Field Vehicle

Porsche Cayenne

It will take 3 tripods, no sweat.

Paul in PA

Porsche Cayenne

I'm doing good for being in business less than a year and a half, but not that good.

I did price used Land Rovers - they do project the "Mid-Atlantic, upper middle class, all things British" image that fits in so well around here.

This is not in direct response to your question, but I have used SUV's in the past (Bronco II, AMC Eagle wagons, old style Bronco, etc.). They worked OK, but not great. Really depends on the equipment boxes you put in the back.

However, once we started using Ranger Pick-ups we won't go back. The extended cab Ranger with 6' bed will haul all the equipment you will ever want, gets decent gas mileage, compact so it will maneuver where bigger vehicles won't go, and travels nicely on the road. The only special thing I do as soon as I get one is to order extra leaf spring & coil spring from JCWhitney to beef up the rear end. I would encourage you to think along this line. Here are pics of the back end of my two.

Change Name To "Surveys In A Hurry"

Image over affordability.

Paul in PA

I worked out of a Toyota 4 Runner for a couple of years when I was mainly solo. I built a custom wood box and painted it black so it would look sharp when it was in the truck (I hate the raw wood look). It rode on a sheet of plywood so I could easily slide it out when I wanted to put the dogs in the back and go to the mountains. I had a set of roller support stands that were adjustable in height so I could remove the box with all of the contents still inside and leave it in my garage when not in use. The plywood bottom liner kept it from grabbing on the interior carpet and made it smooth to slide out when needed. The stands made it to where I could do the removal by myself.

The 4 Runner looked good. It got good gas mileage and very low maintenance cost. And had plenty of room for all of my gear and an Iman if needed.

I dunno...

I have worked out of just about every kind of vehicle known to man at one time or another (except a train), and there is a LOT to be said for a DEDICATED survey TRUCK!

With a PROPERLY designed and built “box,” one can certainly work out of most any SUV/truck I suppose, but most SUVs are NOT all that heavy duty when it comes to hauling a lot of weight around everyday (or in rough country). The one exception to that “rule” would have been the old FJ-40 Land Cruiser, which was pretty heavy duty for a small utility vehicle (used several of those over the years).

Snoop had some good advice about a removable box, and that is probably the way I would go for “occasional” work in an SUV. I have been using my FJ Cruiser for a couple of years now on “occasional” jobs, but without a “box,” it is less than satisfactory for more than a very SIMPLE (and SHORT) projects.

Ideally, one would like to have EVERYTHING that one might need (or want) with him/her at all times, but that takes a pretty big truck! If I ever replace my F-350, I think that I will look at an F-550 or something like that!

🙂
Loyal

I worked out of this for 3 years. 2004-2007
I thought it was the 'bomb'.
Plenty of room. Thule roof rack
I can't begin to explain how much 'stuff' I loaded in it.
Good stereo too.
AWD which helped me out a few times

The Japanese really know the concept of 'space'

Did a lot of road trips also.
This photo was taken in VA

For urban/suburban cruising it had no parallels.
I also pushed it to the max after Katrina for off road stuff.

Now everyone could laugh but I tell you this was a nice LITTLE work truck.
I traded in my 2001 Ford F250 diesel long bed supercab for it.

stay away from the land rovers unless you are trying to get your status back, baby. 😉
When I replaced it, I very seriously looked at the FJ cruiser but, I felt like it did not have the space. Also looked at wrangler 4 door, same story.
I went with a top of the line Ridgeline. It is the nicest vehicle that I ever owned. Rides like a MB and looks like an El Camino on steroids. Plenty of space too. The under the bed storage is very ample. I have a hard tonneau cover

Why the early death on the Subaru?

I thought that they went on forever!

Robear....I almost very nearly really close to almost bought a Honda Element a few years ago. I test drove them, sat in them at dealers....my daughter's husband's family has one...

I agree they are VERY space effecient.

I ended up buying a Nissan Xterra instead as I wanted more of a "real" 4wd.

It can hold a lot of stuff. I have hauled four fat bastards with all of our gear for a weekend canoe trip in it. Had 2 canoes on the Yakima roof rack....and a bunch of stuff jammed under them on the roof.

I still might get an Element one of these days...I agree that they are the perfect urban/subarban ride.

Wishing you well...

Tom

If you like Honda then you like Honda 😉
We have had the Acura for 10 years with no problems and it gets 34 MPG.
A paint job and it would look new.
Wife hated the Element. Too ugly for her. She would not drive it unless a dire emergency.
Clearance was low on the Element but it did get places that I thought it would not go. Like I said, I pushed it after Katrina. Matter of fact, I think I was the first to drive the MRGO in St. Bernard levee or should I say 'disappeared' levee in the Element.
It had those plastic fenders that took hits well and was pretty tough. I didn't mind scratching them up.

Why the early death on the Subaru?

I always wanted to Survey out of a Crown Vic.

Huge trunk, set it up to accept tripods, etc.

Put a light bar on the roof.

Like the bluesmobile only it would be the Surveymobile.

Why the early death on the Subaru?

My dad didn't exactly survey out of it, but he would go places in his 1973 Thunderbird that I would hesitate in a Land Cruiser. We called it the brown jeep. That was the most humungous t-bird ever made.

just think Steve...

if you had the police pursuit motor in it you could jump the gap if the Tower Bridge or the Freeport Bridge opened and you needed to get across to the Survey.

just think Steve...

I think that thing had a 490 in it, if there was such a thing.

just think Steve...

Craig talked about someone "dumping the Jeep" years after it happened.

just think Steve...

Wasn't that the story about the Land Cruiser trying to cross the creek? The T-bird would have probably made it, no problem.

I remember a few times in my early off-road driving days carefully picking my way across streams or up hillsides and my dad in the passenger seat yelling GIVE IT HELL!

just think Steve...

probably, I think the Land Cruiser was incorrectly referred to as "the jeep."

It was one of those things that would come up any time Craig was upset with his partner for whatever reason. "and he dumped the jeep, Gill was so mad..."

just think Steve...

I don't think I've ever seen my dad madder than he would get at "Craig's partner". That was 35 years ago and he was even more of a know-it-all than he is now. Imagine a civil fresh out of college thinking he's the smartest guy in world telling an old surveyor/forester/mineral surveyor his bright ideas, then getting the frickin jeep stuck in the creek halfway up the doors.

But back to the original subject, I've been kind of drooling over the FJ Cruisers. I think I remember Loyal saying he has one and I'd be curious about a survey-related review. I don't think I could live without owning a pickup, though.

just think Steve...

Maybe was the 460 ci? I think only Caddy had bigger, at 500 ci (stock issue that is). I had a '74 Bird way back when, with the 460.

One of the principles way back when had a '78 CJ-7 with a 304 V8. Sweet survey vehicle! I had an '82 CJ, and ultimately myself & another employee ended up parting out that V8 CJ...he got the motor, I got everything else. Think he got the better end of it.