FEATURES OF THE TEXAS FISHING TRUCK: PHASE ONE AND TWO

I'm going to keep this as a running idea thread for Billy Ray and I as far as what features and accessories we need to get fishing. Other ideas and hopefully some craigslist and ebay bargains might come along and how they might be incorporated.



We're not looking to make a head-turner or a boy racer here with the TFT, the Texas Fishing Truck. Function over form and style is the key thought. We'll be limited by budget, but I have a pretty good track record of finding and getting bargain items for all sorts of outside interests, and I have no doubt some of the things mentioned for phase two of the vehicle will come around at a good price sooner or later.



Phase One will be the immediate phase, once we buy the vehicle and the maintenance and things we need to get going on fishing trips immediately. It will be judicious and will include some vehicle improvements as we go. Of course, we'll be wanting to go fishing as soon as the TFT is roadworthy, and somewhere where we can do some thorough driving through some interesting conditions.



PHASE ONE



DOUBLE BATTERY-adding a battery to a 4X4 is good sense and cheaply done. Gives good backup power when out in the woods.

EXTRACTION GEAR: At the minimum, some shovels and high lift jack and tow straps/chains and a set of Sand Ladders. The Sand Ladders can be had for under $200, and you can throw them on the bottom of your roof rack mesh floor

ROOF RACK AND CARGO BASKET-Storage room. Places to put big stuff. Jerry cans with gas and water. Kayaks. Canoes. Small cartopper boats. A single space luggage carrier. Bikes. Boxes of camping gear. I'm pretty sure that part or all of the roof rack, attachments and basket can be found used at a decent savings. If we get lucky the vehicle we get will have some or all of this already. It will have some sort of metal mesh floor to support weight.

I've seen some rod racks for some different types of racks and baskets, and I've got a few ideas of my own for a stackable rod rack made with PVC tubing and which would mount as a stacking unit on a roof rack.

HITCH MOUNTED ROD RACK- For beach fishing, these are handy, and I'm inclined to have a welder friend make me one that I can plug in a square hitch just for beach fishing trips. It makes more sense to weld a square hitch receiver on the bottom of the front bumber, under a winch (Phase Two) and put the rod holders up front. Depending on how much weight you want to carry, you can have a removeable front or rear bumper rack that can carry large ice chests, generators, water and fuel (in the rear of vehicle, please) jerry cans and live wells.

I don't want to carry much at first, just a simple rod rack that mounts to the front of the vehicle to hold rods at the beach, bay or other body of water where trees and obstructions get in the way. You can move your fishing camp to follow the fish and birds if you're beach fishing, and that's the point of

The purpose



INSIDE CEILING ROD AND REEL STORAGE-Part of the reason to have this ride is to have 5 or 6 rigged rods and reels ready to go at all times. There are several brands of inside the SUV roofline rod racks that can be installed, most using heavy elastic lines and small poles to provide support for rods. Extra long rods can be broken in two, with reels attached. The reels reside near the hatchback portion of the car, and the elastic bands in the headliner mounted holders keep the rods up against the headliner out of the way of passengers. Also, since the rods and reels are inside the car, they don't grow legs and walk away so easy.



VEHICLE THEFT AND ALARM SYSTEM Again, the vehicle we pick might already have an alarm. Or not. One thing I like for older and easier to steal trucks is the pin plug that must be plugged into the dashboard to complete the ignition circuit and use the car key as normal. I'm sure there are a lot of vehicle security products out there and I know nil about them. But some sort of alarm system as well as a theft deterrent will be something added soon after purchase.

Since most aftermarket alarm businesses also seem to install various sun screen window treatment, this would be a good time to get the windows done (or likely, redone) and save some money.

ON BOARD AIR COMPRESSOR - A decent one, under the hood, for a myriad of reasons when off-roading.

BATTERY POWERED COOLING FAN-Depending on how old the vehicle is, even if it is not having radiator/cooling issues, a flex fan that runs off electricity is nice to add on.



MECHANICAL-Any vehicle I buy will get the once over BEFORE I BUY from one of several mechanics I know, depending on where the vehicle is located. This limits me perhaps getting some screaming ebay deal from Oregon but it also means my chances of getting a good decent vehicle increase proportionatly with an inspection by my trusted mechanic and buying a vehicle I get to see in person before buying.



