What was your favorite survey vehicle, and why?

The late 80's Dodge Ram I used in the early 90's was a real treat.

• If it started in the morning, it would continue to run for a good 10 minutes.
• We were fortunate enough to take the scenic route due to the many required stops for gas.
• To enhance the enjoyment of crossing railroad tracks, one of the front coils would break in two.
• It was fun, like playing a game -- every time you closed a door, we had a contest to see who could find the pieces that fell off first.
• Do you like smoked meat? We used to leave our burritos on the manifold while driving around so they would be smoked and hot when lunchtime came around.
• It had a built-in system to keep the roads well oiled so they wouldn't crack so much in the summer heat.
• The power in that thing was amazing! It could almost climb a driveway approach.
• And the best part? The company loved it so much that they wouldn't replace it.

My current ride is the most comfortable, but not so great in the mud.

We had old 300 inline 6's in Ford F150's with 600+ pounds of weight in the back with mud grips that would go through nearly anything. Good solid stripped not equipped work trucks. I came along after the carry-alls so I can't speak to them.

The best though, my 2005 Dodge half-ton with a hemi. I will put that truck (with 180K miles and still running) against any other truck we've ever used. We have a 2012 half-ton with a hemi, but it's more restricted than the 05 was and not quite as strong. That truck would run a hole in the wind and power through any mudhole, and creep along up steep hills in 4 low.

My chevy is more comfortable though.

Blazer, short and high so wasn't running the front bumper into the opposite side of ditch type grade crossing or drag the rear bumper when the rear axle reached the bottom during the same type of crossing. Small 6 cylinder motor so was light up front and easier to keep on a steep slick hillside also hard to break an axle if operator wasn't to experienced in off road driving. Short wheelbase for tighter turns and that also helped avoiding dragging bottom when crossing a ridge type of grade. Rear door was a problem and needed repair every couple of years because of dirt. Slow on the highway but one of the better rigs off road.
jud

One of my favorites was a '79 Chevy Chevette used in the mid/late '80's. It had a problem such that the starter would not engage if the engine compartment was too hot. I think the critical termperature was something like 60 degrees. Had a push button installed from the dash directly to the starter thus permitting restarting at any temperature. No A/C of course. Stick shift would literally pull out of the transmission if you got too rough shifting gears. Learning how to reassemble said item in the dark was quite a trick (no dome light). Would have told the boss to drive that thing in a pond and leave it there, but, I'm the boss.

1959 Ford "Country Squire" Station Wagon. Had the fake wood-grain on the sides.

I believe it would seat 9 if you had all the seats up. We always kept the middle seat down with the instruments and gear there. The rear seat faced backwards and that's where us 'boneheads' rode. With a truck like tail-gate for a work surface, it was easy in and easy out with all the gear within reach. The front bench seat was for the PC and his I-man.

If I remember correctly, 4 ft. lath fit perfectly, sideways in the interior. I bet that thing weighed a ton fully loaded. Stuff weighed a lot back then.

It had a top speed of about 120 and had a 352 c.i. 300 hp "Thunderbird Special" with a Holley 4 bbl. carb and 10:1 compression. It ran like a scalded dog. Which, by the way, was what we called a/c..

Although it had minimal ground clearance, it went anywhere. We even cleared brush with it. The chrome luggage rack on the top was a perfect perch for three crew members and a pair of binoculars.

I wish I had some pics.

I dunno...tough call!

It depends (sorry, but I had to say it).

Depending on what I was doing, and where I was doing it...

In no particular order.

1976 Toyota FJ40
1953 M-37
2000 Ford F-350
2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser

*Not primary [exactly] but spent DAYS with nothing else...

*Thiokol Spryte
*Hughes 500D
*Saddle horse
*Suzuki King Quad

Loyal

'65 ish 4WD International Harvester Travelall

Ran like a watch !

Great for going down roads that did not exist in Northern Ontario.

Cheers

Derek

Having worked far an engineering company for over 20 years we never knew from day to day exactly what equipment we might need. So we kept the truck full of stuff that might not be used often but when we needed it, it was there. We had several 3/4 ton Suburbans. Not the "soccer mom" Suburbans but actual work trucks. We could carry 3 (or 4) tripods, probe rods, shovel, sharp shooter, Schoenstedt, pipe locators, range poles, prism poles, bush axes (no machetes allowed), stakes (18" and 36"), nails, flagging, cases of paint, cones, "survey crew ahead" signs (rolled up), rubber boots, water jug (sorry Ted), and 4 people comfortably. I'd hate to have to pay for the gas for those things now but they sure were good trucks. I don't think we ever had one that didn't go at least 200,000 miles either.

