Ultimate Adventure 2022’s Invited Readers

Long before we were on our first Ultimate Adventure, we, like you, were readers of off-road magazines. In fact we were somewhat fanatical about them, buying just about any off-road magazine we could to live vicariously through the folks and vehicles we saw between the pages. Keep in mind it was before the internet as we know it. One event that was ever in our minds since we heard about it was the Ultimate Adventure, a weeklong trip that pits a group of hardcore off-road enthusiasts against some challenging off-road trails with a fair amount of on-road mileage and other distractions mixed in for good measure. It’s the original and truly the ultimate off-road adventure, and we are proud to be a part of it. The Ultimate Adventure, like off-roading in general, is open to just about anyone who is truly passionate and puts in the effort to join the fray. The prime example of this comes from the portion of the Ultimate Adventure group made up of invited readers. These are the guys and gals who live for vehicular adventure, the people we write magazines for, and the people that allow us to do what we love for a living. For Ultimate Adventure 2022 we had another great group of folks (it’s almost like Christian Hazel knows how to assemble a group of off-roaders for Ultimate Adventure). The group meshed well and overcame all obstacles with a little excitement, a few broken parts, and a ton of support from everyone involved. Here are the special few who applied and were selected to go on Ultimate Adventure.

Truth is, we got to vet Matt Anderson and his co-driver Ted Morris on a few trails in Moab during Easter Jeep Safari. They did fine and meshed well with us and our friends. Matt’s also buddies (and neighbors) with our laid-back and easygoing crony Dave Chappelle. Like Dirt Head Dave, Matt and Ted are laid-back and ready for adventure, always smiling. Matt’s 1977 F-250 is also just about the perfect truck for a trip like Ultimate Adventure. It’s (relatively) lightweight, oozes coolness, works on- and off-road, and Matt knows how to drive it. Despite nearly daily on-the-trail sheetmetal modifications—and, finally, the death of Matt’s roller-camm’d HO 302 engine on the last day—this pair of Spokanites (they’re from Spokane, Washington) were a blast to have on the trip. The Ford we call GreenFerd (because we can) did great … until it didn’t. Still, Matt seemed unfazed about the loss of the engine (he was still smiling) and we’re sure the green Ford will be back on the trails in no time.

Engine broke (not sure exactly what happened but she started knocking on the way to the trail on the last day of Ultimate Adventure, knocked some more, smoked, then died). Matt also extensively remodeled the bedsides of the truck, but ’tis a flesh wound. Matt has plans to straighten her back up, spray a coat of green paint, and put a fresh 5.0-liter with F303 cam and GT40P heads with Explorer intake. She will be good as new and hopefully have a few more horsepressures in the mix.

Tim Jackson and his wife (and true off-roader) Georgia were both “trail help” at Katemcy K2 during Ultimate Adventure 2021 last year, and somehow they also applied to be invited readers on Ultimate Adventure 2022 … in an entirely new and different vehicle than either had at Katemcy last year. For Ultimate Adventure 2022, Tim built a well-thought-out and functional M-715 that looked mild but just about aced all the harder trail sections of the trip. This couple lives for off-roading, and for their wonderful hound dogs (who sadly weren’t allowed on Ultimate Adventure—damned lawyers!!!). Tim is quiet, but funny and smart—surprisingly funny and surprisingly smart—and fun to be around. Georgia is also a pleasure to be around, and when she isn’t out hunting deer or wild pigs, or rockcrawling around Texas, she is apparently baking cookies at an industrial scale. We’re talking about thousands of delectable, prepackaged cookies that basically made other food items on Ultimate Adventure obsolete for everyone in attendance. So many cookies, and delicious ones at that … oh, and some venison salami, too!

Custom front bumper, Baja Designs LP4 lights on bumper, LP6 where original blackout light was, custom rollcage, Corbeau suspension seats, PRP harness, hydroboost brake conversion. Tim custom-built the top for the truck (and somehow didn’t destroy it on Ultimate Adventure), and Quigley built the driveshafts, front and rear.

Somehow Tim and Georgia only managed to break taillights on the M-715, for which they had brought a few replacements (like four to six), predicting that would be the case. Other damage was limited to just a few dents and scratches on the truck.

