2005 ford explorer upgrades for mojave road and others

[lewis4]

i have a 2005 ford explorer i've owned for a little over a year. so far i have had engine rebuilt replaced radiator and a few other little parts. we want to take it on the mojave road this winter and wondering if anyone had any ideas for upgrades. anyone who has driven the road? there is 6 people who will be in the suv. me my wife and 4 daughter.
any suggestions would be great!

 

[v_man]

Not really any Explorer related suggestions , but are you doing the MR with anyone else ? If not , I'd leave a detailed itenerary with friends as well as expected return dates. Make sure you know where you're going , or get the guide book. It's not a tough trail, but six people in an SUV on a 150 miles trail... make sure you're prepared .

 

[lewis4]

thanks for the advice! i havent looked at any guide books for it yet. probably should be the first thing i buy.

 

[Plannerman]

Is it 4wd? I'd say good all-terrain tires are all you would need to have your truck. The Mohave Road is pretty tolerant of stick SUVs with good tires. Consider all of the gear and supplies you'll need, though, and then you might determine whether you'll need any additional vehicle mods to carry everything. With six people in the car, I'd guess you won't be able to carry much inside the vehicle. So where will you carry your fuel, food, water, clothes, bedding, recovery gear, etc? Its probably going to be tight.

 

[rayra]

roof rack / basket or tailgate swingout outfitted to hold 3-4 20L MWCs. Plus every other form of water carrier you can fit in.
Tire repair kits and the skill to use them. A 2nd spare if you can manage it. air compressor or a good hand pump.
Maps and the ability to use them for everybody in your party. Compasses. GPS.
A club you can go along with. Don't go with a solo vehicle. People die in that region every year on excursions, from breakdown, getting lost, exposure. Winter just buys you an extra 1-2 days up there.
A thorough understanding of desert survival tips and tricks. At least the principles of sheltering in the day and moving at night or when it is cooler.
T-mobile purportedly has better cell coverage in the region although still spotty. Look into this. Even if it means a pay as you go t-mobile phone just for the trip.
A handheld dual-band ham radio and/or CB. And a family license GMRS pack of radios. They're inexpensive insurance. And handy in a normal convoy operation.
Lots of small no-prep food, stuff like CLIF bars.
GOOD BROKEN-IN HIKING SHOES with ankle support.
Shovel, tools for getting your vehicle unstuck, pulled or towed.
SHADE.

Those are the essentials for farting around in the desert, far as I'm concerned. The rest is comfort and entertainment.

 

[LR Max]

Weight will be your killer. I think if you concentrate on traveling as light as possible, it'll help you out significantly.

Sounds like your vehicle is in good shape. As others have said, working 4WD (with low range!), good tires, full size spare, and proper equipment to change a tire. I know that sounds stupid, but you'd be surprised how many people have found their used 4WD doesn't have a jack or tire iron. Oh and when was the fuel pump replaced? Those can just...go. That is miserable.

An air compressor would probably also be good. Airing down will help if things get sticky.

As for the Ford Explorer, it has traction control. Learn how to use it as a vehicle with traction control DOES NOT drive the same as an older vehicle off road. Totally different driving style. You try to drive that vehicle like a 1975 Jeep CJ and it won't work. However you learn how to operate the traction control, and it'll drag the truck through just about everything.

 

[stioc]

If you're doing just the Mojave Road and not any particular/remote 4x4 trails the only vehicle related 'upgrade' I'd recommend is All-Terrain tires and a way to air-down and air-up (search MV-50 compressor on Amazon). Other than that a 4x4 in good/reliable working order and basic tools.

However, I would focus on making sure you bring extra water/gas - don't skimp on these two items when traveling off pavement. I would also go with at least one other vehicle; one it's a safety thing and two you might be able to share/trade the storage of the other truck. My truck is similar in size to your's and it's tight when we travel as a family of 3 and a dog. That's utilizing the roof-rack and the storage platform in the back.

 

[RubiconGeoff]

As others have said, the first upgrade would be some proper All-Terrain tires - not some cheapo street tires but something with a good sidewall that can stand up to punctures. Also a way to properly air them back up to street pressure after deflating them to 20psi or so. Tthe aforementioned MV50 compressor is an inexpensive compressor with decent performance, and these Rugged Ridge deflators are a nice addition because they make airing down easy and consistent. You definitely want to have the tools to change out a flat tire, but a tire plug kit is an inexpensive bit of extra insurance in case you run over something to pops 2 tires.

