# Which vehicle for beach cruising/fishing?



## redfishnc

I am looking for a good vehicle to use for the beaches around my house (Carolina Beach) and for the trips to Portsmouth. I am trying to hold the cost to about 7500. This vehicle will have to perform double duty as well by towing the boat, approx 2000 lbs. I would appreciate your take on this. I have owned Toyota 4runners, Yukons, and a Sequoia and was looking at FJ62 Land Cruisers but then decided I wanted to listen to others and their picks. Thanks for your help.


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## Fins&butt4me

I find that a short bed 86-96 4X4 F150 is hard to beat. Manual transmission and 6 cylender is actually better. More low end torque. Equip it with some good BF Goodrich all terrains in 36 12.50s and it will go just about where you would ever want it to go; sand mud or even snow.


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## Rockfish1

check on here... there's a bunch of used 4x4's down east here... should be able to find something that'll work for you...

http://www.autotrader.com/


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## redfishnc

*I meant what type of 4wd would you like??*

I meant what type of 4WD would you own. I have looked at the pickups and those are probably the best bargains out there. I live close to CB and they are picked up quickly when you find one not rusted... thanks


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## Rockfish1

you had the one I'da liked to get, a Toyota 4 runner... settled on a Ford Explorer for the price though... 

pick up's are nice but when you're traveling, it's nice to be able to lock your mess up when you stop... plus with the SW body style if you're traveling lite you can roll out the ole sleeping bag down one side to snooze... with the lift up rear hatch, it makes a nice spot to hang out if it's raining also...

as for buying local, I've found that if you look 30-50 miles inland you'll find much better deals, on groceries, cars, trucks and motorcycles...


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## Jesse Lockowitz

hard to go wrong with a toyota..


almost 2 years ago i bought a 2001 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4

it has yet to dissapoint me. turn knob 4x4 is so automatic i have yet to feel the lag. 
it aint dissapointed me yet on the sand @ all. or in the woods a few times.

pull a trailer w/ it at work on a regular basis, prlly hauled near 2k a few times of rocks and bricks and random junk.


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## Xi Bowhunter

I would go with a Nissan Xterra. They are dependable and very capable off-road. I wish i would have never gotten rid of mine.


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## cidman

Jeep Cherokee with the 4.0, chry 8.25 rear axle, 4spd auto.


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## Ninethourpm

Im with jesse a 4x4 Ranger with a 4.0 is one tough truck. I once hauled 1 ton of shingels in mine. Drove it over top a 4 ft pile of snow & ice. Then one day i slid off the road into a curb and went sideways into a tree, flipped over and walked away without a scratch. I always wonder why they give such low saftey ratings to 4x4 trucks but give high ratings to lil cars that get turned into a twisted heap after accidents like that.


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## chris storrs

one more vote for xterra...steal my moms as often as possible for the beach...plenty sleepin/gear room...rides anywhere on sand without hesitation...3.3 with auto trans in hers...if i have to sell my jeep when these new regs for the beach come out..ill get an xterra most likely


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## Jesse Lockowitz

chris storrs said:


> one more vote for xterra...steal my moms as often as possible for the beach...plenty sleepin/gear room...rides anywhere on sand without hesitation...3.3 with auto trans in hers...if i have to sell my jeep when these new regs for the beach come out..ill get an xterra most likely


yeah, sleeping room is nice to have. im big, my ranger is small. i sleep sittin up, or go red bull fiend style, and dont sleep.


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## Ryan Y

I'd think about other uses as well for your vehicle. Besides fishing and towing the boat, are you gonna haul things too?

I have and would recommend a quad cab. Mine is a dakota with a V8 motor. Has great power. I used to tow a lawncare trailer and equipment. Now it tows the boat here locally and over the road. It's also been to Maine, and out to Texas. Not to mention the many trips to Hatty. I would not get the AWD thought like I have (It has 4x4 too.)
One of the best things I did to it was get a topper for the bed. I can sleep, er lounge in it out of the elements overnight, stow wet or muddy gear, plus lock crap up in there to when I need to.


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## jwfishn

chevy suburban a place to sleep cook, 70-30 rods no problem. haul a lot of stuff.


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## Tracker16

I have an 04 F150 4x4 that I really like. I bought it new and it's the first vehical I've had in 20 years that I wasn't looking to trade in after 2 years. I hope to get another 7-10 yrs out of it. It has a small V8 (4.6) that would pull your boat with ease. 4X with the flip of a switch..really nice. If I were going to camp at the beach a topper would be a great addition. I would say it is one worth considering


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## Entropy

magx said:


> Jeep Cherokee with the 4.0, chry 8.25 rear axle, 4spd auto.


agreed, but alas... my oppinion is bias. my current XJ is stroked out to 4.6 liters and with 3.07 gears and slightly smaller than stock tires she gets up and goes. i love the faces on the guys with hondas when they see a jeep bark the tires and take off. 

i had another with the 4.0 and it did plenty of haulin (21' chris craft, about 4K lbs), and ran through everything i charged at it with. for the price its hard to beat. the motor will run 250k miles no problem. everything else falls apart before the drive train!  but it is rather lacking in size. both of mine have been manuel transmissions with the 3.07s, low range is great. the automatics have a slightly lower gearing in the high 3s somewhere, i forget exactly what.

maybe an FSJ? (FSJ = full size jeep = wagoneer) the waggys come with dana44 axels all around and the amc 401 (i beleive its a 401, correct me if im wrong) should have more than enough power. they are work horses.

if you want something nice, get something nice. but since CFC was invented jeeps are a bargain if you want something to beat on.


