Off-roading Through the Desert in a Ford Raptor is a Laugh a Minute

Blasting down a dusty desert road in the Ford F-150 Raptor is not only a lot of fun, but, judging by this footage, it’s funny, too.

The Ford Raptor affects different people in different ways. It makes certain Chevrolet and Ram owners envious. It makes Ford loyalists proud. And apparently, it makes the host of the Woman.Driven YouTube channel laugh–in the best possible way.

Known as simply “Doris” online, Woman.Driven‘s host has several high-performance vehicles, including a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and a Ford Mustang Shelby GT350, so she’s used to going fast. But in this video, she doesn’t want to rocket down a drag strip or zoom through the turns of a race track. She wants to take her 2018 Ford Raptor out for some fun in the desert.

Unlike many other Raptors out there, Doris’ truck is just as it was when it left the production line. “This Raptor’s still 100% stock,” says Doris. “It has no modifications done to it.”

Not yet, at least. Doris knows how to turn a wrench, and she plans to add some hardware to her Raptor in the future.

Once Doris is saddled up, she charges down a winding trail, leaving a cloud of gritty dust behind her. The further she goes, the more aware she becomes of her truck’s dimensions and how tail-happy it can get, even on a dry surface.

‘This is probably the Porsche of trucks when it comes to off-roading, because it handles that well, and it’s 100% stock.’

“Sometimes if I go too fast or it’s just too slippery, I can feel the back…fishtailing on me,” she notes. That hint of danger and limited sight distance does nothing to dull her enthusiasm. She keeps both hands on the wheel and giggles with excitement and delight as she puts more of the desolate terrain behind her.

Unfortunately, Doris’s plans to do a high-speed run down a straight trail are spoiled by people on dirt bikes and ATVs. She makes the best of it the way many auto enthusiasts would: By finding a spot where she can do donuts, for the first time ever. She learns quickly. She turns the Raptor’s big steering wheel to full left lock, then mashes the right pedal. Her white Raptor soon disappears in a tornado of sand, exhaust noise, and laughter. It leaves Doris a little dizzy. And wanting to go again in the opposite direction.

Doris returns home not just entertained by her rig, but impressed by the confidence and control it gave her. She even goes so far as to saying: “This is probably the Porsche of trucks when it comes to off-roading, because it handles that well, and it’s 100% stock.” And let’s hope that the mods she has in mind will transform her truck into the pickup version of a 911 Turbo S.

To see more of Doris, check her out on Instagram.

Photos: Women.Driven, You Tube

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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