Automatic vs Manual for Overlanding | Overland Talk with Matt

[@douglasrykerd6266]

I’m driving a 2018 Ram 2500 diesel with a manual. I had to drive from one side of Colorado to the other to buy one of the last two sold new in Colorado ( they didn’t make them after 2018). I agree with most everything you said. Also, I just like driving a manual, more tactile, and as I’m now 60 and looking towards retirement, I knew it was likely the last, and definitely the last new truck I’d buy. So I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to have one of the last full size manuals built.

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

Nice. Glad you scored one. I flew up to washington to get my gray T100. It's a 1995 long bed, single cab, 4x4, with the 5vzfe engine. Toyota only made them for 1 year. Oh, and it's a manual transmission too. Bought it in the airport parking lot and drove it back to Southern California 😂

[@returningtoearthtv8836]

Tactile benefit is a great point. I fee more connected to my machine when I can choose the gears. More fun too.

[@sharpsticksnz4112]

Team manual represent! Well done Matt, a very thorough explanation, I've been team manual for a long time, I've never been left stranded by one. With a manual you know instantly what is wrong, oh the clutch is slipping, oh the pedal is soft, oh third gear is graunchy.... the same can't be said for autos, they can and have left us stranded multiple times and you often can't tell what has failed and consequently how to fix it. I've driven a lot of 5 speed manuals and they're great.... but I love the 6 speed manuals. Sooo much better through a mountain pass, on a highway etc.

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

Not the dreaded "graunchy" gear 😂 That's a good point. The fact that I'm more engaged with the transmission has a lot to do with noticing problems when they start and diagnosing them while we can still drive the vehicle. Which helps us not get stranded. I've never driven a 6 speed, but more options seems like a good thing to me.

[@sharpsticksnz4112]

@@TheTravelingTogetherJournal the first time I drove a manual 6 speed I was driving it over 1000kms, I fell in love with the 6 speed on that trip, I now own one and love it even more. I'd much prefer to do big trips with that 6 speed than any of the 5 speeds I own. The extra gear makes such a difference, you can more consistently stay in the part of the rev range where your engine makes good power... so you don't get that bogged down feeling (which is bad for fuel economy) also the 6th gear drops the revs for highway driving which again helps fuel economy. For my next overland build I really want a 6 speed... hell if I won lotto I'd build a 1990s vehicle from the ground up with a 6 speed.

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

@@sharpsticksnz4112 makes sense to me. I think I'd be pretty happy if I never buy another vehicle. I've got my '95 T100 camping truck, my '95 T100 longbed daily, and wife's '99 4runner. All 5vzfe engines, manual transmissions, and 4 wheel drive.

[@alfredobrown]

Have to add the fact that cars with manual transmission are less likely to be stolen (at least here in the USA)

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

Oh, I didn't know that. Thanks for adding to the info

[@20DYNAMITE06]

Only here in the states… everyone else knows how to use them 😊

[@theangrypickleadventures1368]

I agree with you 100%, this is why I converted my Bus to a ZF6 manual transmission.

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

Dedicated to the manual. Even doing the conversion 👍

[@overlandbuildouts]

Great points! I agree.

[@HogTide_Rising]

I’m older than dirt and have driven both manual and automatic transmissions. Plus I’ve driven a lot of off-road miles in the frozen north (Canada) working on seismic projects in the oil patch. Guess that makes me a professional driver. In light vehicles I’ll go automatic all the way and with no reservations. In the patch I’ve had all sorts of issues with various and varied vehicles, but never a problem with an automatic transmission failing. To each his own but if you know how to drive an automatic, you’ll do well. Of course the same can be said about manual transmission, but the elephant in the room is that too many people who venture off road don’t know how to drive with either transmission.

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

I suppose that's true. If you miss treat either one, you'll have problems. Sounds like you've had some interesting experiences. 👍

[@HogTide_Rising]

@@TheTravelingTogetherJournal Definitely a few misadventures along the way.

