UTAH (and Surrounding Areas) BS Thread

Whiskey? I like whiskey.

 

What are your first impressions of the Heep? I saw a sweet Gladiator set up a couple weeks ago at FYTO. It was rolling 37’s. I was jelly.

 

So I only have 285 miles on it and I have 87 miles left till empty. That alone is more miles per tank than the Taco. On the Hwy tonight I got my avg mpg up to 18. I think the transmission is still 'learning' so if I can get 19-20 I will be happy.

The 8-spd auto is amazing. You can't hardly feel it shift and in 'manual' mode you can lock out all 8 gears. I have to watch my speed in this thing. When I drove it home the other night, I was doing 80 on the 15. It didnt even feel like it was moving.

I have never had a vehicle with so much tech. The offroad pages are cool along with the remote start from the fob. We might buy the AT&T unlimited service for 1 year ($200) for the truck head unit. This allows a wifi hot spot in the vehicle and up to 10 separate devices. This can be handy for long road trips since we wouldn't be burning thru our verizon data.

I tested it briefly in some snow the other day. The 4lo is pretty lo. We plan on going to moab next week. I will report back then. I am looking forward to seeing how it performs in stock form. I think I might scrape the belly a little bit, but I plan on getting an Artec full belly skid as time goes on. The rubicon trim with 33's is as tall or taller than my tacoma.

I already mounted my ARB compressor in the engine compartment. I will miss how large the tacoma engine compartment is. Not much extra room in the heep.

So far, I do enjoy it. I will be sad when my tacoma sells as I have had so many good memories in that rig. I do think ill be able to fill the void with new memories in the gladiator however.

 

Awesome! Not much like the feeling of driving a brand new rig. I luv the new vehicle smell.

I would enjoy hitting some trails with yeah sometime. That Gladiator I mentioned before was pretty baller watching it crawl around.

 

that according to @Gunshot-6A , it's best consumed on the mountain?

 

I haven't driven a Gladiator but I've spent a day exploring the Uintas in my brother's 4 door Wrangler and test-driven several. I'm a lot more interested in the Wrangler because the dimensions are similar to my dearly departed regular cab, just barely longer and wider. With the back seats folded down it has a 6 foot long cargo area, perfect for sleeping. The 3.6L V6 is very quiet and feels stronger than it's rated power. The transfer case gearing in the Rubicon is awesome. The cab ergonomics are excellent. Unlike the newer Tacomas with long but low door openings, the Jeep's are tall and stubby so you can just hop right in with no risk of whacking your head. In tight parking lots, you can fling those stubby doors open and they're nowhere near hitting the next car over. The turning circle is very tight and outward visibility is excellent. I love the duality of it being a super fun off-road camping truck but also a highly convenient city car, just like my regular cab Taco was.

I have some big BUTS, though. The reliability record is atrocious. The 6 speed manual has cable linkage and the stick is not directly attached to the transmission, so it feels really artificial like a plastic shifter on an arcade game. The clutch pedal is ridiculously light and has very little feedback, making it difficult to guess where it engages. It's as if they made it bad on purpose to persuade even the manual gearbox fascists like myself toward the 8 speed auto. Which has led me to reconsider the FJ Cruiser. They're weird but the reliability is stellar. So excellent the 2023 4Runner is still using the same powertrain. The 6 speed manual is intuitive and enjoyable, like every manual Toyota truck I've ever driven. Another bonus is the locking rear diff and ATRAC were standard on all manual FJ Cruisers. And I'm already familiar with wrenching on that platform. It's my first world problem, new Wrangler or really nice used FJ Cruiser?

 

That backpack has a whole 12 pack and a bottle of water in it

Facts, on a post storm, bluebird pow day no less!

 

The Gladiator is appealing, but reliability of a Toyota is hard to beat. I’ve been out with a few different FJ’s, and they are impressive, but they all complain of the low visibility over the hood. Maybe a forward facing camera would help that.

I kinda want a T4R, or maybe a Land Cruiser, if I could find one that’s not insanely priced. But, I like have the capability of a truck. Putting “stuff” in the back is extremely appealing. Albeit, it doesn’t fit a lot.