Chances are, there will be things wrong, minor or major. There may be problems that the seller is trying to cover up or hide. A good mechanic, and about a hour worth of tests on the engine and transmission and a good look up underneath can tell a lot about the condition of the vehicle.



The point is, if you can turn things the seller knows about (and is not telling you) and show him other things that might be wrong with the car that he didn't know about, you can avoid the deal or save more money discounting the price. Just figure there's gonna be something wrong with a used vehicle, it's just a matter of adjusting the price and knowing what problems to avoid.



TUNE UP AND REFRESH - Once we buy the vehicle, it gets new hoses, plugs, filters, plug wires, distributor (if applicable) belts, all fluids, radiator flush, etc. Try to buy at least one spare of every part that is reasonably priced, like hoses and belts and put them in a toolbox for later use. I'd put new lightbulbs all the way around too, just to keep from getting stopped with a burnt out 20 year old tail light bulb. Again, buy an extra bulb and put it in that parts box.

Have your mechanic steamclean the engine and compartment and consider this being done to the undercarriage as well, or do it yourself. Spend a weekend day detailing the car inside and out in every possible way to the smallest detail you can stand. Lube doors and hinges. Pay your mechanic to show you the underside of the car, where everything is and how it works. Get a manual for your vehicle and have your mechanic check the nuts and bolts underneath the car. Use a torque wrench.


Become intimately familiar with the engine compartment, and have your mechanic show you how to adjust the various pulleys for various belts on the engine. Learn about the carburator, if your car has one, and how to perform minor adjustments on it.

I'm going to want to try to find some new pre-cut insulation because when I detail the vehicle, I am going to remove the seats and carpet and try to get dust and what not cleaned up. If the carpet is still good, it's a good time to replace insulation/sound deadening (or if there wasn't any in this vehicle, it's a good time to install some) under the carpet. Steam cleaning the carpets outside the vehicle and cleaning the floor pan thoroughly can get rid of whatever musty odors or mold or dust that has accumulated and can make the ride smell fresh and clean.

This list will undoubtedly go on and on, but these are just a few ideas to start with. Of course, even without the roof rack or rod racks or anything else, when the vehicle is in road tripping condition, it'll be a good excuse to take off for the weekend and do some fishing and camping in the TFT.

THE DREAM CONTENDER: 1995 LAND ROVER DEFENDER

It may not look like much, but if you've got $25k to spend for a well-maintained example of the 1990's Land Rover Defender, you've got quite a hot rod on your hands. A 3.9 litre V8 that roars when you stomp on the exhaust pedal, a serious five speed transmission coupled with one of the more serious 4x4 setups around.

This vehicle may look like a jeep, oh but it is so much more. The time tested 4wd system on this car has traversed anywhere a vehicle could possibly go, from sand to mud to jungle to rocky mountain roads. Various versions of the Defender have been made over the decades and years and sold the world over, but this was the one sold in America in the 1990's. The webinfo I found, which may or may not be correct, says that just over a thousand soft top versions were imported in 1995.

I had a friend whose wealthy father bought one of these in 1995, to take golfing and bird hunting and on fishing expeditions to the families yacht on the coast. He'd let his grown son drive it around town, to keep it in good running shape, he said. I took several small road trips in this vehicle over the years, and saw awesome performance of the Defender in a seemingly impossible hill climb in Central Texas. I've been in the Defender when it forded a fairly strong moving 2-3' deep creek with a mossy, rocky bed, and it drove across that like it was parking at the mall.

Even used, they remain priced at a premium, for good reason. They rock off road, they have tons of power, and they are quite a fast driving vehicle. I know my friend's Defender was rated as a high performance/high risk vehicle, like his dad's Corvette, by their insurance carrier and they paid extra because of it's rowdy engine.

But if you're looking to blast over the sand or rough terrain, rather than struggle through it in a heavier 4x4 that may be powerful but lacks the horsepower to weight ratio of the Defender, then this is your ride.

I'm probably wrong about this, but as far as stock 4x4's go, this is one of the faster, more capable ones. I kick myself in the rear for not buying one in 1995 or so after my friend showed me his, just as I regret the choice on occasion of buying a Toyota Supra in the mid-80's over a FJ-60.

