I need help figuring out my next truck

[LaserNomad]

Call me Toaster (it’s a long story but that’s what most people know me as). I want to get a used highway bus conversion, cram in my leatherworking studio, drive from art show to art show selling my wears to the 6 people who want them then packing up driving to another town finding another 6 people… wash rinse repeat. I want to be doing this within 3 years.


So that brings me to the next statement. I currently have 2 cars and neither one will work as a toad/business transport, that can bring me, the lady friend, a big dog, a table or two, a canopy, a cooler, boxes of hand crafted leather goods to sell at the markets and handle forest service roads / other assorted back highway/ back road shenanigans. With all that said I want to take this time to get a 4wd SUV or light truck put a roof top tent on it start hitting the art show circuit taking the next 3 years to get a good grasp on what sells how and where. So the roof top tent is a must to allow for cheap/free camping as this is when the income will be the slowest. That brings me to… Since I have to get a car, then I want one that will make a great toad, and therefore I want to take the next 3 years to pay it off/down. I don't plan on buying anything that would cost me more than $15k and it needs to have less than 150,000 miles on it.


Here is what I have been looking at:

Toyota FJ cruiser, 4Runner, Lexus GX470. I know they need mods to be dinghy towed. The lady friends folks also have a RX300 I could make it work but it is much less than ideal.
Jeep Grand Cherokee, Those 07/08 CRD diesels are neat probably not worth the hassle… I am sure a gas version would work too, just less neat but I am not sure I would buy a gas version.


I am not really a fan of american makes I feel they cost you more and give you less and have abysmal resale not that the car will be worth more than scrap metal when I am done with it.


Right now after a lot of research the GX and diesel jeep cherokee are tied for first. I will also say I have an unhealthy interest in the jeep with a merc diesel and the lady friend has always ogled the 4Runners and FJ cruisers. I am looking for suggestions and advice on what to get, please help me. At the end of the day I want a rig that can take a RTT, check out roads before I take a 40ft bus down them, get me to food and water if the road I took the bus down becomes impassable with a bus after I have passed down it, carry enough stuff to make a living at art shows, and not eat me out of house and home to keep it going ( good mpg, economical upkeep and repairs...sorry land rovers, my other unhealthy interest). I am going to give myself 6 months or so to find a car and I won't let perfection be the enemy of good enough.


Thank you,

Toaster Jones

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Toaster,

I really can't comment on whether or not the GX470 will satisfy your mobile art needs.

However, I can tell you that the GX470 has a reliable V8 engine. The consensus on here is that it's more plush and comfortable than the FJ and 4R.

If you gonna ride heavy, you will probably need to upgrade the suspension.

So, I see suspension upgrade, maybe slightly bigger tires, and baseline it. The price varies on how crazy you go on these upgrades.

I'm pretty sure the cargo room is better theman your top 3, but that's just me saying that without actually researching cargo room.

 

[LaserNomad]

Actually I plan on ripping out the middle row of seats to open up cargo capacity, reduce weight for things I will never use and putting the cargo load in the middle of the rig. The only high weight would be the RTT and an awning. Extra weight will be a added house battery, a 12v compressor fridge. When selling (I am a leather and laser worker) I would be selling bags, shoes, wallets and belts so not heavy just bulky. A couple of plastic folding tables, a pop up canopy (unless I could set up outside my rig and use the awning), and the stuff to live while on the road (clean clothes, food, campstove, water). So I actually like the idea of the airbags to adjust for road or light off road. That said if in they blew up more than once I would rapidly replace them. It would also be a daily driver hence slightly concerned about the gas mileage.

Baseline it? are we talking about changing power steering fluid, brake fluid, coolant flush, tranny fluid and engine oil, differentials and transfer case. I would also look at when the chassis was last greased. Then of course, timing belt, water pump, thermostat, idler and tensioner, drive belt and PCV type of thing?

