# BOV



## gabbyj310

My nephew is a Ga Power Lineman.He never missed a days work because he had a reg Jeep (with all that "polar vortex" snow and ice Atlanta got).I need a good rugged(that means snow and ice)truck/car to have at my place in KY.I'm always "hauling" something(dirt,manure,plants,etc)that will GO when it needs to go. I've thought of an older Jeep Cherokee ??? I also looked at the older Toyota Tacamo.I do want 4 wheel drive regardless..Any suggestions?????


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## CrackbottomLouis

Hard to beat a good truck with a big engine. My gmc takes a licking and keeps on ticking.


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## Grimm

What ever 4 wheel drive you decided on learn from my mistake and take it to a mechanic BEFORE you pay for it. My jeep has massive damage to the 4x4 and needs over $3K in repairs just to get that fixed.


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## Tirediron

If you are buying used I would suggest GM, jeeps are pretty reliable in their first life but they tend to be a money pit when they get older, jeep got an off road reputation from an Ford design for the military, they (willys corp and later AMC) just rode that, the Cherokee and later stuff is their own design, again good when new, but hard to keep running when old unless you have a fully trustworthy mechanic that specializes in them. 
GM Yukon/ Tahoe s form the late 90s are hard to beat for a reliable tough 4x4 utility. As Grimm said, if you don't really know what to look for pay a trustworthy mechanic to look at you prospective purchase, and tell him/her you want a written report. (to make sure you don't get the details for several inspections mixed up, and written reports tend to make the job more thorough, you might be able to use the report for your insurance inspection if you need one. Use your own mechanic, not one the seller suggests


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## hiwall

If you do happen to decide on a Jeep try to get one with the 4.0 liter straight six engine. That engine is great. Most vehicles have some weak spots. I've had 4x4 Dodge, Jeep Cherokee, Chevy Blazer, and Kia Sportage. All have strong points and weak points.


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## gabbyj310

Thanks everyone for the input! My son is a GMAC freak and he takes his truck every wheret,through all kinds of "stuff"so guess I'll look and see what I might find.gabby


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## mojo4

Stay away from Ford. I had an F series with the 5.4 engine. The flywheel broke. Couldn't find a used one because it was a common problem. Apparently the genius engineers decided a 2 piece pot metal flywheel was just the ticket to handle every ounce of engine power and deliver to the tranny. I give the F series 4 thumbs down. Plus the 4x4 went out on me up elk hunting in the Rockies. Weak linkage I was told. Pure crap trucks. Never had an issue with the GM trucks but stick with the half tons as the smaller trucks aren't as reliable. For my money you can't beat a Silverado half ton. Rides like a Cadillac yet still gets the job done.

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## gabbyj310

I've always heard F O R D was for "fix and repair daily or found on road dead ....


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## LincTex

Its really unfair to lump problems in categories and stereotype like that.

I can talk sh*t about different vehicles that ANY manufacturer has put out. Ask someone who owns a Chevrolet Colorado (GMC Canyon) what they think of GM and they will tell you "GM Vehicles SUCK!! My Colorado...." Same with late 90's/early 2000's Dodge Dakotas.

Blah, blah blah, my truck is better than yours, blah blah blah

.
.
.
.

Go to ANY era of modern vehicle production, and I'll show you a lemon. They all have their faults. Some faults are easier to fix than others, but they all have their strengths and faults.

By the same token, I can point you in the direction of specific vehicle years and models from ANY make that are bulletproof (to a degree, of course). But I will say that typically Jeep stuff I will avoid. For Japanese stuff, I always pick Toyota over Nissan.


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## cnsper

gabbyj310 said:


> Thanks everyone for the input! My son is a GMAC freak and he takes his truck every wheret,through all kinds of "stuff"so guess I'll look and see what I might find.gabby


Problem solved..... Take away his keys... LOL


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## LincTex

mojo4 said:


> I had an F series with the 5.4 engine. The flywheel broke. ... 2 piece pot metal flywheel


????

I just spent a half hour (wasted) looking for "Ford 2 piece flywheel 5.4 broken" on the web and got *nothin'*....

Do you have an invoice? 
What part number was replaced?
I am not calling you a liar, but if the web turns up no results, I need more information. Best I can find is some cracked flexplate issues (automatic trans, not manual) and all major car manufacturers have had a rash of problems in that area, especially Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep.


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## TheLazyL

gabbyj310 said:


> I've always heard F O R D was for "fix and repair daily or found on road dead ....


92% of all Fords sold are still on the road! The other 8% made it home


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## helicopter5472

FORD backwards... Driver Returned On Foot

Ever Notice they put the FORD sign in a circle... at least they circled the problem.

F#*ked On a Real Deal

just thought I would add a few


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## LincTex

Funny funny.....

I don't get fanatical about brands or marques. I will say I have a Ford Ranger with near 200,000 miles and have never changed a single part besides oil & filter, spark plugs (twice) front brake pads (once) and u-joints (each, f and rear, about 3 years apart).

It has NEVER left me sitting, and is 21 years old. 
How can you shake a stick at that? :dunno:


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## helicopter5472

I think from around the 2000 year era all three American truck makers have had some very good and long lasting trucks built. The maintenance and the conditions add to it, but all have seen many of them go well into the 200K mileage range without major repairs....


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## k0xxx

We had a couple of Ford Bronco II's and a couple of Aerostars (one was 4wd) that were all great vehicles. Each one had 200,000+ miles on them when they left our possession. One Aerostar, that was donated to the local VFD for Jaws of Life practice, had over 300k. The only reason we donated it was that it had been attacked by squirrels that ate the wiring harnesses off at the firewall, and it was just too much of a pain to bother with.

Now we own a Chevy 'burban and it has recently passed 200k. Good vehicle models from every manufacturer are out there, just as are the lemons.


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## goshengirl

I don't know what's considered a 'major' repair when it comes to older models. Things that I consider major on a newer vehicle don't seem so major on an older vehicle, KWIM?

Just had the alternator taken care of on our Suburban, but she's pushing 250K miles, so I figure she's allowed a day at the spa.


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## Tirediron

I have to agree that there is no real best brand, just the brand that works for you, I am partial to GM trucks, up to 2000, after that they went a little soft on front end parts on the duallies at least

Ford used a dual mass flywheel that caused problems for a while, I think some of the other manufacturers did too, 
http://www.carmag.co.za/technical/the-truth-about-dual-mass-flywheels/
http://www.standardtransmission.com/dmf.html
http://www.brakeandfrontend.com/Article/38790/dual_mass_flywheelclutch_replacement_options.aspx

Couple of different word s and bingo, If this is the problem in question


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## LincTex

Tirediron said:


> Ford used a dual mass flywheel that caused problems for a while, I think some of the other manufacturers did too,
> 
> Couple of different word s and bingo, If this is the problem in question


I thought that was the diesels only
His is a 5.4 gas V8.

I have changed more cracked flexplates in my life than I care to count, from Chevy Chevettes and on up. Never once on a 60's -70's model domestic though... in the early 80's metal started to get thinner everywhere, and few have been immune since!


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## NaeKid

Without getting into the debate between vehicle manufacturers, I would look at the load capabilities first, what your minimum requirement for the loads are and if you need to keep the loads protected from the environment. If you get a truck, consider a high-top canopy. If you get an SUV, consider something that all the seats can lay flat on.

As far as my list of favorites go - Jeep GrandCherokee, Chevy Pickups (S-trucks and FullSize), Chevy Suburban, Ford SuperDuty Expedition, Toyota 4Runners ... 

As others have said - watch for normal trouble spots and make sure that they would have been taken care of before you lay out some good coinage.


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## Boomy

I'm a Jeep junkie. (on my fourth)
Cherokees are good rigs, 3" lifts are cheap, and they are so light that I could take my through squishy stuff that trucks could not.








I love my Unlimited, but cargo space is still a premium so I have an ultrlight trailer for my yaks.








It has performed well on sand, ice, snow, and rocks. Exposure to mud has been limited so far.

98' Tahoe- great rig has seen ice, snow, rocks, and sand.








With a 350 and 32" MT's it'll get you there. Has enough room to lay down in it and sleep with the ac, BUT for me locally, I couldn't use it as a primary BOV due to it's wieght. If I-45 were locked up and I had to run the embankment, I'd run a major risk of sinking to my axles. That is a local hazzard. 200 miles North or South or West I'd rank it higher, but our mud has no rock. Once you start to dig, you're going to China.


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## Turtle

I'll throw my opinion out there...

I've owned six Jeeps. I'm currently shopping for my seventh. I am probably going to get another XJ (this would be my third...) if I can find one in decent shape, or another ZJ (my second) if I cannot. I've also owned a TJ, a JK, and an LJ. 

