Seriously I need to re think (hunting Truck)

gottafish · 10-21-2007, 07:12 PM

Man gas is 90 bucks a barrel, this means soon were going to be faced with 4 bucks a gallon. I need to do a lot of scouting next spring and summer as almost all of my go to spots have become way to popular or have dried up. That said I need to get a rig that can get me cheaply to work and around on the logging/forest service roads. come hunting season I'll drive the big truck to camp, Im also wanting to start running a trap line again but this whole gas thing put the breaks on that. Any ideas? We are all going to face this next season.

huntinfool · 10-21-2007, 07:20 PM

With gas more money, all your "old" spots will get less visited resulting in NOT having to find new ones. I heard gas was supposed to go to $4 a gallon this summer, but never did-it actually dropped. It is creeping back up though, but I think it'll drop again. The economy is slowing again for some reason. I work in the trucking industry and right now we're slower than we have EVER been in my eighteen years on the job. Trucking industry is usually the last ones to feel an economic slow down. Hopefully it doesn't last long!

fiddler · 10-21-2007, 07:34 PM

My hunting "truck" is primarily a 1994 tercel and secondly a 1990 toyota 2wd truck.
Great mileage, and they get me anywhere I want to go.
The areas i hunt, if i can't get there with my rigs, then it's probably not an open road anyway and closed to motor vehicles.
I suggest to get a little comuter car, some good tires, and go for it.

Opportunist · 10-21-2007, 09:07 PM

I'm in the same boat. I drive a dodge with a hemi and am considering buying a dualsport motocycle for scouting and hunting once I get there.

lor · 10-21-2007, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gottafish

That said I need to get a rig that can get me cheaply to work and around on the logging/forest service roads.

For alot of people this is called an ATV.
The big problem is that on National Forest you can't ride it on paved or double lane road. You can ride a MT. Bike in these areas, but if you look up the regs, ATV's are not allowed although commonly rode.

Opportunist · 10-22-2007, 02:04 AM

Lor, That's why I'm considering a dual sport, street legal for the forest service roads and trail ready. Most of the areas I hunt in Idaho motorcycles are legal on the trails and to narrow for quads.

gottafish · 10-22-2007, 02:32 AM

BAsicaly I need something reliable with good milage I drive 60miles a day for work but Id like to learn some new units and I dont want to get a second mortgage to do it. I have a motorcycle but Im not fond of the dual sport types An ATV is out of the question. Im not a big fan!

MsOutdrs · 10-22-2007, 03:52 AM

Does it make sense to have a new or higher car payment to save on gas? Unless you are paying cash or expect a lower monthly payment then you are expending on gas right now, I'd "ride it out"..pardon the pun!!! They have gotten into the habit of raising fuel prices when winter approaches, claiming the reason is because of high winter heating usage. This whole gas thing is sooooo ridiculous. They have us "over a barrel"..again pardon the pun!!! The only way you're gonna beat it is not to drive. They told us last "price hike" that it was due to shortage of refined gas due to lack of refineries..oh wait...it was hurricane Katrina. I can't keep their "excuses" straight!!!!

Abalone · 10-22-2007, 10:41 AM

That takes me back to the question.

What does it take to make an ATV Street legal ? I mean for City driving too ? I mean why not ? You could save on gas driving to the coast couldn't you ?

gottafish · 10-22-2007, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abalone

That takes me back to the question.

What does it take to make an ATV Street legal ? I mean for City driving too ? I mean why not ? You could save on gas driving to the coast couldn't you ?

They'll never let them on the street there not stable enough. and only have a top end of about 50 mph.

ehunter · 10-22-2007, 01:17 PM

Maybe you could find a used Subaru for scouting around that gets good mileage. You won't need a truck for scouting in the summer and early fall and they get pretty good mileage. I only use my 4 wheel drive in winter weather any more and occasionally in eastern Oregon most roads over here are graveled any way??

gottafish · 10-22-2007, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abalone

That takes me back to the question.

What does it take to make an ATV Street legal ? I mean for City driving too ? I mean why not ? You could save on gas driving to the coast couldn't you ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehunter

Maybe you could find a used Subaru for scouting around that gets good mileage. You won't need a truck for scouting in the summer and early fall and they get pretty good mileage. I only use my 4 wheel drive in winter weather any more and occasionally in eastern Oregon most roads over here are graveled any way??

Im looking at a 94 Subaru this weekend. The only thing is I kinda feel like a granola head in a Subaru

ehunter · 10-22-2007, 01:48 PM

With money in your pocket you will feel a lot better

and I will refrain from name calling

Quote:

Originally Posted by gottafish

Im looking at a 94 Subaru this weekend. The only thing is I kinda feel like a granola head in a Subaru

Beamerfish · 10-22-2007, 01:52 PM

Having a similar dilemma. Driving a 4WD tacoma PU that is pushing 200k miles. Would like to get a bigger truck for towing but don't want to pay for the gas on the 50 mi daily commute. Tacoma has some life in it yet so I was thinking of picking up a small commuter car, saving the truck for important stuff and then trading up trucks in a couple years.

