Good discussion topic, Kent. I've got a Ford Ranger Pick-up almost identical to yours, but a year older (1997). Same plusses and minuses. I too, really wish it had those small rear doors. It's a pain in the butt sometimes to access the back seat. And yes, it's tough to get a long rod caddy in the back. I tow a utility trailer and inflated raft with it and no problem��plenty of power. It's perfect for one or two people. I think it's the most comfortable vehicle I've ever driven. I'm tall and it fits me well. I can drive 12-14 hours (such as to Montana) without getting fatigued. I think it's great truck and fishing rig overall. Good ground clearance. Maneuverable. Tight. Good 4WD (I take it skiing too). No mechanical problems. Plus it had Firestones. So I got 4 free new tires from Ford.
I also have a '98 Suburban and if I'm hauling a crowd or going somewhere where I'm camping and I want my gear secure, I'll take it. Surprisingly, it gets decent highway mileage. Sometimes 20+ mpg. But, I find it uncomfortable. The front seats are cramped for such a big vehicle. And of course it's a pig to park and drive around town. Whenever possible, I'll drive the Ranger. Gary Meyers Kirkland > Over the years, we've discussed just about every kind of fishing gear > or strategy imaginable. But it struck me the other day that there's > still one indispensable piece of gear that every one of us uses: the > vehicle that gets us where we fish. > > I assume that for most of us, our fishing vehicle is also our daily > driver that spends most of its time making trips to the store or > commuting. For some of us in a multi-car household, a second vehicle > may be much more appropriate for fishing. A very few of us may > actually have a rig dedicated just for fishing, refined over years of > use. > > To get the ball rolling, here's my own 2� on the subject: > > I've always owned a pickup. In fact I can only remember a couple > years when I didn't have one. My current ride is a 1998 Ford Ranger > XLT extra cab 4x4 with a 4.0 liter V-6 and an automatic. Wish I'd got > it with the small, half-sized doors to get behind the front seats. > However, a retractable cover keeps things out of sight back there. > > The bed will hold a couple float tubes fully inflated or my 9 foot > pontoon boat (I haven't tried stacking two pontoon boats back there > yet.) There's plenty of room left over for gear bags, coolers, oars > or rod tubes. Plus, the bed doubles as a place to sit and wader up > without rocks that can tear up my neoprene wader feet. > > But having a pickup does pose some limitations. Leaving stuff in the > back is an open invitation to theft if you leave it there even > briefly. And relatively light weight stuff needs to be tied down to > keep it from becoming airborne at highway speeds. > > My truck's bed isn't long enough that I can stretch out in it to > sleep, and I'd need some sort of canopy to stay dry in the rain. The > space behind the seats doesn't hold very much gear (long rod tubes > are an especially tight fit) and it's a real pain to get to. Finally, > if I owned a boat and trailer, my rig is probably much too puny for > serious towing. > > But for the most part, it works well for the kind of fishing I do. > The 4wd and high ground clearance are a real plus on marginal roads. > > I'd sure like to hear how other subscribers have adapted their > vehicles for their own fishing style. > > Kent Lufkin > >