I will admit those fold up 3rd row seats are not a small part of why it tied for the top spot. Along with all the reliability of a Toyota... and being a small land cruiser... I could give a rats ass about it being all luxuried out, hell I haven't had a working radio for the last 2 years.

 

[GXMac]

Hi Toaster! I saw you also posted over on ExPo and mentioned the 4Runner mileage may be better with the V6. If you will have an RTT then the mileage may be negated by the RTT.

Regarding the more luxurious aspect of the GX, note that it's a couple hundred lbs heavier than a comparable 4R because of the heavier sound deadening, window glass, those 3rd row seats and the air suspension components. Also, the GX has full time AWD- does that pose a problem with you towing it?

As far as capability is concerned I'm not quite sure you will need anything beyond a good set of all terrains. Many people wheel the GX stock- unless you want to mod it if that's your thing. I have a front lift on mine and just have the rear air bags set higher. Granted I've only been offroad about 50 miles with it like this in the last 6 months so I don't know how durable they will be.

 

[LaserNomad]

You have to get a driveshaft decoupler to tow it. With all the cars I have been looking at it just seems that all of the pros and cons are a wash. I am not sure that by trying to find a 6cyl 4Runner it will do anything for me in the long run and the price difference between a gx and 4runner in the 03-07 range is almost minimal. I would like a car that was closer to stock with some decent tires because it should work for my level of bull****. I have gone down way too many "4wd" roads in my 2wd vehicles and you would be shocked where I have driven a volkswagen golf... I am not looking for a 3month trekking car that is what the bus is for. I need something that is flexible and capable, that doesn't look too out of place when finding my way into fancy neighborhoods with their art fairs, so it can't look like a MudderXXLExtremeMoabEdition. The closer the rig is to 4500-5000lbs the better as you can use the cheaper towing equipment and should cause less strain on the bus. If lr3's didn't come with the land rover reputation for expensive constant repairs I would be all over that like a fat kid on a snickers, but they do so I won't (and it needs to be trailer towed so there is that too). I don't know I think it is really going to come down to whichever one I can find for a great deal.

 

[JLee]

You have to get a driveshaft decoupler to tow it. With all the cars I have been looking at it just seems that all of the pros and cons are a wash. I am not sure that by trying to find a 6cyl 4Runner it will do anything for me in the long run and the price difference between a gx and 4runner in the 03-07 range is almost minimal. I would like a car that was closer to stock with some decent tires because it should work for my level of bull****. I have gone down way too many "4wd" roads in my 2wd vehicles and you would be shocked where I have driven a volkswagen golf... I am not looking for a 3month trekking car that is what the bus is for. I need something that is flexible and capable, that doesn't look too out of place when finding my way into fancy neighborhoods with their art fairs, so it can't look like a MudderXXLExtremeMoabEdition. The closer the rig is to 4500-5000lbs the better as you can use the cheaper towing equipment and should cause less strain on the bus. If lr3's didn't come with the land rover reputation for expensive constant repairs I would be all over that like a fat kid on a snickers, but they do so I won't (and it needs to be trailer towed so there is that too). I don't know I think it is really going to come down to whichever one I can find for a great deal.

If all you're doing is scouting roads to make sure you can bring a bus down them, you really don't need much capability - basically anything that's not a sports car should be able to do pretty well at that task.

 

[LaserNomad]

If all you're doing is scouting roads to make sure you can bring a bus down them, you really don't need much capability - basically anything that's not a sports car should be able to do pretty well at that task.

That's the minimum level of capability needed I would love to be able to do light overlanding. I could get away with a honda pilot, but what's the point. One big problem will be lack of self repair equipment because everything you own will have to fit in and under a bus. So nothing too crazy (stuff to do oil changes, light repair maybe a jack stand or four). Once I park the bus I would love to be able to go down some old logging roads see parts of national parks that require high clearance. Park the bus and take a long weekend light overland trek in an area. I know I am going to find myself in areas where driving down a sketchy road or easy 4x4 trail will be an experience that will greatly enrich my life. I want to be more limited by my creativity and risk aversion than I am by my vehicle.

