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When it comes to the world of off roading, vehicle owners are able to have a great time with their vehicle going through tough terrain while at the same time use their vehicle as a form of self expression. To the unsuspecting bystander or non-enthusiast, lifted Jeeps, trucks, and SUVs could seem to be frivolous or like they all look the same. In contrast, for the owner, the vehicle serves as their pride and joy and is a direct escape from the real world offering up hours of fun with friends and family.
With that being said, depending on where you, there are definite styling trends that seem to only be seen in that region. These trends typically start due to the type of terrain present, but regardless of how they start, they are very apparent. We wanted to take you through a few of the most noticeable styles that we have come across and let our readers be the judge whether it is cool or not.
California
This is an easy one since our office is in California, but Californians are known to lift their trucks with the front end being considerably higher than the back end. This style is often referred to as the “Cali-Lift” due to its heritage, but while the rest of the world might think it looks stupid, there is actually functionality behind it. In the deserts of California, Nevada, and Arizona, there is a large number of off road races that take place. Before the actual event, teams will “Pre-Run” the course in their purpose built Pre-Runners which range from old pickups to purpose built $500,000 trophy trucks with interiors. Most of these trucks however, have the front end higher than the rear due to the terrain, which is how the style got started in California.
The Arctic
One of the coolest looks we have seen is the style that is very common in the Arctic. Being that the terrain is almost always snow with frequent crossings of ice, the style in the Arctic is to run extremely wide, almost balloon-esq, tires that require modifications to the fenders to fit. We here at Offroad Xtreme are big fans of the low center of gravity appearance – putting as big of tires onto a vehicle as possible – but they take it to the next level with this style. There is actually function in this form too as the taller and wider tires create a huge contact patch when aired down to aid in traction and distribute the weight over a larger amount of surface area – which is great when driving over thin ice!
Hawaii
As quite the contrast in climate to the Arctic, Hawaiians go with a different style all together. Toyota trucks are very popular in Hawaii as is lifting the truck evenly front to back and then putting relatively small-diameter wheels on the truck that are very wide. The wheels are normally 15 or 16-inches in diameter but will go anywhere from 8-12-inches wide and stick out far beyond the fender wells. This is a style that we have not seen anywhere else other than Hawaii, but it certainly is distinctive of the area and looks pretty stylish.
Let us know what style you think looks the best and let us know what style we should include next time in The Different Styles of Off Road!
