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Another Benchrace: family rig, reliable, cheap

benjy

benjy

Rarely wrenches
Supporting Member
Location
Moab
I've been thinking about a new rig since selling our TJ. Since our girls were born, 90% of our wheeling trips could have been done in a street legal rig. Typically we went out solo, just because wheeling with kids is hard with a group. And since I've been telecommuting, a lot of times we wheel during the week.

There were a boatload of reasons we sold the TJ. We bought a 5th wheel and will be doing some traveling, but more than that was the constant project status, maintenance costs (we were spending a few thousand $'s/year to keep it wheeling a few times/month), and the inability to fit more kids. Wheeling will always be a family activity for us, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

These are the priorities, highest to lowest:
  • Family friendly - must seat 3 kids (I'm willing to buy narrow car seats or 3rd row bench)
  • Cost - I'd love for the whole build to come under $10k, willing to go as high as mid 20s
  • Reliability - I want this thing to be OEM reliable. I'd like to keep factory engine/trans/tcase. I'm willing to do an axle swap. I'd love to just buy a quality long arm, wheels/tires, build bumpers and be done.
  • Capable wheeler - let's say I want to be able to run pritchett level trails
  • Ingress/Egress for the kids - getting the girls in and out of the TJ was a chore. This would probably limit me to something with 4 doors I would assume?

The obvious choice is a Rubicon JK. I would already own one if they weren't so much $, but I really don't want to pay mid 20's for a 3.8l that still needs lift/wheels/tires/winch etc. I don't mind higher miles, this won't be a daily driver.

Thoughts?
 
BlueWolfFab

BlueWolfFab

Running Behind
Location
Eagle Mountain
Crew cab short bed gasser F250 ( '04+ for coil spring front) Dovetailed bed (and nose?), 40" tires with some trimming and a bit of suspension, and light but high clearance armor.
 
UNSTUCK

UNSTUCK

But stuck more often.
JKU. I did one full size car seat in the middle and two boosters on the outsides. Did a few trips to Sand Hollow that way. Very sad I sold it. It really was the perfect family-of-5 wheeler. All our needed camping gear fit in the back. With a small trailer or cargo rack it would have been awesome.
 
benjy

benjy

Rarely wrenches
Supporting Member
Location
Moab
Kevin B. said:
80 series? Some have 3rd row.
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Hickey said:
4runner or Double Cab Tacoma.
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I may have to shop around a bit more, but my impression is that a Toyota in general isn't great on the value proposition - maybe a bit more in the reliability department over a Jeep of the same area, but significantly more $... And my neighbor just picked up a fzj80(?) and it is the most underpowered vehicle I've ever driven. Can't get out of it's own way.

BlueWolfFab said:
Crew cab short bed gasser F250 ( '04+ for coil spring front) Dovetailed bed (and nose?), 40" tires with some trimming and a bit of suspension, and light but high clearance armor.
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Now we're talking! I'm going to have to check around for aftermarket support on one of these. That would be a really cool family rig. Only concern would be the initial curb weight. Big rig on the trails.
 
benjy

benjy

Rarely wrenches
Supporting Member
Location
Moab
UNSTUCK said:
JKU. I did one full size car seat in the middle and two boosters on the outsides. Did a few trips to Sand Hollow that way. Very sad I sold it. It really was the perfect family-of-5 wheeler. All our needed camping gear fit in the back. With a small trailer or cargo rack it would have been awesome.
Click to expand...

You're probably right.

I've also considered some alternate ways to get the initial purchase price down... Salvage/wrecked, super high mileage, use a buddy to check the auctions?
 
Coco

Coco

Well-Known Member
Location
Lehi, UT
Kevin B. said:
An F250 on Pritchett? I haven't driven the trail, is that doable?
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BlueWolfFab said:
Sure is! If built.
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Petersons built one of there Ultimate Adventure rigs out of a F250/350 Powerstroke. Worked pretty well, but they didnt dovetail/bob/dovenose any of it, so it got its butt kicked in upper helldorado. Was a cool truck, but they cut corners on certain parts as well. It could have been done better IMHO. They didnt upgrade the steering at all, and it was on the giant Michelin military tires. A 4 door shortbed would be a cool project, you could obviously dove/bob the bed, and front, and make it a very capable trail rig.

131_1005_02+ultimate_adventure_project_trucks+then_2002_ford.jpg

Regardless, I am just happy you will be out wheeling again! :)
 
benjy

benjy

Rarely wrenches
Supporting Member
Location
Moab
Didn't Chevy put a 5.3 in a Colorado? Do a SAS on 37s and call it good? Maybe a bob and dovetail for departure angle?
 
benjy

benjy

Rarely wrenches
Supporting Member
Location
Moab
My FIL thinks we should do an Xterra, says older ones have gotten cheap? That's definitely uncharted territory for me
 
BlueWolfFab

BlueWolfFab

Running Behind
Location
Eagle Mountain
benjy said:
Didn't Chevy put a 5.3 in a Colorado? Do a SAS on 37s and call it good? Maybe a bob and dovetail for departure angle?
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37's + 5.3 + GM 4L60E + moderate off-roading = a fast trip to the transmission shop.

That and Colorados are priced way over what they "should" be bringing in. Especially a crewcab 5.3. You will be 20k+ with the initial purchase and leave no budget left for upgrades.

Its built on the same platform as my H3 was. The transmissions just can't handle big tires.
 
benjy

benjy

Rarely wrenches
Supporting Member
Location
Moab
BlueWolfFab said:
37's + 5.3 + GM 4L60E + moderate off-roading = a fast trip to the transmission shop.

That and Colorados are priced way over what they "should" be bringing in. Especially a crewcab 5.3. You will be 20k+ with the initial purchase and leave no budget left for upgrades.

Its built on the same platform as my H3 was. The transmissions just can't handle big tires.
Click to expand...

That's crazy. You see them all over the side of the road for a few grand
 
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