Does a side x side give you an advantage??

[11boo]

I'll put my Tacoma against any stockish side by side out there.

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You would have gotten here an hour behind me in a Taco. Stock Wolverine.

 

[AZ8]

I don't own a sxs but lots of places have trails limited to 50" so someone with thier girlfriends tacoma would have turn around even before the paint got scratched.

Biggest reason they look appealing to me is the fuel consumption when your putting on lots of miles in the middle of nowhere hauling a bunch of fuel in just plain sucks.

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That’s one thing I forgot to mention. The gas mileage is incredible. When I first took my side x side out for a long ride, I topped off the tank. I drove for hours and still had plenty of gas when I got back to my truck. In fact, at one point during my ride, I thought the fuel gauge MUST be broken because it wasn’t even moving. Eventually it finally ticked down one bar. Hell, in my truck, I can almost watch the fuel gauge needle move simply driving half a block!! lmao

 

[Carpenterant]

I have a dedicated pickup for hunting, 87 Toyota pickup, and I have never wished I had a sxs. Now an atv, maybe. I pass sxs all the time and even will race them occasionally. I don’t see too many sxs driving across deep creeks or puddle either

 

[missjordan]

I can get down the bad roads 4 times as fast without any wear and tear on my truck. I can also get places I simply don't even want to try and take my truck.

This right here!

And some roads you just can’t even get a full sized pickup down If you wanted to, which weeds out a lot more hunters


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[eoperator]

my zr2 with front and rear e-lockers and chains went anywhere we wanted in comfort last fall. With that being said I feel bad about the damage we did and for the people that had to drive through our frozen ruts afterwards. If everyone did that kind of damage to the roads I bet they would be shut down seasonally. For that reason I will be taking a sxs next time.

 

[HuntHarder]

Just LOL to all the tacoma owners who think they can keep up or pass SxS's....

 

[mcseal2]

I use a Ranger 1000. I agree it is way faster to get around with than a truck. Mine has a cab, heater, and AC. We use it on the ranch at home, having it for hunts is just a bonus.

I seldom need them but I have chains for it. I have a winch and LED lightbar also. On hunts I carry a winch anchor, 12V air compressor, plug kit, small jumper pack, and a spare tire. A spare front rim will fit front or back. I also have rope to make my winch reach further. I carry a small bag with a folding bow saw and short axe. I also have a shovel in the bed.

I spend so much time driving one at home I have a good idea of what can or can’t be safely done with one. I don’t usually get in spots to need all the stuff I take, but when I’m out of state and far from anyone I know I try to be prepared.

 

[cobbc03]

I just picked up my Ranger 1000 a few months ago, but it is a beast, and worth every penny. I have a newer truck so i don't like to beat on that whatsoever, which is where the sxs comes in. Gets me into spots i couldn't and wouldn't take my truck, and it is a blast to drive. It is so much more maneuverable too. Do it, you wont regret it!

 

[Stalker69]

Yes I have both a side by side ( Yamaha) and a for wheeler ( Kawasaki) and yes the side by side is far better then a truck. But a for wheeler is far more nimble then a side by side. If you carry a lot of stuff, or two people a side by side. If it’s just you and your gun bow and few things a four wheeler will get you there and back quicker , if needed.

 

[Xxtavixx]

How useful, or capable, is something like a stock pioneer 500? Ive long debating getting one, but its a complication for a FL guy to drag a SxS every other year or so to AZ or CO. Not a lot of use otherwise

 

[11boo]

I was just up in my unit scouting. I have a 90 minute drive to the end of the pavement, then in my truck or Jeep, another 2 hours to get in my area.

I took my Wolverine SxS and unloaded at the end of pavement this time. 40 minutes later I was scouting. Worth it to me, some of our Jeep roads are brutal.

 

[11boo]

How useful, or capable, is something like a stock pioneer 500? Ive long debating getting one, but its a complication for a FL guy to drag a SxS every other year or so to AZ or CO. Not a lot of use otherwise

Probably get you anywhere you want, but that is a long haul. I wouldn’t, cause I have towed a 20’ camper to/from Florida too many times.

 

[MeatBuck]

Here’s another question. Does a side-by-side offer any advantage over, say a lifted Toyota pick up or Jeep CJ 5 or 7, with Detroit lockers and a V-8? I’m asking because I’m contemplating just buying a older Jeep or Toyota, either with these mods or doing them myself, and having a designated hunting vehicle. With the prices of a newer side-by-side, I think it would be very easily to do this with one of these vehicles and probably even be money ahead.


