Who's run the Rubicon in a 5th gen?

Jetboy

Jetboy

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I'm kicking around the possibility of a trip to the Rubicon with a club this summer and was hoping someone had done the trail here before in a 5th gen to give me an idea if I'm crazy or not running it in a mostly stockish 5th gen. I've never been on that trail and my FJ40 is not going to be ready for the trip. So... can it be done in a 5th gen without major carnage? I know toyota did it in a mostly stock pair of 5th gens - but they also wiped out 2 doors in the process. I understand it's always a risk - but I'm having a hard time figuring out if it's a sure thing you'll do major damage, or a possibility if you're not careful and adding a little extra side armor would keep the shiny bits shiny.

Anyone done it in a 5th gen?
 
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I've run the trail multiple times, though in my truck and not my 5th gen. The answer would've the same regardless, and I'm not a lawyer but here goes.... it depends. How skilled a driver are you? How strong is your back? How much do you care what other people think? It's definitely doable. Go later in the summer when it's dry and bring a winch and you can certainly make it. You're gonna be doing a lot of stacking. If it's with a club odds are you will have a spotter that knows the trail. A fifth gen will fit any obstacle as long as you choose the right line and have a buddy pull cable if you slide off. It'll be slow and if you go on a weekend you're gonna have a lot of drunk impatient dudes in crawlers behind you. My free advice which is worth exactly that... ride shotgun with somebody or pick a different trail till your 40 is done.
 
Engineers did it in a pretty much stock 5th gen before they were launched. That being said, there was body damage.

I like the 4r, but anywhere near stock, that's just not it's game. Get a wrangler or at least something more disposable and go for it.
 
The advice from [MENTION=145814]A_beer[/MENTION] seems spot on.

I've never run it or even seen it, but contemplated a trip for this summer. But after reviewing all the vehicle requirements for the trip, plus the facts that all my friends going would be in Jeeps on at least 37" tires with fully built axles... I decided I would be miserable and I would drag the entire group down, plus being taunted by all the jeep guys 24x7.

I think I could probably make it in my 5th gen.. but there would just be too much body damage to keep my smiling.

I know your going to get the link to the test Toyota did where they took prototype 5th gens with only aftermarket sliders and tires... down the Rubicon with professional guides. I'm not falling for that as a green light to turn my truck into a raisin.

If you do it... Take plenty of pictures. LOL Could be fun... and there may be enough bypasses to not get beat up too bad. My understanding is it changes greatly from year to year....

I will probably do it next year after I get long travel up front.
 
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I've wanted to do the Rubicon, I think the rig could handle it, but it's a lot like Moab in terms of "would I have fun knowing I would sustain damage of some kind?"

In that regard I'd rather ride along and photograph. Same with Moab, I'll do some trails, but beating up my truck is one thing (that's what skid plates), but bashing up body panels is a boner killer for sure.
 
Thanks for the tips. It's so hard to judge these things from afar. I've been all over moab because I live pretty close. The trails there are kinda unique in that there's trails of all different levels, but also most of the harder trails have bypasses on the tricky obstacles.
 
I think you need to decide what you want to do with your 5th gen. What is your tolerance level for damage?
 
Jetboy said:
Thanks for the tips. It's so hard to judge these things from afar. I've been all over moab because I live pretty close. The trails there are kinda unique in that there's trails of all different levels, but also most of the harder trails have bypasses on the tricky obstacles.
Click to expand...

Exactly, Moab and Rubicon are worlds apart from what I can tell.

Not telling you anything you don't already know, but
success on these really advanced trails is a combination of Traction, Clearance, and Stability. Some that is the line you choose, but much of it is just built into the rig.

The body on the 5th gen makes the clearance part pretty difficult on narrow stuff. plus the lack of travel in a stock rig really hurts traction and stability on anything hard core.

I've taken my rig over plenty of stuff that fully built JKs on 37s struggle with. But, those are always wide trails and I've got an approach angle that is really good with my bumper.., not to mention all the travel in the rear and the front locker makes a huge difference in really difficult stuff where tires are unweighted.... The only thing that ever really stops me is the gas tank skid and rear LCA mounts. If those things were tucked up 1" higher it would be nearly unstoppable on wide trails. BUT the narrow stuff is a different story. Even easy narrow trails can quickly become a body damage situation on these trucks. The jeeps just skip along easily, while I'm having to calculate every single move. Having tires inside the body is a *****.
 
wfo9 said:
Exactly, Moab and Rubicon are worlds apart from what I can tell.

