Offroading/overlanding thread

[shibumiseeker]

I’ve got a Wrangler, Fx4, and AWD in the car. I use 4wd just about daily at the ranch. That’s just the driveway, steepest part is 15 degrees. The Ford was hauling logs to the mill yesterday and the Jeep was today.

The Wrangler is a ‘22 JLU and I am getting it set up for road trips. Since most of my road trips involve off-road driving I guess that’s what folks call overlanding these days.

 

[jamil]

It’s a ~10 hour drive depending on where you’re leaving from. I guess from Indy it would be 8-ish.

Probably people would want to hit the trailhead early morning if you’re planning on driving straight through both ways without camping. On X off road says it’s 245 miles one way. At 35 mph average that’s 7 hours there, 7 back. If you’re not planning to camp, that’s a long day on the trail.

Also. I don’t know about the available of fuel. I doubt there are any charging stations so all you guys with a Hummer EV will be disappointed. So diesel and gas vehicles would probably want to bring extra gas.

On X rates it a 3/10 difficulty. But it looks like there are some obstacles if people want to do that. It adds to the time it takes to do the trail.

Really it sounds like a descent trail. It’s just quite long. On X’s description of the history is interesting.

“Originally this trail was put together by someone who used to desert race. They called Baja races all day plane crashes. This trail is about 300 miles long. Which takes about 7 hours non stop.”​

I kinda think people would need to plan on at least 3 days for the whole trip unless you live near Chitcago. And that’s if you feel comfortable doing the 490 miles round trip in a day.

 

[Skullglide]

I’m intrigued

 

[jd4320t]

It’s a ~10 hour drive depending on where you’re leaving from. I guess from Indy it would be 8-ish.

Probably people would want to hit the trailhead early morning if you’re planning on driving straight through both ways without camping. On X off road says it’s 245 miles one way. At 35 mph average that’s 7 hours there, 7 back. If you’re not planning to camp, that’s a long day on the trail.

Also. I don’t know about the available of fuel. I doubt there are any charging stations so all you guys with a Hummer EV will be disappointed. So diesel and gas vehicles would probably want to bring extra gas.

On X rates it a 3/10 difficulty. But it looks like there are some obstacles if people want to do that. It adds to the time it takes to do the trail.

Really it sounds like a descent trail. It’s just quite long. On X’s description of the history is interesting.

“Originally this trail was put together by someone who used to desert race. They called Baja races all day plane crashes. This trail is about 300 miles long. Which takes about 7 hours non stop.”​

I kinda think people would need to plan on at least 3 days for the whole trip unless you live near Chitcago. And that’s if you feel comfortable doing the 490 miles round trip in a day.

I watched a few YouTube videos yesterday and saw that there’s at least one little store/restaurant with one gas pump along the way.

 

[jd4320t]

Great thread. I had no idea there were any places like this around us. After watching some YouTube videos it looks like the KAT is more advanced than the 7 hour plane crash trail.

A couple years ago when I had more vacation and more income I was thinking of getting into overlanding with a truck camper.

 

[ditcherman]

So diesel and gas vehicles would probably want to bring extra gas.

It’s what we do.
Gotta look the part.
Hardcore off-roaders, and car campers, all accuse overlanders as what we may call ‘larpers’ here.

 

[ditcherman]

Some trails in the UP get pretty narrow if you’re fat like me.
That’s not paint scratches, that’s memories and character marks.

For being nearly completely flat, we had a great time in the UP. Somehow, when you’re up there, it feels like big country like out west, even though it’s not.

Only trip to the UP we spent 3 days hiking the Pictured Rocks trail and then 3 days just driving around camping in random spots.

Ton of resources over on Overland Bound if you’re into it. I was active over there when it first started but not for a while.

 

[gregkl]

I am interested in places a stock Cherokee XJ can go. I'm not into rock gardens or mud bogs but I won't be afraid of a few scratches since the body of mine is already scratched and dented.

It sits about an inch or so above stock (Up Country option). I am working on some recovery points, factory tow hooks up front and a d-ring set up for the receiver hitch in the rear.

Right now I am working on getting it road worthy and reliable so any money I'm spending on it going to essentials so I'm hopefully not a burden on the trail.

 

[jamil]

View attachment 253321
Some trails in the UP get pretty narrow if you’re fat like me.
That’s not paint scratches, that’s memories and character marks.

For being nearly completely flat, we had a great time in the UP. Somehow, when you’re up there, it feels like big country like out west, even though it’s not.

Only trip to the UP we spent 3 days hiking the Pictures Ricks trail and then 3 days just driving around camping in random spots.

Ton of resources over on Overland Bound if you’re into it. I was active over there when it first started but not for a while.

