For any burgeoning off-roader, getting stuck is a right of passage. Whether it鈥檚 an off-camber obstacle that鈥檚 left a tire or two spinning uselessly in the air or a childlike gravitation toward whatever sloppy, muddy terrain you can find (which is what happened to me聽in the photo above), physics and the limitations of friction will get you at some point. Be prepared with the right equipment or, at the very least, the knowledge of what around you can help free your stuck rig.

Sticks and Brush (Free)

In a pinch, sometimes sticks and brush can be the best (read: absolutely free) method for getting moving again. To understand how exactly to do this, it helps to have an idea of how axles and differentials work together to move a vehicle down the road. Most daily-driver cars and trucks come with open differentials that allow wheels on the same axle to travel at different speeds, which is necessary since the wheel on the outside of a turn needs to travel farther and faster than the wheel on the inside. This is great for on-road driving, when all four tires are firmly planted on the pavement, but an unfortunate byproduct of this design is lost forward momentum any time one wheel is in the air, as the open differential will send power to whichever wheel is slipping the most. If a wheel is spinning, the way to get it to stop鈥攖hus forcing the truck to send power to the planted wheel鈥攊s to give the spinning wheel something to grab onto. If you鈥檙e caught in this scenario out in the desert with no recovery equipment, you can usually get the job done by gathering sticks, brush, rocks, or whatever you can find, and jamming them under that traction-less wheel until it catches, giving your vehicle聽the grip needed to free itself. You may need a lot of sticks and brush, and this certainly isn鈥檛 the fastest means to extraction. (Never mind that all the sticks and brush in the world wouldn鈥檛 have saved me from that mud hole.) But it鈥檚 a good first option before resorting to more drastic means. Ultimately, though, if you plan to get off-road regularly, you鈥檒l want to invest in a more sophisticated method.

Recovery Strap ($50)

At under $50, a good recovery strap is a cheap yet reliable piece of insurance against getting stuck. Immediately after getting my Land Cruiser freed from the mud pit, with help from some good ol鈥� boys in a lifted,听seventies-era, flatbed diesel Dodge Ram, I went home and bought ($40) from Smittybilt. I opted for one with nylon loops at the end instead of metal hooks, not wanting to deal with the potentially catastrophic whiplash of a hook that fails during use. A good-size strap for pulling one passenger vehicle with another is 20 to 40 feet long and between two to three inches wide (anything bigger is likely meant for heavier equipment).聽Your owner鈥檚 manual should outline appropriate recovery points on your specific car or truck. Make sure that you鈥檙e attaching the strap to one of these spots聽rather than a tie-down point (used only for shipping the car on a carrier), the axles, suspension, or鈥擥od forbid鈥攖he bodywork (bumper, fender, etc). That would almost certainly result in something expensive being torn off. On my Land Cruiser, I鈥檝e used the rear tow hitch, attaching聽the strap with a simple girth hitch, feeding the loop on one end through the loop on the other, and pulling it tight. That said, if you鈥檙e doing a lot of recovering, it鈥檚 worth investing in a more durable D-ring shackle for your receiver hitch, like ($67) from Warn.

Recovery straps work like big elastic bands and are designed to stretch. You鈥檒l want to start with some slack, enough that the strap lays on the ground and you have ten to twenty feet to drive before it becomes taut. This allows the vehicle doing the pulling some room to get a little momentum before the strap becomes tight enough to yank聽on the stuck car. Essentially, this momentum loads the band with energy, which, once it reaches the limits of its stretch, should jerk the stuck vehicle forward. Don鈥檛 go . Five miles per hour is plenty to start, just enough to give things a little jolt. Finally, it may go without saying, but make sure to have the stuck car turned on,听in drive (or reverse if you鈥檙e pulling the back end), and someone in the driver鈥檚 seat ready to control it once it鈥檚 free.

One more thing: any time ropes, straps, or pulling is involved, a safe practice is to drape a heavy towel, blanket, or over the middle of the strap before you start pulling. This way, if the strap tears, the blanket will weigh down the flying ends and keep them from whipping into your truck or a bystander. And speaking of other people, get everyone out of the cars and well away from the recovery.

While a recovery strap won鈥檛 do you much good if you鈥檙e adventuring solo, it鈥檒l usually get the job done as long as you鈥檝e got someone else with you to do the pulling.

