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AZBCO

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I took delivery of my VB 402A on Wednesday evening on the 15th in Phoenix, AZ. On Thursday morning we loaded up the rig and drove to Nizhoni Campground by Blanding, Utah where we spent several days with our Overlanding group. I logged about 120 miles of trail and off-roading while we were there and here are my initial impressions.

I hate the tires. The General Grabber ATx holds on to every little rock for an inordinate amount of time and continues to shed them well after you are back on pavement. I am coming from a 2018 4Runner TRD OR with BFG KO2 and have never had this issue. I am not about to change them, yet, but it will happen.

Trail Turn Assist is fun and VERY effective. We ran a trail that was VERY tight. Of the dozen vehicles there I had the longest wheelbase and LOA next to a PowerWagon (who was unconcerned with desert pinstriping). I ended up with a few light surface scratches on the side view mirrors and one on my passenger A-frame pillar but nothing that won't come out with a fresh coat of wax. The ability to essentially pivot on a back wheel kept the "Memory Marks" to a minimum.

In loose washboard gravel roads, the Mud/Rutted mode selection is useless. I switched to Slippery and it worked MUCH better. I ended up using every single Off-Road mode over our trip and am still working out the differences. Didn't like what Sand/Deep Snow did when in actual deep sand.

The front camera view with path indicator on technical trails is a giant Easy Button. Only used it a few times where I had to be super precise on tire placement (within a few inches) and it worked well. Once I get a better sense of the vehicle I probably won't use it but it is nice to know it is there if I do.

The stock suspension works great. We got into some serious off-camber rugged stuff and the articulation of the vehicle allowed constant traction on all of the terrain we encountered.

Blissful and quiet on high-speed trails. 70+ mph and it felt like highway driving.

Overall, I love this truck. I fully acknowledge it is not as capable as my 4R OR, but by the same token this (in the 402A package) is WAY more comfortable and after a 2 1/2 hour hike/scramble into a canyon to view 1200-year-old ruins and then back out those ventilated seats were pretty damn welcome. A not insignificant number of people in the Overlanding group were pretty impressed with the Tremor and these are all hard-core Jeep guys so I am taking that as a win. I will be adding a few minor items to the rig moving forward (GMRS radio, Softtopper, bedliner, maybe a swap on the skid plates, definite tire change) but overall it's pretty damn capable as it stands.

Ford F-150 Off-Road Impressions w/ 2021 F-150 Tremor (by owner) IMG_8650.JPG
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thomps33

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Why do you think the 4R is more capable? Do you have the torsen on the tremor?
 
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AZBCO

AZBCO

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Why do you think the 4R is more capable? Do you have the torsen on the tremor?
I don't have the torsen as this was plucked out of inventory and reserved while it was still en route to the dealer and I didn't feel like waiting until 2022.
My 4Runner has a better approach, break-over, and departure angle. A shorter wheelbase and shorter overall length on the 4Runner combined with the tighter turning radius makes life easy on tight trails. Slightly narrower which again lends itself to easier navigation on some trails. I also have the KDSS on the 4R which allows for better articulation and the ability to maintain traction on the trails where things get extreme.
That being said, the ride on the Tremor is light years better than the 4Runner. I didn't get a single complaint from my wife about getting tossed around and she described the experience as "drama free". That is a win.
 

JimL

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Thanks for the write-up. The Tremor, the Lightning, and possibly the Bronco are the only vehicles I'd consider in place of my 2020 F-150 s-crew 5.0.
 

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I appreciate the thoughts too. Considering the off-road nature of this truck, so far very few people have given any reviews on that aspect.
 

