If you're going to ask "what vehicle is best..."

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tjZ06

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Obviously we see a lot of threads here asking "what vehicle is best." And like most matters of preference, we see a lot of varying opinions and often staunch brand-loyalty. It's much like asking "blondes or brunettes (but hey, what about redheads)?", "1911 vs. polymer?", "Whiskey or beer?" etc. etc. Now, I'm not at all complaining about these threads, they help folks make one of the biggest decisions related to this hobby (which is often also a large financial obligation) - choosing what vehicle to buy. Heck, I actually enjoy those threads and weigh-in with my $0.02 (which is worse less by the day, and not just because of inflation) on many of them.

But here's where I do my best Walt Kowalski face and wave my fist in the air: in almost ALL of these threads the topic starter doesn't actually provide us with the basic information we need to give a reasonably informative response. I find myself writing the same questions, over and over, so I thought, why not enumerate them here?

If you're considering starting a "what vehicle is best?" thread, here is some information you may want to include:
  • What is Overlanding/Off Roading to YOU? Do you prefer to stick to groomed forest service roads? Do you want to be able to Overland famous trails like the Rubicon Trail? Do you live somewhere with deep mud, even on "well groomed" trails? Do you often encounter snow? In general, what will the roads/trails you plan to use consist of?
  • Will your Overlander also be your daily driver? If so, what is your daily drive like? Do you have a long freeway commute? Or perhaps you have a short, in-town commute that can still take a long time because of traffic. Maybe you have work/family obligations that mean you often need to take long non-Overlanding road trips where MPG and comfort are a must. Or maybe you won't DD your Overlander at all and you're thus more willing to sacrifice comfort, MPG, etc.
  • Who, and what go with you on Overland trips (or on non-Overland trips if your vehicle must be multi-purpose)? Are you a solo cholo most of the time, or are you a family of 7 with 4 dogs, 3 cats and a parakeet that comes along? The answer to this question will greatly limit the scope of your vehicle search, at least if you're in the latter group.
  • Do you want to sleep IN, ON, or NEAR your vehicle? Obviously the answer to the previous question is closely tied to this one. If you're a single person that Overlands alone you might be happy sleeping in a small-ish SUV or cross-over. If you're a family of 4 that won't work. If your preference is to sleep IN your vehicle it will really impact the options. If you want to sleep ON your vehicle (RTTs) things are a bit less limited. Even still, a RTT sized to accommodate a family isn't going to fit well on a small cross-over. If you're more into the traditional ground tent route, then perhaps your sleeping choice doesn't limit vehicles as much... but all of that gear can get bulky too.
  • What comforts "must" you have with you? Are you currently a backpacker that can pack 2 weeks of food and gear into 1 cubic foot? Or are you coming out of a 45 foot diesel pusher and want as many of those amenities as possible? In many ways what you are looking to get for comfort will give a direction for Overlanding. Be it minimalism in a smaller rig, or perhaps something more like #vanlife, an expedition trailer, or a Four Wheel Camper to have more of "home" out on the trail. There is nothing wrong with either approach, but they do point to different vehicles.
  • Are you mechanically inclined, and/or interested in a "project" or a vehicle that requires more maintenance? There are a lot of great, really neat Overlanders out there that I'd love to have... but I'd never recommend to someone who doesn't want to repair and maintain a finicky vehicle (like, perhaps, my beloved WJs). The answer to the next question can also dictate how "hands off" your ownership and Overlanding experience can be, but even with unlimited funds there is a broad spectrum of dependability out there.
  • And finally, as disclosed by the last bullet I'll end my questions with the big one: what is your budget!?! The world is coin-operated, and unfortunately this question plays the biggest part in selecting the "right" vehicle for the majority of folks getting into Overlanding. It doesn't matter if you're looking at $5k or $500k, your budget will dictate a lot. Be realistic, particularly if looking at the lower end of the spectrum, pad used vehicle prices by 20% as a (very rough) rule-of-thumb to get them up to snuff. That is to say, you can expect a $10k used Overlander to need $2k of general repair and maintenance no matter how solid it might seem out first. Like any rule-of-thumb there are going to be cases where that guess is completely inaccurate, unfortunately that will generally mean the vehicle needs more money than expected as opposed to less.