Traction Boards ($300)

Traction boards are typically made of orange plastic, covered in pegs, and measure about one foot by four feet. (You鈥檝e probably seen them on more than one occasion mounted to the side of a lifted Toyota Tacoma.) To use a traction board, you simply wedge it, peg聽side up, under the wheel with the least traction, and gently step on the gas to avoid spinning the wheels. Similar to the sticks-and-brush method in the example above, this gives the spinning wheel something to bite on. Once they鈥檙e properly in place, traction boards will almost certainly help any stuck vehicle get going again. Boards are also great for keeping your vehicle from getting stuck in the first place, as they can be used as ramps to climb up and over downed tree trunks or to make a bridge for traversing ruts or gullies in your path.

The industry leader in traction boards is Maxtrax, and the model sells for $300. This is certainly steep for what amounts to two semiflexible pieces of plastic, but you get what you pay for, and Maxtrax products are engineered to withstand serious punishment. Be wary of cheap knock-off traction boards. While you my find yourself drawn in by their low price, these will almost certainly be less durable and carry a lower weight rating than those from a reputable manufacturer.

Winch ($500 and up)

If you need a winch, you probably already know it. These are essential for anyone planning on spending a lot of time solo off-roading on challenging terrain. A good rule of thumb is to opt for a winch with a weight rating of 1.5 to 2聽times your truck鈥檚 gross vehicle weight rating. So if your truck maxes out at 6,000 pounds when fully loaded up with gear, get a winch that can pull 9,000 to 12,000 pounds. Another important thing to decide is whether you want a nylon or steel cable. Nylon is lighter, cheaper, and safer, since it doesn鈥檛 hold as much energy and thus won鈥檛 become quite as lethal a whip if it breaks. Steel, on the other hand, is stronger and more durable. But when a steel cable fails, it does so spectacularly, with the risk for serious injury. Steel cables are also more expensive to replace.

A winch mounted to the front of a vehicle can look a little complicated, but they鈥檙e actually pretty easy to use. Typically, you鈥檒l be winching off a tree, so you want to make sure you get a , as wrapping a bare cable around a tree will shred the bark and potentially kill the tree. Also make sure that the tree is alive, as a dead one will likely rip right out of the ground once you start pulling. Much of the same logic used with a recovery strap applies to winching as well: it鈥檚 a good idea to throw a blanket over the line once you start pulling to hold the flying ends down in case of a break. Winches are controlled by a remote that either plugs into the winch itself when needed聽or is completely wireless. Wireless remotes are nice, because they allow you to easily control the winch from the driver鈥檚 seat during solo extractions. You can also winch off聽another vehicle聽or use the winch on your vehicle to pull another vehicle free. Here, too, make sure to only hook onto the specified recovery points, and it鈥檚 a good idea to have one of those trailer-hitch D-ring shackles mentioned above.

Warn, the industry leader when it comes to winches, offers a few different categories. Its ($1,116 and up) is a great place to start your search as it offers 8,000-, 10,000-, and 12,000-pound pulling capacities and features like an IP68 waterproof and dustproof聽rating. And be warned:聽winches are pricey. But if you know you鈥檒l need one, it鈥檚 worth the investment.

The Upshot

Which method makes sense for you will depend primarily on what kind of off-roading you do and how often you do it. Drive down a forest road once or twice a year? You鈥檙e probably safe relying on sticks and brush as your contingency plan. Spend a lot of time off-roading in a group? A tow strap could come in handy聽and could score you points with the rest of the crew when someone inevitably gets stuck. Do a lot of solo adventuring? Maxtrax and a winch are worthwhile.

The post The 4 Ways to Get Your Vehicle Unstuck appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

My fianc茅e and I have two dogs: Lola, a six-year-old cocker spaniel, and Timber, a three-year-old golden retriever. They鈥檙e our adventure companions, traveling with us in the car for camping trips over long weekends and quick jaunts to the trailhead for evening hikes. But cars are made for humans, so it takes extra effort to ensure my four-legged family members are properly restrained. In addition, when they aren鈥檛 belted in, they like to climb all over the place, getting in the way聽and making the interior filthy in the process.聽鈥淭his is a big issue,鈥� says Lindsey Wolko, founder of the . 鈥淲e get numerous reports a year of pets injured in the car, along with reports of people injured by projectile pets in crashes.鈥� As a dog dad, here鈥檚 how I keep my pets (and my sanity) safe while ferrying them around in my old Land Cruiser.

