The 2019 'Loan Ranger', and 2019 Ranger Adventure

[Jim Oaks]

Cooper Discoverer STT PRO Tire Review

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I don't think I've actually 'reviewed' the Cooper Discoverer STT PRO tires, so I'm going to post my thoughts about them.

When Ford gave me the 2019 Ford Ranger FX4 to use for 6-months, I knew I wanted to take it off-road and do the Trans America Trail (TAT). I also knew I wanted a set of tires that could get me over or through anything I encountered. I had used the Cooper Discoverer STT PRO tires before on another truck, and knew they were the tire I wanted for this adventure. I ordered them in 265/70/17 (31.93x10.70x17) which was about 1.5-inches taller than the stock tires.

• Stock: 265/65/17 (30.40x10.40x17)
• Coopers: 265/70/17 (31.93x10.70x17)

Surprisingly, these tires actually fit the Ranger without any lift.

In May, I headed from Texas to Arizona for the Overland Expo West. On the way home, I stopped at the Mescalero Sands North Dune Area in New Mexico, and played in the sand dunes. I was apprehensive at first, but was surprised at how well the tires actually performed in the sand.

Then in June, I set out to travel the Trans America Trail.

This trip took me through the mountains of Colorado, where I ran in to deep heavy snow in the higher elevations. The Utah section took me through Moab, where I encountered rocky ledges, and sand. Some sections of this trip took me through rough terrain where rocks and holes were hiding in tall grass. Oklahoma and Arkansas put me in slick mud.

By the time the TAT was over, I had traveled 5,397 miles, and spent 2,341 of those miles off pavement.

A concern of mine was tire wear. Mud terrains can wear quick when being driven on pavement due to their softer compounds. But driven on softer compounds (mud, etc), they can last as long as typical street tires. These tires had 18.5/32nd tread when new. After driving 19,000 miles, the tread depth measured 10/32nd.

After everything that I put these tires through, they never received a cut, puncture, or any type of flat. In fact, I was so happy with these tires, that I replaced the BFGoodrich Mud Terrains on my 1996 Ford Ranger 4x4 with these tires.

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People ask me how loud these tires are. There's no such thing as a quiet mud terrain. They definitely have road noise. The larger the gaps are in the tread pattern, the more noise you're going to get. They hum going down the road, but I don't think they're loud and obnoxious.

Overall, I really like these tires, and would definitely recommend them.

See more tire specifications at us.coopertires.com

 

[Jim Oaks]

I finally put together a video of my trip to Overland Expo West and back last May. I plan to do an overview of the Trans America Trail and consolidate the highlights in to a single video as well.

Thanks for watching.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I created videos for each day of my travels on the Trans America Trail, and finally created this 20 minute video showing the highlights of the trip from New Mexico to Port Orford, Oregon.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Here's a 12-minute video showing the highlights of the trip from Oklahoma to Tennessee on the Trans America Trail.

 

[Blmpkn]

I realize this has laid dormant for awhile but I just finally went through all of it.

Great documentation @Jim Oaks , definitely seems like the trip of a lifetime, however, id get super bored and anxious without someone else to talk to lol.

I see a couple pages back you say if someone were to do just a part of the TAT that you'd recommend NM and CO. Beautiful country out there, as someone who's been smothered with nothing but pine trees for 30 years I would really like to make it out that way to experience the wildly different landscape. However, a trip of that caliber, that far away from home probably isn't in the cards for a few years. I COULD however, manage to do quite a bit of the trail working my way east to west before needing to turn around and head home to Maine, this year. How did you like the eastern half of the trail? Any states in particular you recommend?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

IIRC the eastern part was more boring than the west.

@Jim Oaks is buying a house and is probably tied up with that at the moment.

 

[Curious Hound]

IIRC the eastern part was more boring than the west.

@Jim Oaks is buying a house and is probably tied up with that at the moment.

Echo
Echo
Echo
Echo
Echo

 

[Jim Oaks]

I can't believe that it's been almost 5-years since I've done the Trans America Trail. It took 19-days to do both legs of that adventure. I haven't had a real off-highway adventure since 2019. I would eventually like to do another adventure out west.

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

The TAT is on my bucket list. Probably way down the line basically for the amount of time it will consume. I only get 3 weeks vacation and 4 sick days. That would eat it all up haha. I've been banging around taking some Mondays and Fridays off and hitting parts in sections. But once I get so far west I'd be wasting day just to get where I left off and back. May be just too much.