Diablo6x

Agreed, I definately have some more exploring to do but one of the most interisting products that I have found is what appears to be a system that fits under the bumber and behind the grille and appears to offer mounting points for hooks or shackels, possibly a tow bar. From advertisements everything appears to have a stock appearance. This will require further research as it may not fit with my hard mount block heater connector (I know weird but it is a lot nicer than just a connector plug hanging off of the front). Anybody have any experience with a Softtopper? If so is it usable with the factory hard toneau cover mounts installed?

Reading comprehension skills are an important and often unused capability. Please make another attempt at comprehending the things that I said vs the things you think I said or want me to say. Then you will realize that your comments are don't fit the context of the post.

You are right because basic capabilities are something that absolutely nobody wants.

You are right, I'm dumb. Would you recommend a Honad minivan/ Ridgeline, their webpage has a minivan/ Ridgeline Baja section. That's a really long desert race in old Mexico.

Makes sense and I agree. While I have no problem running a HMMWV hard I know that they can take it. It is alot of fun to keep pace with an M1 or M2 over broken ground and their capabilities are really amazing. While I have never been stuck mostly due to technique (mud, slush, snow, etc...) my Ford is not a HMMWV and I don't drive it as such. But, from an always be prepared stand point it could use some improvement. I agree that there are places to make the modifications and I already have them mapped out, it is unfortunate that Ford did not include them with the basic package.

Did someone kick your dog or are you just one of those dudes whose ignorance is only overshadowed by his arrogance? If someone kicked your dog, don't worry, we all have bad weeks.

I agree but I clearly stated that I had limited time and I will expand: I had just moved from Europe to the states, there is only one dealer in the part of Alaska that I live in, I was also working to find a house, have my furniture delivered and set up and, prepare for a year long deployment to Afghanistan. Add on top of that that there are no dealerships in Germany that sell Sport Tracs. As stated I assumed risk but a four wheel drive vehicle with low range should come with tow hooks and skid plates as an option at the very least. It makes no sense that they don't come with them. I could buy your explanation on the aftermarket parts except that there are aftermarket parts and suppliers for the Toyota FJ. The Explorer series of vehicles has been sold since the early 90s and sells many times over what the FJ sells and there are no or limited aftermarket parts for the Explorer series. They simply should exist but the don't. The BMW does offer the spare as an option. The reason that the BMW doesn't come with a spare tire is because technology permits tires that can get you to a service station, you shouldn't be far from a service station. There is no technology that negates the purpose of tow hooks and skid plates on a four wheel drive vehicle. Ford was deceptive in it's vehicle marketing.

The brochure says "No Roads, No Problem".

Except the jobs that you claim the Sport Trac does so well are done equally well by a Focus. I know because I also own one. It did recycling, weekly ran on the Autobahn at or near it's rev limiter, carried projects home from the home improvement store or Ikea, carried up to three bicycles, one more could be carried inside with the wheels removed, with two wheel drive and winter tires handled the snow and ice of Bavaria without issue, carried four people almost comfortably, and European Fords often come with roof rails so thats a wash also. Since you are talking about bicycles you should know that I am a cyclist. I can not satisfactorily get any of my bicycles into the bed of the Sport Trac without removing both wheels. This isn't a problem with my road bikes or mountain bikes but the bikes that I ride with my wife must be laid on top of eachother with the wheels turned. Sure, I knew this and have a fix for it but in it's natural form it isn't "that great". Now for my Triumph Daytona 955i. It fits but barely, canted off center and the rear wheel must be lifted so that the ramp can be placed underneath it to unload it. This doesn't bother me though but, it isn't as useful as you make it out to sound. The difference is that my Focus was around $12,000 while my Sport Trac was much more expensive and gets much worse fuel milage. Plus, the Focus has tow hooks. Now lets talk about my other vehcile the SAAB. It is far nicer and sportier than the Focus, exceeds the capabilities of the Focus, and cost less than the Sport Trac. Should I add that it has both front and rear tow hooks?

Thanks, while on vacation in Texas a dealership there said pretty much the exact same thing so I didn't think much about it thinking that I would purcahse the parts at a later time. When I got back up to Alaska the dealership said no way, now how. The skid plates were fleet only and the tow hooks were not rated for my machine, they are for the Explorer Sport or other models. Bottom line is they would not sell me anything. I do own a hitch tow hook which takes care of the back, the front is another problem. Adding holes and hooks to something that wasn't designed for them will take some work, I don't want to intentionally make it look stupid. Will probably go with a brush guard that has them depending on how that may affect the air bags in the event of a crash. Additionally the guard will probably help out if I become a modern hunter and kill a moose with my vehicle. I appreciate your attempt to help. My frustration comes from the fact that I bought into Fords advertising scheme for the vehicle, was shocked at when I learned that specific items are not available, spent considerable effort to correct these deficiencies, was unsuccessful in correcting the deficiencies (Ford customer care, dealership, aftermarket or lack of aftermarket support), and now I am in Afghanistan upset at the whole situation. Even the back cover of the 2009 brochure says "No road, No problem". But it really is a problem, I feel taken advantage of.

