The GX is back and stronger than ever with a beefier Tundra steering rack! Onion Creek was an excellent trail, and I definitely recommend it to anyone traveling to Moab.
Always happy to see AWD trails that my Forester can take. Recently upgraded my tires and wheels and now have 16" wheels (17lbs) with Yokoyama tires Geolandar a/t g015 29" tires (It weighs the same as my stock setup!). I live in Fresno CA and planning to go to the Arizona and Utah section and considering some of your locations for my trip. Keep up the great videos!
The Abajo Mountains/Bears Ears to the south of Moab is great Subaru country as is Valley of the Gods and the Burr trail. I did all these and more last year in my Forester. Go Dogs.
I'd love to go back as well. Sad my Wife missed out on this trip. We also went to Arches national park for some epic hikes, Moab has so much to do! I'd like to go back and spend a week out here so I could do a little bit of everything.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring yes I can't wait. In the RD1 community, so many people do medium core overlanding with these with friends who have vehicles like yours and do just fine for most things that doesn't include rock climbing. It's amazing how well they perform off-road with simple mods for what they are
My only fear is breaking down. Sometimes I over think it and want to bring to many parts. I have to think about parts that would completely stop me until I fix or replace. Like alt, cv and power steering. Maybe 2 belts. Then tools and air compressor. Then I need to find a empty useless space for these items. Aw heck with the nerves , let's get excited. Great job Jon
@@JonDZ_Adventuring very true. I am going to start my kitchen platform within the next 2 months. I have some goofy ideas that I want to see if it works. 🤪
Jeanne did great! I couldn't find that drone footage from Darkstar, and I was sad I didn't get footage of the two jeeps in the back, but glad I got the candid shot of you being genuinely concerned about Darkstar's rig. I'm going to have to up my action cam game to get everyone on camera.
Thanks George! I probably won't be at the Easter Jeep Safari and Moab is a 13 hour drive for me, but hope to cross your path at some point in the future. Have fun out there!
Great trip! I wanted to add something to the point you made about modifying vehicles: another thing to think of is the weight. By the time one adds steel bumpers, winch, sliders, skids, RTT, plus all the gear, tools, recovery gear and whatnot, it's very easy to exceed the GVWR of your vehicle, which is also harder on the mechanical bits. Especially as the vehicles get older. I recently heard somebody say that they bought a 80 series Land Cruiser "because Toyotas are reliable". It's still a 25-year-old vehicle, you're going to need to put work into it no matter what it is, haha.
Absolutely! I mentioned weight putting strain on suspension parts, but it also strains everything. Excellent point about a 25 year old vehicle. That's a long time for plastic and rubber parts to harden and deteriorate. Just imagine a 25 year old timing belt and ball joints, YIKES! haha! Also, driving style is so important. Rough driving will really wear on a vehicle.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring exactly! I talked to somebody that bought a 100 series Land Cruiser, then spent thousands on maintenance items just getting it back to 100% before building. He said with all the maintenance done to the cruiser, it worked out to be more expensive overall than his Land Rover build. Also,I'm sorry, I must have missed the part when you mentioned weight. When the GX broke and you started to talk about modding, my first thought was man and that thing must be heavy! So far I've avoided bolting a bunch of stuff to my 4Runner due to weight concerns. I'd really like a winch someday, but I just can't justify adding over 200 lbs to the front of it for a winch and bumper.
@@trailrunnah8886 hey! That’s exactly why I haven’t bothered with a winch either. I think the synthetic line winched will only weigh 65 lbs. since I typically adventure with others, I don’t feel a big need for a winch. But if I was a solo adventurer, I’d have one for sure! A satellite communicator is on the list of things for me to buy. I think I’ll have enough peace of mind with one.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring I kind of really wanted the ARB front bumper, and the bumper alone is 200 lb. I really like the ARB because it conforms to Aus safety standards and ARB does a lot of crash testing, which most other bumper manufacturers don't do. My plan for the foreseeable future is the same as yours, just never go out alone. Luckily I know a few other people that have really built rigs, so it shouldn't be an issue.
