Last year on our annual pilgrimage to DVNP, we were shut out of driving on two roads that we had previously driven on with no problem, Johnson Canyon, and Chloride Cliff from Monarch Canyon. Our vehicle has not changed (2007 Xterra stock 4x4 6 speed manual with 200k miles), and we are still the same drivers with good dirt skills.
In both cases we were stopped by a short section that our vehicle could not clear. Since the park service seems to avoid doing any maintenance on these roads, we need to upgrade our ride if we want to continue going to our favorite places. If we upgrade, we might as well aim at a vehicle that can get up Steele Pass and Dedeckera canyon, Goler etc.
So we could
1. see if we can lift the Xterra for better clearance and bigger tires, skid plates etc. We would pay somebody else to do the work.
or
2. Buy another vehicle, yet to be determined, but probably not new given our hatred of touch screens, and the wait times.
We tow a ruggedized teardrop and set up base camp in quiet locations but feel no need to drag it everywhere. We drive alone, not in groups, so want a vehicle that is solidly capable of driving on these roads.
Is it even a reasonable thing to upgrade an old Xterra to access locations like these?
In both cases we were stopped by a short section that our vehicle could not clear. Since the park service seems to avoid doing any maintenance on these roads, we need to upgrade our ride if we want to continue going to our favorite places. If we upgrade, we might as well aim at a vehicle that can get up Steele Pass and Dedeckera canyon, Goler etc.
So we could
1. see if we can lift the Xterra for better clearance and bigger tires, skid plates etc. We would pay somebody else to do the work.
or
2. Buy another vehicle, yet to be determined, but probably not new given our hatred of touch screens, and the wait times.
We tow a ruggedized teardrop and set up base camp in quiet locations but feel no need to drag it everywhere. We drive alone, not in groups, so want a vehicle that is solidly capable of driving on these roads.
Is it even a reasonable thing to upgrade an old Xterra to access locations like these?