Hammocks

Pet 鈥渉ammocks鈥� are both cheap and extremely practical, not to mention they work in any vehicle鈥檚 back seat. These are big squares of fabric鈥攖ypically waterproof canvas鈥攖hat drape over the second row, clipping around the back- and front-seat headrests聽to form a loose sling for the dogs to lie in. While it protects the seats from dirty paws and hair, it also blocks your dogs from poking their聽head between the front seats and keeps them聽from flying into the footwell or front passenger area during sudden stops. Wolko is聽quick to point out that it鈥檚 important your hammock not slide around on your seat. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e using one that鈥檚 too slick, it can pose a risk to the dog鈥檚 ACL,鈥� she says. has a nonslip back and works really well for Timber and Lola, who seldom ride in the car without it. Timber likes to climb down around the hammock to lay on the floor. (We call it his basement apartment.)

While it鈥檚 great for short trips with just two people, the hammock doesn鈥檛 quite work when you also have back-seat passengers, which brings us to the next approach.

Cargo-Area Barriers

If you want to transport your dogs in the trunk of your SUV or station wagon, invest in a barrier. This聽separates the cargo area from the passengers and comes in a few different styles. My has adjustable metal bars and attaches to the second-row headrests.

Some designs use tension rods, while others forgo the bars altogether in favor of a mesh net. Make sure that whatever options you鈥檙e considering will fit the unique dimensions of your vehicle, especially if you鈥檙e buying online, as few back seats are exactly alike.

The cargo barrier works well for us in situations where聽it just isn鈥檛 possible to have the dogs in the back seat,听primarily when we鈥檝e got other humans riding with us. It鈥檚 also become our go-to solution for short trips; we just load the dogs in the back and get on our way. With the trunk space in my Land Cruiser, I鈥檝e transported as many as four dogs at once, thanks to the Walky Guard鈥攏ot possible with the hammock alone.

Seat-Belt Harnesses

A dog-specific seat-belt harness is likely the safest, most fail-proof way to transport your pups. It keeps our dogs restrained not only before, but also during and after, an accident, when broken windows and open doors might聽allow them to run out of the car and into a potentially dangerous situation.

When you search for 鈥渄og seat belt鈥� on Amazon, you鈥檙e bombarded with a number of options, most of which are cheap, unproven models from questionable manufacturers. I opted for . It allows the dog to move around and get comfortable in the back seat. And while less sophisticated designs hold the dog awkwardly by its neck or shoulders, the Load Up puts the pressure on the chest and hips鈥攆ar more natural and less likely to cause injury. At $80, it鈥檚 a bit pricey but worth the added peace of mind. Timber鈥檚 50-pound frame fits in a size medium, while 30-pound Lola is comfortable in a small.

I slip the Load Up over the dog鈥檚 head and clip it around their waist. Then I feed the car鈥檚 seat belt through a loop at the back of the harness. I like this design because it incorporates the vehicle鈥檚 own seat belts and attachment points, which lock in place if there鈥檚 sudden forward momentum, such as聽from an impact聽or if the dog just suddenly decides聽to climb into the front seat.

When used together, the hammock and Load Up harness create a near ideal solution for keeping your car safe from your pets聽and your pets safe in the car.

Hard Crates

Like a seat-belt harness, a hard crate will keep your dog safe even after an accident. 鈥淪ome dog breeds do better in a crate, and some do better in a harness.聽It鈥檚 really up to the owner to decide,鈥� says Wolko. Regardless of which one you choose, she says the crate should be no more than six inches longer than the pet from its nose to the base of its tail to prevent it from bouncing around too much inside during an accident. The Center for Pet Safety聽recommends the heavy-duty . (And though I don鈥檛 own one personally, 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Indefinitely Wild columnist, Wes Siler,听is a fan.) The G1 has been tested to withstand insane conditions鈥攍ike having 630 pounds dropped stright on top of it鈥攚hile built-in anchor points, a drainage system, burly handles, and a locking door serve to make this the most high-tech dog crate on the planet. But at $700, the G1 isn鈥檛 exactly a bargain. Though there are other options, don鈥檛 go too low on cost; a cheap and flimsy model isn鈥檛 worth the savings when it comes to keeping your dog safe.

The Upshot

As long as vehicles are designed for humans, there will be no perfect way to keep dogs safe in them. But the gear here can help, ensuring a drive in the car doesn鈥檛 get in the way of you聽and your pooch鈥檚 adventure time.

