Gary, Forgot all about those Wilderness AT tires ;-) Ford ended up buying me a set of new Michelin LTX's. Their less-aggressive tread design gives away some traction in the muck and snow. But they're MUCH better than the Firestones on wet pavement, which unfortunately is where I do most of my driving.
Where'd you find the utility trailer and how big is it? A fishing friend is looking for one as an excuse to buy a pontoon boat to tow behind his Benz SUV (doesn't want to muss it up by trying to put the boat on the roof ;-) Kent Lufkin >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 >> >> >
