Rhino vs Jeep ......

[RiverToysJas]

OK just one example.....
I found this CJ5 Willys on Craigslist Las Vegas - 327 chevy engine - $8000.
http://a.im.craigslist.org/Xj/ii/9kIquks1yXUTJM0BUMbghvlLzvWn.jpg
There are hundreds of Jeeps and even straight axle Toyota's for sale for less than a Rhino would cost. UNLESS you need a cool golf cart, wouldn't you rather have a jeep???
Just curious....
RTJas :D

[Outnumbered]

If you are going to buy a Jeep, do yourself a favor and buy a 1997+, AKA a TJ. Way more reliable and capable than the old CJ's in stock/near stock form. Even a geared down 2.5L is a very capable trail rig. The 4.0L I-6 is preferred. All 97+ are coil sprung, EFI, and bullet-proof. A CJ is a money pit, IMHO. Either 97+ motor with a stick is good for 150-200k miles.

[Outnumbered]

Yes, I'd rather have a jeep. For the cost of a decent modded Rhino you can get a nice jeep.

[RiverToysJas]

What about a '97+ Jeep over a mid-80's straight axle Toyota?
I'm talking off-road vehicle, not so much a double-duty commuter/play toy.
RTJas :D

[Outnumbered]

What about a '97+ Jeep over a mid-80's straight axle Toyota?
I'm talking off-road vehicle, not so much a double-duty commuter/play toy.
RTJas :D
I have owned both and they are both good rigs. The Jeep will smoke the Toyota offroad unless the Toy is heavily modded. The only good year for a Toyota is 1985. Its the only year you could get EFI and solid axel in a 4-runner. Some late 1984 P/U also had EFI but more rare.
The 1997+ Jeep is just as reliable as (or more than) the old Toyota and more fun, cheaper parts, tons of cheap mods, etc. Get the Jeep. I had a 1997, it was great. Many regrets selling it. :(
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/searchresults.jsp?mod_bookmark_id=null&advanced=y&bkms=1155194529110&num_records=&certified=&search=y&lang=en&search_type=used&make=JEEP&model=WRANGLER&make2=&start_year=1997&end_year=2004&min_price=5000&max_price=12000&max_mileage=75000&distance=75&address=92326&engine=&fuel=&drive=&transmission=&doors=&color=&x=61&y=9

[Outnumbered]

Here are a few shots of my 1997 4.0L Sport with Dana44, OME 3" lift, 32" tires, Rubicon Express swaybar discos, etc . Inexpensive lift and tons or articulation. These rigs will blow your mind when you disconnect the sway bar and add a little lift. Sorry, no action shots handy.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/9732-10-2004_002.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/973Jeep_Top_Down_011.jpg

[Outnumbered]

That bar hanging down in front is a snow-plow mount, its not a stock piece.

[Outnumbered]

This will give you an idea of what articulation these things have. The toy would probably roll because it wont flex near as much without major mods to the suspension. http://www.jeepingsingles.net/members/483/BlackSheep_Pritchett_articulation_hole1.jpg

[lewiville]

That bar hanging down in front is a snow-plow mount, its not a stock piece.
okay, so how much for the damn thing??????

[Outnumbered]

okay, so how much for the damn thing??????
I sold it for about $14k with 45k miles on it in 2004 :cry: :cry: :cry:
I could probably still get close to that for it now. It was pretty trick. Tons and tons of mods inside and out. It just needed some updated wheels.

[djunkie]

Will the jeep fit in the back of my truck? Will it fit on the quad trails in the mountains where I ride most of the time? No it won't. If it wasn't for things like this I would probably just get a jeep. But then the cost of insurance and maintenance make the jeep even more not to my liking. Plus everyones doing it with the Rhinos. :crossx: :crossx:

[Sportin' Wood]

