Bronco Nation staff just finished one of our favorite weeks of the year –– Bronco Basecamp at King of the Hammers. King of the Hammers is a coarse event, made up of literal grit, rocks, and sand, plus the best in built-up, beat-on, chopped, and dirty rigs, and of course, relentless driver perseverance across tough terrain and through mechanical failures. Even still, what tops it for us is hosting the community for desert camping, off-roading, and sitting by the fire talking about Amarillo's 72 oz. free steak challenge, hearing about overlanding trips, and seeing pics of a sweet 16-car collection from an owner who's kept everything he's ever bought.
Throwback: What Bronco Basecamp Is and Why We Love It
For those who attended, thank you for making the event what it is, and for those of you who couldn’t get there this time, here’s what went on and what to look forward to for the rest of this year and into next.
Bronco Basecamp Highlights
Our fifth Bronco Basecamp during the 20th anniversary of King of the Hammers was filled with people we love seeing and activities we love doing. While most attendees had 1-4 years under their tires, we got to enjoy some new faces who may still be shaking out the dirt by next year’s event. The races were harder and longer than ever, and you can read about Brad and Adam Lovell’s win for Ford Racing in Melissa’s article: Lovells Dominate the Desert: Brad and Adam Win Every Man Challenge.
Starting with camping, it’s been fun to watch setups evolve over the years. We went from the cold, wind, and noise of 2022 to many upgrading to travel trailers and standing-height tent situations for better rest and cooking. Head over to our Facebook page to see more of how the Nation is traveling!
New for 2026 was Baja 1000 racer RJ Zanon bringing his zero-turned-hero junkyard Bronco he piloted to a 1st in class finish to Bronco Basecamp. RJ answered questions on the race and took lucky guests for a desert hot lap. He and Team #301 will be participating in four SCORE International races this year; let’s support and cheer on this grassroots crew of community members as they show others what the Bronco can do.
We participated in a drive and trash clean-up with Bronco Wild Fund and Sons of Smokey, doing our best to leave Johnson Valley cleaner than we found it. Approximately 30 owner Broncos plus Ford vehicles and other rigs turned out across the trails so drivers could grab stray items as we made our way to the famous Chocolate Thunder race viewing point.
Tread Lightly! principles are in our minds every time we go out. Brush up on ‘em, teach them to others, and please don’t view yourself as an exception to a rule:
The T.R.E.A.D. Principles
- T - Travel Responsibly: Travel Responsibly on land by staying on designated roads, trails and area. Go over, not around, obstacles to avoid widening the trails. Cross streams only at designated fords. when possible, avoid wet, muddy trails. On water, stay on designated waterways and launch your watercraft in designated areas.
- R - Respect the Rights of Others: Respect the Rights of Others including private property owners, all recreational trail users, campers and others so they can enjoy their recreational activities undisturbed. Leave gates as you found them. Yield right of way to those passing you or going uphill. On water, respect anglers, swimmers, skiers, boaters, divers and those on or near shore.
- E - Educate Yourself: Educate Yourself prior to your trip by obtaining travel maps and regulations from public agencies. Plan for your trip, take recreation skills classes and know how to operate your equipment safely.
- A - Avoid Sensitive Areas: Avoid Sensitive Areas on land such as meadows, lake shores, wetlands and streams. Always ride with caution any time water is present. Wet soils are more susceptible to damage. Riding along river and stream beds causes erosion and habitat destruction. Stay on designated routes. This protects wildlife habitats and sensitive soils from damage. Don’t disturb historical, archeological or paleontological sites. On water, avoid operating your watercraft in shallow waters or near shorelines at high speeds.
- D - Do Your Part: Do Your Part by modeling appropriate behavior, leaving the area better than you found it, properly disposing of waste, minimizing the use of fire, avoiding the spread of invasive species and repairing degraded areas.
Then we had our Off-Roadeo trail guide-led drives, a staple at Bronco Nation events. Reconnecting with a guide you may have had at your location of choice is always fun, and the guides treat the drives like Off-Roadeo refreshers, calling out tips and reminders on the radios.
We kicked off the set of drives with a trip to Bronco Knoll, the “go-at-least-once” destination for all Bronco owners. Ford tested –– and keeps testing –– Broncos heavily in Johnson Valley, and the coordinates are embossed in your vehicle. Bronco Nation member Blake, site director of Bronco Off-Roadeo Moab and one of our trail guides, located the spot in 2021, and now we all enjoy traveling to the top.
This year, the trail was washed out and more challenging than it’s been in years past, so if you go on your own, take your time and enjoy using your Bronco exactly as intended in a place the engineers love!
While Bronco Sport owners are absolutely welcome at the Knoll, did you know you also have your own version? The Sport is no stranger to Johnson Valley either, so tucked in your tailgate is coordinates for Bronco Sport Summit, which staff member and Ford Racing driver Melissa found in 2023. Read up on it in her article, Making History: Finding Bronco Sport Summit. Have you been?
Last but not least, we chased the race, with the Off-Roadeo guides leading. If you haven’t been to Bronco Basecamp at KOH and you’ve seen us write that, then it may sound like you’re going to be mashing the gas to the floor and blasting over obstacles right behind the pros. Fear not. If you join in next year, it simply means we off-road to one of the main areas racers come through and wait for the 4400 and 4600 Broncos to go past. I wasn’t into racing before my first King of the Hammers, but seeing versions of our own vehicles in the stock class do awesome stuff converted me faster than any number of NASCAR laps could have ever. Now, it’s one more way to enjoy the Broncos and serves as inspiration in modifications and driving goals.
After Friday’s race, instead of the drivers doing their annual victory lap in Bronco Basecamp, we walked down together to see the damage and congratulate the drivers in the heat of the excitement at the finish line. Bronco Basecamp attendees got to go behind the lines, and the Lovells, Loren Healy, and Vaughn Gittin Jr. hung out with us fresh from their wins.
Join In!
In addition to running the races, Vaughn and Loren had their new partnership trim out in the valley, the new Bronco RTR. Ford teased coordinates to find it, and if you missed seeing it in person, be sure to sign up for and tune in to next week’s Bronco Nation LIVE, where Ford and the RTR Vehicles team will talk about development and behind-the-scenes information on the trim and answer member questions.
Premium Member Tip: Make sure your Bronco Nation membership login uses the same email address as your Ford Rewards account so you can collect your bonus 1,000 Ford Rewards points. If you need to update your Bronco Nation address, email us at [email protected], and Dave or Audrey will help you out.
Next Up!
Now that we’re home, the gear is put away, and the Broncos are clean (maybe), who’s ready for King of the Hammers 2027?
If you missed this Bronco Nation-hosted event but want one to attend, our next opportunity will be a Moab trail drive led by Bronco Off-Roadeo guides with a meetup to follow. Besides our own events, we list major community events on the Bronco Nation calendar, and clubs and owners can add their own as well. Check the list often; new drives and get-togethers are added all the time.
Read: Save the Dates: 2026 Bronco Events
Have fun out there, Bronco Nation! We’ll see you online and on the trails.
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