weekend adventure vehicle

So my wife and I need to replace our 2WD Tacoma for something with 4WD since we now live in an area with regular winter snow. So we are wanting to get something that will best serve us as a regular use vehicle but also a weekend adventure rig. Here is what we need...

4WD mostly because of snow but it would also be nice for getting us up nasty approaches for some crags. We don't intend to do any actual "Off Road" driving, just a tool for crag access

Ability to sleep in. It sucks to get the whole camping setup out for just one night if were traveling to a distant area. In the Spring/Summer/Fall we will usually set up a campsite once we get to our destination.

Space for enough stuff. A climbing trip with my wife involves a bit more comfort than many of us need so we just cannot make a small space like the back of our Subaru Impreza work. Also having the ability to move lots of tools and stuff around is pretty important.

It seems like a Truck is the best option, it could fill all these needs but I am wondering if now would be the time to invest in the sprinter we always wanted? I know they don't have 4WD, but thats ok if they drive well enough in the snow.

Also, are there any of you who are using an SUV for this type of stuff, hows that working out?

Eric

To be honest, don't discount Subaru. Impreza is definitely too small, but the back of my Forester (2001) is quite roomy. My girlfriend and I fit fine with room to roll around as long as we're smart. Fit a (almost full-size) mattress back there.

That being said, a truck will obviously give you more in terms of clearance, room, customization, etc.

UNIMOG!

If you can find an Astro AWD with low miles that could be sweet. Plenty of power, decent MPG, pretty capable on and off road in bad conditions, plenty of room and parts are cheap.

4WD Sprinter.

Honestly, a mid size SUV works fine. As long as you can lay the seats down relatively flat, you can sleep in it. I have a queen size inflatable mattress which I roll out in the back and then inflate. It molds itself to the contours of the area and it gives a decent enough night's sleep. Hauling gear is an issue, since if you are sleeping in the back, the gear had to pile up in the front. A rooftop box can hold gear. Since I am in an area with no real winter, I can just keep everything in plastic storage boxes and move most boxes outside when I am sleeping.

If you really need the extra space, a full size SUV would probably fit the bill.

I'm very happy with my 2009 Subaru Outback. An absolute beast on snow and plenty roomy enough to sleep in the back.

Budget?

4wd Tacoma!

I have a 2004 Grand Cherokee. I took the back seats out and built a custom 3 layer memory foam mattress for sleeping ($200). Yea, the gear moving to the front seats is a pain if you are sleeping in the vehicle for extended periods of time, especially fitting multiple pairs of skis. It can sleep to people up to 6'2" side by side with no problems if you move the front seats forward. Also not ideal for extended time on the road living out of it, but if its a weekend warrior vehicle it works. Its for sale by the way.

A 4WD tacoma + camper shell + sleeping platform is a pretty perfect vehicle for this IMO. What you want out of your vehicle is exactly what I want out of mine, and I've been super happy with my 02 4wd tacoma. I'd get a double cab for the extra storage space, then you're good to go.

Way cheaper than a Sprinter :)

I've since put in a permanent 4" mattress and it very comfortably sleeps 2.

Buy my truck........please!

Leo Franchi wrote: Way cheaper than a Sprinter :)

Barely.

With that said I would not recommend a Sprinter as a purely weekend warrior machine. Unless looking good is your number one priority. :)

If your budget allows it another pretty turnkey solution is to buy a vehicle from the folks over at expedition portal:

expeditionportal.com/forum/…

Honda Element..

I have a 2003 with 151k miles. I regularly drive it from Baltimore to Keene NY and back with zero trouble. I've driven down unplowed dirt roads and never got stuck. That's more than I can say about my 2014 Dodge 2500 with highway tires mounted on it. You can remove or fold up the seats and insert a bed/storage back there. An Element is cheaper than a Sprinter or a truck :)

Mike Brady wrote: Barely. With that said I would not recommend a Sprinter as a purely weekend warrior machine. Unless looking good is your number one priority. :)

What would you recommend? Seriously no snark.

Full Time AWD vs part time 4wd is really nice for snow as you don't need to worry about turning it off for highway speeds.

In addition to what other's have listed I'd look at:

Chevy Express/GMC Savana 1500 AWD. This is what we have and its great especially with a kid...easy to hop in and out of the back seat from the front and room for a bunk in the back behind that. Tons of space, you can put real truck AT tires on it and the cabin heat heats the back. Cheaper to buy and shorter wheelbase than the equivalently sized double cab long bed pickup or sprinter AWD. Decent used market with lots of Canadian ex rental vans being imported into the us at the moment.

Toyota Sienna AWD. Not as much room and tire choice is very limited as it uses run flat tires (people buy a real spare and keep it in a roof box.) Spendy but Toyota.

4runner/Land Cruiser Etc. Better off road capabilities and some available with a locking center differential allowing highway speed AWD, not as much room.

RAM Promaster. Front wheel drive, cheaper than a sprinter, high roof available. Not much of a used market yet.

Newer Subaru Outback: The outback has gotten really big in the last few years and the CVTs get amazing mileage. Throw a bunk in the back and a roof box on for extended storage and you may have the ultimate two person road trip mobile.

Kevin Mokracek wrote:Buy my truck........please!

How much?
Where is it?
Details - year, mileage, condition of components, etc....

I have a 2004 Volvo XC70 that works pretty well for this purpose. It's wider and longer than Subarus and has a boxier rear end, so it can haul a lot of stuff and has decent headroom for sleeping. I didn't want to turn my car into a two-seater, so I built a sleeping platform that lives in the back of the car until I need it.

It's definitely going to be less cushy than a truck with a high-top shell, or a van. Right now the platform total length is only 70", with 10" storage room underneath and 22" headroom. I just use one or two Therm-a-rest Z-Lite pads for my mattress, but if I could find a 3-4" air mattress I would do that. The main project right now is getting Reflectix for the windows and figuring out an awning/tarp system so I have more space to cook in the rain.

This was inspired by my friends who built a sleeping platform in the back of their Impreza, although I think they took the back row of seats out.

Marc801 wrote: How much? Where is it? Details - year, mileage, condition of components, etc....

1988 Land Rover Defender 130 Crew Cab
3.9 V8 rebuild just installed last year.
LT85 5 speed transmission.
Milage?? a bunch on the truck but just a few hundered on the new engine.
PTO winch.
Self supported awning over a fold don work/cooking table on the side of the shell.
Cruises at 70 easily.

Asking $40k OBO which I know sounds like and is a lot but I seen a few others for sale here in the states for $60k to $120k but that don't mean thats what they sold for.

I am happy to keep it and my kids really want to drive it but I have a hard time justifying keeping it and also having my Rubicon Unlimited at the same time.

I look at it as a tool not a jewel, it is meant to be used and abused and it always seemed like the more I drove it the better it ran.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm looking into stuff in the $10-$15k so that limits me a bit. Ill be keeping my options open and looking into some of the things you all have suggested.

Eric