Trip Report -St. Joe State Park, Park Hills MO

[stcornish]

We spent two hours off roading with my 2023 Badlands and my Son-in-laws Jeep Wrangler. The park has the lower elevation with sand and the hill sides are dirt and rock. Most of the hills are tree covered with narrow trails. The sand is not too difficult. Motorcycles have created deep donuts in the sand. These add some challenge. There is one trail up the hill side which has a deep narrow path. At the top there are large rocks. I drug a couple of times. At the end of the trail was a very narrow path downhill. I opted out and turned around in a very tight sloped and tree lined area. It took threes times backing up to turn. The trees were very narrow.

I turn another heavily rutted trail which put the Badlands up on three wheels. The Badlands lived up to all of the challenges. The sandy area I would rate as easy to moderate. The narrow hill trail was moderate to difficult.

We explored only a part of the park. We will return soon. My two wants for the Badlands is more ground clearance and to be able to put a wench on the front.

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[Escape2Bronco]

Sounds like you found the Achilles heel of the Sports. The ground clearance is not the best for some off roading areas and really can’t be changed significantly. You can change the tire diameter a bit and increase the body an inch or two but that puts your cv joints at the maximum. There are diff drops available to reduce the strain on the CV’s while retaining maximum body lift. Best bet is buying chassis armor and have someone spot for you. With many off road vehicles using 35 or larger tires now, the ruts they make will make it difficult if you can’t straddle them even with the maximum lift and tire sizes. As far as adding a winch up front, I’m not aware of any kits commercially available. Perhaps getting a hitch based winch mount is your best bet if you are planning to wheel solo.

 

[NMhunter]

I always like having a nice wench up front. Lol.

I've got a 1-1/2" lift and skids on the driver's side and cat. Still got a dent in my muffler. I've found it to be extremely capable off road. It does take some care to avoid the ruts, especially when there are rocks in the center. I put some scrapes on my skid plates last week on some Forest Service roads on the Gila. My hunting partners didn't think that I could go up the same roads they did in their Polaris. I didn't have any issues, except for the pathetic gas mileage. I averaged 11 mpg while going about 3 mph on rough roads.

On a trip on Sunday, I drove to Ramah, NM and back to Albuquerque, and averaged 33 mpg round trip. Love that. The trip back with a little tail wind, i got 37 mph.

 

[stcornish]

I have seen a couple of videos on YouTube where they did some rough off roading in Moab and California. The BS did amazing. I am considering trading for a BS Sasquatch when they come out.

 

[Lisa Sue]

I have a 2025 BS Outer Banks w/Sasquatch ordered. I can’t wait to get it but I’m trying to be patient because I don’t want to wish my life away either.

I don’t understand these great MPG figures when Ford reports 25/28. Could actual numbers be different than what is computed by the vehicle?

 

[Mark S.]

I have a 2025 BS Outer Banks w/Sasquatch ordered. I can’t wait to get it but I’m trying to be patient because I don’t want to wish my life away either.

I don’t understand these great MPG figures when Ford reports 25/28. Could actual numbers be different than what is computed by the vehicle?

@NMhunter lives in Albuquerque, which is at 5,300' elevation. The elevation at Harrisburg, PA is around 5,000' lower. Air density (the number of molecules in a given volume) decreases with altitude. Lower density air means less drag from the wind. Wind drag is the biggest factor affecting highway fuel economy for a boxy vehicle like the Bronco Sport. Those who live at higher elevations will get better fuel economy due to less wind drag.

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