Vehicle Recommendations for fishing

[pcray1231]

My Subaru is a 2021 and already has 6K miles on it and I also have a 2014 Murano with 44k.

I'm envious. I bought my 2020 new, is now at 120k miles. And new job is further, currently doing about 45k miles/year.

Live in Fredericksburg, work in Bethlehem, kids in Hershey. So pretty much every day is Fredericksburg-->Bethlehem-->Hershey-->Fredericksburg. About 3 1/2 hrs of driving per day. Thats not including weekend and vacation trips of course but we get around.
A whole lot of it is highway miles though (I78)

 

[bigjohn358]

Correct you are. I use It to tow my boat otherwise it sits in the driveway. it goes to the shop every winter for a check up and to fix what might lead to a breakdown. It’s in impeccable condition inside, outside and mechanically. My Subaru is a 2021 and already has 6K miles on it and I also have a 2014 Murano with 44k.

Just sitting is the worst thing possible for a lot of vehicles. Causes gaskets and seals to dry out and moving parts to seize up. Probably why the steering box started leaking.

 

[poopdeck]

Just sitting is the worst thing possible for a lot of vehicles. Causes gaskets and seals to dry out and moving parts to seize up. Probably why the steering box started leaking.

I only somewhat agree with this but that's exactly what happened to the steering box. If I were to have put the average of 12000 miles a year on the truck it would have 250 thousand miles on it. That’s 5 sets of tires, 2 water pumps and I don’t know how many brakes, rotors, a head gasket, ripped worn out seats and carpets and god knows what else. I’ll take an inexpensive steering box over all those tires and brake pads alone. The worst thing that can be done to a truck is driving it into the ground. I could get 20 more years out of this truck if I want. If I drove it the national average it would be at the end of its reliable life.

I do make it a point to drive my truck once a month if it’s starts sitting to long.

I'm envious. I bought my 2020 new, is now at 120k miles. And new job is further, currently doing about 45k miles/year.

Live in Fredericksburg, work in Bethlehem, kids in Hershey. So pretty much every day is Fredericksburg-->Bethlehem-->Hershey-->Fredericksburg. About 3 1/2 hrs of driving per day. Thats not including weekend and vacation trips of course but we get around.
A whole lot of it is highway miles though (I78)

I really hate driving. 45 thousand miles a year, 3.5 hours a day, would send me over the edge. My hat goes off to anybody who can do that. I sure couldn’t.

 

[AFISHN]

Still hard to beat a pickup with a cap IMO

That's where I'm leaning now.l

 

[mt_flyfisher]

I only somewhat agree with this but that's exactly what happened to the steering box. If I were to have put the average of 12000 miles a year on the truck it would have 250 thousand miles on it. That’s 5 sets of tires, 2 water pumps and I don’t know how many brakes, rotors, a head gasket, ripped worn out seats and carpets and god knows what else. I’ll take an inexpensive steering box over all those tires and brake pads alone. The worst thing that can be done to a truck is driving it into the ground. I could get 20 more years out of this truck if I want. If I drove it the national average it would be at the end of its reliable life.

I do make it a point to drive my truck once a month if it’s starts sitting to long.

I really hate driving. 45 thousand miles a year, 3.5 hours a day, would send me over the edge. My hat goes off to anybody who can do that. I sure couldn’t.

I don’t disagree that it“s probably better to drive a vehicle periodically versus letting it sit unused for a long period of timem I don’t think it has to be driven extensively. I kept a Ford truck in storage in Montana most of the time for more than 10 years and never had any problems doing that.

My wife and I spent the summers in Montana, and drove there from our home in Pennsylvania every Spring. I kept a truck in storage there all winter, using a battery tender to keep the batteries charged. A friend took it out once each winter, drove it a short distance (1/2 mile at most) and then returned it to storage.

When my wife got to Montana in May, I removed the battery tender, started the truck (never had a problem starting it) and drove it a few miles. Since we also had a second vehicle there, the one we drove from Pennsylvania, some summers I only drove that Montana truck a few hundred miles, or a couple thousand miles at most, before I put it back into storage for the winter.

 

[Swattie87]

My 4Runner only sees a couple thousand miles a year. I don’t do anything special with it, besides keeping it in the garage, when it’s not being used.

It NEVER sees salt. I try to drive it, somewhere, at least once a month, unless it’s salty out. And when I have it out fishing on a dirt road I throw it into 4Hi for a half mile or so.

 

[Facemelted]

I'm envious. I bought my 2020 new, is now at 120k miles. And new job is further, currently doing about 45k miles/year.

Live in Fredericksburg, work in Bethlehem, kids in Hershey. So pretty much every day is Fredericksburg-->Bethlehem-->Hershey-->Fredericksburg. About 3 1/2 hrs of driving per day. Thats not including weekend and vacation trips of course but we get around.
A whole lot of it is highway miles though (I78)

Thats wild. I grew up in Fredericksburg as well, small world!

 

[krayfish2]

My 4Runner only sees a couple thousand miles a year. I don’t do anything special with it, besides keeping it in the garage, when it’s not being used.

It NEVER sees salt. I try to drive it, somewhere, at least once a month, unless it’s salty out. And when I have it out fishing on a dirt road I throw it into 4Hi for a half mile or so.

Gotta run that 4 wheel on the Toyotas regularly or it gets stuck. Think they are self lubricating. I don't think my old one had ever been put in four wheel. When it finally clicked over it wouldn't come back out. I learned my lesson right then there 😁

 

[falcon]

I had a manual locking hubs F-150 that one hub was stuck in 4 wheel drive. A few taps with a hammer and drift pin on the locking mechanism freed it up. I pulled out the thrust washers in the hub and greased them up.... not very difficult. They were simple and bomb proof.

 

[Swattie87]

Gotta run that 4 wheel on the Toyotas regularly or it gets stuck. Think they are self lubricating. I don't think my old one had ever been put in four wheel. When it finally clicked over it wouldn't come back out. I learned my lesson right then there 😁

Yeah. I should probably do it more often that I even do now. Any time it sees dirt throw it in for a little bit.

 

[jeffroey]

Picked this up last year. 2010 with 130k miles. Love it and always confident when I need 4wd. A couple of warts that are well known throughout the FJ community: C pillar blind spots, not great gas mileage, circa 2010 feature set but still, I live this ride.

 

[dryflyguy]

With every 4X4 I've owned, it was recommended to drive it in 4 wheel drive at least once a month. To keep everything in working order
I've pretty much done that, and have never had a mechanical issue

 

[Sharknado5]

jeffroey that's my FJ! Except mine had the black tubular steel roof rack, and a Pirates plate on the front! I really loved that FJ but there was something wrong with the steering and wouldn't stay in alignment. It was a sad day when I traded it in.

 

[AFISHN]

you didnt mention why its time.
ive been driving the same bought used truck for the last nearly 30 years now.

I got stuck in CT last summer on a Sunday not fun.Plus a few months later a water pump went up in State college.I just took it to fish the Little J for a week and I held my breath evrytime I started it.I guess...although it still rides great,I've lost confidence in it