Looking for a reliable 4x4 for accessing backpacking trailheads

C

CrazyHorse

New member
All right guys, newb here, making my first posting in the newb forum, so go easy!

I've been trying to push my comfort level a bit in terms of backpacking trails and I'm thinking more and more of trails that are at the terminus of dirt roads that either require more clearance, or can potentially turn muddy after rain. So, I'm thinking of getting an older 4x4 for these situations.

Basically, I want something that will be dead reliable. Don't need it to do any boulder crawling, or fording streams, or whatever. I just need more ground clearance than a passenger vehicle, 4wd in case rain turns the trail into a bog, etc. Not planning to do any extensive modding - just want it to get me in and out of my trailhead without any worries. Also want it to be a manual. Always driven a manual. Also, I will have my sons with me and one is only 10, so I prefer a SUV rather than a truck for comfort.

I don't want to spend a ton of money, ideally under $5K. I was thinking about the following choices:

1. 3rd gen 4Runner,maybe 1997-ish? Definitely my first choice.
2. 1991-96 XJ
3. 1st or 2nd gen Explorer - 1991-2001
4. 1st or 2nd Gen Isuzu Trooper, late 80s or 96-99ish.

I've been watching CL,etc. Explorers are dirt cheap comparitively. I don't know if I can get a 3rd Gen 4Runner under $5K around here... most are hovering just north of that unless they have over 300K miles on them. Early XJs are available but they seem to be somewhat more expensive than I expected.

Any advice? I don't know a thing about buying a used car, so that's another worry, which is why I am leaning towards the newer end of my window, but of course that busts the budget. Thanks, guys!
 
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Yeah so 5,000 can get you a nice rig, you just need to be patient I bought mine for 5,500 so it's possible. Don't get frustrated with the pricing of the 3rd gens on CL the prices are crazy right now, you never know who is ready to make a deal. I must say I love my 3rd gen, previously I had a 1st gen and that was great too, but the new one has just a few more creature comforts that make it so much nicer to drive in as a DD. I'm not a big fan of the jeeps, although the prices are better but there might be a reason for that you know?

I guess your right it's a lot safer being in a 4x4 when dealing with sand on some of those eastern Oregon roads. Just remember 200k is not all that bad for the 3.4 in these rigs but you will find that those other choices might not be able to say the same thing. I will keep an eye out for some deals and let you know if I find something you should look at,

Good luck!!
 
Thanks man, appreciate the help! If you see something worth pursuing in CL or wherever, feel free to PM me! I was astonished at the prices of the Explorers, for example. Granted, these may not be the typical offroading vehicles but for my use case, they may be sufficient. But there must a reason why a late 90s Explorer with low miles can be had under 2 grand, while a comparable vintage 4Runner with many more miles is twice that. I'm in no hurry, plenty of "regular' trails to keep me busy. :) I can wait and watch and hope the right deal comes along at some point. My time is probably better spent convincing the wife that the educational value of taking my sons backpacking outweighs the cost of another vehicle in the family! :D
 
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Hey no problem!

And it shouldn't be too hard to convince her, Oregon is such a beautiful place and it's so sad how many people who have lived here their whole life and never realize the the raw beauty one experiences when on a trail 10 miles in. As an adult there are many things that I have forgotten as a kid, but I can almost see, taste and smell the adventures my dad took me on in the woods, those were the ones that stuck, the world would be a different place If more parents took their kids hiking.
 
So I know you're on a 4Runner board, but take a really hard look at the Explorers. They were hands-down the most popular midsize SUV on the road during the years you're looking at, so there's kabillions of them and they're dirt cheap. The 4.0 SOHC V6 is a reliable and relatively powerful motor, but gets to needing timing chain service as it approaches 200k, and that's a b!tch of a job to do yourself (and expensive if you have a shop do it) so find one with low miles or that's already had it done. The OHV 4.0 that came before it is not nearly as powerful, but still a good motor. They need a lot of modding to approach a 3rd gen 4Runner in terms of offroad capability, but for your needs a stock Explorer with a good set of all terrain tires would be more than adequate. And as you've noted, you can't beat the price tag.

