There are a lot of
places to explore within a couple of hours from Los Angeles. From the sand
dunes at Glamis to the snowed trails in
San Bernardino you can find all sorts of places to camp and enjoy a bit of
nature. Getting there is becoming easier every year thanks to the advances in
4x4 technology and the factory built vehicles in the market.
The midsize Ford Ranger
has been a hit . In part for its size
and capabilities, and also its pricing. Now there is dedicated 4x4 pick up
named Ranger Tremor that I had the opportunity to go camping with. The lava
fields in Mojave can be torture for truck suspensions as you constantly are driving on loose lava rocks, sand, and
steep inclines. The FX4 package features
a lifted suspension with off-road tuned FOX™ 2.0
monotube dampers and rear piggyback reservoirs, specially tuned front coilover
springs and rear multi leaf springs, electronic-locking rear differential, and 17" special wheels with 32-inch
Continental General Grabber™ A/TX
all-terrain tires. Ground clearance is almost 10 inches and with this set up
you have almost 7 inches of wheel travel at the front and 8 inches in the rear
axle. The Ranger Tremor has a maximum approach angle
of 31 degrees, a departure angle of 25.5, and a breakover of 24.2, which means
you can go over sizeable objects and steep roads a lot easier than with a
regular pick up. There is a protective underbody guard too. The 4x4 technology
is great, especially if you do not have much experience on rough trails. The
fully automatic Trail Control system offers 4 different settings, or drive
modes, that lets you take the stress out of hard spots. You can select between
Gravel/Snow, Mud/Ruts, Sand, or Normal (for highway driving) and the truck goes
into a type of cruise control where the truck advances and brakes on its own.
The power train consist
of the turbo charged 4 cyl 2.3L engine that has 270 HP. But the torque is 310
Ft/Lbs so it has a good low rpm pull when you drive it off road. The 10 speed
automatic transmission does an excellent job keeping the right gear to match
the power needed at any time. Gone are
the days of being stuck from missing a gear, or too much wheel spin.
