I've been in the market for a larger vehicle that is capeable of getting off the beaten path but is also somewhere practical for long distance road trips, hauling catering gear for my business, and for sleeping in the back of for quick jaunts to the mountains.
I've played with the idea of a van (but not sure I want something THAT big), a Tundra of F150 extended cab w/ High-Top camper shell, or a Sequoia. I currently have an 86 4runner which is great for getting rowdy and short distances, but no fun once you've got to be on the highway for any extended period of time. I also have a 1993 F250 IDI that's been a beater, but still runs well and has relatively low mileage for that engine (190k). After more thinking I started to realize that if I replaced the F250 with a newer more comfortable truck, I would probably miss the ability to throw stuff in the back that's dirty, wet, whatever.
So I've most recently been looking at 1st Gen Sequoias with ~100k or less. With the back seats removed they seem like a good middle ground for storage space and the ability to sleep in if needed. I don't plan on doing heavy off-roading but would like it to be capable of getting off road and not getting stuck if I've got to deliver food/gear off pavement.
What are peoples opinions on these vehicles? I've found a few that are southern and don't seem to have any rust issues, and found one in VA that looked pretty clean from the pictures, and is also getting the recall treatment right now. Am I still risking a can of worms - or if things look good, can I be confident that it will last without problems?
Any opinions or advice are welcome. I haven't had a "comfortable" vehicle with AC or any modern conveniences in years.
I've played with the idea of a van (but not sure I want something THAT big), a Tundra of F150 extended cab w/ High-Top camper shell, or a Sequoia. I currently have an 86 4runner which is great for getting rowdy and short distances, but no fun once you've got to be on the highway for any extended period of time. I also have a 1993 F250 IDI that's been a beater, but still runs well and has relatively low mileage for that engine (190k). After more thinking I started to realize that if I replaced the F250 with a newer more comfortable truck, I would probably miss the ability to throw stuff in the back that's dirty, wet, whatever.
So I've most recently been looking at 1st Gen Sequoias with ~100k or less. With the back seats removed they seem like a good middle ground for storage space and the ability to sleep in if needed. I don't plan on doing heavy off-roading but would like it to be capable of getting off road and not getting stuck if I've got to deliver food/gear off pavement.
What are peoples opinions on these vehicles? I've found a few that are southern and don't seem to have any rust issues, and found one in VA that looked pretty clean from the pictures, and is also getting the recall treatment right now. Am I still risking a can of worms - or if things look good, can I be confident that it will last without problems?
Any opinions or advice are welcome. I haven't had a "comfortable" vehicle with AC or any modern conveniences in years.
