Hello from NH

Howdy folks, my name is Jim, new member here from NH.

Regular guy, lifetime wrench turner, looking to get into a toy for the woods/bird hunting.

Right up front I’m gonna say that I’m a Toyota man. Unfortunately my toy budget will not support an FJ. I have a 2012 Tundra 5.7 Crewmax, it’s a beast but is too big for the kind of crawling & cruising I’d like to do. Not to mention, I’m far too worried about dings/dents/scratches on the Tundra, hence the move towards a woods/trail rig that won’t break my heart when a fender takes a small bump off of a tree or rock.

I have always thought Jeeps were a cool rig, just couldn’t get over the Dodge factor (many nightmare Dodge experiences in my life).

Having said that, I would like to get into a ~$5kish running rig that I am going to go into knowing that I’ll have to wrench it on a semi-regular basis.

I know nearly nothing about the Jeep world in terms of my best bang for that sort of cake. From what I’m finding, I’m looking at 05 (and earlier) Wrangler/Cherokee (sorry, I don’t know any of the TJ/JK/WJ). I’m finding the Cherokee may be a better fit, I’d like the extra room for gear and whatnot.

Now, I’m not looking for an insane off-road rig. I’d categorize what I do as light/moderate off-roading. Most of the time it would be paper company land cruising & bird hunting, with the occasional jaunt down the unbeaten path.

Anyway, I think that covers the basics. Thank you for any info, I’m looking forward getting to know the Jeep folks, and to educating myself on the possibilities and options in my budget.

 

Welcome @BigNuge ...seems you zeroed in on the type of trail rig. ~$5kish running rig could be high mileage, worn but you might find a gem out there and wrenching is part of the joy/pain. Early Wranglers YJ-TJ-JK and Cherokee XJ can make a good fit for your requirements.

 

not recommending a 2005 wrangler, look earlier for the wrangler, you want STOCK, not someone's headache. definitely a 4.0L -

You gotta decide wrangler or cherokee - completely different animals, the cherokee may present the dent concerns. But will work nicely for trails forest roads and hunting gear.

 

Thanks for the info guys.

aggrex, I kinda thought that my budget would land me in a high mileage rig, but so long as it isn’t knocking/smoking/running rough then I’d consider it. I’m not looking for a rebuild project or anything, but I can fix most anything. I can do overhauls and engine pulls, but that’s not what I’m looking to get into.


Awrench, I’m leaning toward Cherokee. I like the cargo capacity, and have seen many that have been lifted and pretty capable (for my needs). If I’m wrong about that then someone let me know, that’s part of why I’m throwing it out here for discussion!

Thanks again for the feedback guys!