Alteratively simply renting a SUV when you want to camp may be a significantly cheaper route in many ways.
I looked at that one time…It’s NOT that simple. There are very few SUV’s to rent, so you have to schedule way in advance (MONTHS IF ON A HOLIDAY WEEKEND). And then when the day comes the truck may NOT be in service. Forget about planning a impromptu camping trip. It’s impossible to rent a SUV on very short notice. Maybe if you lived in a big city near a airport it might be possible.
True, but where do all the parts come from, and who supervises the American factories?
Many of the parts come right here in the US…You have to ask yourself where do the parts come from that are in American cars. Toyota’s and Honda’s that are maded in the US use as many or MORE American parts and use as many or MORE American workers to produce those parts.
I think you’ve watched the movied “Gung-Ho” too many times. The supervisors at the Toyota/Honda/Nissan plants here in the US are American. Where are you getting your disinformation from.
Toyota/Honda and Nissan are INCREASING their American presence in manufacturing…while Ford GM and Chryco are decreasing it. The big three displaced THOUSANDS of American workers with robotics made in Japan and Korea…
If not the FJ, how about an Escape 4x4? you can pick up a basic 4cyl 4x4 for about $20k
Most of the small SUVs have sufficent clearance for your needs, and most come with AWD or 4WD. If you were crawling rocks I’d suggest otherwise, but I think the CRV or a RAV 4 would work great…provided that you put some wider wheels and tires for floatation over the sand and reasonably aggressive tires for bite. Aftermarket wheels and tires to accomplish this should be readily available for both vehicles.
Personally, if I were going on desert camping trips reliability would also be a critical criterion. Consumer Reports at the local bookstore can guide you there.
Actually the best method in sand is to deflate your tires to a well below normal pressure so they become wider and float. Of course anything modern will set off the TPMS sensors.
I bet if you check the rental contract they forbid using it off-road anyway.
I bet if you check the rental contract they forbid using it off-road anyway.
I never got that far…and I’ll bet you’re right. I do a little bit of off-roading when my youngest son and I do our father-son hiking-camping trips.