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wbrainbow

Black Diamond
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First Name
Bob
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New York
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1969 C-10, 2022 Black Diamond, 2007 Harley Davidso
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Clubs
 
Bad Batch Betty’s big ‘ol 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 🤪 - I’ll 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 won’t take it personally 😉. Like others have done before me, I’ll 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.

4BF00274-1691-41A9-9339-0544CDBEA9A9.jpeg


Bad Batch Betty is a 4-door, Cactus Gray, MIC, 7MT, high package 2021 Bronco Badlands without Sas, but on 35” General Grabber ATX’s mounted on 17” 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:

Here’s 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 5” 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.

9432A2E4-CF77-4BA4-B21F-3EB2BC24EB54.jpeg

19CB1CBA-8780-41ED-98B2-91D5F904C9C6.jpeg


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 didn’t 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 ‘Ol Florida off-road park’s 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 ‘Rona (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. I’m triple vacc’d and never had any symptoms - so I’m 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. I’m not a diehard Ford guy and have gone through MANY vehicles in my 47 years. That being said, NO vehicle I’ve owned has been more comfortable for a long trip. I’m a tall guy that’s all legs (6’2” - yes I’m 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 it’s 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 I’ve ever owned and the clutch is fairly effortless. The 2.3L and manual tranny have NO issues moving around this big bitch nor the 35” tires I slapped on her. I didn’t buy this vehicle to go fast - I sold my Dodge Challenger to get this. The low end torque is great - so for normal driving it’s awesome and has plenty of power. 2nd gear is my fave. That being said - if you’re 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 it’s perfect for how I drive though. And no - that’s NOT like old people fuck. Lol. There’s much less body roll than I expected. It handles great for a big truck on 35’s.

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 I’ve never had a vehicle’s seats heat up quicker. Leaving Nashville I was hit with a snow storm of really heavy and mostly slush-like conditions.

6765EBA6-786D-4264-B0CE-FA46BD10D00F.jpeg


The highway wasn’t cleared and many vehicles were in the ditch. I couldn’t stop and pull all the people out or I’d never leave. The Bronco and the Grabbers didn’t 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:

531DD615-1148-4A8E-BE89-7C48DB217CC4.jpeg


And yes, my wipers were on full speed in that pic…

These big balloons are exactly that - and they hydroplane quite easily. It seemed to be their only downfall. That and mud. They also don’t pick up many rocks. Not like what I’m hearing on hear about the Goodyears.

After recalibrating my speedometer for the 35’s, the gas mileage improved somewhat. It’s 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. It’s pretty much equal on the highway or around town.


Off-road capability:

209F62A1-A257-4620-8B33-E9EB660440B3.jpeg


During my weekend at ‘Ol 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 35’s do rub a bit when disco’d and flexing while turning. I have a 1” level lift that I haven’t 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 you’re gonna do a lot of hardcore trails and rock-crawling. The Bronco did great on the obstacles.

AA8AD5F3-A93C-4203-BEA1-C26D90837304.jpeg


There were nearly 50 new Broncos that weekend. They did superbly. The only vehicle - including big modded Jeeps on 40’s - to cross a mud pit called Buttshole - was a Bronco Badlands on 37’s MT’s and he did it twice. I screwed up and didn’t hit the pit with enough speed and just stopped dead. The all-terrains are not exactly mud tires. I didn’t crawl the rock pits very much - because I wanted to get more used to off-raiding the manual tranny, and because I didn’t 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. They’re awesome and so kind and so much fun! And Krista isn’t afraid to full send her Bronco “Buttercup”. She’s 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. There’s a reason they call it Buttshole - it stinks like shit 🤮The mud was about 8-10” 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.

7D2FA270-19AC-4900-83DE-E71FC7A9C256.jpeg


I wasn’t 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 must’ve been wondering what this crazy Canadian was up to!🤦🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️😂 It helped a bit, but the first person to do my oil change is gonna have a nasty surprise. I guess I should warn them. Lol. And no, I’m not a sissy that won’t do his own oil change, but Betty doesn’t fit in my igloo (I mean garage), and there’s no way I’m doing it out in the frigid winter tundra that is Montreal at this time of year.


Reliability:

B67DD49D-A189-4459-BFDC-B82058E9181A.jpeg


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.

0C9276B3-8192-44AE-96EF-03F421D0EB91.jpeg


I couldn’t find the leak for the life of me. Filled it back up and within 1000’ 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 wasn’t engaged from the factory.

Somewhere in this vicinity:

E364E079-8407-4159-93D1-993CA764600E.jpeg


Besides that ordeal - the Bronco never had a hiccup. Sure , sometimes the wireless CarPlay doesn’t want to connect - but not a biggie. And that’s 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, Betty’s 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 haven’t 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. That’s 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 aunt’s in Williamsburg for the sake of her health. Charleston to Montreal should’ve been 17hrs. Unfortunately, as of the border of North Carolina/Virginia, the rain started. With fog. Lots of fog. The precipitation didn’t 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 you’re still reading this….look at you go! You made it too!!!!

