WIDE ‘N’ WILD
2019 FORD RANGER PUSHES LIMITS OFF ROAD
Creativity fuels style and the desire to stand out from the crowd. Whether it be fashion or a vehicle, most like to put an individual spin or a personal touch to a look. Such is the case with the '19 Ford Ranger owned by Mark Porudominsky. His initial vision came together pretty quickly after inspired at his first off-road/overlanding event. Of course, those who have artistic sense running through their veins aren’t necessarily happy with just one go-around, especially those from the automotive enthusiast world. Within a year, the Ranger would see a second version. His individuality took over and creativity took hold when he stopped at APG for what he thought was to only pick up a part. Instead, that visit was the catalyst to what you see now, version two of “Rainbro Ranger.”
Inspiration and the Road to SEMA
As many before him, Porudominsky made the shift from the motorsports world to the land of adventure and dirt. As more of his friends became involved in the off-road and overlanding lifestyle, it was natural for him to follow suit. All it took was a trip to his first off-road event put on by KC HiLites, Summer Camp 2019, where he met many
“WE ARE VERY MUCH INTO THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR VEHICLES AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO EXCEED THE LIMITS THAT OUR VEHICLES KEEP FINDING.” —MARK
PORUDOMINSKY.
new faces whom he now considers family. It was also where he met Yeti and Yolo who arrived in the Danger Ranger, an older-generation Ford Ranger that uses an old race livery to make it stand out. Porudominsky took to the look and wanted the same loudyet-classic livery to also pay homage to Walker Evans. It was then he got to work on a rendering and jumped into a SEMA build.
Building a top-notch SEMA Show vehicle was not a new endeavor for Porudominsky. The previous year, he also had one of his vehicle builds shown, a well-known 800-plus horsepower
Golf MK4 R32. The work, dedication, and fast timeline were no match for Porudominsky as he hopped on the phone to call upon industry friends and acquaintances to help him get this new Ranger vision completed in time. And as you would have guessed, the pieces fell into place and he was able to get the Ranger into the Maxxis booth at the 2019 SEMA Show.
Version One
We got the opportunity to meet Porudominsky right before the SEMA Show and were already impressed with the truck. The Ranger is a daily driver, but that doesn’t stop him from taking it out on the trail every chance he gets. In fact, by the time we saw him again a few months later, he was out almost every weekend with his new toy. If there is someone who took a SEMA vehicle build, turned around and put it to good use, it was Porudominsky.
The Ranger holds its own out on the trails. It is protected from injury underneath by Shrockworks under armor all the way to the transfer case and sliders. A Warn Ascent bumper and Zeon 10-S winch up front give it extra protection with the ability for recovery should the truck get stuck. Meanwhile, solid traction and forward movement are provided by Fuel Offroad Warp beadlocks, size 17.9x5, with -15 offset wrapped in size 35x12.5 Maxxis Razr MT tires mounted, balanced and aligned by DNA Wheels OC in Orange, California. Sunset and night runs are no problem for the Ranger, which keeps going with help from KC HiLites. Around the truck, you’ll see KC HiLites Pro 6 light bar up top, 10 LED C Series, two Flex Duals, a set of Flex Singles as dust lights, and a Chase Bar. He installed a Trigger Controller Six Shooter to help control his electrical, and switches for all that lumen.
“I NOW WALK OVER OBSTACLES THAT USED TO BE A CHALLENGE. I WILL NOW OUT PERFORM ANY MIDSIZE TRUCK OUT THERE.”
What usually catches the eye when you see this truck is the colorful wrap, or as Porudominsky calls it the livery design. Installed by Mike’s Tint Shop in Orange, the red, yellow, and blue design is what led to the truck’s nickname, Rainbro Ranger. And with the newest additions, the design pops that much more. In fact, Porudominsky shares with us a memorable experience of some parking lot admirers. As he explains it, “One day I pulled up to the mall in the Ranger and was barraged with a bunch of little kids who could not believe they were seeing a real-life toy truck. One kid said,
‘If I dreamt up a truck to drive forever, this would be it.’” With the parents’ permission, he took them for a spin around the parking lot. “I’ve literally never seen a bunch of kids so happy. That really made my day,” Porudominsky says.
