# duce and a half, jeep, or toyota SR5



## ihaveMANHIDE

I cant decide between those three. I have found multiple uses for all three. The duce an a half is a diesel and can haul very heavy loads. But the jeep and the toyota are light weight and can get pretty much anywhere. If anyone has one of these 3 things. Some advice could be helpful


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## FatTire

What do you want it for? You live in the city, the burbs the country? Is it a second or third vehicle?

Seriously a lot depend on your PoU..


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## Dakine

you really may want to consider what the application is that you want to apply this "tool" for.

If this vehicle is going to be your daily driver, and you live 30 miles from work, a deuce is going to be... cost prohibitive, and,you might want to consider how much maintenance costs on that critter are.

A brake job on an SR5 may cost you... I dunno, a few hundred bucks tops? a brake job on a true milsurp rig... maybe a couple thousand, if you're lucky?? thats just one example.

Depending on your application for the vehicle, the number of miles you plan on putting on it and the most frequent use, that should dictate your choice on a purchase decision, a FREE deuce truck from your uncle or the neighbor down the road is not FREE if it costs you extra gallons of fuel to find a station with Diesel (depending on where you live) or it has high overhead maintenance costs. 

I *almost* bought a WWII Willys truck when I was 17, and they told me, yeah the 4x4 is shot but you can fix that!!! uh yeah, replacement parts were $34,000 I chose the 72 chevy 2wd long bed truck, with the topper shell, because at that time I was cleaning pools for extra bucks after school lol, and that willys truck would have been badass, but it would have been a HUGE mistake too.


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## Genevieve

with the addition of a certain component on the engine the duece will run on any fuel. 
if the duece is for a bov it does have it's pros


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## Country Living

We bought a used 1997 4Runner several years ago and it's been a good car for us. We took off the cheap wimpy tires the previous owner put on it and put on the biggest tires that would fit. We live out in the country and a higher profile vehicle is a necessity. It gets decent gas mileage - about 18 to 20 mpg.

I wish our 4Runner would have been four-wheel drive; but, when you buy used sometimes you don't have the luxury of getting everything you want. This has been a very dependable car with minimal maintenance.


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## Cast-Iron

It's hard to top the economy and the reliability of the older Toyota trucks. If I wanted something durable I would probably opt for a no frills 80's era 4runner or truck with a manual transmission. Some of these models can be converted rather easily to the Toyota 2.4 diesel engine. The fewer bells and whistles, the fewer things to break and possibly render the vehicle useless. There are a number of Toyota and diesel forums where folks have done these conversions and could offer you some pointers. I have been tossing this idea around for a few years now, but finding enough time and extra cash has kept it on the back burner for the time being. I do like the idea of a utility vehicle that could get 35 miles to the gallon.


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## LincTex

A diesel Toyota HiLux is an ideal vehicle!

MINE:
1978 F-250 Ford 4WD with Dana 60 in the rear and Dana 44 in the front, 
NP435 transmission, NP205 transfer case

Cummins 4BTA3.9 mechanical diesel - no electricity needed to make it run. 
Gets about 25 MPG if I keep it under 60 mph. 
On the freeway it only gets 20MPG.

Smaller than a deuce... bigger than a Toyota. 
It's a nice size, and can pull a pretty big loaded trailer.

Almost exactly like this one (strange coincidence!)


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## mojo4

I would stay away from the deuce. Sure it looks cool but just try to find spare parts for it. Jeeps are great and so are Toyotas but I would probably lean towards the Toyota because its more reliable. Would you be looking at the truck or 4runner model? I had several late 80s Toyota trucks in my younger years and I wish I had never sold em. With good care and maintenance they would still be hauling my butt around today!!


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## helicopter5472

LincTex said:


> A diesel Toyota HiLux is an ideal vehicle!
> 
> MINE:
> 1978 F-250 Ford 4WD with Dana 60 in the rear and Dana 44 in the front,
> NP435 transmission, NP205 transfer case
> 
> Cummins 4BTA3.9 mechanical diesel - no electricity needed to make it run.
> Gets about 25 MPG if I keep it under 60 mph.
> On the freeway it only gets 20MPG.
> 
> Smaller than a deuce... bigger than a Toyota.
> It's a nice size, and can pull a pretty big loaded trailer.
> 
> Almost exactly like this one (strange coincidence!)


By the looks from the exhaust not only will you kill all the bugs but you will be easy to find, just follow the cloud...


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## LincTex

helicopter5472 said:


> By the looks from the exhaust not only will you kill all the bugs but you will be easy to find, just follow the cloud...


Not my truck, but mine looks just like it.

Mine will "roll coal" if you floor it from a low RPM (for a few seconds). I pretty much never floor it unless pulling a big trailer.... the turbo spools up within a couple seconds and the smoke quits as soon as boost builds.


