2003 Ranger Station Roundup

story & photos by Jim Allen

Talk about emptying the pool! Brett Beach pushes a tidal wave of brown, malodorous water ahead as he crosses one of the many wet areas. His 2000 Ranger didn’t miss a beat.

There are many ways for 4x4 enthusiasts with a common interest to find each other for trail runs. One increasingly common way is via the internet. In 1998, when Jim Oaks created the ancestor of what is now the Ranger Station website as one-stop-shopping for Ford Ranger and Bronco II owners, it soon became the information resource for owners of these rigs. The website has become a huge resource for information on Rangers, Bronco IIs and Explorers. There is so much good, well presented material that the website also stands as one of the best non-professionally produced 4x4 websites.

Will Wills, an ex-Marine from Indiana, used his ’91 Ranger to good effect on the event. It’s shown here at the entrance of a steep downhill into a ravine that tested the seat upholstery with a number of tight, off-camber switchbacks. Will’s rig has a stock 4.0L V6 and 5-speed, but with a number of other mods.

The “token” full-size on the event was former Ranger owner Andrew Worthuis’ ’86 Bronco. It was tight at times, but the big Bronco squeezed through every obstacle. Andrew is active Air Force stationed at Langley AFB and his rig is largely stock.

Hidden deep in a ravine was a rockcrawling section through a creekbed that started by climbing this pile of boulders. Eric Hanus’ ’94 Super Cab clambers over the rockpile into the creek.

As the Ranger Station website became more popular, forum members began clamoring for organized trail runs and Oaks obliged. In 1999 he set up the first Round-Up and the rest is history. To date, the Roundups have been in the general region of Oaks’ eastern Ohio home, but Oaks has future plans for Roundups farther west or east.

Mark Langohr’s ’90 Ranger was the most controversial rig at the event. Powered by a Chevy 350, it lives at the apex of the Ford vs Chevy controversy. Not everyone knew a Bowtie was under the hood, and some of those folks were heard to comment, “Dang, that thing don’t sound like a Ford.” One fella said, “It sounds like my neighbor’s ‘Vette!” Ahem!

At the top of one hill, the trail offered a vista over the Ohio River. This area is one of the most scenic in Ohio and there were more than a few vistas to reward those who managed to grind all the way to the top of the steep hills.

....but like Brett Beach’s 2000, the pit won both rounds. As the interior slowly filled with evil smelling liquid, some quick work was required to pull this three year old rig outta the goo before the interior acquired permanent stains. There was six inches of water on the floor by the time this rig was yanked, I think it’s safe to say that new car smell is now gone.

Mud hole-2, Rangers-0. Serious bogging was available and two of the hardiest tried this bottomless pit...

Check that transfer case oil for you sir? Ryan Costello popped the left front tire bead on the off-camber section of a steep downhill and ended up like this. Fortunately there were no injuries and the roll was gentle enough that a Beagle riding in the rig was nonplussed. When put rubber side down, Ryan’s ’89 Bronco II was relatively unscathed. After a quick tire change and general checkout, the hardy Bronco II continued through the rest of the run.

David Yank’s ’88 Super Cab is no gleaming trailer queen and as a result, Dave isn’t afraid to dive into the deep end. Besides a home built snorkel (note the passenger side cowl), the 2.9L V6 automatic powered truck has a 3-inch suspension and 3-inch body lift and 31x10.50 tires. The unit has 4.10 gears with the stock Dana 28 front and Ford 7.5 rear axles. Also note the “custom” lightening of the body around the rear fenders.

The April 25-27, 2003 Roundup was a weekend affair that took place on private land near Wellsville, Ohio. The owners of some 26 trucks attended, along with their friends, families and a few canine camp followers. A Friday barbecue and night run began the event and Saturday consisted of a full day of ‘wheeling in the varied terrain around Wellsville.

Just about every type of trail feature was available for the intrepid Ranger crew. The terrain in the tri-state area of Eastern Ohio consists of rolling hills and there were enough gullies and hillclimbs to satisfy even the most discerning purveyor of the vertical. There were several challenging rockcrawling areas through a creekbed that was flowing with water. There was also plenty of the world famous Midwestern mud, and the local carwashes probably noticed a spike in sales. The day was topped off by an evening of fun, food and frivolity at the Ice House Inn, a local watering hole.

“Hello, Newman!” Mark Newman, who became known as “351” for his 351ci powered ’84 Ranger, has a perilous moment on an off camber section of trail. It’s doubtful that Mark’s left arm is what helped him stay rubber-side up, but it probably offered some mental support while he figured out what to do next. Under the blue oval on the tailgate of is the word “Unscarred” and we’re happy to report the word still applies. Whew!

Wheeling through the woods offered plenty of time to test maneuvering skills and turning circle diameters. No serious tree encounters were reported.

Nothing like deep gullies and greasy trails combined with steep climbs. Light rain the day before had added a bit of slickness, but not beyond the fun level. Tight trails like these with trees can be a greasy bash-fest right after a heavy rain.

This is a tough color to match. The mudholes in this area have been nicknamed, “The Tank Traps.” Well, a Bronco II ain’t a tank, as Darrel Beach found out, but a little bit of strap work got the plucky Ford outta the goo. There were easier ways through this, but Darrel took a line through the deepest part. And dang near made it!

Electric Blue and mud makes a good color combo, don’t you think? Obviously, Andrew Walk agrees, because he’s pushing his ’94 Super Cab through the Tank Traps with a plomb.

Jason Specht claims to have no more than a few hundred bucks in this ’86 Super Cab, keeping it going with parts from a few “donor” rigs at his place. Well, this truck will never win any beauty awards, but it provides carefree fun for its owner and it chugged along the entire route.

There was plenty of mud for every taste! Besides a 351ci four-barrel under the hood, Newman’s rig has had the IFS swapped with a Dana 44 from a ’75 Bronco. A ’94 Ford 8.8 is mounted in back and uses the stock Ford Traction Lok. Gears are 3.73:1 and the tires are 33x14-15 Super Swampers.

The Ranger Roundup even had two sponsors, the Four Wheel Parts Performance Center in Memphis and Randy’s Ring and Pinion, each of whom provided gift certificates of significant value to be raffled. Our illustrious editor arranged to get us some 4-Wheel Parts and Off-Road Adventures swag and these were also dispensed to eager fans. All participants got something, even if it was just one of the rare and coveted Off-Road Adventures decals.

If you are a current or aspiring Ford Ranger, Bronco II or Explorer owner, visit the Ranger Station website (see below) to get an education on these compact Ford four-bys and to find out about upcoming events. A Fall Roundup is listed for October 19 of ’03, the venue to be in Kentucky where a new trail is to be constructed on private land.

The rest of this Ranger story is best told in photos.