As mentioned in the post - 17.4mpg
Surely. I lived in Jupiter for a while and someone told me to go to a party at Two Boys Park. Drove around the inlet for a while and realized that they had said Dubois Park but translated it to Amurakin. Serves a Cali boy right to move to Florida.
You are the first person Iāve seen with the bronze Fifteen52 Traverse wheels. These are a strong front runner for my Antimatter Blue rideBad Batch Bettyās big āol road trip
Hey boys and girls. I recently undertook a roughly 4300 mile road trip over a 3 week period in my brand new (sort of- Iāll explain in a sec) Bronco Badlands. This was a long trip and so the story will be to. Feel free to bail now or continue reading on - I wonāt take it personally
. Like others have done before me, Iāll share my thoughts, impressions and experiences of the Bronco throughout many different environmental conditions, camping inside my rig, as well as off-roading.
The Bronco.
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Bad Batch Betty is a 4-door, Cactus Gray, MIC, 7MT, high package 2021 Bronco Badlands without Sas, but on 35ā General Grabber ATXās mounted on 17ā Fifteen52 Traverse HD wheels with NO lift. She had ditch lights and amber fogs added (before commencing the trip). She was built mid-July but was stuck on Dirt Mountain until I got her for the 1st of December.
The trip:
Hereās an overview. Leaving from Montreal, Canada - I headed down to New Orleans by way of two overnighters to see friends and family in both Hamilton, Ontario and Nashville, Tennessee. After 3 nights in New Orleans, I headed east and down the armpit of Florida, stopping for one night of boondocking in the Bronco. My DIY platform, blackout curtains and iPad holder created such a nice and comfortable sleep environment I must say. I was on a cheap Amazon purchased, inflatable 5ā thick air mattress. It did great. Overall, over the 3 weeks, I only slept 3 nights in the Bronco. The last 2 nights it was 25F. I was comfy in my sleeping bag and slept like a log.
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As you may notice from this picture, I added 2 LED strip lights to the back of Betty while in Florida, along with a JBL BassPro Go.
I then proceeded south to St-Petersburg (where I was going to spend a night around Fort Meyers - but some Bronco problems changed that plan - more on that in a bit). I then headed east across Florida to spend a week in Tequesta (adjacent to Jupiter) with my stepmom and install some accessories on Betty that I didnāt have time to do beforehand. I then headed north for a weekend of off-roading and general fun-having with a HUGE group of fellow Bronco enthusiasts and other 4x4 brethren at the āOl Florida off-road parkās New Year event in Tavares, Florida (just northwest of Orlando). I then proceeded on to Savannah, Georgia for two nights and then the same in Charleston, SC. I was to stop to spend a night with my aunt in Williamsburg, Virginia - but I tested positive for the āRona (we have to get a molecular test within 72 hrs of returning to Canada) so I decided to high-tail it home directly and take my chances at the border. Iām triple vaccād and never had any symptoms - so Iām all good. No need to ask - but thanks if you had concern.
Driving comfort and general performance:
I obviously spent a lot of time in Betty. Iām not a diehard Ford guy and have gone through MANY vehicles in my 47 years. That being said, NO vehicle Iāve owned has been more comfortable for a long trip. Iām a tall guy thatās all legs (6ā2ā - yes Iām shorter than Mitchel Watts). NO vehicle has ever kept my right hip from feeling like shit during 11hr and 21hr drives. This one did better than all others.
The Bronco is smooth and very stable on the highway. There is noise from the hardtop but itās not at all overwhelming - and I expected it. I do have the roof liner. The General Grabbers are also quiet. The manual transmission is the most positive and fun manual Iāve ever owned and the clutch is fairly effortless. The 2.3L and manual tranny have NO issues moving around this big bitch nor the 35ā tires I slapped on her. I didnāt buy this vehicle to go fast - I sold my Dodge Challenger to get this. The low end torque is great - so for normal driving itās awesome and has plenty of power. 2nd gear is my fave. That being said - if youāre redlining this thing and trying to drive it like you stole it - the power dies off at the top and it goes a little flat. I think itās perfect for how I drive though. And no - thatās NOT like old people fuck. Lol. Thereās much less body roll than I expected. It handles great for a big truck on 35ās.
