Definitely converted, none of the manufacturers have made 4WD vans. John Smith gave some historical conversion companies. I think Quigley and Sportmobile are the current options (other than doing your own if you want another project!)

 

I am glad you are honest. However, buying something that someone else has put a blower on would worry me. How competent were they? What has been done to the ruck since? In other words, how long will it last.

As for a van, I guess we should consider one. But I doubt that will be the popular solution. Anyway, thanks.

 

The TRD blower was sold by Toyota and maintained warranty. If left as installed and not monkeyed with, it shouldn't effect longevity at all, boost numbers were only about 5psi.
My personal experience with the 3f and 1FZ are in forklifts. Those things run forever are are very reliable.

 

I guess finding an FJ80 or, maybe better, an FZJ80 with the TRD blower would be something to consider. I wasn't aware such an animal existed, but that could provide the scoot I think my son would want. Thanks!

 

Bob - That's an interesting idea. Hadn't thought of that approach, but for overlanding it might work. I'll mention it to my son.

By the way, where is that? Looks like around Ouray?

 

I don't recall exactly where it was, but not Ouray (we didn't get there until about 4 years after the trip I took with the trailer). This trip was generally around Leadville, but covering most of the country in a rectangle with Idaho Springs in the northeast and Gunnison in the southwest. I dragged that trailer over about the toughest rockcrawling I'd done to that point, and it was never an issue (although backing up 1/4 mile in a stream bed once was a bit of a treat).

That brings up another point. After I took my overlanding trip in the F-250 a buddy of mine thought it sounded like fun, so he took one in a crew cab long box dually! Before he went (also in the Leadville area) he asked me if I thought he was stupid to try and I told him that as long as he didn't drive into anything he wasn't willing to back out of he'd be fine. He had a lot of fun on his trip, but he did do a lot of backing up! Adding a hitch to the front of the truck might be a good idea if pulling a trailer. You can usually disconnect the trailer and get past it, but if you can't turn the truck around it might be nice to be able to pull the trailer while you back up rather than having to push it.

 

That's a large chunk of beautiful country. I don't know the area around Leadville, but have spent some time between Buena Vista and Crested, SW of there. Would love to get back up there - maybe with our son and his family. He and I could tackle the tough stuff and we could take easier trips with the girls. (And maybe I'd buy my wife the Trail 90 she misses. Put it in the back of my truck, and meet them there. Bret, are you reading this? )

As I was reading about backing a trailer 1/4 mile I was thinking "put a hitch on the front". And, that fits with my thoughts about a winch - why not put it on a drawbar so it can be removed? Taken off for running around town, or moved to the rear if need be. So, kill two birds with one stone.

 

With the talk about mounting a hitch on the front, I was reminded of an older Louisiana gentleman, with whom I once worked while in Baton Rouge. He pulled a pleasure boat behind a GMC front wheel drive motorhome. When he arrived at the camp grounds, he would attach the boat to the hitch on the front and drive down the boat launch until the boat was in the water. It was much easier for him to see and maneuver.

Here is something for you and your son, Gary. You have seen it before... remember, it has the very rare power mirror option. Ford Bronco XLT | eBay

And for your wife, although not a Trail 90: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-CT-/36...m=361556132475

 

David - Thanks for reminding me of that one. I'll send him the link. As for the Honda, she's already said she would love it. We just need to have a reason for her to have it, and going up to CO with the kids might be it.

(Bret - Yes, we collude on here. )

 

A lot of cool dead-end trails around Leadville ("around" being a very general term), trails where you drive up well above tree-line until you run out of trail or run into too much snow. Then you turn around and come back down. Also some good pass trails where you go up one side and come down another. I've been out 'wheeling in that area on at least 4 separate trips and I plan to go back. Fortunately my wife likes the 'wheeling too, so I hope to be able to do even more of this now that we're empty-nesters!

