Thoughts on looking too offroad

[skim276]

Hi Community - This Bronco is my first real capable offroad vehicle. I've had fun modifying it so far with racks, lights, brush bars, etc. It's starting to look pretty flashy. Now I'm onto looking at storage boxes, hi-lift jacks, and max-trax, fuel cans, etc. Now I have been doing a lot of offroading since I got the Bronco, and I want those things because I've seen a need for it. However, I do want to balance being "that guy" with the hi-lift jack driving around getting groceries (which I will be doing in my Bronco) with having everything I need for offroading conveniently stored so I don't have to worry about it. I don't want to be too flashy, but I am functionaly minded. So, I'm curious to see how people balance this. Do you take everything off your car, store it in the garage, and put it back when you go offroading? Do you just leave it on the car and daily drive it that way? The point of storage boxes would be to store all my off roading gear that is currently taking up space in my cargo area. I wouldn't want to take that on and off all the time right? But the weight and aerodynamics hit on gas mileage could add up for a daily driver. Anyway, thoguhts welcome. Thanks.

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[userdude]

Depends on how far away/likely you are to jog over to some off roading nearby. That's a lot of crap to haul around all the time; probably also makes you a theft target.

 

[Baja Bronco]

I take off / out most of the stuff. Lowrance GPS and DV8 bridge comes out, air tank comes out, Pro Eagle jack / tools come out. Off road tires / wheels come off, on road wheels / tires go on. Rotopax comes off. Only thing that really stays is the radio, it’s bolted to the molle panel.

 

[Mlarv]

I have all my off road gear in a few bags for recovery gear. A few totes for the larger stuff. I leave it all in my garage until I know I am going to be going off roading. Then I put my top and doors back on and load it up and strap it down. We have a few Jeeps around here running around with pretty much your list of stuff on them all the time, a lot of the stuff is starting to rust and not look like it would work if needed. I am pretty sure they never have gotten off road with them.

 

[Gman1342]

Don't worry about how it looks (as long as you use it). Looks won't matter when you're in need of your tools/supplies. I would say trim as much weight as possible when not purposely going to wheel but keep everything you would need in crisis would be wise if away from possible help (power cable, tire care, basic tools... etc.).

 

[Area51BS]

I see a Jeep owner fully outfitted driving to and parking at work everyday. Nowhere near a mountain. I chuckle a little. But it’s whatever makes you happy.

 

[skim276]

I take off / out most of the stuff. Lowrance GPS and DV8 bridge comes out, air tank comes out, Pro Eagle jack / tools come out. Off road tires / wheels come off, on road wheels / tires go on. Rotopax comes off. Only thing that really stays is the radio, it’s bolted to the molle panel.

Wow, that seems like a lot of work, but maybe that's the way it's done. I also don't have a lot of storage in my garage. My wife will kill me if I needed to store a set of huge off road tires in there, lol.

 

[Tricky Mike]

Leave that look to the Tacomas. I'm not carrying anything around that I'm only going to use 5-10 times a year.

 

[P52Ranch]

I take nearly everything out and keep it in the garage. I do keep a few bow shackles, soft shackles and a tow strap in the underfloor storage compartment. I have one small tool kit that usually stays in the Bronco. The other kit with the spare tie rod inner comes out.

 

[Toccoa]

I'm not carrying anything around that I'm only going to use 5-10 times a year.

I guess that's an incentive to not become a real life King Missile song.

 

[TEAMSLO]

On my Jeep I used to have a slew of stuff mounted externally from water/fuel, pelican cases, king screw jack, and shovel.

I don't daily it but will make an occasional run to a store. Generally my other half goes in while I stay in the rig as I'm paranoid about items coming up missing. But I'm too lazy to pull stuff off when I go wheeling 2-4 times per week.

I now have most items mounted in the cargo area so all I have are Milwaukee packout externally. Those come off if I park outside on that rare occasion.

 

[TheKim]

I've just got a trunk organizer with almost all of my recovery/off-road gear.
I keep it on a shelf in the garage, and throw it in when I'm ready to head out.

