RL in Moab - It's fine offroad as long as you know what you're doing

[hankim]

One thing that would really make the RL an exceptional stock offroad vehicle is 2" more clearance. Of course, that would screw up the rollover and cornering characteristics of the RL. A great feature would be an air suspension like on the VW Tourareg that you can lower for on road use, but will give you 2-3" additional height for offroad clearance. Of course, the Tourareg is a $50k vehicle.

As for a transfer case with a low range, I didn't really need it, and I was on some steep stuff. I did miss it going downhill, though, on some of the steep sections of the White Rim Trail, where engine braking would have been nice, instead of braking, 'cause on some of the switchbacks, losing control would have meant a 1000' fall into the Colorado River.

Utah has some of the best offroad adventures in the continental US. If you've lived on the East Coast (I grew up outside Boston), you can't imagine the desolation that you experience in some of these areas. Some places, such as along the Pony Express Trail, you're literally 100 miles from the nearest store. Callao, UT, has no paved road, no store, no gas, and the postal service only comes three time a week. The school (K-12) has only 12 students, and some of the students have to travel 50 miles to get to it. We drove 2 hours on a dirt road to get there. Then there are epic offroad trails like the White Rim, which people usually drive in 2-3 days, or Hole-In-The-Rock trail, the Burr Trail, places where if you break down, you're talking about a 2 day hike out, since you're out of cell range and CB range. Plus a $1000+ towing bill.

Anyways, here are more pics.

[hankim]

Oh, a warning about GPS systems:

A ranger in Canyonlands was telling me how a gentleman moving to Utah was driving his Ford Ranger towing a U-Haul. He was following a GPS system, which took him on a dirt road in southern Utah, because he wanted to see the sights off the main roads. This dirt road eventually turned into the national park, and turned into the Elephant Hill trail, a highly technical 3+ rated offroad trail, difficult for modified vehicles, much less stock vehicles with U-Hauls. He of course got stuck, and a tow truck from Moab (1.5 hours away) was summoned to get him off. Total bill for the tow: $1200. The tow truck charges by the hour, and it's 1.5 hours to Elephant Hill and 1.5 hours back, for a total of $450 BEFORE any towing is even done.

I guess his GPS nav system didn't have offroad ratings on them.

[Truckin']

Funny story about Elephant Hill. I'm surprised more people don't end up in trouble.

We had a grand misadventure trying to get to Nine Mile Canyon from the north. There was a big sign on the highway saying we were heading to a scenic byway. The turn we missed had a very small sign and it did not even say Nine Mile Canyon. We weren't surprised we missed it when we backtracked. We were amazed that the signage was so pathetic.

We ended up on the dead end stretch to Desolation Canyon with a whopper of a flat and our tire jack didn't work. This was years ago in our Trooper.

Thankfully some happy river rats showed up. They actually changed the tire for us and left with smiles. We headed for pavement. You do not want to be out there with no spare!

[hankim]

Originally Posted by Truckin'

You do not want to be out there with no spare!

Definitely not! That's why I splurged and bought a full sized spare for the RL, as well as carry several cans of puncture sealant. Oh, a large board is nice as well, so you can put the jack on it when you have to lift the RL over a soft surface.

[JOZ RIDG]

hankim - Beautiful scenery, thanks for sharing. Makes me want load the RL and take off.
Been through that area a few times and it is breathtaking.

If you’re ever near Zion National Park drive up to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes. There near Kanab Utah off highway 89. The sand is an unbelievable Orange/Pink color with pine trees growing in it and a deep blue lake. Has camping facilities if you need them.

I see you live in Utah so you probably already been there.

[hankim]

More pics:



My family at Gooseneck overview, off the White Rim Trail (we were the only ones there, another advantage of getting off the beaten track, thanks to the RL). To ge there, go to the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park, about 40 miles from Moab, and take the Shaffer trail down the Shaffer Switchbacks to the White Rim Trail.



Again, the Gooseneck overview. This is a gooseneck in the canyon formed by the Colorado River.



Dead Horse Point State Park, across the canyon from the Goosenect Overview.



A shot off of the White Rim Trail.

[Truckin']

Great photos. You got there with clear skies. The last time we were there a fire made the skies a bit hazy. Did you follow the Shaffer trail all the way to Potlatch and back to Moab that way. I would take that road with the Ridge unless there'd been a wash out. It's a great drive.

[shortspark]

Very good post and photos. Off roading is something that does not appeal to me anymore, at least at my age now, although seeing beautiful vistas such as are pictured does. I have gone on record here before to say that my Ridgeline will never touch Mother Earth; only concrete and pavement. But more power to you and others who take this great vehicle to the max.

[HEY RIDGELINE!]

Originally Posted by hankim

Definitely not! That's why I splurged and bought a full sized spare for the RL, as well as carry several cans of puncture sealant. Oh, a large board is nice as well, so you can put the jack on it when you have to lift the RL over a soft surface.

Just reconsider using the sealant. Per the manual, the TPMS sensor have to be replaced.

[DoctorJ]

hankim, do you have the GPS coordinates for where you were? I would like to see what it looks like from an aerial view on Google earth.