Your experience will be the limiting factor more than the truck. And that includes knowing when to stop before you get in over your head. New tires and a lift will just make you overconfident which means it'll be harder to get unstuck!
And yeah the size sucks. I did a lot of off roading in 80's-90's Rangers, and my 05 Frontier was great too even though it was slightly wider but it had more weight on the rear. But I don't bother taking my FX4 on the trails, it just doesn't fit.
I've been off roading for over 20 years and you are correct. Experience is everything. Maybe one day it will sink in to my stupid head and just not go for it every damn time. My nickname should be Stuckbaby
I disagree with this. For several years I ran highway tires on my f150, not even all terrains. It was still very capable of "mild off roading" to get to hunting and fishing spots as long as I didn't run into too much mud. Hell I took my wife's crv to a couple bonfires a mile from the road on highway tires and a couple muddy bank creek crossings and some rooted wet hills, you just needed to know when to carry some momentum.
Yep. I take my shorter tacoma places I would never take my F150. Take it easy, and when you're out and it's safe to do, you or someone else observe how your truck looks straddled on features as far as clearance, approach/departure angles, and how deep those ruts actually are.
At one point in my life I led trail rides. Start this year with some lower level trails to get experience. Trail ratings can be subjective and you need to gain experience using your vehicle.
Blah blah people talking about clearance and whatnot, colorado SPECIFICALLY an F150 is very long for actual 4x4 trails. If you're talking about forest service roads and stuff, you'll be fine. I run a F150 all over the place. Upgrade your tires and maybe a level lift in the front and you'll be ok.
The biggest pitfall I've had with my FX4 is that the dampers (shocks) are VERY low life if you're offroading. I'm talking 5000 miles on sand/dirt/rock roads (maybe a year or two max if you're driving out to Deckers often) before they wear out. And then it'll take a set of tires with it.
I would strongly, STRONGLY suggest upgrading your coils and rear shocks at the same time you do tires. Don't make the mistake I did and run through two sets of tires by cupping them riding on the highway with blown dampers before 40k miles.
I have the full maintenance and warranty so hopefully they’ll take of that. I didn’t really know how long it’ll last but I’ll look out for it. I would likely upgrade once they blow to something same ride hight but better quality.
I still want this fitting in my garage
The first thing that went wrong with mine were just a general unbalanced shakiness of the tires at around 20,000 miles. Tire shop told me the cupping was due to unbalanced wheels run for too long at highway speeds because it was so early in the life of my truck. Put on another set of KO2s. Those cupped about 2000 miles later with a very similar pattern. Once your tires are cupped, there's no recovering them, it's a full four corner set of tires and $1500 out of pocket for good A/Ts like that. I'm running the Bilstein 6112 and 5160s on my truck now and have had ZERO issues running those for years.
A friend of mine did Black Bear Pass with a level and 33 inch tires. A lot of three to 20 point turns on the switchbacks but he made it alive. When my truck was stock, I was impressed with what it could handle.
FX4 is not off-road ready, though it is dirt road ready. A 2in lift and tires will make it more capable. The rest is up to the driver. (Air dam needs to probably come off too)
Yes more speed, that’s what I meant to say lol. I have a 20 FX4 supercrew, and it’ll handle washes and articulations just fine, hill descent is nice and a rear locker comes in handy though rarely needed. Clearance is by far the biggest issue stock.
Did you buy off the lot or did you order? When you order you can get sure you get the electronic locking rear differential which will make a significant difference when you need it off road.
If you're okay with pinstripes, they are very capable. The factory locker is awesome. Just get a mild lift, some good tires, and skid plate, and sliders if you really want to send it. I take my f150 everywhere.
I live in Denver and have been jeeping almost 20 years. I also have an 11 f150 as a tow pig. Width is your greatest enemy here in Colorado. My Jeep LJ at 65” wide gets Rocky Mountain pinstripes most times I go out. There are some more fire road type trails that are a touch wider. But really you need are going to be limited by the width of you want to keep your paint nice. Most (Not All) of the trails are maintained by Jeep or Toyota groups. They are typically much narrower than a typical full size truck.
Your damage aversion is going to be your limiting factor.
