Mountain Project Logo

Weekend warrior vehicle

Mike Cara · · Hendersonville, NC · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 21

I second the Element. I have an 08 EX AWD and 5 speed. It was a little sluggish so I installed an intake and exhaust. Completely worth it. The rear seats are completely removable so I've made a custom bed. I also have a tent that attaches to the rear hatch/gate. The moon roof is completely removable as well. Gas mileage isn't the best, but it gets the job done. It has plenty of room to hold all my climbing gear and I have roof racks for our ski trips and in the summer I swap out the Thule for their SUP rack. Perfect vehicle for everything we do. 2 DH bikes can roll right in the back too. I will never give this vehicle up.

Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316
Mike Caracciolo wrote: I will never give this vehicle up.
And you shouldn't. Those things are essentially a modern collector car since they stopped making them....and the price shows it.
Pavel Burov · · Russia · Joined May 2013 · Points: 50

Find a climbing partner is willing to drive own car and is able to do it safe (almost impossible to meet all those requirements, but sometimes it happens). Pay for gas and relax.

20 kN · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 1,346
Mike Brady wrote:Yeah but 99% of cars don't have the room to sleep comfortably. I love how 99% is the go to number when trying to say something authoritative.
I sleep perfectly fine 99% of the time in my Ford Cmax hybrid. I have spent about 99 nights in it so far. It also has the added benefit of getting 40 MPG on a bad day, and 600 miles on a tank if I drive like I dont give a shit.

Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316

I got 99 problems but a Ford ain't 1.

I'm starting to get confused about the threads. I feel like I am following 3 or 4 on 2 different sites that are talking about the same thing. :)

Speaking about other threads, someone was inquiring about a drop-in camper on a mid-sized truck, that could be a good option as a weekend warrior rig. I like the idea of having the kind that when you find a spot to stay you can jack it up and drive out from underneath it.

erik wellborn · · manitou springs · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 355

90s Ford cargo/conversion van. cheap, fairly reliable, good clearance, plenty of room for sleeping and camping. Just have to get over the pederast vibe that goes with it. Bring candy for any kids nearby.

Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316
erik wellborn wrote:90s Ford cargo/conversion van. cheap, fairly reliable, good clearance, plenty of room for sleeping and camping. Just have to get over the pederast vibe that goes with it. Bring candy for any kids nearby.
I have seen some that are pretty dialed in that somehow evade the rape van look.
Pretty sweet but you can hear the diesel draining!
Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480

Diesel draining what? Not the fuel tank. My Dodge 2500 gets 21.5 MPG. That's better than my Honda Element!

Bran Sabo · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 31

Toyota Camry
-Gets 40+ mpg
-Will last over 300K miles
-Get a used station wagon version for sleeping (and since they last forever you can buy a high mileage one cheap and still get a lot of life out of it).
-Don't put any stickers on it and no one will think you are a climber (positive?).
-Take of the hub caps and everyone will assume there is nothing worth stealing (can be a positive at some climbing areas). Your gear is safe.
-They are so ubiquitous you can overnight park anywhere and no one will think anything of it.

Chris D · · the couch · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 2,230
redlude97 wrote:99% of climbing in the us can be accessed without a 4x4.
This may be true, but people forget that 99% of the time (at least in the west) if you can't get to the climb or trailhead in your vehicle, it's a clearance issue, not lack of 4wd.

We have a subaru impreza and a mazda B4000 (Ford Ranger) and the clearance that the truck provides proves critical sometimes. The gas mileage difference is negligible, really. Basing your vehicle acquisition decision on gas mileage is kind of silly when you actually do the math anyway. With a truck (especially one with a camper shell) you can do a number of things that are difficult or impossible to do in a Subaru:

- Travel fast over long stretches of washboard.

- Get into areas that require high clearance. People love to cite the X.X inches of clearance their Subaru has compared to the X.X inches of ground clearance your truck has. What they fail to realize is that while that number might be the same or look better for the suby, the truck's clearance is measured from the bottom of the differential pumpkin and the oil pan. There's lots of places under the truck where additional clearance is available, and even a semi-skilled driver can take advantage of that.