When I left Montreal it was -13F. The Bronco was comfortable all around except that I felt more cold coming from the center console - making my right thigh a little cold. The heated seats are like nuclear fucking reactors, and Iāve never had a vehicleās seats heat up quicker. Leaving Nashville I was hit with a snow storm of really heavy and mostly slush-like conditions.
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The highway wasnāt cleared and many vehicles were in the ditch. I couldnāt stop and pull all the people out or Iād never leave. The Bronco and the Grabbers didnāt flinch and displayed amazing composure on lane changes - where you have to fight most vehicles not to lose control. However, I will mention that they are not ideal when dealing with a torrential downpour (Florida style) on the highway:
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And yes, my wipers were on full speed in that picā¦
These big balloons are exactly that - and they hydroplane quite easily. It seemed to be their only downfall. That and mud. They also donāt pick up many rocks. Not like what Iām hearing on hear about the Goodyears.
After recalibrating my speedometer for the 35ās, the gas mileage improved somewhat. Itās not great but I expected that. My average for the trip (which did include a lot of around town driving as well) was 17.4 mpg. Itās pretty much equal on the highway or around town.
Off-road capability:
During my weekend at āOl Florida Off-road Park I had the chance to take Betty through many trails that focused a lot on articulation. The Bronco never had a hiccup with any of these. The crawl gear was great and I rarely had to touch the brakes or the clutch on these trails. With no lift the 35ās do rub a bit when discoād and flexing while turning. I have a 1ā level lift that I havenāt yet installed - but I will go ahead and install it after this. That being said - I rarely rubbed and you could very easily get away with no lift unless youāre gonna do a lot of hardcore trails and rock-crawling. The Bronco did great on the obstacles.
ļæ¼
There were nearly 50 new Broncos that weekend. They did superbly. The only vehicle - including big modded Jeeps on 40ās - to cross a mud pit called Buttshole - was a Bronco Badlands on 37ās MTās and he did it twice. I screwed up and didnāt hit the pit with enough speed and just stopped dead. The all-terrains are not exactly mud tires. I didnāt crawl the rock pits very much - because I wanted to get more used to off-raiding the manual tranny, and because I didnāt want to break anything so far from home. Other Broncos in the group did crawl the rock pits without issue or breakage. We went for 2 night rides and a day ride the time I was there and the Broncos - for generally stock vehicles - did great. A big shoutout to the Pickens family for getting us all together. Theyāre awesome and so kind and so much fun! And Krista isnāt afraid to full send her Bronco āButtercupā. Sheās no mall crawler.
Anyhow, after being stuck in the Buttshole () - Krista got to use her winch for the first time and drag my sorry ass out. Thereās a reason they call it Buttshole - it stinks like shit
The mud was about 8-10ā over my door seal and no water entered the passenger compartment. The seal held up great. And I was in there for 5-10 mins.
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I wasnāt home so I went through an automated car wash upon arriving in Savannah, wiped off the mud a second time - and went back through. It was still completely filled with mud in the undercarriage. So, upon arriving on Tybee island, I found a boat launch and drove front first into it and back out about 5 times. People mustāve been wondering what this crazy Canadian was up to!
Reliability:
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The Bronco did break down on me once during the trip. I had pulled over on the highway to take a squirt and when I accelerated hard to get back up to speed the Bronco lit up like a Christmas tree and went into limp mode. I pulled off the highway to a gas station and realized it had dumped all of its coolant.
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I couldnāt find the leak for the life of me. Filled it back up and within 1000ā it had dumped it all again. Roadside assistance was useless as is was on hold forever. I decided to call a nearby Ford dealer in St-Petersburg and paid to have it towed. The technician quickly found (although he said it was difficult to see) a disconnected coolant hose. He said that the clip wasnāt engaged from the factory.
Somewhere in this vicinity:
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Besides that ordeal - the Bronco never had a hiccup. Sure , sometimes the wireless CarPlay doesnāt want to connect - but not a biggie. And thatās only from time to time. I did have the whole infotainment system fail to boot on startup once but it worked fine after restarting the vehicle once more.
