Cheap small 4wd\AWD flat towable Toad recommendation thar can carry kayaks

[Unicorn Driver]

Hi,

Looking for recommendations for a small flat towable 4wd\AWD that can carry two 10 ft Kayaks.

Would also like to be able to put two mountain bikes in it with the rear seats folded.

This would only be used as a toad and not a daily driver so the cheaper the better.

Thanks,

Edit: Would like to only spend 5-6k including setting up for flat towing. Would like it to see at least 4-5 years service.

[PanJH]

I sold my GEO tracker a few years ago. It had a blue ox base plate and a custom rack that I made to carry our 17' kayaks above the convertible top. It was 4x4 automatic and in great shape. I got $2200 for it. They are still using it today.

[hohenwald48]

I don't know what you consider to be cheap but a Wrangler TJ could probably be had for a reasonable price and those are about the best 4WD toad you can get. We carried 3 kayaks on the roof and 2 bikes on the back and enough supplies (tents, food, etc) inside to last a week just in case. You sometimes take them to pretty lonely places.

Even though the initial price may be higher than other vehicles, you will get good resale so the actual cost is pretty "cheap".

We now have a 2017 JKU so the bikes go in the back but there was absolutely nothing wrong with our TJ as a toad. I bought the 1999 TJ used in 2001 for $15K with 50,000 miles and sold it in 2016 with 120,000 miles for $10K so the cost of ownership for 15 years was only $5K (about $350/year) plus a $200 exhaust manifold, oil changes, gas and tires. I did the flat tow set up myself for about $200 total. Seems cheap enough to me.

Here it is with 2 boats and being attacked by a giant eagle.

[Unicorn Driver]

Originally Posted by PanJH

I sold my GEO tracker a few years ago. It had a blue ox base plate and a custom rack that I made to carry our 17' kayaks above the convertible top. It was 4x4 automatic and in great shape. I got $2200 for it. They are still using it today.

Hi,

I will check out rhe Gwo tracker.

Thanks,

[Unicorn Driver]

Originally Posted by hohenwald48

I don't know what you consider to be cheap but a Wrangler TJ could probably be had for a reasonable price and those are about the best 4WD toad you can get. We carried 3 kayaks on the roof and 2 bikes on the back and enough supplies (tents, food, etc) inside to last a week just in case. You sometimes take them to pretty lonely places.

Even though the initial price may be higher than other vehicles, you will get good resale so the actual cost is pretty "cheap".

We now have a 2017 JKU so the bikes go in the back but there was absolutely nothing wrong with our TJ as a toad. I bought the 1999 TJ used in 2001 for $15K with 50,000 miles and sold it in 2016 with 120,000 miles for $10K so the cost of ownership for 15 years was only $5K (about $350/year) plus a $200 exhaust manifold, oil changes, gas and tires. I did the flat tow set up myself for about $200 total. Seems cheap enough to me.

Here it is with 2 boats and being attacked by a giant eagle.

Hi,

Budget qould be 5-6k including tow setup.

Cheers,

Stephen

[Lindan n Jim]

Another vote for a Jeep Wrangler. We bought a '95 YJ for $2200.00 that had 205,000 miles on it. Still runs like a champ and we haul it all over the place. No muss, no fuss.

[hohenwald48]

Originally Posted by 1stMH

Hi,

Budget qould be 5-6k including tow setup.

Cheers,

Stephen

That should be do-able. Especially if you're handy and can do the setup yourself. I used a Roadmaster Tracker tow bar I got off Craigslist for about $50. It comes with a spreader bar to attach to the baseplates. I skipped the baseplates and just bolted the spreader bar to the frame rails using the holes that originally held the tow hooks and never removed the tow bar. You can see it folded up in the pic.

About 500 folks said I'd get a ticket for leaving the tow bar on all the time but in 15 years and probably 200,000 miles and about 40 states it never happened and I got a lot of attention with the boats and bikes hanging all over the place. Even got searched going over Hoover dam but nobody ever said a word about the tow bar.

I bought a boat trailer light kit at WalMart for around $30 and removed the bulb sockets and reinstalled the sockets inside the Wrangler tail light housing so I didn't bother the TJ wiring at all.

I don't want to start a whole 'nuther discussion so I'll just say do what you like for toad brakes.

With a Wrangler in that price range you should be able sell it 10 years from now and get all your money back.

[Unicorn Driver]

Thanks both.

A wrangler could do the job alright.

Need to check if I can carry kayaks with one.

[JaguarAZ]

We have an old 2003 Jeep Liberty. We carry two kayaks and a bike rack with two bikes (or a motorcycle carrier). It can be towed 4 down and has the great jeep 4wd but is much cheaper than a Wrangler.

[MisterT]

yes, you can do ANYTHING with a jeep! modify it and have fun!

[lllkrob]

You may want to look at a Suzuki Grand Vitara. Small, light, AWD and around $5000 for a 2006 to 2008 model.

[hohenwald48]

Originally Posted by 1stMH

Thanks both.

A wrangler could do the job alright.

Need to check if I can carry kayaks with one.

See pic in post #3. There are 2 kayaks on the roof. There is room for a third boat on top of the storage box where it looks like the eagle is sitting. Actually, the eagle is on top of the gate in the background. But I guess folks figured that out.

[Unicorn Driver]

Thanks all,

This has given me some research to do.

[lancslad]

We tow a Dodge Dakota. Room for 5, v8 power, bikes on the hitch or in the bed and if you build or buy a roof rack all the room up there for kayaks. I also have a cross bed box where I stow all the towing gear.