I just got a 2023 Rubicon delivered the other day. I got like 100 miles on it. I am NOT gonna pinstripe that for at least another 20K miles. If I get some rash in places unnoticeable, fine. Maybe I’ll have it wrapped. But I’m avoiding narrow wooded trails for the foreseeable future.

 

[jamil]

I am interested in places a stock Cherokee XJ can go. I'm not into rock gardens or mud bogs but I won't be afraid of a few scratches since the body of mine is already scratched and dented.

It sits about an inch or so above stock (Up Country option). I am working on some recovery points, factory tow hooks up front and a d-ring set up for the receiver hitch in the rear.

Right now I am working on getting it road worthy and reliable so any money I'm spending on it going to essentials so I'm hopefully not a burden on the trail.
View attachment 253340

I bought a ‘96 brand new. Had it for 17 years. I loved it. But a hail storm totaled it and like a dumbass I took the insurances money. The engine was losing compression so I let it go.

I should have kept it and engine swapped it. I wouldn’t have been afraid to take that anywhere. What’s some pinstripes compared to the hail dents? Or having to replace the windshield? Again. It’s not like I haven’t had to replace that a bunch of times anyway. I just did not think that through.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I just got a 2023 Rubicon delivered the other day. I got like 100 miles on it. I am NOT gonna pinstripe that for at least another 20K miles. If I get some rash in places unnoticeable, fine. Maybe I’ll have it wrapped. But I’m avoiding narrow wooded trails for the foreseeable future.

When it warms up a bit, I'm making magnetic armor for my Power Wagon. My son is going to air brush the design for me, he's in design stage at the moment. I fully intend to use this truck, but I also intend to take care of it and not have to run a buffer after every trail.

 

[Slow Hand]

I’ve been enthralled with YouTube videos from Dirt Lifestyle and Trail Recon as well as a couple other random vids. I wish we had areas like that around here.

We go to Michigan to do a bird hunting trip every fall. It’s beautiful up there. We’ve been in the upper part of the lower and the western part of the UP. We have camped up there but it’s really just to be closer to hunting spots. I would love to make a spring or early fall trip up there to spend a few days just hanging out in the woods.

There’s a fairly new Facebook group, Indy Overlander, we had a meetup yesterday in HNF. More of a meet and greet type of deal than off roading but it was good to meet some like minded folk.

 

[Slow Hand]

This was our campsite up in the UP last October. Mine was the small red tent. My buddy had a nice setup all ready for us to go!

 

[Slow Hand]

As was said, much of the UP is sandy. We drove mostly two tracks or logging roads. I had just got my 4Runner a couple of weeks before the trip. Still had the paper plates on it!

 

[gregkl]

View attachment 253346
As was said, much of the UP is sandy. We drove mostly two tracks or logging roads. I had just got my 4Runner a couple of weeks before the trip. Still had the paper plates on it!

Two tracks, fire service roads and logging roads are where my interests lie.

 

[jamil]

When it warms up a bit, I'm making magnetic armor for my Power Wagon. My son is going to air brush the design for me, he's in design stage at the moment. I fully intend to use this truck, but I also intend to take care of it and not have to run a buffer after every trail.

It’s a lot less $$$ than wrapping it. I’ll have to consider that.

 

[Skullglide]

I plan on working this rig in Colorado. The trucks big, but I can move it around. I can sleep in the back, just got a decked storage drawer set up a couple weeks ago.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

It’s a lot less $$$ than wrapping it. I’ll have to consider that.

They make pre-cut kits for Jeeps and a few others, but nothing for the PW. I'm just buying sheets of the material they use and cutting it myself. I'll post up pics of the end result once it's done.

 

[ditcherman]

View attachment 253422

I plan on working this rig in Colorado. The trucks big, but I can move it around. I can sleep in the back, just got a decked storage drawer set up a couple weeks ago.

Plenty of wide open stuff for that to work.
Tacos, jeeps and what not are all the hotness for good reason but full size is still a blast. Cummins for the win too.

Had an awesome ride through the San Juan’s, some of the passes I wanted to do were closed from snow in September, and that was probably a good thing so I didn’t try going down Bridal Veil Falls or something stupid like that, in a Tundra.

Don’t know how much experience you have sleeping in a topper, but you definitely need some ventilation/exhaust.

 

[jamil]

View attachment 253422

I plan on working this rig in Colorado. The trucks big, but I can move it around. I can sleep in the back, just got a decked storage drawer set up a couple weeks ago.

I thought of getting decked storage for my truck not long after I got it. But then I found I was using the bed more for hauling stuff than I thought I would. I think it would be really good if you're using your truck for overlanding. Lots of accessible places to store stuff.