Jun 29, 2024
This post is a follow up to my April post asking about others Half Day Off Roadeo experiences. As planned, I attended the Half Day at the Nevada site in early May. In a word, it was fantastic! We arrived at the Off Roadeo gates to find they were locked. This was a bit intimidating, but we quickly found an intercom, announced ourselves, and were told someone would be there to meet us shortly. Within a few minutes, a group of Raptors arrived on the other side of the gate followed by a single Cactus Grey Badlands. As it turned out, my husband and I were the only Half Day participants and we had a guide all to ourselves. Our guide Trevor escorted us through the gates to a parking area where a new (600+ miles) Badlands awaited us. No pressure - we didn't purchase the optional insurance.....
Because we were the only participants, Trevor structured our 4 hours to the Bronco features and skills that I was interested in. Since I had already been to the Moab Full Day Off Roadeo the year before, we were able to concentrate on Bronco features that were not used by our group in Moab.I got to experience Front Stabilizer Bar Disconnect, which my Outer Banks unfortunately does not have, as well as Trail Turn Assist, and Hill Descent Control.
Trevor was an excellent guide and we found that despite differences in our ages, we had much in common. After we returned to Base Camp at 5pm, we started discussing the virtues of airing down and the performance of various air compressors. Next thing we knew, we were playing with an ARB compressor, airing up and airing down the Badland's tires, and timing the process to gauge ARB's airing up speed. Finally, at 7pm, we headed back to the hotel, having exchanged phone numbers, and planning to purchase the ARB compressor. Definitely a successful day!
Overall, both the full day and half day Off Roadeo's have their advantages. And not everyone gets a half day guide all to themselves. But if you are looking for additional off road training, or are not eligible to attend the full day, I highly recommend the half day. You'll spend just about as much time on the trails as the full day, and the cost mirrors what you spend to add a second driver to the full day Off Roadeo.
Because we were the only participants, Trevor structured our 4 hours to the Bronco features and skills that I was interested in. Since I had already been to the Moab Full Day Off Roadeo the year before, we were able to concentrate on Bronco features that were not used by our group in Moab.I got to experience Front Stabilizer Bar Disconnect, which my Outer Banks unfortunately does not have, as well as Trail Turn Assist, and Hill Descent Control.
Trevor was an excellent guide and we found that despite differences in our ages, we had much in common. After we returned to Base Camp at 5pm, we started discussing the virtues of airing down and the performance of various air compressors. Next thing we knew, we were playing with an ARB compressor, airing up and airing down the Badland's tires, and timing the process to gauge ARB's airing up speed. Finally, at 7pm, we headed back to the hotel, having exchanged phone numbers, and planning to purchase the ARB compressor. Definitely a successful day!
Overall, both the full day and half day Off Roadeo's have their advantages. And not everyone gets a half day guide all to themselves. But if you are looking for additional off road training, or are not eligible to attend the full day, I highly recommend the half day. You'll spend just about as much time on the trails as the full day, and the cost mirrors what you spend to add a second driver to the full day Off Roadeo.
Attachments
MichaelG541, Deano Bronc