TREAD November/December 2019

Now that we have survived one of the hotter summers in recent memory, the cooler temperatures of an oncoming autumn is a welcome respite from the arid heat and sticky humidity of the places that we’ve explored. As we move into fall, it’s a good time to reevaluate our travel plans, search for new activities to do and refresh our vehicles for the season to come. What will your plans be? I’m looking to hit some higher elevation trails that I haven’t explored yet. This issue features a wide variety of content from incredible vehicle builds, fantastic locales and exciting outdoor gear. We take a ride in a monstrous 6x6 Man truck that was built for long term overland travels. You won’t want to miss it. Not to be out…

With the holiday season quickly approaching, what do you have on your wish list? If your truck’s been nice to you, it may be in line for a new set of wheels. Upgraded rims can provide your vehicle with a fresh look and improved performance. An extra set of wheels can be mounted with cold weather specific tires so that you can quickly and easily prep your rig for slick winter surfaces. The following wheels are the latest offerings from some forward thinking designers and engineers. Which of them catch your eye? FIFTEEN52 / TURBOMAC HD [CLASSIC] The 16x8-sized Turbomac HD [classic] features a classic stepped lip making the wheel design fitting for many modern and vintage off-road vehicles. After over a year of rigorous testing on his Ford Raptor,…

O1. FAB FOURS/’18-‘19 JEEP JL / ‘20 JEEP GLADIATOR STUBBY FRONT BUMPER New for the Jeep JL and JT Gladiator the Fab Fours Stubby Bumper was engineered with the Jeep purist in mind. This bumper has tapered edges and the Fab Fours knife edge design, but is no wider than the grill. The bumper is manufactured out of all 3/16 steel and is fully welded inside and out for superior strength and durability. Available with or without guard. MSRP: $399 fabfours.com O2. ARP/HEAD STUD KIT FOR HIGHLY BOOSTED 6.7L POWER-STROKE Diesel performance enthusiasts can now take the popular 6.7L Ford Power Stroke engines to new boost levels thanks to ARP’s new head studs that are designed to cope with extreme combustion pressures. The kit includes studs, parallel-ground washers…

O1. BLUE FORCE GEAR / TRACER PACK The Tracer Pack is a full-featured backpack that is perfectly suited in the truck, at the office, in class, or on the trail. It can carry all your essentials and features an integral padded laptop sleeve on the back capable of holding most 15-inch or smaller laptops. The bottom of the pack features a double layer of ULTRAcomp, a high-performance laminate that provides superior wear and water resistance over other materials. MSRP: $195 blueforcegear.com O2. KEEN / VENTURE MID WP Keen’s Venture Mid waterproof hiking boots are built to give you confident grip on the trail. Featuring a lightweight upper, locked-in feel, and higher-traction outsole, the boots will propel you to your next adventure. Keen’s footbeds are infused with probiotic technology…

If you’re not in the habit of carrying a pocketknife on you at all times, you’re missing out. Until you stop to realize it, the usefulness of a pocketknife in your daily activities can be easily overlooked. Whether your need is to open a freshly delivered package at home or cut through some rope on the trail, you never know where and when you’ll need a dependable blade by your side. What we do know is that there are plenty of great knives to choose from to service your needs. All because we are heading towards the end of the year doesn’t mean that knife makers are taking a break. In this edition of Made The Cut, we look at yearend releases of the latest knives. Which will you stick…

WHEELBASE 115.5 in. GROUND CLEARANCE 12.0 in. PAYLOAD CAPACITY 1,300 lbs. STORAGE CAPACITY 12.7 gal. TIRES 27 in. Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 1 PERFORMANCE ENGINE The Rotax HD10 V-Twin Engine produces 82 hp and is specifically tuned to offer an impressive 69 lb-ft of torque and peak torque at lower RPM. TRANSMISSION The Defender HD10 comes standard with Park, Reverse, Neutral, High and Extra-Low ranges. An integrated hill descent control supplies smooth, predictable deceleration on inclines and an Electronic Drive Belt Protection monitors the CVT belt to determine its condition and alerting the driver when its time to switch to low gear. DRIVE The EFI-fed Defender Limited package includes intelligent Throttle Control (iTC), which provides smooth throttle delivery even if the driver’s foot is bouncing in rough terrain. 2 SUSPENSION/CHASSIS FRONT…