Thoughts on the Rubicon Trail

I've always run it in August/September. The trail is a little beat down and dusty at that time of year. I think avoiding weekends on the trail is the biggest thing. Depending on the winter we've had, it can still be muddy/slushy into late May.
 
Ok thanks. Yeah was looking in my book, a lot of trails in Section 1 there around Tahoe, and about 7hrs from here. Sounds like an area ripe for weekend trips. Possibly a spot to set up the Airstream to work during the week and cut out for some week runs.
 
This is a trail that I would love to do, and the general consensus is that it is passable by a full size if you don't mind modified doors. My current plan (not that he knows it yet) is to ride along with @bob91yj some day
@BlkWgn If I go I'll just remove the doors and fenders. Then there are no problems ;)

Just a couple bolts and you're done.
 
I have run the Rubicon multiple times. Modified full size have made the run but they are few and far between at least when I was active. The trail changes monthly, yearly according to use, snowfall and vandalism. The vandalism consists mainly of boulders being rolled down onto the trail by forest zealots. The trail is in Placer and ElDorado counties of Ca. The trail is actually a county road. When the Feds and Cal state tried to close it over the years saying it was abandoned the counties responded by declaring the road an un maintained county road. Thus unless they give it up the state and Feds have no jurisdiction. The dollars brought into those counties by Jeepers and others will guarantee it remains open. There are a couple of sources for current trail conditions available if you Google Rubicon Trail. Trail associations etc. The trail is most often run west to east. It is tough, demanding, hot, and sometimes funny as hell. Don't even think about doing this one alone. If you're going there, check out Fordyce Trail. Not far away, shorter, just as challenging.
 
While I do love Moab, there are a dozen other trails I'd like to cross off my list. This trail, I'm wondering if it's talked up like some of the "OMG impossible you'll die and smash all your body panels" trails in Moab.

My limited (as in the past 3 hours today only) research seems to be all over the place. Auto manufacturers like Jeep with the Cherokee and now GM with the Colorado seem to manage publicity stunts by driving across it. Did they use bypasses? Go off trail like a-holes? Who knows. They never tell.

Jeepers assure me, I'd die and it's impossible. Kind of tired of that one. Would much rather here objective reasons to problems I'd encounter. Youtube would indicate that full sizes have driven across it. I haven't found a good detailed trail map yet. Maybe I need to check out funtreks site again.

If anyone has run the Rubicon, are there bypasses? Is most of the insane stuff playgrounds on the side you can choose to tackle?

Really curious if anyone here as any thoughts and opinions about full sizes on the Rubicon. And willing to hear it all out.

I have been checking out the Rubicon as well and found this book. It was pretty informative regarding the trail ion general, bypasses, and covered some history as well. I haven't run the trail, so I don't know if it's accurate or not.
https://smile.amazon.com/4-Wheelers...&qid=1509138212&sr=8-1&keywords=rubicon+trail

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^^^^That book is 20 years old...I'd guess that just about everything has changed since it was printed, new closures, bypasses, etc.
 
Rocks stacked,moved,blown up,rain, snow, yahoos digging big holes with their tires, trees and roots, water, you name it. The trail changes all year long. Bypasses we don't need any stinking bypasses, just good competent trail buddies
 
Hello Everyone, new to the forum. I found it because I have been obsessing and searching on this very subject since I purchased my PW 4 months ago.
I’ve lived close to the trail (Reno) for nearly 40 years, its definitely on my bucket list. I wheeled a lot as a kid but all I had was junk so I never did anything like the Rubicon. A couple of years ago we sold our 26’ TT because it was just too damn big to take anywhere fun and bought a little 17’ hybrid. I took that opportunity to sell my Quad cab long bed CTD and purchase a Jeep Rubicon. As badly as I wanted it to work, it became apparent very quickly that it was not going to be sufficient for our family of 4+dog and tow our small TT.
So here we are, I own a 2012 PW and I still want to do the damn trail! After talking to people that have done it and obsessing over YouTube videos it looks like the sticking point would be Big Sluice. There are some BIG boulders to wiggle around and over, I think with patience, really good sliders and a lot of rock stacking it would be doable.
It sounds like the best time to go is the week after the Jeep Jamboree and before the Marlin Crawler Toyota trip. The Jamboree peeps will have done a lot of rock stacking and there will be very few people on the trail.
As far as the capibility of the PW in stock form I’ve already done some serious trail. Yes it’s big, but I have squeezed past and through stuff I thought “no way” at first sight. Since then I have added Thuren springs and shocks, 35’s and some Randy Ellis Designs sliders. The hardest thing is seeing past that damn huge hood, I wish Ram had stuck with the low hood of the 3rd gens.
Anyway, I think I would still need bumpers and possibly 37’s. Don’t know if I’ll be ready for Sept 2018, but definitely will be Sept 2019. Count me in BoldAdventure. Sorry about the novel. :)
 
It would seem that Nick could give you a honest and informed opinion on your question.
 
