RRC Archives

I'm researching an article and it's about what is the best overall and task-specific "craggin wagon".

I have personally used three different vehicles to crag in, two of them were four-wheel drive and one two-wheel drive.

The first was a Toyota Tacoma, two-seater. It was more than adequate in the off-roading department, but could only carry three in the cab (but have squeezed four in the cab before).

The second was a Jeep Wrangler. It could carry four comfortably and their gear for a day trip. But it really on overnighters because you had to pitch camp and couldn't really car camp. If I was by myself it was OK....or me and the dog, I could even sleep in the back (seat out) but not many taller people could do that.

The third vehicle was a full-size dodge quad cab, two-wheel drive pick up. It could carry 6 passengers and all the gear and could sleep 4 to 6 comfortably in the truck - no pitching tents. It was a little bit pricey and has poor gas mileage, but split 20 miles a gallon six ways and it cheap. I camper top added to the craggin pleasure, it can be lived in for a long time.

SO---- here is my question: What do you look for in the ultimate "craggin wagon"?

-- do you look for a dedicated machine vs. a daily driver, part-time "graggin wagon"

-- Does fuel mileage matter?

-- Does people carying capacity matter?

-- Does gear carrying capacity matter?

AND How MUCH do each of those things matter and weigh against each other, will you sacrifice fuel mileage for more gear space or people space.


There's your topic....discuss at will.

thanks

Tacoma




Dodge


Jeep

You know, I love my Highlander. I just a weekend warrior though.

Seats 5-7 plus room for gear. Turns on a dime. 25 miles to the gallon open road. Plenty of sleeping room with the seats down. Lots of little cubbies for keys, headlamp, contact lenses, cell phone, .357 while sleeping.......

thats alittle scary!

Who needs a teddy bear when you have a 357?

You guys should just get a Westie!

i am not as interested in a craggin waggin as i am in a livin wagon. my favorite is the 4wheel drive astro van, with the inside ripped out. it is the perfect stealth rv.

if you are not living in it, the honda crv is a really good cragging car. people have more of those here in seattle than outbacks. it is considerably cheaper and get good gas milage. has all whee drive decent clearence can fit five and gear for the day. once you get to three boulderers with pads though it is pretty full. then you can just strap them on the roof.

of course i got my old 1984 station wagon down most every road to climbing areas so buying a fancy big truck just becuase you want to get to the crag is sort of stupid. that thing had no clearane, no 4 wheel drive, fit 6-13 people, tons of pads, you could live two people in it with only minor crowding. man i miss that car...

we all miss that car. the pic of us stuck at RT has been the most talked abotu pic we have up.

I also had a Station wagon. It was a Chevrolet Caprice classic. Had two bench seats and a rumble seat. It had a 350 chevy in it with a 4 Barrel. It got about 15 miles to the gallon. You could strap stuff to the top because it had a convienent bar on the top. It would really go off road! It cost me $1800. I only drove it for one summer. and never went cragging in it.

mine was the ford crown vic. 18 feet long, 5 liter v8, it got between 18-22 miles to the gallon. i paid 200 dollars for and lived in it for 2 years putting over 65,000 miles on it. in all that time i probably only put 2,000 into it. that is like 4 months rent.

it is true i got it stuck a few times twice on rutted roads and few times in snow, but i got it pretty much everywhere i wanted to go and took some roads that were totally terrible.

that thing was a battlewagon.