Every committed backcountry enthusiast longs for that vehicle that can get them to the goods. Having a 4x4 truck with some clearance is almost essential to have quick access to skiing in early and late season. When I moved to BC 5 years ago I had a 2wd truck that could get me to the highway spots but lacked the power and clearance to get me into the deep backcountry. After my first backcountry ski season I knew that I had to get a 4x4. It wasn't the lack of ability to access skiing (there are lots of places you can ski without a 4WD car) but the safety factor. Having that extra security to get you out of trouble is comforting. One night in particular sealed the deal and I started shopping the following day.
My wife and I were coming back from Revelstoke and as we were cresting the Coquihalla summit in a white out we witnessed 2 transports just slide right into the ditch in front of us. 2 hours later we made it to Hope fully gripped and we both knew that trip just cost us a lot of money.
Fast forward 8 months with some passive looking I happened upon what has for the last 3 years been our trusty access tool. A distressed sale got me a truck with a 7" lift, TV screens and some big ass tires. We have never been stranded since. It isn't the best on gas but there isn't a spot you can't get to with this beast!
The before picture
It is a hard decision if you have to own one vehicle that is your daily driver but also your weekend access tool. You tend to not use it as hard because you are scared that it might breakdown or you fear that modifying it to be better off-road it would make it worse on the commute. A few months ago the truck stopped being a daily driver and became a pure recreational vehicle.
Bring on the upgrades!
I recently purchased a set of 33" tires (Good year duratrac's truck owners look at these tires for you next purchase they are beginning to unseat the BFG AT KO2 as the go to AT tire) added a cold air intake which will make this a true badass access vehicle. Coming next is a performance tune that will make the intake and tires work flawlessly together as well as mitigate some of the gas mileage concerns. It is sweet spending money on upgrades rather than maintenance.
Looking a little more stealth and mean
With a 33" tire there is almost 15" of clearance on this bad boy! Yep... 4 inch suspension lift and 3" body lift! I am glad that I bought it this way and didn't have to pay the 3000 bill the previous owner did!
Lots of big nobbies with sipes to bite into the snow and ice. For what looks like a muddin tire you don't hear as much as a buzz from the road. The snow and off road performance of the Duratrac is what swayed me from the BFG AT tire (which is nice and quiet). At $240 a tire they better last a long time and keep me safe! All I want to do now is go test it out.
One more upgrade was needed to round out this truck and that was a cold air intake. With all the extra weight and bigger tires a little more horse power is welcomed. Plus it sounds bad ass when you stomp on it. I am secretly hoping that I can find a reason to do the exhaust now but there are no holes or rattles so I think it will have to wait.