After my weekend of off-roading, Bettyās roof started creaking and making noise. I removed the panels and reinstalled them without improvement. I then removed them and used what I had on hand - some WD40 - and wiped down all of the seals, locator pins, and clips and latches and reinstalled the panels. They havenāt made a sound from Savannah to Montreal. Even in the brutal cold of my homeland in the winter (why do I live here again?).
In conclusion:
Returning to Canada, I have to get tested 72hrs before arriving. So in Charleston, on February 2nd, I did my test. POSITIVE. Fuck sakes. Thatās gonna complicate things. I could get fined for trying to go home. But I was alone and I was gone long enough. So I high-tailed it and decided to forgo my stop at my auntās in Williamsburg for the sake of her health. Charleston to Montreal shouldāve been 17hrs. Unfortunately, as of the border of North Carolina/Virginia, the rain started. With fog. Lots of fog. The precipitation didnāt stopped until home. It changed to freezing rain somewhere around Pennsylvania, and then to a snow storm in New York. The Bronco did great but the driving was treacherous. It took 21hrs to get home. Straight through. Only stops to pee and gas up. Brutal. It was so intense to have to focus on driving in those road conditions that it was utterly exhausting. But I made it. So did the Bronco.
And hey, if youāre still reading thisā¦.look at you go! You made it too!!!!
Hope I didnāt bore you to death.
The Broncoās a great vehicle. Itāll have its growing pains, being a new model, but itās pretty darn sorted already. And this Bronco6G community is, IMHO, going to be the catalyst.
Here are a few random pics:
Yes - I know - I spent the weekend with them! I will be on their live stream on Tuesday evening at 8pm ET to discuss my travels and sleeping in the Bronco! Feel free to tune in!
I actually filled out my ArriveCAN before leaving but I also just straight out told him that I was positive. He said āok - I wonāt touch anythingā. I showed him the positive test. He told me to go straight home and isolate for 10 days. No fine. No big deal. He didnāt even bat an eye. I had an adequate isolation plan and was alone. Donāt try to come across the border WITHOUT having a test done. Then they get very ornery.
well done--Next Saturday it's my turn to go into Canada as us resident--I think March 1st it will be relaxed more. I am not tested but wondered what would happen if I test positive before crossing. I won't get in--I actually filled out my ArriveCAN before leaving but I also just straight out told him that I was positive. He said āok - I wonāt touch anythingā. I showed him the positive test. He told me to go straight home and isolate for 10 days. No fine. No big deal. He didnāt even bat an eye. I had an adequate isolation plan and was alone. Donāt try to come across the border WITHOUT having a test done. Then they get very ornery.
I was allowed in with a positive test because Iām a Canadian citizen. They canāt refuse me but they can fine me. You wouldnāt be allowed in if you were positive.
Awesome experience, story and review of the Bronco! I actually watched your interview/video with Pickens Party of 5 before seeing this post, took a second to put the 2 together! Anyways I am from California and also plan to roam the country in my Bronco. Looking to do a "into the wild" type experience and just journey on to wherever the road takes me. Maybe I will end up in FL and giving you a holler!Bad Batch Bettyās big āol road trip
Hey boys and girls. I recently undertook a roughly 4300 mile road trip over a 3 week period in my brand new (sort of
The Bronco.
ļæ¼
Bad Batch Betty is a 4-door, Cactus Gray, MIC, 7MT, high package 2021 Bronco Badlands without Sas, but on 35ā General Grabber ATXās mounted on 17ā Fifteen52 Traverse HD wheels with NO lift. She had ditch lights and amber fogs added (before commencing the trip). She was built mid-July but was stuck on Dirt Mountain until I got her for the 1st of December.
