National Park Service cited AWD owner on 4WD trail!

[edyvw]

This is good news!

National Park Service Warns Subaru Driver for Taking AWD Car on 4WD Trail

America's national parks apparently take the distinction between AWD and 4WD pretty seriously.

www.roadandtrack.com

While AWD owners keep towing mom-and-pop shops busy here in rural CO areas, this is a really big issue, and most of it is caused by Subaru owners.
It is not only caused by drive system, but usually not having appropriate tires, where drivers puncture tire, break suspension parts, or get stuck and then need to be towed out of areas where it is really hard to do it.
The slew of new car based SUV's that have certain terms that emphasize "ruggedness" like Honda Pilot TerrainSport, VW Atlas Peak edition, Telluride X etc, will just make things even worse.

 

[eljefino]

They should put a "calibrated stump" at the start of said trail with a height of 11 inches or so.

 

[edyvw]

They should put a "calibrated stump" at the start of said trail with a height of 11 inches or so.

Many AWD vehicles have lifted suspensions and could clear anything like that.

 

[AZjeff]

They should put a "calibrated stump" at the start of said trail with a height of 11 inches or so.

Lots of hard trails have a gatekeeper feature at the beginning.

 

[Nick1994]

Good. Something the article doesn’t mention and IMO is the biggest part, is AWD doesn’t have a low range.

AWD cars faced with an obstacle where you can’t get a run at it, you can have your foot to the floor and have no power at all, overheating the transmission and going nowhere. No amount of ground clearance or rugged tires will help that.

 

[meep]

First off, I agree with what the park service is trying to accomplish. They wouldn’t have those rules if there weren’t problems giving a need to have them. Otoh, an experienced off roader can be patient, make do, and accomplish a lot with a lesser vehicle, and also know when their equipment isn’t right for the trail. In this case, even the article admitted that the Subaru owner received the notice after he *completed* the trail without issue. I’ve tackled a lot with lesser vehicles, knowing that they certainly are not true 4x4s.

But, “yeah.” Things like low range and a real locking diff make things safer, reduce the need for momentum, and IMO live axles afford a lot more headroom for climbing, crawling, or bouncing over stuff.

 

[ecotourist]

... an experienced off roader can be patient, make do, and accomplish a lot with a lesser vehicle

When I was a kid my dad used to drive the family sedan in the fields and over cross country "roads" to visit relatives. He picked his day (dry) and took his time. Never had a problem.

On a really rough back road drive in the Okanagan valley a few years ago I took my Volvo. The only other vehicle we encountered was a VW beetle. The off road vehicles were mostly parked at shopping malls.

 

[mr_boring]

I did help drag an AWD Ford Escape off of a patch of North Carolina sugar sand beach one nice fall day back in 2018...... At least the nice young man had a decent cargo strap in his hatch. I told him beforehand that if I buried mine getting him

Pretty sure those skinny little 16's or 17's had 40lbs of air too, and that really didn't help. People think that those ONLY VEHICLES WITH 4WD PAST THIS POINT, DO NOT PROCEED IF YOUR VEHICLE IS AWD don't really apply because they are "super good drivers"

 

[KGMtech]

Does the NPS assist in the recovery of the stuck 4WD cars as well as any AWD ? or are they present to limit damages to the trails as the vehicle is rescued?

 

[Glenda W.]

Says he made it successfully with the Crosstrek. They are pretty capable but guess the trail wasn’t that rugged.

 

[Elkins45]

Does the NPS assist in the recovery of the stuck 4WD cars as well as any AWD ? or are they present to limit damages to the trails as the vehicle is rescued?

My brother and I drove the White Rim Road inside Canyonlands back in March. It’s 75 miles of driving across sand and slickrock with a couple of fairly serious hard, rough climbs. We did it in my Nissan Titan. To give you some idea of the roughness of the worst part I found out when we got home that the frame had flexed so hard the topper smacked into the roof mounted third brake light and cracked it.

NPS is very deliberate about telling you that AWD vehicles are not allowed when you apply for the permit. NPS also warns you that you are responsible for getting your vehicle out if it gets stuck or breaks, and that recovery costs can be up to $4000.

 

[wemay]

Marketing is blurring the lines for those not interested in learning the difference.

 

[y_p_w]

Where in Canyonlands was this? The only places I can think of at Canyonlands are the White Rim Road and The Maze. The Maze is supposedly really challenging.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

They know you are going to pay the fine because you are likely on vacation and the fine is cheaper than the ticket!

 

[CKN]

The point being is that no one wants to get too technical about this. 4 wheel drive is a good definition. What is the Park Service going to do?
Have an vehicle expert look at all the vehicles with an AWD system and see which ones "could" make it on the trail?
File that under "it's not going to happen".

 

[4WD]

Marketing is blurring the lines for those interested in learning the difference.

Some marketing is not far off - but I suggest a JL Rubicon …

https://www.jeep.com/trail-rated.html

 

[y_p_w]

Aren't there a bunch of 4x4 rental places in Moab that set people up with rigs where the rental terms allow this kind of driving? I mean - heavy duty with skid plates and everything.

 

[TiGeo]

We took our rental Awd GMC Acadia on White Rim trail on our family vacation out there in 2019. Just this down and up...not the rough stuff. Don't recall there being any permit needed for this part. My wife wasn't happy with me.

Main issue with the SU/CUVs is lack of low range and for many lack of a mechanical transfer case locking f/r axles together...but the awd stuff works pretty well nowadays. Tires make a huge difference as does driver experience and understanding tire pressure. We used to crush it on the soft sand beaches down in NC in my '89 Subaru 4x4 GL wagon (low range t-case) with tires at 15 psi.

 

[edyvw]

Marketing is blurring the lines for those not interested in learning the difference.

Subaru is a prime example there.

 

[edyvw]

The point being is that no one wants to get too technical about this. 4 wheel drive is a good definition. What is the Park Service going to do?
Have an vehicle expert look at all the vehicles with an AWD system and see which ones "could" make it on the trail?
File that under "it's not going to happen".

Yes they will.
Generally, NPS folks are very, VERY interested in their jobs. And they are very diligent. AWD is not allowed, period. Not wether it could or not.
The new Honda Pilot Trail Sport is actually a very capable SUV with a vectoring differential and real steel underbody protection. But, it would not be allowed.