Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

This episode of the Off Road Podcast is Sponsored by Colby Valve.

Tonight, Aaron sleeps on the ground, Coy gets rocked, & Ben coughs a lot

Welcome to the off-road podcast. A podcast about everything off-road. We cover the news, review products, and interview people in the off road industry.  Your hosts tonight are Aaron, Coy, my name is Ben and tonight we are joined by Dave Demsey, an off road enthusiast from New Jersey.  Welcome to the show.

Coy – went beach combing

Aaron – Still having Nissan issues.  Went survival camping.

Ben – battery drain issue trying to figure out why my battery keeps dying 

 
Patriotpatch.co 
We also want to thank our sponsor Patriot Patch. Head over to Patriotpatch.co and check out their selection of great patches, shirts, cleaning mats, signs , and stickers.  You can also join the patch of the month club for 15 bucks and receive a patch, matching sticker, and artist proof each month.

Our patches $13 shipped in the US for one and $10 for any additional.  Or $10 picked up from us in person.  Just send us a message through any of our channels and we can set you up with a Paypal link.

News brought to you by Colby Valve

• The Drive – Ford Replaces Wrecked Raptor With Raptor R
  • United States Marine Corps Sergeant Tyler Vargas-Andrews was in Afghanistan assisting with the evacuation of the Kabul airport after the Taliban takeover in 2021 when suicide bombers attacked, killing 183 people. Vargas-Andrews suffered horrific injuries and woke up a week later at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, recovering from wounds resulting from 100 to 150 ball bearings. Two of his close friends had died in the blast and he remained hospitalized for quite some time after two amputations: his right arm below the elbow and his entire left leg
  • As a gift to himself for surviving, Vargas-Andrews bought a 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor equipped with a turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 good for 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque.
  • Now retired, the former soldier told the Detroit Free Press that he took several cross-country trips in the Raptor from Virginia to California, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming for off-roading, putting the truck through its paces.
  • Vargas-Andrews says he was stopped in traffic on the Interstate in Virginia on Thanksgiving Day last year when he saw a speeding black SUV in his rear view mirror getting closer and closer. There was no way for him to move or evade the imminent crash, and the Murano barreled in the truck from behind, sending the Raptor careening across multiple lanes of traffic and spinning it around.
  • He was hit by a driver in a 2017 Nissan Murano.  While the structure of the Ford truck kept the former Marine and his partner Victoria safe, his red Raptor was totaled.
  • State Troopers later told Vargas-Andrews that the SUV driver was charged with reckless/negligent driving, but that didn’t bring his truck back to life. 
  • He posted about the incident on his Instagram account @whistlingdeath, tagging Ford and Ford Performance, and dozens of commenters chimed in to tag the company. It got the attention of Ford North America Product Communications Director Mike Levine, who helped pass the story up the chain to executive chair Bill Ford.
  • The great-grandson of Henry Ford got involved, inviting Vargas-Andrews to choose “the Raptor of his dreams” and come to Dearborn, Michigan for a visit. By the time Vargas-Andrews left Michigan, the 26-year-old had picked out a brand-new 2024 Raptor R, which boasts a supercharged V8 with 720 hp—a 270-hp upgrade over his old Raptor. In the process, he got to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Dearborn plant to meet Bill Ford, Ford CEO Jim Farley, and scores of Blue Oval employees.
  • The Virginia resident will take delivery at a local dealership after it rolls off the line sometime soon, and he says he is “beyond grateful.”  “This truly left me speechless,” Vargas-Andrews told the Detroit Free Press. “It’s a small thing to them, but to me it’s everything. I’ve got buddies that died within an arm’s reach of me. I’m missing a plethora of my organs. And I don’t take any day for granted. You get knocked down and it’s how you choose to pick yourself up.”
• The Drive – Forsberg Edition Nissan Frontier
  • This limited-edition off-roading package is based on the one trialed in Formula D champ Chris Forsberg’s Nissan race truck in the recent NORRA 500.
  • Forsberg won the Stock Production class with a Frontier. While the results haven’t been published so we can’t tell how competitive the class was, the parts list makes clear this is more capable than a traditional Frontier Pro-4X if not as hardcore as a Chevy Colorado ZR2.
  • It starts with a Nismo lift kit, which includes forged upper control arms, performance shocks, and 17-inch Axis beadlock wheels. They fit 31.6-inch Yokohama Geolandar X-AT tires that are the same size as the Pro-4X’s, so they probably don’t net you more than the factory 9.5 inches of ground clearance.
  • you still get rock sliders, a roof rack with LED lights, and a Nismo catback exhaust.
  • Of course, they also throw in Forsberg Racing decals and a badge denoting your truck’s exclusivity.
  • The Nissan Frontier Forsberg Edition will be available as a dealer-installed accessory package for both new and preexisting 2022-onward Frontiers starting this fall. It’ll retail for $9,999, which is indeed pricey but you’re paying a premium for OEM-plus parts.

Main Topic 

Dave Demsey

Fast Five Facts   

1. New or old vehicle?
2. Summer or winter camping?
3. Rock, Sand, Snow or Mud?
4. Favorite vehicle brand?
5. Favorite tire?

Any recommendations for someone new to off-roading respect the land 

Tell us about you

How did you get started in off-roading?

What was the first vehicle you took off road?

What’s your favorite rig to hit the trail in?

What’s your most embarrassing moment on the trail?

Do you have a biggest win on the trail?

Where is your favorite place to wheel?

Any places you want to go that you haven’t gone to?

Tell us about the trail issues in New Jersey

Last question, Where can our listeners find you?

• Facebook- 
• Youtube-
• Instagram-
• Web- 

Next Week: Oregon Adventure Trucks 

Closing Statements

Thanks everyone who listens to us weekly and also to those who watch us live on YouTube.  We really appreciate you.  Please share us with your friends and help us grow.  God bless America!

Don’t forget to visit Patriot Patch and join the Patch of the Month club. Check out our Gaia affiliate link for up to 40% off. Also, don’t forget to head over to Warn, Colby Valve, and 4Patriots to see all of their great products. We are a proud part of the Firearms Radio Network. Got a question or comment?  Send it to us through our Linktree account or by searching for Off Road Podcast.  Also, you can listen to us live at overlandradio.com Mondays at 7 pm Pacific.  When off-road please remember to have fun, tread lightly, and be safe and courteous. Thanks for listening.