The post What’s the Best Way to Keep Your Dog Safe in a Car? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Ford鈥檚 full-size Transit cargo van, already popular in the #vanlife scene, is about to get even more so. Earlier this month, the automaker that the van will come with available all-wheel drive for the 2020 model year. While it isn鈥檛 the heavy-duty four-wheel-drive system that many may have been hoping for, the introduction of an聽all-wheel-drive Transit is a big deal.

History in the U.S.

First, some context. The full-size recreational van market in the U.S. is dominated by two main players: the Transit and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

The Transit was introduced in the U.S. for the 2015 model year, replacing the outdated and inefficient E-Series. While it caught on in a wide range of industries鈥攆rom delivery companies to airport-shuttle services to RV upfitters鈥攖he Transit was not available with all-wheel drive. That put it at a major disadvantage among vanlifers when compared to the AWD Sprinter聽model that was introduced in 2015.聽This changes with the updated 2020 Transit.

What Changes

Let鈥檚 make one thing clear: while all-wheel drive turns the Transit into an objectively more capable vehicle, the van still lags behind traditional 4×4聽vehicles in terms of adventure readiness. When engaged by the driver, a four-wheel-drive system聽splits power 50/50 between the front and rear wheels, meaning that both axles are forced to turn at the exact same speed, which is often necessary for propelling the vehicle over rough terrain. All-wheel-drive systems, like those in the Transit, on the other hand, typically engage聽only when the vehicle鈥檚 on-board computer deems it necessary and send torque only to the wheels that need it. But the聽computers aren鈥檛 always right, and uneven surfaces can confuse them, leading to lots of wheel spin and loss of forward momentum.

鈥淲e anticipate the AWD Ford Transit being sufficient for on-road needs and for use on the occasional forest road,鈥� says Brent Hawk, sales director at , a van-conversion outfit in Pennsylvania. 鈥淏ut what we鈥檙e hearing from RV manufacturers we work with is that many recreational customers still want traditional four-wheel drive, which allows you to go聽farther off-road than any all-wheel-drive system.鈥�

The Sprinter聽all-wheel drivetrain does offer an optional low-range mode, which is great for conquering obstacles that need to be taken at slow speed. But Hawk says that it鈥檚聽still primarily reactive, engaging at the behest of the on-board computer. In comparison, everyday pickup trucks聽like the new Ford Ranger have proactive four-wheel-drive systems that can be engaged prior to coming upon an obstacle.

The Transit鈥檚 system lacks low range altogether and is more closely related to the road-oriented all-wheel drive you鈥檒l find in a family crossover. That said, it will have selectable modes for muddy, rutted, or slippery surfaces that should make up slightly for its mechanical shortcomings. According to Ford, it can also send 鈥�100 percent of available torque to the front wheels to help prevent slipping on loose surfaces.鈥�

Also notable, Ford has opted to leave the AWD Transit鈥檚 ride height untouched, claiming it wants to keep the vehicle as easy as possible to get into and out of. But that means a set of meaty all-terrain tires is probably out of the question. The all-wheel-drive Sprinter, on the other hand, is about six inches higher than its two-wheel-drive cousins, allowing for larger tires and greater off-road capability.

Finally, while the all-wheel-drive Sprinter comes with diesel only, the AWD Transit will be a strictly gas-powered affair鈥攁 bit disappointing given the fuel-economy and torque benefits of diesel.

For what it鈥檚 worth, though, given that it鈥檚 a more basic package than the Sprinter, the AWD Transit is likely to cost less than its German competitor, which starts at just under $47,000. We鈥檒l know for sure when pricing is announced closer to the vehicle鈥檚 launch date in the fall.

What It Means

While this new Transit won鈥檛 allow you to rock crawl, it will still afford many of the day-to-day advantages of all-wheel drive. This means better traction on rain-slicked pavement, not having to chain up at the base of a snowy canyon on your way to the ski resort, and greater confidence when it comes time to venture down a forest road to a remote campsite. It still lags behind the Sprinter and is still a ways away from being overland ready, but the AWD Transit will be more approachable for a lot of vanlifers and road-trippers.

The post How the New All-Wheel-Drive Ford Transit Van Stacks Up appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Pickup trucks are great for camping, given their ample cargo space. That said, packing one requires some unique considerations as, unlike an SUV or a wagon, the cargo area is open to the elements. Applying a thought-out method to your madness can pay big dividends down the road.

