MOAB advice

[Jivewalker]

MOAB was insane! Had a great time! Thank you for all the tips!

Rented the jeep from twisted jeeps, had a 3.5" lift and 37's aired down to 15psi. Picked up at 8AM and had it till 6, burnt about $40 in gas and rental was 350 or something. Cant beat that deal!

Did potash to shafer canyon road, tower arch off road trail, long canyon through pucker pass, and several others that I cant remember the names of. One went by pickles and mashed potatoes. We were the only vehicle on all trails except potash and shafer. One spot on potash was a great cliffhanger and shafer was pretty tight, don't reccomend if you are afraid of heights. Skipped fins n things and hells revenge after having fun on these others and running out of time!

I think 4Runners may be close to outnumbering jeeps on the roads around MOAB, I saw some really tough rigs. Maybe on a return trip I can drive out there instead of flying!

All the advice on the crowded parks was true as well. We basically got to arches at sunrise to beat the crowds and barely got in. Good hikes, very hot.

 

[MAST4R]

The tightest experiences I have had there were both in the Outback.

On one of my Long Canyon runs, middle of monsoon season, I was coming down and the trail was washed away to barely wider than the Subaru. There was construction equipment repairing the trail further down: they looked at me in disbelief.

The other one was on Hey Joe where I got the OB by mistake instead of stopping at the end of Spring Canyon Bottom. Within half a mile I was able to turn around. But there was one corner around which the only proper line was over a rock I could not do. So I ended up with my front pax tire halfway in the air. Good times!

 

[blackened_offroad]

MOAB was insane! Had a great time! Thank you for all the tips!

Rented the jeep from twisted jeeps, had a 3.5" lift and 37's aired down to 15psi. Picked up at 8AM and had it till 6, burnt about $40 in gas and rental was 350 or something. Cant beat that deal!

Did potash to shafer canyon road, tower arch off road trail, long canyon through pucker pass, and several others that I cant remember the names of. One went by pickles and mashed potatoes. We were the only vehicle on all trails except potash and shafer. One spot on potash was a great cliffhanger and shafer was pretty tight, don't reccomend if you are afraid of heights. Skipped fins n things and hells revenge after having fun on these others and running out of time!

I think 4Runners may be close to outnumbering jeeps on the roads around MOAB, I saw some really tough rigs. Maybe on a return trip I can drive out there instead of flying!

All the advice on the crowded parks was true as well. We basically got to arches at sunrise to beat the crowds and barely got in. Good hikes, very hot.

shit. you could have done those roads in a minivan.

I lived in Moab for a few months this spring. A lot of trails can be done in a 4runner but I don't suggest wheeling out there in your daily driver. at least not on the serious trails. or if you do, take a couple extra CV axles. I did Fins n Things in a 100% stock 5th gen, including stock tires.

 

[SilverFox2020]

I was in Moab at the end of June, I towed my 98 TJ there. It’s a 5 speed with a 4” lift and 32” tires.
I had a lot of fun, the slick rock has plenty of grip and I had no problems with any obstacles. I rarely saw anyone else out on some of the trails outside of Moab but Hells Revenge and Finns had its fair share of traffic.
There were three 4Runners I ran into and had some great conversations with the owners.
I would love to bring my 4Runner out there some day especially now that I have the lift on it. Too bad you can’t flat tow them.

 

[Xtremluck]

I'm not starting any controversy, but I wouldn't go with 'far better.' I've heard the area is getting beat up, but I just did Hole In the Rock trail near Hall's Crossing, and my Moab veterans that took me said the performance of my '18 TRD ORP was much better than they thought it would be, and very impressed. Even climbed a vertical drop that the trail lead in his Jeep with front and rear locked couldn't get up. I do agree that the Rubicon has a few more toys, and some spots get tight with a longer wheelbase, but I would settle for 'better' on some trails.
Sorry... couldn't pass it up. It even surprised me what my 4R can do, and I wouldn't want to discount it.

Hate to burst your bubble but I think your friends were being kind to you. A modded up 4runner will never reach the full capabilities of a twin locked, solid axle vehicle that was designed for maximum off road clearance. 4runners are better at other things but pure offroad capability vs. a Jeep Rubicon isn't one of them. Different tools for different jobs.

 

[Jivewalker]

shit. you could have done those roads in a minivan.

.

Plenty of lifted vans out there in moab. Tower arch road would eat a minivan alive, lol. Regular van, maybe potash with no sand, definitely not the first cliffhanger before shafer with the inclined blind corner with large rocks , maybe the flat runs on the switchbacks up shafer, probably would not be able to make the 90's with the ruts though. definitely not pucker pass with the large rock drop right after.

I would love to live out there for a while, at least until i got tired of those trails.

 

[blackened_offroad]

Plenty of lifted vans out there in moab. Tower arch road would eat a minivan alive, lol. Regular van, maybe potash with no sand, definitely not the first cliffhanger before shafer with the inclined blind corner with large rocks , maybe the flat runs on the switchbacks up shafer, probably would not be able to make the 90's with the ruts though. definitely not pucker pass with the large rock drop right after.