Hope I didn’t bore you to death.

The Bronco’s a great vehicle. It’ll have its growing pains, being a new model, but it’s pretty darn sorted already. And this Bronco6G community is, IMHO, going to be the catalyst.

Here are a few random pics:

5906DEB2-E06F-40E7-9EBA-222F0F4A0FD5.jpeg

377BFB28-97ED-49CC-9D90-C632137AD73C.jpeg

2B8524C6-163C-493F-95FD-F609BC9A6D9C.jpeg
3A9EDED0-80E0-43DE-A62B-DD7153B93324.jpeg

1D52C7C6-38FE-4EEC-A884-EEF4A7D3BDFD.jpeg
Great write up. Sounds like you had a blast.
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The_Axeman

The_Axeman

Badlands
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Sean
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2021 Ford Bronco 4dr Badlands 7MT
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Great and entertaining write up! It looks like you had a great time!

how are you liking the JBL basspro? Was it easy to install? And have you made any other stereo modifications?
I’m loving it for what I wanted. It gives me that extra punch of bass that I was looking for and I love the versatility of taking it out as a Bluetooth speaker for camping, beach, etc. Also, if the top’s off, you can bring it inside so it doesn’t get stolen.
As for other sound system mods, I changed the dash 4 inchers as well as the back pods.
The install requires a lot of panel removal, which wasn’t too bad. I don’t have the nice grommet in the firewall to easily pass the power wire though. That space is taken up by the clutch in a manual.
 
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The_Axeman

The_Axeman

Badlands
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Sean
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Badlands
It was great meeting you and glad you got back home safe! It looks like it was an awesome trip. I hope to do the same one day.
It was awesome meeting you too Charles! You had more guts than I did out there! Hope we get to do it again someday!
 
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The_Axeman

The_Axeman

Badlands
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Sean
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2021 Ford Bronco 4dr Badlands 7MT
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Terrific write-up and story. I just hope those Ford folks on the assembly line dot the "i's" and cross the "t's" on my rig. Jesus .... that's sloppy work.

It looks like you installed a platform to raise the back floor up a bit to match the ledge when the rear seat is down. Could you elaborate on that more? I sleep in my Rubicon JK fairly often and I'm looking forward to dialing my Badlands to do the same. If Ford ever gets this 7-17-20 reservation holder a f'ing Badlands, that is!
I did a write up on it about a month ago. It should be in the overlanding camping section but I think it got featured as well. Shouldn’t be too hard to find.
 

'68'72'95'21

Badlands
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J.
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SoCal
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Bad Batch Betty’s big ‘ol 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 🤪 - I’ll 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 won’t take it personally 😉. Like others have done before me, I’ll 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.

4BF00274-1691-41A9-9339-0544CDBEA9A9.jpeg


Bad Batch Betty is a 4-door, Cactus Gray, MIC, 7MT, high package 2021 Bronco Badlands without Sas, but on 35” General Grabber ATX’s mounted on 17” 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:

Here’s 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 5” 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.

9432A2E4-CF77-4BA4-B21F-3EB2BC24EB54.jpeg

19CB1CBA-8780-41ED-98B2-91D5F904C9C6.jpeg


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 didn’t 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 ‘Ol Florida off-road park’s 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 ‘Rona (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. I’m triple vacc’d and never had any symptoms - so I’m 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. I’m not a diehard Ford guy and have gone through MANY vehicles in my 47 years. That being said, NO vehicle I’ve owned has been more comfortable for a long trip. I’m a tall guy that’s all legs (6’2” - yes I’m 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 it’s 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 I’ve ever owned and the clutch is fairly effortless. The 2.3L and manual tranny have NO issues moving around this big bitch nor the 35” tires I slapped on her. I didn’t buy this vehicle to go fast - I sold my Dodge Challenger to get this. The low end torque is great - so for normal driving it’s awesome and has plenty of power. 2nd gear is my fave. That being said - if you’re 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 it’s perfect for how I drive though. And no - that’s NOT like old people fuck. Lol. There’s much less body roll than I expected. It handles great for a big truck on 35’s.

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 I’ve never had a vehicle’s seats heat up quicker. Leaving Nashville I was hit with a snow storm of really heavy and mostly slush-like conditions.

6765EBA6-786D-4264-B0CE-FA46BD10D00F.jpeg


The highway wasn’t cleared and many vehicles were in the ditch. I couldn’t stop and pull all the people out or I’d never leave. The Bronco and the Grabbers didn’t 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:

531DD615-1148-4A8E-BE89-7C48DB217CC4.jpeg


And yes, my wipers were on full speed in that pic…

These big balloons are exactly that - and they hydroplane quite easily. It seemed to be their only downfall. That and mud. They also don’t pick up many rocks. Not like what I’m hearing on hear about the Goodyears.