Ni! · 10-22-2007, 02:06 PM

I'll second the Subaru suggestion. My great uncle used to drive Subaru wagons, and he would go anywhere with them. A friend of mine has a Forester and it's got more ground clearance then his Silverado 4X4.

Also, with gas prices as high as they are fur prices will probably stay strong, and cat prices especially. If you can get around with minimal gas you might actually make some money on a trap line this year.

chukardave1 · 10-22-2007, 02:23 PM

As much as hate to say it the subaru is the way to go. Have a buddy that has had 3 in the last 10 years. Specifically as a hunting rig. Paid about $1500 for each and sold them for almost as much when he "upgraded". He has gotten those things into areas that have taken trucks in 4WD with chains to get into the same spot. Pretty impressive and good gas mileage. I guess with the money you save a guy could buy some "I am not a granola"

bumper stickers and the like. If that's your thing, it would be mine.

gottafish · 10-22-2007, 02:59 PM

Would it be wrong to put a bumper sticker on a subaru that said "save a logger, wipe your butt with a spotted owl" ?

ehunter · 10-22-2007, 03:14 PM

Nope that is perfectly fine

Quote:

Originally Posted by gottafish

Would it be wrong to put a bumper sticker on a subaru that said "save a logger, wipe your butt with a spotted owl" ?

Radke · 10-22-2007, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gottafish

Would it be wrong to put a bumper sticker on a subaru that said "save a logger, wipe your butt with a spotted owl" ?

When I first read your post, SUBARU came to mind. I had an old Loyal, it ran great (except for the occasional timing belt issue) got good milage, and could climb a tree. But I got to tell ya, it was as gutless as politician running for election. opps, sorry, no political stuff, I forgot.

I really think that a Subie would do you good.

Cornbread · 10-22-2007, 03:42 PM

I used a Subaru for several years if you hunt of decent dirt road you will be fine. If the roads have huge ruts in them be careful because the Subaru will go down it just fine but cracking a Y pipe will cost you a pretty chunk of change. There are several low hanging things on Subarus that can be effected by this but the Y pipe and exhaust system was always the worst one for me. I never had a problem getting anywhere in it but the repairs from going their sometimes were pretty annoying. If you could put skid plates on one and lift it up a little you would have a kick butt vehicle for going hunting.

woolybuggerboy · 10-22-2007, 05:55 PM

subaru with a lift kit would be awesome

hairied hookster · 10-22-2007, 06:22 PM

Subie wagons are great rigs- just don't try to pull too much with them.They are pretty high geared so you really have to "wind em up" to get your 16' boat out of the boat ramp.4-wheel helps and they drive nice.Great little rigs for backroading .Check out the Aussie Subaru forums for some ideas. They worship those things "down under". Bruce H

toas243 · 10-22-2007, 09:50 PM

Hey I have a Sentra for sale in the ifish classified adds ,don`t know how to do the link thingy ,it is a good one

Don Becker · 10-23-2007, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toas243

Hey I have a Sentra for sale in the ifish classified adds ,don`t know how to do the link thingy ,it is a good one

http://www.ifish.net/board/showthrea...ghlight=sentra Don

Dan360 · 10-23-2007, 09:00 AM

I sold my 2002 Toyota Tundra for a 2007 Honda Accord. I averaged 18 MPG with the truck and I only average 23 MPG with the car. Biggest mistake ever....All benefits of having a car are trumped by higher car payment.

just_hunt'n · 10-23-2007, 11:19 AM

I will put another vote in for the older subaru loyal wagons. Use to have one(1987) and it was better in the woods that the outback I am driving now. With the dual range optional four wheel drive it was pretty versatile and had way more clearence than the outback has.

alaskan · 10-23-2007, 11:30 AM

Suzuki Samurai
Geo Tracker
My hunting group used both very efficiently when I lived in Wa. In fact we got some funny looks the night we drove back to camp with 2 spike elk strapped on the rear bumper rack, and 5 guy's inside the Sammy. Sure, they won't haul you're boat, or a ton of gear, or go very fast, but they will get you there pretty cheap, and it's amazing where they'll go with only slight alteration from stock.

MossyOarReelCreek · 10-23-2007, 11:38 AM

I have thought about getting a new rig myself. But, because of the gas issue... I am sticking with the rig I have. I thought about it alot before I bought it 2 yrs ago. I sold my house when the market got too insane not to sell.. bought a new house and got a truck out of it. 1995 Toyota 4x4 king cab V6 manual 5 sp. 132k on it. Paid $5,000.00 I put another $2,000.00 in preventative maintenance. New muffler, valve job, shocks,radiator, clutch, tires. It's good to go anywhere. Gets about 18mpg

I commute to work 60 miles a day too. My Wife and I have a 2003 RAV4 for that. 26mpg I used to hunt with the RAV before I got the truck.

Monkey · 10-23-2007, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cornbread

If you could put skid plates on one and lift it up a little you would have a kick butt vehicle for going hunting.

It can be done. Some will have to be custom mods, but there are some pretty cool options for the Subaru. Especially older ones.