Thanks for restating what I said two times now.

Tech, thanks for the info. I wasn't looking for a rock crawler so that point is understood but I was looking for something with basic off road capabilities so there should be a way to recover the vehicle without having to call a tow truck. I would be upset if I required a tow because I bottomed out on the transfer case, the oil pan, or put a hole in the fule tank. I will be furious if I slide off of the road in the snow and have to call a tow truck to pull me out because there is nowhere to hook up a tow strap to the vehicle.

The vehicle is advertised in off road situations, the frame stiffness is touted which is used for towing and off road situations, and the vehicle comes with a two speed transfer case with 4 wheel drive low. Further, they do offer under body protection for fleet users that my dealer will not order for me. Ford intentionally oversold it's capabilities and cheaped out on some important parts because they believe that their buyers really only need to drive to a parking lot. My wife's SAAB has a front tow hook. I can not imagine a vehicle being sold without one except now somehow I own one.

E thanks for the response but I don't think that it is Ford's or the states responsibility to fix my bad decision. I will eventually figure something out but I do feel that Ford marketed the vehicle a little dishonestly.

I am going to take a few minutes to discuss my disappointment with Ford and the Explorer/ Sport Trac. After being stationed in Germany and moved to Alaska last fall I needed a new vehicle that could handle the harsh environment. I had known a few people that had Explorer’s/ Sport Trac's who really liked them so when I got to Alaska I visited my local Ford dealer and purchased one. The vehicle runs without issue, this is not a complaint of vehicle performance or reliability. What this is is a complaint of Ford strategy, design, or marketing. What I thought that I purchased was a 4x4 vehicle that had some off highway capability and at the very least emergency capability. I now know that what I have purchased is an over glorified road vehicle that Ford has marketed to the active person who doesn't require his vehicle to do much else than drive to an adventure park parking lot. In reality a Ford Focus is just a capable at accomplishing that mission. I find it foolish that Ford provides a low range transfer case but no tow hooks, skid plates or under body protection. Ford, why equip a vehicle with a low range 4x4 and not with tow hooks and under body protection? Why aren't these things offered as options or accessories? Every other manufacture offers them, even Kia. When I called to talk with a Ford Customer Service rep she referred me to my dealership. When I went to my dealership they couldn't answer any of my questions. I really feel like Ford intentionally pulled a fast one on me and am disappointed. Next, why isn't there a locking rear axle? Again, the vehicle has a low range transfer case and came equipped with a V8, why not a locking rear axle option, tow hooks, and under body protection? These items are important because I live and an icy or mushy environment for large parts of the year. During the winter when vehicles slide off of the roads they tend to slide tail first into the snow. If my vehicle does how can anyone pull it out? If I am required to pull someone else's vehicle back on the road how can I? Not only are there are no front tow hooks there aren't any on the back of the vehicle as well! There are times when the limited slip or traction control is useful, there are times when a locking rear axle would be beneficial. Too bad Ford doesn't give people a choice. Why does the whole front of the vehicle have to be chrome? At first it was ok, now it just bugs me. Are there any options? I would even consider swapping it out with a dark grille from one of the other models if no other options exist. I think that the four wheel independent suspension is great. I also think that the chassis rails that are almost flat from front to rear is a great engineering accomplishment. If I had known that the rear half-shafts passed through the frame I would have never purchased this vehicle. Why aren't there any aftermarket accessories for this vehicle? There seem to be plenty that specialize in specific Toyota and Nissan models, why not the Explorer? If I am correct the Toyota FJ sells less than fifty percent of the total Explorer/ Mountainer/ Sport Trac models than Ford sells. Why no accessories? Why won't U-Haul rent a trailer to an Explorer tow vehicle? If there were I wouldn't be so critical of Ford. Had I know prior to moving back to the States that aftermarket manufacturers treated the Explorer as if it had the plague I would have made a better decision. I admit that I have ownership of the poor decision that lead to the purchase of this vehicle but, given the fact that I moved from Europe to Alaska with only weeks to get my wife settled before deploying to Afghanistan I really feel that Ford misrepresented this vehicle and I feel taken advantage of. I am trying to find a reason not to get rid of it.