Traversing The World Like No One Before

Victor Nguyen always dreamed of visiting the Grand Canyon on dirt—you know, the old-fashioned way before there were things like roads. About a year ago, after four years of meticulously planning routes and ironing out dates, he and a group of off-roaders made the journey. Eight trucks embarked on a route that traversed the remote Northern Rim of the Grand Canyon, a route of obscure dirt trails that would take them from the highest point in the canyon to the lowest—a dirt trail that very few people, if any, have ever completed before.

So, how does one prepare for a journey to take on some of Nature’s most incredible feats? Hear it from Nguyen:

“A lot of people who saw our rigs collectively would probably have thought we were over-prepared, but all of our trucks are purpose-built and used. On my 4Runner specifically, I've used just about everything besides the spare parts I bring along, which I've accumulated based on things I've broken in the past. I have a front plate bumper for added security against rock, unexpected obstacles, and to hold my winch. And a rear plate bumper for additional trail armor and to hold my extra fuel/water tanks. My rooftop tent helps me set up camp very quickly. I can literally roll up to a campsite and open the tent, and I'm set. My sleeping bag and pillows stay inside. And, the suspension is upgraded to handle the additional weight.”

Nguyen runs BFGoodrich® T/A® KO2 (LT285/70/17) tires, which have also withstood the Mojave Desert, Eastern Sierras and countless miles of pavement in between. The Grand Canyon trip alone was 500 miles, a journey that found his BFGoodrich T/A KO2s climbing downed trees, gripping ice and plowing through mud.

With lousy trail conditions, bad weather and pieced-together GPS waypoints leading the way, it was a harrowing journey; the travelers braved a hellish rainstorm and sub-freezing temperatures, camping multiple nights in less-than-ideal conditions. All worth it to see and experience the Grand Canyon and it's incredible vistas in a way no one had before.

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