Richard, I have only 36,000 miles on my Ranger. I drive a mile and a half to my office. So, it's probably too soon to tell about longevity. From what I hear, if it has any bearing, the Ranger and Mazda are basically the same truck.
Gary Meyers Kirkland > From: "rderedfield" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 09:23:46 -0800 > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: Fishing vehicles? > Resent-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Resent-Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 09:25:45 -0800 > > Gary, how many miles do you have on the Ranger? I usually keep my vehicles > for 100k+ miles and, for some reason, I've had concerns the Rangers may not > be those types of vehicles. > > Cheers! > > Richard > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Gary Meyers" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Monday, December 03, 2001 4:50 PM > Subject: Re: Fishing vehicles? > > >> 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 >>> >>> >> >> > >
