Rancher

A Rancher in GTA Vice City (Rear quarter view).

The Rancher is an SUV/pickup truck that appears in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto IV. Unlike most vehicles from GTA Vice City, the Rancher is absent from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

Description

Design

The Rancher is a medium-sized SUV designed with off-road capabilities in mind, featuring large tires, soft suspensions and a high ground clearance. Despite its size, the two-door Rancher is only capable of holding two occupants, as it rear compartment is not capable of carrying passengers, similar to two-door pickup trucks in the series. In general, the Rancher resembles a 1981-1988 Chevrolet K5 Blazer (but with added turning signals and different taillights). The GTA IV rendition, however, resembles a Cheyenne Trim 1989-1991 K5 Blazer; the taillights and the slight lean of the rear of the cab resemble 1980-1996 Ford Broncos. The GTA IV rendition is manufactured by Declasse.

Until GTA IV, the Rancher is depicted with a camper shell permanently included over its bed. The GTA IV rendition, however, features variants of the Rancher with or without a camper shell. Pickup variants of the Rancher may also include a roll bar with top-mounted offroad lights, a brush guard, or a bull bar. All variants of GTA IV's Rancher also feature nerf bars. The rear bed-lids of pre-GTA IV Ranchers are hinged to the top, while those of the GTA IV rendition are hinged at the bottom on the truck bed, with an additional glass lid hinged to the top for the camper shell variant.

GTA Vice City (Rear quarter view). GTA San Andreas (Rear quarter view). GTA IV (Rear quarter view). GTA IV (Rear quarter view). GTA IV; pickup variant. GTA IV; pickup variant.

Performance

In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Rancher is one of the better SUV's in the game. Performance is only average, but its chassis is better. Its handling is above average. The suspension is soft, which makes the car quite comfortable, even on broken surfaces such as railroad tracks.

In Grand Theft Auto IV, the Rancher is not a on-road performance oriented vehicle. It's suspension consists of solid axles front and rear, as opposed to the independent suspension on more refined SUV's and pick-ups. This layout, coupled with a powerful V8 engine, means that on-road cornering is an erratic affair, with plenty of sliding and body roll.

However, the old-fashioned suspension, together with 4WD and a easily controlled engine, starts to pay off when the vehicle is taken off-road. In the hands of a skillful driver, the Rancher is an excellent off-roader. The high ground clearance means boulders are negotiated with ease. The solid axles keep the vehicle planted, although the driver must always be wary of the risk of a roll-over (due to the high center of gravity).

Modifications

The Rancher can be modified at the TransFender mod garage with paint (two colours), hoods, exhausts, spoilers, lights, nitrous (All), roofs, wheels, stereo (Bass Boost) and hydraulics. However, the Rancher spawned by cheat (with blacked out windows) cannot be modified, nor can it be exported.

Variants

File:Rancher-GTA4-Stevie-front.jpg

The Rancher requested in Stevie's Car Thefts in GTA IV.

• FBI Rancher (GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas, GTA Chinatown Wars as the "FIB Rancher" and GTA Vice City Stories by using cheat devices)
• Police Ranger (GTA San Andreas)
• A unique Rancher (internal name "rnchlure") is spawned with the spawn a Rancher cheat in GTA San Andreas. The vehicle's internal name suggests that it was intended for use in the mission "Lure", however a regular Rancher is used in that mission. The only distinction of this variant from the normal Rancher are its black-tinted windows (which obscure the occupants of the vehicle, a central element of the Lure mission). Unlike the normal Rancher, the "rnchlure" version cannot be exported or modded at mod garages. (GTA San Andreas)
• Gang Rancher (GTA Vice City Stories)
• A Rancher in GTA IV is among a range of cars requested in Stevie's Car Thefts, featuring a unique blood red and light gray body color. The Rancher may come with or without a camper shell, as well as one of a range of accessories, much like a regular Rancher.

Trivia

• In its appearances in GTA San Andreas and GTA IV, the Rancher plays the following radio stations by default when entered:
  • K-DST in GTA San Andreas.
  • Liberty Rock Radio 97.8 in GTA IV.
• There is a wrecked version of it, which is not drivable, and can be seen in most ghettos, and junkyards in Grand Theft Auto IV.
• The SUV despite being absent from GTA VCS has its FBI version, which is "semi-absent" (it needs a cheat device in order to appear, as mentioned above).
• In perfect condition this car can be sold in the S&M Auto Sales for $2,500

Locations

GTA San Andreas

• Spawns regularly in the desert and countryside
• Parked by a garage to the south west of the form at Blueberry Acres, Red County (only when wanted for export)
• At the Import/Export Ship at Easter Basin, San Fierro for $40,000
• Parked next to a building northwest of Hunter Quarry and east of Cluckin' Bell in Bone County.
• Parked between trailers north of Ammu-Nation in eastern Bone County.

GTA IV

• Parked beside the Triangle Club in Bohan. (Multiplayer only).
• Common around Chinatown.
• Common on Frankfort Ave, in Middle Park, Varsity Heights and North Holland.