Anyone using a Bronco Sport (baby Bronco) for their survey vehicle?
I've always used a truck, but I do like the size of the Bronco Sport.?ÿ Although I'm not sure about the cargo area being enough (boundary only and local areas, so I don't need to have everything and the kitchen sink with me for a job).
A farmer I did some work for recently showed up to meet me in one and he was extremely pleased with how he was able to get around on his farm with it.?ÿ He compared it to the old Suzuki Sidekick in where it could go.?ÿ Those were light enough that people used to go in some pretty questionable spots.
I like the look of that also.?ÿ ?ÿIncidentally,?ÿ I used to work out of an Izuzu Trooper, then?ÿ Suzuki Sidekick, then Honda CRV, now a Mazda CX5.
I've seen a few of them on the road lately.?ÿ I don't see very many new trucks being used in the mud.
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Fancy Schmancy!
I don't see very many new trucks being used in the mud.
Yeah, I don't get my truck in mud too much either.?ÿ I can take a ATV for anything like that.?ÿ I used to drive in some moderately rough places before getting an ATV for those purposes and still will if it is minimal so I can avoid having to also haul the ATV out.?ÿ
All it takes is a freeze/thaw occurring in the morning to get a two wheel drive truck stuck (except maybe the newer Maverick I think it is front-wheel drive if you don't opt for the AWD).?ÿ So even currently, I've still went with a 4-wheel drive truck just to avoid those instances of getting stuck in ridiculous places - like pulling onto the grass so someone can use their driveway - an event that actually happened at a place I used to work.
?ÿI do still sometimes drive around farm fields in my truck where a light amount of under body protection is nice to have and 4WD or AWD can sometimes be needed.?ÿ The Bronco Sport has options for some skid plates and one of the upper trim levels comes equipped that way.
@gordon-svedberg I had thought about the CX5 before.?ÿ Had a 626 a LONG time ago and it was an outstanding vehicle.?ÿ If the Mazda build quality is still on par with that, it would be a really reliable vehicle.
I do like my Mazda,?ÿ I have a shelf on top of the wheel wells.?ÿ It gets right around 30 mpg.?ÿ it does not have 4 wheel drive, like all my other vehicles, but what I have experienced is getting the 4 wheel stuck in worse situations then if I had not attempted that creek crossing in the first place...
Being from a different part of the world we generally have smaller vehicles here with the standard surveying vehicle being a double cab ute like the Ford Ranger/VW Amarok etc with a canopy not just a lid on the wellside tray.
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Personally I use a Daihatsu Terios (see https://surveyorconnect.com/community/surveying-geomatics/diy-bipod-rebar-driver-and-carry-bag-truck-setup/ for setup) which was the smallest 4wd I could find that I could fit all my gear in (robot goes in footwell behind drivers seat and GNSS boxes on back seat with seatbelt though handle). Therefore the Bronco looks large to me still. Working solo, 4wding is best managed by the 'discretion is the better part of valour' mantra I've decided.
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They don't make them anymore so when it dies will be replacing with a Suzuki Vitara (appears to be the sidekick in US market), allgrip version with the 1.6l not the 1.4 turbo one.
@lukenz Folks in other parts of the world have some really nice options for a more compact work vehicle.?ÿ I'm jealous of some of the options y'all have.
3/4 ton, 8' box: can't do without them.
The 4 wheeling is done with a 4wheeler unloaded from the truck box.
Hence the 8' box requirement.
My largest client told me in 1992; "If you don't show up with your 4wheeler don't bother showing up".
He was pissed watching surveyors walking and knew I used 4wheelers to get around.?ÿ
He was pissed watching surveyors walking and knew I used 4wheelers to get around.?ÿ
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Lots of good chach-ching in an hourly T&M job for sure....
Damn right he'd be pissed.
When I was doing geophysics, the client hired a helicopter and had us flown to the tops of the ranges to help speed things up.
we added 10 staff and he about lost his mind....
we added 10 daily rate charges for each person, and now we're billing at about 25k per day.
he did the math and really understood that it also meant his datasets and deliverables were also not going to take 6 months to produce.
time is money.
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I like the look of that also.?ÿ ?ÿIncidentally,?ÿ I used to work out of an Izuzu Trooper, then?ÿ Suzuki Sidekick, then Honda CRV, now a Mazda CX5.
When I began work at one firm in MA (late 80's) they gave me a Trooper (all the field crews had one) and I was like "oh man this is not going to work out well..."
But after using it for many rural surveys for a couple years, and other than getting creative with storing a Philly rod, it really was a good survey vehicle.
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My dad owned a bronco sport. Just traded it in with 1800 miles on the clock.
he said the engine was noisy, and it started having multiple recalls.
somethinf related to the transmission, front end suspension, and a few others.
the dealer said they didn’t know when they would be able to get the parts to even take care of the recalls.
so he just traded it in. Might be a first gen type thing. Work out the kinks.
All my boundary work is done out of a 2 door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Sometimes, I pull an ATV behind it if the going gets too bad. I don't like big honky machines if smaller will do, and will get me to places so I don't have to walk. Looked at Bronco...looked too much like a passenger car. I was afraid I would scratch it up.
All my boundary work is done out of a 2 door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.
Very Nice - Pictures Please.
How is your gas mileage?
I liked working out of my Jeep Cherokee. Wish they still made that vehicle
The old XJ Cherokee? I loved those. My friend had a 98 back in college. Bulletproof engine and transmission.
Wish they still made that vehicle
Jeep claims they do still make it, but it is unrecognizable as a Jeep Cherokee now. Looks (and is priced) like every other SUV on the market. I haven't looked, but I would seriously doubt they have the ruggedness/durability of the old ones. I have seen some videos of people testing a version called the ?Trail Hawk? out. It seems to have some limiter that was shutting it down when trying to power out of some areas that would have been a minor mud puddle to the older ones.
An older gentleman I surveyed for has one of the older style that looks pristine. I once asked if he would have any interest in selling (apparently not the first one to ask him).
@jimcox Averages 16.7 mpg, but its geared very low. Mine is the 2017 Recon version with electronic switches to lock all four wheels, and to disengage the front suspension for rock climbing etc. Has all the bells with navigation, leather seats, temperature controlled heat/air. Sorry, don't have any pics.
Averages 16.7 mpg
Ouch!
Nice truck, but that's worse than I already get at present.
No longer want 🙁