If you are going to buy a Jeep, do yourself a favor and buy a 1997+, AKA a TJ. Way more reliable and capable than the old CJ's in stock/near stock form. Even a geared down 2.5L is a very capable trail rig. The 4.0L I-6 is preferred. All 97+ are coil sprung, EFI, and bullet-proof. A CJ is a money pit, IMHO. Either 97+ motor with a stick is good for 150-200k miles.
Thats a matter of opinion.
A 60's model cj5 is hard to beat for the money. Most every one out there has been converted to power steering. CJ5's can be had for as cheap as $2000. A lot of them have Dana 44 axle's front and rear the Duantless V6 is a fine motor that produces tons of Torque, If you can find one with a t 18 trans you are golden.
The TJ is a fine Jeep but better? Locating a CB is even a problem in that model. They also have extreamly weak axles and the output shaft on the T case is suspect at best and will need an upgrade if you are running bigger tires.
CJ7's some how have become valuable the last few years and most are over priced right now allthough you can still find some deals. The late 70's models have 4,6, or V8's The carb sucks on the 6 cyl but the motor is great. I had one years ago that would spank alot of v8's The rear axle on the 70's model will need some attention as the hub has a problem staying attached if you run bigger tires with a locker, low gears or a heavy foot. Front axle is a Dana 30 which I have broken countless shaft's
IMHO the YJ is the best bang for the buck right now. I'm not a fan of that model but the prices are really good. Stay away from the 4.2 and find a 4.0. Smoging the 4.2 and making it run is almost impossible. The nice thing about the YJ is the drivers side diff on the front end. A Ford Dana 60 can be swapped in and with that you can run what ever tire you want without worry.
TJ's are real nice but feel more like a car to me. They are still way over priced to go out and beat on like I do. I really like the Unlimited Rubicon for a mall jeep that see's only light wheeling and camping.
Rhino Vs. Jeep?? Jeep hands down for me. the only benifit I can see with the rhino is that it fits in the bed of a truck. I have seen a few Rhino's that can go most anywhere, but for the money they are way over priced IMO. Of course I am as far from a baller as you can get. For the money you would spend on a golf cart you could buy a real nice jeep that is street legal.

[Sportin' Wood]

What about a '97+ Jeep over a mid-80's straight axle Toyota?
I'm talking off-road vehicle, not so much a double-duty commuter/play toy.
RTJas :D
I'm a Jeep guy but I say the Toyota beats the TJ hands down. Dollar for Dollar. Toyota's are a great bargin ton's of aftermarket performance parts.
Check out the for sale section over on Pirate 4x4 .com there is always smokin deals on Toyota Pick ups over there.

[Sportin' Wood]

This will give you an idea of what articulation these things have. The toy would probably roll because it wont flex near as much without major mods to the suspension. http://www.jeepingsingles.net/members/483/BlackSheep_Pritchett_articulation_hole1.jpg
Really? :p
http://rockbuggysupply.com/rbbs/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=47.0;id=145;image
Jeeps roll over on flat ground :rollside:
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b392/FatCity1/ericjeep002.jpg
They where tired after a hard day of wheeling so they took a nap. :)

[My Man's Sportin' Wood]

post wh0re :crossx:

[sigepmock]

We went throught the same thought process before getting the Rhino. For the type of riding we do the Rhino was the way to go. It was brand new so maintence would not be and issue. In stock form in the dunes, the rhino's light weight let it go so many more places than a Jeep. It's a lot easier to haul around.
The down sides are we can't launch the boat with the Rhino, i know it can be done but a Jeep would do it much safer, and for long desert rides the Jeep has a longer range and more room. Jeep was cheaper initially but by the time I would have added all the mods needed to make it go where I wanted it would have surely passed the Rhino in cost.
If we did more rock crawling we would have gone the Jeep route, but since we mostly do Glamis in the winter and Havasu trails in the summer, the Rhino won out, especially with how easy and how much fun the Rhino's are to drive.
Good luck,
Chris

[Froggystyle]

Rhino Vs. Jeep?? Jeep hands down for me. the only benifit I can see with the rhino is that it fits in the bed of a truck.
Exactly. That is the only reason I got it. It fits in my 10' garage in the toter. As I was getting some seats for it and such this week, I was looking on the "for sale" wall at Fibertech here in El Cajon. There is some serious rail hardware for sale for less than I paid for the Rhino, and there is great, supercharged and turbocharged V8 buggies and such for less than I will have into it.
At the end of the day though, I needed the smaller form. I tried the golf cart, and actually built a pretty pimp cart while I was at it but found it to be too slow to really operate on the street, even though it is street legal. We nearly got run over a couple of times in Havasu with it going 22 or so mph, but found the utility of having an auxiliary vehicle with us to be really useful. Plus, we did a lot more little short errands down to check on the boat, go get ice, pick someone up at the entrance etc... with the cart.
All in all, I needed a stronger golf cart. If it ends up launching and recovering the boat with ease, that is just icing on the cake.

