What kind of vehicle is best for Puna?

[Southernmost]

Toyota Tacoma 2005-2015 TRD Sport (I own a 07)
6 speed
Air intake
Flow master dual exhaust
6 inch Pro Comp Lift
17 inch alloys
35 by 12.5 inch extreme all terain tires

This is a vehicle that can handle any road or path on this island to get to hunting or fishing grounds. And how to get away from the recently new "masses of people" that now exists here.

Edited 4 extra info

[Bullwinkle]

I like something that sits up a little, have had passenger vehicles - found that with many trucks on the road - being blinded at night can be an issue - not so much in a truck or lifted vehicle. Wiper speed important as well - it rains heavily at times - some cars cant keep up.

Ford has come out with an aluminum bodied truck - im seriously looking ....although it would take a lot of rationalization to bring a 60k$ truck into these conditions, while a 75 ford would do just as well

chevy silverado series used to have limited slip rear ends - all one really needs to go off road or back country subdivisions

also keep in mind vehicles are taxed by weight not value as in some states

[kalakoa]

vehicles are taxed by weight

Current approximations:

Big truck/heavy SUV $200-250
Small truck $150-200
Honda Civic or similar, under $150.

Registration is every year, so they can raise the rates as needed; my first set of stickers was under $100.

Yes, the new aluminum-frame F150 is very very tempting... but that kind of money would easily buy some acreage with a shack...

Also: the best kind of car for Puna is an extra car -- it's worth every penny of additional insurance/registration when "won't start?! WTF?!?!?!" doesn't even make you late for work...

[Carey]

If you are planning on buying new in DC & shipping (re-reading your OP...) you will definitely want a new car/truck/SUV that has dealer warranty service here....
All electrics right now must have the tech or car travel for service
No Chevy, Suzuki, VW & other dealers (easier for you to check on the makes that you are interested in, than to list all that do not have dealer service here....)

Although most of us LOVE Toyota trucks...there is one HUGE caveat that none of us has mentioned... their tailgates get ripped off quite regularly...enough that there are cautions at the schools, large businesses & shopping centers...I really have no idea WHY...but that is something to consider...

[Punatic007]

If you ship it over from the mainland be sure to have it undercoated for rust prevention before sending. Many vehicles there are not undercoated since you don't need it. Here everything that can rust will rust fast. I opt for simple and standard vehicles due to the high humidity so that less can go wrong. Manual instead of automatic windows etc..

[Tink]

Check on vehicle cost and shipping costs from DC and compare to buying it on the west coast and shipping from there. Ports are Oakland and Long Beach, or San Francisco and Los Angeles areas. If vehicle has to show significant mileage so not classified as "new", buy in Oregon, as no sales tax, tour the West coast in your new ride, then drop it off after Disneyland. JMO

Community begins with Aloha

[Southernmost]

Carey- you can buy a lock for the tailgate handle and self install. Good to have.

[DCrefugee]

Wow, this is a wealth of information!

We've decide to fix our current car (an older Volvo S60) and bring it with us as a back up, but also to spend some time looking around at what will fit us best and make a purchase before coming over. Definitely looking at used, with a preference for Toyotas.

Carey, thank you for the information on trash hauling and having the undercarriage sealed, those are both things I would never have thought of that are immensely helpful!

We are looking to rent for a few months before buying, but HPP is the community we are most interested in, however that figures into the calculations. I know that parts are paved, parts aren't, so that is where our concern about 4WD came in.

The main issues for me in finding a new vehicle is that I am quite small (5'1") and I have mobility issues in terms of climbing in and out of abnormally high vehicles, and in shutting the back of tall vehicles. I'm not sure I can mentally handle a mini-van at this point in life, but a pick-up truck isn't out of the realm of possibility.

Again, thank you all so much for all the advice, what a great first foray into Punaweb!

Mahalo!
~MJ

“Anni, amori e bicchieri di vino, nun se contano mai.”

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

HPP is the community we are most interested in, however that figures into the calculations. I know that parts are paved, parts aren't,

Almost every unpaved cross street in HPP is no farther than 1/2 mile from the main paved roads which connect to the highway. If you live in HPP and drive to Pahoa, Keaau, Hilo, or Kona, almost any vehicle (if you drive cautiously) will work fine. If you visit friends on the back roads in Hawaiian Acres, or hunt, or fish, then you will need to narrow your choices.

[Carey]

Thanks for the thanks, but I did not give the undercoat advise...

We know of a couple of guys that fix European cars, but be aware, parts may not be anywhere on island(s)...course the same is true with cars from dealerships here...and that could mean weeks of waiting...

HPP unpaved roads are, right now, pretty decent, and truth be told, many of the subdivisions roads have gradually gotten better in the last decade...some are still more like a motorcross trail than a road, but the numbers of them are down...

Salt is a big issue the closer you are to the ocean...we came from Chitown area...and we have proof that the corrsion THERE is much worse than here, as 3 days before we moved we received a "high corrosion" recall on our 3 yr old car...and the dealer in Hilo had never seen one, and could not get the recall replacement part directly, but had to go through our old dealer, so we have learned corrosion is in the eye of the beholder..

And as you rent, your decisions on where to live will, most likely, change...ours went from getting at least an acre of woodland, like we were used to in Chitown, to "OMG the plants NEVER stop growing...they don't even slow down..WTH, wasn't that plant 3' shorter last week...and it looks like an invasive weed" (we changed all the way to an in-town small residential lot with wayyy too many plants!)

Most of all, enjoy this adventure...