The soon-to-be Ultimate Ranch...
The soon-to-be Ultimate Ranch Truck was challenged by tough trails a few years back. The truck even made it through Upper Hellderado in Moab (with a lot of winching) and sat idle in our parking lot for years. It's time to wake and remake this giant up, so keep reading for the transformation from parking-lot pile to Ultimate Ranch Truck.
Without question, the Ultimate Adventure is the highlight of the year for us at 4-Wheel & Off-Road. The UA takes the staff and some loyal readers and sponsors-along with a handful of good ol' boys unofficially adopted by the magazine-on one of the toughest four-wheeling adventures in America. Past Ultimate Adventures have taken us over thousands of miles of torturous trails and long highway runs in just a few short days.
If you are contemplating applying for future events or have already been chosen for this year's UA, then there are a few important factors you will need to have to successfully finish the Ultimate Adventure. First, you need an ample amount of moxie, a fun-loving attitude, and excellent off-road driving skills. You need to like cold burritos in the pouring rain. And most importantly, you need a well-built trail rig. Oh, and no whining!
Last year's Ultimate Adventure had 19 vehicles start in South Dakota and 19 finish in Northern Colorado, but only 3 successfully survived without breakage or catastrophic failure. Some of the vehicles limped to our final destination in Rangely, Colorado, held together with ingenuity, good wrenching, and scrap parts.
No question about it. If you want to test a rig's durability, this is the event to do it on!
Over the years, the staff at 4WOR has built some incredible trail machines, and every one of them has survived and finished UA. However, that's not to say the rigs have survived carnage-free or without breakdowns. They certainly have not. Therefore, this year we are taking years of UA experience and a leftover '02 Super Duty relic from events gone by and transforming it into the pride of our fleet, the Ultimate Ranch Truck. That's right, the Ultimate Working Ranch Truck! Our crazy goal is to have this huge truck perform on the trail, yet function like a well-equipped ranch truck, fitted with all the tools a good wrench and ranchman would ever need while still aiming for the no-breakage trophy at the end of the adventure.
Off-Road Design in Carbondale, Colorado, has stepped up to the plate and is going to help us build the Ultimate Ranch Truck. The father-and-sons team of James (pops), Stephen, and Brandon Watson, along with their master fabricator and mechanic Tom Cherry, will provide us with the skillful craftsmanship they put into all their products and fullsize truck builds.
We are still in the early planning and building stages of the truck, and we have a good blueprint for reconstruction. Nevertheless, if you have any suggestions or some trick mods you'd like to see us add to the rig, don't hesitate to email us your suggestions.
We've taken our F-250 Super...
We've taken our F-250 Super Cab places that are challenging even for rock buggies. The truck's factory wheelbase is around 141 inches; we're considering choping it down to something more trail-nimble. The Super Duty is also going to lose some of the wrinkled body for more clearance, a usable workspace, and a much better departure angle.
The Stupid Duty looks pretty...
The Stupid Duty looks pretty cool with 46-inch-tall XZL Michelin tires, but they are just too much rolling resistance and too heavy. We are going to drop down in size and mount up a custom set of beadlock wheels. This should help lighten the already bloated 8,660-pound truck to a manageable trail weight. The Super Duty will also be fitted with all new body armor, an interior rollcage, front and rear bumpers, and rocker guards. We are even kicking around the idea of boatsiding the cab for additional ground clearance.
Although our old F-250 super...
Although our old F-250 super duty is a massive truck, we are going to trim it down and make it function like a trail rig should. Until its transformation is complete, the truck is fittingly called the Stupid Duty! The current front suspension has very limited upward and downward travel. It's like rockcrawling with a tractor. The 7.3L Power Stroke turbo diesel engine, factory 4R100 automatic transmission, and NV273 transfer case have recently been overhauled and are in perfect working order, so they will be left alone. Why fix what ain't broke?