Happy Easter and a question: what would be our favorite vehicle for fishing and hunting?

RLLigman said:
Dani said:
I met a Toyota design engineer at a scenic trail site at the Cut River gorge on the Lake Michigan side of the U.P. I was there to fish and he was there to sight-see. He apparently was the guy on the FJ cruiser design team that opposed the rear window height and spare tire set-up. He was driving an FJ prototype. Jeff, this pertains to your comments. He went on to tell me that Toyota was moving away from real off-road vehicle designs outside the TRD badged trucks. All their SUVs would be 'highly gentrified' with the truck lines remaining more 'utilitarian'.
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That makes sense, unfortunately. They know where the market is, and it's not folks who will actually take trucks off road.

Has anyone driven one of the Suzuki Samurai's that have been heavily modified for off-road use? If I were shorter than 5'10", that might be an option for a back country fishing vehicle. If you believe You-Tube, they are pretty popular for serious off-roading. But I'm not sure I'd want to tow a trailer, even with my little 14 and 15 foot boats. My wife and I had a POS Samurai with a broken leaf spring and no top as our rental vehicle on a trip to Vieques, PR on our honeymoon. (Rental vehicles are scarce on the island, and beggars don't get to choose.) That little thing was fantastic on soft sandy roads, and about 2/3 the width of my Nissan Frontier, a big advantage on overgrown roads. But if the damn thing had the soft-top that was OEM, I'm pretty sure I couldn't have gotten into the driver's seat at 6'2".
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I don't believe that we shall see vehicles such as many of the old ones mentioned here so far, enter the market again.

UTV's and ATV's have become so advanced That there appears to be no need for the kind of vehicles that we had, and got us everywhere. Then we WALKED A LOT.


When I saw some of the prices of UTV's last year at the county fair. I about ****!!

Some where priced higher than what I paid for my 1988 Toyota 4-Runner.


It is common around here, to see pick em up trucks, that cost 35 grand or more, pulling a 4 grand trailer, with a 12 to 18 grand UTV on the trailer.

Makes me shake my head, in my world that is a ton of $$$$$$$.


Long Live the International Scout!
 
Vince, I was fishing a fly fishing only river here in Maine and two guys in a side by side stopped at the picnic table by the logging road to watch. Fishing was slow, so I packed it in and grabbed my lunch to sit down and chat with them. They gave me some good-natured grumbling about "fly fishing elitists" with "fancy expensive poles" and how it was too bad only yuppies could fish that river any more.

I pointed out that for the price of their side by side, they could probably have bought a decent fly rod, reel, line, waders and boots for about a dozen people, with enough left over for a couple of canoes. As I said, they were good natured and they both laughed and admitted that was true.
 


What I like about the comments on this thread is the variety of vehicles used for our various outdoor activities.

Tahoe and Tundra and F-150 were expected.

But Element and Jetta and.... Who would have thunk?

We are as creative in our vehicle use as in what we do with our boats.

The depth of our pocket books and the type of use make us think creatively about adapting vehicles we have or can afford.

I'm inspired by all these ideas and further research on the vehicles suggested.

Lord have mercy, I discovered there was a cult-like following of Honda Element owners that turns them into a clone of the VW Bus. And Subaru owners could create their own aftermarket economy.

I am watching vehicles in parking lots more carefully at this time.

I'm not planning on buying right now, but it sure is fun watching and learning until that time comes.
Larry
 
Larry Eckart said:
And Subaru owners could create their own aftermarket economy.

Larry
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Larry, you ought to see used car lots in rural Maine. Subaru Foresters and Outbacks probably account for half of the total used car market up here. Nothing on earth is better for driving winter roads, followed by spring pot holes, followed by the need to drive gravel logging roads.

If I didn't go places I think I need low range 4WD to get unstuck, I'd trade in my truck and go back to a Forester in a minute. Just expect the head gasket replacement somewhere around 100 to 140K miles, and budget for it when it happens. (About $1600--been there twice!) Both times I got another 75K out of the car before it rusted out.
 
Jeff

I amazes me what a nation of none walkers and hikers we have become. Everything has to be EASY.

As for fly fishing, folks think it's difficult and expensive and it need not be. Fishing is fishing and each type has it's skills. Patience IS the one thing fly fishing does require and it is in short supply today.

Thank goodness for the "Walk In Only Public Fishing Areas" in NY.


God Willing someday I'll make to Maine to fly fish, and maybe bird hunt, while I still can.
 
Larry

There is a place in Centerville, NY that only sells used Subaru',and they do a bang up business.

My neighbor bought a Outback there with 110,000 miles on it for 6 grand. Drove it for 2 years and gave it to his mom and it's still ticking just fine.

Large after market for them up ,and plenty of them on the road.
 
Steve Sanford said:
Kris~

Yup - another favorite of ours. This was my wife's '02 Jetta. My son traveled all across the US with it. I made a pair of custom crossbars so he could lash his canoe up top. My neighbor still drives it. No diesel - but a sweet 5-speed!



All the best,

SJS
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Steve--is that a Mansfield canoe on top of that Jetta? Looks a lot like one still hanging in my mother's garage.
 
Don't underestimate some of the newer SUV's. My 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited is quite the force when it comes to going off road. I've backed down some ramps here in NJ that looked like the surface of the moon. I've driven on beaches, through cornfields, and through briar patches to go upland hunting. I take it to the car wash and then go see clients. It's my second JGC and I think my next vehicle may be my third.

Now on the other hand, my mother has a Ford Explorer Sport. Beautiful CROSSOVER...because that's what it is. It's FWD normally and AWD on-demand.

The new Toyota 4 Runner's are still straight axle with leaf springs in the back.
 
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