Best overland rig on a budget other than Toyota or jeep

BigRobVa

BigRobVa

Rank I

Contributor III

154
Virginia
First Name
Daniel
Last Name
Robinson
Looking to get into overlanding what are some decent vehicles to start with that won't break the bank. Not looking to dive in looking to ease my way in to the game


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BigRobVa said:
Looking to get into overlanding what are some decent vehicles to start with that won't break the bank. Not looking to dive in looking to ease my way in to the game


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I'm biased, but Jeep liberties can be had for cheap, and make good overland rigs.

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I'd really prefer a stick. I'm kinda looking at Nissan Xterras right now


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This is going to be something I daily drive. Side note I only work like 15 minutes from my house


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Every vehicle has their quirks and I always implore people to do some real research into a vehicle before buying. I love my Xterra and so do most people who have them. They can be had for a reasonable price and if you opt for a first gen, they are getting really affordable.
 
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Honda CR-V is a worthy vehicle I think in my opinion I used to have a 2000 and it was a tank I have a Cherokee now though I’m looking into a xterra as well for my next vehicle


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This is a very loaded question as there are way too many unknowns for us to really know what would work well for you. How about a little background?

  • Do you need a pickup or SUV is either ok?
  • How big of a family (if any) or how many passengers do you want to accomodate?
  • How many people will be camping out of the vehicle?
  • Will you look at a trailer eventually?
  • How will you sleep (or want to)? Tent / RTT / Hammock / in the vehicle, etc.
  • Where / how is the terrain where you will you be traveling? (is 4x4 necessary)
  • Do you prefer base-camping or moving every night?
  • What is your purchase price budget? (huge factor)
  • How are your mechanical skills? (can you fix and work on an older rig yourself, or will you have to rely on professionals)

That should be a good start to begin narrowing down options.
 
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A second generation pathfinder would be a budget friendly rig. Still has good aftermarket support, and is a pretty capable rig in stock form.
 
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Chili said:
This is a very loaded question as there are way too many unknowns for us to really know what would work well for you. How about a little background?

  • Do you need a pickup or SUV is either ok?
  • How big of a family (if any) or how many passengers do you want to accomodate?
  • How many people will be camping out of the vehicle?
  • Will you look at a trailer eventually?
  • How will you sleep (or want to)? Tent / RTT / Hammock / in the vehicle, etc.
  • Where / how is the terrain where you will you be traveling? (is 4x4 necessary)
  • Do you prefer base-camping or moving every night?
  • What is your purchase price budget? (huge factor)
  • How are your mechanical skills? (can you fix and work on an older rig yourself, or will you have to rely on professionals)

That should be a good start to begin narrowing down options.
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Either is fine. Prefer a stick
I have a large family 6 kids.(probably wouldn't take them all at one time)
I will be using a tent or hammock depending on the weather. Trailer is a maybe and I'm not too sure on my budget yet. This would also be my daily driver to start off with. And I'm decent with a wrench& have friends that will help


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BigRobVa said:
Either is fine. Prefer a stick
I have a large family 6 kids.(probably wouldn't take them all at one time)
I will be using a tent or hammock depending on the weather. Trailer is a maybe and I'm not too sure on my budget yet. This would also be my daily driver to start off with. And I'm decent with a wrench& have friends that will help


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Sounds like a 05-up Pathfinder with the third row seating would be more up your alley! They are almost identical to the Xterra's but slightly longer and IRS.
 
Based on that criteria, if I were you I would probably be looking at a full size SUV.. I had an 05 Suburban Z71 before my Jeep and I loved it. Tons of room, adequate offroad, easy and cheap to work on and those 5.3 LS engines seem to run forever. To me they are about the best blend of size, comfort, capability, quality, etc.. I am partial to that body style though (2000-2006 GMT800). I have had friends with the 2007 - 2014 and the interior just doesn't seem as good, quality-wise. Particularly the dash (one friend's is cracking pretty noticeably). Tahoes are nice too, but with 6 kids and a third row, the suburban still gives you plenty of cargo space.

The down-side is they are getting pretty old now, so most examples have pretty high mileage. That said, mine had over 170k on the clock when I sold it, and was running perfectly.
 
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TerryD said:
Sounds like a 05-up Pathfinder with the third row seating would be more up your alley! They are almost identical to the Xterra's but slightly longer and IRS.
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I looked at those back in around 2005 and liked them, except that the second row had almost no leg room.
 
I think eventually if I could get my wife into it we'd run 2 rigs


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Square body suburban , 3” tuff country ez ride lift , replace all the suspension bushings , tune up and go adventuring . Parts can be found everywhere and the whole family can go .
 
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I guess I should also throw a sequoia in , decent mpg , plenty of room, very daily driveable , super reliable . Not a real wheeler but we have taken ours on lots of fun backroads and adventures
 
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