White Rim Trail (Moab) in my Maverick Tremor!

[SouthbayTremor]

Great stuff. I was just out recently. And looked at that White Rim trail from above (Canyon Lands upper)

Thought it looked good for a SxS. But guess it can't be done since its in the NP.

Yeah I’m not an anti side by side guy in fact I go out multiple times a year but I’m glad they don’t allow it here. It was very peaceful

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[Baja_Roamer]

Hey Matteus!

Thanks for posting this... Just last night I announced to my wife that I want to take my younger son on the White Rim for his Spring Break 2026 in my Maverick. We had done a trip two years ago to Canyonlands and Arches and went down the White Rim entrance on the Mineral Bottom side and stayed one night at the closest campground on that side (I am forgetting the name), but only went on that first little section. Ever since then I have had the bug to go back and do the whole White Rim, but was also wondering a little bit if I might be pushing it with ground clearance. So really helpful to hear that you made a successful trip. I built myself a custom pop up hardshell camper similar to yours and have since lifted the truck with a flatout suspension setup and bigger AT tires, so I am now looking to pay off all that work with fun trips. I love Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. Couldn't live there because it is too hot, but it is astounding and fuels my soul. Feels serendipitous that you posted this as affirmation to make it happen. Here's a Death Valley photo from a few months ago to keep the Maverick camping vibes going. Best!

Would love some more info/pics on your DIY wedge camper!!!! Looks like it turned out great!

 

[chrisofpa]

Beautiful county, wish it wasn't so far away from where I live, I still got to get my Tremor on the trails here in PA but the horror of getting "pin stripes" down the sides haunt me.

 

[Bic]

When I've been down there; it's just a maintained dirt/gravel road, nothing special, but there are some tight switchbacks. Having said that, I've seen camping trailers down there, so it's definitely not too difficult to navigate. Like the Moki Dugway.
However, I haven't been down there in over a decade, so maybe the road fell into disrepair, but looking at these pics, I don't think so. You can take a regular passenger car on it without issue.

It's definitely a bucket list area to visit.

I've done the entire White Rim Trail a dozen times on two wheels. On a dual sport motorcycle It's a long day but doable.

But those on four wheels will need overnight stops (typically two). Those legal campsites are few, far between and likely to be occupied during peak season (spring, fall and especially around Easter Weekend!)

I've never seen the entire trail passable by a passenger car or even a stock SUV. Typically there are freshly graded segments (e.g. around the visitors center) that are passenger car friendly. But other areas (Murphy's Hogback, Hardscrabble Hill) in most years are not going to be passable.

Here is what the NPS has to say:

"Under favorable weather conditions, the White Rim Road is moderately difficult for high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicles. The steep, exposed sections of the Shafer Trail, Lathrop Canyon Road, Murphy Hogback, Hardscrabble Hill, and the Mineral Bottom switchbacks make the White Rim loop a challenging mountain bike ride, and require extreme caution for both vehicles and bikes during periods of inclement weather."

 

[SouthbayTremor]

Hey Matteus!

Thanks for posting this... Just last night I announced to my wife that I want to take my younger son on the White Rim for his Spring Break 2026 in my Maverick. We had done a trip two years ago to Canyonlands and Arches and went down the White Rim entrance on the Mineral Bottom side and stayed one night at the closest campground on that side (I am forgetting the name), but only went on that first little section. Ever since then I have had the bug to go back and do the whole White Rim, but was also wondering a little bit if I might be pushing it with ground clearance. So really helpful to hear that you made a successful trip. I built myself a custom pop up hardshell camper similar to yours and have since lifted the truck with a flatout suspension setup and bigger AT tires, so I am now looking to pay off all that work with fun trips. I love Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. Couldn't live there because it is too hot, but it is astounding and fuels my soul. Feels serendipitous that you posted this as affirmation to make it happen. Here's a Death Valley photo from a few months ago to keep the Maverick camping vibes going. Best!

It’s definitely an awesome trip! I think your truck would be good to go the only thing g I can’t recommend enough is

Hey Matteus!

Thanks for posting this... Just last night I announced to my wife that I want to take my younger son on the White Rim for his Spring Break 2026 in my Maverick. We had done a trip two years ago to Canyonlands and Arches and went down the White Rim entrance on the Mineral Bottom side and stayed one night at the closest campground on that side (I am forgetting the name), but only went on that first little section. Ever since then I have had the bug to go back and do the whole White Rim, but was also wondering a little bit if I might be pushing it with ground clearance. So really helpful to hear that you made a successful trip. I built myself a custom pop up hardshell camper similar to yours and have since lifted the truck with a flatout suspension setup and bigger AT tires, so I am now looking to pay off all that work with fun trips. I love Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. Couldn't live there because it is too hot, but it is astounding and fuels my soul. Feels serendipitous that you posted this as affirmation to make it happen. Here's a Death Valley photo from a few months ago to keep the Maverick camping vibes going. Best!