I'm focused now on why vehicles like the FJ-60 and the Defender achieve cult status and just seem to run forever. If another company decides to market a classic like one of these anytime in the U.S., I'm going to pay attention this time around.

REMOTE CONTENDER: LAND ROVER DISCOVERY

It is not likely that a contender for the Texas Fishing Truck Project will be a Land Rover. Just too expensive in parts and service.

But that's the advice of my old college roommate Paul, who drives a Rover like the ones shown above. I actually have a picture of his Discovery, outfitted with roof rack, lights, front bumper winch and the like. But Paul lives in his native Australia, where such vehicles are common and labor and parts are far cheaper than in America.

Even when Paul lived in Texas, he had excellent taste in off road vehicles, driving a a limited edition International Scout. But as Paul says, the Rover is the vehicle if you're going off road, and in Australia, Paul says it's reasonable to get parts and have it worked on, since the Rover is far more common there than in the U.S.

These vehicles drive very well on and off road. There are tons of Discoverys for sale in the U.S., and having known a few yuppie Rover owners in my time, I know that many of those vehicles have never, ever been off road.

Paul emails that I should look around for a reasonable experienced Brit mechanic in my area and that I should consider one of these over any Japanese off road vehicle. They are priced a bit more than can be justified for a budget for the Texas Fishing Vehicle, but it's a fine contender for those who have some deep pockets and want a luxury off road ride that is no wimp off the pavement.

THE 4X4 VAN CONVERSION CONSIDERATION

4X4 converstion vans remain a possibility also for this project. It adds a whole new dimension of useability, and becomes a small camper as well as a nice shelter from bad weather when out in the sticks. A small smellfree porta potty makes it far more likely the wife would come with the boy and I on our beach fishing expeditions, because there is an enclosed place to answer natures calls.

And I certainly admit, if possible, it's a cheap and very comfortable option to have that greatly makes the fish camp experience much nicer. Particularly for ladies and children. One of the tent front deals that attaches to the front of the van can make an expanded living and sleeping area that is quite large.

Rod storage in the ceiling of the van is another plus, and as some of the pictures above show, like the yellow Quigley converstion and the white beach van, a popup top adds room and ventilation as well as a strong support base for a roof rack. It also adds a nice upper bunk.

The bottom picture shows you what between $40k and $50k new in a Quigley conversion on a new van. It's not Quigley's fault, they have a fair price for the massive amount of things they do to convert the factory van into a serious off-road machine.

What we'd probably end up with, though, given our more limited budget, is something like the purple van in the top photo or the green van below it. And there's nothing wrong with those rides. If you could get some kind of deal on an older 4x4 van, even if it needed an engine or other work, it could be a very cool fishing vehicle.

I do have a set of friends who have a more recent and more expensive 4x4 converstion van, and they often fish both Freeport and Matagorda ocean beaches and back bay marsh areas for wading and kayaking. They have a rooftop air conditioner that they bought and hooked up to a generator they run their lights with with having a fishing camp. If the bugs get bad, or it's just too hot to be comfortable, that's their "A/C ROOM", where they sleep and seek respite from the heat or inclement weather.

So vans have very strong points in their favor as a potential project vehicle. The downside to their selection is going to be a likelihood of far more work on them mechanically than on other SUV/Truck choices, but they will provide a more camper like environment with a lot more room and lots of options for gear and camping stuff.

I had a friend in my twenties, who had a rich brother in law who had a Short Wheel Base Chevy Van that had been merged with a K5 SWB truck 4x4 rig. The first time I ever ventured down PINS was in that van, and it had the pop up top with a front bench seat that made into a nice fold down bed.

His rear bed had a slide out kitchen underneath, so that you could cook from behind the rig and then slide it all away when through. It had a serious roof rack with several aluminum boxes, fishing gear and other sorts of stuff. Although that guy fished on occasion, his main activity was surfing waves and spending the night to catch early morning waves.

If I had the cash to buy a new Quigley, I'd do it right now.

THE PICKUP TRUCK CONTENDERS

There's a wide range of used vehicles that could be relevant as a choice. For example, Toyota 4Runners and 4x4 pickup trucks from 1982 to 1995 were especially off-road worthy, and a 4Runner with the right engine and gearing is as much as I'll need in my Texas fishing adventures.

