Anybody have a pickup truck?

[sho220]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I'll try to answer them in depth later on today when I get home!

Just a question tho, does anyone know if the Toyota Tacoma is a good outdoorsy pick up too? As a first car, I'm leaning towards it since it is quite a bit cheaper and all haha. I will be looking for one used however!

The Tacoma is a GREAT truck.

[jclaiborne]

X2 on the Tacoma being a great truck. Again it won't have the towing capacity of a full size, but the 4.0 6 cylinder engine is the same that is in the FJ and it puts some power to the wheels. I have towed cars, trailers without issue. The Tacoma is one of the most utilized trucks out here for desert running.

[Smitty33]

I have a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 5.3 with 73,000 miles. 2.5" leveling kit with 1" block in back and a set of super springs. One size over stock BF Goodrich AT's on stock 18" wheels. Just added a K&N cold air intake. Get 14-16 mpg a around town and 20 highway.
Traded an 06 F-150 5.4 in on it that I had loads of problems with. The GM 5.3 pushrod engine has been tons more reliable plus the difference in power is ridiculous. Pulling a horse trailer it puts my old ford to shame. I had been a loyal ford truck guy for 20 plus years but without a single doubt my next will be another GMC, well if I ever get rid of this one.

[sho220]

X2 on the Tacoma being a great truck. Again it won't have the towing capacity of a full size, but the 4.0 6 cylinder engine is the same that is in the FJ and it puts some power to the wheels. I have towed cars, trailers without issue. The Tacoma is one of the most utilized trucks out here for desert running.

X3...I've had both Tacoma's and an FJ and they're both great off-road.

[Pampho85]

Can a 4x2 Tacoma do good off pavement (desert area, sand, some mud)?

[jclaiborne]

Can a 4x2 Tacoma do good off pavement (desert area, sand, some mud)?

It all depends on how you set everything up and what your main goal is. It depends on what the main part of the terrain you are trying to cross is. You said desert area and sand. A 2 wheel drive Tacoma with the proper suspension (Not a leveling kit, or spacers) and tires will handle desert and sand fine. Most of the pre-runners and race trucks out here are 2 wheel drive, where it gets tricky is mud, depending on the type you are talking about. There is mud as in "a little bit of wet dirt" then there is mud where if you stop in it you are sinking down. a two wheel drive is not the best for mud because if you start spinning your back tires you will just sink down. That can be countered a little bit with a winch and a good set of tires. Again it depends on what you are going for, if you start getting into back road driving with narrow terrain where you will encounter rocks that you need to climb over and mud pits then you start looking at vehicles that are not only 4 wheel drive, but have locking differentials as well as a solid front axle. If you are talking about open desert running at higher speeds then you start being able to consider 2 wheel drive or 4 wheel, independent front suspension with a high speed setup. I can point you in a general direction if you can narrow down what you want to do. In the beginning you said you wanted to tow and do some off road. For me it was the opposite, I go out to the desert all the time during the winter and hit it hard, so I built something that is still able to drive on road, but sacrificed certain things because I was more concerned with off road capability.

[Pampho85]

It all depends on how you set everything up and what your main goal is. It depends on what the main part of the terrain you are trying to cross is. You said desert area and sand. A 2 wheel drive Tacoma with the proper suspension (Not a leveling kit, or spacers) and tires will handle desert and sand fine. Most of the pre-runners and race trucks out here are 2 wheel drive, where it gets tricky is mud, depending on the type you are talking about. There is mud as in "a little bit of wet dirt" then there is mud where if you stop in it you are sinking down. a two wheel drive is not the best for mud because if you start spinning your back tires you will just sink down. That can be countered a little bit with a winch and a good set of tires. Again it depends on what you are going for, if you start getting into back road driving with narrow terrain where you will encounter rocks that you need to climb over and mud pits then you start looking at vehicles that are not only 4 wheel drive, but have locking differentials as well as a solid front axle. If you are talking about open desert running at higher speeds then you start being able to consider 2 wheel drive or 4 wheel, independent front suspension with a high speed setup. I can point you in a general direction if you can narrow down what you want to do. In the beginning you said you wanted to tow and do some off road. For me it was the opposite, I go out to the desert all the time during the winter and hit it hard, so I built something that is still able to drive on road, but sacrificed certain things because I was more concerned with off road capability.

