Ford Explorer as an Expedition Vehicle

[Tbars]

..Yes, The number 1 selling SUV can be used as an Expedition vehicle and trail rig..

..Most people don't know that the Ford Explorer was built on a Ford Ranger platform (aka Ranger Based Vehicle = RBV)

..For those looking at info for a buying or building a Ford Explorer as a trail rig or Expedition vehicle, Member Brian1 has an article which was recently printed in "Petersen's 4wheel and Off-road" magazine, June 2013 edition page 44 covering what to look for when purchasing this vehicle for a trail rig..

..You will find four whole pages covering the first, second, and third Gen explorers regarding what to look for when looking to buy an Explorer for a potential trail rig and continues with some more info on the fourth and fifth gen Explorers...


Cover Section: Ford Tech!

..Hats off to you Brian and Thank You for sharing...



..Feel free to post up questions and your Explorer or your other RBV here..

 

[Martinjmpr]

Best thing about Explorers is how inexpensive they are compared to other similar vehicles - leaves lots of extra $$ for modifications.

I sometimes cruise CL for fun. Amazing to me how many 150k mile 2nd gen Explorers can be had for around $2500. A 4runner of that age/mileage would be at least double that if not more.

 

[Tbars]

...and anywhere you go in the States you can find parts in the local Junk Yards and in stock parts at most any parts store no matter how remote the location..

 

[4x4junkie]

I've been throwing out the occasional Explorer recommendation on here for awhile now (along with the Ranger pickup and (less often) BII as well when appropriate) usually getting a sortof mixed response. It's odd how a vehicle with the virtues it has can remain so "obscure" after having carried the #1 best-selling SUV title for well over a decade, if not two (for some time now Jeepers have also been pillaging axles from them to replace their own junky ones with so they can go rockcrawling... s'matter with using the whole truck??).

A 300K-mile motor (and transmissions that only need minor, relatively inexpensive mods to do similar), D44-ish strength front axle in the 1st-gens, rear axle same or better than a 9" in many ways, good rigid body structure that also has a full frame underneath, endless aftermarket when it comes to lockers & gears (better than pre-JK Jeeps even), good selection of suspension kits available at different price points (1st-gens), replacement parts that are readily sourced from any common autoparts store (and junkyards too)... Yet you always hear someone say "Wow, I would have never thought an Exploder would be a good vehicle to take offroad".

I do think the article could've focused better on some of those virtues, though no doubt it certainly does give them some very needed exposure. Great pics in there as well. :safari-rig:


:beer:

 

[Tbars]

...All the pictures were taken by Brian also...

..The one shown here was shot last year in "The Valley of the Gods"

..I believe the rest were shot during the 2008 Colorado Colors Run (CCR) around Ouray Colorado and the rest were shot around 2002 on trails in the Moab area...

...All of the vehicles shown are still on the trails today with about half of them now include built in Expedition items such as fridges, on board air, Lowrance GPS', etc., and if I remember correctly, there is a Mountaineer also shown which is now solid axled in front and recently moved from Colorado and sold to another member in Los Angeles area..

..There is also a "Sport" model Explorer shown which resides in Washington..

not to be confused with the Ford Explorer Sport Trac

..

 

[Erik N]

Beat the living crap out of mine while I still had it. I put probably 1500 miles of sand driving on it alone, and became accidentally airborn at least a hundred times. Handled like crap but was dead reliable. Sold it for another Burban, so I can sleep in back.

 

[BIGdaddy]

I think one thing that this site caters to is image.

Ford Explorers, being so common a choice for mom's with kids and carseats, do nothing for the person focused on creating the "image" of an expeditionary vehicle. What aftermarket companies hate to admit (becuase it is their job to sell you the next best thing) is that a ford explorer will serve 99% of our needs, overland or otherwise, while being a great day to day vehicle with very, very few modifications...

If an explorer works well for the rest of your life, much worse choices could be made for an overlanding vehicle, IMO.

