I’m just starting the journey (hence the username) to a nice off-roading rig, but I do need some advice. I have a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek, and was wondering what skid plates people recommend. And if you have a lift, what you got.
Subaru Crosstrek
- Thread starter OffroadNewb
- Start date
Enthusiast I
Welcome to the Overlanding Journey! As a fellow Subaru driver, I am currently running manufacturer skid plates on my 2020 Outback. However, I have been looking to LP Aventure for options on lifts, armor, and other accessories. Their website (LP Aventure) allows you to search by vehicle year / Gen. While they resource other vehicles, Subarus are their primary market. And they have some great project examples to help give you some ideas. Good luck and enjoy the journey.
Member III
I am running a 2019 Rav4 now, but can perhaps offer a couple thoughts on getting off the beaten path with modern AWD CUVs. To start, my assumption is that your vehicular interests in "Overanding" lie somewhere between driving to a paved parking lot at the local lake and walking with your cooler to your campsite (which is totally fine), and slow-crawling the Devil's Anus or whatever the scary trails are named in Moab.
1) Running what ya brung is probably the most fun aspect of all street-centric motorsports. I also own a TRD Pro 4Runner (my wife's rig now), have previously separately built up a spooled Samurai and a 3rd-gen 4Runner, and grew up on dirtbikes. Still, I enjoy offroading just as much in my Rav as much as anything else--if not more, because it is the constant underdog. Yeah, for the cost of suping-up pretty much any daily driver for aggressive offroading, most of us could build a beat-up XJ for $5k and easily make it further into the rocks than our expensive daily drivers. However, I like that I can take my wife and kid on an outing requiring a 2-hour highway trip, during which the vehicle largely drives itself, is smooth and quiet (and safe), and I can still hit some trails at our destination, all while averating almost 30 mpg. I wouldn't trade it for a second 4Runner--not only do I save about $1000/yr on gas and insurance over a 5th Gen 4Runner, but my Rav is small enough that I can still fully use my workbench in the garage without working in the third bay (hell, I built and installed my whole custom roof rack without opening the garage, except to purge some welding fumes). Plus, I HATE putting our kid into the lifted 4Runner, whereas it is a breeze in the Rav. So, if you happen to get really into "offroading" and still find yourself enjoying making it work with your Subie, that is fine. If you do find yourself wanting a more traditional offroad-focused vehicle, that is fine too. But, don't let the internet convince you to buy [insert popular offroading vehicle] just because you aren't fitting their molds.
2) Unless you just want mods for aesthetic reasons (which is totally fine), I wouldn't stress too much about upgrades--or recovery gear beyond a shovel and maybe some traction boards--until you spend some time off road. This notion really applies to anyone getting into offroading, and to any vehicle. But, especially since there are far fewer shared offroading experiences with our late-model CUVs (compared to Jeeps and Yotas), there is far less consensus about what one "needs" for a given type of "offroading." Thus, take baby steps, learn your vehicle, and then use your experiences to know where the most pragmatic future investments may lie.
3) That said, I can confidently say ground clearance will be a bigger factor than your vehicle's ability to manage traction. On the trails, I regularly scraped my bumpers, and even occasionally high-centered, though I never got stuck doing this (I was always able to back up, or just grit my teeth and get through it). Still, given ground clearance was the biggest limitation, my lifts have evolved from 2"F / 1" R to now 2"F and 4" Rear, plus the extra inch I got from the taller tires. In any case, you likely can't go wrong with at least a mild lift.
So, all that is to say, I started simply beebopping around in my Rav, on many of the same trails that my previous 4Runner could take with me half-asleep. I noted when I rubbed, when I had to back up, etc. I kept modding as I went. I recently actually got stuck for the first time, with one front tire in the air, and the opposite rear in soft sand. It only took a few minutes with my traction boards to get out, but it certainly drove me to ponder on even more aggressive modifications.
