So I've been lurking on here for a while and a lot of things have changed recently and my requirements are a bit different.
Here is normal case scenario
4 adults *I'm 6'4, buddy is 6'6, and wives are about 5'8*, 3 dogs *1 great dane, 1 standard poodle, one lab sized mutt*, 4000lb trailer *enclosed cargo*, 1000 mile each way highway trip. These are mainly expedition cave diving trips where all of the gear is in the trailer, dogs and us in the tow vehicle. Currently I'm using a 2004 Grand Cherokee which is working well but is really too small for that long of a road trip. Cargo capacity is a little small as well. New Grand Cherokee looks really nice but the interior volume is about 10% less than what I have now, so that's really out. Pickup trucks are out due to the dogs and the fact that when it's just a buddy and I all the gear stays inside. These trips happen every 4-6 weeks generally alternating between trailer and no trailer.
Ideal scenario is convert an old bus, but don't have the place to park it and still need a DD.
New Expedition looks close but no v8 has me a bit nervous and since towing will be a regular thing, I'd rather keep it diesel. GM's are out due to personal preference, Ford/Mopar or foreign are perfectly fine. Need either load leveling as stock or ability to retrofit airbags to at least the rear, preferably all 4 corners due to weight of gear. If it's just the two of us, it is close to 1000lbs of payload. I have put OME HD springs on my Jeep to help it with the payload when the gear is in the vehicle, but would prefer to not be cutting it that close.
Toyota 4runner is pretty close but don't want to be that close to the towing capacity of the truck and no load leveling, same for the 4 door Wrangler.
The big SUV's are also close but don't want 17mpg off the bat only to drop to 10 with a trailer behind it.
SVT Bronco would be almost perfect if they put the baby diesel they have in there, but we'll see if that ever happens. On that, there is a rumour Mopar is replacing the Durango with a 7 passenger Jeep, and while I don't need 7 seats, having that size vehicle is really what I'm aiming for.
Not opposed to restomodding something vintage, have experience doing engine replacements etc, but with the ladies in the car I need something a bit more refined than a defender 110 and with enough get up and go to actually cruise at 75 with the trailer behind it. My issue here is the expense of putting a modern turbo diesel into a vintage vehicle. Not sure of the cost on the Banks 630T but I'm not entirely sure I want to know....
My ARB will live in the back mostly permanently, offroad use is pretty minimal for true offroad, but 4wd or at least a locking rear diff is required for quite a few of the places we dive. Lots and lots of fire road type places but some of them have some pretty deep and long water holes regularly throughout the year. No rock climbing or anything that would require crazy flex or anything, but that is why air suspension is very appealing to me.
So this is realistically about 12-24 months away, but want to get my brain turning around this now and hoping you can help. Budget is around $50k ish.
Here is normal case scenario
4 adults *I'm 6'4, buddy is 6'6, and wives are about 5'8*, 3 dogs *1 great dane, 1 standard poodle, one lab sized mutt*, 4000lb trailer *enclosed cargo*, 1000 mile each way highway trip. These are mainly expedition cave diving trips where all of the gear is in the trailer, dogs and us in the tow vehicle. Currently I'm using a 2004 Grand Cherokee which is working well but is really too small for that long of a road trip. Cargo capacity is a little small as well. New Grand Cherokee looks really nice but the interior volume is about 10% less than what I have now, so that's really out. Pickup trucks are out due to the dogs and the fact that when it's just a buddy and I all the gear stays inside. These trips happen every 4-6 weeks generally alternating between trailer and no trailer.
Ideal scenario is convert an old bus, but don't have the place to park it and still need a DD.
New Expedition looks close but no v8 has me a bit nervous and since towing will be a regular thing, I'd rather keep it diesel. GM's are out due to personal preference, Ford/Mopar or foreign are perfectly fine. Need either load leveling as stock or ability to retrofit airbags to at least the rear, preferably all 4 corners due to weight of gear. If it's just the two of us, it is close to 1000lbs of payload. I have put OME HD springs on my Jeep to help it with the payload when the gear is in the vehicle, but would prefer to not be cutting it that close.
Toyota 4runner is pretty close but don't want to be that close to the towing capacity of the truck and no load leveling, same for the 4 door Wrangler.
The big SUV's are also close but don't want 17mpg off the bat only to drop to 10 with a trailer behind it.
SVT Bronco would be almost perfect if they put the baby diesel they have in there, but we'll see if that ever happens. On that, there is a rumour Mopar is replacing the Durango with a 7 passenger Jeep, and while I don't need 7 seats, having that size vehicle is really what I'm aiming for.
Not opposed to restomodding something vintage, have experience doing engine replacements etc, but with the ladies in the car I need something a bit more refined than a defender 110 and with enough get up and go to actually cruise at 75 with the trailer behind it. My issue here is the expense of putting a modern turbo diesel into a vintage vehicle. Not sure of the cost on the Banks 630T but I'm not entirely sure I want to know....
My ARB will live in the back mostly permanently, offroad use is pretty minimal for true offroad, but 4wd or at least a locking rear diff is required for quite a few of the places we dive. Lots and lots of fire road type places but some of them have some pretty deep and long water holes regularly throughout the year. No rock climbing or anything that would require crazy flex or anything, but that is why air suspension is very appealing to me.
So this is realistically about 12-24 months away, but want to get my brain turning around this now and hoping you can help. Budget is around $50k ish.
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