Of course, it's fair to note that the answers to these questions often evolve and change. I know plenty of folks who started in a Subi or cross-over doing "soft roading" and ended up years later in a Rubicon on 40"s doing Fordyce. I know plenty of folks who have gone the other way too, eschewing their hardcore crawlers in favor of comfortable and practical SUVs. Still, having an idea where you stand on these topics will help us point y'all in the right direction!

-TJ
 
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reaver

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Obviously we see a lot of threads here asking "what vehicle is best." And like most matters of preference, we see a lot of varying opinions and often staunch brand-loyalty. It's much like asking "blondes or brunettes (but hey, what about redheads)?", "1911 vs. polymer?", "Whiskey or beer?" etc. etc. Now, I'm not at all complaining about these threads, they help folks make one of the biggest decisions related to this hobby (which is often also a large financial obligation) - choosing what vehicle to buy. Heck, I actually enjoy those threads and weigh-in with my $0.02 (which is worse less by the day, and not just because of inflation) on many of them.

But here's where I do my best Walt Kowalski face and wave my fist in the air: in almost ALL of these threads the topic starter doesn't actually provide us with the basic information we need to give a reasonably informative response. I find myself writing the same questions, over and over, so I thought, why not enumerate them here?

If you're considering starting a "what vehicle is best?" thread, here is some information you may want to include:
  • What is Overlanding/Off Roading to YOU? Do you prefer to stick to groomed forest service roads? Do you want to be able to Overland famous trails like the Rubicon Trail? Do you live somewhere with deep mud, even on "well groomed" trails? Do you often encounter snow? In general, what will the roads/trails you plan to use consist of?
  • Will your Overlander also be your daily driver? If so, what is your daily drive like? Do you have a long freeway commute? Or perhaps you have a short, in-town commute that can still take a long time because of traffic. Maybe you have work/family obligations that mean you often need to take long non-Overlanding road trips where MPG and comfort are a must. Or maybe you won't DD your Overlander at all and you're thus more willing to sacrifice comfort, MPG, etc.
  • Who, and what go with you on Overland trips (or on non-Overland trips if your vehicle must be multi-purpose)? Are you a solo cholo most of the time, or are you a family of 7 with 4 dogs, 3 cats and a parakeet that comes along? The answer to this question will greatly limit the scope of your vehicle search, at least if you're in the latter group.
  • Do you want to sleep IN, ON, or NEAR your vehicle? Obviously the answer to the previous question is closely tied to this one. If you're a single person that Overlands alone you might be happy sleeping in a small-ish SUV or cross-over. If you're a family of 4 that won't work. If your preference is to sleep IN your vehicle it will really impact the options. If you want to sleep ON your vehicle (RTTs) things are a bit less limited. Even still, a RTT sized to accommodate a family isn't going to fit well on a small cross-over. If you're more into the traditional ground tent route, then perhaps your sleeping choice doesn't limit vehicles as much... but all of that gear can get bulky too.
  • What comforts "must" you have with you? Are you currently a backpacker that can pack 2 weeks of food and gear into 1 cubic foot? Or are you coming out of a 45 foot diesel pusher and want as many of those amenities as possible? In many ways what you are looking to get for comfort will give a direction for Overlanding. Be it minimalism in a smaller rig, or perhaps something more like #vanlife, an expedition trailer, or a Four Wheel Camper to have more of "home" out on the trail. There is nothing wrong with either approach, but they do point to different vehicles.
  • Are you mechanically inclined, and/or interested in a "project" or a vehicle that requires more maintenance? There are a lot of great, really neat Overlanders out there that I'd love to have... but I'd never recommend to someone who doesn't want to repair and maintain a finicky vehicle (like, perhaps, my beloved WJs). The answer to the next question can also dictate how "hands off" your ownership and Overlanding experience can be, but even with unlimited funds there is a broad spectrum of dependability out there.
  • And finally, as disclosed by the last bullet I'll end my questions with the big one: what is your budget!?! The world is coin-operated, and unfortunately this question plays the biggest part in selecting the "right" vehicle for the majority of folks getting into Overlanding. It doesn't matter if you're looking at $5k or $500k, your budget will dictate a lot. Be realistic, particularly if looking at the lower end of the spectrum, pad used vehicle prices by 20% as a (very rough) rule-of-thumb to get them up to snuff. That is to say, you can expect a $10k used Overlander to need $2k of general repair and maintenance no matter how solid it might seem out first. Like any rule-of-thumb there are going to be cases where that guess is completely inaccurate, unfortunately that will generally mean the vehicle needs more money than expected as opposed to less.

