Homepage Poll: Ideal rig size for the trail

[sevenslats]

What do you personally prefer for a trail rig?

Try not to argue, just keep the constructive ideas flowing.

[4x4_MMMH_4x4]

compensation:whistle: nothing like being in an overly sized truck...

[ajpthng]

Can't vote but I want something Large enough for the family because Rose likes to go offroading and wouldn't mind taking the kiddo's when they get older for a family outing.

[AK20]

I have always loved my Chevy's, there something about a built Chevy with huge tires and a built motor for me...I'm not going to lie and say there wasn't times when I wish I had a smaller rig, but after I cut enough of my truck off I'm sure I'll be happy...for a while!

[ChevyKev]

Definately large enough for the family. I don't mind Skitzo - it's a great little ride. I have fit down trails with it that I couldn't have taken the Blazer on. However... I can only take 1 other person with me and that is cramped. I have been iumpressed with many rigs up here - in many different varieties - form Samari's that seem to be very capable litlle rigs to Great white (who wasn't that great of a swimmer.) I do like the power and the big tires though. In all - Family means the most.

[TJVigilante]

I'd prefer to be overbuilt....with selectable options to make it challenging, but enough goodies and strength to guarantee I'm not walking home.

[akjeep]

Depends on where I'm goin'!!!
If I'm out where most of the time there's a bottom, I like goin' big. Compensation or whatever - there's something about the feeling of crushing the obstacle that stopped everyone else. In the trees, ya gotta be manuverable unless you wanna just mow down trees. In the bogs and swamps, there often is no bottom, and a light little floater is the way to go.

In the snow on the steep hills, I prefer a lot of weight and a lot of traction and hopefully I can break something earlier in the day so I'm closer to the trailhead.......wait......deja vu........

[naturalbornmudder]

I prefer light and lean when it comes to vehicles, manueverability is a must. I prefer manueverability, weakness and lightweight to heavy and strong.
I found that there is little that lightweight and low power/high torque cannot accomplish. Even the dreaded mud holes can be overcame. Look at Jon and Leni's going away run. ChevyKev, the John Deere Ford and a few others made it look easy, but the lil' T, while struggling through, did make it successfully. The only Jeep to make a full run through, even with the dreaded, not so good in mud but excells everywhere else MTR's. Lightweight and tire speed helped me several times. In fact, the entire winchfest that was Jon and Leni's going away run, I was only stuck 3 times in a 14 hour run. While Jon's YJ did do better than that, the 38.5" Boggers on the YJ had a lot to do with that. With the other Jeeps on the trail, the only thing I had different than anyone else was a 4 banger. Lighter than the 6 cylinder, just as torquey, just a cooincidence? I dont think so.
Now, I am not saying that light and lean is the true ultimate payoff. I have had to get a tug from Ryand and Kev on a few occasions, but I didn't win the boat anchor award at every trail ride either.
I have seen a few references abou thte great white on here lately. Zigged when he should have zagged, but other than that the rig did well on tight trails as well as mud. A heavy pig by anyones standards though. When Martin and I towed it back from 55 Mile at 3 am, the frost heaves combined with the weight of that whale made the front end of Kev's 3+3 come off the ground a few times. It was ridiculous. Pat winched the truck up on the trailer and it was all his winch could to get it up there.
Several times, with the assistance of an anchor like a fat kid or a big tree, little rigs have successfully pulled the fat kids out of a stuck when the mud finally does overcome the monsterous tires and horsepower. Sammy Mike and Suzuki Dave had, on several times, winched out rigs 3 to 4 times their weight.


Family fitment is a big priority for me these days and I have considered letting the TJ go in lieu of getting a rig with capacity for 5 plus gear. I am toying with the idea of XJ/ZJ/WJ. At this point I think I will probably hold on to the TJ and also try to pick up a family wheeler that the whole fam can wheel in, like Jon and Leni did.
The TJ is paid off, and ya cant beat that with a stick!

[akram]

Like dave said it depends on what type of trail. But since I need to choose one I go for large enough for family. That's why I bought the XJ so my whole family can enjoy the fun not just me. Now eventually I will build my own trail rig and I'd have to say medium sized with lots of power and stregth.

[SAINT]

If you like taking families look into Land Rovers. Just a suggestion. They are nicely outfitted stock. You can get a Discovery II or a range like mine for a reasonable price. Some Disco's seat 7 mine seats 5 and can be loaded down with gear with no loss of ground clearance (air suspension baby).

[93hummer]

I like taking the family and got rid of my old YJ for that very reason, it was fine when I was single, but with a wife and 2 kids, it just wasn't enough anymore. I think when the kids get older though I may go with multiple vehicles, say have 2 jeeps or 2 suzukis and split up the family. I will wait to do this until my oldest kid is 16 so he can learn to drive off road and we can take turns driving.