@@trailrunnah8886 there are some hidden winch mounts for the GX460 that don't weigh nearly what a full bumper does, I imagine the 4 runner has similar or better options. I'd also consider bringing a winch that's not vehicle mounted. In my yard I've used one with some ground anchor screws (or whatever you call them), winch is on a hitch mount and then modified an extension to have the winch on one end and a D Ring mount on the other. Less convenient, but it could pull you out all the same.
You keep showing these trails in gonna have to do at some point! You gotta stop that! Lol But man, having a part fail is something that worries me quite a bit, especially since it's hard to sync up schedules to go hit some trails with others. Did end up having an issue during my first large group ride on my '19. Thankfully one of the guys had the skills and knowledge to figure out the issue which turned out to be a rear sway bar bracket bolt that came loose. Very easy fix, but definitely worried me when I started hearing a very loud clunk in the rear.
Haha! I'm so bummed you couldn't make it to Colorado, I really think you would have been the first Subaru on UA-cam to summit Imogene. So, I had the same thing happen to me, a bolt that connected my upper control arm came loose and fell out. Luckily my friend saw the bolt fall off and picked it up. With no knowledge of where this bolt came from and how to fix it, we had the tools and the determination to put it back together. Here's the video of this trip: ua-cam.com/video/m0dtobibRQM/v-deo.html. After that, I mark my suspension bolts and I also purchased every single nut and bolt to put my suspension back together as well as the schematics. It's in a nice clear plastic tackle box in my cargo area.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring oh, believe me, I've been watching the clips you and MtnSubi have been posting, and I am hating the fact that I couldn't go! Sad part is, gas got a little cheaper, but the main reason I didn't go just resolved itself today.. lol I will be ready for the next trip out there though if it happens again! So I'm my case, what helped is that a friend had the exact same issue on his '19 that day. But we just ended up getting under our vehicles and wiggling things around until he found one spot with a missing bolt, and I found the same spot on mine with a loose bolt. Also discovered the importance of having a proper jack for a lifted vehicle... lol, I now carry a bottle jack with a hi-lift jack pad. I'll also have to look into buying replacement bolts, and marking the current ones, and replacements, that's a very good idea!
Loved the scenery of the trail. Must be hard driving without power steering lol. Ray (MPTG) Lexus 100 series also loss his power steering while we are in wheeling in Gold Moutain, might be a common issue on LX470.
Nice video. However. Imo I do believe airing down adds a whole lot more stress/resistance to your steering rack, more contact surface from tire to ground leads to more friction for the steering system to over come. And yes, even Toyotas fail on the trails but I guess it’s just a game of balance, upgrading to stronger parts sure will save the failure of that specific part however it will just pass the weak point to the next components, just need to strategically plan where that failure point will be.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring yes. In that sense you are right. But in terms of how much extra work the power steering does, I believe airing down increase their work load. Have you felt in some scenarios that after airing down you can barely turn the steering wheel in a not so technical terrain? I believe some of that is due to the significantly increased friction/grip from airing down. It’s kinda like the power steering is trying to twist the tires between ground and wheel in a sense.
Onion Creek was the first trail I hit out there last year. Figured I would start out with an easy one for my first time out in Moab. Easily did it in 2wd in my F250, but was definitely worth it, absolutely beautiful. I did start to head down the other trail out of curiosity, but turned around after the trail started getting a little tight for my F250 and didn't wanna get further into the trail where it would be much more difficult to turn around in a crewcab F250 haha.
All the water crossings were awesome! After this trail, we did Hurrah Pass/ Chicken Corners, Gemini bridges, then Shaffer/potash road. It was such an epic time. Last year, I just did Fins N Things. That was a really intense trail for my Honda, Hahaha! It was nice to have a more laid back experience this year.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring Yeah as fun as some of the more challenging trails can be, it's nice to also do the more relaxing laid back scenic trails. Although Hurrah Pass did get my heart pumping after I started headed down towards Chicken Corners and the one real tight turn, my right rear tire on my F250 was literally hanging over the edge. I definitely have to get back out there to do White Rim Trail since I cancelled my camping reservation in Canyonlands because of storms and flash floods on those days.
