What kind of Dirtbag Car should I buy? Budget of 14.5k USD.

My car got stolen :(. Insurance is cashing out though, so there is hope. This is my chance to get a true mini camper car!

Living in Denver, I currently I bike to work. I'd primarily use this vehicle to get to and from climbing. I love moab, vedauwoo, south platte, eldo, unaweep, etc and plan on going deeper into new areas. All the good spots!

I want some sort of car that I can pull off sleeping in. Comfortably. A "dirt bag" car, so to speak.

I don't plan on working forever, and while I weekend warrior a lot for now, I plan on taking a year off soon to hit up all the classic trad spots and beyond.

I was exploring:
Tacoma with a Topper (6ft bed would be something like 100k miles though),
Mini Vans (there are some sweet rigs you can do with a minivan),
SUV perhaps (put the back seats down and use an air mattress to sleep in the back?)

I *think* I want something with AWD/4WD because I love exploring dirt roads and camping in remote areas. (I've been doing that in my impreza)

I was wondering if I could have some thoughts / real world experiences you guys have had sleeping in your vehicles! and ultimately recommendations?

After sleeping in the back of an impreza, i'm cautious about the outbacks/foresters. But those are definitely options I thought about too.

Also worth noting that I am far from a mechanic and any repairs will likely have me paying someone else to do it.

I am 6 feet tall

It's still 3:30 get off MP and back to work

-your coworker

How tall are you? At 5'9" I'm quite comfortable sleeping in the 6 ft bed of our Tacoma, but I have a 6'2" friend who definitely does not fit in one.

I am 6 feet even

Honda Element of course

An old Ford Expedition 4x4 is solid and tons of room to sleep and all that. I had one with a blown head gasket. I drilled a hole in the thermostat and that thing ran forever. I paid $900 for it and it is still puttering around here. 

Do you want to cook/live in the car, or just sleep in it? Subaru outback works good as an unmodified rig that you can sleep in. I'm 5'10" and I fit in mine with a few inches to spare.

The option of having a year off and travelling wants me to have a car that can be live-able in for a more extended period of time.  That's why I've been looking at AWD Minivans. Something like a Toyota Sienna?

The element in 4wd is a super underrated camping vehicle. Seems like it might be right on budget too.  

A used Tacoma with shell or Flip Pac shell.  If you are using it off road as much as you say it would be worth investing in good tires with good sidewall protection like the BFG All Terain KO2's.  This will save you money in the long run and give you peace of mind.

I have an 08 Outback with a sleeping platform and I'm 6'4". I have made it so that I can sleep comfortably with my 50lb dog and not have my feet against the back window. It gets pretty tight when my partner comes with, but it's not terrible.

If I had your budget, I would get a 4x4 half-ton truck with a shell or a 4x4 van.

I drive an '06 Outback and my son drives an '04 Element. If I was hitting the road for an extended period of time I would choose the Element. The floor flows front to back without any transition (seat fold creases) making for perfectly flat sleeping. Much more headroom for sitting up in bed. The vinyl flooring is excellent defense for spills, water, mud etc. The Outback has slightly better gas mileage but the Element is more reliable in my opinion.

That being said, its hard to argue against a truck with a camper top.

Just saw this guy come across my FB

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/497258660676829

An older mid-aughts Subaru Outback or a slightly newer Forester. I’ve owned 5 Subaru’s now. I would be hard to convince to own anything else. 

Gm made full sized AWD 1500 vans up to 2014 so. If you can find a lower millage one they are a lot cheaper then a tacoma to buy, very reliable engine and cheap to have work done on.

Get a better bike! All these crags are at a rideable distance!

https://cosprings.craigslist.org/cto/d/adventure-van-2001-gmc/6619860487.html

Phil, your van looks like a good deal.  OP should take a look

>dirtbag car
>14.5k USD
> ?

Jake Web wrote: The option of having a year off and travelling wants me to have a car that can be live-able in for a more extended period of time.  That's why I've been looking at AWD Minivans. Something like a Toyota Sienna?

I have fond memories of road tripping in a Sienna with the seats removed. Very spacious and of course you have Toyota reliability. Toss a futon mattress back there and you are good to go.

A used Volvo XC90 might be a good option.   Because Volvo mounts the engine transversely, the XC90 is a bit shorter than a 4Runner and much shorter than a Tacoma, which can be handy for parking.  They are not cab on chassis and do not have a solid rear axel or locking differential which means when you can fold the seats down so you can sleep flat in back; I did 6’1” with my wife 5’2” and 80lbs dog.  When we sold our 2008 V8(excellent yamaha build engine) comparable cars were listed at $14.5. That was in 2013.  The XC90 is great on the highway, quiet cabin, does list at speed. Top Gear put it through a few off road tests, but I don’t think it’s a great option for anything tougher than a dirt road.  And if you’re living in it I am not sure you would want to drive your “home” through a river.

Also while we never pulled anything they are certainly geared to pull a camper and even a mid sized boat.

You won’t have the cred of the guy with a $100k sprinter or rebuild land cruiser but  XC90 will get you about 20mpg.  A bit more if you find the V8.