A while back I got into a discussion on rigs with some people that are of a differing opinion than I am.

I like the fact that I can drive my rig to the trail, wheel all day in moderation, and drive it to work on Monday. The folks I was talking to have 35,000 in 2007 and up Rubicons that they pull behind a 90,000 Dodge truck and camper combination. I was told several times that the only way to wheel is in a Jeep and the best way to camp is in a camper. Be that as it may a couple of them busted things on the trail that were so severe that they HAD to trailer the rig home while I drove past them on the way back to the house.

So what do you prefer? I really enjoy the fact that my little 86 SR5 will go where I want to for the most part and still get 20+ mpg on the way to work. Do any of you have a dedicated Toyota trail rig? If so what made you decide to build a trailer queen and why? For those of you that wheel your DD why do you do so?

Just wondering.

 

i have a DD and wheeler in the same truck, mostly because i am a poor college kid, but it is my pride and joy so to speak so i love driving it.
that and it is a tube frame flatbedded skull covered war machine, and i also love freaking soccer marms out.

 

i think that they are wrong about camping in a camper
it is not camping if you are in a camper

as for wheeling, right now i wheel my daily driver because i dont have money for another car. but i think that is a bad idea (i do it anyways...) because if i mess something up im skrewed. but, the plan is to get another truck and modify it so that i can still drive it to where i want to go, but i have another truck that i can drive to school/work the next day if i mess up

also, two 4runners would be cool

oh, and im a poor collage kid too

YAY for poor collage kids!

 

my dd is also my trail rig. i dislike the fact that i cant be as hard on it as i would like because i know i gotta drive it to work the next day. but because i know i cant break it because i gotta drive it somewhere later on i save$$$ not fixin broken parts. my 2 cents. i would like to get a spare truck just incase though

 

Well, dude, I too have been involved or have simply eves dropped(while not meaning too) and didn't want to get into it with the silliness. It really depends on what YOU want to do. I think your opionion makes sence to me, because that basically how I roll. It's practical for me to have a DD that is multifunctional. I could have a dedicated rig, but it's not justifible for me to have that because I don't hardly wheel. Do I get a chuckle out of seeing people with the truck/camper/rig, sure, I wish I had their job so I could affoard that! hehehehe!!!

 

this is kinda off topic, but do trailer queens have to be registered and have a tag and insurance and what not?

 

Oh yeah, what really irritates me is the guys who buy a vehicle, drops a butt load of parts on it and never really uses it when it takes me years to modify and wish for parts to put on mine!

 

Only to drive on the street. They must have a green sticker in California, and you insure them as a recreational vehicle like a quad or rhino.

As far as DD you rig, The cool thing is you will know your rig better you learn the quirks and noises by DD it. If its a trailer queen you might not be as familiar with it. I have an extra vehicle, but I drive the runner most of the time because milage is better. The only way I would trailer it is if maybe I was driving from So CAl to Moab (600+ miles) or Rubicon. Be nice to have a small motorhome to pull her with.

Like PIle said ^^ I really just cant stand the people that pay someone else to build them a $50k Rubicon. BUncha Joeys. BUild it yourself, know what you want in it and make it. UNfortunately most of the ones who tow are those D-bags I speak of who just fork out the cash to be the best. They usually cant drive either and put everyone in danger on the trail. Sorry for the rant.

YOU CAN ONLY CAMP IN A TENT OR ITS NOT CAMPING.

 

I think there are so many toyota dd/weekend wheelers because our trucks can take the abuse and still keep going. I know that's why I got my yota. If my parents let me have a 2nd vehicle, I would definately jump on it, but they won't so I am happy with my truck. And a trailer queen doesn't have to be registered/insured as long as it stays on the trailer while on public roads. Once you're on private property, it's the property owner's decision, and I'm pretty sure many off road parks let you drive an uninsured rig as long as you pay the park insurance fee.

 

Depends on what level of trails you consider 'wheeling. There are a number of trails where it's downright foolish to expect to drive back from... if you don't have a tow rig, those trails are not even options.

What I think is funny is how many of those rigs are flat towed - not on a trailer? Because the truck has to essentially be driveable to flat tow it, so they're not really able to push the rig any harder than if they had to drive it home ...