- Get to the trailhead, crawl in the back, and sleep. Anyone who-poo poos this benefit by pointing out how easy it is to pitch a tent where you park your car hasn't given the subject much thought and has never had a pickup truck that they slept in at the trailhead/climbing area. Some of the benefits of sleeping in a truck bed over a tent include the ability to sleep anywhere; side of the highway, narrow dirt road, areas that are off-limits to camping (I know, I know), places where there's no level ground, no clearing, etc. Add a camper shell and you can include silence, immunity to wind and rain, and complete stealth.

I can't see any strong arguments for cars over small trucks. A six foot bed, a $30 coleman air mattress, a big fluffy $40 coleman sleeping bag from walmart, and I'm going to get a better night's sleep that anyone in a tent, PLUS, my expensive, cramped backpacking gear won't suffer any extra wear and tear from use at the trailhead.
curt86iroc · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Dec 2014 · Points: 274

my jetta sportwagen gets 31mpg, can get me to 98% of the areas i need to and has enough room to sleep in the back.

for the other 2%, i have a dedicated "toy" :)

Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316
Bill Kirby wrote: Diesel draining what? Not the fuel tank. My Dodge 2500 gets 21.5 MPG. That's better than my Honda Element!
The Ford diesel is just over-sized at 6.0L or 6.7L (but hey... you can blow black clouds of rich diesel!). The last year they put the diesel in the E-series it only got 16MPG-ish combined. Not the worst mileage but pretty unacceptable considering your 2500 gets 21.5 and my 3500 Sprinter gets 24.
Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480
Mike Brady wrote: The Ford diesel is just over-sized at 6.0L or 6.7L (but hey... you can blow black clouds of rich diesel!). The last year they put the diesel in the E-series it only got 16MPG-ish combined. Not the worst mileage but pretty unacceptable considering your 2500 gets 21.5 and my 3500 Sprinter gets 24.
Wait a minute, what? Your Sprinter gets 24 MPG?? what's the towing cap on that?
vincent L. · · Redwood City · Joined Jan 2005 · Points: 560

Just get a Toyota 4x4 and call it a day...besides , what self-respecting red blooded male wants to be seen in a Subaru?



The ladies will flock to you...



Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316
Bill Kirby wrote: Wait a minute, what? Your Sprinter gets 24 MPG?? what's the towing cap on that?
5K
Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316
vincent L. wrote:Just get a Toyota 4x4 and call it a day...
Totally agree on the yota being the goto weekend warrior rig. We need to spruce up the living quarters in that bad boy!

Former owner/lover of an 81' 2wd convertible longbed (wish I had pics) and an 87' 4wd longbed . Many fond memories of livin, campin, rompin, and climbin.

I have owned two Sub Outback wagons (currently have a Legacy GT) and the yota destroys them in all regards except MPG and ride comfort.
Jon Zucco · · Denver, CO · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 245
vincent L. wrote:what self-respecting red blooded male wants to be seen in a Subaru?
The kind that needs good mpgs, decent traction on snow and ice, and doesn't want to spend over 10k on a vehicle, new or used. But yeah. If I didn't care about mpgs and had more cash, I would've gotten a newer taco fo sho.
Thomas Stryker · · Chatham, NH · Joined Aug 2014 · Points: 250

Higgins? Pastrana?

erik wellborn · · manitou springs · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 355
Mike Brady wrote: I have seen some that are pretty dialed in that somehow evade the rape van look.
Vanlife
Yeah, we've managed to avoid the look as well. 94 E350 with quigly 4x4 and 7.3 diesel. Not as refined as a sprinter but a lot cheaper and I'm guessing more reliable.
vincent L. · · Redwood City · Joined Jan 2005 · Points: 560

Yup I can still average 17-18 mpg with 37's and 5.29 gears (it's a little 22re motor) , a little more going downhill or unloaded , but can't beat the laws of physics and MPG with those smaller Subi's...

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

General Climbing
Post a Reply to "Weekend warrior vehicle "

Log In to Reply

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.