Okay, so help me out here. Recently, I've been thinking about selling my 40. 
I think an 80-series might better fit my needs right now, and I need some help weighing the pros and cons. With the prices of decently built 80s falling, I think I might be able to get enough for the 40 to get a well-maintained 80 with some goodies like lift/tires/bumper/sliders, etc.
Stuff I'd like to be able to do:
Home Depot runs - I have to borrow a buddies explorer anytime I need to pick up 2x4s, 4x8 sheets of plywood, etc. I have a lot of up-coming projects on the house, and an 80 would make this part easier.
Camping trips - It's been over a year since my wife and I have been camping. I think that has a lot to do with her not being comfortable in the 40 for drives over a couple hours. It's hot/cold. The gas/exhaust smell makes her sick, etc. My hope is that with an 80, these trips would become more frequent as she'd be riding in comfort.
Wheeling trips (with the wife) - Yeah, the 40 is great at wheeling. It runs well enough to get me to Rausch Creek and back without any trouble, and I'm willing to deal with any discomfort associated with the drive. But my wife's not. And it's not just the drive, it's the actual wheeling experience. I've taken her twice, but those were both within the first 6 months of my owning it. She says she doesn't like wheeling. I think she doesn't like exhaust fumes, heat, kidney busting jolts. Yes, there are things I could do to the 40 to improve some of this.
Drive around in a convertible on nice days - We used to both hop in the 40 and just "drive" on the weekends, but since she got her convertible mini cooper last year, we use her car for this purpose. Gas prices are only making this worse.
Long hauls with her and the dogs - The mini fills this role now when we're visiting family in the midwest, but it sure is tiny.
Allow friends to ride with us - I don't like other people driving. I think I'm better. Our vehicles don't allow for this too well.
That's all I got for now. I know I'd probably regret selling the 40 down the road. Not making any more of them, etc. But I just feel like the cruiser now is something that we have so that I can have fun. With an 80, the chances are that we'd have a cruiser that would let us both have fun.
Help.
I think an 80-series might better fit my needs right now, and I need some help weighing the pros and cons. With the prices of decently built 80s falling, I think I might be able to get enough for the 40 to get a well-maintained 80 with some goodies like lift/tires/bumper/sliders, etc.
Stuff I'd like to be able to do:
Home Depot runs - I have to borrow a buddies explorer anytime I need to pick up 2x4s, 4x8 sheets of plywood, etc. I have a lot of up-coming projects on the house, and an 80 would make this part easier.
Camping trips - It's been over a year since my wife and I have been camping. I think that has a lot to do with her not being comfortable in the 40 for drives over a couple hours. It's hot/cold. The gas/exhaust smell makes her sick, etc. My hope is that with an 80, these trips would become more frequent as she'd be riding in comfort.
Wheeling trips (with the wife) - Yeah, the 40 is great at wheeling. It runs well enough to get me to Rausch Creek and back without any trouble, and I'm willing to deal with any discomfort associated with the drive. But my wife's not. And it's not just the drive, it's the actual wheeling experience. I've taken her twice, but those were both within the first 6 months of my owning it. She says she doesn't like wheeling. I think she doesn't like exhaust fumes, heat, kidney busting jolts. Yes, there are things I could do to the 40 to improve some of this.
Drive around in a convertible on nice days - We used to both hop in the 40 and just "drive" on the weekends, but since she got her convertible mini cooper last year, we use her car for this purpose. Gas prices are only making this worse.
Long hauls with her and the dogs - The mini fills this role now when we're visiting family in the midwest, but it sure is tiny.
Allow friends to ride with us - I don't like other people driving. I think I'm better. Our vehicles don't allow for this too well.
That's all I got for now. I know I'd probably regret selling the 40 down the road. Not making any more of them, etc. But I just feel like the cruiser now is something that we have so that I can have fun. With an 80, the chances are that we'd have a cruiser that would let us both have fun.
Help.
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Plus you get some of the modern comforts and a drivetrin you're familiar with. Plus, you could get a pretty awesome 60 series for whatever you sell the 40 for.... I remember when we swapped trucks that weekend, the convertible factor was pretty cool and its a good truck. I would think about how to make it more spouse friendly before selling it. Maybe some cushy seats, ac and bondo up the hardtop.