The reason the Explorers are so much cheaper is because there's more of them, and they aren't a Toyota :D. Toyota vehicles have a strong rep for reliability and a huge fanbase, that drives the prices of used vehicles up. The 3rd gen 4Runner in particular is on it's way to achieving cult status - it's twice the cost of a comparable Explorer because it's twice the truck - reliability, capability, driveability, the 4Runner is just plain better across the board and people know it. To find a 4Runner in the same budget range as the Explorer you need to go early 90s and look at the 2nd gen 4Runner. 1990 to 1995, you can get them in automatic or manual, you can find them with the fuel-friendly and ultra-reliable four cylinder or the slightly more powerful 3.0 V6 (I recommend the 4 cylinder and a five speed manual). Not going to be as comfortable to drive as an Explorer for sure, and you won't be winning any races. But they're Toyota reliable, their resale value will go up not down, and if you NEEDED to crawl or ford water or otherwise get yourself out of the shit, you could do it with a stock truck. You can't really say that about the low-slung soccer-mobile Explorer.

XJs are great trucks. There's fifty kabillion of them around too, so they're also cheap. Stock for stock they're probably slightly more capable than the 4Runner offroad and a little less friendly on. They'll take 3rd place to the Toyotas and Fords in terms of reliablity though. I've had more friends have more trouble with that Jeep 4.0, it's not what I'd consider a good motor. If you're willing to put in the work to keep it on the road, it's an option. If you want something you don't have to worry about, I'd stay away.

Troopers are good little trucks, sort of a poor man's 4Runner. Resale value on that will not climb the way a Toyota's will, and I hear parts are getting harder to find, but they're reliable and capable enough to get you in and out without worries.

Other options you may want to consider - 60 or 80 series Landcruiser? These bad boys bring the beef, ultrareliable and super capable. If you thought the 3rd gen 4Runner was overpriced, look away, these things are sought after and the price reflects that. They're worth it, IMO. If I were you I'd put the Honda Ridgeline on your list. High clearance, midsize, AWD, four doors and a good sized bed for muddy gear, that might be just the ticket. Also look at the Rodeo/Pathfinder, very capable little trucks that don't have a huge following and can be picked up cheap. The Suzuki Grand Vitara is a way better softroader than it has any right to be, they're hard to find but take a look if you see one. Early Toyota Rav4s have some chops in the dirt too, they're small though but sometimes on tight brushy trails that's a bonus. And you can't have a list like this without the Jeep Wrangler - super capable, fun to scoot around in, plenty of room for two guys + backpacking gear, there's a reason they're so popular and an early Wrangler is well inside your budget.

I think you should get a 2nd or 3rd gen 4Runner, but I'm biased. Shop around, drive some trucks, post on other boards and get other guy's opinions, get something that works for you. If you decide on a 4Runner, have a look at the Buyers Guide thread in the 3rd gen section, or come into the Classics section with questions about the 2nd gen. Good luck!
 
I must say I love my 3rd gen, previously I had a 1st gen and that was great too
6n.jpg
 
Xrider237 said:
damn kidV- thats a very thorough breakdown of used suv's
Click to expand...


Right!
Spot on

One thing that might sway your decisions is MPG..
Most 4runners get around 17-20 stock and well kept. Once you start adding lift and tires and weight that goes down quite a bit however you are just looking for a normal rig to get you and your boys there and back safely. I am not familiar with the MPG of your other choices.
 
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Thanks for the post, guys, especially KidV. That was great! I like the Trooper but am definitely worried about not getting spare parts. Well, I got some more ideas from this thread, so I'll keep looking. No big hurry here - will try to get something before the fall, as I am going to be in Costa Rica for a couple of weeks in July and a huge road trip to Yellowstone/Tetons in August. Won't really be doing any big backpacking trips until fall at the earliest.
 
New guy here also.
I'd like to add- whatever you choose, on some roads (and off) 4wd isn't always enough.

