Which Vehicle to Choose for Forest Road Boondocking?

[mtm12345]

Newbie here. For that last few years I was under the illusion that I might be able to modify my 2006 Honda Odyssey to make it up nasty forest service roads like those in Montana. I have been trying to raise it up to 8 inches clearance from a measly 4 inches. I gather from talking to my mechanic, the dealer and Les Schwab this isn't a good plan. So I am going to start afresh with my vehicle living platform. I don't plan on doing serious off-roading. I would say my budget is very limited, but I could scrape 30k together with solar and everything. I ponder truck campers vs vans. I wonder about the necessity of 4WD, gas mileage, reliability and cost. Does anyone have advice on where to start or what questions to ask myself?

 

[JDub]

I would suggest an older 4WD Suburban - the extended one if you can get it. Lots of room, reasonably priced, easy to lift, very easy to locate parts and fix. It will get you into pretty much any area you reasonably need to go under most weather conditions (driver skills are foremost though). The downside is sucky gas mileage. Also make sure and do thorough inspections for rust in all the usual places - especially in the floor pans, rocker panels, and wheelwells. If you just HAPPEN to luck out, an old Toyota Landcruiser J60 series in good condition would would be frickin awesome but rust is a huge issue with most of them...

Welcome and Cheers!

 

[tx2sturgis]

Shooting in the dark here, but if you want to car-camp on nasty forest service roads you might look at a used Subaru....AWD and a basic wagon layout with the Forester and Outback. Decent fuel mileage too.

 

[bullfrog]

Weight is the problem usually and rules out small vehicles for most full timing in a small vehicle as well as rough roads are hard on most light weight vehicles. Living year round in four seasons in a vehicle dealing with severe temperatures rules out most canvas expandable top truck campers but that would be a possibility. A topper would work but being able to stand up makes it easier. You can haul a tent for those times as well. A few year old Tacoma if you are short or a truck with an 8' bed if you are tall with a light weight camper/topper and if you can live out of a backpack fulltime you will have it made as long as you follow the 70 degree weather. Almost any high clearance vehicle with a rear locker that you can engage and disengage will go well on paved roads with no noticeable difference and get you 80% of the places you would want to go most likely. Having 4 wheel drive to get you out when you get stuck is a very good thing. Having 4 wheel drive with selectable hubs and a locker or spool in the front axle is even better in extreme times of stupidity when you need them. Their are very few people willing or able to live this way full time as it not as easy as just living in a large van or RV. Many choose to use a more conventional "base camp" and explore using a bicycle, motorcycle, ATV, UTV or 4 wheel drive vehicle. Using a 4 wheel drive Suburban or Excursion starting out and if you find you need more space, towing a smaller camper or cargo trailer will get you most anywhere there is a graded road which for most is plenty remote. Hauling something with which to strictly explore in the living area of a cargo trailer or in the bed of a 3/4 ton and 4 wheel drive truck that can pull works really well. There are lots of ways to do what you want it just depends on you and what you are willing to do in order to go where you want to go.

 

[tx2sturgis]

"Forest road boondocking" and full time nomad living are not necessarily one and the same...but they could be. Maybe the OP intends to live full time in this vehicle, but that's not how I interpreted the title.

So yeah....full time living in a vehicle which can easily and safely access gnarly forest roads requires a heavier duty solution unless you intend to travel VERY light.

 

[Ripper238]

Newbie here. For that last few years I was under the illusion that I might be able to modify my 2006 Honda Odyssey to make it up nasty forest service roads like those in Montana. I have been trying to raise it up to 8 inches clearance from a measly 4 inches. I gather from talking to my mechanic, the dealer and Les Schwab this isn't a good plan. So I am going to start afresh with my vehicle living platform. I don't plan on doing serious off-roading. I would say my budget is very limited, but I could scrape 30k together with solar and everything. I ponder truck campers vs vans. I wonder about the necessity of 4WD, gas mileage, reliability and cost. Does anyone have advice on where to start or what questions to ask myself?

Yeah, a Honda Odyssey is not the vehicle for forest service roads or off-roading. You could cut the fenders and put some big tiers on it but it doesn't have the 4 wheel drive you will need.
I have a 4Runner which i use for this and off-roading and its perfect. Extremely reliable, capable and best of all I fit in it! I like being able to go anywhere and utilize roads very few use, but its rare i need all its full capabilities. Its not a cheap vehicle used and the MPG is not so great, but i wouldn't have it any other way for now.

Most parks and places you will stay at like BLM you wont need 4wd or any major off road vehicle.

