NJ 'wheeling
I have found that it does NOT pay to be brand-centric around here. There are just too many people who don't even know what dirt is, let alone mud or rocks. Best bet is to find a club that DRIVES, not a club into a certain kind of vehicle. Granted, there will be a bunch of Jeeps, but there are clubs out there for DRIVERS.
Personally, I have two Explorers ('91 and '00) and a Jeep ('98 TJ) and the Jeep and the older Explorer both get some off-road time. The Ex. goes down the the Pine Barrens frequently, and the Jeep goes rockin' over at Paragon. Although I have been over in Paragon with the Jeep frequently, MOST OF THE TIME I am over there with mixed trucks. Hard to beat an older Bronco!!! and the 'zukis are killer machines when built right. I have even spotted an Ex. over there a time or two, but they have not been properly represented. Pine Barrens is a little different, with the mud/swamp thing... I have seen a couple down there (other than ours!) and they are a pain in the a$$ to pull out (including ours!!!). However, they don't do better or worse than anything else! Once you are in the muck up to your body pan, and the water is coming in your doors, you know it is going to take some effort to get the beast out.
My guess is, now that the Explorers are getting older, someone is going to start working on some serious modifications and make a good moderate cost trail beater out of them someday soon. Until then, and until it can be done inexpensively, I am guessing that they will be few and far between on the trails! Personally, my '91 Ex. will most likely get turned into a project truck once my daughter gets through college with it and I get it back! First thing I do will be to gut the interior to loose some excess weight, knock out the windows, maybe cut off the back half of the top, cut out the fender wells and put on 35's, throw some real gears in the differentials and lock the back, trim the fender wells, and..... maybe I just ought to get an old Bronco!