[Havasu Cig]

OK just one example.....
I found this CJ5 Willys on Craigslist Las Vegas - 327 chevy engine - $8000.
http://a.im.craigslist.org/Xj/ii/9kIquks1yXUTJM0BUMbghvlLzvWn.jpg
There are hundreds of Jeeps and even straight axle Toyota's for sale for less than a Rhino would cost. UNLESS you need a cool golf cart, wouldn't you rather have a jeep???
Just curious....
RTJas :D
I have said the exact same thing. I have a jeep with 33's, 4.5" lift, and some suspension mods and the thing is awesome. I can cruise the desert with the windows up and A/C and it will go anywhere I want. I have thought about a Rhino for Havasu, but I think another Jeep is a better choice.

[SUBPRIME]

I've owned a jeep for several years (YJ) and although I'm sure that the new one's are more reliable (after all it is new) the old CJ's are great, easy to work on and parts are cheep. There are no computers to worry about pretty much straight nuts and bolts.
Jeep blows the golf cart out of the water

[Cole Trickle]

We went throught the same thought process before getting the Rhino. For the type of riding we do the Rhino was the way to go. It was brand new so maintence would not be and issue. In stock form in the dunes, the rhino's light weight let it go so many more places than a Jeep. It's a lot easier to haul around.
The down sides are we can't launch the boat with the Rhino, i know it can be done but a Jeep would do it much safer, and for long desert rides the Jeep has a longer range and more room. Jeep was cheaper initially but by the time I would have added all the mods needed to make it go where I wanted it would have surely passed the Rhino in cost.
If we did more rock crawling we would have gone the Jeep route, but since we mostly do Glamis in the winter and Havasu trails in the summer, the Rhino won out, especially with how easy and how much fun the Rhino's are to drive.
Good luck,
Chris
Do you still have the picture of teh Rhino pulling the jeep out when stuck in the dunes?
They are different animals.
If your rock crawling or trail riding deep into the country buy a jeep.
If you want a nimble vehicle that hauls butt through the dunes and does god over razor backs buy a rhino.

[mbrown2]

Jeeps vs. Rhino......Jeep Hands down...
Stock Rhinos can fit in the back of a truck...Long Travel's don't really fit in trucks
* Fit In Truck - Rhino Wins....Long Travels which most want don't fit.....but in tighter spaces (Froggy's toter the Rhino works)
* Rocks - Jeep Wins
* Dunes - Jeep Wins
* Trail - Jeep Wins as I Go on Quad Trails......- and Single Tracks....Rhino's can fit either....
* Upgrades - Jeep Wins...far more upgrades to engine, gearing, lockers, etc...
* Axles - Jeep Wins....Rhino axles are the weak links
* Carrying Power - Jeep Wins - Can fit 4 comfortably and actually still trail....Rhino with 4 in it turns into a cool golf cart.
* Size Rhino Wins
* Street Driving - Jeep Wins - As someone said something about insurance for the jeep....as most want to make their rhinos street legal for havi and the river, you will need insurance on anything once it is street legal....and I would rather drive the streets in a jeep with real bumpers, windows, ac and full body then a rhino
I spent under 10K for a 97 TJ 4.0 with 65K mileage on it....I have stuck probably another 7-8K in in winch, rock bumpers, arb lockers, max compressor for lockers and air-on-demand, axles, new diffs, gearing, wheels, and rims, rubicon express 4.5 superflex lift, ect.....still fill I am much farther ahead then the guy that drops 9500 on the rhino, 5000k on long travel, and another several k on odds,ends and upgrades and still has number of weakspots compared to the jeep...
That being said Rhinos have their place and I will pick up one someday that has been tricked out but the guy that tricked it out is going to need to sell it for far less then he has into it cause tricked out rhinos at that point will be a dime a dozen...

[RiverToysJas]

I'm a Jeep guy but I say the Toyota beats the TJ hands down. Dollar for Dollar. Toyota's are a great bargin ton's of aftermarket performance parts.
Check out the for sale section over on Pirate 4x4 .com there is always smokin deals on Toyota Pick ups over there.
I'm not really "shopping", I was just poking around at what was available and how much it going for these days. I had a very nice '90 Toyota standard cab shortbed 4wd V-6. That was a great truck for the fire roads and trails. We had '84 4wd Toyota Xtra cab before that. When I was growing up my Dad had a Willy's CJ5 that literally went anywhere you pointed it.
I still miss my '90 Toyota very much though. I've been eyeing jeeps and 80's Toyota's lately.....I think as gas, electricity, and interest rates all go up, a lot of pretend ballers will be liquidating their toys for cheap. Might even be starting.....If I found the right deal I might get something. ;) For now I'm enjoying my old ATC. :crossx:
The Rhino is an impressive machine, there's no doubt about that! I was was just curious how people compared it to a Jeep, which can be had for much less money, in many cases.
RTJas :D

