Trail noob

Haha, I don't think I could get by without my HiLift. Kinda neato to have a little floor jack like that too but in many cases that just won't cut it, but for the mild stuff in AZ I totally get it.

 

Maybe a good pair of rubber boots...hip waders... Oh, the hell with it! Snorkel & fins! Wow! Looks like Manitoba Gumbo!

 

Bring your own lunch!

 

The ground here is hard and the weather is fair, that little jack won't bury itself before lifting the vehicle. Anywhere in the PNW where there isn't asphalt it would end up below the first layer of soil very fast if it wasn't summer. I like the little skid you made for it though, does that keep it from disappearing in sand? The Hi-Lift is by no means safe, but you can be smart and bring a jackstand and a plank of wood if for some reason you have to crawl under the jacked up truck. Always nice to be able to lift a whole side of the truck to change tires or get something under to create traction. It's not for everyone though, but the last four trips I've been on it has been necessary and it's spot in my truck is guaranteed.

 

Same here. Although I do need to get a cover for mine and bring some WD-40. Mine doesn't like to work after sitting outside for months on end without some loving attention to maintaining it once every blue moon.

 

Okay, keep the Hi Lift...but please ditch the WD-40.

Use a penetrating oil that lasts on your jacks bits, like a nicely aromatic (smells like bananas ) Tri Flow.

Mo bettah and comes with a cool little applicator tube to get into those dark nooks and crannies...

 

It's easier to find drugs than it if to find the stuff in Canada. Triflow is the only thing my locksmith guy uses, says it's not a dirt magnet like WD.

 

And also more expensive. I have the stuff but sometimes cheap and plentiful is better.

 

I wouldn't be so sure, I'd actually be curious to see if that jack could get my rears off the ground hell even the hilift goes most of the way before it does. You're the first person I've seen that doesn't carry a hilift because of a pump jack. Who knows maybe it's the norm down here haha

 

Not starting a pissing match, but I know quite a few guys in AZ who run the floor jack with the skid plate.. With the extension you can get it makes it almost dead even with a hi lift..... And why not just jack under the pumpkin to pick up both the rears instead of the bumper? If it slips, youre not putting a jack shank into your tailgate.

Its also smaller to store than a hi lift by quite a bit.... They both have their place but you could argue one is better than the other for months.

 

Like I said it might be the norm down here, I'm a recent AZ transplant. I'm not afraid of the high lift and it has worked well for me, it straps to my rack so it doesn't really take up space I could otherwise be using. It can be used for other things which is nice as well. I don't have any of the hilift branded gear as you're right it is expensive. Just a small collection of stuff to aid it in other uses, all that stuff including the jackstands come on trips no matter what as i and others have proven it is best to travel over prepared. We've broken balljoints, shocks, leafs, tires and wheels, skidplates, bumpers. So having something that is dead simple and easy to repair like the hilift is always nice insurance. I personally don't care what people want to use, if it works for them that's great. If it doesn't work and we're together you'll get a chuckle from me as I go to grab my hilift and help

 

Anytime someone is getting a jack out, there is bound to be some tough heckling.

 

WATER, lots. Communication, maps. Hunting lic and gun (State land is mixed in everywhere) Winch and or come a-long.

 

Hunting license? Really? My CCW isn't good enough?

 

It's that or get the AZSLT permit

https://land.az.gov/recreational-permit-portal

 

I'm not sure I've ever actually witnessed a Hi-Lift work effectively on the trail. I know when we tried to use it when I lost a bead in an obstacle with my first buggy, it was moving it back more than up.

I'll run a bottle jack with the current project. I need to pick up my new Pro Eagle Big Wheel from SDHQ for shop and truck usage.

Blender and I had 3 seperate flats swapped out on 3 trucks from the same obstacle with his floor jack and my battery Impact quicker than some Hi-Lifts can be removed and setup. Actually spent time waiting on owners to extract their spares.

 

I'll mention the main motivation in my personal transition away from the Hi Lift vs. the bottle jack was...safety.

I have successfully and safely operated my Hi Lift for over 10 years, but having seen it fail on three occasions due to poor maintenance, as well as watching inexperienced/stubborn wheelers unsafely deploy their jacks in stressful situations... which is why I made the switch to a bottle jack.

Simply my opinion to contribute to the OP's inquiry of off road gear.

I completely agree that they each have their pros and cons in individual recovery situations, but you can't argue (well, this is a forum, I suppose you can ) which is safer to operate.

Hands down/unmangled, the bottle jack.