Not telling you anything you don't already know, but
success on these really advanced trails is a combination of Traction, Clearance, and Stability. Some that is the line you choose, but much of it is just built into the rig.

The body on the 5th gen makes the clearance part pretty difficult on narrow stuff. plus the lack of travel in a stock rig really hurts traction and stability on anything hard core.

I've taken my rig over plenty of stuff that fully built JKs on 37s struggle with. But, those are always wide trails and I've got an approach angle that is really good with my bumper.., not to mention all the travel in the rear and the front locker makes a huge difference in really difficult stuff where tires are unweighted.... The only thing that ever really stops me is the gas tank skid and rear LCA mounts. If those things were tucked up 1" higher it would be nearly unstoppable on wide trails. BUT the narrow stuff is a different story. Even easy narrow trails can quickly become a body damage situation on these trucks. The jeeps just skip along easily, while I'm having to calculate every single move. Having tires inside the body is a *****.
Click to expand...

It's been a long time since I ran the Rubicon (15+ years), some obstacles have by-passes, others do not. Big Sluice is one of those where there is no bypass and damage is inevitable, especially in a stock rig. Sliders and skids would be an absolute must have. It could be done, skill, spotter, line, and willingness to commit would be beneficial, just don't thing you would come away with-out damage in stock form.
 
As I understand it the Rubicon is quite a bit different than it was even 3 years ago. Jeep took a stock grand Cherokee through it with stock street tires. What was once a "10" trail supposedly was more like a 6 last year. It sounds like obstacles have been mysteriously getting easier each season. Although in fairness is was once just a gravel county road that any 2wd car could drive on. I'm thinking I should give it a go if I can work around the scheduling issues. I've already got sliders, skids, 285s, a winch and I'll probably add a custom rear skid on the spare tire that wraps under the bumper like the FJ Cruiser ones and see how it goes.

Jeep also did it back in 2011 and didn't fare so well...
grandcherokee.jpg

rubicon.jpg


vs now
<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uEB7t9t5Gqo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Even one of these:
<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sgXJB7YD1gE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
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LawnDart said:
Quite a few people have gone in and removed or moved boulders.

It keeps getting easier each year as a result.
Click to expand...

There's a bunch of info on this on various message boards, Pirate and 'Mud comes to mind. As I recall it has to do with reducing the incentive for big parties to hold night crawling throw-downs which caused some nuisance, trail damage, and trail waste.. not exactly "leave no trace" events. At least that's the argument I heard for things like little sluice.
 
LawnDart said:
Quite a few people have gone in and removed or moved boulders.

It keeps getting easier each year as a result.
Click to expand...

It happens everywhere for everything. People not so good move crap so they can ride it. We have signs up and have even banned one guy from a mountain bike Trail for always moving stuff.
 
LawnDart said:
Quite a few people have gone in and removed or moved boulders.

It keeps getting easier each year as a result.
Click to expand...
As sad as it is that "they" (being the powers to be) change the trail. The main reason it is happening is environmentalists and people not cleaning up there spills.

Easier trail=less vehicle damage=less oil, coolant, ect on the ground
 
I suspect taking a 5th Gen, even heavily modified one would be a body damage fest. I don't get the two faced nature of this trail. Everywhere you look you see stories of built Jeeps and Toyotas traversing it and sustaining damage. And some of the pictures make it look very difficult. On the other hand you see videos of stock JGCs and Cherokees, which have less wheel travel, approach angle and rocker clearance than a 5th gen making it. Either there are bypasses to some obstacles, these parties have armies of rock stackers or it truly is getting easier.
 
Just Google Image search Rubicon Trail and you'll see pictures like this.

12-Rubicon-Trail-Off-Road-8-14-12.jpg


and this

5836373986_8f82d9488f_b.jpg


and this

006-tight-tippy-trail-obstacles-how-to-survive-the-rubicon-trail.jpg


How is a Trailhawk (or even a stock 5th Gen) making it through this?
 
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