[@flyovercounty1427]

Good comparison Matt.

[@LeonTroutskiunplugged]

Manual. all the way. Reliability, plain and simple.

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

Plain and Simple 👍

[@OrionMcKay1]

Off road driving I go with clutch.But city or stopping in traffic auto . I have.287k on my original automatic transmission 2001 Tundra 4wd. I hope to make it to 300k. I use the 4wd for snow mainly.My previous 91 Toyota went threw 3 clutchs in 10 years but I really abused it.

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

There is definitely a trade off. An Automatic transmission should last longer than a clutch, but I would rather do 3 clutch jobs than rebuild 1 automatic transmission. That's just my skill level though. I think Toyota makes some solid automatic transmissions and here in USA they aren't offering any high payload capacity vehicles with big V8 turbo diesels in em, so I would expect it to last a long time with just some standard maintenance.

[@sharpsticksnz4112]

Pro tip for driving a manual 4x4 in 50kph/30mph speed limit areas when you're crawling in bumper to bumper traffic, if you have manual hubs they'll be unlocked so switch into low range 2wd and you can creep/crawl along as slow as all the auto trans vehicles around you without excessive clutching all the time. Being in low range 2wd also helps in hilly cities pulling away uphill at traffic lights without needing to handbrake start while a moron with an auto sits right on your back bumper 😅

[@codyaverhoff6828]

Love a manual transmission, just not many options anymore. Wish Ford would bring back the manual in the F-250. Miss my ZF6.

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

For sure. Limited options here in USA when you're looking for payload and a manual transmission... which seems kinda backwards🤔

[@nickknack5884]

I got the taco just because it comes in a manual for my overland build. well all my vehicles are manuals.

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

Nice. Same. 2 manual T100s and wife drives manual 4runner. All 5vzfe engines 😁

[@marcpikas2859]

Been driving auto for many years which has made me lazy. Manual was more involved and fun but not sure I’d go back. Never had any issue with either type but I’m easy on my vehicles. Concerned that going back to manual I would stretch the time spent in one gear when I should have shifted which is not ideal.

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

Automatics are pretty freakin convenient in a lot of situations. Tough to go back It's also a budget thing. If you buy new, or low miles vehicles that have never been abused than your auto will stay happy for a long time. If you're like me and considering being the 12th owner of a truck with 250,000 miles on it... at least with a manual the clutch would take a lot of the abuse from bad driving and I can feel how well the transmission is working a little better before purchase.

[@marcpikas2859]

My sister still drives her 2004 manual Matrix with 350K km She bought it new and the original clutch is still going which is beyond good considering her shifting skills.

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

@@marcpikas2859 😂lol

[@jeremyhall134]

I 100% prefer a manual. Dead batterey? Pop the clutch. Bad throw out bearing? Rev match shift. Slave blows a line or plunger? Again, rev match. Auto is only nice in my mind, if i have a bench seat, and have a shotgun rider that i want right next to me without saying 'mind your knees.'😂

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

haha. 3 across the bench is definitely tougher in the manual

[@zanezway]

Wish my taco was manual! I got what I got 😂 🤷‍♂️

[@TheTravelingTogetherJournal]

Auto taco is a lot better than no Taco

[@zanezway]

@@TheTravelingTogetherJournal cheers to that brother 🍻

[@sharpsticksnz4112]

You could manual convert it

[@zanezway]

@@sharpsticksnz4112 I just put an upgraded auto trans in mine. I actually don’t notice many of these issues mentioned in the video in my transmission to do a project like that. But if I buy a second truck then it’ll definitely be a manual just cus they’re so fun! One time my starter went out and I just hit it with a hammer and it fired back up! Got me to auto zone without any issues 😂.

[@sharpsticksnz4112]

@@zanezway we've hit starters and starter solenoids with hammers, rocks, cresents, power bars, rebar etc many times to get going 😅👍