The trip:
Hereās an overview. Leaving from Montreal, Canada - I headed down to New Orleans by way of two overnighters to see friends and family in both Hamilton, Ontario and Nashville, Tennessee. After 3 nights in New Orleans, I headed east and down the armpit of Florida, stopping for one night of boondocking in the Bronco. My DIY platform, blackout curtains and iPad holder created such a nice and comfortable sleep environment I must say. I was on a cheap Amazon purchased, inflatable 5ā thick air mattress. It did great. Overall, over the 3 weeks, I only slept 3 nights in the Bronco. The last 2 nights it was 25F. I was comfy in my sleeping bag and slept like a log.
ļæ¼
ļæ¼
As you may notice from this picture, I added 2 LED strip lights to the back of Betty while in Florida, along with a JBL BassPro Go.
I then proceeded south to St-Petersburg (where I was going to spend a night around Fort Meyers - but some Bronco problems changed that plan - more on that in a bit). I then headed east across Florida to spend a week in Tequesta (adjacent to Jupiter) with my stepmom and install some accessories on Betty that I didnāt have time to do beforehand. I then headed north for a weekend of off-roading and general fun-having with a HUGE group of fellow Bronco enthusiasts and other 4x4 brethren at the āOl Florida off-road parkās New Year event in Tavares, Florida (just northwest of Orlando). I then proceeded on to Savannah, Georgia for two nights and then the same in Charleston, SC. I was to stop to spend a night with my aunt in Williamsburg, Virginia - but I tested positive for the āRona (we have to get a molecular test within 72 hrs of returning to Canada) so I decided to high-tail it home directly and take my chances at the border. Iām triple vaccād and never had any symptoms - so Iām all good. No need to ask - but thanks if you had concern
Driving comfort and general performance:
I obviously spent a lot of time in Betty. Iām not a diehard Ford guy and have gone through MANY vehicles in my 47 years. That being said, NO vehicle Iāve owned has been more comfortable for a long trip. Iām a tall guy thatās all legs (6ā2ā - yes Iām shorter than Mitchel Watts
The Bronco is smooth and very stable on the highway. There is noise from the hardtop but itās not at all overwhelming - and I expected it. I do have the roof liner. The General Grabbers are also quiet. The manual transmission is the most positive and fun manual Iāve ever owned and the clutch is fairly effortless. The 2.3L and manual tranny have NO issues moving around this big bitch nor the 35ā tires I slapped on her. I didnāt buy this vehicle to go fast - I sold my Dodge Challenger to get this. The low end torque is great - so for normal driving itās awesome and has plenty of power. 2nd gear is my fave. That being said - if youāre redlining this thing and trying to drive it like you stole it - the power dies off at the top and it goes a little flat. I think itās perfect for how I drive though. And no - thatās NOT like old people fuck. Lol. Thereās much less body roll than I expected. It handles great for a big truck on 35ās.
When I left Montreal it was -13F. The Bronco was comfortable all around except that I felt more cold coming from the center console - making my right thigh a little cold. The heated seats are like nuclear fucking reactors, and Iāve never had a vehicleās seats heat up quicker. Leaving Nashville I was hit with a snow storm of really heavy and mostly slush-like conditions.
ļæ¼
The highway wasnāt cleared and many vehicles were in the ditch. I couldnāt stop and pull all the people out or Iād never leave. The Bronco and the Grabbers didnāt flinch and displayed amazing composure on lane changes - where you have to fight most vehicles not to lose control. However, I will mention that they are not ideal when dealing with a torrential downpour (Florida style) on the highway:
ļæ¼
And yes, my wipers were on full speed in that picā¦
These big balloons are exactly that - and they hydroplane quite easily. It seemed to be their only downfall. That and mud. They also donāt pick up many rocks. Not like what Iām hearing on hear about the Goodyears.
After recalibrating my speedometer for the 35ās, the gas mileage improved somewhat. Itās not great but I expected that. My average for the trip (which did include a lot of around town driving as well) was 17.4 mpg. Itās pretty much equal on the highway or around town.
Off-road capability:
During my weekend at āOl Florida Off-road Park I had the chance to take Betty through many trails that focused a lot on articulation. The Bronco never had a hiccup with any of these. The crawl gear was great and I rarely had to touch the brakes or the clutch on these trails. With no lift the 35ās do rub a bit when discoād and flexing while turning. I have a 1ā level lift that I havenāt yet installed - but I will go ahead and install it after this. That being said - I rarely rubbed and you could very easily get away with no lift unless youāre gonna do a lot of hardcore trails and rock-crawling. The Bronco did great on the obstacles.
