Overland Subaru-style

[spiritual.potatoes]

Hello!

I have been overlanding for just over a year now, I have previously done four wheel events like rock crawling and the like but never had something of my own until about two years ago. My adventure really started when I realized how much fun it was to drive off the beaten path on more rugged BLM roads in the snow. I'm from Oregon so we certainly aren't lacking in the overland department and once I got a lift and All-terrains on my Subaru, there was no stopping me from going anywhere. At this moment in time I have done OBDR route 4 and the entire WABDR with the Subaru and plenty of adventures up in the passes in deep snow and on the dunes, pulling side-by-sides out. 90% of this vehicle has been installed or modified by yours truly and I am quite proud of this little AWD machine.

Side note, the Suburban in one of the pictures below was a gentleman featured on one of the podcasts

The Subaru so far:
2017 Subaru Crosstrek Premium
2inch Rough Country lift kit
215/65/17 Falken Wildpeak AT3W
Bilstein B6 shocks
OEM WRX wheels
Rallitek Skid plate (just over oil pan for now)
Curt hitch and tire carrier
Custom exhaust w/ glass pack
Rally Armor mud flaps
Orbis Overlanding Rack wing w/ Rotopax (Sponsored)
Freespirit High Country 55" RTT
Yakima Core Bars w/ Timberline Towers

I plan on doing half of the Alvord Desert route over Labor day weekend 2021 with a friend who has a 2021 Outback Onyx.

Hope to see you all on the trails!

 

[OTG Ben]

I love seeing Subies out on the trail!! I've yet to see someone behind the wheel that's having a bad day on the trail! The Backcountry Discovery Trails down in Northern California are another nice option. Basically, you can do any of those save the El Dorado BDT and for Plumas you'd just need to skip Poker Flat. Everything else is very much suitable for a stock 4x4 or AWD vehicle.

 

[spiritual.potatoes]

I love seeing Subies out on the trail!! I've yet to see someone behind the wheel that's having a bad day on the trail! The Backcountry Discovery Trails down in Northern California are another nice option. Basically, you can do any of those save the El Dorado BDT and for Plumas you'd just need to skip Poker Flat. Everything else is very much suitable for a stock 4x4 or AWD vehicle.

A bunch of us were pretty excited to see that most of the routes were passable for our vehicles. I will fully admit that I don't plan on rock crawling at MOAB with my Subaru but I've kept up well enough with a couple of Jeep friends. This little car amazes me every day and it startles people left and right. On WABDR we passed a group of Jeeps and Broncos and they all broke their necks looking at a rag tag group of Subies and Toyotas. We do plan on exploring California a little bit more so I'll have to look into some of the routes you've got and Shasta is on the list but that will be for later in the year when it's not as ... smokey? last I checked.

 

[OTG Ben]

@spiritual.potatoes That's pretty much how it these days. I'm likely going to try and get all of my alpine trips out of the way by July or after mid-October. July - Sept is just to rife with fire these days-- a real bummer!

You might also want to check out the Wild Rivers Trail and Steelhead Adventure Trail right along the coast of the CA-OR border. The Steelhead is a fantastic route (sitting on footage to put the video route guide together), but the Wimer Road is probably a bit rough for a Subie unless you've got aftermarket suspension. Everything else that way (skip Rattlesnake Ridge too) can be easily managed by a stock Subie.

 

[Mutt Wagon]

If this link works, I wouldn’t count Moab out!

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[Mutt Wagon]

There’s a Subi rocking a 5” lift and crawling Moab!

 

[spiritual.potatoes]

There’s a Subi rocking a 5” lift and crawling Moab!

I know I could do parts of MOAB but I'll wait till I upgrade to a 4runner, I unfortunately don't make a ton of money these days so it will need to wait but that 5in lift is crazy. I know I can do a 4" on a Crosstrek right now but it's almost 1200-1700 in parts to do so. The way they are set up is def not like the older fozzies who conquer the trails these days.

 

[spiritual.potatoes]

@spiritual.potatoes That's pretty much how it these days. I'm likely going to try and get all of my alpine trips out of the way by July or after mid-October. July - Sept is just to rife with fire these days-- a real bummer!

You might also want to check out the Wild Rivers Trail and Steelhead Adventure Trail right along the coast of the CA-OR border. The Steelhead is a fantastic route (sitting on footage to put the video route guide together), but the Wimer Road is probably a bit rough for a Subie unless you've got aftermarket suspension. Everything else that way (skip Rattlesnake Ridge too) can be easily managed by a stock Subie.

I'll check those out and see. I'd love to do some on the coast given I always go into eastern Oregon or Eastern Washington most of the time. Im just an hour away from Florence so it would be cool to go down the 101 to any trails on the boarder.

I have a skidplate and some bilsteins that give me a boost but I'm also not afraid to take her down places that others would be weary about. It's all about patience and making sure that you know where your paws are at. The washout on WABDR was a lot of fun and I was three wheeling for part of it

 

[Sean Bonick]

Hello!

I have been overlanding for just over a year now, I have previously done four wheel events like rock crawling and the like but never had something of my own until about two years ago. My adventure really started when I realized how much fun it was to drive off the beaten path on more rugged BLM roads in the snow. I'm from Oregon so we certainly aren't lacking in the overland department and once I got a lift and All-terrains on my Subaru, there was no stopping me from going anywhere. At this moment in time I have done OBDR route 4 and the entire WABDR with the Subaru and plenty of adventures up in the passes in deep snow and on the dunes, pulling side-by-sides out. 90% of this vehicle has been installed or modified by yours truly and I am quite proud of this little AWD machine.

Side note, the Suburban in one of the pictures below was a gentleman featured on one of the podcasts

The Subaru so far:
2017 Subaru Crosstrek Premium
2inch Rough Country lift kit
215/65/17 Falken Wildpeak AT3W
Bilstein B6 shocks
OEM WRX wheels
Rallitek Skid plate (just over oil pan for now)
Curt hitch and tire carrier
Custom exhaust w/ glass pack
Rally Armor mud flaps
Orbis Overlanding Rack wing w/ Rotopax (Sponsored)
Freespirit High Country 55" RTT
Yakima Core Bars w/ Timberline Towers

I plan on doing half of the Alvord Desert route over Labor day weekend 2021 with a friend who has a 2021 Outback Onyx.

Hope to see you all on the trails!
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I just bought a very clean low mileage 65k 1999 Subie that I want to lift.
I added 4 new M/T studable tires, has OEM skid plates front to back
Looking for any suggestions on a lift kit, my jeep club members scoff but I press on. I've heard folks using newer model struts to get a about a 2" lift
Need some sound sage advice from other subie owners with more knowledge.

 

[OTG Ben]

I just bought a very clean low mileage 65k 1999 Subie that I want to lift.
I added 4 new M/T studable tires, has OEM skid plates front to back
Looking for any suggestions on a lift kit, my jeep club members scoff but I press on. I've heard folks using newer model struts to get a about a 2" lift
Need some sound sage advice from other subie owners with more knowledge.

That's rad! Can't wait to see this bad boy. For venturing out to places like the Mendocino NF, a soft-wheeling Subie is the perfect adventure vehicle. It may not be a Subie, but I'd love to build out one of the new RAV4 Prime's similar to what you've described.

 

[ScottieG]

I drove Subie's for years before switching to Jeep. Had an '84 and '87 GL wagons, '90 and '97 Legacy sedans and an '02 Outback. My friend is currently rocking a '16 Outback with a 2" lift and A/T tires.