Greater Seattle area virtual campfire

[Ubiety]

Welcome @ezz! How are you enjoying your Gladiator? Looks like you got it in Tacoma? Be warned that Rairdons in Totem Lake/Kirkland are not known for high integrity... I am slowly building a 2020 Gladiator so if you have any questions, etc., let me know.
Generally this area is great during the summer after the snow melts but a lot of the tracks on public land are shut down in the wintery months due to snow. About the closest local trail is the Snoqualmie N Fork road which is scenic and has good camping but, unfortunately, has been discovered - lots of race car drivers and traffic. Let us know if you need pointers to the N Fork road.

Working on kitchen under canopy and second battery setup under the canopy. Have a Clayton 2.5 inch lift sitting here in boxes. Just upgraded wheel and tires and steering components.


@parrotheadnw - where are you going next weekend?

 

[ezz]

Welcome @ezz! How are you enjoying your Gladiator? Looks like you got it in Tacoma? Be warned that Rairdons in Totem Lake/Kirkland are not known for high integrity... I am slowly building a 2020 Gladiator so if you have any questions, etc., let me know.
Generally this area is great during the summer after the snow melts but a lot of the tracks on public land are shut down in the wintery months due to snow. About the closest local trail is the Snoqualmie N Fork road which is scenic and has good camping but, unfortunately, has been discovered - lots of race car drivers and traffic. Let us know if you need pointers to the N Fork road.

Working on kitchen under canopy and second battery setup under the canopy. Have a Clayton 2.5 inch lift sitting here in boxes. Just upgraded wheel and tires and steering components.
View attachment 227049

@parrotheadnw - where are you going next weekend?

You have a nice Gladiator.

Where I can find a list of off road trails around me? , I want to start with some easy trails.

Where I can keep my self notified/updated for any upcoming events for Seattle area?

Side question: What is your thoughts for upgrading tires, I am not able to take a decision for 35 or 37 ( I have a rubicon ) do you know if there is a post in this forum for such discussion? For example what would be the different between 11.5 and 12.5 wide tires? I do not like the look of wider tires

 

[MSD]

Welcome @ezz! How are you enjoying your Gladiator? Looks like you got it in Tacoma? Be warned that Rairdons in Totem Lake/Kirkland are not known for high integrity... I am slowly building a 2020 Gladiator so if you have any questions, etc., let me know.
Generally this area is great during the summer after the snow melts but a lot of the tracks on public land are shut down in the wintery months due to snow. About the closest local trail is the Snoqualmie N Fork road which is scenic and has good camping but, unfortunately, has been discovered - lots of race car drivers and traffic. Let us know if you need pointers to the N Fork road.

Working on kitchen under canopy and second battery setup under the canopy. Have a Clayton 2.5 inch lift sitting here in boxes. Just upgraded wheel and tires and steering components.
View attachment 227049

@parrotheadnw - where are you going next weekend?

You have a nice Gladiator.

Where I can find a list of off road trails around me? , I want to start with some easy trails.

Where I can keep my self notified/updated for any upcoming events for Seattle area?

Side question: What is your thoughts for upgrading tires, I am not able to take a decision for 35 or 37 ( I have a rubicon ) do you know if there is a post in this forum for such discussion? For example what would be the different between 11.5 and 12.5 wide tires? I do not like the look of wider tires

Trailsoffroad.com will give you a lot of options for trails in your area or any area you plan to visit out of state. It’s a great resource, you can get a 20% discount if your an OB member. But it’s pretty inexpensive at $25 a year. You can also upload these files straight to Gaia GPS.

I have a 2015 JK unlimited rubicon & run 37s. Personally it’s the best set up for Overlanding or wheeling with my buddies. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to 35s. I’m running the BFG KO2 they are 37x12.5R17 I don’t think the make an 11.5 but I could be wrong.

 

[ezz]

Welcome @ezz! How are you enjoying your Gladiator? Looks like you got it in Tacoma? Be warned that Rairdons in Totem Lake/Kirkland are not known for high integrity... I am slowly building a 2020 Gladiator so if you have any questions, etc., let me know.
Generally this area is great during the summer after the snow melts but a lot of the tracks on public land are shut down in the wintery months due to snow. About the closest local trail is the Snoqualmie N Fork road which is scenic and has good camping but, unfortunately, has been discovered - lots of race car drivers and traffic. Let us know if you need pointers to the N Fork road.

Working on kitchen under canopy and second battery setup under the canopy. Have a Clayton 2.5 inch lift sitting here in boxes. Just upgraded wheel and tires and steering components.
View attachment 227049

@parrotheadnw - where are you going next weekend?

