I want to do some off road adventure....

[Ghost-Flame]

I was thinking of doing an off road adventure trip, camping and so forth with my wife, Next summer. Do you think the x5 can handle this sort of trip. maybe a week in the semi wilderness.

I'm assuming that the trip will be trails and streams that would be navigable by a 4 wheel drive... or am I dreaming? I haven't planned it yet. Is my all wheel x5 capable of mud, ruts, streams, inclines. I'm guessing some side hill situations. I'm longing for some wilderness but, I'm not a long distant hiker.

Would you do it? Are there some after market winches, guards, tires that I should be thinking about?

[Roadkill]

the drive system is equipped for mild off road capabilities but the suspension is nowhere near adequate. just go really slow over rough stuff. i do some really mild wheeling to get to some fishing spots and the suspension feels like it amplifies even the smallest of bumps. still gets there though albeit always behind my friends' trucks.

[Turbo_Bimmer]

Originally Posted by Ghost-Flame

I was thinking of doing an off road adventure trip, camping and so forth with my wife, Next summer. Do you think the x5 can handle this sort of trip. maybe a week in the semi wilderness.

I'm assuming that the trip will be trails and streams that would be navigable by a 4 wheel drive... or am I dreaming? I haven't planned it yet. Is my all wheel x5 capable of mud, ruts, streams, inclines. I'm guessing some side hill situations. I'm longing for some wilderness but, I'm not a long distant hiker.

Would you do it? Are there some after market winches, guards, tires that I should be thinking about?

Like it has been said, the suspension travel is quite limited, but by choosing carefully your path, you wil be able to do a lot, even with one wheel in the air :-)

The biggest improvement you will see is from good off-road tires. All-terrain, mud-terrain, it depends on the surface you're planning to drive on.
Also, some skid plates to protect your aluminum transfer case, oil pan, wire harnesses etc.
Edit: And the most important!! NEVER go alone, go with someone who has a truck at the minimum, equivalent to yours.
I remember my first days of 4 wheeling, when I had a modified Toyota, and got stuck, the stock Nissan pick-up truck on four seasons tires was not capable of pulling me out. Lesson learned.

[diyanich]

I want to do some off road adventure....

Get a tractor

[JCL]

In addition to the good cautions noted above (limited ground clearance, limited wheel travel, lack of underbody protection, street tires that can't handle mud) I would add two points. Firstly, the X5 doesn't have a frame, it is a unibody. It isn't built to handle uneven terrain. Secondly, what will often strand you isn't mechanical, but rather electrical. Many of the control modules and wiring harnesses are mounted low in the chassis, subject to water ingress. You mention crossing streams, but be cautious. Not only will water stop you, but it isn't the kind of thing you can fix when out in the bush.

The X5 is essentially a taller e39 5 series wagon, with awd. It will arguably go fewer places than a 5 series wagon, since it is heavier, and has a higher centre of gravity, while having very similar ground clearance. The awd can certainly help it go more places with the right tires, but I always remember a line from a shop I worked in many years ago. There, we ran a 4x4 tow truck with an additional front winch, for off road recovery. We described awd as just a tool to get people further down a road that they shouldn't have been on in the first place. Because people drove in with awd, if they got stuck they couldn't get out. If you drive a 4wd truck off road in 2wd, the 4wd lever (plus your winch) is your exit strategy. I just remember that awd and dreams of off roading were great for our business.

[Roadkill]

once again JCL, you have knowledge that keeps us all in a safer place. ghostflame, take heed and make sure you realize the limitations that X5's have. if you really need an off road worthy vehicle, perhaps a toyota fj or land rover LR4 would be a better choice. good luck

[SlowRider]

What JCL said.

I recently drove my X on a wilderness trip that took me through an unmaintained mountain road for 20 miles each way. Not off-road, just very rough asphalt/dirt roads with tons of bumps and potholes. I was forced to drive very slowly but I did make it to my destination. At one point I crossed a stream that was about 3" deep. The unibody made everything pretty uncomfortable for my passengers. My front suspension was already wearing out beforehand (sway bar links and thrust arm bushings), but after this trip was over it was making a lot more knocking noises. I'm sure the sport package and street tires didn't help my cause.

[jbny]

I did go to some trails in Maine last year, not offroad but did have some steep inclines and uneven track, no mud/snow, I think the X is pretty good at that stuff unless there are boulders/deep mud to cross, I had the suspension in high settings and did only scrape the underbody once (no issues)

[bigwave2255]

friends wonder why i have 2, 4 wheel drive cars....... x5 for daily commute and lifted xj cherokee for off road , camping , beach driving and just generally carting stuff around

i think of the x5 as an allroad vehicle NOT an OFFROAD vehicle

[Ghost-Flame]

...been away for awhile

Thanks for all the posts. Great advice here. I'm glad I posted this because I realize how much I don't know. The idea of going with another 4 wheel is something I wouldn't have even thought of. I can be very impulsive at times.

What I was thinking was finding logging roads or something that would have been traveled for utility purposes. I don't think I want all the off road stuff on my X5.

Now I,m thinking maybe, I should look for an old jeep, rover or fj. Something I can lift, install winch and skid plates. HMMMM smells like a project coming on. This how it starts... let's take a ride in the woods!... build a stump crawler and $20,000 later we take our ride in the woods.... Yeaaaaay, I think.