ATV, UTV, mini truck?

[gcs]

I have hunting property that I've always walked, but it would sure be nice to have some kind of utility vehicle to get around on for maintenance, and fixing stuff, plus these legs don't have a lot of milage left in them. I see most people have ATV's and such but they cost a lot of money, and are a theft magnet if stored at the place.

So, I started thinking that I could pick up an older Toyota or Ranger 4 wheel drive pickup pretty cheap. It would never see a road again , has a narrow track, and probably never go over 30 mph.
Plus, it has an enclosed cab , heat, seats two,and could haul more then any UTV.

Anyone ever do this? Is my thought process faulty? All suggestions, advice and guess's welcome

[GunnyMack]

Well here's my input...
1- your thinking is sound, enclosed cab etc. but one thought is it could be vandalized, tires stolen, gas siphoned off and anything else you can think of.
2 atv is very handy, get into places you can't get a truck. Plus you have the ability to trailer it or put in the bed of a full size truck if you own one. I would NOT leave it unattended!!
3- utv is smaller then a truck, very nimble but still bigger than an atv. Plus side is a bed that may or may not dump depending on what you buy. Again the vandalism is an issue.

As far as a Toyota, here you don't see used ones, people drive them into the ground. Rangers are almost non existent as well. Dodge durangos I see but usually on the downhill.
I plow with my atv and I am sore after I'm done plowing mine and a few of the neighbors and I'm thinking about a utv myself. I see Gators are common on the used market but I know guys have issues with them...
I guess the choice is yours but I'd recommend a winch for whatever you go with!

[Pete44ru]

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Since driving an ATV on/off a P/U bed is chancier the more the rider ages, we trailer an ATV to our hunting property, and it goes home with us to a safe storage.

With ATV's, the bigger (engine/body) one is, the more costly it is.

With some searching, off times a reasonably-priced used ATV can be found/bought.

IME, a 350cc will do just fine, for most hunting usage.


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[jkbrea]

You could get a really nice used jeep for half the price of a new razor 4 seater.
I never owned one but I have two friends that love their Suzuki Samuri for off roading. Small and light.

[Pete44ru]

I never owned one but I have two friends that love their Suzuki Samuri for off roading. Small and light.

Your friends are right !

I owned & hunted an 1987 Suzuki Samuri I bought new, for 10 years w/o much trouble - until the carb & the rear tranny bearing gave up the ghost @ 120,000 miles.

It was hands-down, the best hunting vehicle for 1-2 persons that I've ever owned !

That little sucker could get just about anywhere in 2-wheel drive - AND still have the ability to lock in the front wheels to 4x4 your way out of a jam.

I even bought a small/new Coleman utility trailer frame to drag behind it - after laying a plywood floor & a wooden board stake body onto it.





I could put just about everything I needed for a week's hunting in it - ladder treestands, coolers, etc. (The firearms went in the Samuri)

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[Old Ironsights]

If you think a Ranger is a "Mini Truck" you are doing it wrong.

Get a KEI Truck...




In most States these are considered Quad ATVs... and Legal for Off Road Use (where a Ranger is Verboten). Most are 4x4, with a stupid Low Range that lets it climb almost straight up.

I use mine as a daily driver (shopping/in-town commute) and as a hunting rig (900lbs payload and ORV legal... with a heater...)

So... Break down where you are and what you want to do... and how large (Height and Girth) you are and let's see how much Rig you can get for a pittance at the DMV/Insurance gestapo...

[hondo1892]

I have a four wheel drive pickup, jeep and atv. I like my truck and jeep but wouldn't want to be without my atv on my hunting property. Like said before it will go places that my jeep and truck won't go. Used jeeps are expensive unless you get lucky. If you have a lot of uneven terrain like me the atv is indispensable. If you get an atv I recommend getting a winch for it also, even if you go with a truck I would still get a winch they are life savers.