@17:20 80 series definitely does not have a steering rack, it is recirculating ball and pitman arm. It is also not very beefy. Common upgrade is to a 105 series sector shaft. Mine has never given me trouble but I have 33's so it's not that stressed. I don't know what rack is compatible with the GX, but its most likely a 100 series. my guess is that its simply just better mounting points. As far as reliable cars becoming unreliable. The truth is that most people ruin their trucks more than they improve them with mods...I know I have. The GX/Prado is a light duty platform and was never meant for 35 inch tires. The hard part about modding properly is making sure you are commited to supporting mods. Even something as simple as a 2 inch lift can require a host of supporting mods to do it right.
As always Patrick, thanks for the info! It's people like you that have commented on my channel that have helped influence the way I upgraded my vehicle. I'm really picky about adding extra weight and while my tires are 2.5" taller than stock size, I actually run p-rated A/Ts so I don't add too much unsprung weight to the suspension.
Yup just look at what TRD put into their new 3” Tundra lift with what people normally do in the aftermarket now for a small lift. Heck just going under your vehicle after a lift to see everything sealed in grease with a boot being pinched should tell you know all you need to know about mods and reliability 😀
Ah dang! So, we were in Moab the 2nd week of June. Sorry I couldn't make these videos quicker. I think I got a notification that you messaged me on instagram, but I was in the middle of last weeks Colorado trip.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring yea haha. I had tried but it was locked down. No biggy. Not a problem at all. I’ll make it up there eventually hopefully with some ATs and a skid plate.
12:20 Having those 2 foot square rubber pads they sell that interconnect would be perfect to kneel down on and they take next to nothing space to put in the rig, save your knees.
Mods, especially most aftermarket suspension reduce reliability IMO. - former Camburg long travel tundra owner. Race truck parts require race truck maintenance. Look at what TRD put into the new Tundra lift vs what people do now. Most for a small lift slap on coilovers + arms, diff drop maybe and call it a day. TRD includes new or extensions for steering, brakes, sway bars links, driveshafts, knuckles for a 3” lift. That the kind of stuff that goes into long travel kits.
another great video! and another interesting spot to put on the list. Good reminder about pre trip inspection and preparation. With the Reliability of Japanese vehicles its easy to forget that things do wear out and will let you down at the worst time possible. With a 180k on my Toyota it seemed like a good time to have the radiator, hoses, alternator and ABS/master cylinder(well known problem on my model) replaced before any signs of going bad. Might last another 100k miles but why take a chance? Figured its cheaper than a off road recovery tow and much less stressful. Glad Darkstar got his GX back home and fixed!
Thanks Richard! 🙏 and you bring up a really good point about how costly an off-road recovery can be. Many times it’s going to be $1000+. Preventative maintenance is a wiser thing to do.
Just discovered your videos. Love it 😍 I’ve done Shafer and Potash in my minivan with a suspension lift. Any suggestions for easier trails around Moab that won’t stress out my husband, I travel alone.
Awesome cabin footage you can’t get better than that! After watching your video we are planning to hit this one up now! My parents are older and not off road enthusiasts like my siblings and I so this would be a good trail for them. Just out of curiosity, at the beginning of this trail is there ample parking space for parking a truck with a trailer because we’ll have to tow the UTV there. My parents want to experience a UTV so we plan on renting one for them and taking them here, but I’m not sure how good the parking area will be to leave the truck with trailer behind before entering the trail .
You did this at a historical time as the water levels are low due to the drought. There have been years that this route is impassable due to the water level.
That explains a lot Ollie! I was wondering why TrailsOffroad rated this a level 3. I felt it was one of the smoothest dirt roads I've ever driven on. 30+ inches of water definitely changes things.
Honda made a first big step: CR-V now has a Passport’s face :) Great job! Now offer the same AWD :) … or offer a competition to Mitsubishi Delica D:5. :) I am a big fan of Honda’s minivans but need better ground clearance and AWD :) I envy having the Passport on my market :)
@@JonDZ_Adventuring Minivans are very popular in Japan and they come in all sizes. Unfortunately only Delica D:5 offers good AWD and ground clearance. This is very strange, as Mitsubishi gets a very good profit from it. There is just no competition for that part of the market. Minivans are so usable for longer trips. They are heavier, but for my lifestyle they fit. Especially now with a newborn. I am happy with my Forester but I really hope there will be more options to replace it with a minivan or a similar size and off-road “capabilities”. Quotes intentional when comes to Forester :) Although it’s amazing in the snow and for my needs it was a good choice.
