I will soon be in the market for a deck van, and was wondering if anyone has had much experience in driving one cross country. If so, any comfort issues, driver fatigue, etc. My intended use is to use it to make several trips a year from Louisiana to West Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, etc. for camping & hiking trips. This seems to make a lot of sense to me, considering the fuel economy and 4 wheel drive capability of these little trucks. It looks like our governor is going to sign the pending bill to make these trucks legal for public road use (August 15th) and that was what made my decision to buy one plausible to begin with. Any input would be greatly appreciated!
I guess #1 would be if you fit in it comfy like. #2 would be if you fit in it comfy like with a seat cushion
No offense to those that drive their trucks long-distance - I can't even begin to imagine driving mine more than an hour or two. I'm 59 years old, so my expectation of comfort level continues to increase as I age and my body becomes less tolerant of abuse. In fact, even if I could register my truck for highway use in Texas, I'm not real sure I want to drive it the 22 miles each way to our closest town.
John, I am with you. Fifteen minutes in my Hijet and I am a bit sore. There are other inexpensive vehicles which get good mileage and would be far more comfortable for long trips. But maybe these young guys can take the abuse. Sam
Not to rain on anyone's parade, but I am wondering how you think you can drive this across country legally... Just because it is licensed in LA doesn't mean it will be ignored in other states... And, I seriously doubt you will ever be able to run on the Interstate system...
I think if you have a legal tag in any state, you are good in every state. But you are likely to be pulled over, especially on high speed roads. You will have to have all your paperwork ready and be able to convince the officer that you are legal. This is the price to be paid for driving a truck which is unusually small. On the other hand, if you were in a conventional looking vehicle, no matter how unsafe, you probably would not be stopped unless you had a burned out light, violated a traffic ordinance, or fit the profile of a dope runner. Sam
You are not raining on my parade. After discussions with a few different law professionals, it is also my understanding that I should be able to travel through most other states if I am legally licensed in my state. As far as interstate travel, nowhere in my post did I indicate I would be traveling by interstate. This country is filled with more than servicible secondary roads. I rarely travel by interstate anyway (by choice)
Well that sounds a lot better, but it wasn't what I was told before... I agree that there are roads that offer more scenic routes, but they usually also mean a lot of small town visits... And, that is where you meet Barney Fife!
i only use the interstate when actually interstating and they are basically the only way without going insane distances out of the way.
I bought my Hijet in Belmont below San Francisco and drove it on surface streets 2 hours to South San Jose... no problem, and was an easy drive. 50 miles roughly. I think it could do well for long commutes but not on a regular basis. I'd say nothing more than 30-40 miles.
I drove my truck about 650 miles home from where I bought it. It was 4 lane for about 550 of those miles at 70-75mph. It IS possible but it's not a comfy, relaxing ride by any stretch of the imagination! And, that in a supercharged REAR ENGINE Subaru, which I'm told are quieter/nicer on the hiway. I can't imagine what the others would've been like! Having said that I drive mine everyday on the hiway, but only about 15 miles each way and I like to keep at 100km/hr (60-65mph) which is the speed limit here. The other factor is sidewinds. I find these things terrible in strong sidewinds... almost scary sometimes. Bottom line... cross country IS possible, but will never be comfortable. BLES
a couple weeks ago one of the drivers broke down and i had to go on a rescue mission. since i had driven my daihatsu to work that's what i had to hit the road in. i drove about 160 miles to go fix a radiator hose. was it comfortable? not really. was it the fastest thing on the road? not when i hit the hills and was fighting a headwind. was it great on gas? YES IT WAS! they reimburse 50.5 cents per mile... i figure my truck uses about 12 cents per mile in fuel... so it made sense in that regard... the rest of my milage check i spent at the chiropractor
