Budget, but brand new, Fullsize expo rig ideas.

[Buliwyf]

What's the most budget, but nice, complete setup, that you can think of? For beginners, etc. But something you can still grow with.

Sorted, truck, mods, camp gear, recovery gear, I'm thinking:

Ford F250/350 Super Duty, crewcab, shortbed, 6.2l, Xl+power equipment pack, Fx4, 3.73 or 4.30, e locker.
$40 000.

35" Cooper STT, Method NV 18x9 +18mm.
$2500

Mountain Hardwear Tent, 2 bags, 2 pads, ratchet straps, stove, two 55 gallon Stanley totes.
$1500

Hilift, Winch kit, Truck Claws, Winch rope, chain.
$1000

Total $45 000.

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Optional stuff:

Upgrade the truck. Bds/Fox 4" long arm, 37x13.5 Cooper STT, Method 18x9 +18mm, 4.88 gears, Yukon Grizz front locker, Fox Ats steering damper, Bushwacker Fender Flares and a roll of Oracal.
$10 000

FWC, Bundutec popup camper, or Capris hardside camper.
$20 000 to $30 000

 

[Clutch]

You can buy a brand new "Classic" Ram 1500 V6 4WD extra cab, sub $25K right now.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/748354272/overview/

Toss on some decent AT tires, a Hi-Rise camper shell and call it good. $2500-3000

Could do a sleeping platform with drawers, or a cot (for the single dude/dudette) or inflatable truck bed. All easily had for under $200.

$200 for a stove, cooler, storage bin and kitchen utensils. Probably could go even cheaper doing CL or thrift stores.

Don't need much of that recovery equipment, just be smart and stay out of the silly stuff. Only thing I carry is a snatch strap and a shovel. And have been going off-pavement since I was knee-high to a duck. My truck has a locker and I rarely use it.


Total $28,400. use that $16K I just saved to buy some, skiing, hiking, biking, and/or motos plus gear and a maybe little trailer. No 4 wheeled vehicle and can get back into the boonies like that stuff can do.

Feel the need for a camper. Vagabond, Gofast, AT Flip/Summit, OVRLND, maybe a Callen.

$10K-ish

Even cheaper and more living space would be to convert a small cargo trailer. Brand new 5X8 is about $3500. Axle flip $0, and 31-32" tires, done.

 

[BritKLR]

Chevy / GMC 1500 standard cab, shortbed, WT, 4wd, 5.3, auto
$29,695 (on-line)

Leer topper (or other brands)
$750-$1500

SAA winch kit
$1000

BFG MTs on stock spoked steel rims
$1200

$31,970


(Please note: credit to owner of this truck. Not mine. Screen grab for example purposes only.)

 

[Christian P.]

You can buy a brand new Ram 1500 V6 4WD extra cab, sub $25K right now.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/748354272/overview/

Toss on some decent AT tires and a camper shell and call it good. $2500-3000

Could do a sleeping platform with drawers, or a cot (for the single dude/dudette) or inflatable truck bed. All easily had for under $200.

$200 for a stove, cooler, storage bin and kitchen utensils. Probably could go even cheaper doing CL or thrift stores.

Don't need much of that recovery equipment, just be smart and stay out of the silly stuff. Only thing I carry is a snatch strap and a shovel. And have been going off-pavement since I was knee-high to a duck. My truck has a locker and I rarely use it.


Total $28,400. use that $16K I just saved to buy some, skiing, hiking, biking, and/or motos plus gear and a maybe little trailer. No 4 wheeled vehicle and can get back into the boonies like that stuff can do.

Clutch - that's one of your best postings lately! I couldn't agree more, $24 for a brand new 4x4 truck that gets decent fuel economy and should be reliable for many years. that's hard to beat.

You can get that RAM, drive I up to Alaska on the ice road this winter and then down to Patagonia.

