After SXS experience, anyone go back to truck or other 4x4?

[wind gypsy]

I’ve had one western hunt where towing a SXS there would have benefited me. Every other one it would have been a waste and a nuisance.

 

[MuleyFever]

I take the SXS if I don't know the road conditions too. Can't always get there ahead of the hunt. And if I have it I'll use it just to keep the wear off the truck.

 

[Tobe_B]

I’ve had SXS, atvs, and 4X4s. No jeep experience. I bought a Colorado ZR2 for a work truck last year and used it for hunting season. If I can’t set that truck where I want to go, I’ll just take a horse. All machines have their place. For me, the little ZR2 is comfortable and capable in late season for traveling where I want to get to. There’s nowhere I’ve gone in a SXS I wouldn’t take my current truck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[100%DIYazCOUES]

I don’t know where you guys are hunting, but here in az I absolutely LOVE my side by side for hunting. I have a pioneer 1000 and I basically can go wherever I want, including places where it would take a pretty heavily modified jeep or truck to get into, and even then my pioneer can get there WAY faster, with WAY less stress, and WAY less chance of breaking something or getting stuck. It honestly still blows my mind every time.the pioneer enjoyably breezes though things in 2wd that would cause serious pucker factor in most trucks I’ve had. Some of my favorite hunting spots, there’s zero chance of getting a truck in there. . MAYBE a built up jeep.
I spent a lot of years crawling around rough roads in trucks, 4 runners, broncos,and jeeps, and pure performance wise it’s not even close. Like some people are saying there are some drawbacks. My pioneer is open cab and has no heating or cooling obviously. And dust and rain obviously can be an issue as well. I just prepare with rain gear, pack all my stuff in totes to keep dust and rain off,and carry a little tarp to throw over stuff if I really need to.
Well maintained dirt road? I’ll take the truck.
Washboarded road all the way up to rock crawling? I’m taking the pioneer 95% of the time

 

[HuntHarder]

Yup, state by state apparently. In Az, a SxS is a very effective Tool. Many spots I hunt are more than an hour on a SxS on dirt. If you were in a pickup or Jeep, it could be 2 hours or more and you might be pissing blood by the time you get back in there.

 

[2-Stix]

Tacoma and quads is what we hunt off.

 

[chapman8523]

SXS are over rated . The Sammy will go anywhere they can and more. Tow it or drive it.
View attachment 461094View attachment 461096

Come on up to AK, I would like to test your theory.

 

[chapman8523]

I've owned a few SXS, always end up going back to ATV's due to the width difference in tight terrain. This time I went with an Outlander 6x6, very capable machine.

 

[cnelk]

Never had a SxS - quads for me. with all the big SxS running around, I especially like the <50" designated trails

 

[Ikmclean]

Sold our sxs, mostly due to the cost of upgrading to a 4 seater after having a couple kids. Went with a 4 door Wrangler. Gets us to 99% of the places we would take the sxs. Only miss it for pulling the sled ice fishing.

 

[Wrench]

I've had a SxS and still have a 80 series cruiser, jeep, atvs, motorcycles and trucks. I run fs roads in a truck at 35 in all but my 5500 4x4 with comfort. Were I limited to one choice, it would be a early 4 runner or a early second gen 4 runner. These can be had cheapish and with 31inch or 33inch tires at 25psi ride smooth at speed and the 2nd gen is quiet.

My 914runner had 330k hard miles on it when I sold it and still didn't rattle nor ever left me stranded. The 4runner would get 5mpg more than my cruiser and only lacked the electric lockers and cool factor....still very capable.

If limited to 52" I take a atv or motorcycle. I have a big polaris and a 1993 honda fourtrax 300 4x4 and prefer the honda for its fuel efficiency. The polaris needs 5 gallons to do 70 miles and the honda will run for a week on 5 gallons.

 

[DeBear]

I have off and on through the years had side by sides sold them, used the truck for a few years, bought another side by side and rinse and repeat.

The thing i love about the side by sides is the speed at which you can cover country. If your leaving from a camp and need to drive 15-20 miles one way on a dirt/ unmaintained road it’s way quicker than a pickup. We had two side by sides with heaters and one fully enclosed so protection from the elements were nice.

The part of the side by sides i hate the most is the dust. And it just eats at you there’s no escaping it. Enclosed or open sides it just doesn’t matter there so dusty. Second thing i hate is the noise there so flipping loud i wear earplugs just to drown some of it out.

I’m trying to convince myself that maybe going the jeep route might be the best of both worlds. I just have no real world experience with them and having a hard time wanting to jump down that rabbit hole


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I completely agree with the dust comment. I think the newer side by sides are much quieter though

 

[NateO 77]

I went down the rzr rabbit hole and after 1 season of hunting out of it in Idaho I sold it and went back to a Tacoma. I spent so much trying to get creature comforts like soft top heater and boxes for storage and still just had to trailer it up to camp then it was loud dusty and just not what I wanted. Glad I did it but would not do it again I know have a crew cab manual Tacoma with all the creature comforts I could want or need it's pretty quiet and goes almost all the places I went before and I don't have to trailer it anywhere.

 

[Wrench]

Anyone rocking the Japanese mini trucks? Those seem to be the best of both worlds from the outside looking in.

 

[Wags]

I could have used my quad or a SXS the first 3 days of my hunt. We got a ton of rain and our roads went to crap bad. It was like trying to ice skate with roller blades. The guys with SXS's and quads were able to motor right on up.

Aside from the wet/mud I personally don't have a use for either for big game.

 

[swavescatter]

Anyone rocking the Japanese mini trucks? Those seem to be the best of both worlds from the outside looking in.

I can't imagine that would be worth it. A cheap old Jeep is your best bet for getting into rough terrain with enclosed cab and heater, but those just don't cover ground as fast (that may not matter to you).

Japanese mini trucks probably aren't great offroaders, and don't ride particularly great compared to SXS's. Might actually be the worst of both worlds. I'd go Ranger/Tacoma over those...

IMO the best of both worlds would be a road legal Polaris Northstar with enclosed cab and heat/AC. At $35k though those are a bit too rich for my blood.

If you don't need/want to cover ground fast, and the terrain isn't THAT rough, 2 door Jeeps/Samurai's are where it's at IMO.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

If the truck isn't ideal, the Bakcou Mule e-bike is. After that it's boots leather.

 

[kboatman107]

For me the sxs isn’t worth the trouble of towing it. Took em hunting for a few years now just take the trucks. Plus the truck has a heater/ac

 

[cuerro viejo]

I think it just depends on where you hunt. Most mid sized trucks come with maybe 6” of suspension travel, in many cases it cost almost as much as a utv to get a long travel suspension. Toss in tire side wall flex and it’s really not even comparable. There are very few if any vehicles out there that will be smoother then UTV.

I can’t tell you how many “expedition built trucks/SUV’s” I’ve passed hunting from a utv especially rigging bears on blm and forest service roads,

 

[Dos Perros]

What's faster on a rough road than a sxs (and can take more than 1 person)? A buggie of any sort will cut in half the time it takes a pickup to cover the same distance.