Well for the beginning, since I'm starting to hunt and all, I'd like it to get to the places where ever I am to haul the deer. It might be a bit muddy, or it may be dry, so either one I would try to accommodate it. However, that will probably just be once a year. For the rest of the year, I'll be using it on the road as a reg. vehicle and then take it camping with me whenever I go (which can be in rocky, sandy, grassed areas).

Do you get everything added on (like a proper suspension) at the dealer or do you get that somewhere else? Or would that be covered with the off road package? What kind of tires are good as well?

[JoshSloane]

I would personally never take a 4x2 into ANY off-roading scenario. I can't imagine a hunting location, other than maybe desert or flatland prairie, where you wouldn't need a 4x4. If you are going to be using this truck for anything outdoors, 4x4 is a no brainer. The second the terrain gets wet, muddy, sandy, or icy you are going to be done for. Waiting for a winch out with a gutted deer in your truck is not my idea of fun. There is no point in buying a hunting/outdoorsman truck if it cant reliably get you to the destinations you want.

[jclaiborne]

Well for the beginning, since I'm starting to hunt and all, I'd like it to get to the places where ever I am to haul the deer. It might be a bit muddy, or it may be dry, so either one I would try to accommodate it. However, that will probably just be once a year. For the rest of the year, I'll be using it on the road as a reg. vehicle and then take it camping with me whenever I go (which can be in rocky, sandy, grassed areas).

Do you get everything added on (like a proper suspension) at the dealer or do you get that somewhere else? Or would that be covered with the off road package? What kind of tires are good as well?

4x2s rule high speed desert running. From what you are telling me it sounds like you just want a good all around trail truck, 4x4 would be a good safety net for you. Think this (high speed desert running): http://www.chaosfab.com/2005-2013-To...Kit-88000.html vs this (good all around trail truck): http://thesquealingtire.com/2013-fj-...ack-bear-pass/ Going with a newer truck would mean it will have independent front suspension so you won't be doing any major rock crawling, do not utilize the dealership for anything aftermarket. They are way over priced and the quality isn't going to be that great. To be honest I wouldn't even get the "off-road package" because if you start to build it up you will end up removing half of the junk they hang on. For tires I am a big fan of BFG AT2, Goodyear Wranglers, and General Grabbers. Grabbers are more for the desert running, AT2s are a good all around tire, never been stuck using them, and Wranglers are a good heavy mud terrain tire that is pretty much bullet proof.

Suspension and tires will be your most important and expensive upgrade if done right. I would again say look for a used vehicle in good conditions and put the extra money into the suspension. There will be different setups for different terrain. Again desert running you want high speed handling and maximum travel and absorption so that your impact after jumping is cushioned, that is more important than lift/height that the truck sits at. Trails you want a happy medium, you don't need extreme external reservoirs, you want some added height for more clearance and a decent amount of articulation. I will go out and snap a few pics of my FJ and suspension to show you what I mean. Basically be ready to spend 1-2K on suspension alone for a good setup. You can go buy spacers and shocks for a lot cheaper, but that is not a suspension upgrade it doesn't account for raised COG and the steering geometry. I could rant on all day, but I will let the pictures do the talking. I built my vehicle based around the concept that I wanted it to be able to handle the trails and the desert, so heavy bumpers, a taller suspension, but also one that can handle high speeds. Now I can't keep up with the 2wd in the desert, but I can move across a wash at 60mph without issue and still clear rocks on trails.

[jclaiborne]

Here are the pics I promised...not the best quality, I just snapped em with my cell at work but enough to give you an idea, I tried to get the best angles I could of front and rear suspension, bumpers, sliders and the last one is just an idea of what it can do...

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