Yup, everyone over there who works with Nena knows there stuff and are good people. I'm trying to twist her arm into coming to Power Wagons in Moab this May.

As far as the capibility of the PW in stock form I’ve already done some serious trail. Yes it’s big, but I have squeezed past and through stuff I thought “no way” at first sight. Since then I have added Thuren springs and shocks, 35’s and some Randy Ellis Designs sliders. The hardest thing is seeing past that damn huge hood, I wish Ram had stuck with the low hood of the 3rd gens.
Anyway, I think I would still need bumpers and possibly 37’s. Don’t know if I’ll be ready for Sept 2018, but definitely will be Sept 2019. Count me in BoldAdventure. Sorry about the novel. :)

Pretty capable, but for this trail, you're gonna want 37's, sliders and dif protection minimum. Be prepared for dents along the lower quarters.

This is still on my list, but we shall see.

In other news, you could come check out all out and ride with other Power Wagon owners in Moab April 30 - May 6th for the 11th Power Wagons in Moab. I'll have the registration and itinerary stuff online Jan 2, 2018. In the meantime, you can watch the FB group for updates: https://www.facebook.com/pwinmoab/
 
My .02 for what it's worth and since it's on the open forum it seems like it is wanted because you asked.... I ran the Rubicon last July and had the time of my life. I've already made plans to go back next July. I drove my Rubicon and was with a YJ (33's rear locker front tru-trac) and two CJ-7's (35's front and rear locked). Everyone is armored up pretty good and had garden variety winches etc. We had one roll over, two snapped U-joints, one brake cable ripped out and axle tubes snapped from the pressed on seal from the differential (This required extensive repair involving welding). Everything was on trail fixed successfully with a lot of trial and error. All of this being said it was the most difficult trail I have done to date. It's unrelenting but the kind of trail that you have a smile on your face the entire time. Expect very long days and very slow going and be able to handle just about any trail fix you can think of. Extra parts are necessary and some redneck ingenuity is highly valuable.

I personally would not wish to do this in a full size mainly because of clearance issues and width. There are a lot of off camber tight turns that don't agree with a long wheelbase. Not that it can't be done but rather you are going to have some very long days getting through. I saw a lot of highly modified jeeps with wide wheelbase have a lot of difficulty on the big slues and a few other spots. They got through but had trouble. They also started holding people up creating a conga line of other vehicles that were hoping they would just move out of the way long enough to let everyone pass while they figured everything out. What you will experience is a lot of folks that will stop to help where they can because nobody likes to be stranded as we all have been a time or two due to breakage. You will have to haul everything you need in and out and that adds to weight that can be an issue if you don't like to travel light. What I recommend to see if this is truly something you might like to do is go run the John Bull up and back in a day which might give you a glimpse of what you are looking at. The other idea might be to jump in as a passenger with one of your buddies who is running it to get a birdseye view of what to expect.

The scenery is world class with plenty of opportunity to make camp where you find yourself due to breakage or exhaustion. The bypasses aren't really there. Once committed you are committed. All this being said it's something that I'm glad I didn't miss and want to keep going back several more times. Next on my plate is to get the right group of people to run the Dusy Ershim ........
 
^^ This rings true. Seemed on our run the more the jeeps (all JK's) were modded the more they broke. I suspect it was the ego of the drivers that contributed. I loved it but had enough doing it once. All I could think of was I had to drive it 500 miles back home. It was an incredible experience.
 
I ran the Rubicon last August in a xj, 456 gears, lockright in the rear and open in the front.... I'm not saying a full size can't make it but the 4 dr JK's were having trouble wiggling through stuff... I think there 116 in wheelbase. I lost a steering box seal and power steering going up Cadillac hill, and that was my only issue, one guy in the group lost a pitnam arm... I thought little sluice was the worst part, my xj wiggled through big sluice without a problem but they are short at 101 wheelbase. Here's a pic of me on Big Sluice and how tight the rocks are...

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