Heavy Duty Use?

[Winds of Change]

Ok so I know what we have here. And some have put out some decent off road videos. However With trips I want to do I would like to see what's the more extreme limits some of you have accomplished. Mind you what I am looking to do is forest road type of trails not forge my way through somewhere I have No business trying. And yes I've seen videos from HRG and most all videos with Bronco Sports. I have a 2021 Badlans that I recently acquired will be the one for my wife. And kept with the 225/65 tires and everyday life. My 2023 is coming with the 235/65's. That's the one for mods.

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[Escape2Bronco]

As long as you don’t have deep ruts, water, or large boulders/steps, it’s pretty unlimited. The two biggest issues are the ground clearance and lack of a really low gear, short of that, it’s a beast.

 

[Winds of Change]

Have you been crossing any streams? I will probably be out east more and there are more water crossings than out west. I know it can do 23 inched. I just wanted a few more real world experiences from people. Ozarks, Smokeys and the like. For my first adventure I am planning a trip up the TWAT tgis spring. IT is not much more than some dirt roads. But it gets me going.

 

[AmazingSieve]

Have you been crossing any streams? I will probably be out east more and there are more water crossings than out west. I know it can do 23 inched. I just wanted a few more real world experiences from people. Ozarks, Smokeys and the like. For my first adventure I am planning a trip up the TWAT tgis spring. IT is not much more than some dirt roads. But it gets me going.

So water is an issue. normal crossings will be fine but I believe there’s a vulnerable chip in the front left (?) fender that is susceptible to damage if you’re not careful with how deep the crossings are.

 

[Escape2Bronco]

Have you been crossing any streams? I will probably be out east more and there are more water crossings than out west. I know it can do 23 inched. I just wanted a few more real world experiences from people. Ozarks, Smokeys and the like. For my first adventure I am planning a trip up the TWAT tgis spring. IT is not much more than some dirt roads. But it gets me going.

I think the consensus is that 23 inches is too deep. I’d stay clear of deep water. I know that is what is spec’d, but I wouldn’t.

 

[69cuda340s]

Around 15-17 inches of water the engine ECU mounted behind the left front wheel well liner will be completely under water. Ford says its sealed on Badlands but seems risky to me.

Common for front bumper to get damaged. Couple of front aftermarket skid plates out there which can help.

 

[TSP Overland]

Around 15-17 inches of water the engine ECU mounted behind the left front wheel well liner will be completely under water. Ford says its sealed on Badlands but seems risky to me.

Common for front bumper to get damaged. Couple of front aftermarket skid plates out there which can help.

+1 completely agree Bill! It's one of those things like when consumers buy a "waterproof" phone case. Yes, it can take some water, but isn't meant to be submerged underwater for minutes at a time.

 

[jofer]

For what is worth, most deep mudholes will have a bypass, especially in Arkansas and Tennessee, at least in my experience. Take the bypass.

There are times that stream crossings will be too deep when it's rained recently. That's true for anything, though. You'll need to be more careful, but few stream crossings are deep enough to be impassable at low water in the sport. You just won't have much wiggle room when it's rained recently. Yeah, there are some that would be a problem even at low water in the Ozarks, but the Ozarks are notorious for really deep water crossings. That's not true of other areas nearby.

Either way, wade across before you drive across unless you know the crossing.

Deep ruts are a problem due to low clearance. Mud by itself really isn't, it's the ruts that will get you high centered. Unfortunately, the two go together.

The biggest limitation in muddy terrain with trees around, i.m.o., is the difficulty in having a winch.

Just my $0.02, though. Take it with a grain of salt. I live in TX at the moment, but grew up in TN and have spent a lot of time tooling around in the southeast in general. Trails I know well back home are more beat up than they used to be (SxSs are hell on trails). Things may well be worse these days.

At any rate, it's a moderate offroader. You can go most places, but not all.

 

[Escape2Bronco]

For what is worth, most deep mudholes will have a bypass, especially in Arkansas and Tennessee, at least in my experience. Take the bypass.

There are times that stream crossings will be too deep when it's rained recently. That's true for anything, though. You'll need to be more careful, but few stream crossings are deep enough to be impassable at low water in the sport. You just won't have much wiggle room when it's rained recently. Yeah, there are some that would be a problem even at low water in the Ozarks, but the Ozarks are notorious for really deep water crossings. That's not true of other areas nearby.

Deep ruts are a problem due to low clearance. Mud by itself really isn't, it's the ruts that will get you high centered. Unfortunately, the two go together.

The biggest limitation in muddy terrain with trees around, i.m.o., is the difficulty in having a winch.

Just my $0.02, though. Take it with a grain of salt. I live in TX at the moment, but grew up in TN and have spent a lot of time tooling around in the southeast in general. Trails I know well back home are more beat up than they used to be (SxSs are hell on trails). Things may well be worse these days.

At any rate, it's a moderate offroader. You can go most places, but not all.

And most trails don’t include high water markings (yardsticks) at the water crossings. Unless you really know how deep it is, I certainly wouldn’t chance it.

 

[RSH]

Unless you are a hard-core offroader the Badlands has more capability than most people are willing to try.
You may have already seen this video, it's an offroad park close to where I live, they are testing a Badlands.
I did the same trail when I got my Badlands, it was fun.
No water crossings in this video.

 

[Outback Texan]

Pre water crossing MUST KNOWS... 1) how deep is it? 2) what is the bottom, mud, sand, rock, etc? 3) how fast is the water moving? (as taught by my Bronco Off-Rodeo instructor)

 

[AmazingSieve]

Unless you are a hard-core offroader the Badlands has more capability than most people are willing to try.
You may have already seen this video, it's an offroad park close to where I live, they are testing a Badlands.
I did the same trail when I got my Badlands, it was fun.
No water crossings in this video.

Some people have taken the car rock crawling as well and as expected the limiting factor is clearance. It seems like you’d have to push it crazy hard to get the clutch pack to overheat.

 

[Winds of Change]

I am in Illinois and probably moving east in a couple of years. So that's the type of trails I am planning on, that's why I was asking about water crossings. My wife want to do Texas Off Rodeo though.

 

[Mark S.]

I am in Illinois and probably moving east in a couple of years. So that's the type of trails I am planning on, that's why I was asking about water crossings. My wife want to do Texas Off Rodeo though.

I would encourage you to consider Moab. The scenery in Moab is otherworldly.

 

[NMhunter]

X2 on Moab. Well worth the trip. I was very impressed with the capabilities of the Badlands. I camped at Warner Lake about 20 miles above Moab. Beautiful, and outstanding fishing. I caugt trout on almost every cast.

Clearance is the issue. I will be getting a lift this year. First off-road adventure, i ripped the "carpet" off the driver's side underneath when I dropped the front left wheel into a deep rut. Pulling a trailer in the mud and going up a not too steep edge, I bottomed out.

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