Overland(ish)
The essence and overlanding lifestyle is evident with this '19 Ranger. This house on wheels, complete with Wilco bed rack holding the Roam Adventure Co. rooftop tent, is used on his overnight trips to his favorite destinations. Places such as Anza-Borrego, with its amazing views and all the terrain, aren’t too far away for a weekend trip. He’s also traveled from California to Arizona and back through Utah and Nevada, but an Alaska to Patagonia trip is on his bucket list.
It’s trips like these that sparked the idea of Overland(ish), where Porudominsky and friends poke a little fun at the community
and lifestyle they love so much. Coming from the rock climbing world, where one packs light and as efficiently as possible, Porudominsky revels in the opportunity to throw everything in the back of his truck. In fact, they like to say that rather than being overlanders, they are more “overloaders.”
With all the gear and equipment to go anywhere, they’ve been doing just that. Unlike other truck owners, Porudominsky stores his Dometic CFX3 55IM in the back seat, along with some Pelican storage cases on the other side for his gear. More storage is in the bed, but he doesn’t stack things too high to allow for more driving versatility. Not to be forgotten is that background and desire for performance. “We are very much into the performance of our vehicles and want to continue to exceed the limits that our vehicles keep finding,” Porudominsky says. And that’s how Version Two came to be.
Version Two
After jumping his truck for the first time off a 5-foot kicker at 65 mph in Flagstaff, Arizona, at a volcanic sand area, Porudominsky was forced to find a new inner fender liner. Having known someone who got a widebody modification recently, Porudominsky called him up to see if he could nab his old inner fender liner. It was then that APG
“THE RANGER IS A DAILY DRIVER, BUT THAT DOESN’T STOP [PORUDOMINSKY] FROM TAKING IT OUT ON THE TRAIL EVERY CHANCE HE GETS.”
was discovered. What he thought would be a quick errand, turned into a meeting with George and a tour of the establishment where he got to see molds and the plugs and carbon-fiber pieces in process, along with trucks being built. Porudominsky left mesmerized and convinced that that would be his next modification. He thought, “This was the ultimate version of the Ranger and anything else was just not good enough.”
Originally seventh in line to go under the knife, he waited to be ninth simply to match his favorite number and bring some positive mojo. The icing on the cake to this build is the APG widebody and suspension upgrade. They paired their in-house engineered upper and lower control arms with a set of long travel King Shocks suspension with external reservoirs for a match made in heaven. They added axle extensions, tie rods, and a set of APG/Deaver rear springs. The fenders and bedsides were replaced with widebody carbon-fiber versions. APG even modified the Warn Ascent bumper to fit the new look.
Porudominsky says, “I now walk over obstacles that used to be a challenge. I will now out-perform any midsize truck out there.” He goes on to exclaim, “For the need of a $50 OEM part, I am now one of the most modified Rangers on the planet!”
“COMING FROM THE ROCK CLIMBING WORLD ... PORUDOMINSKY REVELS IN THE OPPORTUNITY TO THROW EVERYTHING IN THE BACK OF HIS TRUCK. IN FACT, THEY LIKE TO SAY THAT RATHER THAN BEING OVERLANDERS, THEY ARE MORE ‘OVERLOADERS.’”
Creativity Steals the Show
There are still some future plans for this Ranger. Remember, Porudominsky’s goal is to take it on a trip from Alaska to Patagonia. Within the next few months, it will undergo a rear seat delete and buildout, solar setup, and dual battery system. His plan is to not need a hotel on that big expedition. Additionally, he wants to be able to go off-roading in places not meant for trucks like his. Ultimately, Porudominsky wants the most capable version of the Ranger; where he can sleep in it, eat from it, shower from it. Basically be Overland(ish).
For more Overland(ish) tales from Mark Porudominsky, you can visit his Instagram account @themarkp or YouTube channel Overlandish.
“FOR THE NEED OF A $50 OEM PART, I AM NOW ONE OF THE MOST MODIFIED RANGERS ON THE PLANET!”