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## Sea2aeS

ford ranger with a 4 liter. tough as chit & keeps going. i sleep sitting up or i dont sleep. if i cant sleep like that, then i aint tired enough 

Had a dakota, wont have another one it was junk. maybe i had a lemon ryan, but mine liked to chew up passenger side front cv axles every 8-10k miles. after the 2nd one i was convinced enough to get rid of it

try to avoid chevy, I heard they spend more time in the shop than in the sand


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## chris storrs

brent u just bought ur truck how u know its tough as chit and keeps going..hahah

you sir have been called out

whatever you do, dont buy something that ive ver owner, it will break down, alot


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## Sea2aeS

not the only ranger ive ever had chris Ive had my truck over 2 years now & im sure it will be around a lot longer


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## chris storrs

the whyd u get rid of the first one idjit. dont justify that with a response. sorry for the hijack


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## Jesse Lockowitz

chris storrs said:


> brent u just bought ur truck how u know its tough as chit and keeps going..hahah
> 
> you sir have been called out
> 
> whatever you do, dont buy something that ive ver owner, it will break down, alot


LOL


im drivin the shit out of my ranger til the wheels falllll off. then put some new wheels on it, and wait for them to wear down, then buy a chevy 



Jesse


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## Sea2aeS

chris storrs said:


> the whyd u get rid of the first one idjit. dont justify that with a response. sorry for the hijack


it wasnt 4wd U idiot recaptured....

anyways, as i was saying, love my rangerS ive had & still have. had bad luck with the dakota, just my 2 cents


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## CrawFish

What was wrong with the 4runner, yukon and the sequoia? These vehicles are more than adequate for on and off road.


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## ReelKingin

i use a 93' extended cab silverado...manual 4x4 inside the cab, great gas, plenty of room, cheap to repair, and easily upgraded with aftermarket equipment


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## Raleighwood




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## Raleighwood

i


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## redfishnc

CrawFish said:


> What was wrong with the 4runner, yukon and the sequoia? These vehicles are more than adequate for on and off road.


Nothing was wrong with the 4runners (3), sequoia or the yukon (loved them all). i was thinking more a pure beach vehicle. I have looked at Cherokees, old Land Cruisers (not anymore) and now I have my eyes on 97, 98 or 99 4runners with 100k to 125k miles. They seem to be plentiful and many have never seen the beach or rust. Thanks for all the input and if you see that prize cherokee or 4R ping me. I am in the Carolina Beach area...


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## redfishnc

ReelKingin said:


> i use a 93' extended cab silverado...manual 4x4 inside the cab, great gas, plenty of room, cheap to repair, and easily upgraded with aftermarket equipment


I love those older chevy 4x4 trucks but they are gone in a day around here, sometimes less. I also had an 85 blazer but those models in decent shape sell pretty good too. It was a gas hog but it went well on the beach and had room to carry the goods.


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## CrawFish

Those 4runners are nice, but thye don't have enough room. When you think you have enough room, you could always use some more. If I were to look for another beach truck, it would be a suburban. It has all the room that you need, even for 12ft rod inside without breaking down. With the truck full of fishing gears, you still have room to lay down. Put a front rack on it and done.


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## redfishnc

*Suburban*



ReelKingin said:


> i use a 93' extended cab silverado...manual 4x4 inside the cab, great gas, plenty of room, cheap to repair, and easily upgraded with aftermarket equipment


The guy beside me (dog that he is) was letting me get his 99 Suburban 4x4, 130k miles, one owner for $3400 until one of my other 'friends' says you can get a lot more than that for those old suburbans... he is still driving it.


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## eric

aww, if you lived closer, i have another 98 Mercedes ML320 in my driveway 130k
for a light/med duty rec vehicle that can haul a boat. it does pretty well on sand. i drive a 98 silver one to the beach we have here.
has low range gearing and AWD

i was thinking about letting it go for cheap.


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## spydermn

For inexpensive, reliable, easy/cheap to mod 80's chevy k20. 350/350 turbo, carb for easy adjustment and it is dime a dozen so cheap parts are everywhere. Was looking at one until my wife said only one ORV so I got a Tundra for DD/ORV. Love the K trucks!!!


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## Tommy

10 year old Suburban. Cheap, lots of room and will haul all the fishing gear you would ever need. Will tow just about ant boat too.