I would love to live out there for a while, at least until i got tired of those trails.

not true. I've seen minivans do shafer and Potash. I drove Potash in my ex's Transit Connect. My buddy did all of the trails mentioned in an 82 subaru with street tires. you rented a jeep capable of doing the most difficult trails in moab and took it on the ***** roads.

 

[MAST4R]

not true. I've seen minivans do shafer and Potash. I drove Potash in my ex's Transit Connect. My buddy did all of the trails mentioned in an 82 subaru with street tires. you rented a jeep capable of doing the most difficult trails in moab and took it on the ***** roads.

Surely better than rolling it on Pritchett Canyon? Those are all beautiful trails that he did. Why go on crazy stuff on your first trip?

You will drive Potast in a Transit or you won't depending on the conditions. It is one of the most scenic trails anywhere anyway. So what does it matter?

 

[MAST4R]

Hate to burst your bubble but I think your friends were being kind to you. A modded up 4runner will never reach the full capabilities of a twin locked, solid axle vehicle that was designed for maximum off road clearance. 4runners are better at other things but pure offroad capability vs. a Jeep Rubicon isn't one of them. Different tools for different jobs.

Yup. I guess I never responded to that post, LOL.

That said, I am one of those who refuse to equate offroading with rock crawling.

I divide offroad as follows and then grade out of 10 points.

1. Expedition, OZ style, or overlanding. 4R OR gets 10, Rubicon 6.
2. Desert Running (for normal people). 4R OR gets 8 with aftermarket suspension and Rubicon 6,if on top of the line suspension.
3. Rock Crawling (excluding extreme). 4R OR gets 8 and Rubicon gets 10.

So for me, a 4R offroad edition gets a total of 26 vs 22 for the Rubicon.

I just don't see the appeal of hardcore rockcrawling. Fins and Things, Elephant Hill and the like are fun but dancing on boulders, nah. I would much rather go (reasonably) fast in the desert.

Neither my Outback, nor my 4R has ever been passed by a Jeep in 4H territory. That's over 400 runs and Wranglers have been like 90% of all vehicles encountered.

EDIT: within those parameters, I like to have a balance which is why I have made limited mods to mine. Obviously everyone has their preferences and no type of offroading is more "real" or "better" than another.

 

[mrblah]

General observation:

some people enjoy scenic trails vs. obstacles...

Who cares what they drive or what they rented.

It ain't your money, or your time, or your friends, or your vehicle. So why does one random dood on the internet give a crap how another random dood spends his time and money? Seriously, nobody gives a crap.

To the OP: I'm glad you enjoyed MOAB.... Its one of the few places where you definitely wont get bored.

 

[blackened_offroad]

General observation:

some people enjoy scenic trails vs. obstacles...

Who cares what they drive or what they rented.

It ain't your money, or your time, or your friends, or your vehicle. So why does one random dood on the internet give a crap how another random dood spends his time and money? Seriously, nobody gives a crap.

To the OP: I'm glad you enjoyed MOAB.... Its one of the few places where you definitely wont get bored.

i care as someone that has been going there for years and has lived there off and on for multiple seasons, and in the last couple years has watched the quality of life in Moab drastically decrease as locals are pushed out by airbnb's for all of these folks that completely unnecessarily rent all of these sxs's and jeeps with 37's. also, it just personally bugs me to see people wasting money on overly capable vehicles, but that's just me, I guess.

 

[mrblah]

i care as someone that has been going there for years and has lived there off and on for multiple seasons, and in the last couple years has watched the quality of life in Moab drastically decrease as locals are pushed out by airbnb's for all of these folks that completely unnecessarily rent all of these sxs's and jeeps with 37's. also, it just personally bugs me to see people wasting money on overly capable vehicles, but that's just me, I guess.

From your own post, sounds like you are just a tourist like everyone else, but you get bothered by other tourists, who don't necessarily share your vision of what an ideal vacation would be in Moab.

I just want to point out how ridiculous your logic is, but hey, you do you man.

 

[Jivewalker]

not true. I've seen minivans do shafer and Potash. I drove Potash in my ex's Transit Connect. My buddy did all of the trails mentioned in an 82 subaru with street tires. you rented a jeep capable of doing the most difficult trails in moab and took it on the ***** roads.

Yeah, and I've seen Cadillac's and station wagons drive on the beach. lol.
Wouldn't be a good idea for me to do the most challenging trails with a family of 4 in the middle of the desert with no cell coverage, by myself, with no spotters now would it? Or, maybe you enjoy crowded trendy trails like fins and hells. Maybe your just smarter and better than I am, but I doubt it. We had a great time, money well spent. You're just talking smack. One of those guys that can always do it better I guess.

 

[blackened_offroad]

From your own post, sounds like you are just a tourist like everyone else, but you get bothered by other tourists, who don't necessarily share your vision of what an ideal vacation would be in Moab.