You have a nice Gladiator.

Where I can find a list of off road trails around me? , I want to start with some easy trails.

Where I can keep my self notified/updated for any upcoming events for Seattle area?

Side question: What is your thoughts for upgrading tires, I am not able to take a decision for 35 or 37 ( I have a rubicon ) do you know if there is a post in this forum for such discussion? For example what would be the different between 11.5 and 12.5 wide tires? I do not like the look of wider tires

Trailsoffroad.com will give you a lot of options for trails in your area or any area you plan to visit out of state. It’s a great resource, you can get a 20% discount if your an OB member. But it’s pretty inexpensive at $25 a year. You can also upload these files straight to Gaia GPS.

I have a 2015 JK unlimited rubicon & run 37s. Personally it’s the best set up for Overlanding or wheeling with my buddies. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to 35s. I’m running the BFG KO2 they are 37x12.5R17 I don’t think the make an 11.5 but I could be wrong.

Thanks for website.

For the tires, you do not need to make any re gearing for 37s? You do not think the driving handling is not impacted?


If I do decide to go with 37x12.5xr17 then I need to upgrade the wheels as well, any thoughts on that :)

 

[Ubiety]

I believe that the OB1 app has a list of trails, the N Fork should be in there. I'd plan on doing it in the off hours to avoid traffic (but thats just me). There are other places on the OB forums that folks submit trails to but I think those just get placed into the OB1 app so that may be your best bet. There are a bunch of trails near the summit of Snoqualmie pass off of I-90 but a lot of those are currently closed for the winter (snow). Up North the Mt Loop Hwy is easy and scenic, again (partially) closed for the season. Tahuya is out by Hood Canal but I believe that features less easy trails (more rock crawly stuff but I have never been there). Eastern WA is a good place to get away from snow (sometimes) but can be pretty cold and windy in the winter. Luckily we are heading into spring and things will be opening up again.

Threads like this and Rally Point are a great place to get to meet folks and find out about trips.

Tires. You can search the OB forums but I just went through this so I'll tell you what I learned. The Rubicon will handle 35s easily without a lift, don't think that is true for 37s. A 35 inch spare will fit in the under-bed location for the spare tire, I have heard that a 37 will maybe fit but has to be aired down. The 4.10 gears on the Rubicon can handle 35s but you probably will want to re-gear your differentials for 37s. Those made the decision easy for me. 37s are also going to be heavier and will affect acceleration, braking and gas mileage more. I am a huge fan of the BFG KM tires and when I purchased the 35s you could not get the skinnier/taller size (backordered for months), the only option was the (slightly) shorter/wider version - again made my decision easier. The difference in size between the two tires is miniscule; the reason that my tires are pushed out so far is I need a certain amount of backspacing to accomadate the lift that is still sitting here in boxes. Like you I did not want to go wider but am glad that I did.

 

[rsweet]

I'm game for just about anything. Got the winch installed, just need to pull the trigger on a radio.

Just installed a Wouxun KG-XS20G from Buy Two Way Radios - Lowest 2 Way Radio Prices Anywhere! Great company to deal with. They will help you spec everything out. Radio was $199.00. Nice and compact. Midland 6 db antenna. Also have a ghost antenna that I can swap out to if I have low hanging branches. The molle panel is from Rago Fabrication. Pain to install, but keeps everything clean. The Wouxun stuff is solid. I have a handheld for my KTM. Radio can be programmed from computer. This is a GMRS radio. I have a Yaesu ham radio, but most of the people I go with use GMRS.

 

[Ubiety]

If I do decide to go with 37x12.5xr17 then I need to upgrade the wheels as well, any thoughts on that :)

Make sure to consider the weight of the rims; less weight is going to be easier on your truck and accelaration and braking. Steel rims are easier to "fix" on the trail when you get a slight bend but are typically heavier, aluminum typically cannot be bent back and will crack if you try. Ronny Dahl has some great informative YouTube videos on all of this stuff.

 

[Ubiety]

View attachment 227057

Loving your antenna placement!

 

[MSD]

Welcome @ezz! How are you enjoying your Gladiator? Looks like you got it in Tacoma? Be warned that Rairdons in Totem Lake/Kirkland are not known for high integrity... I am slowly building a 2020 Gladiator so if you have any questions, etc., let me know.
Generally this area is great during the summer after the snow melts but a lot of the tracks on public land are shut down in the wintery months due to snow. About the closest local trail is the Snoqualmie N Fork road which is scenic and has good camping but, unfortunately, has been discovered - lots of race car drivers and traffic. Let us know if you need pointers to the N Fork road.

