Ford Explorer Overland Vehicle upgrade ideas???

[KeepOnExploring]

Hi all,
I watched Expedition Overland and now I want to go Overlanding. I am new to Overlanding and this forum. I have a 2005 Ford Explorer XLT with the V6 4.0L, and I want to turn it into a overland vehicle, but I do not know where to start. It currently has stock 16 inch rims and I do not know if I need bigger tires? Any ideas would be gladly appricated. Thanks

 

[T.Low]

I think the box spring may be overkill. Just bring the mattress, but add a rain fly.

 

[Raul B]

What's your budget? Also what type of trails are you looking to conquer. Dirt roads will be fine with your current setup but if you want to do some harder trails your going to need ground clearance.

 

[digitaldelay]

Nice truck! I would say hit the trails, assuming you have decent tires. If not, may I suggest the Yokohama Geolandar AT/S, available in Extra Load range for your size (P235/70R16).

Jason

 

[T.Low]

Ok. Checkout the regional sub forum here, checkout Northwestoverland, and pacificnorthwestbackroadadventures, and join up on easy forest service road trips, and go to meet and greets. Good way to start.

Does the Explorer have a 2spd hi/Lo range transfer case? Recovery points? Limited slip differential?

 

[kojackJKU]

I would see if there is a small quick lift for it so you can tuck a little bigger tire under there, BFG AT all the way. I started using these this year and they are the best tire I have used. I have used many tires.

Also, see whats out there for armor for your rig. Keep from popping holes in your driveling etc while traveling. The explorer is a great platform with plenty of comfort and lots of interior room. After doing these couple of things, then see what else you need.

 

[libarata]

As mentioned, look for belly armor(skid plates) Find an All Terrain(AT) tire that you can afford. Research your vehicle for its recovery points, lift points, and look into the weak spots(mechanical, and clearance wise). Ask local 4x4 clubs, and folks on this forum where the easier trails are. See if someone would like to come along that can help tug you out should you become stuck. Your first gear ought to be some the average toolkit used to work on your vehicle(wrenches, drivers, sockets, ratchets, blah blah). Depending on your disposable income, a winch and tackle would be nice. They can be mounted in the rear on a hitch if you can not afford a front end mount. Hi-Lift jacks are a neat recovery item, but are pretty deadly without some training and common sense.

Really, just take your time, and purchase gear for the next level of trail that you are comfortable with. Jacking it up, and driving on "black diamond" trails tomorrow will just ruin everything for you. Don't be afraid to stop, observe, plan, and decide to just hike it and not risk life and rig.


Oh, yeah, WELCOME!

 

[KeepOnExploring]

Ford Explorer transfer case

Thanks Guys,
It currently has all terrian General tires (16's) and I do not know what my transfer case is (how do i find out?) I am actually in high school, so my budget is very limited, but I plan on putting my money into my rig as I get it.

 

[duckhunter71]

Do you have 4HI/4LO buttons on your dash? That's the best way to see if you have a two speed transfer case. I want to say that our company Explorers (the 06+ updated ones) had Auto 4WD/4HI/4LO options.

I briefly considered one of those Explorers last year when I was doing some vehicle swapping. There are some lift options that aren't terribly expensive. Being independent front and rear might limit your options, but as long as you are not doing anything extreme, you should be fine.

Just carefully consider what you want to do and be conservative about your modifications since you're still on a limited budget. It seems to me that the most effective rigs on here are the ones done on the (relatively) cheap. I look forward to watching your rig progress!

 

[Sock Puppet]

Lift options are fairly limited on the Explorer. You have 4-wheel struts, so your options are either strut-spacers or Rancho Quick-Lift struts. Be careful not to go too high with spacers as it will require the addition/modification of other parts. I think 2" is about as much as you want to go in the front. The Rancho Quick lifts give you about 1.5" if I remember correctly, and can be had for about $650 or so for all 4 on Amazon. The strut spacers will be cheaper, but chances are your rig is due for new struts any way so the Ranchos become more attractive. Owners report being able to run 265/75-16 tires with either set up, and that gives the Explorer decent clearance.

If you think you want to get really serious and do nasty off road work, the Explorer may not be the best platform and you should cut your losses now before investing too much. There are other rigs that are cheaper to modify to get to a more extreme level. If you just want a solid, all-around wagon for light duty off-road work that's comfortable, easy to live with, has good road manners, reasonable economy, and tons of space...then you have your wagon.

Welcome to the board!

 

[Scott B.]

For truck modifications, check out Serious Explorations, the Ford Explorer forum.

For expo modifications, read through this board. Expo mods are not vehicle dependent, so look for similar sized/type vehicles for setup ideas.

 

[T.Low]

Join a ford explorer forum also and learn about your vehicle. Take an auto shop class in school this year.

 

[F350]

I had an 05 Explorer. It's a fine rig for modest offroad use. Turns tight and with the 4wd system it goes where you point it (mostly). I added rancho quick lift struts, bought them during the "shocktober" sale and saved $240. Buy 3 get one free basically. I choose to go this route vs a spacer lift because of ride and I wanted to keep what little wheel travel there was (there isn't much). On the pavement ride was as good as stock imo. I went with soft 8 wheels (4.5" backspacing) and 265/75-16 duratracs. This gave me a total of 2.5" of lift with was just right to me and finally got the ground clearance it needed.

It worked fine but is not a hardcore rig. I didn't have limited slip and it showed. It was great deer hunting rig and had decent room. Power was fine and it had a decent tow rating. Lot's of good info in the explorer forum and where I got most of my info when I built it. I've since sold it and bought something else. One thing I'll add is aftermarket stuff is really hard to find or non-existent.

 

[AFBronco235]

Unless you plan on doing a completely tear down and rebuild of the suspension to do a lift, the explorer really isn't going to be much of an extreme vehicle. At most, its good for moderate trails, if you know what you're doing. Definitely think about getting a winch and recovery points for it if you go anywhere near mud. Don't bother with a high lift jack. It won't be any good on the explorer body except as a backup winch. Get a correctly sized come-along instead for those situations.

What exactly are your 'overlanding" plans for this? Are we talking about exploring the back roads of America or taking on some jeep trails? For back roads, you're pretty much set up for that already. A/T's are good for general driving and light off road use, like driving onto a dry, grassy field, but you'll need something with more bite for off road use.

Since you're still in high school, don't put too much money into any modifications you make. Take an auto-shop class if you're school offers it. Do you're research and figure out where the common fail points are on the Explorer. Every vehicle has them, you just have to find them. Learn how to do quick-n-dirty temp repairs for when you get in trouble. Buy a copy of FM20-22 and READ IT! Buy a Haynes manual for your vehicle.

There are hundreds of other little things you can do to improve your ride and experience, but you'll just have to hang around and learn them.

 

[Ozarker]

I'd suggest you begin by acquiring equipment for you travels. Recovery gear, camping gear, get a radio, maybe HAM gear, by the time you get this side of your inventory done and learn how to use it, you'll be out of school. As T. Low suggested, get with a local group and get out there, they won't let you get in over your head with the capabilities of your vehicle I'm sure.

After that you can better define you actual needs, not everyone really needs to raise their truck, add 33s on the wheels and put thousands in a suspension modification. You have a nice vehicle, keep it that way and use it to sharpen your driving skills.
If later on you want to build a monster macho machine, you'll have a nice truck to sell and trade into what will fit you specific needs that can be readily modified. If you're on a budget, save your money and wait to end up with what you want, IMO. I know you want it now, but waiting is part of maturing and making good judgment calls. Go out and enjoy what you have. If you're needing to change tires, I go with BFG A/Ts.