Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,789
- 6,036
After 11 or 12 years I replaced my trusty Dodge Ram pickup with a Jeep Wrangler this year. I was a little worried that it wouldn't be a big enough vehicle for hunting. With 4,500 miles on it now, and several hunting trips, here's an initial report:
Weaknesses:
A little twitchy at highway speeds. The short wheelbase requires more attention to keeping it in the lane than my much longer truck did, and more than our Ford Explorer as well. This was readily apparent on the trip across Montana to Wyoming. Sidewinds affect the small, tall, slab sided little Jeep too. When I test drove a four-door version, it was considerably more stable on the highway.
Storage space is also compromised. For my hunting trips I've removed the rear seat (a very quick operation, only a couple of minutes with no tools needed) and covered the cargo area floor with a rubber mat. Still, I got everything needed for a week-long trip stowed easily. The two animals, mule deer & pronghorn, came home in the coolers shown, with room to spare.
Am thinking that a metal rack attached to the rear hitch & frame would be an excellent way to carry game from the field.
Strengths:
Extraordinarily maneuverable! I haven't had a small hunting vehicle in 25 years or so. The extended cab Dodge Ram couldn't hold a candle to the stubby little Jeep for turning sharp and going around obstacles. I've turned around on dirt roads that would have forced me to back up in the larger rigs. This has proven very useful in town as well.
Traction is excellent. I've had it in mud and snow and loose, sandy conditions. Mine has the mild 3.21 axle ratio, the 6-speed manual transmission and aftermarket wheels with BFG All Terrain tires. Jeep has a built-in traction control system that uses a computer to detect and moderate wheelspin via the brakes. Some of this function can be turned off with a press of a button. I do not yet have a limited slip or locking diff in this vehicle.
Have been very impressed with the traction. It almost never spins a wheel, and when that does occasionally start, the Jeep quickly compensates and keeps the vehicle moving forward. I do have heavy-duty tire chains for all four tires, and anticipate using them as the snow depth increases this winter.
The new engine is pretty darned impressive. The old 4.0 liter inline six is long gone - an excellent motor that I had in two different Jeep Cherokees over the years. The 3.8 V6 is also gone now, replaced by the new 3.6 liter Pentastar V6. It's a little weak at very low rpms, say under 1500 rpm. By 1700 or so though, it's producing excellent torque. Horsepower is pretty amazing to me. 3.6 liters is only about 220 cubic inches, yet it produces 285 horsepower! The engine builds power as the revs climb and can really get with the program when it's time to pass on a two-lane highway. The Jeep would handily outrun my old Dodge pickup with the 5.2 liter "magnum" V8, which had more torque and 50 less horsepower...
Oil changes are very easy. There's no conventional filter to spin off from underneath, just a little filter easily reached from atop the motor with the hood up. Still, a guy does have to crawl underneath to drain the oil. It's a quick job.
Fuel economy - could be a strength or weakness depending on reference point. The Wrangler is about as streamlined as a brick. Cruising along a two-lane at modest speed, it has averaged 20 - 21 mpg. On my recent 2200 mile trip to and from Wyoming, it averaged about 19 mpg, running mostly at 70 - 75 mph on I-90. After my old Dodge, these are good numbers.
Handling is good. Four coil springs make a pretty good ride, though it's a little choppy on some surfaces, courtesy of the short wheelbase. It handles really well though, on twisty roads, showing very little body lean. The weight of the winch out front seems to have induced a little understeer, which I only notice when driving in a "spirited" manner on a twisty two-lane.
The hard top seals well. The newer "JK" Wranglers have a hard top that has two lift-off panels over the driver & front passenger seats. These remove and replace easily. The back 2/3 of the fiberglass top requires but six bolts to be removed, as well as unplugging the rear washer/wiper & defroster. My son and I can remove or replace the rear part of the top in minutes, but I've found I prefer just leaving it in place and removing the front panels when I want that open-air feeling. Temps in the 30's, snow and rain now have me thinking that the top will remain firmly in place until May or so...
The seats are very comfortable. Mama even commented on how nice they are. The instruments easy to read. Stereo sounds good. I haven't even tried the CD player yet. First vehicle of mine to have one! Air conditioning is effective, the heater and defroster even better. I've been comfortable in hot and cold weather.
Mine is a very basic Jeep with hand-cranked windows - my 12 year old niece pointed to the window winder and asked "what's that?" I about cracked up, she'd never seen a vehicle that didn't have electric windows!
Also noted from the younger set, my 21 year old son really likes it, everything about it.