After recalibrating my speedometer for the 35’s, the gas mileage improved somewhat. It’s 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. It’s pretty much equal on the highway or around town.


Off-road capability:

209F62A1-A257-4620-8B33-E9EB660440B3.jpeg


During my weekend at ‘Ol 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 35’s do rub a bit when disco’d and flexing while turning. I have a 1” level lift that I haven’t 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 you’re gonna do a lot of hardcore trails and rock-crawling. The Bronco did great on the obstacles.

AA8AD5F3-A93C-4203-BEA1-C26D90837304.jpeg


There were nearly 50 new Broncos that weekend. They did superbly. The only vehicle - including big modded Jeeps on 40’s - to cross a mud pit called Buttshole - was a Bronco Badlands on 37’s MT’s and he did it twice. I screwed up and didn’t hit the pit with enough speed and just stopped dead. The all-terrains are not exactly mud tires. I didn’t crawl the rock pits very much - because I wanted to get more used to off-raiding the manual tranny, and because I didn’t 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. They’re awesome and so kind and so much fun! And Krista isn’t afraid to full send her Bronco “Buttercup”. She’s 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. There’s a reason they call it Buttshole - it stinks like shit 🤮The mud was about 8-10” 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.

7D2FA270-19AC-4900-83DE-E71FC7A9C256.jpeg


I wasn’t 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 must’ve been wondering what this crazy Canadian was up to!🤦🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️😂 It helped a bit, but the first person to do my oil change is gonna have a nasty surprise. I guess I should warn them. Lol. And no, I’m not a sissy that won’t do his own oil change, but Betty doesn’t fit in my igloo (I mean garage), and there’s no way I’m doing it out in the frigid winter tundra that is Montreal at this time of year.


Reliability:

B67DD49D-A189-4459-BFDC-B82058E9181A.jpeg


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.

0C9276B3-8192-44AE-96EF-03F421D0EB91.jpeg


I couldn’t find the leak for the life of me. Filled it back up and within 1000’ 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 wasn’t engaged from the factory.

Somewhere in this vicinity:

E364E079-8407-4159-93D1-993CA764600E.jpeg


Besides that ordeal - the Bronco never had a hiccup. Sure , sometimes the wireless CarPlay doesn’t want to connect - but not a biggie. And that’s 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, Betty’s 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 haven’t 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. That’s 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 aunt’s in Williamsburg for the sake of her health. Charleston to Montreal should’ve been 17hrs. Unfortunately, as of the border of North Carolina/Virginia, the rain started. With fog. Lots of fog. The precipitation didn’t 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 you’re still reading this….look at you go! You made it too!!!!

Hope I didn’t bore you to death.

The Bronco’s a great vehicle. It’ll have its growing pains, being a new model, but it’s pretty darn sorted already. And this Bronco6G community is, IMHO, going to be the catalyst.

Here are a few random pics:

5906DEB2-E06F-40E7-9EBA-222F0F4A0FD5.jpeg

377BFB28-97ED-49CC-9D90-C632137AD73C.jpeg

2B8524C6-163C-493F-95FD-F609BC9A6D9C.jpeg
3A9EDED0-80E0-43DE-A62B-DD7153B93324.jpeg

1D52C7C6-38FE-4EEC-A884-EEF4A7D3BDFD.jpeg
Good read and good pics and a good tale of a good adventure... next time do another test, the false positives on those are like unfilled and delayed Bronco orders. Plentiful!
 

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The_Axeman

The_Axeman

Badlands
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2021 Ford Bronco 4dr Badlands 7MT
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Great write up, sounds like an epic adventure. Something I haven't seen discussed here that maybe you can shed light on. Driving on the highway during the snow. How is the snow buildup on the wipers and sides of windshield? Does it clear well? Did you ever need to open the window and reach around to wipe it off on the edge or clap the wipers to clear them? Some vehicles are really bad in this situation, some are great.
No issues with that. Less then other vehicle I’ve owned for sure.
However - if you look at how the rear doors open on the 4 door - they’re skimming the rear flare the whole way. That flair gets covered in slush and if it freezes - you’ll want to get it off first or be very careful opening your back door. You could rip the flare off.
 

CT203

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'13 JK
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Clubs
 
No issues with that. Less then other vehicle I’ve owned for sure.
However - if you look at how the rear doors open on the 4 door - they’re skimming the rear flare the whole way. That flair gets covered in slush and if it freezes - you’ll want to get it off first or be very careful opening your back door. You could rip the flare off.
Thanks! Excellent point on the rear doors. I've seen that buildup in other posts and videos. I'll definitely be doing a lot of winter driving. Still very jealous of your trip.
 