The name for Derek and Owen Rickford’s GMC Jimmy comes from amalgamating the words “Jeep” and “Jimmy.” That’s because this SUV is distinctly a modified Jimmy, but one modified like many a Jeep, to do Jeep-like stuff … just without all the dumb Jeep stuff! Either way, the Jeemmy and the Rickfords prove an Ultimate Adventure point: They have applied to go on the trip for as long as we can remember and are always present in the applications inbox, and their persistence paid off this year, when they were finally invited to be a part of the trip. Talk about tenacity! This father/son duo was always present with huge smiles, just soaking up the adventure and enjoying this unique experience we all truly love. Both were helpful and resilient on the trails, ready to lend a hand whenever needed, and made repairs in a flash when they did break a locking hub on Ultimate Adventure Day 2. They, like you, decided they wanted to be a part of Ultimate Adventure, but instead of sulking and licking wounds when they weren’t invited right away (like the first 10 times), smiled and applied again … and again … until it paid off. We’re so glad they stuck with it because they were an incredible addition to the event.

Full rear driveline armor/anti-wrap bar designed and built by Derek, which took tons of hard hits and did its job. ORI struts over leaf springs in the rear are unusual, but allow ride height adjustment under different loads. Custom quick-disconnect anti-sway bar.

Locking hub on Day 2 (with free replacement thanks to a Napa warranty!), minor passenger door dent.

Sometimes an iconic vehicle shows up on Ultimate Adventure, and sometimes a vehicle with “smallish” tires shows up on Ultimate Adventure. For Ultimate Adventure 2022, the beautiful 1988 Toyota 4Runner of Bobby Summers and co-driver Stephen Hoelzel represented both categories. We’ve had first-generation 4Runners on Ultimate Adventure in the past, but Bobby’s was the first with (albeit modified) Toyota factory-based IFS (with a smallish differential and smallish halfshafts) still in place. The 35-inch tires Bobby runs on this rig were big on the first few Ultimate Adventures, but are now definitely relatively small, though still hard on that Toyota IFS system, and Bobby knew those facts would present additional obstacles to him and the 4Runner. Having said that, Bobby and Stephen ‘wheeled the tires off the 4Runner, hitting the trails hard, often saving the front axle parts by unlocking the front differential. One way or another, despite the odds, Bobby, Stephen, and the 4Runner were always at the end of the trail, bathing in success with smiles on their faces. Bobby did break a front CV axle early on in the trip, but with the skill and persistence of its drivers, this Toyota made the daunting trip relatively unscathed.

Centerforce clutch, custom-built rollcage, custom hidden winch-mount and skidplate, PRP bucket seats, Crow harnesses, Nardi steering wheel, Switch Pro, KC slimlites spot, Baja designs S2 sport flood, Full throttle AGM battery, Custom sliders and rear bumper, custom bedcage with King triple-bypass shocks located behind the back seat, custom front and double-cardan rear driveshaft built by The Machine Shop in Chino Valley, Arizona. Full-size spare is mounted to bedcage, with room for the fridge mounted to a fridge slide. Fully functioning back seat! Plenty of room for the family and two dogs. All bolt-on parts supplied by Yotamasters in Corona, California, and a radical tiger-stripe valve cover was painted by Nick Sawyers from Loose and Lost!!!

James Ryder and his father Kevin were our returning readers for Ultimate Adventure 2022. These two showed up last year in a well-sorted rig with big tires, great gearing, some serious driver skill, and a can-do attitude that meshed well with the other Ultimate Adventure regulars. They made all of the obstacles on Ultimate Adventure 2021 look easy, and as returning readers did much the same in the now slightly more-used 2002 Tacoma. James and Kevin are great to have on the trip. They do what they need to do and take care of themselves while lending a helping hand when needed. James’ first-gen Tacoma proves the point that these rigs can easily be built to work really well off-road and still drive down the highway. Last year, during Ultimate Adventure 2021, James had a few hiccups, but swapped the ring-and-pinion in his rear axle quickly and quietly after it started making noise. James also did some impressive body damage last year, and preemptively swapped a noisy driveshaft carrier bearing. For Ultimate Adventure 2022, he only managed to break his tent … which is an Ultimate Adventure failure that just barely counts. Once again, the boys from Oregon in the Tacoma exemplified the spirit of Ultimate Adventure.

Most everything fabricated on this truck is one-off, built by hand by James—1¾-inch DOM interior ‘cage, full back-halved chassis, Nameless performance hand brake for front digs, suspension seats, Baja Designs XL80 pro headlights, custom spare tire three-way strap built by Quality Chain Corp.

Ultimate Adventure 2022, presented by Rugged Ridge, will be happening the last week of September, so be sure to keep your eyes on this website for daily event updates publishing from September 25 to October 2, event coverage in the pages of Four Wheeler, and, of course, the Ultimate Adventure videos on MotorTrend’s YouTube page in early December.

Follow the hashtag: #UA2022