Absolutely beautiful scenery I like the point about vehicle break downs and reliability. Every vehicle has a chance of breaking down or having major/minor issues. I really hate the vehicle shaming I see between different vehicle brand tribes. Example: Someone will post a comment that they are deciding on which off-road vehicle they plan to buy. They mention a Jeep and the Toyota fan boys tell that person they will be stuck on the side of the road constantly. Statistically that is just not true. There are so many factors that go into the reliability of a vehicle for off-road adventuring I thinks its VERY hard if not impossible to quantify. I say no matter what vehicle you drive keep it serviced and pre-check it before any kind of off-roading. Clear any recalls for your vehicle. Keep a full tool box and any equipment and spare parts you may need specific to your vehicles needs. Monitor vehicle temperatures etc. using a scanguage (or monitoring device of your choosing). Always go with a friend and if you do go alone make sure you have some kind of emergency satellite communication device.
Yes, I believe their is. Onion creek is surrounded by BLM (bureau of land management) land, and the turn around spot was a large hub that had lots of camping.
I'm new to your channel. I'm looking to coming out to the Moab area in a few months. I'm new to overlanding and off-roading. Do you have any good places to set up camp?
I personally never use paper maps. It would be a skill i'd like to learn at some point, but it's just too easy with an app like GAIA GPS. I exclusively use GAIA, because I enjoy doing research before exploring an area and plotting my routes, and I like that it acts like my offroad "journal/diary".
You have to see him on the next episodes. He’s so masterful driving stick shift that I felt pretty comfortable being a few feet away from him while stopped on a hill. The guy could drive.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring oh right, that must mean it will be the same in all other cars. 😂 The point is that the higher the miles, the higher the chance of something breaking just from overuse. Especially offroad.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring sorry, I forget everyone is so literal on the internet. It's not exactly a shocker that a highly modified, high mileage off-road vehicle breaks down on a trail.
@@officialyasir yeah, that was all pointed out in the video though. I even give insight to why the breakdown occurred and what people can do to get even more miles out of a vehicle (air down).
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
The GX is back and stronger than ever with a beefier Tundra steering rack! Onion Creek was an excellent trail, and I definitely recommend it to anyone traveling to Moab.
Awesome to hear Dark Star Overlord!!!
Until Pismo….lol
Always happy to see AWD trails that my Forester can take. Recently upgraded my tires and wheels and now have 16" wheels (17lbs) with Yokoyama tires Geolandar a/t g015 29" tires (It weighs the same as my stock setup!). I live in Fresno CA and planning to go to the Arizona and Utah section and considering some of your locations for my trip. Keep up the great videos!
Thanks Javier!!! Have fun out in AZ and UT. I highly recommend onion creek
The Abajo Mountains/Bears Ears to the south of Moab is great Subaru country as is Valley of the Gods and the Burr trail. I did all these and more last year in my Forester. Go Dogs.
Ohh man...I can't wait to see this area again. Moab and Utah is just a overlander paradise.
I'd love to go back as well. Sad my Wife missed out on this trip. We also went to Arches national park for some epic hikes, Moab has so much to do! I'd like to go back and spend a week out here so I could do a little bit of everything.
Dude in the RD1 is my hero
Wait for the next episodes. He’s a stud.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring yes I can't wait. In the RD1 community, so many people do medium core overlanding with these with friends who have vehicles like yours and do just fine for most things that doesn't include rock climbing.
