Midwest West Meets/Midwest BS Thread

Yeah I like technical trails more than mud bogging. I'm not a FL man.

 

I think this is why I like the up north trails, too. It's a mixture of terrain and great scenery, with just enough mud here and there to make it fun.

 

Same here. I’m lower than most (sport) and completely stock.
Upgraded the tires to AT Revos but....that’s it. Lol

 

My sport has 5100s front and back, stock coils and UCAs 265/70r17 Hankook Dynasucks. I bought some OME 887s for a crisp $20 bill Brand new. Now I just need $500 for some SPC LR UCAs. (Damn things went up $100!)
Leafs are off my buddy's 3rd gen with an Icon AAL. So I've got around an 1.5" of lift in the front, 2-3 in the back. Once I have UCAs I'll have 3 up front. Just hope the ride isn't super stiff with the 887s. My Ranchhand grille guard is probably 100+ lbs so that might help.
going to 255/80R17's next tire set. Won't lose much width, but will get 33s with little to no trimming and no CMC. Pinch weld will probably still need to be beat.
Bought sliders too for what I thought was a deal, but I'm going to have to buy steel and refab the runners, add a runner, and make gusseted plates to weld them to the frame. Still be in it under cost + shipping new but damn what a PITA.

You'd be surprised what a stock sport will do though. I took mine to an Offroad 101 course stock. Kept up with the jeeps, other than my 6 point turns in some of the tighter trails due to DCLB. If you have a place to do a 101 course, do it! It definitely builds confidence and helps you to understand the limits and abilities of your truck.

 

These trucks are amazingly capable off road from the factory. I took mine on the course at expo west last year and walked right through it which is pretty impressive. Other vehicles didn’t fare so well.

 

I know! I was pleasantly surprised at how well it did stock. Actually used the brush guard as a skid plate since the main beams run under the front. Used to push off rocks, and didnt do anything but paint damage, rattle can and done.

 

I had a 2015 2wd Prerunner .

I did things that I probably shouldn’t of done in a non 4wd truck. Hills and momentum! Lol !

1989 4x2 standard 2.4lt. 4spd manual
My 1989 Toyota was all over my parents 120 acre farm in sand and clay mix. Also shale covered hills. Drag racing at union grove with 1,000 miles on it. . My old man bought a full steel roll bar because he said I was a reckless son of a bitch with a death wish!

2017 Trd sport
My ‘17 has a payment book but I give it hell.. within reason.
At 10,000 ft it had no problem

Doing donuts on the salt flats and racing down Bonneville
To sight seeing (watching buffalo) at Yellowstone
Even the TRD SPORT handles great , including driving 200+ miles rd trip to buy 4 AT Tires fir under $400 in a complete whiteout blizzard
And a little sage bush trails in Nevada
No matter which Toyota truck you own the capabilities of each one will surprise you.

 

I went ~1200mi for sliders myself! Crazy what we'll do for a deal. I had to postpone my journey though due to a snow storm. Went the following weekend. Drove 18 hours straight! Probably not my smartest move, but didn't want to get a hotel.

 

I've been near here ... in the middle of January lol

north of Green Bay?

 

Yep. On the peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan.

 

That's beautiful!

 

i drove as far north as I could up that peninsula
it was not that pretty with lotta snow and ice everywhere
good for the snowmobile r's

 

Nope .. here!
Silver Lake sand Dunes
https://youtu.be/0FOCm2gR_h8



Here’s some from a previous year of the Toyota takeover

https://youtu.be/rqBF1mervyI

 

Stumbled on this thread because I have family in Iowa (between Cedar Rapids & Des Moines) and I live in Flagstaff.

I have been going to Overland Expo West for the last 5 years since it’s in my backyard. So when I saw you video I was reminded of how much I like the new venue compared to Mormon Lake... Ft. Tuthill is a great place for this event, and a 15 minute bike ride away from my house (an hour drive during the expo).
The expo has a lot to offer in the way of off-road training that would be cool to try out. Although I feel comfortable being off-road in mild situations with my truck, your video makes me think that maybe I should pony up for some of the amenities and training they have. Since it’s in my backyard I have usually just gone to check out the vendors, but I definitely know I have more to learn.

