Raptor Overland

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soulsea

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Raptor Overland(ish)

Hi,

I have an order slot allocated for a 2018 Raptor which should be here in a few months. It will be my first Raptor, in fact it will be my first pickup. So if it’s ok I would like to pick your brains for some information as my learning curve is starting at zero. I am also searching the forum for this info. My apologies in advance for what are bound to be basic questions that you've gone over many times before.

A little bit about me:

I live in Charleston SC and I am an avid sports car enthusiast. Most of my recent vehicles were tracked regularly at road courses … I currently daily drive a 17 RRS SVR and fun around a 17 911 GTS Vert.

Why a Raptor?

Mrs soulsea and I are actively looking for a second home in Sedona AZ and I think that’s the perfect vehicle to own there. Also I would like to expand my driving experience from the track to the great outdoors. My back isn’t 100% so the Wrangler won’t work, and having driven a friend’s Raptor I find its capabilities and comfort combination unmatched. I look forward to the journey learning this whole new off roading world and I believe the Raptor will be a great vehicle to do it with.

How will I use this vehicle?

I will probably buy a small grocery getter for the Sedona house, something like a GTI just to make life easier, so the Raptor will see mostly road trip duty, on and off road. What I want this vehicle to really be is sort of all in one off road vehicle that’s able to handle anything from high speed desert road runs to snow and serious off roading … that would include moderate rock climbing and wading. I also want it to be fully equipped with not only overnight camping gear, but also as a ‘bug out’ vehicle that stores at least a week’s worth of supplies. Basically this truck will be permanently sitting at the ready, either for an off road stroll through the Moab or for the zombie apocalypse … I guess the correct term for what I want it to be is an ‘overland’ truck.

What do I think I want:

- Front/rear bumpers with LED lights, preferably Baja Designs.
- Winch
- Spare wheels/tires
- Canisters for fuel and water
- CB Radio
- Off road GPS
- Portable solar
- Satellite phone
- Firearms locker
- Storage for all gear
- Additional battery?
- Roof rack?
- Snorkle? (I doubt I will ever need to wade that deep)

I would rather not have a camper shell but I’m not sure how to organize everything back there to both include open storage for tires and canisters and also have covered storage for all other supplies.

I’m guessing the idea is to have something like this, but that also organizes all the additional elements:

72aca2801085ad230d9672ea48--awesome-stuff-off-road.jpg

What I don’t know:

- I don’t know what I don’t know, so any additional advice or info on what accessories I may need is greatly appreciated

- Are there any other modifications I need to do? For example suspension to account for the extra weight or to make the truck more capable.

- What are the preferred brands for all these accessories and equipment? This truck is going to get used so I need the good stuff, not the impress the mall milfs stuff. :smile:

- Very important in the very short term …. I was going to spec the truck out almost fully loaded with an msrp of about $71k. Including the beadlock wheels, 802A, tech package, CF package, tailgate step, spray in liner, hard tonneau. Are any of these options going to interfere/conflict with what I will add to the truck later and should therefore be avoided? For example, should I not bother getting the headlock wheels because I'm going to have to swap to something that can handle a bigger tire down the line anyway?

- Are there any recommended shops out West that I can just hand them the keys and they can do the entire package for me? Perhaps I can save myself myself a lot of time by contacting them directly and have them propose an accessory package as opposed to me researching each detail on my own.

Thanks in advance for any info you provide.

Serge
 
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vitaminR

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If you don't want a cap maybe this will work for some storage.

https://decked.com

I doubt you will want a bigger tire later. That gets into a whole big bag of worms.

BL wheels means you "could" change a tire on your own without a tire machine if you had the optional Ford rings. Just sayin'

Let's look at your list:
- Front/rear bumpers with LED lights, preferably Baja Designs. Find a bumper that can support a winch if you feel that's necessary.
- Winch - see above, this is considered tough to do as the intercooler is in the way. That being said any problem is solved with more $
- Spare wheels/tires - Great idea, you could fab up a bed rack in the back that holds an extra or two in addition to the one under the bed.
- Canisters for fuel and water - Should be considered when designing the "bed rack"
- CB Radio - I don't know anything about this
- Off road GPS Seems most people use the lowrance system
- Portable solar - I don't know anything about this
- Satellite phone - I don't know anything about this
- Firearms locker - There are boxes made that fit under the rear seat for rifles or handguns can get by with a safe mounted in the center console. Lockrdown or something like that.
- Storage for all gear - See the decked, could go under the rack.
- Additional battery? - I don't know anything about this
- Roof rack?
- Snorkle? (I doubt I will ever need to wade that deep) - Yeah, you don't want to go that deep.

Things missing on the list:
on-board air
recovery gear,
tools, shovels, etc.
food
first-aid

---------- Post added at 04:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:28 PM ----------

Thats going to be a lot of weight also.

You might just consider MaxTrax instead of a winch. Way less complicated. I have a set and they kick ass.
 
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CoronaRaptor

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You're going to need aftermarket rear springs in the back for all the gear, Deaver plus 2 or 3. Bump stop kit. The list is large. There's a couple shops that specialize in what you are looking for and they are vendors on here. @Add Offroad http://www.fordraptorforum.com/vendor/banner/add728-5.jpg@SDHQ are near your second home and both do top notch work.
 
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soulsea

soulsea

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You're going to need aftermarket rear springs in the back for all the gear, Deaver plus 2 or 3. Bump stop kit. The list is large. There's a couple shops that specialize in what you are looking for and they are vendors on here. @Add Offroad http://www.fordraptorforum.com/vendor/banner/add728-5.jpg@SDHQ are near your second home and both do top notch work.

Thanks, I linked one of their products above.

Do they do installations as well or do they just sell the parts?
 

CoronaRaptor

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Thanks, I linked one of their products above.

Do they do installations as well or do they just sell the parts?
They both do installs and sell parts, you will be in good hands with whichever you choose, keep us updated with pics!
 

k-rub

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+1 on not needing a snorkle. The intake draws air from where the hood and bumper meet. If you're going in deeper water than that a snorkle will be the least of your worries.
 

Ditchplains1

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k-rub,
Most snorkels are not for water crossing...rather to get the air intake as high as possible ....out of the dust. The alternative is to always be first letting others eat the dust....

SoulSea,
There are several threads about overlanding here; also check out Expedition Portal. However keep the idea that you're using a Raptor to yourself as they are very jealous and anti Raptor.
Lots of excellent info and ideas however....

Eddie
 
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vitaminR

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Just a random note to attach about overlanding. I've watched almost every video these guys release and their expeditions look like a ton of fun. Their South American leg is underway now. Go back to the beginning and watch from there and you'll get to know them as they mature with their skillset. The latest builds and expeditions are over the top because now Toyota, General tire and a bunch of other companies like Magpul and Surefire are throwing money at them to keep going.

ExpeditionOverland on YouTube

Warning, You'll start thinking about Tacoma's at some point but hold your ground on the Ford. LOL

One thing on the roof rack and/or roof mounted lighting that many here have pointed out in the past. Those things make a lot of wind noise and add unnecessary drag.
 
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