What You鈥檒l Need

Before loading up your truck to head into the hills for the weekend, you鈥檒l want to pick up a few basic items at your local hardware store. It鈥檚 pretty much a guarantee that anything not strapped down is going to shift around in the back of your truck once you鈥檙e on the road, especially when some of those roads are unpaved. Properly securing your gear requires a combination of ratchet straps, bungee cords, and a tarp. Conveniently, all of this stuff can be found at Home Depot for under $50.

Ratchet straps are your first line of defense. Since they don鈥檛 stretch, they鈥檙e great for securing large, heavy items, like coolers and gear trunks. For the past few years, I鈥檝e used these , which have yet to let me down. And at $12 for four of them, you really can鈥檛 beat the price.

Bungee cords come next. Think of them聽as those few extra pieces of Scotch tape you might throw on a package before you drop it in the mail, securing smaller gear like tents, sleeping bags, and camp chairs for peace of mind as you鈥檙e cruising down the highway. I keep about six聽 ($3) in my truck at all times.

Just about any pickup comes with built-in tie-down points in the bed, to which you can attach your ratchet straps and bungee cords. Toyota鈥檚 Tacoma even comes standard with a deck rail system鈥攖wo slidable, inward-facing cleats mounted to a track running along the upper rim of the bed.

Finally, if you don鈥檛 have a cap over your pickup, you鈥檒l want to cover everything with a tarp before you set off on your journey. More than anything, the humble tarp keeps exhaust fumes, road debris, dust, and rain off your expensive gear. But it also acts as a fail-safe should any items jostle loose on the drive. The bonus is the element of privacy a tarp affords; no need to be flaunting that $200 Marmot sleeping bag around prying eyes at the gas station.

Additionally,听a tarp can double as your tent footprint when it comes time to set up camp. This ($23) does the trick.

The Steps

Once you鈥檝e got these items on hand, start by loading big, solid things into the pickup bed. This might include聽bins, coolers, a water jug, and any other clunky, hard items. Arrange them as densely as possible, and lock them firmly in place with two ratchet straps over the top. Next, take any soft, plush gear, like sleeping bags, duffle bags, and pillows, and wedge items聽between the big stuff to keep it all from rattling around. Finally, awkwardly shaped items like camp chairs, propane tanks, and blocks of firewood can be stashed against either side of the bed around the wheel wells.

After everything is in, secure the load further with any remaining ratchet straps, making sure that the ends are fixed to the mounting points before tightening. Then use the bungee cords to apply pressure to smaller items that aren鈥檛 held in place by the ratchet straps.聽There are really endless ways to do this; just be careful that each individual item not secured by a ratchet strap is held by a bungee cord, and that both ends of the bungee are safely secured to a tie-down point. Fold your tarp so that it fits over the bed, then secure your remaining bungee cords widthwise over the top of it. Remember that you鈥檒l likely be traveling at highway speeds for most of the drive, so make sure the tarp is tucked in firmly at the corners and edges, and that those bungee cords are tight, to avoid a parachuting effect on the freeway.

And one final tip鈥攎ake sure that cooler is in an accessible spot. The best campgrounds are the ones that are hard to get to, so by the time you arrive, chances are you鈥檒l have earned a beverage.

The post How to Pack Your Pickup for Camping appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In the spring of 2016, just a few months after moving to Salt Lake City from Pittsburgh, I bought a 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser as my聽adventure vehicle. At first聽I visualized doing an aggressive overland-style build, with heavy-duty bumpers, a roof rack, a suspension lift, and more. Pretty soon, though, it became clear that I鈥檇 never be able to justify the ridiculously high costs of most of these modifications given the relatively limited utility each of them offered.

So I decided to focus聽on simple, relatively inexpensive changes that offer big returns on rough forest roads and while camping far afield.

Add by Subtracting (Free)

My only cost here was聽time. First聽I got rid of all of the extra stuff on the vehicle. The previous owner of my Land Cruiser apparently hadn鈥檛 used it for cruising anything more hardcore than mall parking lots,听and it came with a couple of superfluous exterior accessories鈥攔unning boards and mud flaps鈥攖hat did little other than hinder the vehicle鈥檚 inherent off-road capability. Getting rid of the running boards聽gave the vehicle more ground clearance and a much better breakover (i.e., the maximum possible angle the vehicle can straddle between its front and rear wheels without bottoming out)聽as well as a more aggressive appearance. They were held onto the frame by four bolts and were extremely easy to remove.

