Anyone rent vehicles on hunting trips?

[Cedarsavage]

Like it says. My truck is getting older 140k good enough to get me around home but I’m skeptical of driving 1,000plus miles each way on hunts. Low mileage prices are hard to stomach, and I don’t really need new other than to go on a hunt once a year. I’m thinking about holding on as long as I can and just renting a truck when I wanna go on a hunt. Looks like it’d add about $1,000 for a week long hunt.
Pluses
-grand is way cheaper than 35 or more
-maintenance is someone else’s problem
-I could keep my old truck for bad weather and hunting and get a mid mileage suv or car to commute in for a lot cheaper and lower operating costs

Negative
-that money doesn’t go towards anything

Frugal guys I’m curious what you think. We’re debt free other than our house and I’m unwilling to go on debt on a vehicle. We get 200” of snow a year so I need at least an old 4x4 around

 

[chanson_roland]

Did a solo Wyoming Elk hunt last Sept. Flew to SLC from VA and rented a Nissan Frontier. For a solo hunter who lives on the other side of the country, the $ vs. time was worth it. By putting the rental on the right credit card, you can generate reasonable # of points for...the next time you rent a truck on your credit card....

 

[IDVortex]

140k high mileage? In my opinion you're playing the 'what if' game to much.

I've got a 180k mile 17 F250 I've taken out in the middle of nowhere with. I guess if I didn't trust a vehicle in the mountains, it wouldn't be in my driveway at all. Or I'd make sure to make it reliable.

Over 3 years you could've bought yourself a pair or NL Pure Binos.

 

[Jstumbaugh]

We rented a suburban in 2022 for our elk hunt. Keep an eye on rental prices as they fluctuate drastically. I booked the reservation in March at almost $1100 for 10 days with unlimited mileage. In June the price dropped to $569 and i canceled and rebooked. Was well worth it to put 4,000 miles on someone else's rig driving across the country. Bonus was that it only had 2k miles on it when I picked it up.

 

[Finn16]

A big concern with rentals is the tires. Twice I had friends rent trucks to hunt here (Colorado) and both times their rentals had P rated tires and they got flats on rocky USFS roads - one of the trucks got 2 flats.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

what he said, slim to zero chance any rental truck is coming with a 10 ply All terrain tire

 

[Tod osier]

what he said, slim to zero chance any rental truck is coming with a 10 ply All terrain tire

Or chains for anything during a late (or wet) season.

 

[Happy Antelope]

If you take your rental on a gravel road most credit card insurance for comp and coll coverage is voided fyi. If you use an Amex the ins provided is secondary to you own coverage, if you have a Chase Saphire or a few other cards it become primary, but I believe both decline any claim for off paved road use. I would double check your comp and coll on your own insurance or confirm any bought from the rental company offers coverage.

Worth double checking.

Paul

 

[maxx075]

Rent it and drive it like you stole it.

 

[dtrkyman]

I traveled all over the country this past spring, finished the trip with 218k on my rig, sounds like you are just getting broke in to me.

In the Midwest when I am there I would have no issue with a rental, out west where I wind up I don't think it's a good idea!

 

[Jon Boy]

I suggest looking at trucks on turo, as some won’t have highway tires and that would be the off season for a lot of places and prices should be low.

 

[voltage]

When it comes to deciding whether to rent or use your own vehicle for hunting trips, it's a balance of cost, convenience, and reliability. Renting a truck can indeed save you from the wear and tear on your personal vehicle, especially for those long 1,000-mile treks. It also allows you to choose a vehicle that's well-suited for the specific terrain and conditions of your hunting location (assuming the vehicle is available). Considering the significant difference in cost between renting for a week and purchasing a new truck, along with the maintenance responsibilities, renting seems to be a financially sound choice for your annual hunting trip. It's also worth noting that keeping your older truck for local needs while opting for a more economical vehicle for daily commuting could be a smart move to manage overall expenses. Ultimately, the decision hinges on your personal preferences and financial priorities, but from a frugal standpoint, renting appears to be a practical option for your situation.

 

[slingerHB]

I went to renting a pickup the last 4-5 years. It's a no brainer. $800-1200 for 2 weeks usually. My hunting partner and I both had new diesel trucks so fuel costs were more to travel all the way out west from NY. By the time you come home and do a service on the truck there goes $150 plus the miles and the wear and tear. We take our chains that have always fit. I take that rental into places I wouldn't take my newer truck. Oak brush,sage or anything else scratches the sides up real good and I've never had enterprise say a word.

Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk

 

[Nine Banger]

All this plus you can do more than you think with non ideal "hunting rigs" The adventures I had in the Santa Ritas with a hatchback Nissan Versa one time when they had nothing else should have been the basis for all their marketing materials that year.

 

[Huntinmechanic]

I wouldn't worry about 140K if you know the trucks history and you maintain it well. I drove my 2000 F350 7.3 Powerstroke with ~350K miles to WY twice last fall from CA towing a light load. The majority of the miles are from hunting and camping trips. I daily drive a TDI Jetta. I bought the truck new when I graduated high school. I've maintained it really well. It's reliable, easy to repair and gets decent fuel mileage. I monitor fluid levels and determine the condition of said fluid with my eyes and nose regularly. The old girl doesn't have the creature comforts of new trucks but, neither did the trucks prior when men had busted knuckles, a set of balls and could fix their rigs on the side of the road.

 

[Cedarsavage]

All this plus you can do more than you think with non ideal "hunting rigs" The adventures I had in the Santa Ritas with a hatchback Nissan Versa one time when they had nothing else should have been the basis for all their marketing materials that year.

Right. I’ve had a few deer in the back of a hatchback ford focus.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Be careful if you are depending on a specific rental. We rented a mid size truck (tacoma/frontier), flew in, got to the car rental and they of course didn’t have our truck. Instead we got a 4wd suburban which was massive and definitely not what we wanted. Almost got stuck bad multiple times.

I’ve had multiple instances where despite booking well ahead of time they did not have my vehicle and instead gave me an alternative for better or worse.

 

[swavescatter]

Put $1,000 into the truck and platinum AAA roadside.

 

[Rich M]

Last drive hunt we rented a new Taco and put 32 hrs on it each way. 500 rental and 500 gas. Was a great call.

Would do it again.

 

[Weldor]

Just looked up some info from Budget, states clearly with truck and Jeep rental gravel roads and dirt roads and offroad use is prohibited? Why would a company rent Jeeps for the pavement? Same goes for 4x4 trucks.