I ran really hard all weekend with basically a stock 6.2L SCab.
Experience is the best teacher, but she's harsh. What would you do different (and will do before next run)?
For Me:
1. RPG's Stage 3 - My SDHQ reinforcement probably helped some, but I'm sure I stressed the frame and the wheel hop made driving more challenging than it had to. This would have helped save my tires I'm sure. (Thanks RPG & Big J - who has a great writeup about how this kit actually will straighten frame imperfections when installed).
2. ADD's Caster/Camber washers that prevent front tires from getting knocked way out of alignment. (Thanks cool tattooed ADD guy).
3. Rear exhaust cut back much further and dumped. (Also might as well get a cutout while I'm at it) (Thanks Pat/Trey).
4. New bumpers. My right front bumper and fender took a hit and got shoved up and out. Just a fender clip broken, but bumper's support is bent. Something bulletproof like ADD's bumpers with cool lighting?
5. Mid-Perch. My front tires kept scraping top of wheel wells. (But def not Top-Perch b/c have heard that it eventually blows out CV-joints).
6. Stock Air Filter Assembly. My Air Raid CAI Filter eventually worked itself loose (exposing a 1/4inch gap) EVERY run no matter how hard I tightened it. Ughhhhh!!!!! WTF!!!!! Completely unacceptable. These are great for the street, but terrible for this kind of hard driving. (Thanks Trey - he recommends saving original assembly and installing that for serious off-roading).
7. Bed mounts to secure everything better - up by the cab. I ended up emptying out my bed because everything bounced around including my gas cans that broke free.
8. VP Gas cans = awesome. (Thanks Pat). My cheap red can nozzles complelely sucked - only one halfway worked so very slow fill-up. (Of course using the provided funnel that is located with tire jack)
9. GO-PRO video cameras. Inside Cab so no dirt/mud issues for forward pointing ones. And because it is inside it will get the audio of your excellent adventure commentary. Hand-held camcorder was ridiculous, although useful for an occasional face shot to edit in with the other footage. (Thanks Rich & Pat - who were behind me on different days, and are graciously sending me a very cool copy of their video - I highly recommend in future runs to find someone to do this for you - I will have a Go Pro and certainly will pass it forward).
10. VIAIR 450P-A portable air compressor. Airs tires back up from 30psi very fast. (Thanks Tim)
11. Mount Spare/s in bed. Mine let itself down - almost all the way (Thanks Tim).
12. Better coordination with radio communication before the run. Would have been great to talk with the groups I ended up running with. Hardly used my PCI iCom VHF. Find something everyone on the signup list can afford?
13. Get cool antenna to mount on bed or tail-gate from Antenna Farm. Could not use magnetic mount antenna because trees would knock it off top of cab. (Thanks Greg)
14. Have Co-Driver get outside & Take Pics of Raptor while I am driving it past him kicking up lots of dirt & mud. (After official run is over of course). (Thanks CinemaSLR. I am counting on you this time for sure, b/c I don't have a single pic like that on my camera).
15. Take more pics of truck in scenic areas (Thanks Greg & Is Fast)
16. Find some way to personalize truck to make it more recognizable, because hard to tell whose black raptor pic is that when 4 out 5 are black.
17. Better Suspension front & rear. King Shocks? Huge grooves in rear tires are from bottoming out & scraping that edge on top of rear fender well.
18. Camel-back hydration - just try drinking while driving with a full-face helmet on.
19. Better lighting so can go on night runs.
20. Laminex (or equivalent) over painted side of passenger mirror. There are way too many scrapes on it (vs driver's side - can judge distance from branches better with on driver's side). Protective coating can be removed after the run.
21. Make my own notes about hazards because not every hazard was marked and/or someone knocked over the staked "down" arrows. I hit a few of these way too hard - especially on 3rd day (Thanks R & R guys with kangaroo black truck - they actually verbally took notes during the "parade lap" and then went over it before the run and mapped it out - so no ugly surprises).
22. Some Non-Lethal "Zombie-B-Gone" for drunk non-raptor driving idiots that want to threaten drivers and vandalize your truck while you watch. Making them eat .40 cal or .223 might seem excessive later when they are not drunk and denying everything. Taser?
