Need some help on deciding which vehicle route to take.

[hypnotaco]

I would first like to say that I have been so happy since I have found this site and other people with a passion for getting outdoors like myself. :wings:

Since joining I have been doing quite a bit of reading on what type of vehicle or vehicle/camper would work the best for my wife and I to get out with, but I am still left with many questions. I was hoping that I could weigh in with your guys' experiences, and my own research to come to the best decision.

We will be using whatever we get for expeditions, daily driving, spur of the moment fishing trips, and exploring BLM and NFS land. We may want the possibility of running light to medium trails at some point in time though.

First off, my daily driver is a 2007 Tacoma 4x2 Auto 2.7L at the moment, but will be trading that in for whatever I get. Being that it is a 2wd, I would rather not put any money into it, as I would like a vehicle to be able to grow with my needs, in terms of wanting to possibly increase the difficulty of terrain I cover in the future. Also the low payload doesn't help things all that much.

We just aren't sure if going with a suv, a pickup + fwc/atc shell model, longbed pickup with a topper, or something else would be the best for our needs?

My wife and I would like to have the following out of whatever type of setup we choose, starting with the highest priority needs:

1) Must be able to sleep two people in it comfortably with our minimal gear (sleeping/food/fishing), and the room for a porta potty inside for the wife. I am the tallest at 5'11 for reference.
2) Must get decent mileage, at least within 2-4 mpg of the Tacoma ( 22 mpg) if possible.
3) Must be quieter than a regular tent. We both have sleep issues, and if we are camping in a 'crowded' area we are often woken up by people in other sites in the night.
4) The ride must be comfortable, or have the aftermarket availability to make it so.
5) Must be pretty reliable. I do most of my own work, except for major stuff.
6) Must be quick setup, or at least quicker than a tent and everything that goes with it.
7) Must have an automatic transmission. The wife and I are lazy drivers.

Our total budget is around 25k - 35K total including my Tacoma trade in. If on the higher end, I would be wanting something that will last me many many years as I agreed to let the wife choose the next vehicle after this

Thanks in advance for the help everyone.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I'll bet you could spring for a used Sportsmobile that would fit all your needs except for MPG. Also may not make a great DD.

I doubt two people could sleep comfortably in a mini-truck unless it has a pop-up or high-rise. I know my wife and I couldn't.

A full size truck or SUV might work but again will blow your MPG requirement.

A pop up camper (like a FWC) could work but I doubt you would get close to 20mpg with that setup (though others here have pop ups and can give you a better idea.

'bout the only thing I can think of might be an extended cab mini truck with a Wildernest or Flip-Pac on it. Wildernest is out of business but flip-pac is still around. Maybe an 05+ Tacoma with a flip pac?

 

[Allof75]

Well, there's several options in that price range, it just depends on the size of vehicle you need. I searched for a similar vehicle, albeit with a budget approximately 1/4 of yours. But for your specific requirements, the list narrows a bit, primarily the mileage and sleeping with gear requirements.

You may want to look into a Nissan Frontier PRO-4x, it's essentially the Taco's cheaper equivalent with more power and I believe a stouter (titan) frame.

Also, you may wish to look into a full-size truck with a camper as well, there are tons of options as far as the camper itself is concerned. An F150 Ecoboost 4x4 would fit your criteria, as would the new ram Diesel (as long as you don't mind waiting), and an older diesel 3/4ton would as well. But they are admittedly behemoths.

As for SUVs:

A newer pathfinder (R51) may work, though probably not with the V8 option, assuming you want to keep that fuel economy. An Xterra should be able to work as well.

From toyota, the 4runner definitely will fulfill the requirements, you could pick up a really nice used one for that cost, and probably a decent 4x4 model new one.

The requirements are rather narrow, though you did come to the right place for an answer!

 

[hypnotaco]

Martinjmpr - Yeah, I am thinking that an fwc may be the way to go, and just have in garaged when im not using it to keep fuel economy. I have seen those sportmobiles, and they definitely look pretty comfy inside. Though like you said, it would be a pain to dd, especially here in the bay area.

Allof75- Yeah, I have thought about the suv's before, but from what I read, sleeping 2 people+ gear in them is pretty tight. I have thought of going with a mini truck. I have looked at the pro-4x before, but from what I read it seemed like the aftermarket was very limited and are not as comfortable as the tacoma.

I have thought about going with another tacoma in 4x4 form, but was still unsure on the I4 & v6 issue. Ideally I would like to be able to get away with using a new regular cab 4x4 I4 Auto, but couldn't find any other members here using that. Would the auto I4 be way to slow with a fwc or atc shell on steep grades?

Thanks for the information so far guys, I appreciate any more as well.