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## Jimthewagontraveler

Provided that
1 You are willing to pay big bucks or work on it yourself.
2 You are willing to drive it around the block or to work once a week.
I would go for a bobbed Deuce with air lock axle.
Parts will be availible for many many years.
They will climb A 2' wall easily.
They will plow a field.
Easy to work on. [Except for the weight of parts]
With the correct engine they will run many miles on emergency [read FREE] fuel.
Their are many inexpensive aftermarket parts.
The chinese injectors work well.
Go to steelsoldiers.com and make friends.
With slightly oversize singles they are not to hard for a person of limited strength to drive.
Just remember you dont really drive a Deuce you are a heavy operator.
The larger size of the deuce is not as much limitation as you would think because it will drive over or through things that would quickly damage the other choices you listed.
The Deuce is not an impervious vehicle it does need PREVENTATIVE maintainance.
The worst part of a 3-4 inch tree is your head hitting something in the cab.
And a steady diet of these will destroy your Deuce as opposed to a steady diet of 1''- 2'' trees for most vehicles would.
Getting the truck with a winch is much cheaper than getting the winch later.
And the winch will take you places [ slowly] that you can not walk.
I have seen the Deuce in stock form with out air lock axles and WITHOUT A RADIATOR haul a full rated load of cargo up the side of a very steep mountain for 2 miles.
I still remember rocks as big as my head being ripped out of the ground and thrown down hill.
The biggest down side of a Deuce is the correct start up driving and shut down procedure.
Its not as bad as a steam engine but rushing it too often does detract from its abnormally long life.
Remember this truck is still in use by many many nations.
Their are vast grave yards in the U.S.
The options for those who are not cash impaired are incredible.
4 wheel steering, Huge tires,KIng cab,A/C if you can dream it it has been done.
And they right and wrong way to do it has been stored in the archives at steelsoldiers.com.
Now consider the options of cheap trailers the military has used and you will see that truck really come to life.
I have personally seen 1 damaged deuce take a small village to the worst terain you can imagine this is including all supplies for 30 days of military ops.
Drop the rear drive shaft and drag itself many miles.
Remember distance equals safety and 15 mph is fast compared to a walking man.
Oh yea get rid of the split rims and stock a set of solid rubber tires to be used 30 days after SHTF day.
Insurance can be an issue but when combined with other items house car etc should be very reasonable.
The hardest part of owning a Deuce after a TEOTWAWKI might be keeping it.
A Deuce will buy a place in any group[dont let anyone but you operate it].
When all fuel types run out [ you will be the last to run out of scavenged fuel]
their is a lot of usefull metal in a Deuce.
Just the upside down bed makes a really nice lid for a foxhole.


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## ihaveMANHIDE

mojo4 said:


> I would stay away from the deuce. Sure it looks cool but just try to find spare parts for it. Jeeps are great and so are Toyotas but I would probably lean towards the Toyota because its more reliable. Would you be looking at the truck or 4runner model? I had several late 80s Toyota trucks in my younger years and I wish I had never sold em. With good care and maintenance they would still be hauling my butt around today!!


Well the duece is already in the family and it has a few problems with the tranny and rear end. Yeah the toyota is also what im leaning towards more heavily. But since all of my other vehicles are diesel. Id like to get a diesel put in it or have one in it stock. Do you know of any that come stock with a diesel?


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## LincTex

ihaveMANHIDE said:


> Id like to get a diesel put in it or have one in it stock. Do you know of any that come stock with a diesel?



go back and read again.... it is called a Toyota *Hilux*


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## CulexPipiens

Perhaps a compromise between the deuce and the toyota...

http://www.bigasstrux.com/


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## Woody

CulexPipiens said:


> Perhaps a compromise between the deuce and the toyota...
> 
> http://www.bigasstrux.com/


I saw one of those on the Outer Banks a few years ago! It was like a Chevy 6500 or something with a regular truck bed. definitely an attention getter.

It really depends on what your use will be. I have a 1994 Jeep XJ, 4 speed, lifted 4" with stock height tires, just wider. I use it for beach fishing. I GUTTED it, put in the drivers seat and center console. The passenger seat is plywood, storage underneath, but will flip up for a second passenger. The back is all flat with under floor storage. From the back, on the right, is a cabinet with drawers to fit tackle boxes and drawers for other supplies. When the key is out of the ignition, NOTHING works. I have battery lights in it. Custom front and rear bumpers, D-rings included.

This little $375 purchase, with about $1,500 in parts, will and has gone anywhere I asked it to. Funny story... There was a guy with a new H2 hummer on the Banks one year. We were looking to cross a backwash maybe 14 feet across, 6" flowing water, to get to the inlet. I got out and walked across it, checking for loose sand or firm ground. Seemed good to me. As with anything on a sandbar in the Atlantic ocean, get out and check first.