In my humble opinion, you simply cannot beat a Jeep for reliability. I've also owned an '84 Bronco, an '87 Toyota pickup (it was a hand-me-down), a '98 Tacoma, and I have been driving Tahoes and Explorers of various vintages for work for years. 

Behind Jeep, I would probably say the GM trucks come in second. Pre-2010 Fords have always treated me well, but the newer Ford products are all absolute junk. Poorly designed and plagued by recalls. 

Any Toyota product would come in dead-last; they are absolutely terrible. I really don't know where their much vaunted reputation for quality ever came from. I've never personally known anyone who liked their products. Like all things, however, your mileage may vary. I've heard people say the same about Jeeps. To each his own. 


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## LincTex

Turtle said:


> Any Toyota product would come in dead-last; they are absolutely terrible. I really don't know where their much vaunted reputation for quality ever came from. To each his own.


I love the variety of opinions here!!

My absolute favorite truck of all are the late 70's Fords. Mine has a Cummins diesel. It's the most comfortable tank I have ever driven 

My dad had a 1992 Toyota 4WD... that thing was just amazing. I really did love that truck and wish he still had it, but a 15 year old (with his license for one week) destroyed it.


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## Turtle

mike_dippert said:


> Since JK's, TJ's, and LJ's were mentioned.
> 
> Avoid the 42rle automatic transmission at all costs. It was the only auto used in Wranglers from 03-11. The shift points are completely wrong for the lower RPM 4.0L engine. The OD is useless b/c the gearing is so high (unless you change the axle gearing to compensate). They run hot and can burn through ATF in a year or two, so a cooler is almost mandatory. I really wish they would have used the AW4 instead.
> Engine problems are more common in 04-06 4.0L engines. The modern AMC I6 family dates back to 1964, and the 4.0L debuted in 1987. The end of a 43 year old design, and a few design changes resulted in more problems than seen in previous years.
> 
> My Wrangler years of choice are 00-02, or 12+. In '00 they switched to coil packs instead of the distributor. The more reliable 32rh automatic was used through the 02 model year. 2012 brought the 3.6L Pentastar engine and a 5 speed Mercedes transmission. 07-11 JK's used the anemic 3.7L V6 and 42rle.
> For getting from A to B no matter what, the late model XJ still gets my #1 Jeep vote.


I've got to agree with everything you said, except the bit about the '04 - '06 engines. My LJ was an '06, and I never had any problems with the engine. If I recall correctly, there was a service bulletin for the effected early engines.

The auto-tragic was actually so bad in the early JKs that there many reports of spontaneous combustion in 07s and '08s.

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## LincTex

Turtle said:


> The auto-tragic was actually so bad in the early JKs that there many reports of spontaneous combustion in 07s and '08s.


Just another reason why I like manual transmissions so much!


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## mojo4

My ford was a 2003 250 with the 5.4 engine. And yes the flywheel was 2 pieces of metal bolted together. Absolutely ridiculous design. I mean if you are so worried about weight use more aluminum but to have a flyweight flywheel just doesn't make sense. Sorry ford fans but I jumped off the bandwagon with that truck. And I'm not saying all ford trucks are rotten but mine sure as heck was. I almost went back with the eccoboost twin turbo V6 engine in the new F150's but I decided to wait to see if it was properly designed this time. Anybody have one they want to review? Of course it is probably fairly new so no issues yet but still interested. 

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## mojo4

Both my neighbors bought brand new F150's so I got the new truck itch. My wife's new minivan isn't cutting it. Or maybe a crappy old Chevy that runs and if I bang it up I won't have to explain it to management! 

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## Dadforfive

I will give you the same advice my father gave me when I was looking for a first car. Given any thing with tires is GONNA break down, consider this. If you want parts for a GM, you can almost find them at the grocery store. If you need parts for a Ford, go to the dealership. If you need parts for a Chrysler. . . . go to hell.


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## Geek999

I've mentioned the Suburban project, but I have owned 6 Grand Cherokees used as daily drivers over time, two currently. They have been incredibly reliable basically going about 200k each before either being in an accident or needing something that made it cheaper to pick up another than do the repair. When something breaks it tends to not be vital so you can at least get it to a repair shop and even that is rare.

I am really glad they are starting to sell diesels and see one of those in my future.


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