Hiking vehicles

[rally_toad]

What kind of vehicles do you guys all drive when your going hiking? Im thinking about investing in a 4wd high clearance Jeep or something of the sort so I could get to some places where I definitely couldnt get to with what Im driving now (73 mustang):) I saw a Jeep Grand Cherokee today for $2600 and I was thinking about checking it out. What "hiking vehicle" is easiest to drive and which gets the best gas mileage (even though I know most wouldnt be too fuel efficient.)

[chumley]

Now that it’s been publicized for a few days and writers have had a chance to inspect some of the details, who’s excited about the ‘25 4Runner?

[nonot]

Seems like Toyota's standard design approach more or less continues - take the latest Tacoma engine, frame and suspension design, and slap a different body on the frame, and tweak a few things here and there to make it work.

For a vastly more complicated hybrid engine plus electric motor assist, it seems surprising they only gain 2 mpg.

Toyota seems to recognize that most of these things are going to be nothing more than status symbol pavement princesses. The concept of a 2WD version seems laughable. Also many of the off-roading features aren't even available as options on the standard SR5 package anymore and moved up to the higher tiers only. That makes it far less appealing to me because at that price, you might as well get a land rover.

[Sun_Ray]

@nonot
Not sure I understand how/when the hybrid battery works. Sounds like it adds power and torque but does not run the vehicle on battery only….assists the gas engine. Maybe the reason hybrid only gives you 2 mpg.

[xsproutx]

I assume this is basically a "mild hybrid" as they're called and their work is to basically to just add little efficiencies in a few spots: make the auto start/stop better, to switch to electric at very low speeds (under 9-10MPH), switch to electric when coasting to a stop, assist when accelerating (basically the spot where you use the most gas), a few other things like that. They're pretty common in newer cars these days and really don't add a lot of extra complexity, albeit some of course. In the BMWs I've had with it, they've only added a couple extra MPG as well so that lines up a little. With that said, the BMW one is 11hp extra and Toyota's saying theirs adds 48 so it's... less mild hybrid? mid-hybrid?

[big_load]

Now that it’s been publicized for a few days and writers have had a chance to inspect some of the details, who’s excited about the ‘25 4Runner?

I'm glad I went for the '23 instead of waiting for Gen 6.

[Pivo]

Toyota’s lineup of mid-size trucks all share the same platform. We tease out why you should choose one over the other.
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-g ... %2Foutdoor

[skatchkins]

Went to the light side, then darkened to my liking (as far as the MPGs will allow...)

Still goes to some of the old places.

Cars need tube love too

Amazon cheaply supports mid life. And yes, I wired the lights to missile switches. Also, yes the ditch lights are amazing for night time bulk trash hunting.

[big_load]

I added some RSG sliders to my 4Runner last month. I don't have any further changes planned. I was happy with how it did in UT and NM this spring. If things work out right, I'll bring it to the North Rim in October. (I'm still leaving the rack off unless I need the space).

[toddak]

Looking for opinions on a new 2024/5 Tacoma. Driven Subarus for decades, looking for a little more off-road and towing capacity but nothing extreme. I've never driven a 4x4, I think I want 4x4 but not sure. My only must-haves are 2 seats (Xtra cab not double cab) and a 6-foot bed, which means either an SR5 or a Prerunner.

Main question - would a 4x4 SR5 offer significantly better off-road capability compared to the TRD Prerunner which is RWD-only but with locking rear differential?

[nonot]

2 driven axles will always offer better off road capability than only 1 driven axle.

The question is really whether you drive on rough enough roads to need that extra capability. That is a more difficult question to answer. If you stick to the same trails as you would do in a Subaru you may not need that extra capability, but if you are planning to move to more difficult drives, then you probably will at some point run into a situation where 4WD is needed and 2WD will not make it. I can think of at least 4 times travelling in a friend's 2WD Tacoma (albeit limited slip rear rather than locking rear) meant parking early due to 2WD limitations and walking an extra few miles to get to an AZ trailhead.

Furthermore, with pickups you tend to have too little weight in the rear to take advantage of a rear locker. To get full advantage you'd have to tote around maybe 100 pounds of sand at the tailgate edge of the bed. Something to keep in mind if you do go with that option.

[CannondaleKid]

(I'm still leaving the rack off unless I need the space)

I removed the crossbars on my 2018 TRD Off Road and installed a solar panel to power my 12V cooler and assorted chargers.

Renogy 150W Solar Panel

This is the third vehicle I have used the same Renogy RNG-150D mono-crystalline solar panel on and it's still going strong after 8+ years.

[chumley]

@toddak I've never driven a 2wd Tacoma, but I do sometimes drive mine without engaging 4wd, so I can maybe give you some insight to the differences I encounter. First, as nonot mentioned, there is no weight in the back, so I find that on less-grippy surfaces (dirt, gravel, snow) traveling at higher speeds provides a less confident grip than even a 2wd sedan/suv that balances the weight across the entire vehicle. Adding power to the front axle makes a marked improvement to roadhandling in these conditions. I will often make sure to add weight to the bed when I know that I'll be driving in snow.

