Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to offend you. I'm simply saying it sounds like it will be overbuilt from what I understand about the trails there but maybe I'm wrong. Of course, it's always cool to have a bigger more capable rig too that you can do harder trails with.
In terms of my use of the word scale... think of "on a scale of 1-10, this trail is an 8" kind of scale. That's the trail rating system the Uwharrie map uses. I've also seen sites rate trails on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the most difficult. Then they upgraded that rating system for the even more extreme trails like the Hammers in Johnson Valley CA and others in NM, etc. Last I recall they were using an X, 2x, 3x system with X being harder than a 5 on the 1-5 scale.
From the various trail ratings I've seen and read about, it seems the trails at Uwharrie are definitely difficult but it seems less difficult than the Sierra trails.
Uwharrie: Highest rating is 8 (
http://www.cnc4x4.org/trails/uwharrie_tr.htm)
Rubicon: 10
Dusy Ershim: 10 or 9 depending on direction of travel (
http://www.californiajeeper.com/dusy_ershim/review.htm)
Here's the Dusy Ershim trail difficulty rating excerpt from off-road.com (
http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/trails/the-dusyershim-trail-13526.html)
MOST DIFFICULT . Recommended for advanced drivers. A route requiring a high degree of skill and challenge to travel. Not recommended for fill-size pickups, long wheel base vehicles or for traveling alone. Only short wheel base vehicles recommended beyond Voyager Rock Campground.
I'd love to see a comparison from someone who's done both sets of trails and can give a more valid comparison. I do speak regularly with a friend who's wheeled his 90 2 door v6 Montero on Tellico's hardest trails. He noted how different & difficult it was due to the lack of traction. At the time it only had 33's, 5.29 r&p, & 2.85:1 xcase gears and armor for his rocker panels, etc.
In the sierra's our trails are mostly decomposing granite which can provide great traction at times or can also be like wheeling on 1/16" ball bearings when you hit a patch of broken granite.
That said, we've wheeled Montero's with 35's and 37's through the most extreme rated trails (Rubicon, Dusy Ershim, Fordyce Creek, etc.) and from that, I'm pretty confident when I mention a Montero on 37's should handle most trails fine with the exception of rock buggy trails like the Hammers, etc..
As for my friend from NJ that wheels Uwharrie regularly, you're right, I confused him with a bunch of other Montero owners in the South that wheel Uwharrie annually and run 35" or smaller tires...
Spring 2011 trip http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showf...Words=uwharrie&topic=&Search=true#Post1243210
Fall 2010 trip http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showf...Words=uwharrie&topic=&Search=true#Post1223571
As for mileage, yeah 5.38's and 40's maybe won't be in the single digits but it will probably be close. 4.90's and 37's are def in low teens already and that's just driving around town. Loaded for wheeling, it will be worse. But since it's a trail rig only, it doesn't matter so much... although with gas prices continuing to rise only you know where your pain threshold is for that.
As for me, since the early/mid 90's I've done annual trail runs to the Sierra's, Ca. Desserts, Moab UT, Arizona, etc. and without much thought on the fuel costs. Nowadays, I definitely factor that in especially when prices in smaller, more remote towns are regularly over $6/gallon. It's one reason I carry as many as 4 Jerry cans on trips.:Wow1:
HTH.