It's amazing how well they perform off-road with simple mods for what they are
My only fear is breaking down. Sometimes I over think it and want to bring to many parts. I have to think about parts that would completely stop me until I fix or replace. Like alt, cv and power steering. Maybe 2 belts. Then tools and air compressor. Then I need to find a empty useless space for these items. Aw heck with the nerves , let's get excited. Great job Jon
Thanks DJ! You can fit so much in the Burb, that I don't think stashing an alternator, axle, belts and a steering rack would be that big of a deal :P
@@JonDZ_Adventuring very true. I am going to start my kitchen platform within the next 2 months. I have some goofy ideas that I want to see if it works. 🤪
This was Jeanne’s first trail driving and she did it solo. Super beautiful and an amazing trail. Great video Jon!
Jeanne did great! I couldn't find that drone footage from Darkstar, and I was sad I didn't get footage of the two jeeps in the back, but glad I got the candid shot of you being genuinely concerned about Darkstar's rig. I'm going to have to up my action cam game to get everyone on camera.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring haha, Darkstar didn’t hit record and the battery died right after he noticed.
Good video ,will do this at the easterjeep safari,I hope to meet some of you
Thanks George! I probably won't be at the Easter Jeep Safari and Moab is a 13 hour drive for me, but hope to cross your path at some point in the future. Have fun out there!
Great trip! I wanted to add something to the point you made about modifying vehicles: another thing to think of is the weight. By the time one adds steel bumpers, winch, sliders, skids, RTT, plus all the gear, tools, recovery gear and whatnot, it's very easy to exceed the GVWR of your vehicle, which is also harder on the mechanical bits. Especially as the vehicles get older. I recently heard somebody say that they bought a 80 series Land Cruiser "because Toyotas are reliable". It's still a 25-year-old vehicle, you're going to need to put work into it no matter what it is, haha.
Absolutely! I mentioned weight putting strain on suspension parts, but it also strains everything. Excellent point about a 25 year old vehicle. That's a long time for plastic and rubber parts to harden and deteriorate. Just imagine a 25 year old timing belt and ball joints, YIKES! haha! Also, driving style is so important. Rough driving will really wear on a vehicle.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring exactly! I talked to somebody that bought a 100 series Land Cruiser, then spent thousands on maintenance items just getting it back to 100% before building. He said with all the maintenance done to the cruiser, it worked out to be more expensive overall than his Land Rover build.
Also,I'm sorry, I must have missed the part when you mentioned weight. When the GX broke and you started to talk about modding, my first thought was man and that thing must be heavy! So far I've avoided bolting a bunch of stuff to my 4Runner due to weight concerns. I'd really like a winch someday, but I just can't justify adding over 200 lbs to the front of it for a winch and bumper.
@@trailrunnah8886 hey! That’s exactly why I haven’t bothered with a winch either. I think the synthetic line winched will only weigh 65 lbs. since I typically adventure with others, I don’t feel a big need for a winch. But if I was a solo adventurer, I’d have one for sure! A satellite communicator is on the list of things for me to buy. I think I’ll have enough peace of mind with one.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring I kind of really wanted the ARB front bumper, and the bumper alone is 200 lb. I really like the ARB because it conforms to Aus safety standards and ARB does a lot of crash testing, which most other bumper manufacturers don't do. My plan for the foreseeable future is the same as yours, just never go out alone. Luckily I know a few other people that have really built rigs, so it shouldn't be an issue.
@@trailrunnah8886 there are some hidden winch mounts for the GX460 that don't weigh nearly what a full bumper does, I imagine the 4 runner has similar or better options.
I'd also consider bringing a winch that's not vehicle mounted. In my yard I've used one with some ground anchor screws (or whatever you call them), winch is on a hitch mount and then modified an extension to have the winch on one end and a D Ring mount on the other. Less convenient, but it could pull you out all the same.
You keep showing these trails in gonna have to do at some point! You gotta stop that! Lol
But man, having a part fail is something that worries me quite a bit, especially since it's hard to sync up schedules to go hit some trails with others. Did end up having an issue during my first large group ride on my '19. Thankfully one of the guys had the skills and knowledge to figure out the issue which turned out to be a rear sway bar bracket bolt that came loose. Very easy fix, but definitely worried me when I started hearing a very loud clunk in the rear.
