lasernomad
New member
Let me first say hello and then ask for some advice and I am cross posting this in the Planning North America (has been deleted by mod), Toyota and Jeep subsections.
Call me Toaster (it's a long story but that's what most people know me as). I want to get a used highway bus conversion, cram in my leatherworking studio, drive from art show to art show selling my wears to the 6 people who want them then packing up driving to another town finding another 6 people… wash rinse repeat. I want to be doing this within 3 years.
So that brings me to the next statement. I currently have 2 cars and neither one will work as a toad/business transport, that can bring me, the lady friend, a big dog, a table or two, a canopy, a cooler, boxes of hand crafted leather goods to sell at the markets and handle forest service roads / other assorted back highway/ back road shenanigans. With all that said I want to take this time to get a 4wd SUV or light truck put a roof top tent on it start hitting the art show circuit taking the next 3 years to get a good grasp on what sells how and where. So the roof top tent is a must to allow for cheap/free camping as this is when the income will be the slowest. That brings me to… Since I have to get a car, then I want one that will make a great toad, and therefore I want to take the next 3 years to pay it off/down. I don't plan on buying anything that would cost me more than $15k and it needs to have less than 150,000 miles on it.
Here is what I have been looking at:
Toyota FJ cruiser, 4Runner, Lexus GX470. I know they need mods to be dinghy towed. The lady friends folks also have a RX300 but I dont know if it can do what we need it to do.
Jeep Grand Cherokee, Those 07/08 CRD diesels are neat probably not worth the hassle… I am sure a gas version would work too, just less neat but I am not sure I would buy a gas version.
I am not really a fan of american makes I feel they cost you more and give you less. Not to mention they all have abysmal resale, granted the car will be worth more than scrap metal when I am done with it.
I am thinking that a Jeep liberty, Rav4 or a CRV are probably just too small for what I want and then something much bigger than the 4Runner or Cherokee will be too big to get good mileage and be hard for an old bus to tow. Right now after a lot of research the 4runner and a GX are tied for first. I have an unhealthy interest in the jeep with a merc diesel and the lady friend has always ogled the FJ cruisers. I am looking for suggestions and advice on what to get, please help me. At the end of the day I want a rig that can take a RTT, check out roads before I take a bus down them, get me to food and water if the road I took the bus down becomes impassable after I have passed down it, carry enough stuff to make a living at art shows, and not eat me out of house and home to keep it going (sorry land rovers, my other unhealthy interest). I am going to give myself 6 months or so to find a car and I won't let perfection be the enemy of good enough.
Thank you,
Toaster Jones
Also please let the folks in the land cruiser sub forum know about this post I value their advice too.
Call me Toaster (it's a long story but that's what most people know me as). I want to get a used highway bus conversion, cram in my leatherworking studio, drive from art show to art show selling my wears to the 6 people who want them then packing up driving to another town finding another 6 people… wash rinse repeat. I want to be doing this within 3 years.
So that brings me to the next statement. I currently have 2 cars and neither one will work as a toad/business transport, that can bring me, the lady friend, a big dog, a table or two, a canopy, a cooler, boxes of hand crafted leather goods to sell at the markets and handle forest service roads / other assorted back highway/ back road shenanigans. With all that said I want to take this time to get a 4wd SUV or light truck put a roof top tent on it start hitting the art show circuit taking the next 3 years to get a good grasp on what sells how and where. So the roof top tent is a must to allow for cheap/free camping as this is when the income will be the slowest. That brings me to… Since I have to get a car, then I want one that will make a great toad, and therefore I want to take the next 3 years to pay it off/down. I don't plan on buying anything that would cost me more than $15k and it needs to have less than 150,000 miles on it.
Here is what I have been looking at:
Toyota FJ cruiser, 4Runner, Lexus GX470. I know they need mods to be dinghy towed. The lady friends folks also have a RX300 but I dont know if it can do what we need it to do.
Jeep Grand Cherokee, Those 07/08 CRD diesels are neat probably not worth the hassle… I am sure a gas version would work too, just less neat but I am not sure I would buy a gas version.
I am not really a fan of american makes I feel they cost you more and give you less. Not to mention they all have abysmal resale, granted the car will be worth more than scrap metal when I am done with it.
I am thinking that a Jeep liberty, Rav4 or a CRV are probably just too small for what I want and then something much bigger than the 4Runner or Cherokee will be too big to get good mileage and be hard for an old bus to tow. Right now after a lot of research the 4runner and a GX are tied for first. I have an unhealthy interest in the jeep with a merc diesel and the lady friend has always ogled the FJ cruisers. I am looking for suggestions and advice on what to get, please help me. At the end of the day I want a rig that can take a RTT, check out roads before I take a bus down them, get me to food and water if the road I took the bus down becomes impassable after I have passed down it, carry enough stuff to make a living at art shows, and not eat me out of house and home to keep it going (sorry land rovers, my other unhealthy interest). I am going to give myself 6 months or so to find a car and I won't let perfection be the enemy of good enough.
Thank you,
Toaster Jones
Also please let the folks in the land cruiser sub forum know about this post I value their advice too.
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