[BenT]

I use a ATV, my brother has a Suzuki Samuri which goes anywhere and is his wood cutting rig pulls a small trailer with it. It is handier than my younger brothers Ford Ranger. But Ranger are eaisier to find

[fordwannabe]

I have an ATV it is a polaris with the 2 up seating, two rider one in front of the other. It also has a small tilt bed on it, and it's the handiest thing for hunting ever. I have a winch and my trailer is a double duty thing. The trailer is a common utility trailer just large enough for the atv, and I use the winch as the front tie down. Once I get to where I am going, the ATV has the same ball as the super duty and I can pull the trailer with the ATV. It is handy. Another forum member lets me hunt on his property and he has both a samurai and a four person UTV ALL have advantages and disadvantages. Gotta figure what you want and need but all three are good options in my book. Good luck with whatever you decide. Tom

[draperjojo]

my 2009 side by side and my 1946 (in process) side by side...

[RIHMFIRE]

I JUST HAD MY ATV SERVICED......AND MY F350....
THE BREAKS FOR MY ATV WERE ALMOST THE SAME COST AS MY REAR BREAKS ON MY TRUCK....ROTERS, CALIPERS AND PADS...
I WOULD PICK THE VEHICLE THAT YOU CAN PULL IMPLEMENTS TO PUT IN FOOD PLOTS...

[gcs]

Want to thank everyone for their input, it's been helpful!

[MrMurphy]

Where i hunt, a 2 man UTV is the property utility vehicle and does well offroading a few hundred acres.

A 13,000 acre deer ranch i hunted uses full size suburbans exclusively, and apparently with mud tires they get into places even ATVs can't. They have a squad of UTVs and ATVs for various uses, but the guides swore by the Suburban.

[marlinman93]

I think your plan is a good one! I owned a 1984 Toyota SR5 4x4 for almost 25 years and it was the best built truck I ever owned! But I wouldn't get a Toyota for what you plan simply because their resale is so high. The Ranger truck is a very good truck, and even 4x4 Rangers sell cheap once they have some years on them. Considering how little you might use it, I wouldn't want to invest a lot of funds, so the Ranger would be my choice.

[GunnyMack]

I actually saw one of those mini trucks this morning! Other than the one posted by Old Ironsight this was the first real life sighting! I can see that would be one handy ride!

[gcs]

I actually looked into the Jap mini trucks some years back, pretty neat rig, but too much money. I just sold my fathers very clean 99 grand cherokee for what is was worth, $1500.
Should be able to find an old Ranger or cherokee for less then that with some life left in it. There's no place on the property that one of those can't go with a little tree cutting, and it shouldn't attract too much envy.

[Old Ironsights]

I actually looked into the Jap mini trucks some years back, pretty neat rig, but too much money. I just sold my fathers very clean 99 grand cherokee for what is was worth, $1500.
Should be able to find an old Ranger or cherokee for less then that with some life left in it. There's no place on the property that one of those can't go with a little tree cutting, and it shouldn't attract too much envy.

"Too Much Money" is relative... in the way Alimony is relative.

An un-modified 4x4 Kei Truck without dump bed should never cost more than about $8K (mine was $5K).

In WY they are licensed and insured like ATVs, so my plates are $35 and my ANNUAL insurance is about $120 (my 1981 650 Maxium is $260/yr)

Compared to my last Ranger that's around $1000/yr difference.

So, unless you aren't going to plate it and only run it on private property, a Kei Truck starts getting way cheaper way faster...

[GunnyMack]

I stopped by my local Polaris dealer today. Looked at a left over Ranger, factory knocked off a grand, dealer another 500, added roof, doors, glass windshield with wiper, plow . Out the door for just over $17,000... Now do I REALLY need it?

[Old Ironsights]

I stopped by my local Polaris dealer today. Looked at a left over Ranger, factory knocked off a grand, dealer another 500, added roof, doors, glass windshield with wiper, plow . Out the door for just over $17,000... Now do I REALLY need it?

$17,000

Now you see why I went with a lightly used Jap Kei Truck. Mine was under $5K. For $17K you can get one with not only a plow, but with a dump or lift bed, AND a plow, AND a set of snow tracks to replace the wheels...