Now, in the next few months I am looking to build some custom extended-travel struts and shocks to add about 70% more total flex across the vehicle. I am also working out a plan to establish intependent control over each rear parking brake so I can "lock" one side of the axle or another when I know one rear corner is getting light. Finally, I am very seriously considering a full 4WD conversion (i.e. part-time 4WD with a solid connection between the front and rear axles) just to not have to rely on the AWD computer to send power to the rear (and because if/when I burn out the central clutch, they are $1000+ to replace).
1) Running what ya brung is probably the most fun aspect of all street-centric motorsports. I also own a TRD Pro 4Runner (my wife's rig now), have previously separately built up a spooled Samurai and a 3rd-gen 4Runner, and grew up on dirtbikes. Still, I enjoy offroading just as much in my Rav as much as anything else--if not more, because it is the constant underdog. Yeah, for the cost of suping-up pretty much any daily driver for aggressive offroading, most of us could build a beat-up XJ for $5k and easily make it further into the rocks than our expensive daily drivers. However, I like that I can take my wife and kid on an outing requiring a 2-hour highway trip, during which the vehicle largely drives itself, is smooth and quiet (and safe), and I can still hit some trails at our destination, all while averating almost 30 mpg. I wouldn't trade it for a second 4Runner--not only do I save about $1000/yr on gas and insurance over a 5th Gen 4Runner, but my Rav is small enough that I can still fully use my workbench in the garage without working in the third bay (hell, I built and installed my whole custom roof rack without opening the garage, except to purge some welding fumes). Plus, I HATE putting our kid into the lifted 4Runner, whereas it is a breeze in the Rav. So, if you happen to get really into "offroading" and still find yourself enjoying making it work with your Subie, that is fine. If you do find yourself wanting a more traditional offroad-focused vehicle, that is fine too. But, don't let the internet convince you to buy [insert popular offroading vehicle] just because you aren't fitting their molds.
2) Unless you just want mods for aesthetic reasons (which is totally fine), I wouldn't stress too much about upgrades--or recovery gear beyond a shovel and maybe some traction boards--until you spend some time off road. This notion really applies to anyone getting into offroading, and to any vehicle. But, especially since there are far fewer shared offroading experiences with our late-model CUVs (compared to Jeeps and Yotas), there is far less consensus about what one "needs" for a given type of "offroading." Thus, take baby steps, learn your vehicle, and then use your experiences to know where the most pragmatic future investments may lie.
3) That said, I can confidently say ground clearance will be a bigger factor than your vehicle's ability to manage traction. On the trails, I regularly scraped my bumpers, and even occasionally high-centered, though I never got stuck doing this (I was always able to back up, or just grit my teeth and get through it). Still, given ground clearance was the biggest limitation, my lifts have evolved from 2"F / 1" R to now 2"F and 4" Rear, plus the extra inch I got from the taller tires. In any case, you likely can't go wrong with at least a mild lift.
So, all that is to say, I started simply beebopping around in my Rav, on many of the same trails that my previous 4Runner could take with me half-asleep. I noted when I rubbed, when I had to back up, etc. I kept modding as I went. I recently actually got stuck for the first time, with one front tire in the air, and the opposite rear in soft sand. It only took a few minutes with my traction boards to get out, but it certainly drove me to ponder on even more aggressive modifications.
Now, in the next few months I am looking to build some custom extended-travel struts and shocks to add about 70% more total flex across the vehicle. I am also working out a plan to establish intependent control over each rear parking brake so I can "lock" one side of the axle or another when I know one rear corner is getting light. Finally, I am very seriously considering a full 4WD conversion (i.e. part-time 4WD with a solid connection between the front and rear axles) just to not have to rely on the AWD computer to send power to the rear (and because if/when I burn out the central clutch, they are $1000+ to replace).
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Enthusiast III
Primitive Off-road offers a lot of stuff for Subarus. They have a triple armor discount when you buy their skid, transmission, and rear diff plate. Rallitek and Ironman 4x4 are others as well.
nevertoolatetoescape
Rank IV
Enthusiast I
- 904
- First Name
- Andy
- Last Name
- Orth
- Member #
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27736
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- KD9RCO
I have the Primitive Racing three pack of armor waiting at home to be mounted to my Forester. The install is easy and their price is the most reasonable.