 

[LaserNomad]

I also want to thank this forum as you have been more helpful as the jeep forum, 2 RV forums, expeditionportal... When you are trying to live a life less normal it is really difficult to get some advice from time to time.

 

[GXO]

What about a Subaru wagon? A GX burns a lot of dinosaurs. So does a 4R and FJ. The 4R has a better tailgate for selling out of. Otherwise, the GX is a workhorse.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Get a diesel troopy or hj60

 

[LaserNomad]

What about a Subaru wagon? A GX burns a lot of dinosaurs. So does a 4R and FJ. The 4R has a better tailgate for selling out of. Otherwise, the GX is a workhorse.

Subarus can not be flat towed, and I dont want to have to deal with a trailer. I would be more likely to get an awning kicked off a roof rack and make a horseshoe with 4' folding tables would seem less sketchy especially when you are asking $200+ for bags.

Get a diesel troopy or hj60

Those are sexy (clearly I have a diesel fetish), I just know I wont have room for tools and spare parts, with the goal of going full nomad I think it would be a nightmare to find mechanics who know that engine. The jeep wk has the same engine in a sprinter van and with the rise of popularity of them as work trucks there should be parts and experienced mechanics around. Although once we go full nomad I wouldn't think twice about packing up driving one day's worth of distance to a good mechanic. I just think those might be more of a hobby to keep them up and running than i have time and patience for.


I went for a walk to a bar for a whiskey soda last night and I was thinking about cars, like you do. If I had to grade my current choices. I would give the gx a 95. It loses points for its higher initial cost, drive shaft mod to tow, slightly older model years at my price point (04-05 vs 07-08 for jeeps or 4runners) and its lower mpg. It gains points for being a toyota with loads of interchangeable parts and knowledgeable mechanics around, cheaper maintenance, lexus badging would help me stealth near rich white people, big enough to carry everything, small enough to easily tow, high number of soccer mom mobiles that have not been thrashed about for sub $15k, abundance of community support, flip down 3rd row seats (I would delete the middle row of seats).
I would give the WK CRD a 94. It loses points for needing mercedes parts, being an american make/ lower build quality, harder to find mechanics, rare-ish vehicle, more expensive maintenance (true for all diesels), Ecu tune and dpf delete are not optional probably need to change rear gear ratio too, less likely to find one that wasn't driven hard or pulled trailers often as that was its selling point. It gets points for the right size and weight for my goals, being a well supported diesel, timing chain and not a belt, An engine that is designed to go for 1,000,000 miles, no transmission mods to tow it, fervant community online, access to loads of WK parts not engine related, great mpg 22-26 mpg (after an ecu tune and getting rid of the dpf), still cheaper to purchase with ecu tune and dpf delete than a GX, not the worst of american makes (a jeep is a jeep is a jeep).
4Runner is an 89 and the FJ cruiser is about an 86 although might become a collectors item some day.

I dont know if the ~+6 mpg is worth it for the diesel, and the savings would be heavily dependant on diesel not climbing in price if Regular gas was $2.22 per gal and combined mpg was 16 it would cost about $14 per 100 mi midgrade @2.40 gal is $15/ 100mi... @2.70 is $17/100 mi and diesel 22mpg and $2.50/gal would be just under $11.50 meaning @current diesel prices driving a diesel is 20% cheaper than regular (which after reading the forum I would use) and if you put the recommended high octane it would be over $30 cheaper to drive... and thus the swirl of choices continues I wonder if its foolhardy to factor in mpg between diesel and gas. Although being a nomad will make you a road warrior by happenstance. I guess if this were an easy way to live everyone would be doing it. Oh well enough of my ramblings I am done externally processing the laundry won't hang itself.