We could go on and on rattling off everything you might need, but besides the above necessities I'll recommend extra water, food, and fuel. A ham radio would also be highly advised if you have a license or can get one in time.

 

[lewis4]

thanks everybody for all the replies/suggestions. yes the truck is a 4x4 with low range. we have done quite a bit of camping in it but all on pavement with short dirt roads to the campsite. and it does great on fire roads and short trails. only big problem is low clearance with rocks and such. as far as camping gear and recovery gear (tow strap, shovel, hi-lift jack..) we have it pretty stremlined. one seat is removed in the middle row. it opens up a lot of space. and the stock roof rack as well as a hitch carrier for ice chest, fire wood, camping chairs and 5 gal of water.

we will probably be doing the trail alone. i dont know anybody else who has a 4x4 and willing to do trip like this. rayra those are all great suggestions and we will look in to as many forms of communications as possible.

another big thing we are really unsure of is the water crossing. we have taken it to afton canyon and seen the water crossing at the mojave river and not sure if skip it and go around.

any tire suggestions? ive had goodyear wrangler authority on my 4runner and they worked good for me. i was thinking of them for this trip

 

[RubiconGeoff]

any tire suggestions? ive had goodyear wrangler authority on my 4runner and they worked good for me. i was thinking of them for this trip

Anything with a tough sidewall should be high on your list, but you won't need anything with an overly aggressive mud-terrain tread. Heavy duty all-terrain tires include (but are not limited to):

BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2
Toyo Open Country AT2
Nitto Exo Grappler
Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX

As discussed in this thread, there is a difference between street-biased all-terrain tires, medium-duty all-terrain tires, and offroad-biased heavy-duty all-terrain tires.

 

[LR Max]

You definitely want to have the tools to change out a flat tire, but a tire plug kit is an inexpensive bit of extra insurance in case you run over something to pops 2 tires.

Side note: I have this same kit (Safety Seal, this, and ARB all appear to be the same kit) and it is *almost* better than sliced bread.

Seriously. You should buy one of these and carry it with you anyway. Its super awesome and handy. Brings all kinds of win.

 

[luckyjoe]

...and 5 gal of water.

I don't know the Mojave Road, or local water availability, but 5 gallons of water is way too light.

 

[lewis4]

Side note: I have this same kit (Safety Seal, this, and ARB all appear to be the same kit) and it is *almost* better than sliced bread.

Seriously. You should buy one of these and carry it with you anyway. Its super awesome and handy. Brings all kinds of win.

allready on top of it. i have the ARB kit and yes i know how to use it. another great kit i carry with me everyday is a micro jump http://www.powerdistributors.co.za/micro-jump/
i love this thing. tons of power.

 

[lewis4]

I don't know the Mojave Road, or local water availability, but 5 gallons of water is way too light.

great point. the 5 gals of water is what i carry on normal camping trips. i plan on one gal per person per day and as much more as i can carry.

ive been trying to upload photos of the explorer when it is loaded but im terrible with computers. there just not my thing.

 

[rayra]

lewis you'll need a lot more water. Desert's a dry place even in winter. And you should carry as much as you can, well beyond your 'planned' trip duration, just in case of a breakdown.

Be SURE to put a planned route and timetable in the hands of friends or relations that can be counted on to sound the alarm if you are overdue. Consider contacting the local ranger or sheriff's station as well.

And consider this board, there's sections devoted to clubs, regional excursions, future excursions. There are a LOT of off-road clubs that venture out there. A bit of research or advertising should be able to meld your trip with that of a similar group or family. DO NOT GO IN A SOLO VEHICLE. Honey Desert Don't Care. It will kill your family if given half a chance.

--

I came of age in L.A., did a lot of offroading and motocross and ATC riding in the high deserts. Mojave. El Mirage. Little Rock. Barstow-to-Vegas. Spent most of my Marine enlistment in CA's wastelands / 29 Palms. This particular incident happened while I was in and it was thoroughly stamped on everybody's brains (afterward) to take proper care and respect for operations in the desert. http://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/11/u...raining-becomes-a-harsh-lesson-for-corps.html

The corpsemens' slogan after that was 'if you don't have to pee you aren't drinking enough'. It became common practice to order everybody to drink a quart canteen at the top of the hour (but we were working hard in ~115F conditions, garments stiff with salt). Dehydration and its effects on cognition are insidious and you can get in a good bit of trouble with it before you even realize your thirst.

Now that's all a good bit different from a leisurely family outing but the threat environment is much the same. Don't be lulled by your trappings of 'normalcy', 'just another family camping trip'. Bring as much water as you can carry, and then find a way to bring more.