Wanted33

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Clubs
 
Sounds like a great journey Sean. Your write-up took me right along with you. Thanks
 

jxc

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Great write-up. Sounds like quite an adventure! That coolant hose clamp is a known issue. I believe there is a predelivery checklist thread on here that has it on it. For all of us still waiting, be sure your dealer inspects that clamp.
 

Itchysquatch

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Bad Batch Betty’s big ‘ol 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 🤪 - I’ll 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 won’t take it personally 😉. Like others have done before me, I’ll 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.

4BF00274-1691-41A9-9339-0544CDBEA9A9.jpeg


Bad Batch Betty is a 4-door, Cactus Gray, MIC, 7MT, high package 2021 Bronco Badlands without Sas, but on 35” General Grabber ATX’s mounted on 17” 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:

Here’s 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 5” 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.

9432A2E4-CF77-4BA4-B21F-3EB2BC24EB54.jpeg

19CB1CBA-8780-41ED-98B2-91D5F904C9C6.jpeg


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 didn’t 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 ‘Ol Florida off-road park’s 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 ‘Rona (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. I’m triple vacc’d and never had any symptoms - so I’m 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. I’m not a diehard Ford guy and have gone through MANY vehicles in my 47 years. That being said, NO vehicle I’ve owned has been more comfortable for a long trip. I’m a tall guy that’s all legs (6’2” - yes I’m 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 it’s 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 I’ve ever owned and the clutch is fairly effortless. The 2.3L and manual tranny have NO issues moving around this big bitch nor the 35” tires I slapped on her. I didn’t buy this vehicle to go fast - I sold my Dodge Challenger to get this. The low end torque is great - so for normal driving it’s awesome and has plenty of power. 2nd gear is my fave. That being said - if you’re 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 it’s perfect for how I drive though. And no - that’s NOT like old people fuck. Lol. There’s much less body roll than I expected. It handles great for a big truck on 35’s.

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 I’ve never had a vehicle’s seats heat up quicker. Leaving Nashville I was hit with a snow storm of really heavy and mostly slush-like conditions.

6765EBA6-786D-4264-B0CE-FA46BD10D00F.jpeg


The highway wasn’t cleared and many vehicles were in the ditch. I couldn’t stop and pull all the people out or I’d never leave. The Bronco and the Grabbers didn’t 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:

531DD615-1148-4A8E-BE89-7C48DB217CC4.jpeg


And yes, my wipers were on full speed in that pic…

These big balloons are exactly that - and they hydroplane quite easily. It seemed to be their only downfall. That and mud. They also don’t pick up many rocks. Not like what I’m hearing on hear about the Goodyears.

After recalibrating my speedometer for the 35’s, the gas mileage improved somewhat. It’s 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. It’s pretty much equal on the highway or around town.


Off-road capability:

209F62A1-A257-4620-8B33-E9EB660440B3.jpeg


During my weekend at ‘Ol 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 35’s do rub a bit when disco’d and flexing while turning. I have a 1” level lift that I haven’t 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 you’re gonna do a lot of hardcore trails and rock-crawling. The Bronco did great on the obstacles.

AA8AD5F3-A93C-4203-BEA1-C26D90837304.jpeg


There were nearly 50 new Broncos that weekend. They did superbly. The only vehicle - including big modded Jeeps on 40’s - to cross a mud pit called Buttshole - was a Bronco Badlands on 37’s MT’s and he did it twice. I screwed up and didn’t hit the pit with enough speed and just stopped dead. The all-terrains are not exactly mud tires. I didn’t crawl the rock pits very much - because I wanted to get more used to off-raiding the manual tranny, and because I didn’t 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. They’re awesome and so kind and so much fun! And Krista isn’t afraid to full send her Bronco “Buttercup”. She’s 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. There’s a reason they call it Buttshole - it stinks like shit 🤮The mud was about 8-10” 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.

7D2FA270-19AC-4900-83DE-E71FC7A9C256.jpeg


I wasn’t 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 must’ve been wondering what this crazy Canadian was up to!🤦🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️😂 It helped a bit, but the first person to do my oil change is gonna have a nasty surprise. I guess I should warn them. Lol. And no, I’m not a sissy that won’t do his own oil change, but Betty doesn’t fit in my igloo (I mean garage), and there’s no way I’m doing it out in the frigid winter tundra that is Montreal at this time of year.


Reliability:

B67DD49D-A189-4459-BFDC-B82058E9181A.jpeg


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.

0C9276B3-8192-44AE-96EF-03F421D0EB91.jpeg


I couldn’t find the leak for the life of me. Filled it back up and within 1000’ 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 wasn’t engaged from the factory.

