Here's my first off-highway capable vehicle, which is my third favorite of all time. It's a '93 Toyota 4X4 which I bought new in February of 1993. I was 21 years old and working lots of overtime!
It had a V6, 5 Speed stick, and manual locking hubs. Within six months it also had a 3" Rancho lift, 32" tires on Alcoa aluminum wheels, and 4.88 ratios in the diffs. I never did find a hill I couldn't climb, and it only had open diffs! The Toy could climb hills my friend's '94 Jeep Wrangler couldn't get up (probably a wheelbase thing).
Downfalls include only getting around 11 MPG (!) and the failing head gasket prone V6 engine.
My second favorite off-highway capable vehicle of all time is the rail buggy I owned from 1995 to 1999.
A co-worker mentioned that his dad was selling the thing, so I stupidly bought it and was immediately bitten by the VW Bug. There's usually no turning back once this happens, and it becomes a lifetime obsession. The first time I drove it in the dirt I wondered why I had been wasting so much time bouncing around in a heavy, harsh 4X4 (the Rancho suspension really made the Toy ride rough) for all this time. The buggy just skipped over the tops of the washboarded roads and floated right over the sand. The 78" wheelbase allowed the buggy to turn a tighter corner than just about any other vehicle, and it had steering brakes in case even that wasn't enough! How could a vehicle that is this much fun be legal?!?!? Well, we will leave that to the Environmental Forum!
I received my education in all things mechanical by owning that buggy. Let's just say the learning curve was steep, frustrating, and expensive! The other downfall is it could only be driven where green sticker vehicles were allowed, which meant I had to trailer it wherever I wanted to go. Not practical at all!
Which brings me to my favorite off-highway capable vehicle of all time. My Meyers Manx dune buggy! The Manx covers all the legal aspects of being able to drive a buggy on the streets, while maintaining the fun, supple ride and wind in your hair nature of an open cockpit vehicle.
It's street legal, so I can drive it to the desert, beach, mountains, work, or to the corner store. In fact, I have done all of the above many times. I don't tow it on my camping trips. I DRIVE it, more than 100 miles each way. That's what the roof rack is for!
By eliminating a base camp, we get to stay in the interesting spots, far away from paved roads (and people!).
Some people think I'm crazy for taking a vehicle I built myself all the way out there with no other support vehicles. Maybe I am, but the solitude is worth it. Well, I am never alone out there, I always have a co-driver. I figure we have half a brain between us, so we should be able to figure a way out if something goes wrong!
The downfalls are obvious. Whatever the weather is, you're in it. Personally, I like it. You don't truly experience the desert unless you are exposed to all the sensations it has to offer. Ed Abbey "crawling on your hands and knees" stuff! I don't mind the heat, but when winter sets in, I wimp out and opt for an enclosed vehicle! The other downfall is the little air cooled VW engine doesn't make much power, so I have to slow down going up steep hills. You also have to drive it carefully when it's hot out, or you'll roast the engine. Future plans are for a slightly larger engine to pull the hills better.
Thanks for sticking with me. I hope to see some other people's fun rides soon!
Lee