Andy

1st generation 4wd Izuzu Trooper with the sliding side windows. Looked like a box with wheels.
4cyl great mileage
High & Low range 5 speed for power and speed.
Carry all the tools and 3man crew.

4-wheel drive pickup with covered utility bed and winch. Utility bed simply can't be beat.

A new 1968 VW Bus. It made me feel like a hippie. It had a governor set at 82 mph, down hill. Kept the hand tools in the back over the engine, and the other stuff on the floor at the sliding door. Full load included a 4 man crew. B-)

My favorite, so far, is my current truck, an 89 Ford, F350, quad cab dually.
I have a camper top on it with two back doors and two side doors.
Granted, I wish it got better gas mileage, but I love it.
I have been working out of it since 2007, when we rebuilt it.
I have an 8' bed, giving me two more feet over a suburban, with no tool noise or fuel fumes from chainsaws and what not. No noise from the tools rattling around.
I can fit 5 adults in the front and the A/C keeps it cold, considering that I don't have to cool off the bed and tools, like in a suburban.
A pickup with the same camper top is the only way for me.

I've used Jeep Cherokees and 4-Runners, but they're too small.
As the company grew, I switched to a Yukon and Tahoe- much more room. We also have newer GMC half ton pick-ups...they are even better than the large SUV's, IMO. Then there is the Tundra...it's a beast.
Personal favorite though (because you asked) is my Ford Raptor crew cab...I'm pretty sure it will go anywhere.;-)

One of the first survey jobs I had, the boss had a Winnebago motor home, smaller one, the Brave I think?? Really spoiled me when I got on on the slope and had to use an old Chevy van. Then they bought us 2 brand new 4x4 Ford stretch vans with bubble tops. That thing would go anywhere, and had plenty of room for a 4 man crew.

-JD-

As noted above, old Izuzu trooper was probably the ultimate survey vehicle. Good room, carry 4 people, great offroad, good milage, fun to drive. Downside is they are expensive to repair.

I've got long legs and am fairly big & tall, so nothing less than full size is comfortable to make it onto my favorites list.

Having worked in a wide variety of terrain and conditions, I don't think that I can narrow it down to one favorite anymore. If working along roads and on construction sites with plenty of room to maneuver, a 4WD van with a built in desk would top my list. But then again, a tailgate makes a good table to set out and pre-mark lath for staking, so maybe a 3/4 ton 4WD pickup is my favorite.

The pickup is also generally better cross country and on muddier construction sites. But where mobility is limited, or on narrow forest or mountain roads, it can get a bit tight for a full size truck, so for that, I'd prefer a Jeep, Blazer, or some other shorter 4WD. So if I don't need to haul a great deal of equipment and material, I think a Jeep is perfect.

But if I have a 3rd man on the crew or plan on doing a lot of staking in a day, the Jeep can get awfully cramped, so a van or quad cab pickup...

The one I am driving now, 2006 Chevy 1/2 ton 4wd crewcab with an A.R.E. top.

I have worked out of 6 suburbans in the past 30+ years. That would be my second choice as long as I am not the one buying. With the camper shell I don't have to listen to everything in the back rattling like I did in the suburban. The side doors on the camper make things more accessible than the suburban. The right side camper door has a window for better visibility pulling out on a road at an angle. This truck gets about 16mpg average, a lot of that is highway.

James

My 2007 C-1500 with tonneau cover and extended cab gets the nod for best all around utility. 2WD and the six banger keep it in the 20 mpg range (real world 16-21 depending)typically loaded with all equipment.

Tie would be the '92 Jeep Cherokee, even with 2wd I can put it places I wouldn't attempt with a full size 4wd.

Honorable mention was a 1979 International Scout Traveler, once again 2wd. Rusted to pieces, required a steel pipe to hold up the hatchback, but was all business when it came to getting from A to B.

I'm going to get another Tahoe or Yukon 4WD at some point for a backup, would be nice to have the four wheel option on some projects.

Any that don't leave you walking at the end of the day!

After small SUV's, large SUV's, light duty pickups, etc., I have been happy with 3/4 and one ton pickups, maybe not as maneuverable off road, BUT with an ATV the past seven years, it is the best of both worlds!

SHG