Next is going to be a properly sealed jerry can that I can just keep in the cargo area, maybe mounted to the roll bar. I'll probably avoid having easy theft targets on my Bronco, if I can.

 

[MadMan4BamaNATL]

Wow, that seems like a lot of work, but maybe that's the way it's done. I also don't have a lot of storage in my garage. My wife will kill me if I needed to store a set of huge off road tires in there, lol.

I love it when guys answer their own questions….. You seem to be focused heavily (pun) on extremes. That’s one guy who takes tires on and off, most by far don’t bother with that, because why?

First thing to ask yourself since this is sort of newish to you is why? For example, why a hi lift? They’re terrible for actually jacking up a vehicle off-road, even worse and dangerous when lowering.

A bottle jack, which is small and even cheaper is the best jack for off-road. Not even the pricey Pro Eagle is something that most people would use, plus it’s almost 80lbs! Who the f@ck wants to bring that? A race crew, yeah, but for the once per year or two I’d use it, never. Bottle jack saves the day; get a 3 ton with maybe a box to keep it in wrapped in a trash bag since they leak hydronic fluid, but who cares about that, keep it upright.

Storage boxes? You off-roading, or going on an expedition? Even for camping, unless you’re gone for a week or more, what do you plan to keep in them that‘s really important? There are far better solutions, but if you just want to have a ROAM, or Pelican, or any other over priced box that attracts attention like crazy, let’s all just admit that’s more for hipster style than usability or need.

Look, I get it, you want to show all the poseurs that you do this shit for real. Honest, I do respect that and I get the desire to rub their fake noses in it, but, be careful about what caring about others does to you.

It’s never smart to keep a ton of crap on your vehicle. Heck, it’s summer and I don’t camp in hot Deep South summers, so my roof rack and storage platform are removed and just in the garage. They’ll go back on in October when it’s time for me to camp, then off for Winter, on again for Spring, then the cycle continues. All that crap adds weight, drag, noise, and as others have mentioned, makes you a target for all the wrong reasons.

I don’t look at a ton of gear hanging off a vehicle to know if the guy is a wheeler, I look at the rig. There are guys here in Atlanta and I’ve seen in Denver with $2500 Warn winches they‘ve never even unspooled or used. Why? To “look” like guys like me and you. The caked mud and pinstripes show who’s a wheeler and who isn’t. Wheelers don’t care about clean either much, because they wheel, so the rig stays dirty. Sure you wash it on occasion, but it’s almost like a waste. And the tell tale dirt is in the wheel well and undercarriage and is usually brown or reddish.

Anyway, be smart and not lazy. Yes, take off your gear; will help it to last longer and work better. As for the wife, you do need to have storage solutions in the garage to keep all of your off-road crap not only out of site, but tidy and easy to grab when you need to go. Have tools and if you don’t, here’s a good excuse to get some. Tools are cool, tools are fun, tools are toys for grown men, so get some and play with them; it’s great!

Plus, wives tend to not fuss when their men do man stuff, just as long as you’re not messy, so get some tool cabinets and such to outfit the garage and having it look half like a workshop. She’ll respect that I‘m sure and respect your new hobby and likely be supportive, so give her more credit.

You’ll be fine man and I understand how you feel and the thought process, but let’s add some logic to this as well.

 

[KABQ]

Don't worry too much about what other people think. Do I judge the Taco and Jeep guys with a rusted out hi-lift on the roof? Sure, but it's forgotten 15 seconds later so who cares what I think?

That being said, I don't drive around with anything strapped to the outside, and all I keep on the inside is stuff I might need to help someone else. Basically I just carry around a strap and some basic hand tools on a daily basis.

I recently used my strap to pull a broken Explorer out of traffic. He was blocking the R/H lane, and everyone who drove by just honked or flipped him off. Not one person stopped to help while he was trying to push it uphill by himself, so I gave him a pull. That's why I keep some of my gear in my car, even though I understand that straps will be degraded by the heat over time. I can replace them.

 

[userdude]

I guess that's an incentive to not become a real life King Missile song.

I sold my MORRflate, lying on a blanket.

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