You should be fine! Awesome build you got there and I love that you made your own wedge style camper that’s bad ass! The only thing is these Maverick have relatively low ground clearance even lifted. I know the numbers they say for the tremor are 9.4” of clearance and that’s about the same on paper as a Tacoma but in practice it is much less because of the unibody design.

I don’t know when the last time other people when but I’ll tell you if I didn’t have skid plates this trail would have likely caused serious same age to the underbody. I have multiple new deep gauges in the skid plates from the trail and not to toot my own horn but I wheel a lot and I keep up with fully built full size rigs 99% of the time so I don’t beleive it was from bad line choices it’s just that hardscrabble hill can get a little rocky and lose and there is a section where you are essentially letting your truck slide off ledges. This was probably the most extreme trail we have done in the Maverick solo. Granted 95% of the trail is super easy their are definitely some sections that are more exciting!

being plenty of water, fuel and food and please air down!

 

[WWM]

It’s definitely an awesome trip! I think your truck would be good to go the only thing g I can’t recommend enough is

You should be fine! Awesome build you got there and I love that you made your own wedge style camper that’s bad ass! The only thing is these Maverick have relatively low ground clearance even lifted. I know the numbers they say for the tremor are 9.4” of clearance and that’s about the same on paper as a Tacoma but in practice it is much less because of the unibody design.

I don’t know when the last time other people when but I’ll tell you if I didn’t have skid plates this trail would have likely caused serious same age to the underbody. I have multiple new deep gauges in the skid plates from the trail and not to toot my own horn but I wheel a lot and I keep up with fully built full size rigs 99% of the time so I don’t beleive it was from bad line choices it’s just that hardscrabble hill can get a little rocky and lose and there is a section where you are essentially letting your truck slide off ledges. This was probably the most extreme trail we have done in the Maverick solo. Granted 95% of the trail is super easy their are definitely some sections that are more exciting!

being plenty of water, fuel and food and please air down!

Thanks for that additional info, that's very helpful... Yeah, I think the "ground clearance" measurement given by Ford is to the unibody frame and there are a number of elements below that measurement. I haven't done anything for skid plates yet, so I will think about that more. I don't really want to add heavy steel plates and there are limited options out there. It may not too be hard to template out and cut my own aluminum plates with a waterjet, but I haven't looked at that yet. The felt undercarriage panels seem like they hang lower than needed. Which did you end up putting on? Also, if you don't mind taking the time, I would be curious to hear your actual lowest clearance measurement with the GFC on? Mine is at the exhaust as it passes under the rear differential. I assume the Tremor is the same low point. I am in the middle of fiddling with ride height after having just swapped the suspension to Flatout GR40 front coilovers, rear springs/shocks. I ordered overload springs to compensate for the weight of the pop-up wedge camper (my estimate is around 350lbs), but these "overload" springs with 2" of lift and subframe spacers have the back end sitting at pretty much the same height I was at with the stock rear suspension, so they are compressing more than stock springs by a good amount with just the basic camper shell load. I am going to give that feedback to Flatout and feel like the spring they provide is not stiff enough, but plan to add the Timberen Suspension Enhancement bump stops to take some weight in heaviest load conditions and to add air bags into the springs that allow me to boost ride height. I was already set up air bags with the stock springs, but the dimensions are different so I have to get new ones. I commonly haul building materials and the sag of the rear end on the Maverick when approaching payload capacity is pretty substantial. This is probably a discussion for a suspension forum, but I suppose being ready for White Rim Road and similar involves these things. I've got some time to work these things out before Spring. Cheers!

 

[WWM]

Would love some more info/pics on your DIY wedge camper!!!! Looks like it turned out great!

Yeah, I will try to get around to posting some additional stuff on the wedge camper build on a separate post. I have just slowly been chipping away at it and am still doing things. I have added windows, lights, and a vent fan, but am also adjusting some things, setting it up for diesel heater, getting cushion covers done and plan to make my own slide out kitchen unit. I haven't done a good job of taking pictures of process, but I can't definitely take some detail shots of where it's at and as I keep adding elements.

 

[SouthbayTremor]

Thanks for that additional info, that's very helpful... Yeah, I think the "ground clearance" measurement given by Ford is to the unibody frame and there are a number of elements below that measurement. I haven't done anything for skid plates yet, so I will think about that more. I don't really want to add heavy steel plates and there are limited options out there. It may not too be hard to template out and cut my own aluminum plates with a waterjet, but I haven't looked at that yet. The felt undercarriage panels seem like they hang lower than needed. Which did you end up putting on? Also, if you don't mind taking the time, I would be curious to hear your actual lowest clearance measurement with the GFC on? Mine is at the exhaust as it passes under the rear differential. I assume the Tremor is the same low point. I am in the middle of fiddling with ride height after having just swapped the suspension to Flatout GR40 front coilovers, rear springs/shocks. I ordered overload springs to compensate for the weight of the pop-up wedge camper (my estimate is around 350lbs), but these "overload" springs with 2" of lift and subframe spacers have the back end sitting at pretty much the same height I was at with the stock rear suspension, so they are compressing more than stock springs by a good amount with just the basic camper shell load. I am going to give that feedback to Flatout and feel like the spring they provide is not stiff enough, but plan to add the Timberen Suspension Enhancement bump stops to take some weight in heaviest load conditions and to add air bags into the springs that allow me to boost ride height. I was already set up air bags with the stock springs, but the dimensions are different so I have to get new ones. I commonly haul building materials and the sag of the rear end on the Maverick when approaching payload capacity is pretty substantial. This is probably a discussion for a suspension forum, but I suppose being ready for White Rim Road and similar involves these things. I've got some time to work these things out before Spring. Cheers!