Outfit your vehicle with a shovel, ax, winch, Hi Lift, and recovery accessories and learn how to use them. Early deployment of the proper tool can help you keep a bad situation from getting worse.
Plan for the worst, hope for the best.
 
Just trying to benchmark price vs. age/mileage. I'm the kind of guy who plots price of various CL offerings over a few months on a graph to estimate a general idea of the price band and what would be an outlier in my favor :)

This is a bit above my admittedly arbitrary budget of 5K, but I the mileage is low and I wanted to get an idea of whether the asking price is reasonable:

1997 toyota 4runner SR5 V6 4x4 in excellent condition Low miles

Thanks!
 
[MENTION=126189]CrazyHorse[/MENTION]

Honestly, I'd jump on that depending on if it drove nice and all checked out.

Go for test drive and have cash, offer him 5,000 cash after the test drive.
I'm sure you full well know how to negotiate, I don't need to tell you anything on that matter. 5-speeds are hard to come by

Like I mentioned before I took mine to a dealer and had them inspect and more importantly pressure test the engine. The plus side is they also gave me a list of things needing fix that really helped with the negotiation time.
 
Basically narrowed it down to these as potentially interesting:

1998 205000 3300 Exhaust leak, dent
1998 212000 5500 New brakes, spark plugs
1997 160000 5900 New clutch, battery alternator
1990 208000 2800 New timing belt, water pump, spark plugs, fuel pump, tuneup

Biggest difference seems to be the generation... 3rd gen commanding a significant price premium. I'm going to be chilling at the Oregon coast for the rest of the week, so vehicle hunting will have to wait until I get back on Sunday! :)
 
Sorry I'm late to the game, but I got my 97 Limited for pretty much the reasons you stated. I'm an avid mountaineer, climber, and backcountry enthusiast, and I wanted to be able to access crazy trailheads and the like.

I've had it for 4 years now and I haven't regretted it for one second. OK, maybe one second, but not more than that. It's been a great vehicle, and you realize that even stock it's super capable (given good driving and good rubber). Be ready to drop $1k into scheduled maintenance replacement work in the first few months, but once all of the neglected stuff is taken care of, you're set.

I will caution you that, while the 4Runner is reliable, she's not impervious to user error. For example, if you leave her at a trailhead for a 5 day backpacking trip and you don't double check the doors are all firmly shut when you hit the trail, the old battery will be dead when you get back and you will be 5-10 miles from cell service and it will be the LAST thing you want to deal with at that moment. Hahah!

Post some pics when you get something!
 
Awesome! I'm leaning towards the 4runner anyway. Now to find one... I'm vacationing at the Oregon Coast this week... will be back on Sunday and maybe, fire up CL to see what's available. I'm going to Costa Rica for 2 weeks on July 3, so might realistically have to wait until I get back. And oh yeah, going to do a road trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons in August. May be fall before I find something lol... which is fine, since I won't have time for backpacking until then anyway.
 
Seems you've already made up your mind, but just to reaffirm your decision, I had a 5 Speed '99 for a while and it was a phenomenal truck. It was probably my favorite transmission in the manuals I've owned (Nissan 200sx, mk3 Supra Turbo and the 4Runner), and of the manual trucks I've driven it was the best I've experienced - that includes an XJ. Happy hunting.
 
I would swoop the one up from the ad you posted up all day...
Like what was stated $5000 cash offer in hand ...sold he'll take it.
 
my first vehicle was a '94 for explorer with the v6, 4 doors, eddie bauer edition. lets just say i thought i was pretty much invincible in it. not to mention it was maroon (gig'em). it was only 2wd but i was able to traverse many muddy roads/grassy areas without issue. The AC compressor (i think i twas that, cant remember now but basically the whole system would have needed to be replaced :pout:) did crap out at about 170k miles though, but the engine and tranny were still smooth and never had any other issues with it.

im partial to the toyotas but that explorer treated me right until it couldnt keep its cool. haha

just trying to add another data point for you.

i like to drool over the older LCs though... i think thats what i would go with... but hey, its your money and thats all that matters. the suspense is killing me :snacker:
 
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