bhamballer
New member
Greetings!
I'm a long time lurker and I think this is my first post. I have wanted an overland vehicle since I was 7 (turning 40 soon, gulp) and am getting serious about it now. My challenge is that I have no experience other than having owned a 4Runner in my 20's that i drove on Washington forest service roads. I find myself with a boot strapping problem in that I need a rig to get started exploring to know what kind of rig I want.
My goal is to be able to explore the back roads in grand staircase escalante, the white rum trail, that place in Colorado I can never remember, the rubicon trail, the white rum trail and even rough forest service roads in Washington (is gold Meyer hot springs still a thing?). Maybe even travel the world. I have a wife and two daughters. I like mountain biking, snowboarding and climbing (that's where I've spent my recreation $$$ in the past). The seven year old in me would love a rock crawler but that's not what I'm going for now.
So I'm curious- how far can a 4x4 van get me? Sports mobile, NW quadvan, UJOR or quigley? The fords seem to have the most off-road prowess but sprinters seem cool too. I'm thinking 33-35" tires and 4-6" lift kind of deal. Am I giving up much compared to a land cruiser? Also, I plan for minimal RV conversions. I just an indoor space for when the weather really sucks but prefer to cook and be outside when I'm adventuring.
Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their thoughts!
Bill
I'm a long time lurker and I think this is my first post. I have wanted an overland vehicle since I was 7 (turning 40 soon, gulp) and am getting serious about it now. My challenge is that I have no experience other than having owned a 4Runner in my 20's that i drove on Washington forest service roads. I find myself with a boot strapping problem in that I need a rig to get started exploring to know what kind of rig I want.
My goal is to be able to explore the back roads in grand staircase escalante, the white rum trail, that place in Colorado I can never remember, the rubicon trail, the white rum trail and even rough forest service roads in Washington (is gold Meyer hot springs still a thing?). Maybe even travel the world. I have a wife and two daughters. I like mountain biking, snowboarding and climbing (that's where I've spent my recreation $$$ in the past). The seven year old in me would love a rock crawler but that's not what I'm going for now.
So I'm curious- how far can a 4x4 van get me? Sports mobile, NW quadvan, UJOR or quigley? The fords seem to have the most off-road prowess but sprinters seem cool too. I'm thinking 33-35" tires and 4-6" lift kind of deal. Am I giving up much compared to a land cruiser? Also, I plan for minimal RV conversions. I just an indoor space for when the weather really sucks but prefer to cook and be outside when I'm adventuring.
Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their thoughts!
Bill