So for the skid plates I went Jcr off-road and I really like them, they are beefy and well built. For the evap skids, rock sliders, catalytic converter skid and gas tank skid you are looking at $1600 and a little more than 150 lb added to the truck

For the ground clearance on my truck the lowest parts are definitely the control arms, I was hitting way to many rock on the exhaust where it goad under the rear diff so I changed out the exhaust for a hidden pre axle dump with the Mrt trail rated exhaust. I really like the sound it makes now too. Not too annoying but definitely more present

I just through on the Eibach pro springs with the HD rears and it made a world of difference. That combined with the Timbren active off-road bump stops (not the ses system) and I can’t feel the rear bottom out at all even fully loaded hitting bumps at higher speeds.

I also had airbags with the stock coils before and it didn’t work super well. The Eibach HD springs do a way better job a load correcting than the airbags. Which is interesting considering the Airlift airbags are supposed to have 1,000 lb load correction and the Eibach only 500 lb but I still found the Eibach springs more supportive

How are you likening the Flat out suspension? I almost got the Gr40 plus kit (the plus isn’t on their website but you get reservoirs up front and in the rear instead of just the rear) but I found out Eibach is coming out with a inverted coilovers kit so I’m waiting for them!

 

[SouthbayTremor]

Yeah, I will try to get around to posting some additional stuff on the wedge camper build on a separate post. I have just slowly been chipping away at it and am still doing things. I have added windows, lights, and a vent fan, but am also adjusting some things, setting it up for diesel heater, getting cushion covers done and plan to make my own slide out kitchen unit. I haven't done a good job of taking pictures of process, but I can't definitely take some detail shots of where it's at and as I keep adding elements.

I made a pretty simple slide out kitchen and I love it! Game changer for camping. My truck is always the camp cook rig now lol

 

[SouthbayTremor]

Good to know its doable without damage, I want to try it one day...

I would say doable with out damage with a prepared set up. I can guarantee right now if you go and do it in the conditions it’s in with no skid plates or rock sliders you will get damage

 

[SouthbayTremor]

Beautiful county, wish it wasn't so far away from where I live, I still got to get my Tremor on the trails here in PA but the horror of getting "pin stripes" down the sides haunt me.

I’ll take a picture later but my truck is absolutly covered in them, babying a truck is like saving your girlfriend for the next guy lol

 

[SouthbayTremor]

When I've been down there; it's just a maintained dirt/gravel road, nothing special, but there are some tight switchbacks. Having said that, I've seen camping trailers down there, so it's definitely not too difficult to navigate. Like the Moki Dugway.
However, I haven't been down there in over a decade, so maybe the road fell into disrepair, but looking at these pics, I don't think so. You can take a regular passenger car on it without issue.

It's definitely a bucket list area to visit.

Did you go through Hardscrabble hill and Murphy hog back? i know you said you haven’t gone here in a decade but those definitely don’t feel like a maintained dirt road they are a little trick at some points without 4l but the locking diff and all the goodies on the tremor helped it up in certain spots!

 

[ice445]

I would say doable with out damage with a prepared set up. I can guarantee right now if you go and do it in the conditions it’s in with no skid plates or rock sliders you will get damage

Can you tell me what plates and sliders you got please? And I know you said you did suspension, but that didnt lift the vehicle at all did it?

 

[SouthbayTremor]

Can you tell me what plates and sliders you got please? And I know you said you did suspension, but that didnt lift the vehicle at all did it?

skid plates are from Jrc, I have the whole skid plate assembly which consists of evaporated skids, rock sliders , gas tank skid and catalytic converter skid. They are super beefy and they do add about 150 lb in weight but with it for me.

suspension I did Eibach pro lift coils with HD rear coils and Timbren active off-road bumps stops in the rear and I still have the stock tremor shocks. With this set up I’m probably 1.5” higher upfront (than a stock tremor) and one inch higher in the back but that’s saying a lot because with stock suspension before I was pretty squatted out

 

[Surly Old Bill]

Did you go through Hardscrabble hill and Murphy hog back? i know you said you haven’t gone here in a decade but those definitely don’t feel like a maintained dirt road they are a little trick at some points without 4l but the locking diff and all the goodies on the tremor helped it up in certain spots!

I went straight out there on Mineral Bottom from the 313, and back the same way.

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