The Raptor's off-roading versatility?

I realize the Raptor is great for baja type romping around. But I would also like to know how it fares in other types of off-roading. I interested in how it handles non-extreme rock crawling, mudding, and wading. I plan to join an off-roading club in my area. Most of the members there are driving Land Cruisers (majority), Jeeps, and the occassional Land Rover and Hummer. A good 60% of them are not modded while rest do some modds like lifting and tire/rim upgrades. I just want to make sure I can keep up in a stock Raptor and not be the first guy stuck when everyone else seems to be able to breeze through obsticles.

Looking forward to your comments and stories.

i wish i could provide all the videos i've seen but trust that the Raptor is excellent in all aspects of off roading. for rock crawling it's great because of the short wheel base, long travel suspension, sharp approach and departure angles and soft wide tires. mudding is fine because it has has plenty of grip, lots of power and a locking diff. wading- same deal...lots of ground clearance and low end power.

Hey Birdman. Thanks for the reply.
I was pretty much all over Youtube trying to find some semi-serious rock crawling, mudding, wading, or even trail blazing for the Raptor. I guess I'm not looking in the right places. If you have links to the vidoes you are talking about that would be great.

Also do you think a "pre-runner" bumper from someone like ADD would be a good starter mod for a better approach clearance?

Sorry if I seem ignorant. I'm a bit new to the whole off-roading thing. I have been mostly a street car guy, although I did help restore a Jeep CJ5 in my Hay days.

having been 'rock crawlin" in a dedicated rig (Ford Bronco) for yrs, I would caution running with smaller wheelbase rigs. Raptor still is a full size truck and w/o much skip protection.

Hey there Slick,
Glad to see you're getting the bug for wheeling! When I get some down time at Christmas I'll probably try to start a thread about 'wheeling with the Raptor'. I have been out a few times, and plan on doing a whole lot more with the club I just joined up here. Like your situation, its mostly jeeps, LC's and a few yoda's. This makes it a challenge following a tour in a full size truck that's a helluva lot wider than most...

First disclaimer - always go out with at least one other vehicle - never wheel alone. Aside from the safety aspect, if something were to happen (stuck/break) its often a long trip back to civilization.

The short reply to your questions, from my experience so far:
- rock crawling: The engine, gearing and low range mode of this truck would make it a good contender for climbing and crawling through rocky obstacles. As Warrior mentioned, the longer wheelbase is a disadvantage as you can get hung up on stupid little things that don't affect smaller trucks. Secondly, the independent front suspension on this truck is not a feature commonly used for rock crawling. While it will work great in some situations, most rock crawlers use a solid axle setup in the front (to allow a front locking differential). That being said, I have played in non-extreme situations a bit and found the truck to perform really well - the only complaint I have is the rear departure as I keep slamming my trailer hitch! (But the hitch is there more for protection than for towing )

- Mudding: Raptors work alright in mud but I've found that as aggressive the stock tires are, they are not suited for the 7000lb weight of the truck. I've yet to get her stuck, but have had some close calls in some mud holes (not necessarily a bad thing - its fun!). The type of mud makes a difference too, loose silty topsoil/sand is not a problem for these tires. Sticky clay is another story, as it packs between the treads until you hit about 5500 rpm in 3rd gear... However if you are out playing with trucks with few modifications and similar sized tires - you should be able to keep up without a problem.

- Wading: With the nice tall stance - fording a 30" deep riverbed is alright but I wouldn't spend all day in there! Trick is to go slow, and if you have to stop, be prepared for the wake behind you to come up inside the engine compartment and make a mess. I've been deep enough in a wet mudhole to cover the front headlights and the resulting action with the fans/wake left me with a 3 hour cleaning project after the run.

In short - the Raptor is an excellent off roader that will out-perform pretty much any other stock truck out there, not to mention some modified ones. As Bird said - short wheelbase and long suspension travel will allow you to go more places than most. The key is to take it out and play with it to find your comfort level and explore the limits of the machine. I've been wheeling for years and am still learning new things about this rig!

Thanks JP7. Your post is really enlightening. I'll probably have to join the more moderate off-roaders in my area at first. Like touring the country side with the occassional dirt and field driving. My ultimate plan is to take the truck to Mongolia and parts of Western China where much of the natural scenery hasn't been spoiled...unitl I arrive with a crazy truck...haha.

Think its been pretty much covered. Width is usually my biggest concern when traversing slow trail stuff. The stock tires aren't the greatest in mud and there's a few spots under the truck that could use a skid plate. But overall the truck does pretty damn good. You can also adjust the front spring perches, or buy a leveling kit to gain a few more inches of ground clrearance.

Cool Slick - glad to help some.
I've never been to China but I'm gonna venture a guess that there's a lot of Suzuki's and Toyotas out there in wheeling clubs. Keep in mind, if doing trail runs with trees - those trucks are a lot skinnier than the ****** Raptor. (My Suzuki SJ410 I could park on a 4'x8' sheet of plywood).
So if the natives are friendly - they should be able to take you on runs where you don't need a chainsaw to fit between the trees... And that first contact with a tree branch running down the side of the truck trying to take the paint off is not a pretty thing to listen to!

While I cannot wax eloquent like JP7, I can say that I've kept up with my crazy Jeep-owning uncle in the middle foothills of Colorado through the rocks. And then I leave him in the dust on the dirt roads. But to echo another post, just use some common sense when maneuvering over the tall / sharp rocks, and you'll do just fine - probably better than most.

Thanks for all the tips.

BTW, I found a video on Youku, the Chinese equivalent of Youtube, of an offroading tour group in China. Not sure you guys can access it, but give it a try if your interested to see what they're running over here. Not a very exciting video, but somebody had a Raptor. Here's the link. 越野E族北京大队翁牛特穿越片头 - 视频 - 优酷视频 - 在线观看