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desert_rat

Big Bend
Well-Known Member
First Name
Leslie
Joined
Jul 12, 2020
Threads
1
Messages
484
Reaction score
1,519
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
Honda CRV
Your Bronco Model
Big Bend
Clubs
 
sounds like an amazing trip, thanks for sharing! big bend feels like a second home to me, can't wait to take my BB there! awesome to hear you got up to 55mph on the trails 👌
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Gritty

Wildtrak
Well-Known Member
First Name
Stan
Joined
Sep 5, 2021
Threads
1
Messages
135
Reaction score
367
Location
Oak Island, NC 28465
Vehicle(s)
2019 Chevy Colorado ZR2
Your Bronco Model
Wildtrak
Rented a 2020 Wrangler here in NC, drove it straight through all the way to Sewell in Odessa, TX.
Picked up our new BL Tuesday AM, headed south to Big Bend Ranch State Park, after a brief refuel in Alpine.

We camped out under the stars there in BBRSP the first night, got up, packed back up, headed out to Big Bend National Park to ride some trails.

We left the pavement and headed on our first off-road adventure down Glen Springs Rd, stopped briefly many times to switch drivers, take pics, do some light exploring on foot.

Rode it all the way to the end, checked out a few side trails at the far south end of River Rd, checked out the Village and the border crossing.

Headed back out, rode some more, checked out many more stops.
Headed back out to Terlingua, found a cool border-lands vibe bar and grille, slept like a rock.

The next day we took mainly 2 lane backroads back diagonal across TX, avoided interstates. It was really cool to watch the landscape and vegetation change as we did so.
Booked it on back to NC, logging about 2300 miles in 4 days.
Average MPG with the cruise set on 80 was about 14.4.

For about the first 30 minutes we kept it between 7-17mph. By the end I was throwing dust up behind me at over 55 on the sandy/Rocky River Rd. It handled it better, rode better, was amazing off-road at those speeds, drifting around curves, soaking up the dips and bumps. Had I aired down it would have been even smoother.

the good:
-plenty of power
-amazing ride and handling
-zone lighting comes in REALLY handy.
-no hint of mechanical or electrical issues.
-no squeaks, rattles, issues at all.

the bad:
-below 65 was better mileage but taking long trips at highway speed is going to have you stopping for gas frequently and drain that wallet.
-The prop-up rear soft top is handy, but is still a bit of a PITA to use. Quicker than a zip-out window like a Jeep. having to use both hands to open is a pain unless you open one side, easily sit it back down so it doesn’t latch, unlatch the other side.
-the passenger areas can get crampt quickly with trip stuff (blankets, pillows, drinks, snacks).
-the CarPlay was finicky at times.
-wind noise (to be expected)
-a bit more room under ANY of the seats would be super handy and nice to have to store some stuff on trips like FA kits, Recovery gear, etc.
-rear compartment plastics scuff very easily. Be prepared for this surprise.

observations:
-The soft top just kind of sits there on top of the roll cage, latched in front, you can put your whole hand up into the Bronco, allows for 98% of the wind noise vs just because it’s a soft top wind noise (I’ve owned ST Jeeps).
-The dash layout is good, got used to the gauge setup, and no, no one uses the regular speedo.
-Shifter is amazing in ergonomic design.
-Door panel tops are also at the perfect height.
-HVAC will blow you out of the seat at times. Very hot heat, very cold AC, hurricane-force power.
-auto dim lights were a cool novelty at first, quickly disabled it.
-as expected, the windshield is a bug magnet. Expect to clean it at every fill up.
-seats were nice, supportive, much better than the Jeep rental. (As was everything else).
-lots of little quirks and “figuring out” of features, like an adventure all on its own.
-at the car wash, (back to observation #1), spraying it off and even up at the seal showed no leaks.
-power seemed lacking on takeoff (I didn’t tach it up because of break in time), but rolling power is nice.
-upper dash is a great design, plenty of areas to store some items, and they don’t slide around and stay in the compartments.