Somewhere in this vicinity:

E364E079-8407-4159-93D1-993CA764600E.jpeg


Besides that ordeal - the Bronco never had a hiccup. Sure , sometimes the wireless CarPlay doesn’t want to connect - but not a biggie. And that’s 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, Betty’s 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 haven’t 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. That’s 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 aunt’s in Williamsburg for the sake of her health. Charleston to Montreal should’ve been 17hrs. Unfortunately, as of the border of North Carolina/Virginia, the rain started. With fog. Lots of fog. The precipitation didn’t 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 you’re still reading this….look at you go! You made it too!!!!

Hope I didn’t bore you to death.

The Bronco’s a great vehicle. It’ll have its growing pains, being a new model, but it’s pretty darn sorted already. And this Bronco6G community is, IMHO, going to be the catalyst.

Here are a few random pics:

5906DEB2-E06F-40E7-9EBA-222F0F4A0FD5.jpeg

377BFB28-97ED-49CC-9D90-C632137AD73C.jpeg

2B8524C6-163C-493F-95FD-F609BC9A6D9C.jpeg
3A9EDED0-80E0-43DE-A62B-DD7153B93324.jpeg

1D52C7C6-38FE-4EEC-A884-EEF4A7D3BDFD.jpeg
Thanks for sharing! Sounds like a fun trip.
 

Sponsored

fschael

Base
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Bad Batch Betty’s big ‘ol 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 🤪 - I’ll 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 won’t take it personally 😉. Like others have done before me, I’ll 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.

4BF00274-1691-41A9-9339-0544CDBEA9A9.jpeg


Bad Batch Betty is a 4-door, Cactus Gray, MIC, 7MT, high package 2021 Bronco Badlands without Sas, but on 35” General Grabber ATX’s mounted on 17” 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:

Here’s 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 5” 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.

9432A2E4-CF77-4BA4-B21F-3EB2BC24EB54.jpeg

19CB1CBA-8780-41ED-98B2-91D5F904C9C6.jpeg


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 didn’t 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 ‘Ol Florida off-road park’s 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 ‘Rona (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. I’m triple vacc’d and never had any symptoms - so I’m 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. I’m not a diehard Ford guy and have gone through MANY vehicles in my 47 years. That being said, NO vehicle I’ve owned has been more comfortable for a long trip. I’m a tall guy that’s all legs (6’2” - yes I’m 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 it’s 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 I’ve ever owned and the clutch is fairly effortless. The 2.3L and manual tranny have NO issues moving around this big bitch nor the 35” tires I slapped on her. I didn’t buy this vehicle to go fast - I sold my Dodge Challenger to get this. The low end torque is great - so for normal driving it’s awesome and has plenty of power. 2nd gear is my fave. That being said - if you’re 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 it’s perfect for how I drive though. And no - that’s NOT like old people fuck. Lol. There’s much less body roll than I expected. It handles great for a big truck on 35’s.

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 I’ve never had a vehicle’s seats heat up quicker. Leaving Nashville I was hit with a snow storm of really heavy and mostly slush-like conditions.

6765EBA6-786D-4264-B0CE-FA46BD10D00F.jpeg


The highway wasn’t cleared and many vehicles were in the ditch. I couldn’t stop and pull all the people out or I’d never leave. The Bronco and the Grabbers didn’t 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:

531DD615-1148-4A8E-BE89-7C48DB217CC4.jpeg


And yes, my wipers were on full speed in that pic…

These big balloons are exactly that - and they hydroplane quite easily. It seemed to be their only downfall. That and mud. They also don’t pick up many rocks. Not like what I’m hearing on hear about the Goodyears.

After recalibrating my speedometer for the 35’s, the gas mileage improved somewhat. It’s 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. It’s pretty much equal on the highway or around town.


Off-road capability:

209F62A1-A257-4620-8B33-E9EB660440B3.jpeg


During my weekend at ‘Ol 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 35’s do rub a bit when disco’d and flexing while turning. I have a 1” level lift that I haven’t 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 you’re gonna do a lot of hardcore trails and rock-crawling. The Bronco did great on the obstacles.

AA8AD5F3-A93C-4203-BEA1-C26D90837304.jpeg


There were nearly 50 new Broncos that weekend. They did superbly. The only vehicle - including big modded Jeeps on 40’s - to cross a mud pit called Buttshole - was a Bronco Badlands on 37’s MT’s and he did it twice. I screwed up and didn’t hit the pit with enough speed and just stopped dead. The all-terrains are not exactly mud tires. I didn’t crawl the rock pits very much - because I wanted to get more used to off-raiding the manual tranny, and because I didn’t 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. They’re awesome and so kind and so much fun! And Krista isn’t afraid to full send her Bronco “Buttercup”. She’s 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. There’s a reason they call it Buttshole - it stinks like shit 🤮The mud was about 8-10” 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.