Rear mud flaps pose a different聽problem, as they can snag between the tire and bumper during off-camber trail descents. In the case of a 100 Series Land Cruiser like mine, this can actually rip the bumper off if you aren鈥檛 careful. With the help of a box cutter, I sliced off the low-hanging plastic parts to prevent this from happening.

My last subtraction聽was more of an aesthetic choice: I got rid of the聽cracked, worn-out bug deflector that was attached to the hood.

Get New Tires ($1,000)

Switching to聽off-road-appropriate tires gives you the most bang for your buck, by far, of any off-road modification. My Land Cruiser came with a set of worn-out Yokohama Geolandars鈥攔un-of-the-mill pavement tires completely inappropriate for the rocky, muddy, uneven terrain I was planning to explore. The solution was a set of larger, 33-inch ,听the biggest size that would fit the vehicle鈥檚 stock suspension. The KO2s are an aggressive all-terrain tire, and I chose them because聽they offer excellent off-road capability while still keeping things fairly civil on road (read: they wouldn鈥檛 cause a ton of noise or hamstring my fuel economy). They lifted the vehicle an inch and essentially doubled its聽off-road capability. While the big new KO2s did result in a loss of around one mile per gallon鈥攏ot to mention a speedometer that now reads one or two miles per hour below the vehicle鈥檚 actual speed鈥攖hose are small trade-offs.

Factoring in tire-shop fees for the mount and balance, the total came to just over $1,000. By itself聽this may seem like a lot, but when you consider that all vehicles will need new tires at some point, the small premium you鈥檒l end up paying for a quality, capable tire like the BFG KO2 is worth every penny.

Throw on聽a Roof Rack ($150)

Companies like , ,听, and聽聽all offer a range of high-quality platform-style聽roof racks that effectively double the cargo capacity of any truck or SUV. The main drawback of these models is that they鈥檙e expensive鈥攎ost cost聽north of a grand. Not wanting to spend that much, I opted for , which I bought on Amazon and then mounted to the Land Cruiser鈥檚 factory crossbars. (This particular roof rack is marketed under a number of different brand names and sold on a variety of sites, but in all instances it carries a retail price of less than聽$150.)

Once I installed it, I was able to carry bulky items like sleeping bags and camp chairs on the roof, freeing up valuable space inside the cabin. Keep in mind that, unlike higher-end racks that are made of aluminum, options like this one are almost certain to be made of steel, which means they鈥檙e heavy and have a tendency to rust. Still, given the cost, the Arksen聽basket is hard to beat.

Restore the Suspension ($350)

Fancy off-road suspensions and lift kits tend to run anywhere from $1,500 to several thousand dollars. My new tires had already granted me an extra inch of ground clearance, and I didn鈥檛 want聽to throw off the vehicle鈥檚 handling and stability, so instead I opted to simply replace the Land Cruiser鈥檚 four sagging shock absorbers with new original equipment manufacturer (OEM) shocks. For only $35 apiece, this gave the vehicle a ride that was about as smooth as when it was brand-new鈥攁 night and day difference when compared to the clunky, clangy ride on the old worn-out shocks. Additionally, by adjusting the Land Cruiser鈥檚 torsion bars, which can be done with the twist of a wrench once the vehicle is up on a lift, I was able to boost the front-suspension height by an inch or two. Altogether聽this project costs around $350 once you factor in the shop鈥檚 labor charges.

Upgrade the Interior Lighting ($30)

Knowing that I鈥檇 be using this vehicle a lot for camping, I opted to change out the old聽incandescent bulbs with LEDs that are not only brighter but draw significantly less power, meaning I could have them on for long periods without worrying about the vehicle鈥檚 battery. I was happy to find several options in a warm tone, not unlike . The slightly yellow tint of these lights is easier on the eyes than pure white, especially at night. For around $30 for the whole operation, the peace of mind that I won鈥檛 be left stranded in the wilderness if someone unwittingly leaves a door open overnight was a no-brainer.