Working on kitchen under canopy and second battery setup under the canopy. Have a Clayton 2.5 inch lift sitting here in boxes. Just upgraded wheel and tires and steering components.
View attachment 227049

@parrotheadnw - where are you going next weekend?

You have a nice Gladiator.

Where I can find a list of off road trails around me? , I want to start with some easy trails.

Where I can keep my self notified/updated for any upcoming events for Seattle area?

Side question: What is your thoughts for upgrading tires, I am not able to take a decision for 35 or 37 ( I have a rubicon ) do you know if there is a post in this forum for such discussion? For example what would be the different between 11.5 and 12.5 wide tires? I do not like the look of wider tires

Trailsoffroad.com will give you a lot of options for trails in your area or any area you plan to visit out of state. It’s a great resource, you can get a 20% discount if your an OB member. But it’s pretty inexpensive at $25 a year. You can also upload these files straight to Gaia GPS.

I have a 2015 JK unlimited rubicon & run 37s. Personally it’s the best set up for Overlanding or wheeling with my buddies. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to 35s. I’m running the BFG KO2 they are 37x12.5R17 I don’t think the make an 11.5 but I could be wrong.

Thanks for website.

For the tires, you do not need to make any re gearing for 37s? You do not think the driving handling is not impacted?


If I do decide to go with 37x12.5xr17 then I need to upgrade the wheels as well, any thoughts on that :)

When I upgraded to 37’s I did do a regear to 5.13 added the AEV pro Cal module and did a dynatrac pro grip big brake up grade.

I went with AEV Savagre wheels they are 17x8.5 5x5 bolt pattern.

With the bigger wheels it drives great no issues on the highway (the KO2s) are nice & quiet compared to the Toyo MTs I used to run. Pulls Mtn pass with no problem.

OB 1 works great to but I’m waiting for the bugs to get worked out in expedition mode currently have the adventure tier. But I still tend to use trailsOffroad & Gaia as I’m a creature of habit. Before that it was books & paper maps only…

Edit - I also have a 4” lift. Well the say it’s a 4” lift but really it’s about 3- 3.5”

 

[ezz]

I believe that the OB1 app has a list of trails, the N Fork should be in there. I'd plan on doing it in the off hours to avoid traffic (but thats just me). There are other places on the OB forums that folks submit trails to but I think those just get placed into the OB1 app so that may be your best bet. There are a bunch of trails near the summit of Snoqualmie pass off of I-90 but a lot of those are currently closed for the winter (snow). Up North the Mt Loop Hwy is easy and scenic, again (partially) closed for the season. Tahuya is out by Hood Canal but I believe that features less easy trails (more rock crawly stuff but I have never been there). Eastern WA is a good place to get away from snow (sometimes) but can be pretty cold and windy in the winter. Luckily we are heading into spring and things will be opening up again.

Threads like this and Rally Point are a great place to get to meet folks and find out about trips.

Tires. You can search the OB forums but I just went through this so I'll tell you what I learned. The Rubicon will handle 35s easily without a lift, don't think that is true for 37s. A 35 inch spare will fit in the under-bed location for the spare tire, I have heard that a 37 will maybe fit but has to be aired down. The 4.10 gears on the Rubicon can handle 35s but you probably will want to re-gear your differentials for 37s. Those made the decision easy for me. 37s are also going to be heavier and will affect acceleration, braking and gas mileage more. I am a huge fan of the BFG KM tires and when I purchased the 35s you could not get the skinnier/taller size (backordered for months), the only option was the (slightly) shorter/wider version - again made my decision easier. The difference in size between the two tires is miniscule; the reason that my tires are pushed out so far is I need a certain amount of backspacing to accomadate the lift that is still sitting here in boxes. Like you I did not want to go wider but am glad that I did.

Thanks. Do you think it is worth the upgrade from 33 to 35?

 

[Ubiety]

Thanks. Do you think it is worth the upgrade from 33 to 35?

A wise person once eschewed larger tires stating that if you can make it on smaller tires you will develop better driving skills... That said, larger tires will help with clearance and as all Gladiator owners know the breakover angle is not great. So yeah, I got an inch more clearance for a hefty price. Really it is your decision; do you want more clearance, the look, getting worse gas mileage? ;) Maybe put some offroad miles on your truck as it is for a while and let that inform your decision. Are you scraping bottom? Are you taking on more and more technical tracks? Do you like the look? Again, really up to you to distill your needs and then make a decision. I tend to stick to easy/moderate tracks so probably did not need the upgrade; but I like to be prepared and do occasionally hit tracks outside of my comfort zone.

