2 door wrangler for hunting vehicle

[John pettimore]

Anybody hunt, mainly backcountry, out of a Wrangler? I am considering trading in my truck for one but seriously concerned with space. I can obviously fit my pack, weapon, and maybe a cooler inside but that appears to be about it. Not against adding a hitch carrier for some additional capacity but don’t want to have to use roof racks. Will I really regret making the switch?

 

[BeaverHunter]

If you will be driving it to your hunting area and that drive involves freeway driving you will be miserable. Driving a jeep on a highway/freeway is no fun.
If you’re using it like a side by side where you’d be towing it to your hunting location and then driving it around, it would be great. In my opinion.

 

[browning2480]

Agree with the above. They are not a good ride for interstate travel.

 

[Hunt_Jefferson]

Depends what year you are looking at. I have a 2018 JL 2 door and it’s a great all-around vehicle. Add a folding hitch basket for some extra room.

 

[Rob5589]

I had a 05 TJ for a few years. As a tow behind it worked well. As a stand alone vehicle it's just too small, even with a hitch carrier. I sold it almost two years ago and bought a crew cab pick up. There is no way I'd sell your pick up to buy a Jeep as a primary.

 

[TxxAgg]

I don't why jeeps are so popular. I'd pass.

 

[come2elmo]

I would see if you can rent or borrow one for a bit. Put it through its paces

 

[dtrkyman]

I have a grand cherokee I hunt from, roof and hitch cargo box, still too small but I make it work. No way on a wrangler.

I do not like large vehicles though, suck on trails and do not want for a daily driver!

 

[Antarctica]

I love jeeps.

I still have an 82 CJ8. First jeep and last to be sold, was an 86 CJ7. Also had an 84 CJ7 with a 350 and th350. And two CJ2A's.

I think it depend's on how you camp/hunt and how much crap you need. With only two people, I've hauled plenty of shit up in the mountains - camping gear, chainsaws, dog, etc. But you're not going to get a moose in one. They are way more capable than your average large pickup, probably about the same as a toyota.

I've driven them across the country. Its not for the faint of heart, but its doable. If you're going more than 4-5 hours on a regular basis, a larger truck is probably better.

I also have an f350 7.3 with a camper and an Excursion. Love them all. Different tools for different jobs.

Bear in mind that any wrangler that has coil springs is probably going to ride a helluva lot better than my old leaf spring cj7's...

 

[mrbillbrown]

Love my 06 LJ Rubicon and drive it from OK to CO to hunt elk every Sept. with no regrets at all. (12-15hre depending on where we’re hunting). The LJ gives me a little more cargo room and I can fill it up if I want to but I can’t ever see getting rid of it because it’s too small or uncomfortable for hunting out of.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[John pettimore]

Would not be a tow behind... would be driving anywhere from two to 5 hours to get to hunting area.

 

[hodgeman]

I love jeeps and have had half a dozen over the years. But there is no way I've try to use one for a long distance hunting trip, just not enough room.

 

[rob86jeep]

I had an 06 LJR that I hunted out of in Florida and Colorado. It works if you get a hitch carrier and only have yourself (maybe you and one other) and don't have to travel far. If you need to drive to other states to hunt or plan to have 2 people a majority of the time then I would rather have a truck. Maybe a bigger SUV but I would still want the hitch carrier.

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

What, do none of you know that the Jeep comes in a 4 door version? I drive this thing all over the place and back, with my gear, with a buddy, and his gear. we have plenty of room for two large coolers also. I have been hunting with mine for 3 years now and have NO regrets. The good thing is that getting a vehicle that can fit the family is easier when asking for funds from the war department:




This was during a Idaho Elk hunt. We were packing everything up and getting ready to leave, but not before breakfast mind you.

 

[def90]

Been running strong since 2002.. with the BFG all terrains it handles the eastern colorado 2 tracks pretty well. Haven't had the opportunity to haul out an elk yet but I only live 45 minutes or so from where I elk hunt so I don't see any issues with that. A truck with a topper you could sleep in would be nice though.

 

[Runningwater]

I've got a 2000 tj, its a lot of fun but driving 75 on the interstate with a stiff crosswind will wear you down fast! A little 5x8 trailer also opens your options up a bit regarding gear and bringing an animal home. The trailer likely won't go in as far as the jeep but you can also leave the trailer at the main trail and shuffle if you need to. I haven't hunted out of mine in years. We just take the big comfy f150 to the trailhead and hike in from there so I don't really need the offroad capability.

 

[JohnIrish]

I have a newer wrangler.. it is much improved over the earlier versions. Mine is a 4 door and is great driving on the freeway. I would get a 4 door version and with the back seats down.. to give you more room. This is called the unlimited models. You could also add a hitch platform for a large cooler or waterproof bag.

 

[Mosby]

I looked at Jeeps when I needed a new hunting rig. They are great if you are hunting locally. If you are traveling on major highways and need to haul equipment or tow a trailer, there are better options, IMO.

 

[ppwack02]

I bought a Jeep Wrangler 2 door in 2011 for off roading, hunting and fishing. Mine is set up pretty basic just a 2" lift and some 33's. The wrangler is cool and serves a purpose but there's not enough space in my opinion. Even with the back seats ripped out I struggle to put gear in the back(May be because I pack too much stuff). Early in the season I will use it for scouting trips for bear baiting before the snow melts. Other than that the only other hunting I do out of it is if I find birds on trails we are riding. I love my jeep but anymore it's just used for trails and topless summer rides with the old lady. In 10 years living in Alaska I've only put 50k miles on it.

If you do end up with a jeep the great thing is you really have the ability to make it your own with all the custom parts. I've also heard the new generation is a lot more comfortable on pavement. I would even look into the new gladiator if you still want a truck bed. One of the guys we off road with has one set up for overlanding and he loves it.

My two cents would be stick with a truck. Picked up a Toyota Tundra in 2019 and I have no regrets. Having a bed that's easy to clean and the ability to tow works much better for me up in Alaska. We have to drive a long way for a lot of the hunting up here so the comfort of the truck is a big deal to me. I ended up getting a Polaris 6x6 for hunting and I can fit more in it than the back of the jeep.

 

[Matt mi]

Took my 07 jk 4 door from michigan to idaho with a buddy took out back seat fit all of our gear including 150 cooler and some useless things that won't go next time. Ride was pretty good I have heard the 4 door tow better then 2 door if your thinking of pulling trailer but I've never towed anything with 2 door.