The Upshot

With all that, I鈥檝e put just over $1,500 into making my Land Cruiser鈥攁 capable off-roader in its own right鈥攊nto a bona fide adventure vehicle. That鈥檚 a considerable savings over what I originally had in mind, as heavy-duty bumpers ($4,000), a fancy suspension ($3,000), underbody protection ($1,500), and a platform roof rack ($1,200) would鈥檝e run close to ten grand. I was able to save big and still come away with a vehicle capable of tackling most聽North American trails, not to mention I have plenty of funds left over for camping gear, bikes, and snowboards.

The post Affordable Upgrades to Get Your SUV Off-Road Ready appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

There are an unprecedented number of compelling off-road-oriented adventure vehicles on sale in 2019. According to a from the auto-industry website MarkLines, sales of trucks and SUVs in the U.S. were up 8 percent in 2018, while passenger car sales fell by 13.1 percent. Clearly, a shift is taking place, and customers are demanding more utility and capability from their vehicles.

From an all-new version of the legendary Jeep Wrangler to Toyota鈥檚 line of desert-running TRD Pro trucks and SUVs to the growing availability of beefy, off-road trim levels in聽full-size pickups, automakers are finding new and creative ways to satisfy demand for vehicles that shine when the pavement ends.

I鈥檝e worked in product planning for a major automaker and now write extensively about聽the auto industry and off-road adventures and offer聽automotive buying advice.聽Here are some of the newcomers to this segment that I鈥檓 excited to see out in the wild in 2019.

2020 Jeep Gladiator (shown above; Price TBA)

A Wrangler with a Truck Bed

The is the brand鈥檚 first pickup since the Cherokee-based Comanche ended production in 1992. The Gladiator is heavily based on the venerable Wrangler, which was fully redesigned for 2018, and the two vehicles are practically identical from the rear doors forward. This means the Gladiator has the same iconic styling, tough solid front axle, and removable roof (in soft- or hardtop versions). Aft of the rear doors, however, the Gladiator has a practical five-foot bed鈥攇reat for a pair of kayaks or dirt bikes and similar in size to the short-bed offerings of the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, and Toyota Tacoma. The Gladiator launches with a 3.6-liter V6 engine under the hood, although an optional 3.0-liter diesel should be added to the lineup sometime in the next year.

While any Gladiator offers trail cred, thanks to its solid front axle and robust body-on-frame construction, buyers wanting the optimal off-road experience will want to look to the Gladiator鈥檚 range-topping Rubicon trim. The Gladiator Rubicon comes with Jeep鈥檚 Rock-Trac four-wheel-drive system, which is geared more toward heavy-duty off-roading than what you鈥檒l find on lesser trims, features聽locking front and rear differentials for optimal traction, and has a disconnecting front sway bar that allows for greater suspension articulation. Plus there are the taller fenders, oversize聽33-inch all-terrain tires, rock rails that protect vulnerable areas of the cab and bed from impact on uneven trails, and Fox shock absorbers. Needless to say, a Gladiator Rubicon is ready for the rough stuff right out of the box. Read the full review here.

2019 Ford Ranger ($25,000 to $44,000)

A Legend Reborn

After a seven-year hiatus, the Ranger is back in the U.S. market to compete with the likes of the Chevrolet Colorado and the Toyota Tacoma in the midsize pickup segment. The 鈥檚 lone power-train option is a 2.3-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine putting out 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, sent to the wheels via a ten-speed, automatic transmission. This allows four-wheel-drive-equipped Rangers to return up to 20 miles per gallon in the city and 24 miles per gallon on the highway, and it also gives the truck a towing capacity of up to 7,500 pounds. The Ranger聽boasts excellent safety technology, with standard automatic emergency braking and available blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and lane-keeping assist.

Instead of offering a specific off-road trim level, Ford makes the Ranger鈥檚 $1,295 FX4 off-road package available on any trim, from the basic XL model to the top-of-the-line Lariat. Checking the box for the FX4 package means buyers get an off-road-oriented suspension, an electronically locking rear differential (for enhanced traction), a front skid plate, all-terrain tires, its聽Trail Control聽system (akin to an off-road cruise control), selectable drive modes for different terrains, and exposed front tow hooks. This serves to put the Ranger on the same level as the Tacoma TRD Off-Road in terms of overall capability. While an even higher-performance Raptor variant is offered overseas, don鈥檛 expect it to go on sale in the American market until the Ranger is redesigned, likely in a few years. To get contributing editor Wes Siler鈥檚 full take on the Ranger, read his review here.