[Froggystyle]

Jeeps vs. Rhino......Jeep Hands down...
Stock Rhinos can fit in the back of a truck...Long Travel's don't really fit in trucks
* Fit In Truck - Rhino Wins....Long Travels which most want don't fit.....but in tighter spaces (Froggy's toter the Rhino works)
* Rocks - Jeep Wins
* Dunes - Jeep Wins
* Trail - Jeep Wins as I Go on Quad Trails......- and Single Tracks....Rhino's can fit either....
* Upgrades - Jeep Wins...far more upgrades to engine, gearing, lockers, etc...
* Axles - Jeep Wins....Rhino axles are the weak links
* Carrying Power - Jeep Wins - Can fit 4 comfortably and actually still trail....Rhino with 4 in it turns into a cool golf cart.
* Size Rhino Wins
* Street Driving - Jeep Wins - As someone said something about insurance for the jeep....as most want to make their rhinos street legal for havi and the river, you will need insurance on anything once it is street legal....and I would rather drive the streets in a jeep with real bumpers, windows, ac and full body then a rhino
I spent under 10K for a 97 TJ 4.0 with 65K mileage on it....I have stuck probably another 7-8K in in winch, rock bumpers, arb lockers, max compressor for lockers and air-on-demand, axles, new diffs, gearing, wheels, and rims, rubicon express 4.5 superflex lift, ect.....still fill I am much farther ahead then the guy that drops 9500 on the rhino, 5000k on long travel, and another several k on odds,ends and upgrades and still has number of weakspots compared to the jeep...
That being said Rhinos have their place and I will pick up one someday that has been tricked out but the guy that tricked it out is going to need to sell it for far less then he has into it cause tricked out rhinos at that point will be a dime a dozen...
I nearly agree with you fully. I don't think the Jeep has the excursion capability that the Rhino has though.
One of the big reasons I bought the rig was to go exploring with Audrey this winter through all of the abandoned ghost towns littering the desert southwest. Having been a Jeeper (Scouter actually... ;) ) I can attest to the fun to be had out there with the Scout, but it doesn't exactly tread lightly, and to really go blipping up a goat trail like Panamint Valley in it would be really hard on the gear. I know the Rhino will cruise up that shit.
I am putting a winch on it, and building it up for sure, but nothing with AC obviously.
To me, there is something about being a little more "out there" that the allure of the Rhino has for me.
On a separate note, there is the real reason I got it. Same reason I spent a bunch of money on an R/C car back 10 years ago. All of my friends got them.
I didn't need a gas-powered R/C monster truck, but a bunch of guys in my platoon all got them at the same time. While being the only guy with one would be boring, we all got them, raced them around, fixed them together, shlepped them to and from our training areas, built jumps and shit etc... Same thing with the Rhinos. Everyone is getting them, and as such they will all be pretty well equal around the dunes and trails. Capabilities are the same, everyone can got the same places, same speeds etc...
I just hooked up with a totally killer group of people within the last month at Martinez. Grape Ape, Screamin' Pete and Avenger Babe have introduced us to these totally cool peeps, all with pimp golf carts right now. All are getting Rhinos for the winter, and we are all going to hang out quite a bit. These guys are getting out of long travel cars, truggies and the like because it costs so much to break them, and they drive them to the capabilities of the vehicles.
This may end up being like pontoons, where people think they want to enjoy the scenery a little more, don't spend as much on gas or repairs and just go hang out in the dirt this winter. After they realize how slow the Rhinos are in comparison to what is out there, they will likely switch back. I probably will. I know that a long-travel alumacraft or something with a psychotic aluminum small block with twin hairdriers is in my future, but for now, I am going to go have some fun with Audrey and my dog and go exploring a little, and the Rhino seems to fit the bill nicely for now.