Haha! I'm so bummed you couldn't make it to Colorado, I really think you would have been the first Subaru on UA-cam to summit Imogene. So, I had the same thing happen to me, a bolt that connected my upper control arm came loose and fell out. Luckily my friend saw the bolt fall off and picked it up. With no knowledge of where this bolt came from and how to fix it, we had the tools and the determination to put it back together. Here's the video of this trip: ua-cam.com/video/m0dtobibRQM/v-deo.html. After that, I mark my suspension bolts and I also purchased every single nut and bolt to put my suspension back together as well as the schematics. It's in a nice clear plastic tackle box in my cargo area.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring oh, believe me, I've been watching the clips you and MtnSubi have been posting, and I am hating the fact that I couldn't go! Sad part is, gas got a little cheaper, but the main reason I didn't go just resolved itself today.. lol I will be ready for the next trip out there though if it happens again!
So I'm my case, what helped is that a friend had the exact same issue on his '19 that day. But we just ended up getting under our vehicles and wiggling things around until he found one spot with a missing bolt, and I found the same spot on mine with a loose bolt. Also discovered the importance of having a proper jack for a lifted vehicle... lol, I now carry a bottle jack with a hi-lift jack pad. I'll also have to look into buying replacement bolts, and marking the current ones, and replacements, that's a very good idea!
Beautiful trails and coverage of Onion Creek! Well done Jon! Must check this out
Thanks 🙏! I also recommend visiting arches national park, which is fairly close to this trail.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring That's awesome! I will also add Arches to the list. Oh yeah!!!! lol
Loved the scenery of the trail. Must be hard driving without power steering lol. Ray (MPTG) Lexus 100 series also loss his power steering while we are in wheeling in Gold Moutain, might be a common issue on LX470.
It's an amazing trail Kevin. This leads to Lockhart basin, which is more of the difficulty you guys are use to :P
Nice video. However. Imo I do believe airing down adds a whole lot more stress/resistance to your steering rack, more contact surface from tire to ground leads to more friction for the steering system to over come. And yes, even Toyotas fail on the trails but I guess it’s just a game of balance, upgrading to stronger parts sure will save the failure of that specific part however it will just pass the weak point to the next components, just need to strategically plan where that failure point will be.
I’m no expert, but wouldn’t harshness and vibration transfer into the steering rack? Airing down reduces harshness.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring yes. In that sense you are right. But in terms of how much extra work the power steering does, I believe airing down increase their work load. Have you felt in some scenarios that after airing down you can barely turn the steering wheel in a not so technical terrain? I believe some of that is due to the significantly increased friction/grip from airing down. It’s kinda like the power steering is trying to twist the tires between ground and wheel in a sense.
In search of a fuel efficient 4x4 to replace my 4Runner, some of this awd are in my list.
Onion Creek was the first trail I hit out there last year. Figured I would start out with an easy one for my first time out in Moab. Easily did it in 2wd in my F250, but was definitely worth it, absolutely beautiful. I did start to head down the other trail out of curiosity, but turned around after the trail started getting a little tight for my F250 and didn't wanna get further into the trail where it would be much more difficult to turn around in a crewcab F250 haha.
All the water crossings were awesome! After this trail, we did Hurrah Pass/ Chicken Corners, Gemini bridges, then Shaffer/potash road. It was such an epic time. Last year, I just did Fins N Things. That was a really intense trail for my Honda, Hahaha! It was nice to have a more laid back experience this year.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring Yeah as fun as some of the more challenging trails can be, it's nice to also do the more relaxing laid back scenic trails. Although Hurrah Pass did get my heart pumping after I started headed down towards Chicken Corners and the one real tight turn, my right rear tire on my F250 was literally hanging over the edge. I definitely have to get back out there to do White Rim Trail since I cancelled my camping reservation in Canyonlands because of storms and flash floods on those days.
Awsome video, great info on breakdowns!! It will happen at some point even if its sidewall blowouts or something like that
Thanks Nick! Really wish you and Nancy could have joined in on this.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring us too!! Maybe next time !!