2019 Toyota RAV4 国产吃瓜黑料 ($34,000 to $40,000) and 2020 RAV4 TRD Off-Road (Price TBA)

Fuel-Efficient Choices

As a part of its redesign, the 2019 now offers a legitimate off-road trim level, with another soon to follow for 2020. The RAV4 国产吃瓜黑料 comes with a sophisticated torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system that aids with traction on-road and off by ensuring that power is sent to the wheels that need it, in addition to offering a rear driveline disconnect for improved fuel economy on highways. Additional features include hill-descent control and a Multi-Terrain Select system that lets the driver choose聽between different terrain modes via a knob on the center console. All-weather floor mats and more prominent roof rails round things out.

The recently revealed will go on sale this fall as a 2020 model and uses the 国产吃瓜黑料 trim as its base, adding shock absorbers and other suspension components tuned with input from Toyota鈥檚 rally team. Other features include聽black 18-inch wheels that are lighter and sturdier than the 19-inchers offered on the 国产吃瓜黑料 trim, and Falken all-terrain tires.

While neither trim level gains any additional ground clearance over the RAV4聽base, both have a relatively impressive 3,500-pound towing capacity鈥攑lenty for hauling dirt bikes or a small camping trailer.

The 2019 RAV4 comes with a 2.5-liter, inline four-cylinder engine good for 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, put to the pavement through an eight-speed automatic transmission. While this relatively small power train doesn鈥檛 make it the fastest off-roader on the planet, it does make it one of the most efficient. And in the 国产吃瓜黑料 guise, the 2019 RAV4 returns an impressive 25 miles per gallon in the city and 33 miles per gallon on the highway, allowing for a fuel range of well over 400 miles.

2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class ($125,000 to $180,000)

Off-Road Opulence

On sale since 1979, the legendary gets its first-ever full redesign for 2019. Powering the G550 (the more modest of two available versions) is a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8, putting out 416 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque and聽routing power to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. Buyers wanting even more brawn can opt for the high-performance G63 AMG, which uses a version of that same 4.0-liter V8, just with 577 horsepower and 627 pound-feet.

Every 2019 G comes standard with full-time four-wheel drive and three standard locking differentials (center, front, and rear). In the interest of improved on-road stability, the G鈥檚 solid front axle has been replaced by a new independent-suspension setup, but a solid axle remains in the rear. The vehicle鈥檚 off-road geometry also benefits from the redesign, with the new G-Class offering improved approach, breakover, and departure angles. While the G offers unrivaled heritage and refinement, the price of entry isn鈥檛 cheap. This begs the question: Surely you could take the Mercedes G-Class on some excellent off-road adventures, but would you really want to risk trail damage on a vehicle that costs as much as a small house? Click here for Siler鈥檚 full review.

2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon (Price TBA)

The Workhorse

In terms of heavy-duty trucks with legitimate off-road chops, there鈥檚 but one option: the Power Wagon. It鈥檚 a trim level within Ram鈥檚 heavy-duty truck lineup, which as a whole receives a significant refresh for 2019. Perhaps the most notable update occurs on the inside, with the 2019 Power Wagon (and Ram鈥檚 entire Heavy Duty line) getting the same great interior offered on the also-new-for-2019 Ram 1500, which is generally regarded as having the most luxurious and most refined interior of any full-size pickup. Through all of these changes, at the truck鈥檚 heart is a 6.4-liter聽gas V8, generating 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque, while a new eight-speed automatic transmission replaces the six-speed offered in previous model years. Unfortunately, despite pleas for a diesel Power Wagon, the gas power plant remains the only option.

Most automakers like to market the off-road variants of their trucks as 鈥渉igh-speed desert runners,鈥� and sure, the Power Wagon can go fast in the dirt thanks to its 33-inch all-terrain tires, two-inch suspension lift, and Bilstein shock absorbers with added dampening capability. That said, unlike competitors such as the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 and the Ford F-150 Raptor, the Power Wagon also shines in low-speed scenarios, given its uncommon offering of a solid front axle, locking front and rear differentials, an electronically disconnecting front sway bar, and an integrated 12,000-pound Warn winch. Ram even goes so far as to offer the Power Wagon in a basic, inexpensive work-truck guise known as the Tradesman. Altogether, the Ram 2500 Power Wagon is a unique combo of well-rounded off-road capability with the legit towing and hauling capabilities of a heavy-duty truck.

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