7D2FA270-19AC-4900-83DE-E71FC7A9C256.jpeg


I wasn’t 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 must’ve been wondering what this crazy Canadian was up to!🤦🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️😂 It helped a bit, but the first person to do my oil change is gonna have a nasty surprise. I guess I should warn them. Lol. And no, I’m not a sissy that won’t do his own oil change, but Betty doesn’t fit in my igloo (I mean garage), and there’s no way I’m doing it out in the frigid winter tundra that is Montreal at this time of year.


Reliability:

B67DD49D-A189-4459-BFDC-B82058E9181A.jpeg


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.

0C9276B3-8192-44AE-96EF-03F421D0EB91.jpeg


I couldn’t find the leak for the life of me. Filled it back up and within 1000’ 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 wasn’t engaged from the factory.

Somewhere in this vicinity:

E364E079-8407-4159-93D1-993CA764600E.jpeg


Besides that ordeal - the Bronco never had a hiccup. Sure , sometimes the wireless CarPlay doesn’t want to connect - but not a biggie. And that’s 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, Betty’s 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 haven’t 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. That’s 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 aunt’s in Williamsburg for the sake of her health. Charleston to Montreal should’ve been 17hrs. Unfortunately, as of the border of North Carolina/Virginia, the rain started. With fog. Lots of fog. The precipitation didn’t 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 you’re still reading this….look at you go! You made it too!!!!

Hope I didn’t bore you to death.

The Bronco’s a great vehicle. It’ll have its growing pains, being a new model, but it’s pretty darn sorted already. And this Bronco6G community is, IMHO, going to be the catalyst.

Here are a few random pics:

5906DEB2-E06F-40E7-9EBA-222F0F4A0FD5.jpeg

377BFB28-97ED-49CC-9D90-C632137AD73C.jpeg

2B8524C6-163C-493F-95FD-F609BC9A6D9C.jpeg
3A9EDED0-80E0-43DE-A62B-DD7153B93324.jpeg

1D52C7C6-38FE-4EEC-A884-EEF4A7D3BDFD.jpeg
What a Journey!!!! I envy you somehow but I'm happy that this Bronco is bringing to you so much fun and adventure.

Mad about that quality issue that made the hiccup but I love how you resolved the issue without any stress and happy they solved the situation quickly to keep going!

This was by far so much fun to read! thank you for sharing!
 

jonesh242

Badlands
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First Name
John
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Thanks for the review!...helluva trip I must say. Sounds like anyone taking delivery of their Bronco needs to check every connection. The OCD in me will be all over that engine.
 

ex_nyer

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Badlands
Bad Batch Betty’s big ‘ol 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 🤪 - I’ll 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 won’t take it personally 😉. Like others have done before me, I’ll 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.

4BF00274-1691-41A9-9339-0544CDBEA9A9.jpeg


Bad Batch Betty is a 4-door, Cactus Gray, MIC, 7MT, high package 2021 Bronco Badlands without Sas, but on 35” General Grabber ATX’s mounted on 17” 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:

Here’s 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 5” 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.

9432A2E4-CF77-4BA4-B21F-3EB2BC24EB54.jpeg

19CB1CBA-8780-41ED-98B2-91D5F904C9C6.jpeg


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 didn’t 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 ‘Ol Florida off-road park’s 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 ‘Rona (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. I’m triple vacc’d and never had any symptoms - so I’m 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. I’m not a diehard Ford guy and have gone through MANY vehicles in my 47 years. That being said, NO vehicle I’ve owned has been more comfortable for a long trip. I’m a tall guy that’s all legs (6’2” - yes I’m 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 it’s 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 I’ve ever owned and the clutch is fairly effortless. The 2.3L and manual tranny have NO issues moving around this big bitch nor the 35” tires I slapped on her. I didn’t buy this vehicle to go fast - I sold my Dodge Challenger to get this. The low end torque is great - so for normal driving it’s awesome and has plenty of power. 2nd gear is my fave. That being said - if you’re 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 it’s perfect for how I drive though. And no - that’s NOT like old people fuck. Lol. There’s much less body roll than I expected. It handles great for a big truck on 35’s.

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 I’ve never had a vehicle’s seats heat up quicker. Leaving Nashville I was hit with a snow storm of really heavy and mostly slush-like conditions.

6765EBA6-786D-4264-B0CE-FA46BD10D00F.jpeg


The highway wasn’t cleared and many vehicles were in the ditch. I couldn’t stop and pull all the people out or I’d never leave. The Bronco and the Grabbers didn’t 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:

531DD615-1148-4A8E-BE89-7C48DB217CC4.jpeg


And yes, my wipers were on full speed in that pic…

These big balloons are exactly that - and they hydroplane quite easily. It seemed to be their only downfall. That and mud. They also don’t pick up many rocks. Not like what I’m hearing on hear about the Goodyears.