 

[nasko]

Martinjmpr - Yeah, I am thinking that an fwc may be the way to go, and just have in garaged when im not using it to keep fuel economy. I have seen those sportmobiles, and they definitely look pretty comfy inside. Though like you said, it would be a pain to dd, especially here in the bay area.

Allof75- Yeah, I have thought about the suv's before, but from what I read, sleeping 2 people+ gear in them is pretty tight. I have thought of going with a mini truck. I have looked at the pro-4x before, but from what I read it seemed like the aftermarket was very limited and are not as comfortable as the tacoma.

I have thought about going with another tacoma in 4x4 form, but was still unsure on the I4 & v6 issue. Ideally I would like to be able to get away with using a new regular cab 4x4 I4 Auto, but couldn't find any other members here using that. Would the auto I4 be way to slow with a fwc or atc shell on steep grades?

Thanks for the information so far guys, I appreciate any more as well.

not sure what you mean when you say that the Frontier is not as comfortable as a Tacoma. Take one for a drive, aftermarket parts-wise, there is everything you need, as a matter of fact the Frontier/Navara is a world platform where the Tacoma is North America only. I have never had a Tacoma (I drive a 2005 Xterra, which is the SUV brother of the Frontier), so I cannot compare them, but the Frontier should not be dismissed so easily IMO. Cheers and good luck.

 

[hypnotaco]

Thanks for the heads up Nasko. I guess like most things read on the internet, it should be taken with a grain of salt. I will try to go down and give the frontier a test drive, since I got a nissan dealership pretty close to me.

 

[Allof75]

not sure what you mean when you say that the Frontier is not as comfortable as a Tacoma. Take one for a drive, aftermarket parts-wise, there is everything you need, as a matter of fact the Frontier/Navara is a world platform where the Tacoma is North America only. I have never had a Tacoma (I drive a 2005 Xterra, which is the SUV brother of the Frontier), so I cannot compare them, but the Frontier should not be dismissed so easily IMO. Cheers and good luck.

X2, there's all kinds of aftermarket support for the Frontier, plus they're cheaper than the Tacoma, and I'd say just as comfortable. Try one out and see if you like it.

 

[Arclight]

My requirements were somewhat similar (except budget which is a lot smaller) and I picked up a Toyota T100 with a shell and fixed it up to be comfortable. I really like this "in between" size, as the bed is wide enough to sleep two people comfortably, but you can still fit it in a normal garage.

If you get a roof rack and put your gear up in Rubbermaid tool boxes, you can pull your stuff out, put it up top or under the truck, blow up a full-size air mattress and be ready for bed in 5 minutes.

Mileage is about 18, and the 3.4l V6 is fine for my needs. I'd look at all of the mid-sized pickup options, both new and used before you make up your mind.

If you buy used, you could afford something small and easy to park for your daily driver.

I agree about SUVs and usable room. My experience is that you spend a lot of time moving around gear in order to make a comfortable place to bed down, and that you often have to deal with oddly-shaped features that limit the use of interior space.


Arclight

 

[bob91yj]

Ever consider a Chevy Astro AWD van? They can be had with a pop top for more room. Transfer case can be swapped out for a NV231 for true 4wd. With your budget you could source a clean used one, have it modified to meet your needs and have $$$ left over. Fuel economy would be the only real down side.

 

[Allof75]

My requirements were somewhat similar (except budget which is a lot smaller) and I picked up a Toyota T100 with a shell and fixed it up to be comfortable. I really like this "in between" size, as the bed is wide enough to sleep two people comfortably, but you can still fit it in a normal garage.

If you get a roof rack and put your gear up in Rubbermaid tool boxes, you can pull your stuff out, put it up top or under the truck, blow up a full-size air mattress and be ready for bed in 5 minutes.

Mileage is about 18, and the 3.4l V6 is fine for my needs. I'd look at all of the mid-sized pickup options, both new and used before you make up your mind.

If you buy used, you could afford something small and easy to park for your daily driver.

I agree about SUVs and usable room. My experience is that you spend a lot of time moving around gear in order to make a comfortable place to bed down, and that you often have to deal with oddly-shaped features that limit the use of interior space.


Arclight

A used T100 or the First Gen Tundra would make a great choice. With the money left over, you could, as above, buy an economical car as your DD, or use the money for upgrades.

 

[mapper]

An AWD Astro will get equivalent gas mileage as an SUV. My 2003 AWD rides on a ~3" lift (easy to do) and AT tires. I can easily net 17mpg with the hammer down on highways to/from camp with a Thule box on top. Drive it on the highway easy like Sunday morning and you can start to see 20mpgs. With a platfrom in the back 3/4s of the van two people and 3 dogs fit comfortably with room to spare, AND you can walk through (crouched) to the driver's seat. The space behind the driver's seat (the remaining 1/4 where you didn't put a platform) is where a porta pottie could live. behind the passenger seat is where you comfortably sit upright to change your clothes and shoes/boots. With your budget you could easily add a poptop (Colorado Camper Van) and have room to stand inside.