Don't let the lack of aftermarket determine the best vehicle for you. Custom skids or repurposed parts from other rigs are easy enough to figure out. If it's dependable, reliable, safe and can fit 90% of your gear INSIDE the vehicle - go for it.

 

[d67u57]

the v6 in the explorer is a pig, but reliable.

the biggest beef i have with the explorer is that its crapy off road.

at least the previous gens were,though i dont suppose the new ones to be better.

without major work. i mean, we were out on the trail,had my 20 year old stock xj

pulling out my buddie's xplorer with decent tires ....

 

[4x4junkie]

Don't let the lack of aftermarket determine the best vehicle for you. Custom skids or repurposed parts from other rigs are easy enough to figure out.

That's really about the only major area where stuff can seem a little slim, but most of it is there, you just have to look harder than you would for a Jeep (the magazine article mentions some places to get bumpers, rock bars, and similar items). There are tremendous resources on the internet for the rigs too (two biggest being www.explorerforum.com, and www.therangerstation.com). Anything you could possibly want to modify, swap, fix, etc., good chance someone may have already done it and documented it.

Once an Explorer has some goodies bolted to it (lift/tires, bumpers/brush guards, racks/tire carrier, they're pretty quick to lose that "mommy-mobile" image I think (a simple Ranger grille swap can help take a bit of blandness off the front also)

the v6 in the explorer is a pig, but reliable.

the biggest beef i have with the explorer is that its crapy off road.

at least the previous gens were,though i dont suppose the new ones to be better.

without major work. i mean, we were out on the trail,had my 20 year old stock xj

pulling out my buddie's xplorer with decent tires ....

Sounds like your buddy had a later (3rd or 4th gen) model (year matters wholly when it comes to Explorers).

'91-'94 is best for offroad, should go everywhere an XJ can. MPG can be quite good with the manual trans.

'95-'01 ('95-'03 Sport) is also decent, though it gives up a fair amount offroad to it's A-arm IFS, but still works well for anything but moderate-extreme uses.

'02-'10 is less desirable for offroad work, but still useable (has 4WIS). Has 2-speed t-case. Works fine for graded or moderately-rutted roads.

'11-current = car-based "SUV" having a lighter-duty FWD/AWD drivetrain w/o low range.

 

[Tbars]

..Well said

..It just so happens that the Explorer's are also covered in the June 2013 issue of Four Wheeler magazine..

.. Story found on page 44.."Ford Invasion"

..This story is of a three day wheeling trip at SMORR (Southern Missouri Off Road Ranch)..The explorers found in this article are from stock and mild to wild as in modifications..

 

[4x4junkie]

Oh, wow... Cool!

I just got my FW issue the other day too but haven't opened it yet.

I'll have to go read it now lol.

 

[BIGdaddy]

Yup, very good feature. Just read mine over the weekend.

 

[jackflash]

Explorer are great vehicles. One thing those articles most likely don't mention, is that explorers are stupid easy to drive and work on. As others have already said, you can get parts for them just about anywhere and they came with some nice components. The late 90s, early 00s had fully boxed frames and 8.8 rear axles. Most people with Rangers would swap out their rear axles for Explorers. Plus there is a load of information on http://www.explorerforum.com/.

 

[Tbars]

...I'm still reading and sharing both my copies..

 

[Brian1]

...All the pictures were taken by Brian also...

..The one shown here was shot last year in "The Valley of the Gods"

..I believe the rest were shot during the 2008 Colorado Colors Run (CCR) around Ouray Colorado and the rest were shot around 2002 on trails in the Moab area...

Close - 2008 and 2009 CCR trips to Ouray. Moab was from 2009 and 2011

the biggest beef i have with the explorer is that its crapy off road.

I have been wheeling my Explorer along side countless other owners for 13 years now and that is just not the case. I have seen some mostly stock Explorers do some incredible things on the trail. Put an experienced driver behind the wheel and Explorers can "off-road" with the best of them.