Trail Rank Discussion

[Philberto]

I'm with you man... but i haven't been driving that long. I can count at least 15 voyages I've been on in the last year and a bit... Only 3 or 4 i have photos of.

Does this mean that someone who has been off road many a times should have a lower rank than someone who has only been out occasionally and has photos? That doesn't seem right.

I believe the intention of the ranking system is simply to encourage photo posting and thread creation. If you don't normally take photos, perhaps this will encourage you. Sort of like the post count titles.

[Trail X]

We're encouraging our members to post content. The more trail writeups we have, the more legit our platform becomes to potential vendors. That is the goal of this site... haven't you figured that out yet?

Plus, anyone can boast about their experience. There needs to be some sort of proof or else the rank means nothing. Think... when the DMV gives you a driver's license, do they just ask you if you can drive?

[foosh]

Well James, they must, b/c theres a couple thoousand people I go to school with that can't drive or park for their lives!!!

But I completely understand the delema, I'm just saying its an unfair ranking system. Theres one guy on the OS, Look at OregonTrails, he has alot of experience and if he asked for rank he should no doubt be a Trail Boss, but according to your system he'd be a Trail Rated... Just doesn't seem right Same Goes for HardTrailz, look at the rig he pulled outta the barn. Maybe just that Serrious offroaders are buying our platform and modding it is enough, because rancho and readylift outta nowwhere came out with lifts for us.

[MrSmithsTB]

I am to assume that the trail rankings are specifically related to our platform and the documentation of trips on the supporting sites. Even though it doesn't earn me a trail boss title just yet, I think it is a great way to get more people to put things together and document it. Which in turn will make it easier for other to make those trips, knowing what to expect. Nice idea, and I'll take that Trail-rated label whenever you are ready, JD.

[The Roadie]

There's also benefit to the GMT360's reputation to be seen out on the trails, doing well. A hard-core competition rock crawler owner could own a TB to tow the rig to the trails, and all their experience and pics would be of the rig, not the TB. This site is all about the TB, not their "other" experience.

[That1Guy]

So, I will fully expect to get my "Trail-Rated" ranking upon return from the desert next week.

Same here!!! Im getting really excited for this trip, but my trailer hasnt sold yet and I wont have new tires which means I cant start making trailers for others .

Wait until you see and take the first 30 degree sand dropoff. Then we'll see if you get the rating after examining your trousers.

Hmmmm 2wd accesible??

[Trail X]

I am to assume that the trail rankings are specifically related to our platform and the documentation of trips on the supporting sites. Even though it doesn't earn me a trail boss title just yet, I think it is a great way to get more people to put things together and document it. Which in turn will make it easier for other to make those trips, knowing what to expect. Nice idea, and I'll take that Trail-rated label whenever you are ready, JD.

You didn't follow directions and post a link... however I recall seeing your truck in a trip report somewhere...

[foosh]

Ok, Fair enough but my only experience is with the TB... I was just saying alot of the times I used to go I was having too much fun to take pics, some was at night too, so it didn't help.

And Roadie of course you can't have any rank if you don't wheel your TV(even if you have other rigs or wheeled in the past with other rigs, you have to be currently wheeling your 360).

...but I understand were you're coming from and can roll with it

Here are my links:
http://forums.trailvoy.com/showthread.php?t=54355&highlight=wednesday+offroading
http://forums.trailvoy.com/showthread.php?t=54280&highlight=wharton
http://forums.offroadtb.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=344&start=0

[Trail X]

Two of those are on Trailvoy... you may want to transfer them over here... where you get the real "street cred."

But all you needed was one!

[foosh]

Yes, but you said we needed 3 for trail boss... and there's three i Led, one was started alone, but lead a cherokee for about an hour or two.

[HARDTRAILZ]

My expeditions were not hardcore wheeling back then as i was generally solo in the Suburban. Spent alot of nights in there. used to have a twin mattress in it quite a bit. i did a couple weeks in the Everglades, some through tennessee, up the east coast of FL to Virginia and cross to IN. I did alot of 3-4 day trips around FL and AL when I lived down there. Mostly me and some food, my truck and cb. Out looking for backroads, dirt roads, fishing holes, remote beaches. i still love going out to our property and just staying out in a tent for a few days to get away. You can go from Tallahasse to the coast in the national forest.

Cameras were around, but were generally disposable and lost before developing. I never cared about pictures. It was and is abouot just experiencing things and meeting people. couple days of roaming then hit a state park with warms showers. Miss that freedom. Worked in a resteraunt and independantly before and could schedule time for that stuff.

Give me some time...I have had my truck for alot shorter than most of you, but have been trying to make it where I feel comfy doing the offroad parks around here. Almost there.

[irishboy02]

Don't worry you dont have to prove yourself to me, you sure as hell have my respect.

[irishboy02]

I wouldnt mind a nice little trail rated rank if you dont mind. I have 2 wharton trips under my belt, one led by foosh

[MrSmithsTB]

A link? You should already be aware of everything that is on your site

[Trail X]

Haha... I can't keep track of you all! Thus why I require a link!

Yes, but you said we needed 3 for trail boss... and there's three i Led, one was started alone, but lead a cherokee for about an hour or two.