Tommy


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## zztopsail

2001 or newer Ford Explorer is my pick. I have a 2004 and love it. 

Built on an F-150 chassis, they just enclosed the bed of the truck and added smoother shocks. It is Auto Trans with 4x4 Auto, High and Low and rides high enough to take on the sands of Fort Fisher without getting stuck. But on the highway it cruises like a limo, with little noise and a great high ride view over and around the guy in front of you.

I have leather seats. front and rear air, moon roof and the 3rd seat in the back (that stays down all the time), plus the full tow package with 2 inch receiver. The only thing I would change would be I would go with the V-8 rather than the V-6 I have as you get more power and the mpg is only about 2 miles less.

Plus,,it is a Ford, the only real American Auto Company left and making a profit.

You just gotta know that Henry Ford is sitting somewhere with a shxt eating grin on his face thinking " I started it all and I am the only one left standing. Eat my dust cause I just blew past you all"


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## 2000Chevys104x4

i own a 2000 Chevy S10 Extended Cab Automatic 4x4 with a 4.3L v6.. never had a problem.. I've never seen one stuck either.. and I live near OBX. i go muddin (ill admit i got stuck the other day but it was in an unrealistic mud pit for my truck). The s10 blazers are amazing too! They quietly pass by everybody else that gets stuck and nobody even notices.. automatic locking hubs makes gettin on the beach easy.. just push a button and ur on ur way.. the pickup is extremely lightweight so if you did happen to get stuck its easy to get out. i dont know how light the s10 blazer is but im sure it is almost as light.. dont go big when you could go small and still get decent gas mileage.. by the way a nissan xterra doesnt get all that great of gas mileage


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## redfishnc

*Thanks for all the input....*

Broke my neighbor down and am getting a '99 Suburban. I have never been one for traveling light and figured it would be a great tow vehicle for my boats. I enjoyed all the input and learned a littel along the way. Now for replacing the tires??? Not sure how big I should go. Don't want to lift but would like a wider footprint.


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## KingKrimpet

Good luck-you could have picked up a nice 94-97 80 series LC but sounds like you got a good deal


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## GreenFord

I'm a fan of big too. Never cared for small vehicles much. I had a ranger years ago and it was a nice truck just way to small for me. I drive an F-250 crew cab with a shell on the back. It gives me seating for the wife and kids with room to spare and a nice dry area to keep all our junk. Mileage sucks but that may be to the fact it has 41" tires and 4:88 gears.  But this is my weekend play toy so I don't care about the mileage.


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## roverich

Dont forget about land rovers ..They can be picked up fairly cheaply ...I found a 96 a few years back for 4k ..Daily driver and going strong ...


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## redfishnc

*the Suburban*

The land rover is smaller and i worked on my last one (an 88") every month. I purchased a '99 K1500 Suburban, mechanical 4wd shift, with 137K miles. it is good mechanically and has leather interior, drivers seat worn on side like all of them (used old set of sheepskins i took off my old Yukon). I had Yakima racks in the garage so I put them on). I am looking at replacing the 245x75/16 (new) with a set of 285x75/16 and would like to do it with the existing rims, 16x7. I have also looked at 285X75/16 Nitto Dune Grappler since mileage isn't an issue??? Too wide for the rims??? Need front hitch (any reason not to) and rod/cooler rack. The good news is it looks like a vacant lot in back with all the seats folded. I can see most of the stuff fitting in the back nice and safe. Mechanically the truck feels sound. Shifting into 4H or 4L must require a little technique, suggestions?
thanks for the help?


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## spydermn

I would double check all fluids first off. With older vehicals it is often the easiest fix...and cheap!

For your front hitch I got one from Valley that was easy to install and pretty cheap. As for rod/cooler rack if you were closer to CLT I could give you a suggestion but being in W-ton I would suggest Flea-bay. They got a couple on there that have been "reviewed" on the forums as pretty nice, esp for the price. All in all, have fun with the new ride. Just remember a 350 is a 350 is a 350, 95% of parts are interchanable


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## roverich

I also had a ranger with way too much lift(13 inches) on 35x15.50x15's swamper txl's ..Bad thing about the little trucks and big tires is the factory rears wont hold up to digging .... I think the ranger i had had a dana 28 in the front and a 8.8 in in the rear ...The mileage on the rovers do suck once you load them down with gear and all ..They are not comfortable to sleep in so you need a tent of some sort ..They will get you there though ..Just cant sleep in them , comfortably .....


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## osiya47

im speechless


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## GreenFord

Raleighwood said:


>


I'm close to that....









What ever you get just make sure it's 4wd not AWD.


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## spydermn

I am not sure you would clear the dunes with the white one, and turning it around at high tide might pose problems also


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## Dyhard

*Suburbon*

Plenty of room; sleeps two (the wife and I), and room for coolers and loads of gear.
I'm on my third one.


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