US Southwest CDT NM

JCross said:
Hello all. I've never given it much thought until Kent mentioned a very long stretch of the trail that will require extra fuel to be carried. Has anyone ever measured MPG on the trail vs on the road. The 4runner is heavy and loves the fuel.
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I've found it's more a case of how many miles are done in 4wd low and not so much as "on the trail". Definitely suck a lot of gas when doing 4wd low. Airing down also hurts gas mileage. Fortunately, New Mexico's sections of the CDT are fairly easy, I did most of the BDR in 2wd or at most, 4wd high and sections of that overlapped with the CDT so feel like they are comparable. That being said, I do carry an extra 7 gallons just in case. While I didn't need them, it definitely can get sketchy with the distances between towns with working gas stations out there. I also think it's just important to keep gas levels in mind and not get picky on where you stop to get gas (shopping for a lower price, etc.) or consider small detours to go get gas when needed.
 
JCross said:
What about an average speed.
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Sure, that's a factor too for gas mileage. When I did the Colorado BDR and the Wyoming BDR I was with a group and we went about 30-35 a lot of the time. I found that a little fast. When I did the NM BDR I was leading and kept it closer to 20 as I was constantly looking around, taking pics, and generally trying to just chill and enjoy the journey more. Of course, when in 4wd low we crawled really slowly, 5-10. We did stop and take pics with the other two group trips but I think there was more of a "let's accomplish this!" mindset where I was more in the frame of mind of "let's enjoy this!". So a non-answer answer to your question is the average speed is what works for you as the leader. I thoroughly enjoyed all three trips and would do any of them again with the same people, just different styles. Also, I drive a GMC 2500 with a stock suspension, so I'm going to be naturally slower on some of the routes than someone with a smaller vehicle and a heavily modified suspension. Again, more of a non-answer to your question.
 
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OkieDavid, I very much appreciate your input. I have allotted 5 days to drive across NM but I don't know if that's realistic or not, I can add a couple of days if needed. I want to take it easy and take in as must beautiful scenery as possible so don't plan on being in a hurry unless that's just how it has to be. I also want plenty of input from those with experience because this will be my first trip of this sort.
 
JCross said:
OkieDavid, I very much appreciate your input. I have allotted 5 days to drive across NM but I don't know if that's realistic or not, I can add a couple of days if needed. I want to take it easy and take in as must beautiful scenery as possible so don't plan on being in a hurry unless that's just how it has to be. I also want plenty of input from those with experience because this will be my first trip of this sort.
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My two cents are this. New Mexico is a beautiful state however not every inch of it equally binge worthy (the first part of the route is pretty barren). So there will be sections where you would want to go slow and other sections where you might speed up. I think 5 full days would do it, maybe 6 if you start late on the first day or make a lot of side quests. Of course, coming from Oklahoma, I will have a 14 hour drive to get there so I'll probably allocate two weeks for the entire trip and see some stuff on the way there and back, will be flexible on the length of the group portion. Cave Creek Canyon, AZ is near the start and I will pass through the Lincoln NF getting there, so lots of options. Looking forward to it, always enjoy New Mexico.
 
Hello all, I have more questions, roughly how much electric power do you use when stopped for camping, what does your typical evening meals consist of and how do you deal with bodily waste? I've read some very detail methods and some very strict rules about going in the wild.
 
JCross said:
Hello all, I have more questions, roughly how much electric power do you use when stopped for camping, what does your typical evening meals consist of and how do you deal with bodily waste? I've read some very detail methods and some very strict rules about going in the wild.
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I'm spoiled. I have a Four Wheel Camper so I do my cooking inside and have all the power I need. I basically cook a lot of the same stuff I cook at home since the camper also has a fridge. However, I carry any dishwater away from camp to disperse and even before I got the camper I tended to bag my fecal waste to dispose of later. You can't really bury it in the desert since there's no moisture to break it down, but most of NM is wet enough you can bury it. General rules are to do it 200' away from a water source at least six inches deep. Just carry a shovel. But if you want to go fancy like me, get a 5-gallon bucket and a luggable loo seat or something equivalent and wag bags and you're set. Plus, its more comfortable and you don't have to pay attention to the local rules because you're never in violation.
 
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I take a "Throne" room with me. Collapsible seat that has a bag ring that hold everything in place. I also double bag it. The key ingredient is Cat Litter!! Yes you heard that right!! Cat litter! I carry a jug of it and put a scoop in the bag and smells are gone!
 

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it looks like the rally point is jacked up since the new update. Might want to look into it.
 
Oh yeah, and don't forget the bear bag!! or trash bag.....
 

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Rally Point is being worked on, give it a week or so and it will be back as it should be.
 
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Hey guys, the southern terminus access is now in a military zone and background check is required. This really only affects the first couple of miles but if we want the photo op of the marker at the beginning, we'll probably need to start the process of applying for a permit by late November/December time frame. CDT Closures and Alerts Also, the rally point is still not working, can you re-post the exact dates of the trip just in a forum message, thanks.
 
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@OkieDavid
I plan to leave home Friday 1MAY2026 and meet Monday 4MAY2026 to start the journey, I need to be home by 16MAY2026. I would like some input on a place to meet as I'm not familiar at all with the southern terminus area and I do want the photo op. What is the process for getting the permits you mention?
 
JCross said:
@OkieDavid
I plan to leave home Friday 1MAY2026 and meet Monday 4MAY2026 to start the journey, I need to be home by 16MAY2026. I would like some input on a place to meet as I'm not familiar at all with the southern terminus area and I do want the photo op. What is the process for getting the permits you mention?
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I'm not sure where I'll be Sunday night but we can plan on meeting at the start on Monday morning. There's plenty of camping in the general area but I'm coming from Oklahoma so heading west and I understand that many will be coming east bound.

I linked to the CDT hiking page in the earlier post which has details with a map, but here's the direct link to get the pass: New Mexico National Defense Area :: Fort Huachuca
 

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Good morning, all. When you fully load your vehicles for a trip how close does the suspension get to the bump stops. I had to go with a drawer system and at 90 percent loaded I only have a few inches of travel left.
 
With my XJ fully loaded, the rear only drops about an inch and a half.
Are your springs under rated?
 
My current set up is 80 series Land Cruiser axels under a 3rd gen 4runner. The 80 series rear coils are compatible are far as fitment with 2nd gen 4runners rear coils. I'm using 2" lift coils made for the 2nd gen 4runner. The curb weight of both 4runners is 3700 lbs. give or take, so I believe the spring ratings should be very close. I had planned to completely unload the 4runner this weekend to make adjustments to the drawer system. I'll take measurements to see just how much spring compression I have. I'll post up a picture of all that I plan on taking, I may be over doing it on my first overlanding trip.
 
How much weight are you actually carrying? Im about 360 extra pounds. That includes the spare tire, HiLift jack, spare parts, camping gear, food n water, sleeping platform, and misc small items. Sometimes an extra 105lbs for my dog.
I forget the actual rate of my springs, but I they are a little over stock for the extra weight I carry.
 
The pile of stuff on the floor is 325lbs. This does not include water, food, extra fuel, drawer system or my passenger and his stuff, not to mention a 100lb. RTT, 105lb. spare and 100lbs. of fuel/carrier.

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