 6 wheel ATV's

they both have 800CC 4 cylinder engines and are under 3000lb. I plan on getting the little pickup set up for hunting season next year. Box is about 4' x 4"6" long

Great for off roading and they have heaters that work, will make the late November hunting more enjoyable.

Hmmm pictures are not working for me today :confused:

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I have a suzuki vitara 4cyl with 32mpg, it takes hunting every fall and fishing every spring, even slept in the back a few times
 
It would be like a dune buggy.
Small is not always a bad thing, smaller = lighter. Big trucks seem all rough and tough, but they give people a false sense of security, in a little truck you'll be more careful.

We should turn this into a poll.
Big Truck or Little Truck

I vote little
 
dannymat said:
It would be like a dune buggy.
Small is not always a bad thing, smaller = lighter. Big trucks seem all rough and tough, but they give people a false sense of security, in a little truck you'll be more careful.

We should turn this into a poll.
Big Truck or Little Truck

I vote little
Click to expand...


I have both sizes, big truck carries the quad, little truck fits better down the cutlines....

tough call.
 
I've had three Suzi Samis ... one all done up with Spring Over axle, 30" tires, yaydayadayada. I competed in a mud bog with it, and it went a lot further [ light weight ] than anyone expected. When lived in Smithers, BC, that little rig was fantastic for everything outdoorsy ... except hauling a load. I eventually upgraded to a 4X4 Toyota Van, which was WAY better on the highway, and would actually float ... for a bit anyhow. The Toy Van could keep everything I needed and me and my dog under one roof ].

These days I drive a 92 Daihatsu Hijet 4X4 MINI truck. It has a full 6'6" long deck, will carry almost a ton, is narrower than the Suzi, lighter, much better off road, and it flys along the hiway with a 45 HP 660 CC motor, breaking the speed limit at 117 KPH.

WHHHEEEeeeeee.
[;{)
LAZ 1
 
I have a '97 Lada Niva 4x4 that I take hunting every year. Have a neat tow-bar from Princess auto attached to the front bumper so we simply flat tow it when we head up north.

Need a new set of tires for this season.... but this thing will go where pick up trucks simply cannot. We've pulled out a few moose with it from the thick of it, pretty easily!

You can find them cheap now too.... although there are not many for sale. I picked up a 'back up' Niva last summer which needs some fixing up or will be a parts truck.
 
I used a Subaru Legacy my wife drives for hunting a few times. Great clearence and traction in snow as well as light weight. I wish they had a two speed transfer case as power is limited and hitting rough spots meant using more speed than I preferred.
One advantage of the small van type trucks would be the ability to look almost directly down over the nose. I had a full size GMC van that I used and many the time was able to spot rocks etc which would have been blocked by the longer hood on a regular half ton.
 
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