 

Lol. Nice. I sometimes have a backpack with a nalgene of water. but usually i have whiskey in my flask for ski days. hahah.

 

One of my friends has an FJ..it's cool but has a huge blind spot over your shoulder. Also the A piller is wide this leading to another blind spot. It is weird that it has three windshield wipers as well.

I think Toyota reliability is going out the window. That ship has sailed..the next gen Tacoma will be a hybrid with a turbo (or dual turbo) with more electronics than anything before. Manual transmissions will be a thing of the past. Other manufacturers ( Ford, Jeep, dodge, GM) have jumped on the tech wagon 10 years ago. Dropping cylinders, adding turbos and having 8-10 speed transmissions. Fleet MPG is the main driving factor. It's only a matter of time for Toyota to catch up.. I think the Prius is the only saving grace for the Toyota Fleet MPG. That's probably why the Tacoma, tundra, and T4R have been left in the past (minus this current gen tundra).

The T4R is nice but still sucks on the MPG front. I think the transmission is still a 5spd. Guess it depends on what you would do with it. For light adventure rig, they fit the bill. Still limited by suspension articulation and general features.

I think the modern land cruisers are overrated for the $$$.

The future for off-roaders is going to be tech and electronics..might as well embrace it.

 

My uncle and my nephew are huge in the wrangler crowd. Having wheeled my wife's 5th gen T4R (sold) my 3rd gen taco (sold) and my FZJ (still have) I can tell you that none of the three compare to the JK or JL off road. Nephew had a gladiator on 40s with the manual and everyone hated that tranny. The one thing I am not fond of with the newer wranglers is that they are a still somewhat of a chore to drive any long distance on the highway.

As for a Toyotas, the FZJ has been stellar, the T4R had a timing cover leak just out of warranty and the taco needed a new engine after trying to go up a steep hill...it also had the timing cover leak. The next Toyota I buy will be an old 70 series...just not a fan of the new products.

I actually purchased an XJ with and LS swap and it will go places none of the Toyotas will go. I also purchased a low mile LJ.

I've never owned an FJ, but drove once and as stated by others, the visibility is atrocious.

 

I've wheeled in Moab in my nephew's gladiator (with 40's). Your caboose is going to drag. Highly recommend the hitch skid...even on something easy like Fins and Things it will get used.

 

I'll only go up to 35's. Seems like 37's is popular with the JT folks but that requires a regear and potential axle upgrades (assuming you really wheel the thing). 40's would require Dana 60's.

I'll get a high clearance bumper and remove the hitch like I did with my Tacoma. I also plan on getting an artec full belly skid. Can't have everything be perfect..lol

 

Started the year off right with some snow wheelin. Hit up the tunnel and..somewhere else out that way..I just follow my buddy hah. It was DEEP out at this one area we were and whiteout conditions, easily a foot and we were plowin the trail. Very fun times and super happy with how my Toyo Open Country ATIII's did.

 

That FJ40 gives me fever dreams.

 

Its pretty neat. We cruise around in it a lot!

 

8 lug

 

Hey yall,

Planning a spring break trip to St. George/zion. Want to see utah in all its glory! Leave no trace anywhere I go so don't worry about that.

I'll be doing some mountain biking, hikes/bouldering, light-moderate offroading, and some camping. Likely going to get an airbnb for a couple nights so I've got room to store bike while I want to go hike, as well as some creature comforts too.

Are there any south utah facebook groups/TW threads I should join just in case something happens to me offroad? and are there any recomendations for off road tow companies in the area? Just in case, want to be prepared BEFORE and IF I need it.

I'll be there the week of March 20th. If any of you guys are going to be around then and want to join me for a bike ride or a trail in the trucks that'd be awesome to get a bit of local insight!

Main thing as far as activity planning I'm wondering about currently, Any hikes in zion that views/difficulty are similar to angels landing? I Imagine that time of year that one will be an absolute zoo. And if there's one that does not require permits that would be awesome to avoid that hassle. Any tips and info are appreciated!

 

Yea not gunna spend that much on the JT. I had my fun with my Tacoma money pit (front/ rear long travel, regear, etc). The 74 weld portals are cool too. They are also some $20k for a pair.

 

Some people have more money than sense...