Edit: I haven't pushed the capability of my van yet so I can't comment on worthiness on heavy trails. There are a few on the site and Astro Safari (GMC version) who have pushed these vans hard using the stock driveline and the added 2 speed transfer case. You'll definitely want to check out T.Lowe's van if you are interested in pursuing these vans more.

 

[Brandon Libby]

Have you considered buying a slide in pop-up truck camper for your current truck? I see that you want 4WD, but it's not always necessary. You can go a lot of places with 2WD and a rear locker -you could also install a winch for that extra margin of safety.

For example, Travis Schanafelt took his 2WD, 4 cylinder Ford Ranger to the Arctic Circle, Key West, FL, Mexico City, and some other cool places. He used a flip pac truck camper which may or may not be suited to your needs, but the point is, he did it all without 4WD or a winch.

If you decide 4WD is absolutely necessary it would be as simple as sliding your camper into your next (4WD) truck. Just food for thought...:chef:

Cheers,
Brandon

 

[hypnotaco]

Thanks for all the replies so far guys. Definitely appreciated.

Allof75- Well, I went down to check out the frontier, and both the wife and I didn't care for it that much. Just didn't feel like the right one.

Arclight - Yeah, I thought about getting something used and getting a smaller car for dd. But the wife would like to keep the total vehicles to 2. I also looked at the T100's, but with almost all the ones I have found out here have been too high mileage and have been beat to hard to use as my daily driver. I have taken your cue though, and expanded my search to mid size trucks.

bob91yj- Yeah, I thought the van would fit the bill, except it would suck for daily driving. Not to mention it's a van. No disrespect to any van owners out here, they just aren't my thing is all. Kind of like station wagons.

Allof75- See above, can only have 2 vehicles, so a separate dd is out of the question.

mapper - some of those camper conversions for the vans look pretty cool. unfortunately, I am just not feeling the vans.

nota944mechanic - I thought about using my existing truck, but with the fact that it doesn't do well as is with steep inclines and headwinds, I think using a popup camper would only make it worse. I considered a flip pac at first, for the minimal weight difference between it with gear and a fwc shell, I would much rather have the comforts of the shell. Not to mention the possibility of customization.

----------------------

I have pretty much decided that a fwc/atc shell is what is in order. The last part is trying to find a suitable truck up for the job that will still net a decent mpg. I have been looking at the 2013 ram 1500 4x4 regular cab with the pentastar v6. Seems like only a couple hundred more pounds than a 4x4 double cab tacoma, with more power and tq, and more payload capacity. 16/23 mpg and the space for a bigger shell than the finch or eagle. I am trying to locate one to test drive though, seems like it is a rare combo, though being a new option doesn't help either. Might be able to score a decent deal since the ecodiesel will come out soon.

What do you guys think of this option?

 

[Bdiddy11]

Would your wife allow you a bike of some sort? Depending on where you live weather wise though... You could pick up a scooter or dual sport bike for your decent weather commuter for 1-4k. 50+mpg depending what you get and insurance around 7-20$ a month depending on tickets/accidents... A think the gen 1 Tundra might be a good option. They get less mpg than your Taco but would be offset by a scoot/motorcycle. There's some pretty nice builds of gen 1 Tundras. You wouldn't rack up a crap ton of miles I'd it was just used as a weekend warrior/cold weather dd. I do that with my XJ. Only drive it when I can't ride the scoot.

I'll be swapping my XJ for a Montero soon though. I want a more comfortable ride and third row seating for our slow growing family. Plus you can get em with a factory locker.

 

[Allof75]

I have pretty much decided that a fwc/atc shell is what is in order. The last part is trying to find a suitable truck up for the job that will still net a decent mpg. I have been looking at the 2013 ram 1500 4x4 regular cab with the pentastar v6. Seems like only a couple hundred more pounds than a 4x4 double cab tacoma, with more power and tq, and more payload capacity. 16/23 mpg and the space for a bigger shell than the finch or eagle. I am trying to locate one to test drive though, seems like it is a rare combo, though being a new option doesn't help either. Might be able to score a decent deal since the ecodiesel will come out soon.

What do you guys think of this option?

Unfortunate to hear the Fronty didn't work out, and I understand the vehicle max. That Ram is a rare beast indeed, 4x4 regular cabs usually are for some reason. I think the newest V6 has the 8 speed transmission, and a few aerodynamic goodies are available, which should help the mpg. Very nice truck from what I've read, I have a 3rd gen ram and am nothing but always impressed with it. Seems like a great option for your needs.