I just want to point out how ridiculous your logic is, but hey, you do you man.

can you read? I said I live there part time. If the insane influx of tourists hadn't made it impossible, I would live there full time. and trust me, all of my friends that live there full time and have been there for a decade or more feel the same way.

 

[blackened_offroad]

Yeah, and I've seen Cadillac's and station wagons drive on the beach. lol.
Wouldn't be a good idea for me to do the most challenging trails with a family of 4 in the middle of the desert with no cell coverage, by myself, with no spotters now would it? Or, maybe you enjoy crowded trendy trails like fins and hells. Maybe your just smarter and better than I am, but I doubt it. We had a great time, money well spent. You're just talking smack. One of those guys that can always do it better I guess.

nah. I do trails like Lockhart Basin that are harder and much more remote than fins by myself because I have the tools and skills to get out of trouble. risk is part of the adventure. also LOL at doing shafer and Potash and then saying that you don't do the popular crowded trails.

 

[Engineer]

i care as someone that has been going there for years and has lived there off and on for multiple seasons, and in the last couple years has watched the quality of life in Moab drastically decrease as locals are pushed out by airbnb's for all of these folks that completely unnecessarily rent all of these sxs's and jeeps with 37's. also, it just personally bugs me to see people wasting money on overly capable vehicles, but that's just me, I guess.

Sounds like you don't like free market capitalism (sarcasm)

People are allowed to spend their money and enjoy what they enjoy however they want. If it means more crowds and increased prices well thats the price you pay.
Why should "locals" get to enjoy something and no one else?

You strike me as the same person who sees someone with little skill on a hard or moderate trail and then does not offer to help and criticized behind their back they are going on the wrong line etc - and then complain on here of people take overly built rigs on what are essentially dirt roads with some exposed slick rock......

You need to contribute or leave the forum - O wait free speech - carry on as you please :yo:

 

[Jivewalker]

nah. I do trails like Lockhart Basin that are harder and much more remote than fins by myself because I have the tools and skills to get out of trouble. risk is part of the adventure. also LOL at doing shafer and Potash and then saying that you don't do the popular crowded trails.

Bet I can piss farther and longer than you can

 

[MAST4R]

Let's get this thread back on topic!

Moab is:

1/ Unique and amazing
2/ There are many dozens of trails in the area, between 4x4 ones and dirt roads
3/ The majority of people focus on 20 or fewer trails made famous by the Safari
4/ Yet there are so many more that offer sights and/or seclusion.

There is something there for everyone.

The one unfortunate side is overuse and abuse. The most popular hard trails have become exponentially more difficult since the early 2000s. Even the hardcore Jeep drivers I know nowadays avoid certain obstacles they used to do. Trails like Pritchett and obstacles like Widowmaker are becoming the preserve of trailer queens and ultra modified "street legal but LOL" rigs. A friend took a fully stock JK Rubicon on the entire Cliffhanger not so long ago. I am not sure that is still doable on 32s.

Let's hope that the phenomenon remains contained.

 

[Jivewalker]

Let's get this thread back on topic!

Moab is:

1/ Unique and amazing
2/ There are many dozens of trails in the area, between 4x4 ones and dirt roads
3/ The majority of people focus on 20 or fewer trails made famous by the Safari
4/ Yet there are so many more that offer sights and/or seclusion.

There is something there for everyone.

The one unfortunate side is overuse and abuse. The most popular hard trails have become exponentially more difficult since the early 2000s. Even the hardcore Jeep drivers I know nowadays avoid certain obstacles they used to do. Trails like Pritchett and obstacles like Widowmaker are becoming the preserve of trailer queens and ultra modified "street legal but LOL" rigs. A friend took a fully stock JK Rubicon on the entire Cliffhanger not so long ago. I am not sure that is still doable on 32s.

Let's hope that the phenomenon remains contained.

We really had a great time in MOAB. Our primary reason for the trip was hiking in Capital Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands. We spent 3 days there. The Jeep day was just an add-on for my boys and they loved it. We hiked a ton of trails. Over the 10 days after that went up through Colorado and did the same, ending at RMNP and then leaving through Denver. Great trip. Downtown MOAB didn't seem that crowded to me, but then again I live in Charleston and am used to heat, tourists and traffic.

 

[MAST4R]

We really had a great time in MOAB. Our primary reason for the trip was hiking in Capital Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands. We spent 3 days there. The Jeep day was just an add-on for my boys and they loved it. We hiked a ton of trails. Over the 10 days after that went up through Colorado and did the same, ending at RMNP and then leaving through Denver. Great trip. Downtown MOAB didn't seem that crowded to me, but then again I live in Charleston and am used to heat, tourists and traffic.

Did you do any hiking in Capitol Reef? If so, what?

I have driven the roads and trails in the park, but never hiked in it except for the end of the Upper Mulley Twist trail where it goes from trail end to overlook.