After recalibrating my speedometer for the 35’s, the gas mileage improved somewhat. It’s 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. It’s pretty much equal on the highway or around town.


Off-road capability:

209F62A1-A257-4620-8B33-E9EB660440B3.jpeg


During my weekend at ‘Ol 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 35’s do rub a bit when disco’d and flexing while turning. I have a 1” level lift that I haven’t 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 you’re gonna do a lot of hardcore trails and rock-crawling. The Bronco did great on the obstacles.

AA8AD5F3-A93C-4203-BEA1-C26D90837304.jpeg


There were nearly 50 new Broncos that weekend. They did superbly. The only vehicle - including big modded Jeeps on 40’s - to cross a mud pit called Buttshole - was a Bronco Badlands on 37’s MT’s and he did it twice. I screwed up and didn’t hit the pit with enough speed and just stopped dead. The all-terrains are not exactly mud tires. I didn’t crawl the rock pits very much - because I wanted to get more used to off-raiding the manual tranny, and because I didn’t 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. They’re awesome and so kind and so much fun! And Krista isn’t afraid to full send her Bronco “Buttercup”. She’s 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. There’s a reason they call it Buttshole - it stinks like shit 🤮The mud was about 8-10” 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.

7D2FA270-19AC-4900-83DE-E71FC7A9C256.jpeg


I wasn’t 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 must’ve been wondering what this crazy Canadian was up to!🤦🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️😂 It helped a bit, but the first person to do my oil change is gonna have a nasty surprise. I guess I should warn them. Lol. And no, I’m not a sissy that won’t do his own oil change, but Betty doesn’t fit in my igloo (I mean garage), and there’s no way I’m doing it out in the frigid winter tundra that is Montreal at this time of year.


Reliability:

B67DD49D-A189-4459-BFDC-B82058E9181A.jpeg


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.

0C9276B3-8192-44AE-96EF-03F421D0EB91.jpeg


I couldn’t find the leak for the life of me. Filled it back up and within 1000’ 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 wasn’t engaged from the factory.

Somewhere in this vicinity:

E364E079-8407-4159-93D1-993CA764600E.jpeg


Besides that ordeal - the Bronco never had a hiccup. Sure , sometimes the wireless CarPlay doesn’t want to connect - but not a biggie. And that’s 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, Betty’s 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 haven’t 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. That’s 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 aunt’s in Williamsburg for the sake of her health. Charleston to Montreal should’ve been 17hrs. Unfortunately, as of the border of North Carolina/Virginia, the rain started. With fog. Lots of fog. The precipitation didn’t 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 you’re still reading this….look at you go! You made it too!!!!

Hope I didn’t bore you to death.

The Bronco’s a great vehicle. It’ll have its growing pains, being a new model, but it’s pretty darn sorted already. And this Bronco6G community is, IMHO, going to be the catalyst.

Here are a few random pics:

5906DEB2-E06F-40E7-9EBA-222F0F4A0FD5.jpeg

377BFB28-97ED-49CC-9D90-C632137AD73C.jpeg

2B8524C6-163C-493F-95FD-F609BC9A6D9C.jpeg
3A9EDED0-80E0-43DE-A62B-DD7153B93324.jpeg

1D52C7C6-38FE-4EEC-A884-EEF4A7D3BDFD.jpeg
Love the story, details and the trip .... Good on You!
 

Draughon

Badlands
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Epic great trip - thank you for sharing!
 

Razorbak86

Badlands
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Bad Batch Betty’s big ‘ol 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 🤪 - I’ll 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 won’t take it personally 😉. Like others have done before me, I’ll 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.

4BF00274-1691-41A9-9339-0544CDBEA9A9.jpeg


Bad Batch Betty is a 4-door, Cactus Gray, MIC, 7MT, high package 2021 Bronco Badlands without Sas, but on 35” General Grabber ATX’s mounted on 17” 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:

Here’s 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 5” 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.

9432A2E4-CF77-4BA4-B21F-3EB2BC24EB54.jpeg

19CB1CBA-8780-41ED-98B2-91D5F904C9C6.jpeg


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 didn’t 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 ‘Ol Florida off-road park’s 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 ‘Rona (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. I’m triple vacc’d and never had any symptoms - so I’m 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. I’m not a diehard Ford guy and have gone through MANY vehicles in my 47 years. That being said, NO vehicle I’ve owned has been more comfortable for a long trip. I’m a tall guy that’s all legs (6’2” - yes I’m 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 it’s 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 I’ve ever owned and the clutch is fairly effortless. The 2.3L and manual tranny have NO issues moving around this big bitch nor the 35” tires I slapped on her. I didn’t buy this vehicle to go fast - I sold my Dodge Challenger to get this. The low end torque is great - so for normal driving it’s awesome and has plenty of power. 2nd gear is my fave. That being said - if you’re 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 it’s perfect for how I drive though. And no - that’s NOT like old people fuck. Lol. There’s much less body roll than I expected. It handles great for a big truck on 35’s.

