2017 Ford Raptor: A Family Who Raptors Together, Stays Together

Keep your Sesame Street Live performances and flying kites at the park, we’ll take the sand dunes and tearing up mud trails in the 2017 Ford Raptor.

One of the best things America has to offer is variety, meaning that there is something out there for everyone. Whether it be sports, professions, hobbies, and most definitely vehicles, there’s something for everyone’s taste. Such is the case of the 2017 Ford Raptor, a ridiculously capable pickup truck that most certainly isn’t for everyone.

While the average family’s day at the park consists of a plush, green, and perfectly leveled lawn, ours consists of the complete opposite. At day at the park typically means an adrenaline-packed adventure at the off-road park.

Not too long ago we headed on a family adventure to Badlands Off-Road Park in Attica, Indiana, where for two nights and three days were able to bond, relax, but more importantly—beat the living daylights out of the new Ford Raptor. With a 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine with 450 horsepower, it wasn’t a slow-paced adventure by any means, especially on the sand dunes.

In order to stay in the middle of the action, we rented a travel trailer which we towed with our recently acquired Ford F-150 XLT. The camper’s accommodations allowed us to cook, sleep and recover from several days of dusty, hot action. To make things even more thrilling, we got our hands on a Polaris RZR, which served as the Raptor’s off-roading mate during our expedition. 

Despite this particular Raptor not being a SuperCrew model (four full-size doors), the SuperCab (think extended cab) configuration worked quite well for the family. Really, the only downside is having to open the front doors to allow the kiddos in the back to hop out, but that’s really it. With an ice-cold air-conditioning and even ventilated seats, off-roading in the heat was a piece of cake.

The adventure concluded with a lovely meal al fresco, along with a stunning thunderstorm which brought the outside temperature to a much more pleasant level. Needless to say, it was the perfect family adventure.

So next time you think about having a fun day out with the family, remember that it doesn’t have to be slow and boring. It can be fast, loud, and as clean or muddy as you want it to be.

Enjoy the photos!

Check out our other adventures!

Photos via: [sg.photo]