Photo Credit: Amanda Bolin Photography

What Overlander Trail Running Actually Is

I guess a better place to start is what Ford Raptor Overlanding is not. It is not classic overlanding like with a Tacoma, Subaru, or a Rubicon. It is not rock crawling Chocolate Thunder. It's also not mach-10, hair-on-fire, Baja-jumping trophy truck racing.

A Raptor Overlander, at least the kind I'm talking about, is something different.

What Ford Raptor Overlanding is is a category on its own. It is where incredible capability meets luxury comfort while performing at a level that is unprecedented across 4-wheeling. It's built to move. Built to adapt. Built to run.

In fact, "overlanding" almost feels like the wrong word. Raptors don't just overland, they trail run. And trail running is an overall better term for what these trucks are capable of. Overlanding is for Jeeps, vans, and the slower crowd in general. Raptors cover ground. Fast. Controlled. Effortless.

A true Trail Runner comes to life on tight, winding mountain trails and high-elevation passes in the Colorado Rockies. They climb steep rock gardens like Swansea Grade in the Eastern Sierra. They float through Sonoran desert washes and California dunes. They can full-send sandy Baja trails and still crawl when the terrain demands it.

And only one vehicle comes to mind to make all those adventures possible — a Ford Raptor.

Mark's Gen2 Raptor

"The mountains are calling and I must go."

— John Muir

Next Up

Part 2: Build with Purpose. Mark takes us on a deeper look at what it really means to build a Raptor Overlander with intention and how to define the goals that shape your rig.