Of course, it's fair to note that the answers to these questions often evolve and change. I know plenty of folks who started in a Subi or cross-over doing "soft roading" and ended up years later in a Rubicon on 40"s doing Fordyce. I know plenty of folks who have gone the other way too, eschewing their hardcore crawlers in favor of comfortable and practical SUVs. Still, having an idea where you stand on these topics will help us point y'all in the right direction!

-TJ
This might be some of the most sound advice I've seen posted regarding this topic.

Another thing to consider is in the current used market, prices are already inflated. A good used vehicle that a few years ago would have cost 6k, will likely be 8k now for the same vehicle.

If the latest and greatest vehicle is desired, that gap is even larger (new broncos are going for 100k+ these days).
 

MrWilsonWJ

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All good things to ask when going into the conversation of buying a rig. Also a lot of the questions you ask can go for the other thread seen time and time again "what tires should I buy?" Now I'm not hating on the people that ask that because everyone has a different background and experience buying tires, but most time there isn't enough info given and if they had done a little bit of searching they could find plenty of other threads where that dead horse has already been beaten...
 
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MOAK

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Hey, in all seriousness, the very best overlanding vehicles are, in my humble opinion, and most of the worlds opinion are the Landcruiser 70 series, older Land Rover 110s, not the new ones, Landcruiser 80 series, MB Geolander, older Nissan Patrols, not the new ones. All of these vehicles have been proven world wide to be great overlanding vehicles. I say not the new ones primarily because of all the electronics that we would not be able to repair ourselves in the field. All of the above have medium to poor fuel mileage.
 

tjZ06

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So, perhaps should we post some guidelines for the "which is best..." posts?

-TJ
 

ThundahBeagle

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The real question is Maryann or Ginger?
Maryann. That's all there is to it

Jean short shorts and plaid tied shirt? CHECK. And she could probably cha ge a tire.

Ginger? High maintenance pain in the arse, and doesnt look NEAR as good in the morning. NO THANKS.

Might as well ask of Indiana Jones:
Karen Allen, who can out-drink those roudy Tibetans and wind up and punch like no tomorrow and has a radiant smile
Or
That whiney "witch" who complains about her nails the whole second movie
 

ThundahBeagle

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@tjZ06 ...

Thanks for this thread. Now of we could only get people to SEARCH A BLASTED TOPIC before starting a whole new thread on the same topic, just asking questions that anyone could Google.

Like you, I find this site very informative and helpful and friendly. I'm happy to chime in or to read up. But man, when someone, for example, opens a thread with something like "what's a 33 inch tire in P-Metric?" or something, I have to wonder...did they google to find this site, and not google the original question first?
 

Hawkman

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I know there is alot of things to consider in a vehicle for overlanding. I'm wanting to start my first overland build. I have an opportunity to purchase a 1983 fj 60 land cruiser 4 speed with a 2f engine or a 2000 4 runner automatic with a 3.4. I'm mechanically inclined and owned mostly old toyota pickups. My main questions are, which one might be more versatile or maybe more dependable. The prices for each is about the same, so not a concern. Thinking roof top tent, awning, the back for cargo and cooking equipment. And looking to travel anywhere in the US. Any info is appreciated, thank you.
 

smritte

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The correct answer is...Mine.

OH and Maryann hands down.
Ginger wont like off road and is way too high maintenance.
 
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