recommendations:
-get the dash imprint decals from StickerFab. They really add a nice touch. Also invest in the door entry protection.
-Dual zone controls are priceless if you and your passenger have different ideas on what a comfortable traveling temp is.
-invest in some PPF (I have the armor version ordered from XPel). This is for at least the doors from the body line down.

https://www.xpel.com/ARMOR-Protection-Film

-Get out there. Get off pavement. See things you never could have/would have. Make memories. Take that trip. Pack that tent. Just do it. Your soul will thank you.


long story, but overall and abundantly happy. As many say, they are worth the wait, worth the struggle, worth the stress. You do tend to forget it all once you hit that Start button the first time.
SAS pkg handles things like a dream.
Y’all are gonna love them.
59E39453-8AF9-4F7C-9F50-12725B19344D.jpeg

D183B501-BF50-4C61-8439-48953211AD69.jpeg

85799663-715B-42C2-8B98-4C1B4A86FC47.jpeg

90D9B6D5-403B-41DC-B3EE-458520E033CC.jpeg

AA97F081-6869-4959-81DA-AFA8087FB177.jpeg

6DF23875-E616-488C-8837-3E6AD7D6F44E.jpeg

DF4DAF48-E2FB-4204-9180-96C09FC214BD.jpeg

913CA547-9D97-45EC-B665-28C086111359.jpeg

C407584F-C988-4E42-9F00-769969543303.jpeg

4CAE78D6-E7C1-4756-8B87-862EEBD63FF4.jpeg

3F505558-8152-4995-AB66-E84402652DB2.jpeg

8985A43D-068A-4946-97F2-5EB9FF135D41.jpeg

8F5ACCBE-19E8-45D8-AAD0-87B47DC0C3EB.jpeg

EDAB6FE5-5766-474C-A587-F9FDBDBAA318.jpeg

23E322C4-434B-4A6C-A214-0E4438DDB5E2.jpeg

F1718544-F30B-4495-BD4D-66677BB2AA23.jpeg

BE99666E-DB19-46FF-9DAA-E2F89350773A.jpeg

F94C64A4-3509-4D9F-A27C-9A69F8540AB6.jpeg

C4C4B7D3-615D-4D79-BD0A-D77210D92A5B.jpeg

4A17603F-557E-4AC5-9B4F-BBD11A0662EF.jpeg

16968C69-3623-4697-AD10-3856F3F854DD.jpeg

3961D64F-387B-48FB-8EC4-E707CD1B6DB3.jpeg

800B7ECB-D56B-44AE-B747-1ADCAAA36FC4.jpeg

8E3DAB14-0DDC-4870-A178-1AA70194E0E0.jpeg

B5C461A0-96AF-4937-8A4B-1F245E98AE50.jpeg

D69979AD-FE46-447C-B444-579B7E422250.jpeg

44EFD302-392E-44D6-97E6-D879631735E7.jpeg

A0655249-A664-4DA4-B0AE-1CEA684E8544.jpeg

1F9980E7-99A0-4F07-99E2-3C94C7A176C9.jpeg

F87EEC15-5D7C-47F6-BD6F-B31F123C3DE9.jpeg
Great Pics, can't wait to get my Bronco......love the new rims, can you give me the make and the spec's
 

TheGhost

Badlands
Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2020
Threads
1
Messages
82
Reaction score
378
Location
Central TX
Vehicle(s)
2021 Bronco Badlands, 2009 Mazda RX-8
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
Glad to see you finally made the trip to Big Bend! It's definitely one of our (TX) best nature spots. Making memories are always worth it.

Plus that night sky in the park is something everyone should see. Seriously folks, if you've never (in person) seen the stars or Milky Way in an unpolluted sky, you're missing out.
 

4avor8ntfair

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
John
Joined
Feb 16, 2021
Threads
10
Messages
652
Reaction score
832
Location
Houston, TX
Vehicle(s)
BL-non SAS, 2.3 auto
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
Rented a 2020 Wrangler here in NC, drove it straight through all the way to Sewell in Odessa, TX.
Picked up our new BL Tuesday AM, headed south to Big Bend Ranch State Park, after a brief refuel in Alpine.