 

I have trailer queen toyota....I wheel on some pretty serious trails with about 15 other people that all have trail rigs only...so alot of times we hit some of the knarley trails and it is a good feeling knowin you can get in some hairy situations and if you break you can still make it home...i did alot of buyin and sellin to get what i have. found a trailer that needed paint and tires for 500 bucks...found a f 150 with a camper shell for 700 bucks that needed a master cylinder...i camp outta the back of the truck and love every minute of it...so you can do the trailer setup for cheap you just gotta look around and put alil work into your pullin rig and trailer.... as for people saying the only way to wheel is in a jeep i think there crazy...I love my toyota and since i bobbed the bed and locked it i can go anywhere a jeep goes and i have half the money in my stuff than they do....

 

^^Yes, and you guys rule because you KNOW about blood sweat and gears. That's the difference sometimes between trailer rigs.

 

i agree with tc it depends on your trails and flat tow is pointless rarely will it be too broken to drive and not broken enough to flat tow.

i tried the dd weekend wheeler thing for a while and it really didnt work. trail rigs need to be worked on constantly and when you need to drive it to work tomorrow but still need to replace a birfield tonight... it doesnt really work. it worked for a little less than a year then i sold the sorry old thing and got a dd.

i have a trail rig with about $1000 into it but it still does great. its got a flexy lift, locked rear end, bobbed bed and sfa. it doesnt have to be real expensive.

buying the trail rig was BY FAR the best decision i've ever made now i can take it out and romp on it knowing i'll have all the nights and weekends in my life to fix it

 

the name of the game is budget build.



get into a tow rig for cheap and do your truck right but cheap you'll be into it before you know it

i'm a poor college kid and i have a dd and a trail rig i only have 1k into it and i'm lookin at an international flatbed from the 60's as a tow rig you can do it cheap

 

I have both and there are merits to both.

I love the idea of not having to worry about driving my 85 4Runner on the trails or home after abuse, thus I have a Tundra tow rig/dd.

I also have an 85 ext cab that will be a daily commuter soon but trail ready, gotta have the bling, just because I love lifted Toyotas and it helps advertise my business. And my little boys love the "monster trucks"!

dragr1 had to go 10 hours or so this weekend to pick up a friend whose dd/trail rig had his tranny take a crap while wheeling. Better have a friend with a trailer if you dd your trail rigcause sooner or later you will break.

Camping is best spent in a HOTEL!

 

Yeah Joey, (UKmeyers) thinks so as well Just as him.

 

Until recently I DD'ed my rig. But I got a Great deal on a Cherokee from my Grandparents, so I grabbed it. I'm also a poor college student, but I have my '85 for play and my XJ for DD. I plan on keeping my '85 totally street-able and like driving it to the trail. Especially trails like Rubicon, where the ends of the trail are so far apart. But given the option, I would trailer her to and from the trail (or at least on more difficult trails). I want a trail rig that I can drive on the street. While still having a DD that I can drive if/when the trail rig is broken.

Also, having another vehicle makes building the trail rig easier, since you don't have to have it back together before the end of the weekend to drive it to work on Monday! lol
I'm looking forward to that when I start doing my Dual-Case install, Hy-steer Conversion and Re-Gearing my axles. : ) All of which make the truck more Trail worthy, while keeping it Street-able. In fact the Axle gears will make it more street-able again!

 

i would never go back to wheeling my daily driver.. nothing beats hoping in my truck and having it start with not frozen breaks and its clean...

that said i am going to put plates on the 82 im picking up this week because dollying trucks even a short distance to the trail sometimes sucks!

 

Honda Accord DD and my 4Runner sits in the garage. It can be driven on the street but I trailered it to all the runs I went on last season. It might actually get driven more this season, we'll see I've always borrowed my dad's Dodge CTD and trailer. He's in the process of building a CJ8 with 1 tons. He'll end up towing his and I'll drive mine if we go on the same trip together.

 

I love DD my rig. Its real satisfing when you go beat on your truck off road then drive to work the next day

PLus driving my truck in traffic is fun