Nomad

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AZBCO I found my first impressions off-roading (about 45 miles)this wknd very similar, except for the handling at speed on some washboard hard pack with about 1/4” of sand on top. I found the “Slippery“ setting the best in those conditions, but had the ass end wash out a few times…. Actual wheeling Very Impressed with this truck!
I will put some more miles on her to soften up the suspension, but ultimately probably will go back to fox shocks & getter level all at the same time. I’m coming from a ‘17 Raptor, so it’s not going to be the Baja wide open washboard/ whoop machine that was, but definitely a better wheelin vehicle than the Raptor. Long story, but the Raptor was totaled & I decided to
Ford F-150 Off-Road Impressions w/ 2021 F-150 Tremor (by owner) 858554D5-9A8C-4521-8CBC-BC69639CE3A8
give the Tremor a go. Not a single regret at this time, GREAT TRUCK!!!

Ford F-150 Off-Road Impressions w/ 2021 F-150 Tremor (by owner) 0A6AA57F-6360-4EDC-A202-218020A3D96A


Ford F-150 Off-Road Impressions w/ 2021 F-150 Tremor (by owner) FFFE3C95-BBC0-4478-BF76-B3BB4C100940
 

CaptainAmericaRob

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I don't have the torsen as this was plucked out of inventory and reserved while it was still en route to the dealer and I didn't feel like waiting until 2022.
My 4Runner has a better approach, break-over, and departure angle. A shorter wheelbase and shorter overall length on the 4Runner combined with the tighter turning radius makes life easy on tight trails. Slightly narrower which again lends itself to easier navigation on some trails. I also have the KDSS on the 4R which allows for better articulation and the ability to maintain traction on the trails where things get extreme.
That being said, the ride on the Tremor is light years better than the 4Runner. I didn't get a single complaint from my wife about getting tossed around and she described the experience as "drama free". That is a win.
however... you can also take this to Home Depot, or home center of choice... and get a load of plywood, drywall or a dozen giant bags of mulch, or haul junk to the dump...etc...etc...;)
 
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AZBCO

AZBCO

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Nice rig! If you have more pictures please show me!

-SG
The group I was with in Utah had a gentleman who puts together amazing videos and he is putting a video Rig walkaround including some of the video shot while we were off-roading. I promised him first crack at putting something out but once that happens I will have a lot more to share. I attached the Go-Pro at several locations on the Tremor and got some pretty kick-ass shots. Hopefully getting out this weekend to get some more dirt time on the truck including more pics/video.
 

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AZBCO

AZBCO

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however... you can also take this to Home Depot, or home center of choice... and get a load of plywood, drywall or a dozen giant bags of mulch, or haul junk to the dump...etc...etc...;)
Truth. I need to head to HD this weekend to get a thatcher so I can put in my winter lawn. Doing that last year with the 4R was a total PITA. Looking forward to it being much easier especially when I need to haul a few dozen bags of manure topper back as well.
Ended up selling the 4R last week. Managed to get just over $5k more than I paid for it 16 months ago. Not going to miss it that much.
 

Littlefield82

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AZBCO I found my first impressions off-roading (about 45 miles)this wknd very similar, except for the handling at speed on some washboard hard pack with about 1/4” of sand on top. I found the “Slippery“ setting the best in those conditions, but had the ass end wash out a few times…. Actual wheeling Very Impressed with this truck!
I will put some more miles on her to soften up the suspension, but ultimately probably will go back to fox shocks & getter level all at the same time. I’m coming from a ‘17 Raptor, so it’s not going to be the Baja wide open washboard/ whoop machine that was, but definitely a better wheelin vehicle than the Raptor. Long story, but the Raptor was totaled & I decided to
858554D5-9A8C-4521-8CBC-BC69639CE3A8.jpeg
give the Tremor a go. Not a single regret at this time, GREAT TRUCK!!!

0A6AA57F-6360-4EDC-A202-218020A3D96A.jpeg


FFFE3C95-BBC0-4478-BF76-B3BB4C100940.jpeg
Which wheels were on your Raptor?
 
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AZBCO

AZBCO

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Shot in Utah while on the trip. Willing to sell to Ford for use in a Tremor commercial. :)

 
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