@17:20 80 series definitely does not have a steering rack, it is recirculating ball and pitman arm. It is also not very beefy. Common upgrade is to a 105 series sector shaft. Mine has never given me trouble but I have 33's so it's not that stressed. I don't know what rack is compatible with the GX, but its most likely a 100 series. my guess is that its simply just better mounting points. As far as reliable cars becoming unreliable. The truth is that most people ruin their trucks more than they improve them with mods...I know I have. The GX/Prado is a light duty platform and was never meant for 35 inch tires. The hard part about modding properly is making sure you are commited to supporting mods. Even something as simple as a 2 inch lift can require a host of supporting mods to do it right.
As always Patrick, thanks for the info! It's people like you that have commented on my channel that have helped influence the way I upgraded my vehicle. I'm really picky about adding extra weight and while my tires are 2.5" taller than stock size, I actually run p-rated A/Ts so I don't add too much unsprung weight to the suspension.
Yup just look at what TRD put into their new 3” Tundra lift with what people normally do in the aftermarket now for a small lift. Heck just going under your vehicle after a lift to see everything sealed in grease with a boot being pinched should tell you know all you need to know about mods and reliability 😀
Dude! I was just in Moab last week and didn’t know what beginner trail to do! Wish I could have tagged along.
Ah dang! So, we were in Moab the 2nd week of June. Sorry I couldn't make these videos quicker. I think I got a notification that you messaged me on instagram, but I was in the middle of last weeks Colorado trip.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring yea haha. I had tried but it was locked down. No biggy. Not a problem at all. I’ll make it up there eventually hopefully with some ATs and a skid plate.
12:20 Having those 2 foot square rubber pads they sell that interconnect would be perfect to kneel down on and they take next to nothing space to put in the rig, save your knees.
Mods, especially most aftermarket suspension reduce reliability IMO. - former Camburg long travel tundra owner. Race truck parts require race truck maintenance.
Look at what TRD put into the new Tundra lift vs what people do now. Most for a small lift slap on coilovers + arms, diff drop maybe and call it a day. TRD includes new or extensions for steering, brakes, sway bars links, driveshafts, knuckles for a 3” lift. That the kind of stuff that goes into long travel kits.
Wow, I didn’t know it’s that extensive! How much more articulation does the TRD lift kit give?
another great video! and another interesting spot to put on the list. Good reminder about pre trip inspection and preparation. With the Reliability of Japanese vehicles its easy to forget that things do wear out and will let you down at the worst time possible. With a 180k on my Toyota it seemed like a good time to have the radiator, hoses, alternator and ABS/master cylinder(well known problem on my model) replaced before any signs of going bad. Might last another 100k miles but why take a chance? Figured its cheaper than a off road recovery tow and much less stressful. Glad Darkstar got his GX back home and fixed!
Thanks Richard! 🙏 and you bring up a really good point about how costly an off-road recovery can be. Many times it’s going to be $1000+. Preventative maintenance is a wiser thing to do.
Looks like fun, I have a all stock GX 470, this would be a great place to go.I am 2 state close.
Just discovered your videos. Love it 😍 I’ve done Shafer and Potash in my minivan with a suspension lift. Any suggestions for easier trails around Moab that won’t stress out my husband, I travel alone.
Thank you for sharing, we wanted to hit this trail but ran out of time. Have you done the Shafer switchbacks?
Hey Frankie! Yes, we drove down Shafer to Potash road. We also did Hurrah Pass/Chicken Corners and the gemini bridges
@@JonDZ_Adventuring can't wait too see your vids of all of those! Which way did you go into and out of Gemini bridges?
Awesome cabin footage you can’t get better than that! After watching your video we are planning to hit this one up now! My parents are older and not off road enthusiasts like my siblings and I so this would be a good trail for them. Just out of curiosity, at the beginning of this trail is there ample parking space for parking a truck with a trailer because we’ll have to tow the UTV there. My parents want to experience a UTV so we plan on renting one for them and taking them here, but I’m not sure how good the parking area will be to leave the truck with trailer behind before entering the trail .
You did this at a historical time as the water levels are low due to the drought. There have been years that this route is impassable due to the water level.
That explains a lot Ollie! I was wondering why TrailsOffroad rated this a level 3. I felt it was one of the smoothest dirt roads I've ever driven on. 30+ inches of water definitely changes things.
Honda made a first big step: CR-V now has a Passport’s face :)
Great job!