The first generation Toyota Tundra have a great reputation as being a stout off road vehicle. I have driven an old Tundra extended cab 4x4 on several long trips, and although did no off-roading with it, I did do about 150 miles of ice and sleet driving in North Texas one winter, and I felt like I was in a tank on the road. I realize the 4x4 components and system are not the same in the Tundra as in the more expensive Land Cruiser FJ-80, that's what the Tundra felt like driving in the wind, sleet and ice: SOLID. So if a deal presented itself on a Tundra, it might be hard to pass up.

I've also done some heavy hauling with that Tundra on those trips, and it carries the load well. I can't imagine carrying as much as I did on any fishing trip as I did on one Denton trip years ago. My heavy and big load was covered, tied and tarped down and the truck just pushed on through the aforementioned sleet and ice with winds gusting 30-40 m.p.h. I was absolutely impressed with the on road performance, and this will probably be the next personal vehicle we buy when one of our main cars needs replacing.

There's a ton of good American made trucks out there too, but I've been burnt two out of three times on Chevy trucks, and it'd have to be an awful good deal to lure me into an American made truck. Certainly, on real American made trucks, the 4x4's range from more than adequate to absolutely awesome in terms of their power and ability.

To be sure, the 80's K5 4x4 Shortbed Silverado my dad had for several years was a top performer off the road. It was a great beach fishing ride because it had automatic transmission (which for everyone I've ever known who seriously drives beaches and sand, they all say get auto if you can) and would just power through any sand bog or drift with nary a care.

My last Chevy truck had mechanical and/or electrical issues, new from the factory. My bought new truck came with the wrong sized jets in the carb to allow it to pass EPA testing we supposed, and had a host of wiring problems that even a new wiring harness couldn't solve. It was not a high point of Chevy truck tough history.

In between, my father had another 4x4 Silverado he bought off of a friend for a deal. It was a 3/4 ton heavy duty truck, and whilst it's ride on the road might not have been like a Caddy, it really did ride better than a 4Runner or other smaller 4x4. It was solid, and had a nice long bed. I was about to sell the car I had and buy the truck off of him when it got stolen, stripped and burned.

I have a friend in East Texas who has an old Texas Game Warden truck that he got at auction. Basically a Chevy Z71 4x4 with extended cab and a spotlight. But he got a screaming deal on it, and although it has rather high miles, it was taken care of and maintained regularly. It tows his boat and he keeps the whole rig under a carport on his property, ready to roll for fishing at a moments notice. No gathering the stuff. Just get yourself in the truck and pull out with the boat ready to go. RTG.

So a nice Chevy truck of the right condition and history for a good price is a contender as well. Again, it's that combination of price and good condition, with perhaps a bit of somebody knows somebody and he did take care of that truck that leads to a good deal.

If a truck ends up being the Texas Fishing Truck project vehicle, it would have a full rack in the rear, a rather high one, with a basket on top of that rack and some kind of canvas roll down cover to turn the bed into sort of a camper if needed for sleeping.

If a truck is the vehicle, it will have some kind of lockable storage in a false floor built on top of the bed floor for rod storage and the like. Or perhaps in toolboxes running the length of the bed.

SAND LADDERS

THE MAIN CONTENDERS FOR TEXAS FISHING TRUCK PROJECT

THE VENERABLE TOYOTA LAND CRUISER FJ-60









THE EQUALLY FORMIDABLE TOYOTA FJ-80 LAND CRUISER








THE BARGAIN BUT RELIABLE AND STOUT ISUZU TROOPER

The Trooper is right now at the top of the list, for many reasons. First off, it's a rugged 4x4 vehicle that's seen service all over the world under a variety of model names. Basically, the way I see it, is if a vehicle line such as the Trooper or the Land Cruiser have rendered, and continue to render, reliable performance under conditions I will rarely if ever approach in my off road fishing treks, then I'm in good shape.

But in the same breath, let me say I'm finding some very reasonable prices in my local searches for used FJ-80's, a thousand or two more than the comparable Troopers I've looked at but as I explain further on, I'm still weighing the up-front add on price for a bit larger and more powerful vehicle.

The Trooper offers the best cost benefit features. I'm not exactly sure on the cutoff date, but basically Troopers were known as awesome and tough 4x4's in the early to mid 1990's. After that, they got fatter, heavier and more laden with yuppie luxury features. There are still a lot of relatively low milage ones around, in varying conditions.