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Can’t sleep in your sxs or a gay little Jeep but you can in a Toyota truck or 4runner. And you can still have ac and power windows and be able to lock all your shit inside.
I can’t say enough about an old Toyota pickup/4runner when it comes to a brush rig. I don’t even have a quad anymore because I was always able to take my 4runner same places or near enough to where it didn’t matter.
Best thing you can do to one is dual transfer cases small lift and 35s. Being able to go slow over bumps and rocky obstacles is crucial to a smooth ride. With the Toyota already having a 4:10 or 4:30 to one gear ratio you don’t have to regear your axles. And if you find a limited taco or runner you will already have an elocker rear end.
The 3.4l v6 and 2.7l i4 are both great powerhouses for these light little rigs. No need to go v8 unless you have a small dick and daddy’s fuel card.
Both the 5speed and the auto transmissions are good units as well. R150f being the strongest.
Next thing would be the solid front axle swap to simplify the suspension and steering components as well as gain suspension travel. Unless you can find the old holy grail pre85 truck or runner which already has the solid front axle. Ball joints and steering ends are the weaker link in the ifs stuff. Plus lifts are hokey and expensive for ifs and wheel travel isn’t great.
I’ve built several Toyota’s and helped on several others. Everything from full frame offs to engine swaps to suspension and bed bobbing frame modifications etc.
The only thing is these old units are getting harder to find and the older ones are getting pricey. You can get something that’s been built partially or fully and startwhere someone else left off for cheaper than building one a lot of times but previous owner wear and tear can be an issue there.

 

[MeatBuck]

Most guys I see in sxs are so bundled up they look like Michelin man in winter and hot sweaty and dusty in summer.
Limited gear storage compared to small truck or suv. More exposed to elements.
Price tag would be the main thing for a regular feller like myself. Even used sxs are more than a built Toyota.

 

[Wrench]

I sold my SxS, but had the perfect 4 runner for 350k miles, a quad, tw200,xt225.....and they all do something better than the rest.

My tw and xt can squeeze an easy 70 plus miles out of every gallon of gas. My 4 runner did better on gas than my SxS or my atv. My atv is narrow and will haul an elk. Its not as quiet as the yota or bikes....but not horrible. My SxS has hauled two whole elk out several times and did it without needing to do anything but winch them in.

I spend most time on the bikes because I don't have to go to town for fuel. I use the quad in the 50" area after snow. I use my land cruiser when it is cold and I need to cover ground.

There's really no "best" machine. Some just work better for certain applications.

 

[Wrench]

One last point of consideration, around here 4k miles on an atv or SxS is considered wore out. 200k is low on a truck. A used tw is 2500 no mater if it has 3 miles or 10k.

 

[zion zig zag]

I'm sure they are handy and fun, but man, they have ruined the Uintas that I used to know. Every motorized trail is twice as wide as it used to be and every road is washboarded worse than I've ever seen. Not to mention all of the owners that feel empowered to drive through every fragile meadow and wetland area that they see. Saw one last week that drove through a boggy meadow to get to the river that was no more than a 200 yard walk off of the road. Another one driven by a teenager that was doing doughnuts in the shallow part of the creek. I wish the USFS had enough staff and funding to do some strict enforcement up there.

 

[Qchunter]

I’ve done the Wrangler and Cherokee thing and they did fine for me while out hunting but limited me on what I took for camp. I always plan on being out the the entire time my tag is valid, usually 7-10 days. I enjoy a nice camp but in either of my Jeeps it was very tight, especially if I had someone riding with me.
I don’t mind bundling up while driving in the winter and have always left jackets behind in the SxS and it’s been fine. I usually drive slow if it’s shooting light just Incase something decides to show itself. If it’s dark it seems like I can get to where I’m going quicker.
I only wish the SxS was a little more stealth.

 

[11boo]

I'm sure they are handy and fun, but man, they have ruined the Uintas that I used to know. Every motorized trail is twice as wide as it used to be and every road is washboarded worse than I've ever seen. Not to mention all of the owners that feel empowered to drive through every fragile meadow and wetland area that they see. Saw one last week that drove through a boggy meadow to get to the river that was no more than a 200 yard walk off of the road. Another one driven by a teenager that was doing doughnuts in the shallow part of the creek. I wish the USFS had enough staff and funding to do some strict enforcement up there.

Get video of the idiots being idiots. USFS will pursue them with a vengeance as long as they can ID.

 

[wapitibob]

I agree with most of the comments here. You can drive a decent side by side COMFORTABLY 2-3 times as fast down rough roads as any pickup apart from a souped up baja rally truck. The roads we use to access are technically approved for all vehicles but a side by side turns a 2 hour drive at 5 mph in to a 30 minute ride averaging 20 mph.

^^^ this