We camped out under the stars there in BBRSP the first night, got up, packed back up, headed out to Big Bend National Park to ride some trails.

We left the pavement and headed on our first off-road adventure down Glen Springs Rd, stopped briefly many times to switch drivers, take pics, do some light exploring on foot.

Rode it all the way to the end, checked out a few side trails at the far south end of River Rd, checked out the Village and the border crossing.

Headed back out, rode some more, checked out many more stops.
Headed back out to Terlingua, found a cool border-lands vibe bar and grille, slept like a rock.

The next day we took mainly 2 lane backroads back diagonal across TX, avoided interstates. It was really cool to watch the landscape and vegetation change as we did so.
Booked it on back to NC, logging about 2300 miles in 4 days.
Average MPG with the cruise set on 80 was about 14.4.

For about the first 30 minutes we kept it between 7-17mph. By the end I was throwing dust up behind me at over 55 on the sandy/Rocky River Rd. It handled it better, rode better, was amazing off-road at those speeds, drifting around curves, soaking up the dips and bumps. Had I aired down it would have been even smoother.

the good:
-plenty of power
-amazing ride and handling
-zone lighting comes in REALLY handy.
-no hint of mechanical or electrical issues.
-no squeaks, rattles, issues at all.

the bad:
-below 65 was better mileage but taking long trips at highway speed is going to have you stopping for gas frequently and drain that wallet.
-The prop-up rear soft top is handy, but is still a bit of a PITA to use. Quicker than a zip-out window like a Jeep. having to use both hands to open is a pain unless you open one side, easily sit it back down so it doesn’t latch, unlatch the other side.
-the passenger areas can get crampt quickly with trip stuff (blankets, pillows, drinks, snacks).
-the CarPlay was finicky at times.
-wind noise (to be expected)
-a bit more room under ANY of the seats would be super handy and nice to have to store some stuff on trips like FA kits, Recovery gear, etc.
-rear compartment plastics scuff very easily. Be prepared for this surprise.

observations:
-The soft top just kind of sits there on top of the roll cage, latched in front, you can put your whole hand up into the Bronco, allows for 98% of the wind noise vs just because it’s a soft top wind noise (I’ve owned ST Jeeps).
-The dash layout is good, got used to the gauge setup, and no, no one uses the regular speedo.
-Shifter is amazing in ergonomic design.
-Door panel tops are also at the perfect height.
-HVAC will blow you out of the seat at times. Very hot heat, very cold AC, hurricane-force power.
-auto dim lights were a cool novelty at first, quickly disabled it.
-as expected, the windshield is a bug magnet. Expect to clean it at every fill up.
-seats were nice, supportive, much better than the Jeep rental. (As was everything else).
-lots of little quirks and “figuring out” of features, like an adventure all on its own.
-at the car wash, (back to observation #1), spraying it off and even up at the seal showed no leaks.
-power seemed lacking on takeoff (I didn’t tach it up because of break in time), but rolling power is nice.
-upper dash is a great design, plenty of areas to store some items, and they don’t slide around and stay in the compartments.

recommendations:
-get the dash imprint decals from StickerFab. They really add a nice touch. Also invest in the door entry protection.
-Dual zone controls are priceless if you and your passenger have different ideas on what a comfortable traveling temp is.
-invest in some PPF (I have the armor version ordered from XPel). This is for at least the doors from the body line down.

https://www.xpel.com/ARMOR-Protection-Film

-Get out there. Get off pavement. See things you never could have/would have. Make memories. Take that trip. Pack that tent. Just do it. Your soul will thank you.


long story, but overall and abundantly happy. As many say, they are worth the wait, worth the struggle, worth the stress. You do tend to forget it all once you hit that Start button the first time.
SAS pkg handles things like a dream.
Y’all are gonna love them.
59E39453-8AF9-4F7C-9F50-12725B19344D.jpeg

