Small/mid-size trucks, best all around

[npaden]

2000 Daihatsu Atrai Van Custom 4WD

This 2000 Daihatsu Atrai Van is a great van, providing a great balance of utility, capability, and comfort in a small and affordable package. It is equipped with a 5 Speed MT, 4WD, power steering, and a fuel injected engine. This combined with Air Conditioning makes it a very comfortable and...

minitrucks.net

Seriously going to give these are hard look once I pawn off the current fleet on the kids.

I have been looking at them instead of another UTV or ATV that I might just leave at my property. The prices on UTVs and ATVs right now are criminal.

Fuel injected, AC, 4wd, really the only thing they need is a lift and some tires. Some of the little mini trucks have hydraulic dump beds.

I just don't know how well they do off road, I have a few spots that my RZR was spinning all 4 tires in 4 Low that I'm not sure these would do very well or not.

 

[Irrelevant]

Make sure to bring tires for that rental, and a shovel or three.

I hunt cow elk at least 2 days a year to fill both my additional tags, usually another 4-5 helping buddies. Usually another few days filling my general or type 1 tag.

Your grocery getter wouldn't work for me.

@wllm

Buzz has a good point. You just just rent a razor instead... and haul it to LaBarge with your van.

 

[PrairieHunter]

I have been looking at them instead of another UTV or ATV that I might just leave at my property. The prices on UTVs and ATVs right now are criminal.

I was shocked reading that story about this guy who bought a little electric truck to use in a similar situation to yours. Sounds pretty sweet and the price is right.

BTW, I am the guy who sold you the Polaris ranger about 10-12 years ago when the wind was blowing about 100 in Amarillo where we met.

I actually bought a cheap electric pickup truck from Alibaba. Here's what showed up

Some readers may recall that a few months ago I bought a cheap electric mini-truck on Alibaba. I know this...

electrek.co

 

[bullbugle307]

I had a Titan (caveats: second owner, it had 150K) and it was such a disaster that I don't think I could ever own another Nissan pickup. Fuel pump, many electrical quirks, radiator failure that led to a burnt motor.

Imagine with me for a moment...what if "the truck" peaked with the 00-06 Tundras...

Did your fuel pump go out cause the gas gauge stuck just under a half tank and you ran it out of gas? That's what happened to me. Honestly though, aside from not trusting the gas gauge under a half a tank, that 08 Titans still the best vehicle I've ever owned by far.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

@wllm

Buzz has a good point. You just just rent a razor instead... and haul it to LaBarge with your van.

I'd probably just rent some of beau's 4 legged ATVs and walk in from the blacktop.

Point being though vehicles are typically the most expensive single item one buys and those funds can be used lots of places. Therefore it makes a whole lot of sense to weigh your needs with the options on the market. Why by a highly specialized piece of equipment if your not going to be using for it's intended purpose ever or very infrequently.

If you don't have kids and live up a long ass road you maintain yourself you shouldn't have your primary vehicle be a sedan.

OP's thread is about considering options. End of the day it's like tents... everyone likes the iconic photo of a hot tent in AK on a moose hunt, but in reality 98% of hunters should go to REI and buy a copper spur.

 

[npaden]

I was shocked reading that story about this guy who bought a little electric truck to use in a similar situation to yours. Sounds pretty sweet and the price is right.

BTW, I am the guy who sold you the Polaris ranger about 10-12 years ago when the wind was blowing about 100 in Amarillo where we met.

I actually bought a cheap electric pickup truck from Alibaba. Here's what showed up

Some readers may recall that a few months ago I bought a cheap electric mini-truck on Alibaba. I know this...

electrek.co

Yeah, I would love to have that Ranger back for the price I paid or for the price I sold it for. I think I paid something like $7,500 and sold it for a little less than that a few years later. Today they are selling 10 or 15 year old ones for double that price.

I looked into electric options as well, but I don't have distribution electricity there so I would be needing to run a generator to charge it and that doesn't seem like it would work very well. Not trying to hijack ajrckkts thread although I'm afraid it may have jumped the shark with the minivan options anyway.

 

[Irrelevant]

I'd probably just rent some of beau's 4 legged ATVs and walk in from the blacktop.

...maybe. That'll certainly add a couple days of travel to your trip. Or you could pony up for a 4wheeler and save those 2+ days and couple hundo. I mean there's still a big difference from road hunting, and just using a road to get closer...

 

[TOGIE]

subaru outbacks these days have more ground clearance than a basic f150.

i'll never be one to argue a truck is necessary for hunting anywhere in any state. but damn they're fun and nice to have. especially the one's with lots of ground clearance and skid plates

 

[BuzzH]

I'd probably just rent some of beau's 4 legged ATVs and walk in from the blacktop.