Shrimper Dan, a friend of Billy Ray and myself, made his Texas Surf Fishing Truck from an early 90's Trooper in excellent condition. With an Auto transmission, it's 4x4 has yet to be stuck on some very treacherous stretches of both Matagorda and PINS.

The FJ-60 series of Land Cruiser was as brutal to drive on the road as it was effective off road. They've had cult and collector status for well over a decade now, and tend to be overpriced for their condition. Still, not much comes close for a light yet serious 4wd system for use in Texas. The cargo area is a bit bigger than the Trooper and damn near cavernous. This model was made for a few years with an Auto transmission, otherwise it's the four on the floor.

The FJ-80 Land Cruisers have been around nearly 20 years, and you can get a much better deal on one of these in better condition than you can an FJ-60. A very serious off road vehicle, I read somewhere where the FJ-80 has some sort of serious off road feature in it's transfer case that only a few serious vehicles like Land Rovers have. Although it's considerably heavier than both the Trooper and the predecessor FJ-60, it also supports a far more serious engine, transmission and transfer case.

If things go well, and a screaming deal can be found, the FJ-80 is the upgrade from the Trooper. The FJ-80 is consistently available for far less than an FJ-60, and the FJ-80 can and will still be worked on by many Toyota dealers. And it's a big upgrade, in terms of road driving and trip taking.

Parts for all three are readily available. The Trooper parts again are the cheapest, but then parts for the FJ-80 are more readily available and generally cheaper than those for the FJ-60.

Each vehicle has it's histories of model issues, for instance, FJ-80's are quite well known for "eating brakes" with heavy driving. It has serious off-road brakes that will stop that bohemoth well and that type of performance comes at a price, meaning more frequent brake jobs than a lighter vehicle.

Safety, with the larger size, also swings toward the FJ-80. It's just a better built tank of a vehicle. For traveling, driving around town or venturing off the road, it's solidly built vehicle whose doors give an altogether different THUD when shut than the thinner doors of the Trooper and FJ-60.

The picture of the FJ-80 above really marks what I'd like to initially achieve with phase one of the Texas Fishing Truck project. A 2" lift, some nice tires for off-roading and a nice serious roof basket for carrying a multitude of items, including alternatively a kayak or canoe, a small cartopper boat of about 10', bicycles or a cargo carrier, as well as things like shoves and a high lift jack and other sorts of getting unstuck stuff.

That's the thoughts right now, anyway. Suggestions are always welcome.

STAGE ONE: GET ONE AND THE BASICS

We've narrowed down what we can afford, plus factoring in the basic extras we want to have fairly soon and an as yet unknown repair budget. This will be a continuing post and theme on this blog, as far as what we are doing and where we are trying to scrounge and adapt parts and things to keep the costs way down.

We want this to be the working mans truck. Nice. Sturdy. Reliable (the most important, really, when in the country). Functional. Comfortable (bad storm or swarming endless skeeters means sleeping in the truck if camping). Something not just the rich can afford. We're not rich, and even if I was rich, I'd want the kind of truck we're going to plan and build here in this project.

And when I say build, we'll be mostly payin' folk more talented then ourselves to do some work, but we both have ideas easily implemented into design of the rack systems and interior layout. We'll be looking for deals and brother-in-law stuff from friends. I've got two good mechanics nearby, and a third that's a bit away but within reach for any serious engine or tranny work.

The stuff we can do ourselves, and I do have some history helping do restorations on three cars and worked as a mechanic rebuilding high performance small race car wankle engines and the rest of the cars electrical, braking, steering and other systems. I got quite good at rebuilding carberators, only to see them go by the wayside several years later with injection.

So I would rather not rebuild an engine or fit head or transmission gaskets and the like, but I can change a/c compressors and master cylinders and brakes systems and cooling systems and the like. I can do brake jobs, although more with drum than disc. I learned a lot of skills on our own as well as my job as a mechanic for these specialized cars.

That's been years ago, but I still have my tools. I've got 2 Craftsman tool cabinets. I've got a fire engine red metal portable toolbox with ancient Houston Police Department "The Badge Means You Care" bumper sticker on it. This used to be my vehicle toolbox that was carried in my restored vehicles on a daily basis, to solve whatever problems arose.