D183B501-BF50-4C61-8439-48953211AD69.jpeg

85799663-715B-42C2-8B98-4C1B4A86FC47.jpeg

90D9B6D5-403B-41DC-B3EE-458520E033CC.jpeg

AA97F081-6869-4959-81DA-AFA8087FB177.jpeg

6DF23875-E616-488C-8837-3E6AD7D6F44E.jpeg

DF4DAF48-E2FB-4204-9180-96C09FC214BD.jpeg

913CA547-9D97-45EC-B665-28C086111359.jpeg

C407584F-C988-4E42-9F00-769969543303.jpeg

4CAE78D6-E7C1-4756-8B87-862EEBD63FF4.jpeg

3F505558-8152-4995-AB66-E84402652DB2.jpeg

8985A43D-068A-4946-97F2-5EB9FF135D41.jpeg

8F5ACCBE-19E8-45D8-AAD0-87B47DC0C3EB.jpeg

EDAB6FE5-5766-474C-A587-F9FDBDBAA318.jpeg

23E322C4-434B-4A6C-A214-0E4438DDB5E2.jpeg

F1718544-F30B-4495-BD4D-66677BB2AA23.jpeg

BE99666E-DB19-46FF-9DAA-E2F89350773A.jpeg

F94C64A4-3509-4D9F-A27C-9A69F8540AB6.jpeg

C4C4B7D3-615D-4D79-BD0A-D77210D92A5B.jpeg

4A17603F-557E-4AC5-9B4F-BBD11A0662EF.jpeg

16968C69-3623-4697-AD10-3856F3F854DD.jpeg

3961D64F-387B-48FB-8EC4-E707CD1B6DB3.jpeg

800B7ECB-D56B-44AE-B747-1ADCAAA36FC4.jpeg

8E3DAB14-0DDC-4870-A178-1AA70194E0E0.jpeg

B5C461A0-96AF-4937-8A4B-1F245E98AE50.jpeg

D69979AD-FE46-447C-B444-579B7E422250.jpeg

44EFD302-392E-44D6-97E6-D879631735E7.jpeg

A0655249-A664-4DA4-B0AE-1CEA684E8544.jpeg

1F9980E7-99A0-4F07-99E2-3C94C7A176C9.jpeg

F87EEC15-5D7C-47F6-BD6F-B31F123C3DE9.jpeg
Nice pics! Glad you had such a nice maiden voyage! I’d be curious to see updates with the Xpel Armor.
 

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LadyBronco

Wildtrak
Well-Known Member
First Name
Dani
Joined
Jul 18, 2020
Threads
23
Messages
404
Reaction score
3,426
Location
Northern Michigan
Vehicle(s)
Roller skates 🛼
Your Bronco Model
Wildtrak
Clubs
 
Rented a 2020 Wrangler here in NC, drove it straight through all the way to Sewell in Odessa, TX.
Picked up our new BL Tuesday AM, headed south to Big Bend Ranch State Park, after a brief refuel in Alpine.

We camped out under the stars there in BBRSP the first night, got up, packed back up, headed out to Big Bend National Park to ride some trails.

We left the pavement and headed on our first off-road adventure down Glen Springs Rd, stopped briefly many times to switch drivers, take pics, do some light exploring on foot.

Rode it all the way to the end, checked out a few side trails at the far south end of River Rd, checked out the Village and the border crossing.

Headed back out, rode some more, checked out many more stops.
Headed back out to Terlingua, found a cool border-lands vibe bar and grille, slept like a rock.

The next day we took mainly 2 lane backroads back diagonal across TX, avoided interstates. It was really cool to watch the landscape and vegetation change as we did so.
Booked it on back to NC, logging about 2300 miles in 4 days.
Average MPG with the cruise set on 80 was about 14.4.

