Moving to Colorado and have a few questions about getting a 4WD truck

Hah, FoCo is where I'm headed. I've settled on 4wd and keeping the tundra.

And I looked at those places but they're sorta similar to AZ in terrain. Not as warm but I'm looking for a colder climate and closer access to forests. Am I right in my assessment? FoCo is also much smaller than my current city and feels just right. I'm sure in a few years that'll change but for now it was what I was looking for.

 

Tundras are great! Very reliable. I have a 3rd Gen Tacoma and I'm not here to knock Tacomas - but I think you will appreciate that V8 and 4-wheel drive. Winters are long above 8,000 feet (where the most fun is to be had). Welcome to Colorado!

 

Grand Junction is definitely more desertish. Salida and BV are in the mountains, absolutely nothing like AZ. I mean, the Arkansas River valley itself is kind of arid-ish with sagebrush and some pine trees, but you don't have to drive more than five minutes to be in amazing forest and access to high elevation is 10x better than the front range with 1/3 the crowds. There's amazing skiing, mtb, hiking, 4 wheeling just outside of town. I'd actually say in terms of terrain, Fort Collins and Salida/BV are pretty similar.

In all honesty though, I absolutely love Fort Collins, it's an amazing town. But the FRange is growing like crazy. If you're used to big cities, it probably won't bug you. But, I've been here long enough to see the charm and seclusion you used to be able to find all but disappear while having to sit in traffic to get there.

Good luck with the move.

 

Agreed - the Front Range is getting crowded. I know this is the way of the world, but its still a bummer.

 

Yeah, after spending a week in FoCo it checked all the boxes. The other towns you mentioned all have smaller populations which, if I was not single, would move there in a heartbeat. But dating options are better (not the best) in FoCo and being 24 I'd like to date and find someone.

And thank you.

 

Ah ha ha, yeah... The mountain towns are not great places for single dudes, male:female ratio 5:1 at best. Better to live near the chicks and drive to the mountains than vice-versa.

 

Sounds like you made your decision, but welcome to Colorado!

 

Yep, the storms can be brutal from what I've read. I'm going with option 3. And as for housing, I found a great place right within my budget and isn't too much more than what I'm paying now near horsetooth/lory and will still be able to save aggressively.

I like that tractor - hopefully I won't need one though! I have plenty to keep me busy at home during those times.

Thanks for chiming in.

 

Thank you! Looking forward to it.

 

Where in AZ are you leaving?
I lived in Flagstaff for 7+ years and then moved to Salida 21 years ago. Very similar climates. Biggest difference is Salida is in the bottom of the valley and Flag is on top of the rim.
Regardless of which vehicle you use, you will be a lot safer running 4 dedicated winter tires from mid October into April.

 

I'm in Southern AZ. And yeah I'm getting the tundra ready this week and getting new tires as well so I can do a test run. What tires do you recommend? I'll be living in an apartment so can't really store a set of tires. I'm looking at BFG KO2s, cooper discoverers, and michelin LTX.

 

Good decision to fix up the Tundra. As for tires, I have KO2s on my Tacoma and probably won't get them again. The BFGs are good in the snow and mud but don't play well on ice. The three you mention are good options and I'd add Falken Wildpeaks to the list.

Good luck on your journey!

 

Great job! Not many 24 year olds can say that.

 

Coming from southern AZ to Northern Colorado, Please, seriously, look into a set of 4 winter tires. You may end up getting a small storage unit for your newly acquired snow sports equipment and the 4 tires will take up less space than a 55-gallon drum.
Make sure that you get at least 3Peak rated tires. Out of those three, I would look at the LTX and Disco tires.
I use Toyo Observe Open Country ATIII from April into November and then switch out to Toyo Observe GSi dedicated winter tires on my 2017 Tacoma. My wifes TJ Wrangler uses Hankook iPike winter tires from Nov-April.
KO2s are a sore subject for winter driving. I really don't like them on my Tacoma but they work awesome on my GMC K3500SRW 6.2 diesel plow truck.

 

Also say Option 3. I have an '04 Tundra with 300k+ miles, and it's a tank. Give it some love here and there and it'll remain reliable and loyal. Plus, 1st gen Tundras are only slightly wider & heavier than second gen Tacomas, with the added benefit of a v8. Only downside is they have the same front differential as first gen Tacoms (7.5) - so a weak point if you ever get into crawling.

Out of curiosity, where are you relocating to specifically? Northern Colorado is pretty broad - to me that could imply Greeley, Steamboat Springs, hell, even Craig.

Edit - disregard the last question. This thread is bigger than I initially dug into. Best of luck in Fort Collins and your move.

 

Duly noted. I'm also considering Hankook Dynapros as well. These and all other tires mentioned have the 3peak mountain rating. Now I'm between coopers and hankooks.

Since I'm moving in the summer, I'll ride these until the winter starts and then get some snow tires. I believe my landlord has some extra storage so I'll talk to them when I get to that point in 6 months.

 

Yep, trans and front diff are similar to 4runner/tacoma of that generation but I don't plan on crawling so I'm good on that front.

And thank you, everyone has been incredibly welcoming and gives me extra solace in my decision to move there.

 

Thank you.

 

Right on, wildpeaks have also been suggested elsewhere.

And thank you