Any Florida members?

dylansalrin

dylansalrin

Orthopedic Circulator
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Minneapolis, MN
So the lady friend just got a full ride offer at Embry–Riddle in Daytona beach and so it went on the list of possible relocation cities. Coming from the Midwest I have no clue what kind of terrain is in Florida. I know its flat and wet. Hot and dense mud. So with my new jeep I just got, should I start planning to build it for heavy mud? How do you Florida jeepers tackle the terrain down there? What should I start putting on the wish list?
 
I mostly encounter flat terrains however there are places like The Jeep Ranch that are man made with different levels of ability. I prefer rocks over mud. You can find rough terrain just got to know where to look. Mostly wet and muddy here. I'm in Sarasota. Other coast. Can't beat the beaches though.

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i.chevrette said:
I mostly encounter flat terrains however there are places like The Jeep Ranch that are man made with different levels of ability. I prefer rocks over mud. You can find rough terrain just got to know where to look. Mostly wet and muddy here. I'm in Sarasota. Other coast. Can't beat the beaches though.

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Ok right on, I really want to make a capable overlander basically. I know I'll probably be in the minority there because not many people go camping in Florida haha.. maybe at a beach. Thanks for the info
 
CodaMan said:
I've been to the mountains of Florida many times .... Hahaha
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The highest point in Florida is 312 feet...from all the way up there you can really take in the view!

dylansalrin said:
Ok right on, I really want to make a capable overlander basically. I know I'll probably be in the minority there because not many people go camping in Florida haha.. maybe at a beach. Thanks for the info
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On a serious note though, you can't really camp on the beaches here unless your in a national park, which there are 3 of but the way. You'll have the Everglades which is a huge wilderness, and Big Cypress..they actually require an off-road permit to trail ride in. Biscayne and Dry Tortugas are beach parks that are beautiful.

The terrain is mainly swampy mud and sugar sand, so be prepared for that. You will have to be prepared for hurricane evacuations, tropical storms and flooding. Keep that in mind. Also you'll want to grab a Spiderwebshade!
 
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I'm right up the road in Jacksonville. It is mainly mud/muddy water that you will encounter, but as others have stated there are man made parks as well. Daytona is also home to jeep beach every year.

33s help with the depth of the water crossings in the trails. Ensure your breather hoses are not too low.

Look up Ocala National Forest for an idea. There are YouTube videos as well.

This is from Osceola National Forest (about an hour west of Jax).
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zip04 said:
I'm right up the road in Jacksonville. It is mainly mud/muddy water that you will encounter, but as others have stated there are man made parks as well. Daytona is also home to jeep beach every year.

33s help with the depth of the water crossings in the trails. Ensure your breather hoses are not too low.

Look up Ocala National Forest for an idea. There are YouTube videos as well.

This is from Osceola National Forest (about an hour west of Jax).
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Hey zip04, I'm in Jax also. Where are some local trails I could hit? Not looking for any thing extreme because if I break my daily driver I'm screwed lol.
 
EJD said:
It's this week you know, are you going?
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I will likely go next year. Can't go this year because we will be in Western Georgia this weekend.

CMTJ said:
Hey zip04, I'm in Jax also. Where are some local trails I could hit? Not looking for any thing extreme because if I break my daily driver I'm screwed lol.
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The closest trails I have been on are at Osceola. The trails are not difficult, but do have quite a bit of water sprinkled throughout the trails. There are a lot of trails out there that I have not been down yet, so I would recommend talking to the park rangers and seeing what trails would best fit what you are looking for (little to no water if possible).

In the Jax area, the only thing I know of is off of A1A north of Wonderwood, near gate 5 to the base. There are small trails for people who fish in the river. Not much, but it is something.
 
I'm in Florida, opposite coast though.as mentioned previously, lots of mud and sand in the National Forrests and wilderness areas. I have yet to see a mud pit that didn't have a go around. I would suggest staying away from it. You won't be able to stay away from the sugar sand.

There are a few private parks in the middle of the state. Hard Rock has hill climbs, concrete, and rocks with very little mud. However, the clay is known to stain your paint if you care about that kind of thing.

Jeep Ranch is easy trails and mud.

There are two yearly events, Jeepin with Judd and Krawlin got the Fallen, where private areas are configured with obstacles and trails.
 
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I go to the Ocala National Forest 4-5 times a year. There are a few places in there where deep sand is a problem. Almost got stuck a coupla' times. Pulled a stuck YJ with 33x12.5's out of deep sand about 3 months ago.
 
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I'm going to get them, but they aren't really needed unless you are at one of the private locations that may have rocks.


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zip04 said:
I'm going to get them, but they aren't really needed unless you are at one of the private locations that may have rocks.


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dylansalrin said:
so winch is a must ha. are rocker guards a big thing? or protection at all?
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I picked up a set for protection from logs and branches and as a step. It was an eye opener when a big log was across half of a trail and I was contemplating driving over it, then quickly realized the damage that would occur to the tub when the front wheel cleared it.


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dylansalrin said:
This may be a stupid question but do you run any extra skid plates?


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Not a stupid question at all. I have an engine skid to protect the oil pan and transmission pan.

*Edit* also a different gas tank skid, but only because the OE one before '03 is about the same thickness as a sheet of aluminum foil.

My biggest concern and main reason for the skids is the crap hidden under water crossings.
 
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