Point being though vehicles are typically the most expensive single item one buys and those funds can be used lots of places. Therefore it makes a whole lot of sense to weigh your needs with the options on the market. Why by a highly specialized piece of equipment if your not going to be using for it's intended purpose ever or very infrequently.

If you don't have kids and live up a long ass road you maintain yourself you shouldn't have your primary vehicle be a sedan.

OP's thread is about considering options. End of the day it's like tents... everyone like the iconic photo of a hot tent in AK on a moose hunt, but in reality 98% of hunters should go to REI and buy a copper spur.

That sounds like a good idea...nothing better than 40 miles of country between the blacktop and your elk.

I get your point, but I hunt elk a bit more than infrequently.

For the record, 4-6 inches of snow make feet of snow in the wind around here. Low clearance vehicles like your grocery getter will give you plenty of practice digging out of drifts.

 

[PrairieHunter]

Yeah, I would love to have that Ranger back for the price I paid or for the price I sold it for. I think I paid something like $7,500 and sold it for a little less than that a few years later. Today they are selling 10 or 15 year old ones for double that price.

I looked into electric options as well, but I don't have distribution electricity there so I would be needing to run a generator to charge it and that doesn't seem like it would work very well. Not trying to hijack ajrckkts thread although I'm afraid it may have jumped the shark with the minivan options anyway.

Me too. lol.


I think a solar charger would work best for that situation but I am sure you have a good idea what would fit your needs. The truck in the article amazed me with the hydraulic dump bed, features of regular street legal vehicle, and price. But it did not appear to be as off road capable.

In an effort to get back on track it's a shame Subaru does not still make the Baja. A newer version might fit for what the OP was looking for.

 

[DouglasR]

I guess buzz isn’t that bad of a guy after all

 

[Deleted member 28227]

That sounds like a good idea...nothing better than 40 miles of country between the blacktop and your elk.

I get your point, but I hunt elk a bit more than infrequently.

For the record, 4-6 inches of snow make feet of snow in the wind around here. Low clearance vehicles like your grocery getter will give you plenty of practice digging out of drifts.

Like I said tools for the job, some day if the calculus shifts I'd buy a truck, I'm not anti-truck... but ~90% of truck owners could drive a sedan and have no net changes to their lives.

Trucks like a lot of other things in our culture are just a product of marketing being shoved in our face 24/7, marketing which puts folks in debt and leaves with short on retirement savings. That sienna I posted gets 36 mpg... with bigger tires + 2 in spacers lets say 30... that clearance is pretty close to tahoe/4runner/ etc. You like are saving ~$5000-$10,000 at least on msrp and if you drive it for say 250k miles probably $15,000 in gas.

For the record, I lived in rural western slope CO and in MT and have done all kinds of stuff in the woods all year long and never gotten stuck or needed to dig out. Definitely hiked up a few roads a couple more miles than guys with trucks did... but never more than like 1 or 2.

Maybe if I draw a gen elk tag, you can show me the necessity of a truck in WY

 

[mtmuley]

90% of truck owners could drive a sedan? Chart? Graph? mtmuley

 

[MTLabrador]

I’ve killed general elk in Montana where you could have driven a Prius to the trailhead, but my favorite places to hunt require 4 wheel drive, ground clearance, and good tires. For the last three bulls I’ve killed there’s no possible way to get there in a car.

I would have loved to see a Prius attempt the creek crossing that tore @JLS ‘s bumper off this fall though.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

90% of truck owners could drive a sedan? Chart? Graph? mtmuley

You been to Dallas?

 

[mtmuley]

You been to Dallas?

Just a fan of the football team. So, we talking regions now? mtmuley

 

[nrpate05]

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Just a fan of the football team. So, we talking regions now? mtmuley

~14% of American's live in rural areas yet the F-150 is the highest selling vehicle, nationwide... the runners up are also pickups. Which means that folks in urban areas are buying more F-150s than any other vehicle.

Depublicize, Deglorify, Demonetize... pickups

 

[DouglasR]

Yep.

Been driving my BILs Taco for the last 10 days... ... feels like your climbing in a super cub, and I drive a corolla . Gas mileage also blows for such a small vehicle, big off road tires + camper I think it's like 12/15mpg.

Also getting groceries sucks in a truck sorry fools. You put a dog and and a car seat in that thing and it's almost full... you can't put grocery bags in the bed. Any sedan has 5X the amount of usable space for your typical domestic uses.

Thing is amazing on trails... but we were able to get their sub to all of the camping spots we've gone to so far.

Anyway. My next vehicle with family and utility in mind will be a Sienna... 36 mpg/18g tank, AWD, full captains chairs for the passengers, and even the rear seats recline.

Not a ton of places you can take a Taco that you can't drive this... MSRP on a LE is 36k FYI.

View attachment 230372

What are you saying about groceries?

 

[Deleted member 28227]

What are you saying about groceries?

There are some benefits to being single.