Planning Trip to Utah next year

So my wife and I decided to do an overloading trip through Canyonlands and Zion national parks next year. I currently have a completely stock 3rd gen OR DCSB, and I'm wondering about the load capacity of the stock suspension. As of right now an ARE overland shell and RTT will be installed on the bed along with my 2 dogs ( one 20lbs the other is 50 lbs), and general food and supplies. Will that load be too much for the truck, and if so what are some options besides a total suspension swap? Also if anyone has done a trip to down to those parks and has some good intel please feel free to share.

 

There are a lot of rocky trails that a person would benefit from adding on a set of sliders. A lot of fabricators have posted Labor Day sales, considering the lead time for those deals can be up to 3 months it wouldn't be too soon to put in an order. You'll have a lifetime of memories from the trip, incredibly beautiful.

 

Nope. Not an issue. You could triple that load and not notice it.



SB

 

Took a three week, nine state, five national park, 5,001 miles road trip this summer in my DCLB TRD sport with my wife, son, a completely loaded bed (thanks to the wife), and bed cover. Didn't run into any issues along the way. Took a few 13,000 foot plus passes in Colorado that were deemed to be high clearance. Even with the longer wheelbase of the LB, we didn't once scrape against anything. We hit the southern part of Utah including monument valley. We'll definitely be going back to Utah for Zion, Valley of the Gods, and Moab.

 

Search on sliders... There are at least 4 fabricators running deals. I bought from one of them this go round, but all of the vendors here are good, so I don't want to pimp. The search will show you the vendors, you'll decide which one to go with.

 

Make sure to post a lot of pics here when you go!

 

Respect the desert and use/ bring a toilet. Pack it in and pack it out.

Also, sliders will make you feel so much more comfortable when out on the trail for general piece of mind as well

 

I took my totally stock DCLBOR to Moab this summer. I did the introductory off road loop and had no issues, even with my steps. I also had the bed loaded up to the camper roof (though not while offroading). Everything was fine. Actually, everything was amazing! Such a beautiful place. I want to go back every year.

One thing I will say is I have started to notice a gap between the bed sides and my tailgate. I ordered the bed stiffeners in hopes of alleviating the issue. I think the cap is heavy on the bed sides if you're taking the truck offroad.

 

Yup, stock stock stock. Stock tires on stock rims with no lift. I know tires and rims are what most here upgrade right off the bat, but honestly I love the stock tires. They have given me nothing but grip on sand/rocky desert/ snow/ dirt/ and gravel. Not to mention being quiet on the 4-6 hour drives to get to all that terrain lol. Admittedly, I am not an off roading expert, but for a beginner they have impressed.

I was mostly in Moab for mountain biking, but on Day 3 we were beat and a little air conditioned off roading break was just the ticket. I went to the Moab visitors center and asked the helpful rangers there for an easy off road trail that my stock truck could handle. I was told to avoid trails with names like Poison Spider and Metal Masher. Instead I took Potash rd to Shafer trail (not on the map) up to Canyonlands, and then took Island in the Sky road to Gemini Bridges. Many here might call my little adventure wimpy, but for me and my buddy who are primarily bicyclists, it was just the right amount of excitement, without being too worried about needing an extraction. The descent at the end of Gemini bridges is particularly hair raising with a few spots I stopped the truck to get out and check for clearance. There were also plenty of opportunities for shifting into 4-Lo, doing donuts on top of mesas, and getting out to run the RC truck a few times. Such an enjoyable place!

I liked it so much I think I'm going to swap out my step for sliders. And see if I can rip some bumpers off and then, aw shucks, they'll have to be replaced with hi clearance plate bumpers. oh no.

 

You won't have any issues. We went out with a RTT and a full load in the back of the truck (enough for 10 days of travelling). We stumbled upon a section travelling White Rim (highly highly recommended) where I wasn't paying attention and bent my tow hitch in the back, but that was it. I'd probably stay away from any difficult/red rated trails in stock form however. We chose to avoid them because of a lot of people mentioning that the truck can take them stock, but will be sliding often.

Canyonlands and Zion was the best time we've ever had, with White Rim (Canyonlands) and The Narrows (Zion) being the highlights. If you need any further info, definitely holler. We're making the trip an annual thing now. Apologies ahead of time if I'm loading you up with too many photos (I have a bunch more, description above pictures)

Camping on top of Murphy Hogback (White Rim Trail, this campsite is a must if you enjoy the stars)


Down the Murphy Hogback


Down the Murphy Hogback


Hiking the Narrows (Bottom to Top)