[Outnumbered]

Thats a matter of opinion....
Oh so tru, like Ford vs Chevy, bike vs quad, etc.
I knew some CJ/Toy fans would come and chime-in. :D
If you re-read my post you will see I said in stock/near stock form. I know you are a hard-core wheeler and I know the advantages of a CJ or old school Toy for hard core rock crawling. I don't think that is what RTJ is looking for.
Take a bone stock TJ, bone stock CJ/Willies, and a bone stock 1985 Toyota and I have no doubt the TJ will out perform.
For the type of wheeling that 90% of the people do (you and your Pirate 4x4 peeps excluded :D) the TJ is the best way to go. You don't need a $25k Rubi to be in the club. You can buy a nice 1997+ TJ with a mild lift, maybe some mods and under 60k miles for around $10-12k. Its not hard to find a more stock one for less.
So RTJ, unless you are going to fab-up a custom Toyota rock crawler or swap injection into the old willies pig, get a TJ and drive it instead of working on it every weekend. Its not the most hardcore but it will impress you in its ability and reliability.

[2Driver]

If you are going to buy a Jeep, do yourself a favor and buy a 1997+, AKA a TJ. Way more reliable and capable than the old CJ's in stock/near stock form. Even a geared down 2.5L is a very capable trail rig. The 4.0L I-6 is preferred. All 97+ are coil sprung, EFI, and bullet-proof. A CJ is a money pit, IMHO. Either 97+ motor with a stick is good for 150-200k miles.
Exactly. It used to be you had to get an old CJ or real old TLC to get a good 4x4. But now the new 97+ and newer TJ jeeps are fantastic. I took my old TJ out with a CJ club some years back and put them all to shame. Reliable, coils, EFI, you can't beat it unless you get a 1997 Land Cruiser with the stock lockers. Trust me I have had 6 Jeeps (3 CJ and 3 TJ), 3 ‘97 Land Cruisers and an H1. Get the 97 or newer TJ Jeep or the 97 TLC unless you just want something really small to Dick around on then get the Rhino.

[Sportin' Wood]

Man I am just a cheap bastard. :)
First the 28 year old boat now my jeeps even been passed over as cool. :cry: I'll never be Baller material! :rollside:

[Mardonzi]

Unless i missed it, one that hasn't been mentioned is the CJ-8 Scrambler.. They are few and far between but can still be had if you look hard enough.
I presently have a '74 CJ-5, Chev 350, SM465 tranny with the Dana 20 (3.5-1 reduced) Lockers, etc.. and i think I might have found an 86 with the 258 in it. The only thing to do is to gut my undercarriage and put it in this one..

[Outnumbered]

....The only thing to do is to gut my undercarriage and put it in this one..
Kind of makes my point :D
Scramblers are way cool, but by the time you find a decent one, re-build it, swap in EFI, etc. you could have bought a Wrangler Unlimited--modern version of the scrambler. A nice turn-key Scrambler will set you back an easy $20k.

[Outnumbered]

Unless i missed it, one that hasn't been mentioned is the CJ-8 Scrambler.. They are few and far between but can still be had if you look hard enough.
I presently have a '74 CJ-5, Chev 350, SM465 tranny with the Dana 20 (3.5-1 reduced) Lockers, etc.. and i think I might have found an 86 with the 258 in it. The only thing to do is to gut my undercarriage and put it in this one..
Remember, we are talking Rhino alternatives. The CJ-8 is a big rig compared to a Rhino ;)
One other thing cool about jeeps is they are easy to flat tow. I had a Blue Ox tow bar for mine. Very easy to pull it anywhere and use as a buggy without having to pack it full of shit. Bring the whole family...cool.

[Big Kahunaa]

toyota guy here i have a 84 pickup that is getting the once over efi swap gear' lockers' exo cage the springs that are under it now are good (not stock) just need some tuneing. I like the toy compared to the rhino because i go wheeling in the winter door's windows and a heater is nice. I'm will be under 5g's when it is done over the 700$ i paid for the truck and the efi is comming out of a 88 pickup some guy gave me (score) and yes i like toy's better than jeeps bolth are cool, But for the guy's that don't want to do any wenching mabey a rhino is the way to go

[2Driver]

Remember, we are talking Rhino alternatives. The CJ-8 is a big rig compared to a Rhino
.
Yeah and remember all that CJ crap was made back in the 80's. American auto makers weren't manufacturing much that was worth a crap back then.
My old 86 CJ was so mint that the Chief Design Engineer for Jeep and the driving force behind the Rubicon bought it from me and shipped it back to Michigan. He's modified it and uses it for 4x4-ing. Its even been in some mags. But then again he has access to just more few parts and mechanics then me. :rollside
Stick to a TJ or you can get a used Rubicon for around 19K