 

[[email protected]]

I echo the point made earlier about an older Suburban. I would further suggest that you find a clean 94-99 Suburban with a 6.5 diesel which will give you reasonable fuel economy for a vehicle of this size. If you are serious about sleeping in a vehicle you will want to have a large roomy interior that could accommodate a large sleeping platform plus plenty of room for storage and additional items such as extra battery, solar controller, inverter, room for switches, gauges, maybe a diesel heater and a large fridge, etc. A Suburban gives you room for all these things. YouTube has many videos of interesting Suburban builds. With the budget you have you could easily afford a clean diesel Suburban equipped with everything you need. If you can't or don't want to do the build yourself, you might check out Suboverland in Idaho. They specialize in these kinds of Suburban builds and do a good job. Suburbans are relatively easy to work on, have a huge aftermarket of suspension and other items, have an enormous strong roof to accommodate a giant roof rack, or a couple solar panels, if you wish, and are built on a proven sturdy frame and drivetrain that will last decades if you care for it properly. The main thing, they are large enough that you can be comfortable and not constantly wish you had more room for storage, dealing with clutter, room for a 2nd or 3rd battery, etc. They are surprisingly agile as well once you become adept at driving them. You don't need a short wheelbase or small size for forest roads, like you would for other applications.

 

[dhuff]

I would suggest an older 4WD Suburban - the extended one if you can get it. Lots of room, reasonably priced, easy to lift, very easy to locate parts and fix. It will get you into pretty much any area you reasonably need to go under most weather conditions (driver skills are foremost though). The downside is sucky gas mileage.

These are available with a good, basic build-out + powertrain maint items performed, lifts, and all terrain tires from Suboverland at a price under the orig poster's limit. https://www.suboverland.com/

 

[Malamute]

A truck camper or van would both work, depending on the van. I lived several years out of various full size pickups with shells (not an actual camper) with beds built in them, then a Toyota pickup, then Nissan extra-cab pickup, then to Suburbans, but my vehicle nomadics were over by then. I did primarily National Forest boondocking as its called today, back then i just went and looked for good places to go that didnt have anyone around, though Id sometimes stay closer to town for easy overnighters if I had stuff going on in town. I was primarily around Flagstaff and surrounding areas depending on time of year and some trips in the rockies, 3 times to Alaska. 4wheel drive is nice, and allows you to get in or out of places you may not otherwise, but I rarely actually needed to put it in 4wd unless snow or mud was an issue. Good heavy duty real tire chains can add a huge amount of capability in some of those circumstances as well to a 2wd vehicle and are good even with a 4wd in some places.

My current 2wd 4runner is a good vehicle, plenty of room, and capable of going most places full size rigs can go, even with mine being 2wd. I may get a 4wd version later, but its been very good, I have room to sleep in the back with having the dog and lotsa junk with the dog/cargo platform I made. It gets about 22 mpg on the road, way better than the Suburbans and full size 4x pickups. I doubt id ever get another pickup unless I had to haul a camper, a Suburban or tahoe for towing something larger than my 4runner can tow is about the only things id change to at this point. My plan is a cargo trailer camper in the future when i can go semi-nomadic again, at least seasonally. I dont know yet how big and how much vehicle Ill need, the 4runner is fine for now and short overnights and such arent a problem space wise. If it will do what I need later, that would be great.

 

[AmargosaWayne]

These are available with a good, basic build-out + powertrain maint items performed, lifts, and all terrain tires from Suboverland at a price under the orig poster's limit. https://www.suboverland.com/

.
$500 nonrefundable deposit to get on a wait list.
Currently:
"Earliest completion date: February 2023"

 

[Curtistalmage]

 

[cortttt]

I've been tooling around most Forest Service roads in an extended Chevy Express van with a limited-slip differential for the past 7 years. Good clearance and decent storage space if you're full-time. Very reliable with poor gas mileage (15 mpg average with solar panels). I carry traction boards, hi-lift jack when I get stuck. I get stuck much more in the desert than in the mountains.

Ford Transits' poor clearance and small tires eliminate those vans for me. The Promaster's front-wheel drive does likewise, and Sprinters, while they can get excellent gas mileage and have pretty good clearance, and come in hi-tops are expensive and I worry about repairs.

Not that I wouldn't love to have a 4wd or a high-top and its extra storage, but this has been a good option for me and my two dogs. I am full-time and will likely be moving to a 4wd van/truck plus a trailer in the future.

 

[user 423]

An older Ford Econoline with RWD does OK for me and I've taken it over some pretty rough roads to remote locations. A van is preferred by some people over a truck camper because if you needed to drive away in an emergency it can be done without exiting the vehicle. Although I guess some larger campers do have access from truck cab to living area.