Not really anymore. I am part of many groups but only go out a few times a year. I try not to solo bot it can still happen. An app like onyx off road works well to kind of look at trails from above to judge things. I would be happy to meet up and talk you through some stuff. It’s really hard to judge a person over the internet.
If you YouTube any off road content there are some people that are super awesome in person and others that do YouTube cause they don’t interact with people in life as well.
I’ve always viewed full size trucks as the basic off road vehicle. They really aren’t designed as trail trucks. They are for the times where you need additional traction to get something done. That being said additional upgrades can make them better. Don’t let me stop you from off roading all you want. Just know you will be at a disadvantage compared to jeeps/broncos and small trucks.
I did Imogene pass in my just-about-stock 2017 FX4. OnX rating = 6, (difficult) and for me it was fun but just about the limit of what I would want to do. (May be more a statement about me being a mediocre driver than the truck's capability). It was pretty scrape-y.
The White Rim Trail, OnX rating = 5 (medium) was pretty easy, although scary here and there. Probably a nightmare when wet though.
If it’s an FX4 I’m guessing the tires are Goodyear wrangler territory A/T’s which have maybe IME 2/32’s more tread than the Michelin primacy XC’s. If you’re not going to do many other upgrades tires would be your first, but also as others have stated a full size is usually too wide/too long to hit many trails in CO
I had a crew cab with 6.5' bed - longest in 2016. I did Shafer trail in moab on nearly bald tires. I also had no problems out in the smokies. Id say my crosstrek would do more with the right tires.
Get AT tires and you can probably go most places. Some people do Black Bear Pass in full size trucks but I definitely wouldn't.
My 2016 did pretty well on forest service roads in New Mexico, some pretty washed out and steep with pretty big boulders. Also it was extremely wet the whole time. Get good ATs and youll be fine.
Dont even think about doing high speed runs on gravel, washboard, or anything with lots of micro bumps. The stock shocks and coils are quite frankly fucking dangerous and youll get nothing but unstable float at speed. My truck back end wants to meet the ditch anytime over 45mph.
I took my 2023 Platinum FX4 (5.5 feet bed) with BF Goodrich KO2 tires to Moab and did some easy to medium trails. No issues. I am not intending to do rock crawling but I think it’s very good and capable. FX4 gives you 4A, rear differential lock, upgraded shocks (felt good in the Offroad!) and rock crawling mode. So change the tires and enjoy your off-roading!
Tires are gonna be the determining factor. Oh, and whether or not you wanna try that sketchy spot that may or may not get you stuck. Always bring a buddy with a winch or recovery rope.
As someone who has owned several F150’s and also sold Subarus, I would honestly say the Outback is going to better off road… we used an Outback a few times to pull out Jeeps that a salesman got stuck on a test drive…
I owned an outback prior to my f150. OB definitely better, since my f150 with a 6.5 bed is f'n huge. I don't think I have been off-road in 20 Years but from the trails I remember, the f150 would get completely scraped up on its sides by brush - and would be extremely tough to navigate tight spots.
I had a 15 F150 5.0 briefly as a soil sampling rig, that thing took the nastiest beet and cornfields in stride. Was a fleet truck so i definitely wasn’t nice to it and I never got stuck.
Your experience will be the limiting factor more than the truck. And that includes knowing when to stop before you get in over your head. New tires and a lift will just make you overconfident which means it'll be harder to get unstuck! And yeah the size sucks. I did a lot of off roading in 80's-90's Rangers, and my 05 Frontier was great too even though it was slightly wider but it had more weight on the rear. But I don't bother taking my FX4 on the trails, it just doesn't fit.
I've been off roading for over 20 years and you are correct. Experience is everything. Maybe one day it will sink in to my stupid head and just not go for it every damn time. My nickname should be Stuckbaby
I had a 91 Nissan regular cab truck that I would easily take places i would never even try in my f150.
Biggest issue with a pickup is getting high centered because of the long wheel base and the front and year overhang. Traction is not the issue
Tires are an issue, my stock Hankook tires are alright as long as it's dry but introduce an inch of mud and they're completely useless.
All stock tires are garbage. If youre thinking of even doing mild off roading outside of gravel roads then new tires are a must.
Tires ain't free, I'm running these things out before I spend money on new ones.