Well, he was young, alone, and seemed to be just out having fun. I told him it looked a mite scary to me and that maybe he should go first, seeing as he has a more fit vehicle for such things. He had a winch and could hook onto me so I could be his anchor, if he sunk in. He thought it would be better if he were to have to pull me out, seeing as he had a Hummer and all. So, I scared him for a bit and he decided to drive back 2 miles to cross the dunes and take a back road to the inlet. I laughed, petted the dog and drove the 100 yards to our destination. By the time he got there I was setup and fishing. He never said a thing to me.

Similar... I told another Hummer owner (why do folks with lots of money buy these things???) My little Cherokee could go where his wouldn't. He INSISTED his H2 could go the distance. Well, after me pointing out mine was lighter, narrower and more maneuverable, it came down to a few points. I was NOT afraid to bounce mine off of trees to get somewhere. He hesitated on this point. I also stated that if it rolled and was hopelessly stuck, I could take the plates and walk away from it. He had no reply except that he had the better vehicle.

Bottom line, what do you want the vehicle to do for you. Mine will haul a light trailer (unibody, no frame), I can pack a crapload of stuff into it. With the roof-top racks I can load a few cans of gasoline to extend range. With my set of noisy tires, it will go anywhere I ask it to. There are a ton of these things around so parts are not hard to get. And, push come to shove, I can walk away from it with no regrets.


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## Dakine

hummer is a joke, anyone that buys one is an unwittingly fool of "the joke" and obviously fails the due diligence portion of buying an SUV, and decides to rely on TV commercials that depict soccer moms SUV as slightly less conformist than riding the bus.

unless you have a real humvee, which you do NOT, you have a 1/2 ton chevy with hundreds of pounds of counter-productive top heavy boxy weight bolted on while you enjoy worst turning radius, worst stopping distance, worst gas mileage, most tire wear... and the hits just keep on coming!!!! :nuts:

http://4wheeldrive.about.com/od/highlightshummer/a/hummerhistory_3.htm


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## Woody

I'll give you that, BUT! When cruising the mall, who is going to get the chicks? A shiny new yellow Hummer with the base booming on the stereo or... My faded green, dented XJ with shovels, rakes and other implements of destruction bolted to the outside? "Yo baby, let me flip up the plywood passenger seat and put this chaise lounge cushion on it for you." I bet the Hummer even had a fresh wash and wax while mine was cleaned the last time it rained out. Looks like the puppy and I are going home alone... again.


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## mojo4

UncleJoe said:


> I could be totally wrong since I never owned one but weren't those 80's Toyota's and Nissan's prone to have the sheet metal rust away to nothing in a very short period of time?
> 
> I know the 70's models were starting to rust within 5 years and were shot within 10. The metal was so thin that when they started to rust, the panels literally fell off. I had a friend with a Datsun (forerunner of the Nissan) 240z. It rotted out from under him. First the body panels, then the frame. He swore he would never own another one.


Some did. I never had any issues but I washed it all the time. And in CO we don't use nearly as much road salt as the Midwest so rusting isn't that bad. If you go to N.M. and AS they still have a lot of em running around since rust doesnt happen much there.


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## 21601mom

Have you considered a Suburban? If so and you have scratched it from your list, why?


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## LincTex

Woody said:


> ....cruising the mall, who is going to get the chicks? A shiny new yellow Hummer with the base booming on the stereo ....


You don't want to mess with those chicks.


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## Provider

Depending on where you live, you may not be allowed to park the Deuce on your property. If you live outside the city, like I do, you shouldn't have any trouble. Mine is parked under my house.

Also, I don't find parts for the Deuce that hard get...or really that expensive. Just bigger.


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## LincTex

Provider said:


> Depending on where you live, you may not be allowed to park the Deuce on your property.


Deuce and the HOA:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/printthread.php?t=61171&pp=10


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## ihaveMANHIDE

21601mom said:


> Have you considered a Suburban? If so and you have scratched it from your list, why?


Have you ever seen how much gas they suck down? Haha that 5.7l vortec really suck the gas. Bad. But if it didnt get such bad mpg it would definately be on there


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## 21601mom

ihaveMANHIDE said:


> Have you ever seen how much gas they suck down? Haha that 5.7l vortec really suck the gas. Bad. But if it didnt get such bad mpg it would definately be on there


21 mpg highway...I agree it's not what my Prius gets, but it's not awful.


