We started tucked among the trees, well outside the boundary of the actual desert. It was a peaceful forest camp where the air was filled with the scent of damp pine needles and the ground lay soft, like a fluffy bronze carpet. There was no mobile reception, not even a flickering signal, to connect us back to the world we had left behind. In that stillness, the transition began.
The route ahead was a 500-mile backcountry expedition, driving a brand-new, fully-equipped Toyota 4Runner first south and then east through the slickrock edges of the Moab region, across the high mesas and ancestral landscapes of the Bears Ears National Monument, and eventually descending through the jagged depths of Poison Springs Canyon towards the Lake Powell corridor. Would our trusty Toyota get us there or would Mother Nature throw us a few curveballs?
This wasn’t just another trail run; it was an expedition with friends centred on a single, powerful idea: the protection of our public lands. For Dometic’s Jimmy Shaw and his team, the vehicle-based adventure was merely the means; the real aim was education and responsibility. In a world increasingly dominated by Instagrammable tourist spots, the Bears Ears Tribal Lands stand apart, a living cultural landscape that calls for a change in approach, both mechanically and mentally.
The Weight of Silence
When you cross the invisible boundary into the Bears Ears Tribal Lands, the first thing that strikes you isn’t the breathtaking scale of the mesas or the impossible ochre of the stone. It’s the silence.
“It’s not an empty silence, but the kind that feels full. You immediately sense that this place is older than creation, older than roads, and older than the very idea of ownership. It certainly slows you down, whether you mean it to or not. ”
In most landscapes, the goal is the experience, the thrill of the ascent or capturing a photograph at the summit. At Bears Ears, the primary duty is respect. This site is sacred, with thousands of years of human history evident in every granary built into a cliff face and every shard of pottery left untouched. Visiting here means stepping into a living history book. It encourages overlanders to consider every tyre placement and campfire not just through the principle of "Leave No Trace," but with an emphasis on cultural stewardship.
A New Era of 4Runner
To traverse 500 miles of challenging terrain where each tire placement matters, you need a vehicle that combines durability with modern technology. Enter the new generation Toyota 4Runner. Historically, the 4Runner has been the well-balanced Goldilocks of the overland scene: body-on-frame, mechanically simple, and reliably rugged.
This latest version features a turbocharged hybrid system. While some purists might shy away from complexity, Toyota’s track record offers reassurance: if the hybrid system were to fail, the engine is designed to keep running. It’s a vehicle built for the what-ifs of the deep desert.
Jimmy’s 4Runner build was further improved by a recent Dobinson’s suspension overhaul. Upgraded shocks, springs, and geometry enhanced ride comfort across hundreds of miles of rough, corrugated roads while maintaining the stability needed to carry a full load of gear, water, and fuel without losing control.
Hotel Rock Precision
Every expedition has its moment, the obstacle that defines the trip. For Jimmy, that was the narrow, slickrock route near Hotel Rock.
The trail features sharp bends, exposed ledges, and ancient ruins looming above Arch Canyon. One section of the descent caused even the most experienced in the group to pause. It included a small plateau followed by a steep, off-camber, curved descent. The easy route was a rocky climb resembling a staircase to nowhere; the smooth route required a risky multi-pivot manoeuvre at the top, keeping everyone's eyes fixed on the ground.
This was the moment when all the right gear in the world wouldn't get us through this section. It required specialised human intervention and responsible actions," Jimmy says. "We had everyone out of their rigs, spotting from all angles. It was a total team effort.
The 4Runner, weighing around 5,500 lbs, navigated the technical sections with unexpected grace. On these weathered rock faces, having a low-profile Slimline II Roof Rack was crucial. By keeping heavy recovery tools low and gear secure and organised, the centre of gravity stayed manageable, allowing the vehicle to teeter and pivot without the white-knuckle swaying often seen in top-heavy rigs.
Life Under an Infinite Sky
Overlanding is often measured in miles, but it is truly defined by the camping experiences it provides. Jimmy describes a camp perched high on a bluff near Lake Powell, surrounded by massive buttes overlooking endless desert layers. "Sunsets don’t just fade there," he says, "they literally stretch across the horizon in slow motion."
However, it was the Dark Sky regions near Mexican Hat that really changed the sense of scale. From the comfort of a Front Runner Expander camp chair, the sky no longer looks like a ceiling but like an endless void. You can see planets, satellites, and lightning flickering on horizons hundreds of miles away. Conversations often simply cease; there is nothing a person can say that compares with a sky so full of stars.
The Dirty Devil River
Real adventure isn’t a scripted victory lap; it’s a series of decisions made under pressure. On the final leg towards Hanksville, the team aimed to push through their only water crossing: the Dirty Devil River. But the desert had other plans.
An intense storm system rolled in, prompting flash flood warnings. The narrow shelf roads became slick with clay mud, and the rocks even decided they were more useful in motion. The group assembled in a riverbed to plan. The guide scouted ahead, only to report washed-out switchbacks and lightning awaiting at the plateau's summit.
At that moment, the smartest move wasn’t to send it; instead, they had to turn around.
That balance between confidence and living to fight another day is part and parcel of real overlanding," Jimmy reflects. "Pushing eight rigs through muddy switchbacks in a downpour would have turned a challenge into a dire situation. We retraced five hours of trail to get back to the motorway. It was the right call."
The Lessons of the Desert
After five days of self-reliant travel, the desert leaves its mark on you. Jimmy realised that patience and awareness are more valuable than horsepower. He understood that wheeling patiently and asking for a spotter usually results in less damage today and more enjoyment tomorrow.
He also learned a surprising lesson about sleep.
“ You don't have to sleep in a rooftop tent to truly overland. On those lightning-filled nights, I slept on a Dometic air mattress inside the 4Runner. The vehicle acted as a Faraday cage, and that peace of mind was priceless.”
The Gear List: Don’t Leave Home Without It
If you are planning your own expedition into the sacred silence of the desert, these are the Front Runner Dometic essentials that more than proved their worth in the wild.
Slimline II Roof Rack (opens in new tab): the "brain" of the rig. It carried the Starlink for remote communication, camp lights for safety, and solar panels to keep the fridge running and the leisure battery topped up.
Starlink Mini Mount (opens in new tab): Because knowing your position and the weather outlook matters more than any comfort item.
Wolf Pack Pro Mounts (opens in new tab): Dust- and water-resistant storage that guarantees your gear arrives as clean as when it was first packed.
Expander Chairs (opens in new tab): Professional-grade comfort that folds into the size of a laptop case.
Under Rack Table (opens in new tab): The vital workspace for the independent traveller.
Top of the Accessories
While the major attractions receive the praise, Jimmy quickly highlights the unsung hero of the journey: the Front Runner Under Rack Table.
"The 4Runner has almost no usable exterior surface," Jimmy notes. "The Under Rack Table made every campsite and lunch stop a breeze. I would go as far as to say that this particular build requires it to be truly functional." Whether it was a quick coffee at dawn or a multi-course dinner under the stars, having a sturdy, slide-out surface that takes up zero internal space was the difference between chaos and comfort.
Your Turn to Write the Story
Bears Ears reminds us that wild places are not just beautiful spots to visit; they also hold history and a legacy. So, when you go there, ensure you take the best gear, but more importantly, do so with the right intentions.
The trails are calling. The silence invites you. Whether you’re navigating the technical slickrock of Hotel Rock or watching the Milky Way wheel overhead near Mexican Hat, the right gear doesn't just get you there, it gives you the confidence to stay, to learn, and to return with a story worth sharing. Are you ready to kit out your rig for the long haul?
Follow Jimmy Shaw: @roamrx (opens in new tab)