For about the first 30 minutes we kept it between 7-17mph. By the end I was throwing dust up behind me at over 55 on the sandy/Rocky River Rd. It handled it better, rode better, was amazing off-road at those speeds, drifting around curves, soaking up the dips and bumps. Had I aired down it would have been even smoother.

the good:
-plenty of power
-amazing ride and handling
-zone lighting comes in REALLY handy.
-no hint of mechanical or electrical issues.
-no squeaks, rattles, issues at all.

the bad:
-below 65 was better mileage but taking long trips at highway speed is going to have you stopping for gas frequently and drain that wallet.
-The prop-up rear soft top is handy, but is still a bit of a PITA to use. Quicker than a zip-out window like a Jeep. having to use both hands to open is a pain unless you open one side, easily sit it back down so it doesn’t latch, unlatch the other side.
-the passenger areas can get crampt quickly with trip stuff (blankets, pillows, drinks, snacks).
-the CarPlay was finicky at times.
-wind noise (to be expected)
-a bit more room under ANY of the seats would be super handy and nice to have to store some stuff on trips like FA kits, Recovery gear, etc.
-rear compartment plastics scuff very easily. Be prepared for this surprise.

observations:
-The soft top just kind of sits there on top of the roll cage, latched in front, you can put your whole hand up into the Bronco, allows for 98% of the wind noise vs just because it’s a soft top wind noise (I’ve owned ST Jeeps).
-The dash layout is good, got used to the gauge setup, and no, no one uses the regular speedo.
-Shifter is amazing in ergonomic design.
-Door panel tops are also at the perfect height.
-HVAC will blow you out of the seat at times. Very hot heat, very cold AC, hurricane-force power.
-auto dim lights were a cool novelty at first, quickly disabled it.
-as expected, the windshield is a bug magnet. Expect to clean it at every fill up.
-seats were nice, supportive, much better than the Jeep rental. (As was everything else).
-lots of little quirks and “figuring out” of features, like an adventure all on its own.
-at the car wash, (back to observation #1), spraying it off and even up at the seal showed no leaks.
-power seemed lacking on takeoff (I didn’t tach it up because of break in time), but rolling power is nice.
-upper dash is a great design, plenty of areas to store some items, and they don’t slide around and stay in the compartments.

recommendations:
-get the dash imprint decals from StickerFab. They really add a nice touch. Also invest in the door entry protection.
-Dual zone controls are priceless if you and your passenger have different ideas on what a comfortable traveling temp is.
-invest in some PPF (I have the armor version ordered from XPel). This is for at least the doors from the body line down.

https://www.xpel.com/ARMOR-Protection-Film

-Get out there. Get off pavement. See things you never could have/would have. Make memories. Take that trip. Pack that tent. Just do it. Your soul will thank you.


long story, but overall and abundantly happy. As many say, they are worth the wait, worth the struggle, worth the stress. You do tend to forget it all once you hit that Start button the first time.
SAS pkg handles things like a dream.
Y’all are gonna love them.
59E39453-8AF9-4F7C-9F50-12725B19344D.jpeg