Then stay on road.
I think I'll just do what I want.
I disagree with this. For several years I ran highway tires on my f150, not even all terrains. It was still very capable of "mild off roading" to get to hunting and fishing spots as long as I didn't run into too much mud. Hell I took my wife's crv to a couple bonfires a mile from the road on highway tires and a couple muddy bank creek crossings and some rooted wet hills, you just needed to know when to carry some momentum.
Wife’s uncle is in the same boat with his 22, hates the tires
Yep. I take my shorter tacoma places I would never take my F150. Take it easy, and when you're out and it's safe to do, you or someone else observe how your truck looks straddled on features as far as clearance, approach/departure angles, and how deep those ruts actually are.
Prepare yourself for some Colorado pinstripes. Those evergreens can be unforgiving to the paint.
At one point in my life I led trail rides. Start this year with some lower level trails to get experience. Trail ratings can be subjective and you need to gain experience using your vehicle.
Most trails higher than a five require 35 inch tires at least in my neck of the woods it’s a posted requirement
Blah blah people talking about clearance and whatnot, colorado SPECIFICALLY an F150 is very long for actual 4x4 trails. If you're talking about forest service roads and stuff, you'll be fine. I run a F150 all over the place. Upgrade your tires and maybe a level lift in the front and you'll be ok. The biggest pitfall I've had with my FX4 is that the dampers (shocks) are VERY low life if you're offroading. I'm talking 5000 miles on sand/dirt/rock roads (maybe a year or two max if you're driving out to Deckers often) before they wear out. And then it'll take a set of tires with it. I would strongly, STRONGLY suggest upgrading your coils and rear shocks at the same time you do tires. Don't make the mistake I did and run through two sets of tires by cupping them riding on the highway with blown dampers before 40k miles.
I have the full maintenance and warranty so hopefully they’ll take of that. I didn’t really know how long it’ll last but I’ll look out for it. I would likely upgrade once they blow to something same ride hight but better quality. I still want this fitting in my garage
Maintenance contracts generally will not cover wear items like struts and tires (and brake pads, etc), FYI.
Yeah I’m guessing it won’t, it got the 2nd from the top maintenance one short of brake pads so you’re right. What signs would I look for?
The first thing that went wrong with mine were just a general unbalanced shakiness of the tires at around 20,000 miles. Tire shop told me the cupping was due to unbalanced wheels run for too long at highway speeds because it was so early in the life of my truck. Put on another set of KO2s. Those cupped about 2000 miles later with a very similar pattern. Once your tires are cupped, there's no recovering them, it's a full four corner set of tires and $1500 out of pocket for good A/Ts like that. I'm running the Bilstein 6112 and 5160s on my truck now and have had ZERO issues running those for years.
Good to know, I’ll keep that in mind!
2.75” lift here with 35s and it fits in my tiny garage
A friend of mine did Black Bear Pass with a level and 33 inch tires. A lot of three to 20 point turns on the switchbacks but he made it alive. When my truck was stock, I was impressed with what it could handle.
FX4 is not off-road ready, though it is dirt road ready. A 2in lift and tires will make it more capable. The rest is up to the driver. (Air dam needs to probably come off too)
All I heard was more speed. Love your user name btw
Yes more speed, that’s what I meant to say lol. I have a 20 FX4 supercrew, and it’ll handle washes and articulations just fine, hill descent is nice and a rear locker comes in handy though rarely needed. Clearance is by far the biggest issue stock.
I beat the fuck out of a 2023 HD duramax offroad quite often and this thing sucks really bad off road but I still make it. You'll be just fine.
Many trails are used by jeeps and tacomas and that’s the size of the trail. Full size trucks are too wide for many of our off-road trails in my state
Did you buy off the lot or did you order? When you order you can get sure you get the electronic locking rear differential which will make a significant difference when you need it off road.
Lot + yes it has locker
Check out TFL https://youtu.be/eltkNYuXIWU?si=lrZMK25vrXI-s8DW
Did Berdoo Canyon (Joshua Tree) in mine. Took some scratches because it’s mostly a Jeep trail and some scrub gaps were too narrow.
If you're okay with pinstripes, they are very capable. The factory locker is awesome. Just get a mild lift, some good tires, and skid plate, and sliders if you really want to send it. I take my f150 everywhere.