All in all, I'm still very pleased with it, and still a little concerned about the small size - which I see as both an attribute and a liability.
FWIW, Guy
Weaknesses:
A little twitchy at highway speeds. The short wheelbase requires more attention to keeping it in the lane than my much longer truck did, and more than our Ford Explorer as well. This was readily apparent on the trip across Montana to Wyoming. Sidewinds affect the small, tall, slab sided little Jeep too. When I test drove a four-door version, it was considerably more stable on the highway.
Storage space is also compromised. For my hunting trips I've removed the rear seat (a very quick operation, only a couple of minutes with no tools needed) and covered the cargo area floor with a rubber mat. Still, I got everything needed for a week-long trip stowed easily. The two animals, mule deer & pronghorn, came home in the coolers shown, with room to spare.
Am thinking that a metal rack attached to the rear hitch & frame would be an excellent way to carry game from the field.
Strengths:
Extraordinarily maneuverable! I haven't had a small hunting vehicle in 25 years or so. The extended cab Dodge Ram couldn't hold a candle to the stubby little Jeep for turning sharp and going around obstacles. I've turned around on dirt roads that would have forced me to back up in the larger rigs. This has proven very useful in town as well.
Traction is excellent. I've had it in mud and snow and loose, sandy conditions. Mine has the mild 3.21 axle ratio, the 6-speed manual transmission and aftermarket wheels with BFG All Terrain tires. Jeep has a built-in traction control system that uses a computer to detect and moderate wheelspin via the brakes. Some of this function can be turned off with a press of a button. I do not yet have a limited slip or locking diff in this vehicle.
Have been very impressed with the traction. It almost never spins a wheel, and when that does occasionally start, the Jeep quickly compensates and keeps the vehicle moving forward. I do have heavy-duty tire chains for all four tires, and anticipate using them as the snow depth increases this winter.
The new engine is pretty darned impressive. The old 4.0 liter inline six is long gone - an excellent motor that I had in two different Jeep Cherokees over the years. The 3.8 V6 is also gone now, replaced by the new 3.6 liter Pentastar V6. It's a little weak at very low rpms, say under 1500 rpm. By 1700 or so though, it's producing excellent torque. Horsepower is pretty amazing to me. 3.6 liters is only about 220 cubic inches, yet it produces 285 horsepower! The engine builds power as the revs climb and can really get with the program when it's time to pass on a two-lane highway. The Jeep would handily outrun my old Dodge pickup with the 5.2 liter "magnum" V8, which had more torque and 50 less horsepower...
Oil changes are very easy. There's no conventional filter to spin off from underneath, just a little filter easily reached from atop the motor with the hood up. Still, a guy does have to crawl underneath to drain the oil. It's a quick job.
Fuel economy - could be a strength or weakness depending on reference point. The Wrangler is about as streamlined as a brick. Cruising along a two-lane at modest speed, it has averaged 20 - 21 mpg. On my recent 2200 mile trip to and from Wyoming, it averaged about 19 mpg, running mostly at 70 - 75 mph on I-90. After my old Dodge, these are good numbers.
Handling is good. Four coil springs make a pretty good ride, though it's a little choppy on some surfaces, courtesy of the short wheelbase. It handles really well though, on twisty roads, showing very little body lean. The weight of the winch out front seems to have induced a little understeer, which I only notice when driving in a "spirited" manner on a twisty two-lane.
The hard top seals well. The newer "JK" Wranglers have a hard top that has two lift-off panels over the driver & front passenger seats. These remove and replace easily. The back 2/3 of the fiberglass top requires but six bolts to be removed, as well as unplugging the rear washer/wiper & defroster. My son and I can remove or replace the rear part of the top in minutes, but I've found I prefer just leaving it in place and removing the front panels when I want that open-air feeling. Temps in the 30's, snow and rain now have me thinking that the top will remain firmly in place until May or so...
The seats are very comfortable. Mama even commented on how nice they are. The instruments easy to read. Stereo sounds good. I haven't even tried the CD player yet. First vehicle of mine to have one! Air conditioning is effective, the heater and defroster even better. I've been comfortable in hot and cold weather.
Mine is a very basic Jeep with hand-cranked windows - my 12 year old niece pointed to the window winder and asked "what's that?" I about cracked up, she'd never seen a vehicle that didn't have electric windows!
Also noted from the younger set, my 21 year old son really likes it, everything about it.
All in all, I'm still very pleased with it, and still a little concerned about the small size - which I see as both an attribute and a liability.
FWIW, Guy