BTW - there are some great tracks out Hwy 2 towards Leavenworth. And for a longer break Eastern Oregon is awesome.
Attached a GPX for the N Fork in case you want to hit that.

 

[parrotheadnw]

Thanks. Do you think it is worth the upgrade from 33 to 35?

A wise person once eschewed larger tires stating that if you can make it on smaller tires you will develop better driving skills... That said, larger tires will help with clearance and as all Gladiator owners know the breakover angle is not great. So yeah, I got an inch more clearance for a hefty price. Really it is your decision; do you want more clearance, the look, getting worse gas mileage? ;) Maybe put some offroad miles on your truck as it is for a while and let that inform your decision. Are you scraping bottom? Are you taking on more and more technical tracks? Do you like the look? Again, really up to you to distill your needs and then make a decision. I tend to stick to easy/moderate tracks so probably did not need the upgrade; but I like to be prepared and do occasionally hit tracks outside of my comfort zone.

BTW - there are some great tracks out Hwy 2 towards Leavenworth. And for a longer break Eastern Oregon is awesome.
Attached a GPX for the N Fork in case you want to hit that.

Fantastic advice.

 

[Hogman]

Thanks. Do you think it is worth the upgrade from 33 to 35?

A wise person once eschewed larger tires stating that if you can make it on smaller tires you will develop better driving skills... That said, larger tires will help with clearance and as all Gladiator owners know the breakover angle is not great. So yeah, I got an inch more clearance for a hefty price. Really it is your decision; do you want more clearance, the look, getting worse gas mileage? ;) Maybe put some offroad miles on your truck as it is for a while and let that inform your decision. Are you scraping bottom? Are you taking on more and more technical tracks? Do you like the look? Again, really up to you to distill your needs and then make a decision. I tend to stick to easy/moderate tracks so probably did not need the upgrade; but I like to be prepared and do occasionally hit tracks outside of my comfort zone.

BTW - there are some great tracks out Hwy 2 towards Leavenworth. And for a longer break Eastern Oregon is awesome.
Attached a GPX for the N Fork in case you want to hit that.

Yes it is a ton of money to do 37's right, about $9k. But if you don't have skill like me, then overcompensating is where it's at. Plus it looks big baller punishing those speedbumps at Starbucks.

 

[Ubiety]

Yes it is a ton of money to do 37's right, about $9k. But if you don't have skill like me, then overcompensating is where it's at. Plus it looks big baller punishing those speedbumps at Starbucks.

Where is this so called “Starbucks” track that you speak of? Will I need a lift/tires to get over the ”speed bumps”? Are there good free camp spots along the way? I totally want to run this track, put it on my YouTube channel and get my patreon donors to pay for it! Oh yeah, will my cell booster work there? Awesome! Thanks! #overlanding #cellphoneatthecampfire #stuckinawetpaperbag

 

[Hogman]

Yes it is a ton of money to do 37's right, about $9k. But if you don't have skill like me, then overcompensating is where it's at. Plus it looks big baller punishing those speedbumps at Starbucks.

Where is this so called “Starbucks” track that you speak of? Will I need a lift/tires to get over the ”speed bumps”? Are there good free camp spots along the way? I totally want to run this track, put it on my YouTube channel and get my patreon donors to pay for it! Oh yeah, will my cell booster work there? Awesome! Thanks! #overlanding #vanlife #cellphoneatthecampfire #stuckinawetpaperbag

Not sure if you East Side boys can handle the Big Baller Starbucks Gauntlet. Gladiator with 35's might get high centered. But there will probably be a Prius around to get you to safety. They have free wi-fi there at the campsite so you can keep in touch with your Patreon subscribers and edit your videos that nobody watches because they don't include me.

 

[Ubiety]

videos that nobody watches because they don't include me

I bow down to your early morning snarkiness; you are truly are a master of your craft ;)

 

[M Rose]

@Ubiety and @Hogman you two have @KRose and myself literally ROFLOAO…

 

[Ubiety]

@Ubiety and @Hogman you two have @KRose and myself literally ROFLOAO…

@M Rose, have you thought about upgrading the Bronco? I hear a Kia 3.5l bored and stroked makes "crazy" power.

 

[Hogman]

@Ubiety and @Hogman you two have @KRose and myself literally ROFLOAO…

@M Rose, have you thought about upgrading the Bronco? I hear a Kia 3.5l bored and stroked makes "crazy" power.

I hear seriously "crazy" power. So much so you can't even be a member here. You gotta join the NHRA.

 

[Ubiety]

Anybody close to Marysville able to help @Flying fuzz with his woodworkering project?