Mend : Fly Fishing Magazine [Summer 2018]

VEHICLE CHOICE
If you have a vehicle, you are
pretty much good to go.
However, some vehicles will
work better than others. Of the
4 main types of vehicles (car,
truck, SUV, Compact SUV), I
have tried only 2. Firstly, is the
classic truck. For me, it was a
2003 Toyota Tacoma. Pros of
trucks, they can go nearly
anywhere within reason. Can
tow larger amounts of weight,
and tend to have a fair bit of
aftermarket add ons you can
purchase. However, my biggest
cons to using a truck for a
sleep-in fishing rig is; poor gas
mileage (getting better) and the
fact that if you built your home
in the bed of the truck, you
have to go outside the vehicle
to drive away and potentially
face the danger outside of the
vehicle. For these two reasons, I
found comfort in a 2014 Ford
Escape. Pros; great on gas, can
sleep inside, quiet, and not too
pricey. Unfortunately, the new
Ford Escapes currently lack in
aftermarket parts, and in
ground clearance (huge pet
peeve). If I could do it again, I
would have met in the middle
and went with a mid-size SUV.
For reference, here is a list of
some of my top picks for
vehicle choice based on type.
TRUCK
1.Toyota Tacoma
2.Ford F150
3.Nissan Frontier
4.GMC Sierra 1500
5.Chevy Silverado 1500
6.Dodge Ram 1500
COMPACT SUV/SUV
1. Toyota 4Runner
2.Subaru Forester
3.Jeep Wrangler
4.Toyota RAV4
5.Ford Escape (Pre-2013)
6.Ford Escape
(Post-2012)
Cars
1. Subaru Crosstrek
2. Subaru Outback
3. Subaru Impreza
Hatchback
While these are all up for debate,
I based these lists of the vehicles
ability to perform and work as a
live-in fishing basecamp.