Cool! I'll keep up with this thread.
I
may be able to pull off doing another Rubicon trip but probably not; I've already just did that this year and it's a helluva long way from SC.
Random thoughts:
The Rubicon is the most fun I've ever had fourwheeling.
It is not a "2 or 3" day run. It is a full 3 days.
Aaron, it would be good to meet you. You may not remember me, but long ago before I realized how stupid it was to post something non-extreme on the POR board, I posted my grocery-getter and you let me have it
and I got defensive, LOL. It's been awhile but I finally did build it enough make it to the trail though
. I'd love to meet anyone who has a vehicle that he's still making payments on beat the helloutta it like you did
.
I second what Tom said and will add an aditional note or two, June is too early. When we went right after the July 4th weekend the weather was perfect.
Lockers and rocksliders are not a luxury but a necessity for an Explorer on the Rubicon - if you do not have rocksliders, you are absolutely 100% guaranteed to totally destroy your rocker panels. You must have at least one locker; and even with that you'll probably get strapped a few times. It really takes a rig with both axles locked to fully enjoy the trail. If many of the vehicles have only one locker and you want to take on the trail when it is a little easier, consider waiting until right after the Jeeper Jamboree and take advantage of all of the rockstacking that is done during that.
This next point hasn't been specifically mentioned yet after we learned it last July, so I'll post it here. There is a difference in what it takes to do the Rubicon for a 1st generation and a 2nd generation Explorer. It has been said several times that you need 33" tires. That is true for 1st generation Explorers, but if you have a 2nd generation you need 35" tires (unless you've done a SAS). With lockers, lift, and 33's, a first generation Explorer will do fine. The problem with 2nd generation Explorers is that even with a 4" lift kit, there are still torsion drop brackets that kill your breakover angle and will hang you constantly on that trail. Ray Lobato has the 4" Traimaster lift, 33's, and no front locker; and he hung up countless times on the run, I cannot recall how many times he needed a strap. I had less suspension lift than he did (just the torsion twist), but my 35" tires made just enough difference to keep my stock torsion brackets higher than Ray's. With those tires and a front locker I did the entire trail without once getting strapped.
You, or certainly someone in your group,
will break. Come completely prepared with spare axleshafts U-joints EVERYTHING you can load, and if your vehicle has a known weakness - something that has went wrong before - fix it before you arrive (before I went, I had gone through two thermostats, one broken torsion bar, one U-Joint, and one hub assembly. I had spares for all of those, plus both front halfshafts since I had gone to 35" tires and a front locker). And for the same reason, a huge group will take forever to finish the trail. If this turns into a huge run, you might consider starting together, but soon the need will arise to split up into faster and slower groups of 7 or so vehicles each. The more capable group could enjoy theirselves at their level and arrive earlier at a pre-arranged camping area to set up camp for those following, etc. I don't know where I am going with that thought, but just trying to say that IMO a group of 15+ vehicles will experience something or another to stop the group constantly and add at least an entire additional day onto the trip, and bring the possibility of adding a level of frustration to what should be the most fun you've ever had in 4wd. If the group gets large and you want to keep it together, budget an extra day on the trail.
The Rubicon is the fourwheeling trip of your life; plan it well to get the most out of it and make it the enjoyably great experience it can be.
:fire:
