Observations after 1st trip to Moab in the Bronco

[White Sasquatch]

Not new lol, just reopened.

Good to know. I figured it was new since none of us had done it before and we've run the trail a number of times over the years. Either way, it was fun.

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[White Sasquatch]

I also meant to put that I ran my tires at 15 psi (2 tire gages said 15 but readout on the dash said 18 so i think the dash runs a few psi high) which worked really well. I'd hesitate to go much lower without beadlock rings and had just the right amount of squat in my opinion.

 

[Broncodave]

Damn, that's a bit of a hill!

 

[Kramku1]

Where do people stay in Moab are hotels reasonable,if you camp does it get really cold at night?

 

[White Sasquatch]

Where do people stay in Moab are hotels reasonable,if you camp does it get really cold at night?

We stayed at Archway Inn (my wife booked it but i think the total for 3 nights was around $700 or a little less), they have a good breakfast that's included thst helps offset the cost some and have rooms that accommodate our family of 5 (3 queen beds in 1 room). Others in our group camped at the campground at Gemini Bridges (I can't remember the name of it but they said it was only $40/night if I remember right) there aren't hookups but the spots are large and there are trails right out the door. It gets colder at night, lows were in the upper 30's to mid 40's when we were there but should be higher since a storm had just come through 2 days before we went.

 

[Strizzo]

Where do people stay in Moab are hotels reasonable,if you camp does it get really cold at night?

I've always stayed at canyonlands campground in town, the location is great and the price is reasonable for tent camping spots. I've always been there in May so cold wasn't an issue but they have fire pits if the temps get cooler.

They also offer camping cabins that have bunk beds, a/c and heat, a small fridge (maybe? can't remember for sure) and cable tv with a screened in porch. Last time I looked they were very reasonable, around $95 per night which is almost half what you'd pay for a 2-3 star hotel

 

[scotman623]

Sounds like a great time!! Moab is on my to do list in 2024.. Just got my Bronco and still building it and beefing it up.. Escalator looks AWESOME.. Looking forward to see how it compares to my last 2 Rubicons..

 

[darinhouston]

Hey WS,
Good for you to get your Bronco out on such fun and challenging trails. I too took my Bronco to Moab after doing the recommended break in period, and was amazed at its capabilities. My Badlands (non-sas) was fully stock at the time and it was able to do eveything with just a few scrapes along the skid plates. Extremely happy with how well it performed.
We all appreciate your review!

Glad to hear that on your BL-nonsas - I haven't been to anything like MOAB but some decent obstacles at some training grounds and such and the only thing I've been limited by so far has been my rail-mounted bolt-on steps when off camber climbing an obstacle. I wish those were easier to remove - I have to drop the rail to remove them. The brackets "almost" clear the gap, but not quite.

I made sure to jump in a non-sas bl at Offroadeo too so I could do apples and apples. I wish there were some good online videos showing the capabilities of the non-sas BL. Most are SAS. That was the only thing I wished I had that mine lacked, though the clearance is virtually the same even without the 35s. 35s look better, but I don't see that they're worth the performance hit, especially on my 2.3..

 

[the poacher]

Glad to hear that on your BL-nonsas - I haven't been to anything like MOAB but some decent obstacles at some training grounds and such and the only thing I've been limited by so far has been my rail-mounted bolt-on steps when off camber climbing an obstacle. I wish those were easier to remove - I have to drop the rail to remove them. The brackets "almost" clear the gap, but not quite.

I made sure to jump in a non-sas bl at Offroadeo too so I could do apples and apples. I wish there were some good online videos showing the capabilities of the non-sas BL. Most are SAS. That was the only thing I wished I had that mine lacked, though the clearance is virtually the same even without the 35s. 35s look better, but I don't see that they're worth the performance hit, especially on my 2.3..

Hey DH,
Your BL-non sas is extremely capable. When I was in Moab, I was shown around by two Jeeps, with lift kits and 35 tires. Yet I was still able to go everywhere they did. As a matter of fact, they purposely took me into areas that they thought I would not be able to follow. Yet I was able to successfully go everywhere they did, and there were some very difficult obstacles that we all struggled to complete. At the end of my visit, they both stated how surprised they were at how the Bronco, on 33's, easily went everywhere they did.
Like you, I also purposely did the Moab Off-Roadeo in a non-sas BL, as I wanted to ensure its capability. I left the Off-Roadeo comfortably knowing that purchasing the non-sas was not a limitation, outside of rubbing the skid plates a few times more than the sas versions.
That said, I will be upgrading to 37's as the increased clearance (35's will also increase your clearance) will allow me to expand my Bronco's capabilities. I will keep my 33's and rims for winter use, and the 37's will become my summer tires. If I have a big trip to go on, I will swap back to the 33's.
As to a performance hit, most owners on this forum and BN, who have upgraded to 35/37's, show a drop from, on avg., 19.5 mpg to 18.3 mpg. So not too bad of a hit. Additionally, the 2.3 MT is appropriately geared to allow an upgrade without having to worry about changing out your gearing.
Your bolt on steps are definitely going to be an issue for you as you get into some challenging terrain. If you don't need them daily, you may want to just keep them off.
Enjoy your Bronco!

 

[Hdscreens]

The closer you get to visiting the higher the cost. Usually, $200-$450 night. 1st time in Moab I stayed at new Marriott but that’s cause a buddy would give me friends and family discount so only would pay $30-$35 a night. This year I booked at glamping canyonlands cause it will make it easier to not pack all kinds of camping gear and drive with it thousands of miles. $382 with tt&l for 3 nights in Aug.

Where do people stay in Moab are hotels reasonable,if you camp does it get really cold at night?

 

[Kramku1]

The closer you get to visiting the higher the cost. Usually, $200-$450 night. 1st time in Moab I stayed at new Marriott but that’s cause a buddy would give me friends and family discount so only would pay $30-$35 a night. This year I booked at glamping canyonlands cause it will make it easier to not pack all kinds of camping gear and drive with it thousands of miles. $382 with tt&l for 3 nights in Aug.

That's more like it just over hundred a night is reasonable

 

[mcinfantry]

I’m staying at Moab resort in June

 

[Little Foot]

We just got back from a few days in Moab and did Hells Revenge, The Pickle, and Metal Masher. It had been awhile since I ran those trails and I last did them in a CJ7 with 33's (had gears and lockers).

I have a 4 door big bend SAS with 315x70 r17 KO2's stock height and I added a factory set of skid plates, rock sliders, and dv8 shock skids. As long as you're comfortable using your skid plates then you'll have fun. I hit my skids plenty but didn't damage anything else (they served their purpose well). I ran with a group of 13 rigs and had the smallest tires and was the only non-Jeep and I kept up just fine and had a blast. I took my fender flares off and left them home since The Pickle and Metal Masher have some tight spots (I definitely would've ripped at least 1 off on The Pickle). I was able to do some obstacles easier than the Jeeps and some had to work a bit more to get over. I didn't break anything (I packed spare tie-rods just in case).

I took tools to unhook my sway bar but decided to run with it connected to start and never unhooked it. I only went through 1/4 tank of gas running Hells Revenge, driving around and doing The Pickle that night and a similar amount doing Metal Masher and around town the next day.

Any pictures or videos of the trip? I’m about to trade in my Non-SAS Black Diamond for a SAS Big Bend. Glad to hear the capabilities were more than enough.

 

[abe]

Where do people stay in Moab are hotels reasonable,if you camp does it get really cold at night?

I'm in Moab right now. I was at Canyonlands NP today. It was about 50° and started snowing. I'm staying in a tent furnished with an electric space heater and have stayed reasonably warm sleeping in sweatpants and sweatshirt.

 

[JBsabre]

I'll be doing 4 days in Moab starting 9 May. We'll be doing the White Rim trail and and have reservations at some of the dispersed campsites along the trail. I have no doubts the Bronco will perform well on the trail and I'm eager to get it out on it's first real off-road trip!

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