BigLoad
Trail Wise!
Pancakes!
Posts: 12,995
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Post by BigLoad on Dec 1, 2015 22:33:03 GMT -8
I profoundly dislike 2-doors. I don't like dragging a trailer. I most often have a 4-door sedan and it can work for me. An SUV with a fold-down back seat (like my Outback) is even better. I've never had the chance to use a high-clearance pickup with a camper bed, but I know a lot of folks who do. It seems like a great option to me.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Dec 2, 2015 9:15:00 GMT -8
Thanks all, yeah I've drifted to a single vehicle of some sort for the simplicity, and shifted a bit from the camper to an SUV given I've never used a camper before so I'm mostly being seduced by the pictures of those cute interiors without having an experience of my own plus the reality of backroad navigation with something that big as some mentioned. And for backroad navigation I'm no longer in the mood to deal with the issues of low clearance as I was when I did that stuff with my MG! The 4Runner Trail has made the list and I've got a big camp tent from my sailboarding road trips. A Eureka Sunrise 11 that has enough walking around space to suit me on rainy days at the TH. Have to do some experimenting I expect. A bit surprised no one voted for a travel trailer: traveling for months on end having the extra living room would have seemed a good option... plus they're just cute! www.facebook.com/vintagecampertrailers/I expect that's the sailor in me: love those well fitted close spaces.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Dec 2, 2015 15:16:47 GMT -8
I profoundly dislike 2-doors. I don't like dragging a trailer. I most often have a 4-door sedan and it can work for me. An SUV with a fold-down back seat (like my Outback) is even better. I've never had the chance to use a high-clearance pickup with a camper bed, but I know a lot of folks who do. It seems like a great option to me. I hear you, I love two doors but for the open road not backcountry road poking about and while there's big mileage in between some of my possible goals at the end of the day I need more rough country ability than a two-door would bring to it I expect. Bottom line I have to be able to THERE, not just close.
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cajun
Trail Wise!
GEAUX TIGERS!!
Posts: 189
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Post by cajun on Dec 2, 2015 19:27:39 GMT -8
Definitely an SUV -- I can sleep in the back if I want or park it at a hotel, take it on rough roads without worry, carry all my stuff (including bike, kayak, etc.).
I currently drive a hybrid and I can't stand driving it in heavy rain, like we sometimes get. And a rock thrown from a car in front of me punctured my hybrid system to the tune of $2800. My SUV is way more comfortable than hybrid, too, even though the SUV is an old Chevy and the hybrid is a so-called luxury car.
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Post by cloudwalker on Dec 3, 2015 1:55:06 GMT -8
BTW, why can't I vote in this poll? You have to have an ID to vote.
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rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,710
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Post by rebeccad on Dec 3, 2015 8:16:44 GMT -8
I currently drive a hybrid and I can't stand driving it in heavy rain, like we sometimes get. And a rock thrown from a car in front of me punctured my hybrid system to the tune of $2800. My SUV is way more comfortable than hybrid, too, even though the SUV is an old Chevy and the hybrid is a so-called luxury car. Hmm. I don't have any issues with driving our hybrid in heavy rain, and can't imagine a rock doing that kind of damage, since what's up front is the regular engine. Maybe it's the "luxury" part that isn't so good--the Prius is comfortable, nicely sized for us smaller people, and very solid on the road. So often so-called luxury cars seem to have a lot of flaws, like maybe they put all the effort into appearance and not performance (I know you didn't buy that one!)
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zeke
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Peekaboo slot 2023
Posts: 9,894
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Post by zeke on Dec 3, 2015 8:57:57 GMT -8
nicely sized for us smaller people I find my Prius to be comfortable, and I don't have to have the seat all the way back. I also have plenty of headroom with the seat lowered all the way down. M likes this ones ability to tilt the passenger seat all the way flat and even with the back seat. Allows her to make a single cot-like bed. She may not use it as such, since she can sleep just fine in a reclined position.
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rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,710
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Post by rebeccad on Dec 3, 2015 9:19:58 GMT -8
I find my Prius to be comfortable, and I don't have to have the seat all the way back. I guess it has a pretty wide range of adjustments! I find with a lot of American cars that I end up peering through the steering wheel, or else having to get so close to it (in order to reach the pedals) that it's unsafe if the airbag deploys.
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Post by hikerchick395 on Dec 5, 2015 10:49:01 GMT -8
Done extended road trips (weeks long) in more recent years, but no backpacking involved and, definitely, we take the little 5th wheel.
Just did 9 days in the Outback, but we had places to stay...thank goodness...it was 5* at the Grand Canyon Monday morning.
I'd really like to see Subaru get back into the 4WD business. Our '85 subie had 4WD with 4WD low and got good mileage in 2WD.
We drove on dirt roads yesterday in the area and took our Chevy S10 pick-up. The Outback would've never got out of what we got into. And the big Silverado is too wide for some roads.
I like the idea of a compact 4WD pick-up with good horsepower with a pop up camper or small camper. Or just put some money into the '94 S10 and put on a bigger camper...245,000 miles on it
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cajun
Trail Wise!
GEAUX TIGERS!!
Posts: 189
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Post by cajun on Dec 15, 2015 18:06:18 GMT -8
RebeccaD, the rock was a freak thing: it hit the hybrid system UNDER the car and punctured it. It's not a part anyone keeps in stock, to say the least. When it hit, I thought it must have hit my roof because I couldn't see any damage. Little did I know ... Here, flash flooding is not all that unusual. The difference between my SUV and my car can't be overstated -- seriously. Plus my gas mileage drops from about 43 mpg to about 37 mpg when driving through heavy rain and flooded streets. Yes, still way better than the SUV's gas mileage, but it's not really worth it for this part of the country. ... and now, I want to go on a road trip ...
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