djsixbillion
Adventurer
I thought about posting in this thread, as my situation pretty much mirror's the OP's there, but I think I have come to about the same conclusion.
I've got an awesome FZJ80 Land Cruiser that's lifted, locked, armored, etc., and gets about 10-12 mpg pulling our little M416-based expedition trailer. That's not a deal-breaker on trips through the Western US (i.e. somewhat close to home), and even though most of the time the truck is overkill for the conditions, I love having the capability to explore just about any trail without fear of breakage or getting inextricably stuck.
Like the OP in that post I cited above, I've waffled back and forth on selling my Cruiser in order to get something more efficient, practical for the family (wife and a 6-month old boy), less ostentatious, etc.. I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I should keep the truck as I really love driving it, it's paid off and I'd never be able to recoup what I have into it.
Within the next two years we're planning a few longer-range trips that won't involve much heavy off-road driving, probably just fire-road type trails, perhaps snow, but LOTS of highway miles (Alaska and Baja are the destination goals). We're thinking of replacing my wife's daily driver (currently a 4th gen V8 4Runner) with something slightly smaller for ease of parking and increased economy, and I'm thinking maybe it can serve a dual purpose as well. Some of the vehicles under consideration are:
*Subaru Outback 2010+
*Toyota Rav4 AWD 2006+
*Lexus RX330/350
*Volvo XC70/XC90, Audi Allroad?
*Possibly more options coming out in 2013 (AWD VW Jetta TDI, etc.)
Which brings us to the question: how crazy would it be to tow our M416 (pic of the Cruiser and trailer below) for, say, 4,000 miles over mountain passes and such with one of these vehicles? Any that should be crossed off or added to the list? The goal (and I know this might be pie-in-the sky) would be to achieve 20+ mpg while towing and be able to get to some reasonably out of the way camp spots, while also having the vehicle be a comfortable and reliable daily driver and kid hauler when back at home. I haven't actually put the trailer on a scale, but I'm guessing it weighs in around 2,000 lbs fully loaded with water and gear. Obviously the wheels would be swapped out to better match whatever tow vehicle is employed, and I'd probably add electric brakes to the axle if I had to mess around with changing hubs, etc.
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading. Comments welcome!
View attachment 111405
I've got an awesome FZJ80 Land Cruiser that's lifted, locked, armored, etc., and gets about 10-12 mpg pulling our little M416-based expedition trailer. That's not a deal-breaker on trips through the Western US (i.e. somewhat close to home), and even though most of the time the truck is overkill for the conditions, I love having the capability to explore just about any trail without fear of breakage or getting inextricably stuck.
Like the OP in that post I cited above, I've waffled back and forth on selling my Cruiser in order to get something more efficient, practical for the family (wife and a 6-month old boy), less ostentatious, etc.. I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I should keep the truck as I really love driving it, it's paid off and I'd never be able to recoup what I have into it.
Within the next two years we're planning a few longer-range trips that won't involve much heavy off-road driving, probably just fire-road type trails, perhaps snow, but LOTS of highway miles (Alaska and Baja are the destination goals). We're thinking of replacing my wife's daily driver (currently a 4th gen V8 4Runner) with something slightly smaller for ease of parking and increased economy, and I'm thinking maybe it can serve a dual purpose as well. Some of the vehicles under consideration are:
*Subaru Outback 2010+
*Toyota Rav4 AWD 2006+
*Lexus RX330/350
*Volvo XC70/XC90, Audi Allroad?
*Possibly more options coming out in 2013 (AWD VW Jetta TDI, etc.)
Which brings us to the question: how crazy would it be to tow our M416 (pic of the Cruiser and trailer below) for, say, 4,000 miles over mountain passes and such with one of these vehicles? Any that should be crossed off or added to the list? The goal (and I know this might be pie-in-the sky) would be to achieve 20+ mpg while towing and be able to get to some reasonably out of the way camp spots, while also having the vehicle be a comfortable and reliable daily driver and kid hauler when back at home. I haven't actually put the trailer on a scale, but I'm guessing it weighs in around 2,000 lbs fully loaded with water and gear. Obviously the wheels would be swapped out to better match whatever tow vehicle is employed, and I'd probably add electric brakes to the axle if I had to mess around with changing hubs, etc.
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading. Comments welcome!
View attachment 111405
