Hey there, currently rocking a 2008 ford ranger 4wd for all my outdoor adventures. Kind of like my little outdoors golf cart haha. Pretty stock, just wanted to hear from you guys what are the best updgrades you have made to your hunting rigs that improve their abilities in the field? I’m not worried about my rig but I’m not totally confident in it either. Making an out of state trip this year and am willing to put some money into it.
If you're doing a big out-of-state hunt in an older truck like that, doing all the basic maintenance (new oil, filter, etc) and the more longer-interval maintenance is worth considering. If you have the time/tools/skills, replacing the belt and hoses
long before the trip isn't a bad idea. Depending on how long it's been, and especially if you'll be loaded down with gear, changing the diff and transmission fluids might also be a good idea. If you'll be in the cold at all, be sure your battery is on the newer side, and if there's any issues with the battery cables at all, fix that too.
The point
@Steve300xcw made about more things turning up that will need maintenance/replacing is really something to pay attention to - you'll find more than you expect, and it'll take 2x the money and 3x the time, but every bit of that will add to the peace of mind with the hunt. Just make sure it's all done a couple of months before the trip, as you want it to have some shake-down miles on it to make sure everything's settled in and good to go.
As to additional things to keep in the truck, get a battery jumper-pack, a high-lift jack, keep some lengths of 2x4s and/or strips of plywood to stick under the tires as traction boards, and make sure you have 2 sets of keys for the vehicle.
One should think long and hard before poking that bear...