D183B501-BF50-4C61-8439-48953211AD69.jpeg

85799663-715B-42C2-8B98-4C1B4A86FC47.jpeg

90D9B6D5-403B-41DC-B3EE-458520E033CC.jpeg

AA97F081-6869-4959-81DA-AFA8087FB177.jpeg

6DF23875-E616-488C-8837-3E6AD7D6F44E.jpeg

DF4DAF48-E2FB-4204-9180-96C09FC214BD.jpeg

913CA547-9D97-45EC-B665-28C086111359.jpeg

C407584F-C988-4E42-9F00-769969543303.jpeg

4CAE78D6-E7C1-4756-8B87-862EEBD63FF4.jpeg

3F505558-8152-4995-AB66-E84402652DB2.jpeg

8985A43D-068A-4946-97F2-5EB9FF135D41.jpeg

8F5ACCBE-19E8-45D8-AAD0-87B47DC0C3EB.jpeg

EDAB6FE5-5766-474C-A587-F9FDBDBAA318.jpeg

23E322C4-434B-4A6C-A214-0E4438DDB5E2.jpeg

F1718544-F30B-4495-BD4D-66677BB2AA23.jpeg

BE99666E-DB19-46FF-9DAA-E2F89350773A.jpeg

F94C64A4-3509-4D9F-A27C-9A69F8540AB6.jpeg

C4C4B7D3-615D-4D79-BD0A-D77210D92A5B.jpeg

4A17603F-557E-4AC5-9B4F-BBD11A0662EF.jpeg

16968C69-3623-4697-AD10-3856F3F854DD.jpeg

3961D64F-387B-48FB-8EC4-E707CD1B6DB3.jpeg

800B7ECB-D56B-44AE-B747-1ADCAAA36FC4.jpeg

8E3DAB14-0DDC-4870-A178-1AA70194E0E0.jpeg

B5C461A0-96AF-4937-8A4B-1F245E98AE50.jpeg

D69979AD-FE46-447C-B444-579B7E422250.jpeg

44EFD302-392E-44D6-97E6-D879631735E7.jpeg

A0655249-A664-4DA4-B0AE-1CEA684E8544.jpeg

1F9980E7-99A0-4F07-99E2-3C94C7A176C9.jpeg

F87EEC15-5D7C-47F6-BD6F-B31F123C3DE9.jpeg
What an amazing trip! 😍
 

the blue potato

Wildtrak
Well-Known Member
First Name
Mr. Gone
Joined
Oct 24, 2020
Threads
9
Messages
175
Reaction score
346
Location
East Coast
Vehicle(s)
66 Ford F100
Your Bronco Model
Wildtrak
Clubs
 
Thank you for sharing. We need more stories like this. And that red just POPS! Race Red now is back on my short list.
 

Sarconus

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
William
Joined
Aug 7, 2020
Threads
6
Messages
313
Reaction score
735
Location
Cibolo, TX
Vehicle(s)
2022 Bronco
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
Rented a 2020 Wrangler here in NC, drove it straight through all the way to Sewell in Odessa, TX.
Picked up our new BL Tuesday AM, headed south to Big Bend Ranch State Park, after a brief refuel in Alpine.

We camped out under the stars there in BBRSP the first night, got up, packed back up, headed out to Big Bend National Park to ride some trails.

We left the pavement and headed on our first off-road adventure down Glen Springs Rd, stopped briefly many times to switch drivers, take pics, do some light exploring on foot.

Rode it all the way to the end, checked out a few side trails at the far south end of River Rd, checked out the Village and the border crossing.

Headed back out, rode some more, checked out many more stops.
Headed back out to Terlingua, found a cool border-lands vibe bar and grille, slept like a rock.

The next day we took mainly 2 lane backroads back diagonal across TX, avoided interstates. It was really cool to watch the landscape and vegetation change as we did so.
Booked it on back to NC, logging about 2300 miles in 4 days.
Average MPG with the cruise set on 80 was about 14.4.

For about the first 30 minutes we kept it between 7-17mph. By the end I was throwing dust up behind me at over 55 on the sandy/Rocky River Rd. It handled it better, rode better, was amazing off-road at those speeds, drifting around curves, soaking up the dips and bumps. Had I aired down it would have been even smoother.

the good:
-plenty of power
-amazing ride and handling
-zone lighting comes in REALLY handy.
-no hint of mechanical or electrical issues.
-no squeaks, rattles, issues at all.

the bad:
-below 65 was better mileage but taking long trips at highway speed is going to have you stopping for gas frequently and drain that wallet.
-The prop-up rear soft top is handy, but is still a bit of a PITA to use. Quicker than a zip-out window like a Jeep. having to use both hands to open is a pain unless you open one side, easily sit it back down so it doesn’t latch, unlatch the other side.
-the passenger areas can get crampt quickly with trip stuff (blankets, pillows, drinks, snacks).
-the CarPlay was finicky at times.
-wind noise (to be expected)
-a bit more room under ANY of the seats would be super handy and nice to have to store some stuff on trips like FA kits, Recovery gear, etc.
-rear compartment plastics scuff very easily. Be prepared for this surprise.