There have been several occasions where I've been forced to engage 4wd to extract myself from a situation I couldn't do in 2wd; notably deep snow, deep sand, and slippery mud. There are just some times where having the power to "pull" from the front axle is critical assistance to the regular "push" from the back axle where you might just be spinning.

In Arizona's rocky terrain, where 2wd might be ok for climbing steps and negotiating bouldery dry (or wet) creek crossings, I often prefer 4 low because it allows me to take it slow with less concern for lost traction (whereas in 2wd I might have to "gun it" and attempt the obstacle at higher speed). My mechanic always appreciates the impressive evidence of use visible when walking under my vehicle on the lift, but it's almost always cosmetic because I cause them while traveling very slowly. Nailing your frame on a rock with 4000lbs of vehicle at 20mph is a lot more force (and subsequently potential damage) than doing the same thing at 3mph.

So, I would say it depends on what kind of roads and conditions you expect to find yourself in. A good driver of a 2wd truck and quality tires can get far more places than someone with 4wd who doesn't drive in challenging terrain very often or feel comfortable with the capability of their vehicle.

Tacomas aren't inexpensive, and a very good argument can be made that its amenities and capabilities are not worth it compared to other vehicles in its class. But 200k later, I have found that the resale value more than makes up for the additional purchase price -- and this is especially true for 4x4 models.

[big_load]

(I'm still leaving the rack off unless I need the space)

I removed the crossbars on my 2018 TRD Off Road and installed a solar panel to power my 12V cooler and assorted chargers.
4Runner Solar Panel.jpg
This is the third vehicle I have used the same Renogy RNG-150D mono-crystalline solar panel on and it's still going strong after 8+ years.

Cool! I have a 200W / 1000Wh Jackery system, but I haven't taken it on the road yet. I've used it three times to save my refrigerator contents during multi-day power outages, so it's already paid for itself.

[outdoor_lover]

Furthermore, with pickups you tend to have too little weight in the rear to take advantage of a rear locker. To get full advantage you'd have to tote around maybe 100 pounds of sand at the tailgate edge of the bed. Something to keep in mind if you do go with that option.

I just added a high profile shell, box kit and twin sized mattress to the back of mine. [ photo ]

[big_load]

Furthermore, with pickups you tend to have too little weight in the rear to take advantage of a rear locker. To get full advantage you'd have to tote around maybe 100 pounds of sand at the tailgate edge of the bed. Something to keep in mind if you do go with that option.

I just added a high profile shell, box kit and twin sized mattress to the back of mine. [ photo ]

It's not a truly awesome hiking vehicle until you can sleep in back.

[sneakySASQUATCH]

I’ve got storage and shell on my truck which takes care of weight in the back. 4x4 Stock tires rear locker. Has gotten me everywhere and could’ve gotten farther up lake como road, but the baby doll head sized loose rocks slowed me down below hiking speed so I just parked it. In fairness I would need a winch to make it safely to the lake in my Pinz even with 19-20” of clearance and 6x6 low range available and this is supposedly one of the worst roads in Colorado.

[outdoor_lover]

@big_load
The Ford Escape was awesome that way too, but I don't know, having 4x4 capabilities and being able to stretch out and actually close up the back at the same time, is pretty damn nice. No more worrying about the bear that's banging around coolers in the campsite next to me, discovering that I'm sleeping next to my cooler with the hatch open and my feet dangling out.

[Pivo]

I often prefer 4 low because it allows me to take it slow with less concern for lost traction (whereas in 2wd I might have to "gun it" and attempt the obstacle at higher speed).

Agreed; using inertia to get through, or up and over is not the preferred method. Ask any under powered Subaru owner about replacing steering, suspension, and other components trying to race through things. Low end torque is the off-roaders friend.

[outdoor_lover]

Not really trying to swerve away from the 4x4 talk, but I had something really bizarre happen when I was driving back to my sister's in Washington from the Columbia River Gorge. I had just topped out on the plateau out of the gorge and was driving on a 2 lane highway. It was windy as hell and the truck was getting a bit buffeted. I was doing about 60 and there was a semi-truck approaching, going the opposite way. The split second after he passed, I felt a major blow to the front end, like I had hit something. I braked fairly fast and realized that my hood had popped open! Thankfully that portion of highway had a bit of a shoulder so I was able to pull off quickly. The whole front end was vibrating badly. Luckily, the safety latch held so it didn't fly open all the way and damage the hood. There didn't appear to be any damage to anything but it was kinda scary for a minute there. I find it hard to believe that the hood wasn't latched to begin with, the last time I had it open was at my sister's a week ago and when I shut it, I always check it. And I had just driven 300 miles in the last 6 days in some pretty windy conditions as well.

Has anybody ever had this happen? I'm thinking it was a perfect moment between the high winds and the semi pushing air in front of him. The effect when that semi passed me was really concussive.

[chumley]

@outdoor_lover If your hood isn't fully latched, there should be a warning light on your dash that illuminates. You can probably test that now to confirm that it was indeed properly latched before this incident.