if he doesnt have front tow hooks he needs them..the front valance and bumper are WEAK and are not a recovery point..I know...mine are in the rafters of the garage...
I'm pretty sure he does not, so I'll put that on my list to check and replace. Do you have any suggestions on which hooks to go with? Ne never off roads and is only going on this trip because I asked him to. As such, we will need good hooks, but nothing "pro" grade.
Center ground clearance is pretty weak with the 1500 Eco D.
But that's just a matter of getting out and watching it crawl over something without bottoming. Or going around. Death valley is kinda wide open spaces, isn't it?
Even my stock 250 get's close to dragging it's center from time to time, and it's a pretty tall truck:
You know you wanted to buy some Maxtraxx or 4x4 lumber anyways.
The specs on his truck says it has just over 9" of ground clearance. That's not too bad, but it's the break over angle I'm more concerned about. But as you said, nothing we can't watch our line though. Some Maxtraxx would be nice, but I think the money is going to have to go into the trip instead of more toys.
I'll keep you updated going this weekend
Thanks! What type of vehicle will you be in?
What trails are you thinking about running? You will make it just fine in the stock truck, however expect to spend some time trail building on across Mengel Pass and possibly Steele Pass. I ran Lippincott Pass two days ago in 2wd (2000 K1500 Suburban), my friend came along in a stock Yukon XL Denali, not a scratch, not a ding. In March you should expect to get some more wear and tear on the trails as well as areas of washouts. Despite the popular belief your longer wheelbase will make Death Valley tails smoother and more enjoyable than a Jeep. Realistically AT or MT tires will give you more peace of mind and bring at least 2 spares.
I would spend more time and money on running what you have than spending the money on making the truck perfect but not making it out on any adventures. You would be absolutely amazed by what you stock truck can do as is. Good luck and keep us updated.
I'm not 100% sure on the trails yet. I've actually had a hard time finding info on trails. So far my son and I have sat down with a DV map and marked off places we would like to go, but the map does not use trail names.
I'll be in my built 2012 Jeep Unlimited (4" lift, 37s, etc) and my dad in the Ram 1500 if we bring it. For the Jeep, the only "concern" I have is the washboards. I'll air down to around 12-14psi to help with that though. I still need to research what I can air his truck tires down to. For this trip having 2 spares per vehicle is not an option. I'm not too worried about his truck in this department, as we should be able to get a tire just about anywhere after leaving the park. The Jeep however would be a different story. If I lose two tires in the park, I'd be kind of screwed. I doubt I could find one of my tires within 3 days of DV. I'll mitigate that by leaving the park and ordering a tire as soon as I have to put the spare on.
The only trails I'd recommend staying away from in the Ram are Echo Canyon / Funeral Range and maybe South Park Canyon. Other than that, with your off-road experience, you guys should be fine. Just do your research and plan ahead. Have fun!
Thanks, I'll look those up and steer clear of them.
While I cannot speak to any aspect of the area you are traveling I can speak to the weak points I had in exploring with my 2011 Ram 1500 Crew Cab...
1. The stock tires (mine were Goodyear Wrangler HP's) were pretty much worthless on much more than a gravel road. Dry sections of dirt were fine but if anything was wet they were borderline dangerous. I swapped mine out for some Cooper AT3's the first tire change and they were a drastic improvement and then went to BFG KO2's which are in my top 3 list.
2. If the roads / trails are rutted up good be careful of the t-case...many of the 1500's don't come with the t-case skid plate (was a decent $120 investment in my humble opinion) and I on a few instances had wedged a log and smacked a rock a time or two...nothing too bad as all low speed stuff but was able to breathe a bit easier with the skid installed.
3. As others stated, front tow hooks are a must along with a good jerk / tow strap.
4. Bring common sense...helps to ensure everyone has a good time.
Enjoy the planning and the trip, sounds like a good time!
I'll definitely check into what kind of tires he has on it. I'm sure they are nothing off road special so I'm prepared to have to drag him out of some places.