observations:
-The soft top just kind of sits there on top of the roll cage, latched in front, you can put your whole hand up into the Bronco, allows for 98% of the wind noise vs just because it’s a soft top wind noise (I’ve owned ST Jeeps).
-The dash layout is good, got used to the gauge setup, and no, no one uses the regular speedo.
-Shifter is amazing in ergonomic design.
-Door panel tops are also at the perfect height.
-HVAC will blow you out of the seat at times. Very hot heat, very cold AC, hurricane-force power.
-auto dim lights were a cool novelty at first, quickly disabled it.
-as expected, the windshield is a bug magnet. Expect to clean it at every fill up.
-seats were nice, supportive, much better than the Jeep rental. (As was everything else).
-lots of little quirks and “figuring out” of features, like an adventure all on its own.
-at the car wash, (back to observation #1), spraying it off and even up at the seal showed no leaks.
-power seemed lacking on takeoff (I didn’t tach it up because of break in time), but rolling power is nice.
-upper dash is a great design, plenty of areas to store some items, and they don’t slide around and stay in the compartments.

recommendations:
-get the dash imprint decals from StickerFab. They really add a nice touch. Also invest in the door entry protection.
-Dual zone controls are priceless if you and your passenger have different ideas on what a comfortable traveling temp is.
-invest in some PPF (I have the armor version ordered from XPel). This is for at least the doors from the body line down.

https://www.xpel.com/ARMOR-Protection-Film

-Get out there. Get off pavement. See things you never could have/would have. Make memories. Take that trip. Pack that tent. Just do it. Your soul will thank you.


long story, but overall and abundantly happy. As many say, they are worth the wait, worth the struggle, worth the stress. You do tend to forget it all once you hit that Start button the first time.
SAS pkg handles things like a dream.
Y’all are gonna love them.
59E39453-8AF9-4F7C-9F50-12725B19344D.jpeg

D183B501-BF50-4C61-8439-48953211AD69.jpeg

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That's awesome thank you for taking the time to share
 

JakeC

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Rented a 2020 Wrangler here in NC, drove it straight through all the way to Sewell in Odessa, TX.
Picked up our new BL Tuesday AM, headed south to Big Bend Ranch State Park, after a brief refuel in Alpine.

We camped out under the stars there in BBRSP the first night, got up, packed back up, headed out to Big Bend National Park to ride some trails.

We left the pavement and headed on our first off-road adventure down Glen Springs Rd, stopped briefly many times to switch drivers, take pics, do some light exploring on foot.

Rode it all the way to the end, checked out a few side trails at the far south end of River Rd, checked out the Village and the border crossing.

Headed back out, rode some more, checked out many more stops.
Headed back out to Terlingua, found a cool border-lands vibe bar and grille, slept like a rock.

The next day we took mainly 2 lane backroads back diagonal across TX, avoided interstates. It was really cool to watch the landscape and vegetation change as we did so.
Booked it on back to NC, logging about 2300 miles in 4 days.
Average MPG with the cruise set on 80 was about 14.4.

For about the first 30 minutes we kept it between 7-17mph. By the end I was throwing dust up behind me at over 55 on the sandy/Rocky River Rd. It handled it better, rode better, was amazing off-road at those speeds, drifting around curves, soaking up the dips and bumps. Had I aired down it would have been even smoother.

the good:
-plenty of power
-amazing ride and handling
-zone lighting comes in REALLY handy.
-no hint of mechanical or electrical issues.
-no squeaks, rattles, issues at all.

the bad:
-below 65 was better mileage but taking long trips at highway speed is going to have you stopping for gas frequently and drain that wallet.
-The prop-up rear soft top is handy, but is still a bit of a PITA to use. Quicker than a zip-out window like a Jeep. having to use both hands to open is a pain unless you open one side, easily sit it back down so it doesn’t latch, unlatch the other side.
-the passenger areas can get crampt quickly with trip stuff (blankets, pillows, drinks, snacks).
-the CarPlay was finicky at times.
-wind noise (to be expected)
-a bit more room under ANY of the seats would be super handy and nice to have to store some stuff on trips like FA kits, Recovery gear, etc.
-rear compartment plastics scuff very easily. Be prepared for this surprise.