ļæ¼
There were nearly 50 new Broncos that weekend. They did superbly. The only vehicle - including big modded Jeeps on 40ās - to cross a mud pit called Buttshole - was a Bronco Badlands on 37ās MTās and he did it twice. I screwed up and didnāt hit the pit with enough speed and just stopped dead. The all-terrains are not exactly mud tires. I didnāt crawl the rock pits very much - because I wanted to get more used to off-raiding the manual tranny, and because I didnāt want to break anything so far from home. Other Broncos in the group did crawl the rock pits without issue or breakage. We went for 2 night rides and a day ride the time I was there and the Broncos - for generally stock vehicles - did great. A big shoutout to the Pickens family for getting us all together. Theyāre awesome and so kind and so much fun! And Krista isnāt afraid to full send her Bronco āButtercupā. Sheās no mall crawler.
Anyhow, after being stuck in the Buttshole (
ļæ¼
I wasnāt home so I went through an automated car wash upon arriving in Savannah, wiped off the mud a second time - and went back through. It was still completely filled with mud in the undercarriage. So, upon arriving on Tybee island, I found a boat launch and drove front first into it and back out about 5 times. People mustāve been wondering what this crazy Canadian was up to!
Reliability:
ļæ¼
The Bronco did break down on me once during the trip. I had pulled over on the highway to take a squirt and when I accelerated hard to get back up to speed the Bronco lit up like a Christmas tree and went into limp mode. I pulled off the highway to a gas station and realized it had dumped all of its coolant.
ļæ¼
I couldnāt find the leak for the life of me. Filled it back up and within 1000ā it had dumped it all again. Roadside assistance was useless as is was on hold forever. I decided to call a nearby Ford dealer in St-Petersburg and paid to have it towed. The technician quickly found (although he said it was difficult to see) a disconnected coolant hose. He said that the clip wasnāt engaged from the factory.
Somewhere in this vicinity:
ļæ¼
Besides that ordeal - the Bronco never had a hiccup. Sure , sometimes the wireless CarPlay doesnāt want to connect - but not a biggie. And thatās only from time to time. I did have the whole infotainment system fail to boot on startup once but it worked fine after restarting the vehicle once more.
After my weekend of off-roading, Bettyās roof started creaking and making noise. I removed the panels and reinstalled them without improvement. I then removed them and used what I had on hand - some WD40 - and wiped down all of the seals, locator pins, and clips and latches and reinstalled the panels. They havenāt made a sound from Savannah to Montreal. Even in the brutal cold of my homeland in the winter (why do I live here again?
In conclusion:
Returning to Canada, I have to get tested 72hrs before arriving. So in Charleston, on February 2nd, I did my test. POSITIVE. Fuck sakes. Thatās gonna complicate things. I could get fined for trying to go home. But I was alone and I was gone long enough. So I high-tailed it and decided to forgo my stop at my auntās in Williamsburg for the sake of her health. Charleston to Montreal shouldāve been 17hrs. Unfortunately, as of the border of North Carolina/Virginia, the rain started. With fog. Lots of fog. The precipitation didnāt stopped until home. It changed to freezing rain somewhere around Pennsylvania, and then to a snow storm in New York. The Bronco did great but the driving was treacherous. It took 21hrs to get home. Straight through. Only stops to pee and gas up. Brutal. It was so intense to have to focus on driving in those road conditions that it was utterly exhausting. But I made it. So did the Bronco.
And hey, if youāre still reading thisā¦.look at you go! You made it too!!!!
Hope I didnāt bore you to death.
The Broncoās a great vehicle. Itāll have its growing pains, being a new model, but itās pretty darn sorted already. And this Bronco6G community is, IMHO, going to be the catalyst.
Here are a few random pics:
Cool! I hope you get to do your trip and that itās awesome! You can holler at me from Florida but I doubt Iāll hear youā¦. Iām from Montreal, Canada
