Hello and welcome to the club. That was probably me you saw in Phoenix the other day. Black 2005 S with a mild lift, Yak rak on the roof, and a lot of desert pinstripping. Parking lot at the Heard Museum by any chance? I think I parked next to a newer Xterra while there.
My money is on the Frank B. sighting...just too coincidental. Nice job marketing the Club Frank!
Excellent post Max, and well written on a rainy day.
The only things that I would add to answer the OP's (original posters) questions would be:
1. Really try to plan for the type of off roading you will be doing before your purchase your Xterra. That sounds like what you are doing which is great, but spend some time surfing the Threads both here and over at the site Max mentioned, thenewx.org. There is so much information about lifts, tires, trails, locked vs. open diffs, that it will make your head spin. But, it will help you focus in on the type of driving that you will be doing so you can be more specific with your purchase. Also, you would be surprised what a tire upgrade can do to increase your capability for mild to moderate off roading. Look at a good set of A/T (all terrain) tires, usually available in stock sizes (265/70/16) as well. The BFGoodrich A/T KO's are a good choice, as well as the Falken Wild Peak series. Both tires provide good on road/off road performance.
2. Brush/grille guard/front bumper mods: DON"T buy a brush guard/grille guard, as IMO (in my opinion) they are only for show, and provide no real world protection. Besides, the brush you will be running through will grab your headlights anyhow, and if we are all adhering to the Tread Lightly principles, why would you run over a tree??
The aftermarket brush guards/grille guards will bend into your plastic front bumper/grille if any mild contact is made, damaging more than actually protecting. Buying a true steel front bumper (Shrockworks/Hefty Fabworks, etc.) will set you back at least $1,000 and some time waiting for delivery, BUT will provide serious front end protection. (most steel front bumpers also come with a radiator skid plate as well). This will also give you a strong platform to mount some aftermarket lights for night time off roading, but again, several of us have lights on our trucks and rarely go night driving off road. (We just think it looks cool.
) Mounting the front bumper would also answer some of Max's points, as the additional weight will need to be address with a suspension upgrade. I won't get into specifics on this, as the conversation could go in several directions (spring rate, suspension before bumper, etc.) but suffice to say the more steel you add to protect, it will impact your stock suspension AND gas mileage. BTW: (by the way) keep in mind that once you start adding new tires, skid plates, rocker panel slider protection, you can kiss the days of high mileage (18+ per gallon) away. My truck averages 14 city highway now with a full set of skids, front and rear bumpers, and sliders.
3. If you plan on cruising trails like Schnebly Hill Road in Sedona on a regular basis, a 4x4 S Model Xterra will serve you fine. If you plan on driving trails like Broken Arrow, a Pro4X with rear locker is a more suitable platform to start with.
4. Max answered the tent/camping question well, and the only thing I would add is that the rear hatch tents for the Xterra are great if you are sleeping inside the Xterra in a campground where there will be no wind. Other than that, camp inside with the hatch closed or purchase a nice 3 season dome tent from REI with some plush sleeping pads.
Good luck, welcome to SCCX, and hopefully we can meet you some time.
Also, there is a great Club in your area, Arizona Xterra Club, or AZXC. There is a member here, 11Pro4X, and if you PM (private message, similar to email but through the site here) him he can give you more info on the Arizona group as well.