My wife and I have an 03' 4cyl Outback and a 99' 6cyl Tacoma... they get about the same gas mileage. I've scouted in both. The Subaru is more comfortable and handle the washboard roads much better, but is is lower and the bumper design puts them in the dirt fairly easy. The front bumper shell on my Subaru breaks away though. But that's all I'm going to say about that.

m

James in Idaho · 10-23-2007, 12:52 PM

Another good option is a 2wd Toyota or Nissian truck. Think about it, how often do you "need" 4wd? Most of the time a set of tire chains will get you through if you are careful and think ahead. Like my dad always says, "4wd will get you twice as stuck"!

Um, no I'm not giving up my 4wd Tacoma!

ehunter · 10-23-2007, 01:08 PM

James your right though a 2 wheel drive in most of western oregon in the spring and summer is all you need until it freezes or snows or rains...

Quote:

Originally Posted by James in Idaho

Another good option is a 2wd Toyota or Nissian truck. Think about it, how often do you "need" 4wd? Most of the time a set of tire chains will get you through if you are careful and think ahead. Like my dad always says, "4wd will get you twice as stuck"!

Um, no I'm not giving up my 4wd Tacoma!

Ni! · 10-23-2007, 01:33 PM

4X4 is a must for me. I can't imagine getting out and putting on chains every time I needed to get someplace nasty. No way. You would probably save a bit on gas, but at some point the savings aren't worth the trouble.

I had a Samurai for a couple of years, but every time I thought about spending the money to make it what I wanted I just couldn't justify it. I would love to have a capable 4X4 rig with a crappy paint job that I didn't worry about scratching or denting. Can't do that with my '05 Silverado so there are lots of places my truck will go that I just won't take it.

Mike P. · 10-23-2007, 01:37 PM

I know what you are saying with the gas mileage. My old tacoma (217k)hardly ever sees 20 mpg anymore, even on long trips. Heck we sold our hemi durango to get a 4 runner thinking we would get better gas mileage (and save money) and they are pretty much the same at 16 to 19 mpg...at least the 4 runner offroads much better. I have a street legal dual sport bike (yamaha 250) that gets great fuel mileage, but I really don't like the on road manners (or feeling uneasy about other drivers) so I don't drive it on the paved roads much...it's more of a trail bike for me. I need to spend more time scouting on it as I don't live too far from the woods.

My wife had a 96 nissan 200 sx about 4 years ago (that got totalled into a deer) with a 1.6L 4 banger that got about 40 mpg so that could be an option as long as you don't expect much on gravel roads. I doubt any 4wd will get much over 25mpg unless you get old compact truck with a diesel (isuzu? or other).

Just some food for thought

Bobberman · 10-23-2007, 04:03 PM

This thread has reminded me that I have a sweet samurai/Tracker ready to cart my butt around

. I haven't even looked at it in months. Was going to sell it, but never got around to it.

I think it might get better milage than my V10 to boot

wthr4d · 10-23-2007, 04:08 PM

MY subaru was fantastic, I never should have gotten rid of it (too much story to tell here) I have seen the 4WD wagons with bigger tires and a little bit of a lift go just about anywhere and still get 30MPG

The only other option I can say is get an older diesel and convert it to veggie oil. even the new veggie oil is cheaper than the petrol diesel these days. With most conversion kits they still use a little diesel so going back is always an option.

Either way dont fget yourself a car/truck payment. you will spend more in payment than you gain in fuel savings

Paul

mbklmann · 10-23-2007, 05:48 PM

I agree with the subaru idea. get an older one from craigslist for cheap. Good gas mileage, awd, and if you get a wagon, you can probably fit an elk in the back. Maybe a subaru brat.

huntercgr · 10-23-2007, 05:59 PM

gotta, I got your back. With luck he still has it.

http://www.ifish.net/board/showthrea...ghlight=subaru

stilly bum · 10-25-2007, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Opportunist

I'm in the same boat. I drive a dodge with a hemi and am considering buying a dualsport motocycle for scouting and hunting once I get there.

They're not a bad option. The problem is that they're fun and you'll be tempted to ride too fast and play around on the gravel roads. Most will get 40+ mpg, mine gets 55.

I was talking about gas prices with someone at work tonight. We were discussing the possibility of gas hitting a point in the next few years that will require people to make major lifestyle changes. $5 a gallon? $8 a gallon? If we hit those prices in the near future there are going to be some big changes in where and how people live.

As to more efficient vehicles out there, the Suzuki Sidekick/Geo Tracker look pretty interesting for a small 4wd. I've heard they get around 30mpg. No 4wd truck will get that. I've had 4wd Toyotas in the past and they got 22mpg max. A little beater compact car and a come-along could get in and out of most places. I used to know a guy who drove a Chevy Sprint hatchback. He drove on top of the ruts in bad roads. If he slid into the ruts he just took out a come-along and pulled it back into line.

CamoHunter · 10-25-2007, 10:56 AM

I bowhunt with a guy that had an older Honda Civic hatchback and he used to bring that car up hunting.
He would sleep in the back (kinda cozy) and drive it around to where he wanted to hunt.
It was in mostly dry conditions, but I was amazed at some of the places he took that car. :shocked:

CH