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## Tirediron

ihaveMANHIDE said:


> Have you ever seen how much gas they suck down? Haha that 5.7l vortec really suck the gas. Bad. But if it didnt get such bad mpg it would definately be on there


What planet are you on 5.7 vortecs are pretty decent on Gas , unless you have driving incompetency syndrome.


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## LincTex

ihaveMANHIDE said:


> Have you ever seen how much gas they suck down? Haha that 5.7l vortec really suck the gas. Bad. But if it didn't get such bad mpg it would definitely be on there


Umm.... the 5.7 Vortec in my dad's old '98 4WD 1500 got 19 all the time...

His 2004 4WD with a 5.3 gets 21MPG.... :dunno:


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## OldCootHillbilly

ihaveMANHIDE said:


> Have you ever seen how much gas they suck down? Haha that 5.7l vortec really suck the gas. Bad. But if it didnt get such bad mpg it would definately be on there


An a 2 1/2 ton truck does?

Ya learn ta drive that suburban right, keep it well maintained it'll do anythin ya really gonna need ta do. I get better in 18 mpg on the highway loaded down with rescue gear. Durability an comfort can't be beat.

So, yer mileage theory be comparin oranges ta apples cause ya can't compare large vehicles ta small ones based on mileage.

I love ta have a 2 1/2 but it ain't practical fer most folk. There a great hobby an some folk have need a em on a farm. Ifin yer just wantin a daily driver it ain't gonna be worth it.


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## CulexPipiens

Woody said:


> I'll give you that, BUT! When cruising the mall, who is going to get the chicks? A shiny new yellow Hummer with the base booming on the stereo or... My faded green, dented XJ with shovels, rakes and other implements of destruction bolted to the outside?...


Woody, would you really want the "chicks" that are attracted to a shiny yellow H2?


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## Provider

Deuce and a half isn't a great choice as a daily driver. However, given its capabilities, 10 mpg is more than acceptable. The Broncos I've owned never got better than 10.5.


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## Tirediron

Provider said:


> Deuce and a half isn't a great choice as a daily driver. However, given its capabilities, 10 mpg is more than acceptable. The Broncos I've owned never got better than 10.5.


that is actually pretty impressive especially considering the injection system, I wonder what one would run like with misting injectors??


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## GrinnanBarrett

If the Toyota is an older version like a 2002 or 2003 then they are great. Much of the newer stuff has not been so good. I have had several over the years and now drive a GMC. 

I am familiar with the older Jeeps and love them. We had one for 17 years and now 12 years later it is still running for second owner. 

As far as a Deuce and a half goes, I know and run with some guys who have some built during the early 1970s. You can pick them up from various sources and many are in great shape. They are truly built tough but you stand out like a sore thumb when you drive one. 

Do you have any of the three now?


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## Boomy

I'm partial to the Jeep JK's and XJ's


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## Woody

CulexPipiens said:


> Woody, would you really want the "chicks" that are attracted to a shiny yellow H2?


Toady? OMG no! Just the thought of what a 21 year old mall rat might want to do to me tightens my chest and makes it hard to breath! She'd likely kill me! 30 or 40 years ago? You betcha! Back in the 70's you had the work truck, then you had 'the truck'. One was backed under the shed so the chainsaws, tools and other implements of construction did not get wet or rusty. The other was waxed and polished up nice and shiny for Friday night! I can see the worth in that shinny yellow Hummer. When we wanted to go out and have some fun on the back roads? The thought of taking 'the truck' NEVER entered your mind!

Back when I turned 50, I decided it was time to have my mid-life crisis, everyone else was having one! My choices were a brand new yellow Corvette convertible or a 1994, 5-speed, $375 Cherokee with 225,000 miles on it. I still have and love that beat up old XJ.


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## Woody

True. I was not in the fast car crowd though but knew a lot of them! Either way, you were you were going to find something to ride shotgun with you.

I just spent a few moments chuckling, thinking back at some of the stupid crap I had done in this respect. But, how else are you going to learn?


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## CulexPipiens

Yeah... same here (stupid crap). I think of all the stuff I did (and bought) over the years that I now wish I had done differently. I guess that's all part of ageing. Learning from your "mistakes".


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## 21601mom

I am going to look at a 2009 Suburban LTZ tomorrow. This will give us the ability to tow a small camper or trailer, as well as being a solid BOV. While I've done lots of research, I'm sure there are things I've missed. Anyone have any concerns with Suburbans? It has 51k miles.


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## OldCootHillbilly

I've had 2. Always a good vehicle. Miles sound good on that en. Just check the 4wd mechs (if it be 4wd) an electric winders an such. Electric winders er expensive ta fix.


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## LincTex

With that low of mileage, I doubt you will find anything wrong that wasn't the owner's fault.

If it looks like it has been abused pretty bad, then pass. If it is straight and clean as a whistle, you got a good one.


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