Off-Road Preparation

The Raptor Offroad Community (ROC) has made a list of gear we recommend all desert off roaders should have. As AAA does not go to the wilds of the desert, it is best to come prepared.

For a rule of thumb, we advise your vehicle to have the same performance level of a stock Ford Raptor and that it be in good mechanical condition.  For example, a Toyota Tacoma, Dodge Ram, Chevrolet Silverado, or Toyota Tundra upgraded with bypass and appropriate off-road tires should be fine for any adventures you should go on.  If your vehicle has 22-inch wheels and low profile street tires, it will make for a very short day for you.  

Recommended Gear:

Equipment

• Two full-size spares tires, as your day might be over too soon if you only have one.
• Hydraulic Jack - we recommend the Harbor Freight Badlands Off-Road Jack or a ProEagle.
• Fire Extinguisher or "Element" fire extinguishing stick is recommended 
• Rear facing amber dust lights - a must! We recommend the Evil MFG third brake light. A minimum is some sort of amber rear light. 
• Discount-Offroad.com is our main group sponsor and has near wholesale prices on all your gear needs for club members. See Member Deals

Communications

• VHF Radio with ROC1 (151.745) , ROC2 (151.750) Weatherman (151.625) and TRR1 (152.000) - YES we have our own FCC registered channels! (ROC1 & ROC2)
  • Preferred –  50 watt mounted VHF radio.
  • Minimum - 5 watt handheld VHF radio.
  • Discount-Offroad.com is our main group sponsor and has near wholesale prices for club members. See the Member Deals page.

Navigation

• GPS Unit
  • Gaia or LeadNav – For those using iOS devices, these are the best GPS apps we’ve found.
  • Gaia or Backcountry Navigation – For those using Android, this is the best GPS we’ve found.
  • Lowrance standalone GPS is another option. This is a simple line and marker system but always works.

• ALL vehicle maintenance up to date and the vehicle be in good mechanical order. If you have a small problem with your truck, it will almost always become a big problem on the trail.