Now offer the same AWD :)
… or offer a competition to Mitsubishi Delica D:5. :)
I am a big fan of Honda’s minivans but need better ground clearance and AWD :)
I envy having the Passport on my market :)
An off-road capable Mini van sounds awesome! I know American Honda Motors would never offer it here.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring
Minivans are very popular in Japan and they come in all sizes.
Unfortunately only Delica D:5 offers good AWD and ground clearance.
This is very strange, as Mitsubishi gets a very good profit from it. There is just no competition for that part of the market.
Minivans are so usable for longer trips. They are heavier, but for my lifestyle they fit.
Especially now with a newborn.
I am happy with my Forester but I really hope there will be more options to replace it with a minivan or a similar size and off-road “capabilities”.
Quotes intentional when comes to Forester :)
Although it’s amazing in the snow and for my needs it was a good choice.
Absolutely beautiful scenery I like the point about vehicle break downs and reliability. Every vehicle has a chance of breaking down or having major/minor issues. I really hate the vehicle shaming I see between different vehicle brand tribes. Example: Someone will post a comment that they are deciding on which off-road vehicle they plan to buy. They mention a Jeep and the Toyota fan boys tell that person they will be stuck on the side of the road constantly. Statistically that is just not true. There are so many factors that go into the reliability of a vehicle for off-road adventuring I thinks its VERY hard if not impossible to quantify. I say no matter what vehicle you drive keep it serviced and pre-check it before any kind of off-roading. Clear any recalls for your vehicle. Keep a full tool box and any equipment and spare parts you may need specific to your vehicles needs. Monitor vehicle temperatures etc. using a scanguage (or monitoring device of your choosing). Always go with a friend and if you do go alone make sure you have some kind of emergency satellite communication device.
Well said fatal animal! It really is impossible to quantify 👍.
Dark Star pays to play
I’d expect nothing less from Dark Star “Overlord” 😂
any dispersed camping at your turn around spot?
Yes, I believe their is. Onion creek is surrounded by BLM (bureau of land management) land, and the turn around spot was a large hub that had lots of camping.
I'm new to your channel. I'm looking to coming out to the Moab area in a few months. I'm new to overlanding and off-roading. Do you have any good places to set up camp?
How long does Onion Creek Trail take to get out to the meadow area and back?
I’d say about an hour and a half each way, so 2.5 to 3 hours total
@@JonDZ_Adventuring Thank you very much!
@@thomza you’re very welcome! Enjoy and be safe! May you have a hydrolock free experience! I have no idea how the water levels will be right now.
why didn’t you keep going to thompson canyon?
What do you guys use to navigate these trails? Like an app or paper map?
I personally never use paper maps. It would be a skill i'd like to learn at some point, but it's just too easy with an app like GAIA GPS. I exclusively use GAIA, because I enjoy doing research before exploring an area and plotting my routes, and I like that it acts like my offroad "journal/diary".
@@JonDZ_Adventuring thanks for the info!
Do you just take Onion creek trail East from 128? And where do you turn back?
yeah, enter from hwy 128 and turn back after you go 9 miles in
👍
All right manual transmission located. There are advantages off-roading with manual transmission!
You have to see him on the next episodes. He’s so masterful driving stick shift that I felt pretty comfortable being a few feet away from him while stopped on a hill. The guy could drive.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring oh cool I look forward to it!
240k miles! Of course things will break.
Had a stock 2008 FJ cruiser with 330K that only saw pavement. Nothing ever broke.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring oh right, that must mean it will be the same in all other cars. 😂
The point is that the higher the miles, the higher the chance of something breaking just from overuse. Especially offroad.
@@officialyasir you said “240K miles! Of course things will break”. Glad your correcting yourself. Hope it makes your day better 😇
@@JonDZ_Adventuring sorry, I forget everyone is so literal on the internet. It's not exactly a shocker that a highly modified, high mileage off-road vehicle breaks down on a trail.
@@officialyasir yeah, that was all pointed out in the video though. I even give insight to why the breakdown occurred and what people can do to get even more miles out of a vehicle (air down).
Whoo, first!