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From my last fall trip to CO, Last Dollar road. Amazing scenery. Fairly rough dirt road, but easily doable by van with decent tires (All Terrains). There were a few muddy places you could slip off the edge with ordinary tires.


Sky Wheel Tire Car Vehicle

Tire Sky Wheel Mountain Plant


There's alot of remote scenery in CO accessible by van, and alot NOT. Some very serious trails out there.
 
Beach driving at Fort Stevens State Park Oregon. Great fun. First time for me. Was surprised how hard the 4x4 was working - I guess sand was softer than it felt when walking. Didn't need to deflate or 4Lo tho. Steering was by suggestion.

Nice spot for lunch, but have. to say driven beaches get pretty trashed.

Sky Ecoregion Automotive tire Cloud Asphalt


Compare where I cycled away from crowds...

Water Water resources Liquid Fluid Coastal and oceanic landforms
 
Discussion starter · #49 · (Edited)
Still waiting on the Transit lift and gearing/diff to arrive. Couldn't resist some mild off-roading near Death Valley.

These Sumitomo Encounter AT tires are awesome on the dirt and street. Starting to hear some road noise as they break in. I think I'm love with the tires though.

Tire Wheel Cloud Sky Vehicle

Cloud Tire Wheel Sky Vehicle

Atmosphere Sky Nature Building Horizon

Sky Slope Bedrock Landscape Formation
 
Discussion starter · #50 ·
Got the first true muscle flexing of the Transit in the dirt post lift. I'll definitely need a fan assisted transmission cooler now.

TrueTrac works phenomenally. Clearance is so much better with 4-5" of front lift and 4" rear. Still working out some details though.

Tire Sky Cloud Wheel Vehicle

Wheel Tire Car Sky Vehicle

Cloud Sky Tire Vehicle Mountain
 
Chloride Cliffs. Did the whole route without issue and it is the worst I've seen it. Loaded with 8 people on board.

When Lippincott/Tea Kettle reopen I think I'll try going down Lippincott before trying going up.
I went up to Chloride Cliffs in my Tacoma a few months ago, including the final pop up to the overlook, and couldn’t imagine doing it in my 148 HR even with AWD and the 2” VC lift. I’ve only been down Lippincott, also in the Taco. It’s got a 127” wheelbase and no lift so I suppose a 130” Transit should work. I think going up in 2WD would be tough, but I guess with enough clearance you can use momentum. Keep sharing video’s, looks like fun!!
 
Discussion starter · #55 ·
I went up to Chloride Cliffs in my Tacoma a few months ago, including the final pop up to the overlook, and couldn’t imagine doing it in my 148 HR even with AWD and the 2” VC lift. I’ve only been down Lippincott, also in the Taco. It’s got a 127” wheelbase and no lift so I suppose a 130” Transit should work. I think going up in 2WD would be tough, but I guess with enough clearance you can use momentum. Keep sharing video’s, looks like fun!!
As a former '18 JK 2dr Rubicon and '19 Colorado ZR2 owner, my Transit is very capable now.

31.5" tires and 4.5" of lift plus the shock mounts relocated and TrueTrac, I'm very happy with the ability to walk over a lot of terrain that had me dragging intercooler, shock mounts, and side step before.

Still a few tweaks but almost there.
 
Got the first true muscle flexing of the Transit in the dirt post lift. I'll definitely need a fan assisted transmission cooler now.

TrueTrac works phenomenally. Clearance is so much better with 4-5" of front lift and 4" rear. Still working out some details though.

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Were you in manual second gear? If you were, get the fan. If not, try again limiting to second gear. Or first even. This stops the transmission from slipping the torque converter so much.
 
Discussion starter · #57 ·
Were you in manual second gear? If you were, get the fan. If not, try again limiting to second gear. Or first even. This stops the transmission from slipping the torque converter so much.
I run tow/haul in the dirt. Steep and rocky climbs in 1st.

My stock heat exchanger failed so I'm using a non-fan assisted transmission cooler. It is good for highway and pavement but the gnarly off-road I'm building this for requires a fan assisted cooler. I overheated on a long steep climb and we're not in summer yet!
 
Your issues remind me of when I tried to use my Subaru Forester off road years ago, before that was a thing other than perhaps in Australia. It was stock height, so I had to go slow to avoid damage, though eventually I got skid plates which allowed me to use a bit more momentum with less fear of holing the oil pan or whacking the diff. But with normal gearing and no low range that still wasn’t slow enough. And though mine was not an automatic, clutch slip was my temp overheat analogy. As much fun as it can be to get somewhere in a 2wd or low clearance vehicle, sometimes ground clearance + low gearing + 4 wheel traction can’t be beat.
 
Discussion starter · #59 ·
Your issues remind me of when I tried to use my Subaru Forester off road years ago, before that was a thing other than perhaps in Australia. It was stock height, so I had to go slow to avoid damage, though eventually I got skid plates which allowed me to use a bit more momentum with less fear of holing the oil pan or whacking the diff. But with normal gearing and no low range that still wasn’t slow enough. And though mine was not an automatic, clutch slip was my temp overheat analogy. As much fun as it can be to get somewhere in a 2wd or low clearance vehicle, sometimes ground clearance + low gearing + 4 wheel traction can’t be beat.
My Transit is a beast in the dirt. I've already owned the best box stock off-roaders and with my riding 6-7" taller than stock, regeared, Eaton Truetrac it goes very well in the dirt. The Jeeps and the UTV's keep chasing me down to see what's up.

Sky Cloud Plant community Mountain Bedrock
 
Discussion starter · #60 ·
I've already posted pics of my van at Aguereberry Point in Death Valley but never have I been there in snow.

A 4Runner stopped us on the way up the mountain and said they turned back near the top. I pressed on wanting to see how my van would do and it only got deeper snow on the trail but so far it was handling well and powering up the trail without issue.

I get up near the top where the snow and incline caused the 4Runner to slide sideways and make the driver retreat. I had momentum and slid up the hill in a drift but forward motion was good and we made it up.

The TrueTrac is an awesome piece as are the Sumitomo tires. They just flat stick in the dirt and on snow.

Sky Snow Plant Nature Mountain

Mountain Sky Snow Nature Slope

Sky Mountain Slope Mode of transport Snow

Sky Tire Wheel Vehicle Automotive tire

Sky Tire Wheel Cloud Car
 
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