The Official TGR Overlanding Thread

[ötzi]

Www.priusoffroad.com

Of course that site exists, this is America after all. Yeesh.

If you're gonna take yer Prius offroad I recommend only going half as far as you want to.

[NW_SKIER]

Of course that site exists, this is America after all. Yeet yeet.

If you're gonna take yer Prius offroad I recommend only going half as far as you want to.

Fify

[muted reborn]

Here's a prius getting after it without a lift, or more like just trying to get out. It's extra amazing it ended up here if you know the area - there are some big fucking mountains most people use as landmarks to know what is north/south but the lady got confused.

What I learned is you need some 2x6 in the back if you offroad a Prius and you will get a real strong upper body from constantly stacking rocks.



Looks very tedious.

[LongShortLong]

You ever drive down Flint Trail and camp in The Maze?

Yes. There was a picture in here somewhere. Good luck finding it. I looked.

Twas fun. Like being in a real life Coyote/Road Runner toon for a few days. Awesome "trails" in that they ascend canyon walls, wandering side to side climbing ten feet up from one sandstone ledge to the next. Not much water out there

[basinbeater]

A fun thing to do on those desert roads is let the wife unit drive, throw the rc car out on the road in front, and drive it from the passenger seat. Sometimes the side of the road acts like a natural quarter pipe for the rc truck. Good times.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using TGR Forums mobile app

[frorider]

Family overlanding is the best: https://www.thedrive.com/news/43152/...-airlifted-out

Surprised to read this potentially capable rig had no lockers.

[The Reverend Floater]

Family overlanding is the best: https://www.thedrive.com/news/43152/...-airlifted-out

Surprised to read this potentially capable rig had no lockers.

Agreed, though I don't think it would make any difference. Having been stuck in desert mud before (maybe 1/3 as deep at best), that shit is like greasy soup. No chance.

[Marshall Tucker]

[MakersTeleMark]

^^^ How did I miss you at the burn?

[muted reborn]

IMHO you can get a better ride, almost always, but custom leaf pack is going to be pricey. You're on the right track in searching for a quality shop.

You were right. About $3k for leaf pack made for the weight of the vehicle (roughly 4200 pounds front and 4200 pounds rear when dry). That sound right price-wise?

[El Chupacabra]

Ouch. I don't know... the last time I considered a custom leaf pack was 20 years ago, and for a much lighter Jeep. And I passed, bought something off the shelf.

Deaver?

[MakersTeleMark]

Go alcan if you are a leaf person.

[muted reborn]

Alcan. I went to a good shop to get good advice and they don't sell cheap brands, ha.

[muted reborn]

Go alcan if you are a leaf person.

Thanks. Why?

[Conundrum]

https://www.boisespringworks.com/

These guys did the custom springs in my 10k lb van. Rides awesome now. Dropped the van off. Picked it back up finished and ready to drive for $2kish. This was a few years ago and I know everything has gone up so maybe $3k isn't back. Doesn't sound great either.

[climberevan]

Isn't spending maximum money on upgrades the whole point of Overlanding? Sounds like you're on the right track.

[Trackhead]

I think you can call vehicle based backcountry exploration in Alaska or Northern Canada overlanding. But if you're driving around in the woods in the lower 48, it's just driving around in the woods.

AK has very little to offer outside of the haul road or Denali highway. It’s a misconception. It’s either paved, or a fucking swamp full of mosquitoes.

[Trackhead]

Brooks range coming back from Arctic Ocean. Not overlanding, because I don’t have a snorkel, hi-lift, and traction matts. Just driving a truck.

[muted reborn]

Isn't spending maximum money on upgrades the whole point of Overlanding? Sounds like you're on the right track.

Spitballing here, but if you buy a suspension package that is essentially a 'King of Hammers Suspension Upgrade' it would probably be 5 figures so no - my option is not on the right track at all.

All-in and way beyond the leaf springs amount my suspension upgrade quote today was VERY high I mean it could buy...ummmm...shit these days that amount can't buy anything nevermind

[muted reborn]

Just driving a truck.

Love it.

[muted reborn]

Did a trip in southern utah last week - anyone else getting out or is too snowy?

First night I crossed the Fremont to find an epic campsite - woke up to see a 'normal' one. Ha. No pic of it.


Next day, drove on some brutal washboards for 1.5 hours, even after airing down to 25psi - it sucked. Had to go 15mph thru the real bad stuff. Then drove 3 hours on slowww bumpy roads with not many views.

One steep pitch, not exactly hard but a bit more complicated in a full sized van.

Road dead-ended to a very nice campsite IMO, had two nights and mornings of endless views there. Shitty road was worth it. Never saw anyone.



Then off to the next campsite on the rim but not quite on the edge.

Drove out the shit road (they graded some of it while i was camping!) the next day and drove to the Dirty Devil and another campsite through a cool wash

Crossed the Dirty Devil

Great views up high at another campsite looking down at the river and where i crossed

Where the van was parked

Old miner road at sunset

The road to the campsite was an old miners road that has not been maintained in 70 years. I was nervous as shit driving a 9000 pound vehicle on it when it was close to the edge (no pics of that). It had washouts, rocks that fell and pummeled the road, and off camber bits. A Jeep or Land Cruiser would have felt absolutely fine IMO.

Then I went to Bears Ears - which are shown below looking south. Road goes between the ears at about 8250? feet.

Got snowed out on my way to the next campsite and didn't make it to Dark Canyon Wilderness area - but I'll be back this summer to explore. So instead I did a bunch of low elevation ruin hikes like Lewis Lodge, Tower, Over-Under, Monarch and a few more. Lewis, below, was sketch hiking on the edge of a massive cliff but awesome.

This was the old highway connecting Blanding to Hite - ha! Mormons made this road back in the day.


it was a good trip driving around aimlessly, with a bunch of hiking stops to break up some of the tedious roads. Also did a cool slot canyon and saw a ton of petrolglpyhs including the Great Panel.

Hope someone else posts here otherwise it's all about me and I don't want that, I want to see yer trips.

[The Reverend Floater]

Me and Conundrum have a trip coming up in a few weeks. We'll add some pics. Just put 35's on the LC and have been making some tweaks, testing it out out the canyon. I'm getting excited for "drive around on shitty road" season and my oldest is beside herself for exploring the desert.

[Conundrum]

Real nice. I think we shouldn't have to many rafters to deal with but UTVs might be another animal.

[muted reborn]

That looks quite capable - you must be planning some sporty trails for the 35's. I thought you had some LED lights where your front plate is first glance, ha.

Conundrum, the first few days of my trip were all roads that ban Side-by-sides and UTVs which was nice. Not that I saw any SxS or UTVs the whole week and over 2000+ miles, but still a nice policy. I guess I'm now like the old codgers at Alta that go there to avoid snowboarders?

[Conundrum]

It’s not that I mind UTVs. It’s generally the people driving them. At least around here. Usually transplants who litter and shit all over the place then tell me I need to go back to where I came from due to the lack of confederate flags and MAGA stickers on my 80 and I’m not open carrying as a member of their trail run group.