 

I felt like the only limiting factors were tires and my lack of skill. The Tacoma was a beast, and got me easily through some things I was nervous about.

I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like in the 4runner.

Also looking forward to meeting some of you guys!

Saturday (tomorrow) I'm planning on having lunch at Potosi brewery. Then I want to hit part of the T.W.A.T and probably spend some time just looking at the river. I'm still not sure how far I'm going to explore, or whether I'll camp or just go home Saturday night.

If anyone wants to meet up at Potosi, or otherwise, let me know.

 

First time I went I bought the experience pass and loaded up with all the sessions I could fit over the 3 days. All the sessions I went to were pretty good.

Before I bought my truck, I went to one of the Toyota marketing events where they showed off some of the trucks capabilities so I knew it could do way more than I likely ever would. It’s one thing to see it, it’s another to be in the drivers seat.

It was interesting because talking to some of the 7P guys (the ones that do the training) they said they see a lot of modified vehicles who actually end up reducing the vehicles capabilities with their modifications. They also said in the winching classes (where you can bring your own vehicle) that there is a large percentage of them that either don’t work at all or are unsafe to use for a variety of reasons.

I’d definitely recommend going at least once. I thought it was worth it

 

I should know this morning if anything is going on for Easter then I’ll know 100% if I can join in this weekend or not.

 

Do share! I'm curious which brands to avoid like the plague.

 

ok fools I'm in for Saturday. who else is joining the party?

@Thatbassguy @Cav_BluTRD

 

A lot of the instructors didnt even have a winch and there was a couple of them I talked to that had been all across north and South America and never needed one. They said the most important things you should have are a way to air up/down tires, a shovel and common sense. With those 3 things you can go anywhere, it might just require some work if you get stuck (digging, piling rocks, logs, etc). Nearly all of them had a set of maxtrax (the real ones, not the cheap ones). None of them were big fans of highlifts due to the danger, weight and limited uses of them.

A big focus of a lot of sessions was on safety. A lot of people seem to underestimate the forces at play and how deadly some situations can be. Proper load ratings and recovery practices were gone over in great detail. Things like: never use a tow ball for recovery, always use a kinetic strap NEVER a tow strap, verify the load ratings and condition on all recovery gear, proper mounting hardware, proper torque on hardware, placement of bystanders, etc.

Step 1 of any recovery scenario is to step back and evaluate the situation. Think and plan out what you are going to do. A lot of people get into a rush and thats when things become dangerous. Slow and controlled is the way to go. A lot of them mentioned that the first thing the brits would do when they get stuck is stop and have a cup of tea.

theres a few things when it comes to winching
1) you get what you pay for
2) winches can be VERY dangerous if used improperly
3) winches require regular maintenance

Of the instructors that had winches, they were all WARN and a couple TJM from what I remember.
Every one used synthetic line and closed loop winching with winch dampers.
Winching is the last resort after you have tired other recovery methods

I believe theres 3 different winching classes where people can bring their own vehicle. In general, people seem to put them on and never touch them until they need them. There were A LOT that didnt function for a variety of reasons due not maintaining them or improper installation.

Theres a lot of smittybilt and other cheap winches out there and from what they said, under load they don't pull or pull VERY slowly. Theres also a pretty significant difference in built quality in terms of things like waterproofness, electrical connections, cooling, etc.

I currently don't run a winch but if I ever do, it'll be a warn. My tacoma is fairly light in comparison to a lot of other trucks here so that makes a difference too. For a large majority of recoveries a friend with a snatch strap or a set of maxtrax will be all you'll need.

I think that covers most of it. If you've got more questions let me know. I've got a whole book of notes from the various sessions.