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 I’ve never had a vehicle’s seats heat up quicker. Leaving Nashville I was hit with a snow storm of really heavy and mostly slush-like conditions.

6765EBA6-786D-4264-B0CE-FA46BD10D00F.jpeg


The highway wasn’t cleared and many vehicles were in the ditch. I couldn’t stop and pull all the people out or I’d never leave. The Bronco and the Grabbers didn’t 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:

531DD615-1148-4A8E-BE89-7C48DB217CC4.jpeg


And yes, my wipers were on full speed in that pic…

These big balloons are exactly that - and they hydroplane quite easily. It seemed to be their only downfall. That and mud. They also don’t pick up many rocks. Not like what I’m hearing on hear about the Goodyears.

After recalibrating my speedometer for the 35’s, the gas mileage improved somewhat. It’s 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. It’s pretty much equal on the highway or around town.


Off-road capability:

209F62A1-A257-4620-8B33-E9EB660440B3.jpeg


During my weekend at ‘Ol 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 35’s do rub a bit when disco’d and flexing while turning. I have a 1” level lift that I haven’t 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 you’re gonna do a lot of hardcore trails and rock-crawling. The Bronco did great on the obstacles.

AA8AD5F3-A93C-4203-BEA1-C26D90837304.jpeg


There were nearly 50 new Broncos that weekend. They did superbly. The only vehicle - including big modded Jeeps on 40’s - to cross a mud pit called Buttshole - was a Bronco Badlands on 37’s MT’s and he did it twice. I screwed up and didn’t hit the pit with enough speed and just stopped dead. The all-terrains are not exactly mud tires. I didn’t crawl the rock pits very much - because I wanted to get more used to off-raiding the manual tranny, and because I didn’t 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. They’re awesome and so kind and so much fun! And Krista isn’t afraid to full send her Bronco “Buttercup”. She’s 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. There’s a reason they call it Buttshole - it stinks like shit 🤮The mud was about 8-10” 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.

7D2FA270-19AC-4900-83DE-E71FC7A9C256.jpeg


I wasn’t 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 must’ve been wondering what this crazy Canadian was up to!🤦🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️😂 It helped a bit, but the first person to do my oil change is gonna have a nasty surprise. I guess I should warn them. Lol. And no, I’m not a sissy that won’t do his own oil change, but Betty doesn’t fit in my igloo (I mean garage), and there’s no way I’m doing it out in the frigid winter tundra that is Montreal at this time of year.


Reliability:

B67DD49D-A189-4459-BFDC-B82058E9181A.jpeg


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.

0C9276B3-8192-44AE-96EF-03F421D0EB91.jpeg


I couldn’t find the leak for the life of me. Filled it back up and within 1000’ 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 wasn’t engaged from the factory.

Somewhere in this vicinity:

E364E079-8407-4159-93D1-993CA764600E.jpeg


Besides that ordeal - the Bronco never had a hiccup. Sure , sometimes the wireless CarPlay doesn’t want to connect - but not a biggie. And that’s 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, Betty’s 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 haven’t 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. That’s 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 aunt’s in Williamsburg for the sake of her health. Charleston to Montreal should’ve been 17hrs. Unfortunately, as of the border of North Carolina/Virginia, the rain started. With fog. Lots of fog. The precipitation didn’t 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 you’re still reading this….look at you go! You made it too!!!!

Hope I didn’t bore you to death.

The Bronco’s a great vehicle. It’ll have its growing pains, being a new model, but it’s pretty darn sorted already. And this Bronco6G community is, IMHO, going to be the catalyst.

Here are a few random pics:

5906DEB2-E06F-40E7-9EBA-222F0F4A0FD5.jpeg

377BFB28-97ED-49CC-9D90-C632137AD73C.jpeg

2B8524C6-163C-493F-95FD-F609BC9A6D9C.jpeg
3A9EDED0-80E0-43DE-A62B-DD7153B93324.jpeg

1D52C7C6-38FE-4EEC-A884-EEF4A7D3BDFD.jpeg
Great report, Sean. Glad you are enjoying Betty and had a fun trip.

FYI, I noticed a bunch of [OBJ] tags throughout the photos, and wanted to ask you to review everything once again to make sure all of the photos that you intended to post actually got uploaded.

One section in particular was a little confusing. Specifically, I looked for the "2 LED strip lights" that you referred to in the text below, but could not find them in the photo immediately above the text...

Ford Bronco 4300 mile road trip and review in Bad Batch Betty Badlands OBJ tags
Sponsored

 
 


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