11 Day TX to MT and back + 8 National Parks

What an amazing trip in my Bronco (Eagle-1). I’m not great at telling stories like others on here but wanted to share my days, some pics, & what worked well.

On the way -

Day 1 - ETX to Santa Fe National Forrest

Day 2 - Mesa Verde & Arches + Dead Horse St Park (Yurt Life)

Day 3 - Canyonlands & Capital Reef + a hotel night in SLC

Day 4-7 Hung out in Montana, played some golf, went on some family adventures.

Day 9 Yellowstone & Grand Tetons + Cedar Springs Camp grounds Flaming Gorge Utah

Day 10 N Rim Black Canyon & Great Sand Dunes + hotel in Clayton NM



So what worked well on the trip and I would recommend…..

Deep Sleep memory foam for sleeping inside the Bronco

Starlink Mini for pulling maps when you forget to download maps or you wanna stream a baseball game going 85 down the highway with and without cell service

5th wheel onboard air compressor, so when you do air down you can air up.

Apex deflate valves, less than 5 minutes air down

EcoFlow alt charger, Delta 2 battery & Fridge, this system worked flawlessly for charging, fans, power, food storage, etc.

Roam 270 awning - shade in all the states when it was hot.

Fox 2.5 Elite coilovers, I’ve only had them 3 weeks, love the ride, but do need some adjusting. The ride though was really smooth and softer than stock. Adjust of sag from weight, and stiffen the back maybe.

TrailRax MR was great for having more space for gear, with Roam & Condition One boxes storing like champs.

Broaddict Traildeck for tools & slide out access

The Bronco itself, such a fun vehicle racing across America & then going off the beaten path and handling it all.

I’m sure there is more and I’ll update

Looks like an amazing trip! Interested in some features of your rig..

What are the traction boards, side mounted molle panel, and the limb risers?

Thanks!

@jh3113
Traction Boards
PakRax
LimbRisers

here is my build page

Looks like an amazing trip. Have visited many of those and National Parks and they blow me away.

Well done, mate! I have a very similar trip coming up in 6 weeks.

Also a big fan of Deepsleep, and the Ecoflow setup. I've been going back and forth on getting a drone or Starlink mini, though recently I've been learning more towards Starlink.

That’s a tough choice. I’ve used the Starlink more, but love being able to throw the drone up and get epic shots. I’m think of upgrading to the DJI mini pro.

gmannerino said:

drone or Starlink

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Dugout said:

@jh3113
So what worked well on the trip and I would recommend…..

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Equally important, what DIDN'T work well? Anything turn out to be useless? Or less useful than you thought?

Dugout said:

That’s a tough choice. I’ve used the Starlink more, but love being able to throw the drone up and get epic shots. I’m think of upgrading to the DJI mini pro.

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I'm having a tough time talking myself into getting a drone. Like everyone else, I'd love to have the cool aerial shots of my adventures - but I just can't bring myself to to become "that guy".

Unless you're the only one for a mile around....a drone is the quickest way to become the most reviled person for a mile around. Soon as that thing begins to buzz, everyone within earshot instantly turns into one of two types of Karen:

1. Genuinely believes you are ruining the experience for everyone else
2. Assholes so just suddenly pretend to genuinely believe you are ruining the experience for everyone else

How have you handled bad interactions like this?

Dugout said:

That’s a tough choice. I’ve used the Starlink more, but love being able to throw the drone up and get epic shots. I’m think of upgrading to the DJI mini pro.

Click to expand...

What kind of setup are you running on the Starlink? I'm considering one. Thanks in advance.

Figmo said:

I'm having a tough time talking myself into getting a drone. Like everyone else, I'd love to have the cool aerial shots of my adventures - but I just can't bring myself to to become "that guy".

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I'm with you, but additionally the complexity of trying to understand if I'll need Part 107 or not for "commercial use" has deterred me a bit. I've gone down a rabbit hole of digging a round, and this thread from BroncoNation has a lot of great info and discussion:
https://thebronconation.com/outdoors-adventure-n.81/to-drone-or-not-to-drone-t.22761/page-1

I'd like to start making videos for personal enjoyment (drone footage would be use sparingly) and cool aerial photos to share with friends, though I'm not sure if it's worth the investment if I may only use it 2-3 trips a year, and the hassle of obtaining Part 107 if necessary.

Figmo said:

How have you handled bad interactions like this?

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1) I’m usually by myself
2) I tell them I can’t hear them over my drone
3) Ask them to turn down their music so I can enjoy my drone.
4) I really don’t run into those people most often and I’ve found taking pics of other people with your drone helps to lighten the mood.

Surge said:

What kind of setup are you running on the Starlink

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I run a Starlink mini, mounted either in my interior overhead molle or to a crossbar of my roof rack.
Plugged into EcoFlow battery.

Figmo said:

what DIDN'T work well?

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[/QUOTE]
I took sleeping bags, but would have loved to just have some decent camping blankets. It was around 70 degrees at bedtime and around 50 in the morning, and the bags were too hot for this trip.

I missed my tailgate table….had to uninstall it for my slide-out decking. Super excited for @BROADDICT to come out with a table that works, or I might add the TrailRax table slide.

Also, the debate in my head about sleeping in the bed or in a rooftop tent. It would have saved time and effort of pulling stuff out or putting it back in top.

Sun visors are a pain.

……..that’s what comes to mind right now. I’ll think on it though.
I don’t really have that much from the Bronco itself. I also know what kind of vehicle it is and don’t put expectations like super quiet, extreme comfort, or what I would expect from a luxury car. It handles 85 just fine, and it handles washboard roads at 15-25 just fine. Washboard roads do suck. I need some education on setup for how best to set my Fox suspension, and yes, I was aired down to 20 psi.

. Washboard roads do suck. I need some education on setup for how best to set my Fox suspension, and yes, I was aired down to 20 psi.
[/QUOTE]

Washboard roads do suck indeed in a Bronco. Suck even harder in a 2dr.

The "Bronco Buck". When that ass end tries to pass you. Just nature of the beast of front IFS with a solid rear axle. I've grown to expect it but it still elicits a pucker every now and then.

As a Montana native living in Texas, I love this. Haven't done this same trip, but typically drive from San Antonio to Billings, along with a few stops, at least once a year.