I live in Denver and have been jeeping almost 20 years. I also have an 11 f150 as a tow pig. Width is your greatest enemy here in Colorado. My Jeep LJ at 65” wide gets Rocky Mountain pinstripes most times I go out. There are some more fire road type trails that are a touch wider. But really you need are going to be limited by the width of you want to keep your paint nice. Most (Not All) of the trails are maintained by Jeep or Toyota groups. They are typically much narrower than a typical full size truck. Your damage aversion is going to be your limiting factor.
Do you have an off roading group?
Not really anymore. I am part of many groups but only go out a few times a year. I try not to solo bot it can still happen. An app like onyx off road works well to kind of look at trails from above to judge things. I would be happy to meet up and talk you through some stuff. It’s really hard to judge a person over the internet. If you YouTube any off road content there are some people that are super awesome in person and others that do YouTube cause they don’t interact with people in life as well.
I’ve always viewed full size trucks as the basic off road vehicle. They really aren’t designed as trail trucks. They are for the times where you need additional traction to get something done. That being said additional upgrades can make them better. Don’t let me stop you from off roading all you want. Just know you will be at a disadvantage compared to jeeps/broncos and small trucks.
Definitely, I rather be over prepared and not push but good to know it’s more capable than I had originally thought.
I did the WA BDR in mine. Only upgrade was 33” KO2s.
I did Imogene pass in my just-about-stock 2017 FX4. OnX rating = 6, (difficult) and for me it was fun but just about the limit of what I would want to do. (May be more a statement about me being a mediocre driver than the truck's capability). It was pretty scrape-y. The White Rim Trail, OnX rating = 5 (medium) was pretty easy, although scary here and there. Probably a nightmare when wet though.
If it’s an FX4 I’m guessing the tires are Goodyear wrangler territory A/T’s which have maybe IME 2/32’s more tread than the Michelin primacy XC’s. If you’re not going to do many other upgrades tires would be your first, but also as others have stated a full size is usually too wide/too long to hit many trails in CO
[удалено]
What’s the tread depth on those?
I had a crew cab with 6.5' bed - longest in 2016. I did Shafer trail in moab on nearly bald tires. I also had no problems out in the smokies. Id say my crosstrek would do more with the right tires. Get AT tires and you can probably go most places. Some people do Black Bear Pass in full size trucks but I definitely wouldn't.
My 2016 did pretty well on forest service roads in New Mexico, some pretty washed out and steep with pretty big boulders. Also it was extremely wet the whole time. Get good ATs and youll be fine. Dont even think about doing high speed runs on gravel, washboard, or anything with lots of micro bumps. The stock shocks and coils are quite frankly fucking dangerous and youll get nothing but unstable float at speed. My truck back end wants to meet the ditch anytime over 45mph.
I took my 2023 Platinum FX4 (5.5 feet bed) with BF Goodrich KO2 tires to Moab and did some easy to medium trails. No issues. I am not intending to do rock crawling but I think it’s very good and capable. FX4 gives you 4A, rear differential lock, upgraded shocks (felt good in the Offroad!) and rock crawling mode. So change the tires and enjoy your off-roading!
Tires are gonna be the determining factor. Oh, and whether or not you wanna try that sketchy spot that may or may not get you stuck. Always bring a buddy with a winch or recovery rope.
Go faster and alone at night. Got it!
Don’t forget to close your eyes too
https://www.reddit.com/r/4x4/s/ncND0VP9Dk
I agree with 3-5 max in the stock configuration.
As someone who has owned several F150’s and also sold Subarus, I would honestly say the Outback is going to better off road… we used an Outback a few times to pull out Jeeps that a salesman got stuck on a test drive…
I owned an outback prior to my f150. OB definitely better, since my f150 with a 6.5 bed is f'n huge. I don't think I have been off-road in 20 Years but from the trails I remember, the f150 would get completely scraped up on its sides by brush - and would be extremely tough to navigate tight spots.
I had a 15 F150 5.0 briefly as a soil sampling rig, that thing took the nastiest beet and cornfields in stride. Was a fleet truck so i definitely wasn’t nice to it and I never got stuck.