Best vehicle for The Game

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

Is it going to be a daily driver?

 

Get a good Z71 in good shape with a good 350 at a good price with no payments.

Late 90's model Chevy Z71 with Vortec 350 or a later model with the 5.3. I see these with 350's as farm trucks everywhere and the same setup in Tahoe's. 300k+ not uncommon around here with no major mechanical issues. Just routine maintenance, starters, batteries, alternators, etc.

 

In the long run, I have found you will either pay for fuel in a reliable engine or you will pay the difference in head gaskets, timing belts, coil packs etc. in something else.

[Captain Clark]

If we're dragging the trailer to a shoot, then it's the 4x4 Duramax crew cab! When it's a day trip then it's always been the Suburban, 200k+ miles and counting with lots of room and secure from weather and hostiles.Recently got a Jeep Grand Cherokee and it is really good on the highway, secure, 4x4 that gets great mileage and can cover lots of ground pronto if needed!

[Chili Ron]

Howdy,

For years I had old beatup ford vans to drive in winter so my Camaro could stay salt free.

My cheapest van cost $30 and I surprised the seller by starting it and driving it home.

Three days of hard work later and it was ready to drive thru the winter.

Today the crop of mini vans are plush in comparison.

I saw one pard who built a compartment in the back of his van after removing 3rd row seats.

Guns and gear go under the carpeted cover, very slick.

Also a local car dealer sold out his dealership and retired very young.

He could have chosen almost any Mercedes, Volvo or Honda made.

Id guess he had millions in pocket. His choice was a Honda pilot.

I try to only buy cars with dealerships in town. My sister bought Subaru and

had to drive to have a problem evaluated, drive back drive in again to get the part installed

drive back. Drive again for adjustments, drive back.

All under warranty? NOT the milage or the time.

Was I any hep?

Best

CR

ps-when you throw in that trailer towing item you eliminate a lot of economical options.

A Honda element could fill the bill but Id never hook a trailer to one.

[Mack Hacker, #60477]

A Suburban is one of my favorite vehicles. I have had 4. It is overkill for hauling 2 folks and all their gear to SASS events. A Tahoe will do nicely with room to spare. My wife and I frequently travel with 2 Mustang gun carts and all our gear in my 2004 Jeep Liberty.

 

To summarize this, I would say that any SUV will do the job for you, but I would rate the full size Tahoe as the optimum solution.

 

I have bought these vehicles used with 65K to 180K miles on them and fully expect them to give at least 250K total miles before they become a problem.

[Barry Sloe]

First of all you've got to look at the gear you are taking to a match (and anyone else's gear that might tag along). Does your gun cart break down? If it does it will give you more options.

I traded a Mustang GT convertible for a Expedition EL (Ford Suburban) and I can get everything into it I need for the wife and I, and still have the back seat empty. I drove the shorter Expedition and didn't care for the ride. The EL model just floats along.

I like the Expedition or Suburban idea a bit better than a pickup just because I can put everything inside and lock it up. With a pickup truck you can put a tonneau cover on, but you've got to ensure that it is versatile enough for what you want to do. My wife has a hard tonneau on her F150 that is lockable, but we can't get our large non-breakdown guncarts under the tonneau. And if you put a camper shell on a pickup just for secure storage you may as well have purchased the Suburban in the first place.

 

Just my two cents,

BS

[Paladin Gun For Hire]

For the last three years i have been using a 1997 3/4 ton dodge conversion van. Hauls all my gear, rides nice and when I attend a 2 or 3 day shoot it also is my camper. You can find these used in very good condition, set up for camping and if you need to haul a little more cargo, in most cases, the middle seats come out, for more room. I leave my two middle seats out all the time, keep a cooler and other camping equipment in it and if we want to take off and go to the coast for the weekend just throw in some clothes and we are gone. Take a look on Craig's List for (van conversions). Great way to go.

[Hashknife Cowboy]

Your buddies, they drive and you drink coffee on the way!

[JudgeBagodonuts]

I downsized from a Ford Expedition to a Ford Flex.

 

The Expedition would hold anything I ever would dream of carrying. 4x8 sheets of plywood? No problem getting 20 of them in there. 80 pound bags of concrete mix? No problem, just toss 8 of those bad boys into the trunk area. Towing? No problem with my 3000 pound boat, or my 7000+ pound car trailer/car inside. My best fuel economy was 16 on the highway, but I usually got 10 in everyday driving. The high clearance meant that I could drive it anywhere I was brave enough to go.

 

The Flex is, well, smaller. I can still carry the plywood, but only 4 sheets at a time (curvature of the gate opening is the issue). 80 pound bags of concrete? Sure, but keep it to 5 bags or less. Towing? No problem with the boat, but no trailering the car trailer with a car inside. Best fuel economy has been 25 on the highway, but I usually get 20 in every day driving. The ground clearance causes me to question whether it would be a good idea to take it off the road. The Flex was actually more expensive than a replacement Expedition.

 

Ok, but what about carrying the gun cart? Hands down easier to get it in and out of the Flex, because of the lower lift height.

[Clueless Bob]

Don't forget the Dodge Grand Caravan. Seats 7 comfortably. Back seats fold down flat with the floor giving a large space that a full sheet of plywood (8'X4') inside, so shooting gear is not an issue. Not sure of towing capacity, but should handle a bike and trailer. Ours has consistanly get 26-28 mpg on the interstate.

[Krazy Kajun]

To answer the original question with the parameters stated, I would say a Ford Explorer Sport Trac. Room for five, nice bed with tie-downs built in, and can tow a small trailer without breaking a sweat.

I have a Ford Explorer Sport Trac. It has a tonneau cover over the bed as well to keep the rain off my gear. I have a 5 x 10 trailer that I keep around to haul larger stuff in and the 4 liter 6 cylinder motor pulls it just fine. It gets about 22 mpg on the highway. It has rear A/C and can haul 4 sets of cowboy butts and their stuff to a match. I have one of those trailer hitch mounted cargo carriers like this if I have extra folks and their stuff going to a match....great for carrying gun carts on.

 

For me it is a pretty good all around vehicle and is especially well suited for cowboy matches.

 

Kajun

[Jimmy Reb, SASS #54804]

I use a 3/4 ton 4x4 extended cab GMC with the 6.0 gas. I we really need to move something, we use the wife's truck. Same as mine except hers has the Dura Max. Gas truck gets 15-16 mpg onthe highway and the diesel gets 20-21.

[rippin kid]

I own a long bed dually diesel 4x4 crew cab F350 I can carry my cowboy stuff and the whole posies' stuff in comfort. I drive a company 1500 crew cab short bed I can carry my stuff comfortable.