Question on expo and full size

[WickedZJ]

I currently have a lifted 94 grand cherokee. My wife says she wants to get a vehicle with more cargo room to haul the kids and all their stuff when we go camping or on trips. My questions is this, is it worth it to go with a Suburban or say a full size Blazer? I want to be able to run trails and everything but have been told a burb is way to big and to stick with something smaller. What's you opinion on this? I figure who better to ask then the people who run them.

Thanks for the help

 

[frumpy]

It really depends on the trails you run. Some trails are just big enough for a Suzuki samurai and some are big enough for a monster truck. If you do go this route I'd try to find something solid axle (like an older burb).

There's also always the option of an off road trailer. If your ZJ is already built and capable it could save you from having to build a whole new rig.

 

[pete.wilson]

Hey

Maybe go with a good clean used Tahoe. Even though it's IFS; 90% of the people don't need anything drastic for a solid front axle, and if you do, it can be done. The tahoe is pretty good on size and cargo but still smaller than a sub. I used to have a 94 Sub that I used for research and it work good except it was big. I loved it, I would recommend a 2500 though (3/4 ton). Good luck.

Pete Wilson

 

[WickedZJ]

I was thinkon of doing a 87- 91 burb. I am planning on doing some research for solid axles. As for my zj it just has a 3.5" loft and a rack. A tahie is a good idea depending on how had a solid axle swap is.

 

[Bullseye240]

You can get a bolt in kit for a SAS fairly cheap for the Tahoe. The expensive part is the axle itself as you ned to find one out of a mid 70's ford due to the drivers side drop of the T-case or order a new custom axle. BTW thats in the "plans" for my 94 Blazer.

 

[warrpath4x4]

You can get a bolt in kit for a SAS fairly cheap for the Tahoe. The expensive part is the axle itself as you ned to find one out of a mid 70's ford due to the drivers side drop of the T-case or order a new custom axle. BTW thats in the "plans" for my 94 Blazer.

Sometimes its easier and cheaper to buy a different transfercase and stay with an axle out of a chevy.

 

[ntsqd]

How highly do you & your wife care about cosmetics?

The reason that I ask is that have a '91 Sub (FS BTW) and I truly love it! It is big (bigger than I need 95% of the time), but GM did a very nice job of making these trucks drive and behave nicely. I think nothing of checking fluids and taking off on a 1000 mile plus trip in it and have done exactly this on many occasions. It is not tiring to drive at all, it just goes down the highway and eats up the miles.

They are big though. I have given mine more than a little desert pinstriping going up overgrown trails. IF the cosmetics are critical, then I would suggest that a Sub not be anything but a trips rig.

 

[DBS311]

Unless you are dead set on a Chevy, I would also look at the Ford Excursion, especially with the 7.3 Powerstroke. Tons of room, solid front axle, and it's a diesel.

 

[Bob599]

I was looking at a suburban also but I realized at this point I didn't need the 3rd row so we found what we were looking for in a 4DR full size truck. Lots of room for 5 in the truck and easier cheaper mods with a much cheaper base vehicle. Put a cap on the back and load it to the top. Our comprimise turned out to be a much better vehicle for us.

 

[WickedZJ]

Only reason for the third row is that my kids get their own row and will have their own TV so no fighting. Thats my wifes reason BTW. What do you guys think about maybe a full size blazer or bronco?

 

[Spur]

Only reason for the third row is that my kids get their own row and will have their own TV so no fighting. Thats my wifes reason BTW. What do you guys think about maybe a full size blazer or bronco?

Personally, I don't think you'll gain all that much room over a Grand Cherokee. My vote is for an old Suburban, but I'm a little biased. A 4 door pickup is a nice option too.

 

[James86004]

How many kids? With 2 kids, I would stick with the Jeep and probably get the trailer, something like the Adventure Trailer.

More than 2 kids, then that 3rd row seat becomes more important. It is a tradeoff. I drive a Suburban at work, and it is a lot less maneuverable than my Silverado - that little extra length makes a huge difference.

It would be an interesting experiment to find if Jeep + off-road trailer can go more or less places than a Suburban. I imagine each one can get places the other one can't.

 

[jp0863]

I think it all comes down to where you want to go offroad. If you plan on jeep trails, than the suburban is not the way to go. Having owned a cj, tj, wj, k5, and now a suburban i can tell you from experience that it just plain comes down to where you want to go. For rock crawling stick with something narrow, although i have taken my k5 on a few jeep trails with all the jeepers saying it couldnt be done. Well i did it and without a scratch to boot (ok maybe one scratch). Now that i'm a bit older and have 4 kids, the suburban is the obvious choice and as such i have had to change where i go offroad. The suburban was purchased because i needed more room than the K5 had, and so far am happy with my desision, although i cant hit the more difficult trails without tearing it up. An excursion would also make a good trail rig, but parts are a bit more expensive. A 3/4 ton suburban is a good solid platform and cheaper to build than an excursion. just my $.02

 

[DEEZLPWR]

i have a Friend here in colorado that wheels his burban, he has a 6" lift, 33's for now and has no problem, just got to be mindful of length and height. if your going to rock crawl it is big, but for trail use its fine. yes it may have its limitations but so does everything else. he loves his burb and wont get rid of it!

 

[TreeTopFlyer]

I just got back from a week in Ouray doing trails. My Ex worked fine. If you are wanting to do trails that you know are going to be narrow, go with something else or trailer a vehicle. It was a very plush ride, fit 4 or us plus my 2yr old and all our gear in the vehicle. You can pick up a used gasser for super cheap. The 7.3s are a different story. One weak link is the tranny, get a 6.0 tranny cooler and a temp gauge or a BTS tranny.

Up at 12K fishing at Clear Lake

Towing a jeep I got 13mpg going up at 15 going back. All the vehicles on here are gonna get close to the same mpg, 15mpg range. Just a matter of how much room, length, and width you need. We do a lot of short trips and some times bring the dog. So I wanted a good bit of cargo space.