 

[Clutch]

Chevy / GMC 1500 standard cab, shortbed, WT, 4wd, 5.3, auto
$29,695 (on-line)

Leer topper (or other brands)
$750-$1500

SAA winch kit
$1000

BFG MTs on stock spoked steel rims
$1200

$31,970

View attachment 497744

Nice!

That is my kind of setup, right there! Looks like the trailer I have too.

 

[Clutch]

Clutch - that's one of your best postings lately! I couldn't agree more, $24 for a brand new 4x4 truck that gets decent fuel economy and should be reliable for many years. that's hard to beat.

You can get that RAM, drive I up to Alaska on the ice road this winter and then down to Patagonia.

Ha ha thanks! Can grab a Nissan gas Titan (non-HD) for pretty cheap too, last time I looked RCLB for around $25K.

Yep, don't need much to get out there.

Would love to do that trip you mentioned, have been following Tim (Dirt Sunrise) on his and Kelsey's adventure.

 

[04Ram2500Hemi]

This screen grab is for a Power Wagon with the Tradesman package. $43,000 with front/rear lockers, 12,000lb Warn winch, and a disconnecting sway bar. Hard to argue with that kind of value.

 

[Explorerinil]

This screen grab is for a Power Wagon with the Tradesman package. $43,000 with front/rear lockers, 12,000lb Warn winch, and a disconnecting sway bar. Hard to argue with that kind of value.
View attachment 497754

You really don’t need to add much to that at all either, maby a topper or bed rack and your done.

 

[Grump E-Vet]

@04Ram2500Hemi You beat me too it as far as stock off-road set up hard to beat that in a full-size with factory disconectable sway bars and lockers, plus already set up for a winch. Though there are ton of deals on the actual 2018 regular PWs right now with truck month.

 

[ttengineer]

This screen grab is for a Power Wagon with the Tradesman package. $43,000 with front/rear lockers, 12,000lb Warn winch, and a disconnecting sway bar. Hard to argue with that kind of value.
View attachment 497754

This.

Add a topper with an EZ lift tent kit and a truck bed inflatable mattress, 35s, a quality GPS, and you’re pretty golden I would think.

Under $50, probably under $47 really.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Halligan]

Power Wagon Tradesman......

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Yeah... Nissan Altima and a Best Western rewards membership. With the ten thousand+ dollars I save I'll buy all kinds of fuel.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Why buy new though? Buy 1 - 2 years old and 15,000 - 25,000 miles. Still under warranty and the other guy takes the depreciation hit.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Back before I decided to keep the 'Burb for another 3 years I was obsessively auto-shopping on line. In terms of "stealth" vehicles the full-size truck with a NA V6 was usually thousands less than the same truck with the V8. I don't think the price difference was the engine, I think it was more that the V6 trucks were "strippers" or "work trucks" and didn't have all the bells and whistles, while many of the V8's were "urban cowboy" specials with every option.

AFAIK both GM and Ram offer a NA gasoline V6 in their full size truck (not sure about Ford - they offer so many options and packages that it's dizzying! Obviously Ford has the Eco Boost motors but I don't know what non-boosted V6 motors they have in the F150.) I'm pretty sure the GM engine is the venerable 4.3 which has been around since forever. Not sure what the Ram V6 is, I think it's a 3.8 (maybe the same one that's in the Wrangler?) but not sure.

I've never driven one so I don't know how they compare to the V8 version but my guess is if you don't pull a heavy trailer and you don't need to be the fastest thing on the highway, you can probably get decent MPG in one of them.

Best of both worlds: You get the space and comfort of a full size but the MPG of a compact.

 

[Buliwyf]

The only vehicle I bought used, that I felt I got my moneys worth from, was an old 94 Yj. Then again, I used to crash it into things for fun, so it's hard to get an objective opinion.

I don't want someone else's lemon, flood damaged truck, or anything off road, or expo oriented. Raptors, Rubicons, and PW's are worthless to me on the used market. You know every joint on the truck was beat on. And people are asking top dollar.

RV's are even worse. Priced way too high used.