4 Wheel Explorers
Welcome to 4 Wheel Explorers! We are outdoor enthusiasts that enjoy getting out and exploring places new to us, as well as revisit others we've been to many times. Our most popular destinations are old abandoned mines and ghost towns. Other trips are to get out and get some fresh air, and have a nice picnic enjoying nature. That nature could be anything from cacti in full bloom with green grass to views from a mountain top on a clear, blue sky day.
During the winter months we are located in the Mohave Desert near Yucca, AZ. This area of the Mohave desert is where the fauna of the Sonoran desert to the south, and Great Basin Shrub Steppe to the north intermix. There are areas where we have Saguaro cactus growing alongside Joshua tree and Juniper pines. Recently we have been enjoying visiting old water windmills and springs in the areas surrounding Aubrey Peak Wilderness and around Alamo Lake.
If you're looking for new challenges to conquer such as climbing waterfalls or see how fast you can go, I'm not the guy to tag along with. I drive at a very relaxed pace and stop whenever we feel like it, or if we see something interesting. We do not charge for you to come along on trips, but we do ask that be responsible and come prepared. Whether you're new to the area or just looking to get out and explore, you're welcome to come along.
Super Bloom 2019
Spring of 2019 was dubbed "Super Bloom 2019" by many here in the southwest. The variety of poppies covering the mountains in the Mohave Desert was absolutely amazing! We guided dozens of people to this spot with easy road access to share this rare occurrence. Will you know where to go during the next Super Bloom?
Planned trips
You're welcome to join us on our adventures! We travel to mines, lakes, and scenic overlooks. We take our time exploring and stay mostly on dirt roads and sandy washes. If you're looking to climb water falls or race through the desert, sorry, I'm not going to be the guide for you. Have a place in mind and want a buddy vehicle? Let us know!
Our Build Projects
I'm a #builtnotbought kind of guy, if I can do it myself I probably will. It was pretty frustrating looking online for ideas and finding mostly paid advertisements and sites that require a membership so they can spam you and sell your info. Frustrated, I opted to document my builds and repairs on my vehicles here. During the Arizona winters I can be found in a '93 ZJ Grand Cherokee. Once it gets warm we head back to Montana and explore an '02 Toyota 4 Runner every chance I get.
NOTE: Only the Roof Rack has an active link, the others are work in progress. This was published intentionally this way as a form of motivation to finish them. Videos will eventually replace the static images of each build page as well.
Wanting a rack that would safely support us in our roof top tent, we designed and fabricated this roof rack. A full guide can be found here including how we made our own mounts to attach to the factory rails.
Roof Rack Lights
Lets shine some light on the subject! Or, in this case, all around! One of the great advantages of having a roof rack is the sturdy fixed platform to install lighting, antennas, safety flags and tools. In this article we will install a forty two inch curved light bar and 4 floods around the rack.
4Runner Frame Fix
We bought this 3rd Gen 4Runner for our Montana adventures. We knew it had rust, and while others were afraid of it we jumped right in and had it back on the road in one weekend. The frame was rusted and broken on both sides. We completely boxed and gusseted the frame, got an alignment and had it back on the trail in one weekend. Write-up coming soon.
ZJ Rear Bumper
This is still in the design phase. Originally this was planned to have one large swing and has evolved to a swing away on both sides latching in the middle. One with the spare tire, the other with fuel or water cans.