So I'm going to jump into the abyss of used car ownership. I'll have the vehicle professionally checked out before we get it. It'll at least be free of a cracked block or bad tranny or dirty tranny/transfer cases and the like. There can always be hidden problems, but again, we're scouring friends and the area, looking for neighbors with something we might want.

THE ULTIMATE TEXAS BEACH TRUCK

This actual Texas Beach Truck appears on the page of a great guide in Port Aransas, and since I'm having problems posting links here, google him at *UPDATE*

The vehicle shown above is really the ultimate in simplicity and functionality for a beach fishing vehicle. I could end up with something like this, based on a Chevy or Ford or somekind of one-off.

Let's look at this fellow's setup and see what he's got going for him, other than a nice bunch of reds and speckled trout from the Gulf of Mexico at Port Aransas. A rolled up foam sleeping pad, in case he wants a nap under the shade of the plywood on top of the rack covering the bed of the truck. Some seating for the fisherpeople to ride down the beach looking for the birds or schools of shrimp or mullet or gamefish in the waves.

You've got your BBQ pit, some ice chests, some sort of piroue looking canoe or kayak or absurdly large wooden surf board (good for rescues, though), a bunch of big straw sun hats and rods and reels handy and ready to deploy. Of course, tackle boxes, chairs, etc all fit back there.

When he sun got too much, I'd also be having my chair up under that covered bed of that truck for some sun relief while my bait was waiting.

So now when I go down this certain street I see this very cool old 4x4 that I can't help but think could be a great fishing truck, although it'd be too much work and money and hard to find parts compared to other vehicles I'm considering.

There's an early sixties extended utility bed Chevy 4x4 that's been lifted and appears to have multiple issues and axle/transfer case woes. It's propped up in an auto yard I pass every now and then. I've seen it running in years past, and seemed like it drove pretty well. It's been hiked up on one axle with wheel off for 3 years now. It's no beauty, somewhat rough but with an okay body and glass. But I bet he wants more than I need to pay for it. The coolness factor can overwhelm in a vehicle search.

If the old Chevy 4x4 is running well otherwise, but needs some sort of major axle repair or more, sometimes deals could be had. It's voluminous big bench seat could hold three at any time in relative comfort, as it's a wide ride. It has a long bed and it's quite wide, sort of like a stepside but wider.

Who knows. We've put feelers out for interesting serious 4x4 trucks with either original owners and/or older low milage rides as well as any deals or known vehicles that others own for a deal.

The truck we want to have will be rugged enough for Texas beach wandering and fishing but also for some Hill Country LCRA trails and various friends places and ranches and the like all over Texas.

So it'll have to ford some smallish creeks or very small rivers at established shallow crossings possibly, certainly up to a foot or two of water at times on low water crossing bridges and a wide variety of inclines and surfaces that these old trails and roads and paths that I've fished on time and again.

It doesn't have to be fast just strong and stout. I'm a grandpa driver on the highway anyway, so if it'll do the limit I'm great. I recall a trip to San Antonio from Houston in a friend's FJ60 LandCruiser with a 4 speed, at about a max speed of 65. I was glad it had air, not really ENOUGH air for that July trip, and it got hot in that cab from the tranny. Whew.

So I'm thinking that our version of the Texas Fishing Truck is going to have some really serious Air Conditioning. I've known several fellows who have mounted smaller electrically powered a/c units on the top of their SUV or truck camper tops to have a Air Conditioned respite and sleeping spot at fishing and hunting camps. These guys either run small generators or have a bank of batteries for the a/c, so they don't run their car all night.

El Fisho

WELCOME TO THE TEXAS FISHING TRUCK PROJECT BLOG

I have another blog called The Fishing Musician. I do fish a lot, every chance I can, for almost every species of fish that I can (except for carp or alligator gar or that sort of fish). I've lived in Texas all of my life, and combine my myoptic view of the world and it's politics with the many cool folks I've known from other countries and cultures over the years. You'd be surprised at just how many folks, whether from Texas or from another country, use and know about various sporting vehicles for hunting, fishing, camping, exploring and other outdoor activities.

I also play music and have for a very long time. I have a real job too, and I've had one of those all of my adult life. A family and all those other responsibilities things that most average working professional folks and parents have in their lives.

