Does a stock tremor meet the national park definition of “high clearance 4wd” ?

[wendell]

As far as elephant hill in the Needles District… stay turned. I hoping for some pics of this trail after the upcoming Moab meetup!

I certainly wouldn't try to go through Devil's Pocket with my Tremor. They have put some concrete in over the past couple of years to help prevent tilting sideways without riding the side of the passenger side wall, but there are only a couple inches to spare on a 4-Runner.

And SOB Hill probably needs good sliders although you have to back through the half of it in each direction and I'm not sure there would be room to get the back end of your truck turned enough to actually make the turn - probably won't matter because you have to go through Devil's Pocket to get there anyway.

 

[Utah Ford]

National parks make things sound worse than they actually are to keep the idiots out.

Stock tremor is 100% high clearance - the only caveat is that it is still a full size truck so switch backs and narrow sections can pose a challenge.

 

[Abe Fromen]

depends on your ability to 4x4 I guess

 

[HBTFD]

National parks make things sound worse than they actually are to keep the idiots out.

Stock tremor is 100% high clearance - the only caveat is that it is still a full size truck so switch backs and narrow sections can pose a challenge.

The Bronco would be a better choice for narrow trails and MPG on a 3500 mile trip.

 

[Phillbo]

They have put some concrete in over the past couple of years to help prevent tilting sideways without riding the side of the passenger side wall, but there are only a couple inches to spare on a 4-Runner.

Wait? they? Who is doing that. Kinda defeats the purpose of all those ducks on the dash if someone is just going to turn a trail into a disney land ride.... It's a trail, they get tough. Maybe THEY did it to prevent go-around trails from developing.

 

[Godzilla/Tremornator]

Y’all are missing the point. The Tremor is there to tow your SxS to the trailhead…
View attachment 268285

actually you're missing the point.

it doesn't get much better than when you're at the top of somewhere that folks can't believe you were able to get to in your tremor.

makes me laugh inside every time.

and like @gsea stated
getting there in comfort and luxury is the icing on the cake!!!!!

 

[wendell]

Wait? they? Who is doing that. Kinda defeats the purpose of all those ducks on the dash if someone is just going to turn a trail into a disney land ride.... It's a trail, they get tough. Maybe THEY did it to prevent go-around trails from developing.

Park Service has been putting concrete down in places for at least 20+ years. They have to get in with their jeeps, which are mostly stock rubicons I think to maintain the campsites and to save people from themselves. Whatever they put down doesn't last too many years with all the traffic so they have to keep doing it.

 

[gsea]

Park Service has been putting concrete down in places for at least 20+ years. They have to get in with their jeeps, which are mostly stock rubicons I think to maintain the campsites and to save people from themselves. Whatever they put down doesn't last too many years with all the traffic so they have to keep doing it.

Until recently, I was even still seeing FS employees in old stock XJs on factory 31s running around.

 

[gsea]

actually you're missing the point.

it doesn't get much better than when you're at the top of somewhere that folks can't believe you were able to get to in your tremor.

makes me laugh inside every time.

and like @gsea stated
getting there in comfort and luxury is the icing on the cake!!!!!

Kindred spirits. My favorite was being up at the top of Poison Spider Mesa in an F150 when a Jeep club came up and a guy couldn't be convinced there wasn't a back way in or a helicopter lift involved.

Granted, I did rip off the exhaust and had just finished zip-tying it back together, but he didn't need to know that....

 

[gsea]

National parks make things sound worse than they actually are to keep the idiots out.

Stock tremor is 100% high clearance - the only caveat is that it is still a full size truck so switch backs and narrow sections can pose a challenge.

This the the crux of the matter.

There is absolutey zero room for debate that a stock Tremor (which is on 35" tired, for crying out loud) is "high clearance". I promise there are no officially-sanctioned roads in the national parks wherein true clearance will be a limiting factor for these trucks.

"High clearance" doesn't mean "small enough to fit anywhere without bumps and bruises". That's an entirely different analysis. But, again, these aren't trails for the sake of being trails... they're access roads for FS and NP staff and for visitors to get to hiking trailheads and backcountry areas. The staff and rangers are almost always traveling them in unmodified vehicles... and rarely with the benefit of 35" tires.


Ground clearance = 100% good to go.

Trail width clearance, especially considering erosion and overgrowth = 90% good to go, but your call. You might need some muti-point turns and take some rocky mountain pinstripes, you'll physically 'fit' otherwise.


I will say that the Maze section and the Squeeze on Elephant hill in Needles are the only places in the UT NPs where you'd really encounter a question of truly being able to fit. The Squeeze absolutely can be done in an SD (mirrors in, mind you) but admittedly does require the right line or you'll scrape. The Maze area has a few snug spots, but a SD will fit, just a little bit of a pucker factor for folks who aren't use to that sort of thing.

I don't think any other NP in the lower 48 will have anything that tight, other than tree overgrowth with is unpredictable based on time of year and road maintenance.

 

[gsea]

National parks make things sound worse than they actually are to keep the idiots out.

Stock tremor is 100% high clearance - the only caveat is that it is still a full size truck so switch backs and narrow sections can pose a challenge.

Yep, they say low range 4x4 as well. In the dry, these are almost all doable in 2WD.

Honestly, they just want you over-equipped because they assume the lowest common denominator for knuckleheads -- both in terms of driving experience and ability to read the weather (which is the big factor for actually needing lockers or even 4WD at all for that matter). They just don't want to have people in there tearing the place apart... or worse, ending up in the news on the wrong side of a SAR story.

 

[The Evil Twin]

Kindred spirits. My favorite was being up at the top of Poison Spider Mesa in an F150 when a Jeep club came up and a guy couldn't be convinced there wasn't a back way in or a helicopter lift involved.

Right there with ya! Rode the BMW to the peak where the trail said 4wd required. Got there and I could see the sad little face on all the ducks. Street tires, at that.
Tried posting photos but it kept saying my message was too long.