Deer Season and Ice Fishing Rigs for Hunting Camp Weekends

In Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky, the first cold weeks of November belong to deer camp. Trucks leave driveways loaded with stands, coolers, generators and a week of groceries, and head down two-tracks and farm lanes that were soft in October and may be frozen by Thanksgiving. A few weeks later, the same families and friends are towing shanties and sleds toward Lake Erie or an inland lake.

Both trips reward the same traits: a usable bed or cargo area, ground clearance, real four-wheel drive and a tow rating that covers a trailer or side-by-side. This guide compares five Ram and Jeep models on those points. Figures below are starting MSRPs before destination as listed in November 2026; expect them to move.

What a camp weekend really needs

Start with the load. A typical weekend can include a ground blind, a cart, two or three coolers, boots, bags and a heater. After a successful hunt there is also game to bring home, which is where a bed or a clean cargo floor matters. Many hunters use a bed cover or a cooler in a bed liner and keep the animal out of the cabin. Rules for tagging and transporting deer vary by state, so check with your state wildlife agency before the season opens.

The second question is access. Hunting land often sits at the end of a farm lane with a washboard surface, a creek crossing or a muddy field edge. Ground clearance, tires and a low-range or locking-differential option determine if the truck drives in or you walk the last half mile.

Third is the trailer. A utility trailer, a side-by-side or an ice shelter on a sled puts weight behind you, so look at the tow rating, the trailer wiring and whether the vehicle has a brake controller. Always compare the real weight of what you tow with the rating on the specific vehicle you buy.

Ram 1500: the flexible camp truck

The Ram 1500 comes with a 5 ft 7 in or a 6 ft 4 in bed, and the Tradesman starts at $42,575 in a Quad Cab or $45,325 in a Crew Cab. The standard 3.6-liter V6 eTorque is rated for up to 8,100 pounds of towing and 2,340 pounds of payload. The 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbo tops the range at up to 11,530 pounds of towing.

Power is where the 1500 helps a camp. Ram's Bed Utility Group costs $945 on most trims and adds an exterior 115-volt outlet, adjustable tie-down hooks, a spray-in bedliner, bed lighting and a cargo divider. The V6 can also be ordered with 2 kW of onboard power and two 120-volt bed outlets, which can run a light or a charger. For rougher lanes, the Warlock is a Crew Cab 4x4 at $53,415 with an Off-Road Group, a raised ride height, skid plates and tow hooks.

Jeep Gladiator: smaller footprint, real capability

The Gladiator suits narrow trails and tight parking at a camp. It starts at $43,895 for the Sport S, comes with four-wheel drive on every trim, and uses a 285-horsepower V6. Clearance is 10 inches on the Sport and Willys, rising to 12.9 inches with the 35-inch tire package.

The bed is shorter: 60.3 inches with the tailgate closed and 81.3 inches with it open, with 44.8 inches between the wheel wells. That is wide enough for most coolers but too narrow for a flat sheet of plywood. Payload is up to 1,720 pounds and towing up to 7,700 pounds, with the lower figure of 4,500 pounds on the Sahara.

The Cargo Group with Trail Rail System costs $2,095 and includes a roll-up tonneau cover, lockable underseat storage, a bed 115-volt outlet and a 400-watt inverter. Water fording is up to 31.5 inches, but that is a published trail number, not a recommendation to drive through a swollen creek.

Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee: the camp SUVs

Not every hunting party needs a pickup. A four-door Wrangler starts at $39,985 and holds 72.4 cubic feet with the rear seat folded, with ground clearance from 9.7 inches up to 12.9 on the Rubicon. Most four-door trims tow 3,500 pounds, and a four-door Rubicon with the automatic and the right axle reaches 5,000. That is enough for a small utility trailer, but not for a heavy side-by-side rig.

The Grand Cherokee is more comfortable on the drive up. It holds 70.8 cubic feet, the three-row L holds 84.6, and both tow up to 6,200 pounds. Clearance is 8.4 inches on standard suspension and more with the air suspension. Four-wheel drive is standard from Limited Reserve up and optional on lower trims, so check the window sticker before you assume a Laredo has it. A Grand Cherokee works well for a family camp with a short drive, a dry cabin and a warm seat when it is 20 degrees at dawn.

Ram 2500: when the load is heavy

For a heavier trailer, a camper, a plow or a tow-behind generator, the Ram 2500 is the step up. It starts at $48,040 for a Regular Cab Tradesman with the 8-foot bed, and $51,660 as a Crew Cab. The 6.4-liter HEMI V8 makes 405 horsepower and is standard. A Cummins diesel is optional at $12,495 and raises the tow rating to as much as 20,000 pounds. The HEMI is rated at 17,740.

Payload reaches 4,580 pounds with the $835 Payload Upgrade Package. Clearance runs from about 11.1 inches on a Crew Cab 4x2 to 14.2 inches on a Power Wagon. The Commercial Features Package, at $495 on the Tradesman and Warlock, adds a 400-watt inverter and an exterior 115-volt outlet, and the $245 Cold Weather Group adds an engine block heater, which is welcome on a January morning on a lake.

Side-by-side comparison

Model	Starting MSRP	Bed or cargo	Max towing	Ground clearance
Ram 1500 Tradesman Quad Cab	$42,575	5 ft 7 in or 6 ft 4 in bed	8,100 lbs (V6)	Varies by trim
Jeep Gladiator Sport S	$43,895	60.3 in bed, 35.5 cu ft	7,700 lbs	10 in and up
Jeep Wrangler Sport (four-door)	$39,985	72.4 cu ft folded	3,500 lbs	9.7 in and up
Ram 2500 Tradesman Regular Cab	$48,040	8 ft bed	17,740 lbs (HEMI)	About 11.1 in and up
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo	$39,730	70.8 cu ft folded	6,200 lbs	8.4 in

If you need one vehicle for work, the school run and a hunting camp, the Ram 1500 is the most flexible choice. The Gladiator is the one for tight, rough lanes. The Wrangler and Grand Cherokee make sense when the party is mostly people and bags. And for heavy trailers or a camper, the Ram 2500 is the better tool. Confirm availability and current prices with a local dealer.

Ice fishing: plan around the shore, not the ice

Lake Erie walleye and perch anglers, and inland-lake crews across Michigan and Ohio, face a different set of risks in winter. Ice thickness changes from one end of a lake to the other, and it changes day to day, with pressure ridges, springs and currents making it worse. No vehicle on this page should be treated as ice-safe, and none of these ratings says anything about what ice can carry. Follow the ice guidance from your state's Department of Natural Resources or wildlife agency, and read local reports before you step off shore.

What the vehicle can do is get you safely to the access point. Four-wheel drive handles plowed and unplowed lots, a block heater helps with a cold start, and a clean cargo area keeps wet gear from soaking the cabin. All-weather floor mats, a bed liner and a tarp go a long way. A hitch-mounted carrier or a small trailer can move the sled and shelter from the lot to the shore.