I'm no vagabond or rambler. I choose not to blog about my work, as many others in my profession do tend to blog on a bit long about their thought processes and egos and accomplishments, real or perceived. Although I enjoy my career, I like to write about my hobbies and outside interests, like fishing, shooting guns, playing in bands and making music and the adventure trips I have with the family and friends.

Our vacations have recently turned into more planned vacation than adventure, and this Texas Fishing Truck Project (TFT) is a way to get some adventure going back not only in the family outings but on those with friends, particularly those with my son and with my best friends and son's godfather, Billy Ray.

Billy Ray is second Fishing Musician. He and I have been friends for going on 30 years now. He's a guitarist, and I a drummer, and we've both made a lot of music together. Although I've played drums around quite a lot over the years, some of the best music I've ever made has been with Billy Ray and our third longtime songwriting band member Ricky Ray.

Billy Ray and Ricky Ray both met in college, after knowing Billy Ray a decade came to be dear friends with Ricky Ray. Both of them being nicknamed "Ray" in homage to our fellow Texas hero guitarist Stevie Ray, both of them being guitar players. Billy Ray and Ricky Ray are both men of letters behind their name, so don't think they're a bunch of drifters or anything. They are actually responsible people.

So the TFT will also serve as a "jam truck" as well, meaning it will haul my drums and Billy Ray's and Ricky Ray's guitars and amps and a small PA and bass amp to whatever remote cabin or farmhouse or ranch that one of us has been able to hustle up from one of our land owning friends. Over the years, we've had legendary multi-day recording sessions in and around such Texas cities such as Austin, Lane, Yantis, Fairplay, Twin Sisters, Flatonia and other places. We've played in abandoned migrant workers quarters (good sound), deer hunters cabins (very live sound from the old linoleum), a deluxe two story log cabin (excellent sound), a very nice East Texas farm house, several steel warehouse type buildings (dirt floor bad, cement floor live) and actual recording and rehearsal studios in Austin.

So this TFT will play an essential part in these gatherings. I almost always take fishing gear on these trips, as we try to locate these jam sessions on or near a body of water or a river or the like.

The idea of a dedicated fishing truck is not a new one to me. I almost, almost, almost bought a Toyota Landcruiser FJ-60 back in 1998. The wife and I looked at many, and there were so many to choose from and other things going on in our lives and so I opted to get an AWD Suv that would fit the needs of our growing family mo' bettah' than that of expeditions. So I went with a daily driver that could do double duty as a fishing ride, and it did very well. Never got stuck at the beach or in mud around freshwater lakes and rivers and such. But there were places I couldn't go because it wasn't a serious enough vehicle.

So since my fascincation with the FJ-60 in 1998 and near purchase of one of several of them, the thought has always been in my mind but more or less on the backburner. We had a Jeep Wrangler for quite a while, and that was an excellent off road vehicle. Too small to take on vacations and trips once our family grew, it having the soft top. It was a FAST powerful vehicle with an awesome 4x4 setup, but was a leaky beast that was continually beset with problems after 7 years and 70,000 miles, despite dealer maintenance and really light off roading.

We probably should have kept it and dropped 5 grand into repair and adding a hard top and roof rack, but instead we moved on. No telling how much we would have sunk into that beast if we had kept it. It's AWD replacement had total repair costs under $2000 over a 200,000 mile and 10 year life span, all the while getting gas milage in the 20's and continually amazing us as to what it's spacious cargo bay would hold.

So several months ago Billy Ray mentioned how we needed a beach truck to do some fishing. Billy Ray's good friend, Shrimper Dan, bought a great Isuzu early 90's 4x4 Trooper with automatic for like $1,500 from original owner with about 110k miles on it. He spent about $800 to get new hoses and belts and a few other things and it's been running hard and great for the past few years. Dan's Trooper is a solid performer on the deep and difficult to traverse beach at Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) and Matagorda Island, two places we all like to frequent.

So of course triggered my old fishing truck fever in like two seconds, and suddenly visions of various great fishing trucks I've seen, ridden in or seen pictures of began flashing through my head in some sort of Matrix-like program loading sequence. My head probably jerked a little to the left and right like old Max Headroom used to do as data rushed into his head.

I've been awash with thoughts and feelings, both pro and con, about venturing into another used vehicle/restoration/fixing stuff endeavor, and I've decided to do something about it.