A winch hasn't made it to the top of my priority list (aka "budget") yet. But if/when I get one I plan to do a receiver mount. Biggest downside I can see is that they kill approach (or departure) angle, so I'd want to make up something that let me mount it higher and vertical, more in front of the grill, when it wasn't being used. Then it could be put into the receiver in a more normal fashion to be used.

I also feel like a receiver mount wouldn't be as strong as a solid mount, especially in a pull angled more to the side. I think I'd want to use a ****** block and hook the cable back to something more solid on the vehicle to take some of the load off the winch mount in that case. Which gets back to my original comment on winches: they can be dangerous when used by someone who doesn't understand them. If I was setting up a truck for my sons I'd be willing to put a winch on for one, but not for the other. Nothing against that son, he just doesn't think about mechanical stuff enough for me to have confidence that he wouldn't hurt himself (or someone else).

 

I agree on the approach angle issue, but there's got to be a way around it. Perhaps put the receiver about in the middle of the grille and make the tubing supporting it effectively a skid plate? And, I do agree that a receiver-mounted winch isn't as strong, especially off-line.

As for the safety of a winch, my son nor I have any experience with them. But, I'm not sure he needs one. As I think about it, maybe he doesn't even need one.

 

Gary , I bought a Double outlet hitch from harbor freight and cut the top hitch tube off the stem. I had the winch plate welded to the top of the stem and mounted an at winch on that.

I ran the wires from the battery back and wired in a disconnect at the hitch.

I can still pull a trailer and drop the tailgate with the winch in place.
It would be easy to make it go front or back of the truck.

The few guys I know that off road carry a boat anchor and shovel.

Get stuck. Dig a hole a few feet in front, drop the anchor, cover the anchor, and winch out. Very useful if no trees are around.

 

Also realize you would need a bigger winch than an atv.

If you pull a trailer, change the hubs to match the tow vehicle. Spares would be compatible and in a pinch you could use the trailer wheels on the tow vehicle and leave the trailer to get to safety.

 

Realistically you want a minimum of an 8000lb winch on pretty much any off road rig bigger than a tracker or samurai.
A winch is by far one of the most important parts of an off road rig, all that lift, tires and lockers get you is farther before you get stuck, and much more stuck when you do. A winch is the one modification that gets you unstuck, and still functions even if you don't have the lift, tires or locker.
For an overland rig I would not consider running without one. Heck I even have one on my DD/Tow rig.

 

Maybe I wasn't clear about my thought to deal with approach angle with a receiver mount winch. I'm thinking about welding a receiver tube to a drawbar at about a 90 degree angle. Put the drawbar in the front receiver and the receiver that's welded to it is pointed up. Then put the winch drawbar down into the vertical receiver (with the bottom of the winch facing toward the grill). That way the winch is mounted higher than normal (up in front of the grill instead of in front of the bumper) and it doesn't stick as far forward either. Then to use it you take the 90 degree piece out and stick the winch directly in the receiver.

As far as needing or not needing a winch, I've never had one and I've always gotten out. I do carry a come-along and a bunch of rope and a tow strap, and I've used that a few times (knowing that a winch would make it easier). And the two times I've gone 'wheeling with someone who had a winch it did end up getting used. So I certainly see how someone who has one would never want to be without one.

But I also just finished watching an episode of "Dirt Every Day" on YouTube where a very experienced 4WD magazine editor was overheating a winch motor and hardly getting his Wagoneer to move (at least in the right direction) in snow. Get a novice who doesn't know what he's doing with a winch in a situation like that and people can get killed. That doesn't mean that all novices should never consider a winch. Some people can keep their cool in a situation like that, some people can make reasonable choices about how and where to apply 8,000 lbs of force (or more with a ****** block). And if you fall in both of those categories a winch is not likely to bite you.

But for me it's just economics. I'd love to have a winch, but I'd also love to have a lot of other things and I've found that I don't need a winch, so it hasn't made the top of the list. Yet.