u/Far_Actuator1204 — reddlx

I know I'm not the only one that adores the "Little Kodiak that Could" but I've also noticed there's a lot of people (especially here on Reddit) that absolutely despise it - so I set out to prove them wrong.

How, you may ask, could I prove the Kodiak's dominance? Simple - by completing the ENTIRE BASEGAME with nothing but a fleet of them! And for those who wish to someday do the same, here is a guide to the quickest and easiest way to do it. Mind you there is one exception at the beginning of the game, where you must use the CK1500 to disvover the Fleetstar to recover and sell it in order to afford the Kodiak in the first place.

The first thing you'll need to do is purchase a cargo bed. The Fleetstar and CK1500 should be worth enough to do so as long as you still have trucks sell at full price (I kept basic SnowRunner rules but chose New Game + to avoid the tutorial, remove my retained DLC trucks, and make daytime last longer for future filming purposes). I recommend the sideboard bed over the flatbed in the slight chance of tippage - the Kodiak has no crane, so you have to restart if your cargo slides off. The sideboard will save you surprisingly often and imo looks good with the base paint colors.

Now that you have your Kodiak, head into town to get some metal beams at the town storage. Grab the sideboard trailer by the entrance, you'll need the Service Spare Parts to clear the rockslide blocking your path to Smithville Dam.

Once that's cleared, head back through town toward the Sawmill and grab the GMC MH9500, tow it back to the garage, and sell it. This should be enough for a second Kodiak, which you will be equipping with the Minicrane and Saddle Low. I also recommend snorkels just in case, because the worst is yet to come. If you need more money, collect some easy-to-access trailers and sell them. I recommend using the crane to unload the cargo, keeping it before selling the trailers (it will make your life easier later).

Technically I've proven the next steps are doable with JUST the Kodiak, Minicrane, and Stepdeck Semi Trailer, but it might be best to take both trucks just in case. Head back into town, stopping to get 2x Wood Planks - you will need these in Smithville Dam. Head through to the gateway now that it's open and resupply your utilities at the garage in Smithville Dam.

You'll need to clear the 'Rock On' rockslide by the garage, which only needs 2x Service Spare Parts (available at the Service Hub directly next to the garage). Follow the road down over the dam, building the wooden bridge by the trailer store with the supplies you picked up in Black River. Continue on to the quarry, sneaking past it (and avoiding the uneven terrain where the roots are) and following the trail down to the swamp.

This is the tricky part if you aren't good with winching. Be sure to keep some part of the truck close enough to a winchpoint at all times (best I've found to mainly stay to the right and often off the actual path through the swamp) and just brute-force your way through in Low with Diff Lock with the winch.

There are a few spots where there are no winch points. Manually attach your winch from the side or back of the trailer to help pull yourself through using winchpoints the truck itself has already passed. This is a key method to getting through most of this route, so practice it thoroughly.

Once you get through to the gateway, start following the main route across the map to the Drummond Island gateway. I advise refueling with the semi trailer near the gateway, you probably need it by now. Veer right (as if you were going around to the inactive sawmill, the bridges aren't built yet for the shortcut) and the trailer is up the trail on your left. Detach your trailer, don't try to bring it up there with you! Continue making your way to the Drummond Island gateway, stopping to retrieve the Scout Fuel Carrier most of the way there and load it onto the step of the trailer.

Stop before the gateway, refuel, detach your trailer, and turn off your last right turn. Then take an immediate left, and follow the smaller trail to the watchtower. Open it, and the upgrade nearby is the raised suspension for the Kodiak. You will probably need this for Alaska later! Follow the trail back through to where you left your trailer and travel through the gateway.

The hardest part isn't collecting the offroad gearbox, it's getting out of your mess once you've obtained it. Go around the mud to the closest watchtower. The offroad gearbox is on the shore directly next to the watchtower. I recommend leaving your trailer right before the puddle before the watchtower, you will probably need to use it as a winchpoint on your way back.

Keep left around the puddle, using your winch on nearby fallen trees. Get some speed going down to the upgrade, then winch to the stump and watchtower afterward to get back up to dry land. Keep right of the puddle on your way back (same way you came in) and take your trailer to the sawmill for 4x Wood Planks.

Follow the main road through, winching as necessary to build the two bridges en route to the gateway to Smithville Dam. Head back down the mountain in Smithville Dam to the garage, then sell your trailer and install your upgrades before moving onto North Port.

This portion is much shorter and easier than the segment in Michigan, but you need to be mindful of the ice and still your winchpoints. Use the sideboard truck for this segment, keeping the other truck to help you later if you get stuck.

Head to the Service Hub and grab 2x Service Spare Parts for the Pipeline Construction. Activate the contract through the map menu, it is the only one available at the start. After fixing the pipeline, head back to the garage and refuel. This time, head out onto the ice diagonally left of the garage entrance/exit and follow the road all the way across the map.

You will need to be mindful of your winchpoints, making your way past the fuel station and eventually to the factory for Metal Beams. Make your way back, using the other truck for backup if you need it (the worst part is directly before the ice patches on the way back if you don't hit them right because there are no solid winchpoints). Make your way to the Rock Obstacle and deliver the Metal Beams.

Make your way up the road, turning left at the locked White Valley gateway and past the furl station. Keep driving, careful of the water crossing, and to Mountain River. Once there, head straight through (being SUPER careful around the icy corner by the Service Hub), taking the right turn AFTER the fuel station and down to the Warehouse for a Concrete Slab. Bring this back to Restoring the Bridge by the gateway, then grab 2x Service Spare Parts at the Service Hub to complete it.

Follow the road up to the White Valley gateway, but hook left and then immediately right and follow it until you see an upgrade on your left. This is the engageable AWD for the Kodiak. Obtain it, then return to the North Port garage and back to Michigan, remembering to install the AWD.

Even though you have highway tires still, you should be able to do mostly everything with the Kodiak with ease now. It may be best to save particularly difficult tasks for later, such as ones that involve intense mud or heavy trailers until you've unlocked better tires through leveling up or obtained the Si-6V/2100T located on the island above the wooden bridge contract next to the Drilling Site. It should be more than capable of all the watchtowers now, just avoid heavy mud until level 6 and super heavy mud until level 8.

I did a trial run with some buddies last night and, without any truly formed plan, managed to complete the roughly 25-mile journey in just under 3 hours. We did some goofing off, so I'm sure someone else could beat that time if I don't eventually do so myself in a more refined playthrough later on. Stick to the easiest jobs first, then work up. Michigan gets painfully easy once you have offroad tires with this setup, and Alaska is probably even easier once you have chains. Taymyr is the only region that gets tricky, just keep an eye out for deep mud.

Has anyone else here tried something so insane before? Does anyone else plan on trying this, and have they had any luck or better routes? It makes a great challenge, and I'd say it's longer but not harder than some of the actual Trials available through the main menu.