Forester XT build - Overland/Bugout

[krzyboy2o]

Went to Rack N Road and they were quoting $400 for the curt hitch and install. [emoji51]

Ending up getting the ecohitch.

https://torkliftcentral.com/rving-and-towing/ecohitch/subaru/2014-2017-subaru-forester-ecohitch.

Should be arriving in a couple weeks as they are custom built. I'll do by best to get a video of the install.

Next on the recovery list are TRED Pros, deflator & compressor.




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[krzyboy2o]

So my 90k service is around the corner. Any advice on who should do the service? Dealer or a specialized subaru shop?

Mann Engineering or GarageOne?


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[odingrey]

Premier Subaru in Fremont is pretty good for service. Stevens Creek has this like month long wait list, but Premier can get you in the next day. They are the guys that swapped my transmission and even hooked me up with a free oil change last time.

 

[krzyboy2o]

Get a deflator and air down to 18 PSI.
TR

Seems so low for 18" (255/55) tire. Again I have no experience driving in sand.




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[krzyboy2o]

so next month I get to celebrate another year on this planet. if you had $1000 to spend on your rig, what would you get?

debating on a wilco solo hitch with full spare
a grab bag of recovery gear (Tred Pro, kinetic rope, tire deflator, etc,)
roof top tent

 

[OuterLimits]

Seems so low for 18" (255/55) tire. Again I have no experience driving in sand.

I have no experience with a low profile tire on 18" wheel on sand.

I tried mine down to 12psi, but didn't like it. I lost too much ground clearance at 12 and didn't like the squishy ride. The Jeeps had to go down low to stop wheel hop on the rear axle. I will run between 18-and 22 psi depending on the moisture level of the sand.

With your setup I'd probably try 22psi and see how you do. You need to get enough air out to increase the contact patch of the tire. This helps you "float" on the sand. If you try street pressure, there's a really good chance you will get stuck.

Air down and go play. It is a blast in the dunes!

 

[OuterLimits]

so next month I get to celebrate another year on this planet. if you had $1000 to spend on your rig, what would you get?

debating on a wilco solo hitch with full spare
a grab bag of recovery gear (Tred Pro, kinetic rope, tire deflator, etc,)
roof top tent

Congratulations!

I'm not the fun guy to ask such a question (I can be a bit too practical).

I start with proper tires, then extraction gear, then undercarriage protection.

Anything after that is just icing on the off-road cake.

I would not base any further upgrades on "the cool factor", but would either look to address the greatest weakness or limitation of my vehicle, or get something that would greatly improve the function/utility of my vehicle.

Better camping gear or convenience items can be a real bonus as well (better ice chest, better sanitation items/shower/potty, better tent, better sleeping bag, etc.) If you can improve your outing enjoyment or efficiency, that is never a bad thing.

Good luck, TR

 

[krzyboy2o]

Congratulations!

Thanks fugitive! Appreciate the feedback.

I think my tires are sufficient - Toyo AT2's - i could use a full size spare tho.

recovery/extraction gear is on my list. I did just purchase a portable jump starter as I accidentally ran my battery down yesterday with the headlights. =/

as for camping gear,
!'m an avid backpacker so I have a pretty good amount of equipment from ultra light to ultra heavy.

 

[krzyboy2o]

So I took a little detour on the way home today. Rather than sitting in traffic on the 280S I took the Page Mill exit and headed west towards the hills. This road took me up the mountain though the Foothills Reserve over looking the Penninsula.

I then connected onto Skyline Blvd. A mile down I stopped for a few moments at the Skyline Open Reserve. It's a pretty open space with gravel roads. Nothing crazy just gravel roads and a huge parking lot. I disabled VDC to play around a bit but noticed it kicked in automatically. Is this normal?

Any how, if you've never been on Skyline Blvd, I suggest you check it out. It's a good change from the normal daily commute.

Tires held up great in the loose gravel. Tried to give them a spin but held traction.

By they way. Anyone going?

https://store.overlandbound.com/products/off-the-grid-west-bald-mountain-2017-pass



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[krzyboy2o]

No more dead batteries!

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[krzyboy2o]

This past week I've been debating on what traction/recovery boards to order for my upcoming trip to Pismo Beach. For me it was a hard decision between Tred Pro and Maxtrax. Ultimately I went with Maxtrax in olive green from http://offroadwarehouse.com/

Here why:

• Flexibility. From the YouTube videos and forum posts i've read, Maxtrax has more "bend" than the TRED Pros
• Size. Maxtrax is slightly bigger however one can say size doesn't matter as long as it works
• Reliability/Trustworthy. This has been proven multiple times in videos and review blogs

Mounting might be a little tricky here. any one mount these to a roof basket with 1" diameter? i did get the pins but need some bracket to attach to the basket. open to the brilliant minds here.
my first thought was to get some unistrut and mount that to the roof basket with U bolts. security might be an issue though.

 

[krzyboy2o]

Found AxiaAlloys while searching today and bought a pair of their Matrax Mounts. Price is much better than Raptor Rack mounts from Australia. Boards are arriving today and the mounts should be here by tomorrow.

 

[krzyboy2o]

Parts arrived!

However I have a dilemma. My roof basket is an about inch short. The mounting holes in the Maxtrax are longer than my basket.

Any ideas?


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[krzyboy2o]

So after sleeping on this last night, here are some possible solutions...

1. Sell the basket and purchase the rhino rack x tray in large or get a platform style rack - $399

2. Keep the basket and purchase a wilco hitchgate $600. Mount the skids there.

3. Sell the maxtrax and buy the TRED800




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[krzyboy2o]

upgrades and installations are on hold for the moment.

Got rear ended yesterday. Other than some scratches and a bumper dimple all is good. Surprised how strong our bumpers are. can't say much for the Lexus that hit me though.

 

[OuterLimits]

So after sleeping on this last night, here are some possible solutions...

1. Sell the basket and purchase the rhino rack x tray in large or get a platform style rack - $399

2. Keep the basket and purchase a wilco hitchgate $600. Mount the skids there.

3. Sell the maxtrax and buy the TRED800

Give the Traction Jacks a try. They store smaller than the rest. Unfolded, they are longer than the rest.

Try getting a maxtrax properly under a CUV... Lots of digging to clear the undercarriage. The hinge in the Traction Jack reduces the digging and prevents the board from slapping the door sills when it grabs traction.

There are lots of good options for larger/lifted rigs, but the Traction Jack has some real advantages for CUVs. Cheers, TR

 

[OuterLimits]

upgrades and installations are on hold for the moment.

Got rear ended yesterday. Other than some scratches and a bumper dimple all is good. Surprised how strong our bumpers are. can't say much for the Lexus that hit me though.

Sorry to hear about the fender-bender. (hope the other guy was totaled).

Hopefully this will all get sorted out soon so you can get back to your build. TR

 

[krzyboy2o]

Locked in loaded...Pismo Bound!

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[WindyCity_MDX]

did you get the damage from the recent rear-end accident fixed?

 

[krzyboy2o]

did you get the damage from the recent rear-end accident fixed?

Yep! Opted to get the bumper repaired rather than replaced. Damages were minor. Crash bar did it's job. Only dent was the rear spare tire well. In an out in 2 days.




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