Off Roading With 1990 Xplorer ~ Any Experience With This?

Thanks for all the replies guys, this really helps a lot. I think I am going to head up north with the group and if it gets too crazy I will pull over and camp and wait for them to return. I will save my cash for other projects!

Blocks in rear, new longer springs up front.
You'll probably need to cut your fenders for any significant increase in tire size.
After jumping through hoops and $, you'll gain a minor amount of clearance under your differential and the ass-end will likely drag on steeps (although a airbag kit maxed out will help).

Aside form the comments/suggestions above, your best bet is aggressive tires, take it slowwww, a second pair of eyes over sketchy terrain, and governor on your willingness to stubbornly forge ahead.

Remember that it's almost certain that it will drive, ride, and handle differently on-road with a lift and bigger tires. I suspect that's where you're still going to spend most of your driving time, yes? It may be no worse, just different. It may be much, much worse.

One misjudged rock or stump can do thousands of dollars of damage to the underside. Jeeps and such have skid plates for a reason, and you've got a lot more vulnerable & costy stuff under there. The long rear overhang _will_ be an issue; you'd need to lift it an absurd amount for it not to be.

Ever got a vehicle stuck? The heavier it is, the easier it is to stick, and the harder it is to unstick. Then there is the potential for leaks caused by the frame flexing.

Just one guy's opinion, based on almost 5 decades of off-roading. It's your dime.

Jim, "Mo' coffee!"

On my 1989 236 xplorer high top extended rear on a dodge chassis owned since new, had one side (passenger side) of the extended frame on which a welded section of 1/4 inch boiler plate material supports the major portion of the propane tank's weight. This area of the frame extention was rusted out so badly that the propane tank was hanging on by only what was left of the sheet metal flooring. The added on 1 1/2 x 3 inch framing material used is of a far lighter weight than that of the vans frame material. By the time I spotted the badly rusted and missing parts of that portion of the frames addition, the propane tank was very very unstable. I mention this only to caution that if your going to off road which will suject the unit to far greater road shock than paved roadways, I'd advise to double chect to see if the condition I described applys to your unit. Having the propne tank drop off and dragged or compltely lost would not make it a fun time.

A lift and some bigger tires couldn't hurt for dirt roads but you can get into trouble with the rear overhang. A locking rear differential is highly recomended otherwise one drive tire will spin and the other will not in certain circumstances thereby making your 2x4 into a 1x4. I'm very selective about which dirt roads I travel down after giving myself a little scare last summer and my van is shorter and lighter than yours. Sportsmobileforum.com is a great place to find out about off-roading in a van. Good luck.