Believe it or not, the Mrs. will be estatic if a Texas Fishing Truck actually comes to fruiation in her lifetime. She has long wanted a vehicle to throw the family and dogs into with some groceries to a beach locale. She likes her beach view patio condo (as do I, many nights) with a nice shady balcony overhang, and she has no desire to camp or even be at the beach too far past sunset.

She does, as do I, like to explore the beaches way beyond the crowds, and back when we had the Wrangler we could hit the remote beaches with nary a car, just a shovel, a jack and a few boards in he back in case of trouble. It was actually her car, btw, but I was allowed to use it, and I took it as a main ride when we her a new car that she liked and traded my old car in and kept the Jep. But that Jeep had no problems with deep sand at all. The Wrangler is an excellent fishing and beach vehicle choice, despite our experiences. The leaky bitch that she was, with the mysterious stop and start leaks from various fluids and locations that defied detection. The evidence was on the garage floor and parking lot at times, and in the reservoir, but would cease as suddenly as it would begin.

So moving from the exclusive beach truck idea, it needs to be capable of carrying 2 folks in front and three in back in a bench seat in a pinch, but normally 3 in the vehicle.

Since much of my fishing is freshwater in nature, what I want to have is a vehicle to carry my fishing gear, outdoor supplies, a tent, a small stove, a small folding table and chairs, umbrella or awning, ice chests, etc.

A roof rack that could carry a lockable luggage carrier on one side, and a canoe or sit on top kayak on the other. I've seen more than one outdoors truck with a 10'-12' small v-hulled fishing boat (called "cartoppers" back in the 1970's). A nice used Ted Williams Sears Gamefisher boat from the 70's-80's would fit this bill perfectly.

In short, a truck that could be set up TO GO FISHING RIGHT NOW. When the reds are running in Port A, get in the truck and go. Traveling, with a stop for groceries, water, *what-have-you-spirit-wise* and bait, and you've set up fishing camp and you're fishing in the fastest possible amount of time.

And when I say truck, more than likely, based on my next post, it's going to be an 4x4 SUV. A medium sized 4x4 SUV. Maybe a larger one, but likely medium sized. There is an outside possibility that some sort of 4x4 extended or (preferably) crew cab long bed truck, and there's a plethora of great classic 4x4's for which parts can still be had and folks know how to work on them.

What are these classic 4x4's I speak of, you say? Well my personal favorites are great trucks like the Jeep J-10, various International Scouts, Land Cruisers and the Land Rover Defender series sold in America in the 1990's. The older Mercedes Benz G-Wagons are venerable serious off-roaders in the Land Cruiser catagory, and the newer, more luxury "pimping" models aren't slouchy in the rough, despite their fancy accessories.

The early Bronco's, the pre-1978 kind with the kickass hotrod ford engines that looked like Scouts. Even the venerable Volkswagon Thing was quite a go anywhere vehicle, and the early Subaru wagons and Brats were fairly stout for the horsepower they had. Even the Wrangler enjoys high resale for the most part.

I can't forget one of my personal favorites, the 70's Blazer with the fully removeable top. One of my high school friends had one of these, with both soft top and hard top, with large factory roll cage the rear. I can't recall the year exactly, but it was fetching and in near 100% stock condition.

We actually seriously talked about trading vehicles at one point, he being interested in my restored Mustang and me in the Blazer. But it never came to pass, although parents were consulted and actually discussed the possibles.

There's one of these Blazers, this one a K5, sans top but looking in very good physical condition, under a carport on a backstreet near a store I sometimes go to. I'd like nothing better than to knock on that door with several thousand in hand ready to buy that vehicle, but I'm afraid that what I can pay and what most sellers of that ride would want is a difference of some magnitude.

But you never know. Billy Ray and I may very well amass a larger war chest than we think we can, and catch a willing seller on the right day they need cash now and catch a deal.

And some unforseen deal on a vehicle that is not being primarily considered as the project vehicle but that fits the 4x4 criteria and is a great deal/in great shape/one owner special/trustable local seller could of course alter the vehicle selection.

I'll talk more in the next post about some of my intended uses of The Texas Fishing Truck and the criteria and gear I'm thinking about, in stages. And I'll tell you what Billy Ray and El Fishing Musician Jr. have mentioned as being important to them.

El Fisho
El Fishing Musician