4WD is great when you need it but to me it just adds complexity and the potential for higher repair costs. Also probably a little less overall MPG when compared to the same 2WD vehicle. The best vehicle for a person depends a lot on their travel plans. I'm wanting a 3/4-ton pickup and a converted cargo trailer + small motorcycle for the 14 day stays in varied locations.

 

[traderjenne]

Thanks for asking this question Mtm12345 as I've had the same one and many, many thanks for all these responses which have given me much food for thought (decisions). Much appreciated.

 

[rruff]

I ponder truck campers vs vans. I wonder about the necessity of 4WD, gas mileage, reliability and cost. Does anyone have advice on where to start or what questions to ask myself?

As some have mentioned, you should ponder SUVs as well. When I was looking for a friend recently the best deals seemed to be on older Toyota Sequoias. They have outstanding reliability and longevity; if you get one that has been well cared for and not too many miles, you'll be in great shape. Make a high-top out of plywood, and you'll have some room as well.

2wd is fine. You probably wouldn't believe all the places I went in a 2wd Toyota pickup... But I would recommend a small lift and bigger tires, a regear, and a locker with 2wd. You'll have good traction then, and won't beat up the undercarriage too bad.

The old style vans like the Express/Savana and E series Fords are fine and will give you more room... better than the new style unibody low-clearance vans.

 

[Dennys Adventures]

I did a quick look for this information, this may help
The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, classifies maintenance of National Forest System roads by five levels: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Maintenance level 1 roads are closed to motor vehicle use. Maintenance level 2 roads are maintained for high-clearance vehicles. Maintenance level 3, 4, and 5 roads are maintained for passage by standard passenger cars during the normal season of use

How high is high enough when venturing off-road? This is a very valid question, however, in order to answer that question, you need to determine what type of off-roading you plan on doing since it’s purely a case of horses for courses. Sand dunes vs rock crawling vs graded mountain tracks will require vastly different configurations and the minimum ground clearance will differ substantially.

Minimum ground clearance for gravel tracks ranges between 6.6 inches and 8.7 inches. For over-landing, your ground clearance should range between 8.8 inches to 9.4 inches. A minimum height of 10.8 inches and above is required for tough graded 4×4 tracks and rock crawling.

I my self want to overland at times. So I am looking at 11 inches of ground clearance.

 

[hugemoth]

I have a camper on an old 2 wheel drive Toyota pickup pulling a small quad on an open trailer. Often I'll park the camper and scout out new forest camp spots on the quad before driving in with the camper. Some national forests do a great job maintaining roads and others do no maintenance at all.

 

[mtm12345]

Thanks for asking this question Mtm12345 as I've had the same one and many, many thanks for all these responses which have given me much food for thought (decisions). Much appreciated.

Yes there are so many options but this thread has given me years of knowledge

 

[mtm12345]

I did a quick look for this information, this may help
The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, classifies maintenance of National Forest System roads by five levels: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Maintenance level 1 roads are closed to motor vehicle use. Maintenance level 2 roads are maintained for high-clearance vehicles. Maintenance level 3, 4, and 5 roads are maintained for passage by standard passenger cars during the normal season of use

How high is high enough when venturing off-road? This is a very valid question, however, in order to answer that question, you need to determine what type of off-roading you plan on doing since it’s purely a case of horses for courses. Sand dunes vs rock crawling vs graded mountain tracks will require vastly different configurations and the minimum ground clearance will differ substantially.

Minimum ground clearance for gravel tracks ranges between 6.6 inches and 8.7 inches. For over-landing, your ground clearance should range between 8.8 inches to 9.4 inches. A minimum height of 10.8 inches and above is required for tough graded 4×4 tracks and rock crawling.

I my self want to overland at times. So I am looking at 11 inches of ground clearance.

This is fascinating about the forest road levels. I have never heard of that. I have made it up some pretty bad roads in my 8 inch clearance rogue. The odyssey is just horrible. I think the worst roads I have been on are in Montana but in Washington state where I live there have been some that rival it. I’ve only been stuck once in a 2 Wheel Drive Tacoma.

 

[mtm12345]

I have a camper on an old 2 wheel drive Toyota pickup pulling a small quad on an open trailer. Often I'll park the camper and scout out new forest camp spots on the quad before driving in with the camper. Some national forests do a great job maintaining roads and others do no maintenance at all.

This is an interesting solution with the 2WD Tacoma paired with the quad. Might be a little hard for stealth camping in the towns, but other than that I like the idea of a cheaper truck paired with a very capable off-road option. What kind of camper did you find that is light enough to put on that truck?