observations:
-The soft top just kind of sits there on top of the roll cage, latched in front, you can put your whole hand up into the Bronco, allows for 98% of the wind noise vs just because it’s a soft top wind noise (I’ve owned ST Jeeps).
-The dash layout is good, got used to the gauge setup, and no, no one uses the regular speedo.
-Shifter is amazing in ergonomic design.
-Door panel tops are also at the perfect height.
-HVAC will blow you out of the seat at times. Very hot heat, very cold AC, hurricane-force power.
-auto dim lights were a cool novelty at first, quickly disabled it.
-as expected, the windshield is a bug magnet. Expect to clean it at every fill up.
-seats were nice, supportive, much better than the Jeep rental. (As was everything else).
-lots of little quirks and “figuring out” of features, like an adventure all on its own.
-at the car wash, (back to observation #1), spraying it off and even up at the seal showed no leaks.
-power seemed lacking on takeoff (I didn’t tach it up because of break in time), but rolling power is nice.
-upper dash is a great design, plenty of areas to store some items, and they don’t slide around and stay in the compartments.

recommendations:
-get the dash imprint decals from StickerFab. They really add a nice touch. Also invest in the door entry protection.
-Dual zone controls are priceless if you and your passenger have different ideas on what a comfortable traveling temp is.
-invest in some PPF (I have the armor version ordered from XPel). This is for at least the doors from the body line down.

https://www.xpel.com/ARMOR-Protection-Film

-Get out there. Get off pavement. See things you never could have/would have. Make memories. Take that trip. Pack that tent. Just do it. Your soul will thank you.


long story, but overall and abundantly happy. As many say, they are worth the wait, worth the struggle, worth the stress. You do tend to forget it all once you hit that Start button the first time.
SAS pkg handles things like a dream.
Y’all are gonna love them.
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Most memorable for them? Probably letting them both (daughters) drive for about a half hour on trails, and their first foray into camping out.
Mom also had some time in the saddle.

memories? Man…tons. We saw tumbleweed for the first time! We saw wild horses, bear, wild cacti for the first time. It was their first time in several states, and first time seeing Mexico. Now they also have the memory of driving 25 hours straight, and why that’s not the funnest time to have.

things that made them laugh? My reaction to seeing the tumbleweed “Holy Shit! It’s a tumbleweed”.

Things that made them cry? The fact that the restrooms in the desert don’t allow for the easiest of times. You can’t flush toilet paper, and the toilets don’t exactly flush that well even without it.
The lack of sleep and stench of burning oil rigs also had them about to revolt on me.
I have been to Big Bend a few times (I have a place in SE New Mexico). The trip from Alpine to BB is awesome, about halfway there is the Little Burro store, Lajitas and Terlingua are great! Terlingua ghost town is home of the World Chili Cookoff. Fort Davis, Marfa, Marathon, Presidio, are all really cool places down there, like stepping back in time. Lajitas is between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park, the mayor is a goat named Clay Henry that drinks beer!

My trips were made in a Ford Raptor, and an F-150 4x4. I will be revisiting the whole area with my Bronco. I ordered my Bronco from Great Lakes Ford in Muskegon, MI. I will be taking it on parts of Route 66 on my trip back down to Roswell, NM.
 
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broadicustomworks

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Glad to see you finally made the trip to Big Bend! It's definitely one of our (TX) best nature spots. Making memories are always worth it.

Plus that night sky in the park is something everyone should see. Seriously folks, if you've never (in person) seen the stars or Milky Way in an unpolluted sky, you're missing out.
Very true.
I stayed up until wee hours that first night…never saw the Milky Way, so I checked my stargazing app, saw the MW wasn’t in a position those nights to see (daytime side for us).
I was a bit bummed, but definitely a beautiful night sky.
Pleiades was clear, and able to make out the individual stars with my binocs.
 
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broadicustomworks

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