Ah, I didn't see any other vehicles in your photos for that ride... you may have me on a technicality there... although it wasn't a 'planned event', I didn't have that outlined in the guidelines.

Anyways, congrats.

[HARDTRAILZ]

ORTB is now offering a new feature dubbed the "Trail Experience Rank".

You will notice a 'Rank' category now located under my profile data, to the left of my post. This is a profile entry that can only be changed by admins.

Currently there are 3 attainable ranks:

• Trail Rated: The member has been part of at least one posted trail ride*.
  
• Trail Boss: The member has planned and been in charge of at least three posted trail rides. Trail rides must have at least two vehicles.
  
• Expedition Rated: The member has been part of at least one posted trip at least 5 consecutive nights long.

*posted trail ride = A trail** summary thread with details of where, who, and pictures!
**trail = Off-road park or forest/desert trail. Slinging mud in a pit in your back yard does not count.

If you feel you fit under one of these categories, please let us know by posting the appropriate links to the write-ups in this thread. We will not keep track of your trail records; you must request the rank that you feel you deserve in this thread.

The goal of the 'trail experience rank' is to show at a glance the experience of our members. At the same time is is designed to push the members to attain the next rank and give people a reason for posting trail write-ups. Happy wheeling.

I don't think these ranks really cover it. Trail rated was earned by anyone at MORA that took pics and it was mostly 2wd. The other two ranks are not something that means much. I was 16 when I first organized runs to the offroad areas with a couple buddy's...all I needed was a camera and a posting. Trail boss is more about organization than actual wheeling or offroading. I think u need something for amount of trips and difficulty of trips. If something conquers the Rubicon and Moab every month but does it solo in one or two days, they get the same ratings as a MORA or Tecore attendee. Huge difference there. Much tougher than planning a 5 days trip to hit a few state and national park trails or desert roads but just a trail rated again while the trip earns an expedition rating.

I appreciate the desire to get more pics and trips posted up, but you designed the ratings to fit what a few members on here do regularly. There a couple expedition people out west. A couple of you on the east coast organize the little overnight wheeling adventures and then the rest of us fall in the rated because we go wheeling solo or in a group that we pick up in the parking lot of the Offroad Area, but didnt organize the trip.

I think this is a good idea, but needs re-evaluated and ranking that make it easier to understand true experience behind the wheel hitting obstacles, not camping or planning. I dont care if someone spends a year in the desert wheeling and camping if they can't cut a line between two trees and over the rock while keeping a tire on the root so the top of the truck doesnt tap the second tree. I appreciate the organizaion and planning for the long desert trip, but that is not offroad, but it will get you expedition rated.

I don't have the perfect solution, but I think together we can find some ratings that apply to OFFROAD and not camping and planning.

I really do like the requirement of having the pics in a thread. It has motivated me to look for a better camera and to keep one with me at all times.

Thanks for all your work on all this.

[Trail X]

We are open to suggestions.

[The Roadie]

I appreciate the organizaion and planning for the long desert trip, but that is not offroad, but it will get you expedition rated.

We must be going to a different desert than the one you're thinking of.



This pose looks like it was easy going, but it required getting through the rocky flume above. Oh, and it was another 60 miles of sometimes deep Death Valley sand before we got to the next gas station, and this entire stage was about 240 miles, so carrying fuel was mandatory.



I think we DIDN'T want to start comparing difficulties of the varieties of offroad experience we can discover. The ratings were NOT supposed to be exclusionary, and you might notice there aren't too many of them and they certainly don't come with any extra privileges, stickers, or badges. They're nice, but nothing to put on a resume and boast about. Worth exactly what you pay to be on the site, and no more.

ExPo members are already used to being called car campers by their underinformed co-workers.

And the MORA 2WD members got through stuff they would have NEVER attempted alone, but with the confidence we gave them by being ready to give them a tug, they pushed on and explored the edges of their envelopes. They followed lines demonstrated by the experienced members, and they learned a lot that might help them later in an emergency situation. They paid their dues for a few hours and got real dirty, and I think that distinguishes them from the run-of-the-mill scared-to-get-it-dirty mall cruisers.

[teebes]

I don't have the perfect solution, but I think together we can find some ratings that apply to OFFROAD and not camping and planning.

I hear yea in that we probably need a few more rankings. Keep in mind, we have to manually set these for everyone, and well, this isn't our day job, so we can't have too many of these

- Offroad Ready: Entry level trails, few trails a year, one organized trip
- Weekend Warrior: Mild difficulty trails, numerous trails a month, numerous organized trips cmopleted
- Trail Rated: Well versed in recoveries maneuvers, self recoveries, mild to difficult trails, experienced trails across various offroad regions
- Trail Boss: The member has planned and been in charge of at least three posted trail rides of varying nature, easy - mild - difficult. Trail rides must have numerous vehicles.
- Expedition Ready: Completed at least one expedition trip consisting of 5 consecutive nights.
- Expedition Rated: The member has performed a solo expedition and/or led an expedition party consisting of 5 consecutive nights.

[Gordinho80]

Spot on, teebes... Spot on.