I have found that wheelin a big rig such as the Hummer isn't that much more difficult, but it takes entirely different lines over the same obstacles, and the extra size takes a little bit of extra planning. The wheelbase is great for climbing short steep ledges, as long as my breakover angle doesn't get me.

I think the perfect size for a family rig is the land rover disco, but they seem top heavy. the perfect drivetrain in my opinion is unimog, little 4 banger with a tractor drivetrain, almost impossible to break.

[TJVigilante]

So....overbuilt isn't dealing with size....so if I had to choose..I'd choose something smaller, but built so it was stable. Wide track isn't really needed, but wider than stock, lower center of gravity, as short a wheelbase as is required to be stable on steep hillclimbs....etc.

TJ on 65" wide axles and 100" wheelbase, 4" lift and 36's sounds about perfect for me.

[93hummer]

I think the perfect rig was the 4 door TJ on top truck challenge with the 53 michelins.... that thing rocks, but I doubt you'd get far without a ticket from the highway patrol for those tires sticking out so far. I love top truck for the ideas, but many of the rigs are no good for a daily driver.

[93hummer]

For a one person rig I would put a suzuki on full width chevy axles and no lift with some 39 crawlers, having it sit between the tires.... That would be cool!!! I love strange and different rigs... too many cookie cutter 4x4's out there.

[STOMPR]

Yea it depends on the trail. And if I wanted to take my whole family I would need to build a Burb. No matter what it is big or smal I like em overbuilt though. Nothing sucks worse than breaking on the trail.

[Fix_It]

my personal preference is wheel base of a toyota truck or xj for steep hills and just as wide for sneaking through rocks and trees ...not to mention parts are so much easier to find lol

[akdsmer]

Small and maneuverable got Kyle and I <almost> to the bus on Stampede. All you other guys bring your chainsaws.....

[STOMPR]

chainsaws !!..... we dont need no stinkin' chansaws !!

[akdsmer]

Right, the JEEPS need chainsaws, you fullsize guys need a passenger seat in a jeep!

[STOMPR]

How bout I change my trucks name to chainsaw would that work ?





Its really that bad huh ?:eek:

[akdsmer]

Its really that bad huh ?:eek:

Only until a bunch of us go in and clear the way! I'll even help, since I don't like to wheel alone.

[AKMark]

Run whatever you can. Just ensure you have something you can fix if you break.


Funny when you run a trail where the larger rigs are doing far better than the smaller ones, or the opposite. There's no such thing as the perfect rig for all trails.

I wonder if I could set up a PTO for chainsaws mounted on the front of the Burb? That could be fun.

[akdsmer]

Funny when you run a trail where the larger rigs are doing far better than the smaller ones, or the opposite. There's no such thing as the perfect rig for all trails.

That's true, I with more weight, my tires would did into the snow better and grip better. I found that out while carrying some of the trailer gear back out. Suzuki sized, Burban weighted, GM powered and trail-rated!

[Advent]

I prefer a more 'modular' approach to a rig. I'd like something that I can do minor suspension tweaks on and swap tires out depending upon the scenario. BIG tires for longer trips, smaller ones for weekend stuff. I'd like to be able to fit 47's to do some of the longer trails up here that require river crossings, but there's no way I'd want to run those all the time. They're just too big. 37-40" tires seem perfect for most other stuff.

As much as I'd like to say 'go light', it just isn't doable for anything other than shorter trips. The Samurai is great but can't carry more than a weekend's worth of gear. So you've got to go bigger to get the same ground PSI. Not rockwells or anything like that, so long as you keep to a lower power engine with the proper gearing (as much as we joke about it, Kelly can get his tires spinning when he wants).

Basically, I plan for a 6" suspension lift and I'll move the body out of the way for the bigger tires. About 10" wider than I currently am axle-wise would be perfect for most trails with decently backspaced rims, and go to low backspacing for really big tires.

Basically, something very similar to the Green Lantern but capable of fitting wider tires. Oh, and still using $0.78/can paint!

Edit: And overbuilt axles. Breakage sucks.

Small and maneuverable got Kyle and I <almost> to the bus on Stampede. All you other guys bring your chainsaws.....

We were getting just as hit as they were, you just care less about your paint!

Just look at your hood...There's no way a motorcycle wouldn't have gotten beat.

[AKMark]

You guys are funny.

If the Jeep sells someday soon, the 85 will become the next trail rig for me.

It will be shortened a little to help with departure angle. 36-38" tires to start, and hopefully 42's for the next set. I can dream can't I?