So you want to go Overlanding in the new Ranger...

[Ranger305]

Bumping this thread...anyone started overlanding their Ranger yet? My wife and I just came back from OEE2019 and I'm stoked to have gotten her starting to get interested in what my plan is all about...I'm leaning towards a hard shell camp trailer...specifically Overkill, Offgrid, Hiker Trailer and maybe do a custom job with WEEROLL...or how about this from Transglobal/Weeroll? Are those gun ports below the two windows?

I'm in the process of fabbing up some mounts for a fridge and some under-tonneau-cover storage before I mount my Yakima rack and 33" BFGs. I'm plan spend a month or two off-grid out in CA, UT, and CO next summer. Pics will follow.

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[Deleted member 1634]

Unfortunately didn't take any pictures, but vetted out the whole rig this weekend. Were originally planning to go to the family cabin in Canada, as is tradition over the Independence weekend, but that obviously wasn't going to happen. So we were gonna head up to some remote dispersed camping sites in the Superior National Forest that my brother (USFS employee up there) recommended. Unfortunately it seems like everyone else had the same idea as we weren't able to find a single open site after driving around all day to different places. And with most of the campgrounds closed, the usually empty dispersed sites were next filled. Disappointing. But with it being mid-90s and humid all weekend, I was debating whether we should even go anyways.

Either way, it ended up being a good off-road test for our whole rig (truck, kayaks, and teardrop). Used all of the terrain modes and the trail control in my FX4. Gravel mode helped climb the loose rock hills. Mud/rut mode probably not needed but I used it on the rutted out two-tracks though the trees. And sand mode definitely came in handy. They're rebuilding a section of one of the roads and since it's been so dry here the gravel/fill they used has become almost a super fine sand-like powder. I was getting pulled all over the place and bogged down, especially with the camper behind. But in sand mode I barely knew there was a problem. Some of the rutted out and rocky two-tracks used all of the Ranger's and camper's ground clearance (never hit, but needed that clearance), and the it was quite the overgrown so there's a quite a few (as far as I can tell superficial) scratches down the side of the truck. haha

All-in-all, disappointed we weren't able to find a spot, but very happy with the off-road capability of our rig! Makes me feel much better about all the plans I have for it!

 

[mtbikernate]

Bumping this thread...anyone started overlanding their Ranger yet? My wife and I just came back from OEE2019 and I'm stoked to have gotten her starting to get interested in what my plan is all about...I'm leaning towards a hard shell camp trailer...specifically Overkill, Offgrid, Hiker Trailer and maybe do a custom job with WEEROLL...or how about this from Transglobal/Weeroll? Are those gun ports below the two windows?

I have a Hiker.


0615201313 by Nate, on Flickr

Mine is a Highway Deluxe model, but since each one is built to order, it has a couple choice upgrades that mean it could handle some rougher stuff. Namely a much stouter tongue and a 3500lb axle (whole trailer loaded only weighs about 1400lbs, so lots of wiggle room). No gnarly rock crawling for mine, but rough/rutted gravel is reasonable. I used to work for the USFS in southern Utah, and drove all over the forest in a big 4wd suburban. I bet I could get my Hiker into most of the spots on the forest I visited back then with just a couple little upgrades.

Originally bought this trailer to be pulled by a Subie. The true off-road versions of Hikers are MUCH heavier (and would have exceeded the Subie's tow rating by a good margin). I've been tempted to flip the rear axle to gain some ground clearance and have also been tempted to add some shock absorbers to tame the bounce on gravel.

I have a buddy who works at a shop that does 4x4 van conversions as a welder, so I'm pretty sure if I went that route, he's got the skills to be able to help weld on some shock mounts and a better articulating coupler.

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