All Things Jeep Blog & Musings

Welcome All Things Jeep Customer of the Week Episode 2.

Today we feature customer Cat H, from California. Here she is:

1. What are you currently driving? model? year? color? etc. 2005 Jeep Wrangler (Oreo - white and black) 4 inch lift, 33" tires (and dirt/dog hair in so many places I'll NEVER get that new car smell back).  His name is Hoss - studly, manly and burly but still a softy inside.

2. Tell us your favorite modication you have made to your current Jeep. The 4" lift.  Makes ALL the difference - no more "Oh Crap" when I'm a little too fast to avoid that boulder, now I sail right over it

3. When dd you get your first Jeep and why did you choose a Jeep? First jeep was 1999 - I'd wanted a jeep forever and was driving a seriously pathetic Susuki Sidekick.  That poor little Sidekick would get so envious when we saw a REAL jeep!

4. Where's the most interesting place you've had your Jeep? Ghost towns, ghost towns, ghost towns.  AND ONLY ghost towns! 

5. What is the most interesting thing you've DONE in your Jeep? Interesting or scary?  I recall the time I had to make a hairpin turn/switchback with a 600+ ft cliff drop.  My leg was shaking and I was cussing like a sailor.  Hoss, thank goodness, had the balls to get me through it.

6. Ever get arrested while in the Jeep?  For what? Only the stupid get caught

7. What music do you listen to while driving the Jeep? Anything and everything.  Although Def Leppard and AC/DC tend to make rock crawling so much easier!

8. How many Jeeps have you had in your lifetime?  2 - my first jeep was murdered by a semi!  I adopted Hoss a few days later.

9. If you could win any Jeep, past or present, what Jeep would you want to win? A Rubicon (dont tell Hoss).

10 Does your Jeep have a name? What is it? Oopps, was I suppose to keep that a secret till now?  Lose lips sinks ships!
 
11. If it doesn't have a name and you had to name it, what would you call it? Anyone that doesnt name their jeep is ASKING for a semi to murder it!

12. Is it a boy or a girl? Hoss is ALL boy!

13. Tell us about any stickers or custom work you have on your Jeep? My most admired sticker is the Bubba Mudflap decal.  Its amazing how many people ask where I got their picture!  I also have a bumper sticker on the back dedicated to my best buddy Ripley that passed away in March.

14. What's the most unique thing about your Jeep? There is NO OTHER Hoss!  He's one of a kind!  He's a ghost town exploring, rock crawling, dog hair filled bundle of fun!

15. If you are a member of a local Jeep or off-road club, give a shout out to the club here: No club affiliation

16. If you were a Super Hero and your Jeep had extradinary powers, what would those powers be? Travel back in time at the ghost towns and other historical sites we explore.  See and experience what it was like back in the 1800s in the ol' west!

17. If you could chose one new gift for your next birthday, would it be:
    - a new 2009 4 door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
    - a fully restored, 1941 Jeep Willys
    - world peace
    - a million dollar gift certificate to www.allthingsjeep.com
    (this is a loaded question, we do hope you all choose world peace) Can I make that a 2 door Rubi?
    
18. What are your 3 favorite products available for sale at http://www.allthingsjeep.com/? I love the Jeep Tshirts for women - my favorite is "Mine are Brass". 

Thanks KAT!

Thsi week we talk with Derek M., from Needham, MA. So here are Derek's answers to our questions.

1. What are you currently driving? model? year? color? etc.

1997 Wrangler Black I6, 35 inch tires, 8 inches of lift, soft top, extra lights, the whole deal

2. Tell us your favorite modication you have made to your current Jeep.
Hmmm thats a tough one, the most comfortable one is the seat covers, the best offroad is the tires, and the coolest looking is the lift.  But overall my favorite mod would have to be my flag, it just makes my Jeep mine.  I made two flag poles that come off of the rear body mounts above the bumper and they hold a Coast Guard and American Flag.

3. When dd you get your first Jeep and why did you choose a Jeep?

4. Where's the most interesting place you've had your Jeep?
Stuck between a rock and a hard place......literally!!!!

5. What is the most interesting thing you've DONE in your Jeep?
To keep it family friendly I'll say going offroading and having the two front tires in the air.  It was quite a little physics experiment!!!  I had the front left in the air and the right was up against a rock, so i gave it some gas and the right jumped up over the rock :-O

6. Ever get arrested while in the Jeep?  For what?
Nope, but I'm worried every-time I drive my 1955 Willy's out on the highway for a mile to get to the trail without brake lights, head lights, a windshield, doors, mirrors, a top, an exhaust, etc.

7. What music do you listen to while driving the Jeep?
A mix of country and Rock from the 80's thump out of my 6 speakers and 12" sub.  My favorite songs in the Jeep would have to be Hillbilly Deluxe by Brooks and Dunn, Good Time by Alan Jackson, The Last Rebel by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Open Invitation by Santana, and lastly Hells Bells by AC/DC.

8. How many Jeeps have you had in your lifetime? 
I have had two in my lifetime, but thats pretty good since I am only 18.
9. If you could win any Jeep, past or present, what Jeep would you want to win?
I would want a CJ3B with a V8 Hemi, lifted 10" on 39's, with coils instead of springs, a sound system, soft top, Rockwell Axles, lockers, Atlas 2, Racing seats, and tons of other fun stuff. (add in about 10 sway bars just for good measure too :-O )
10 Does your Jeep have a name? What is it?
 My friends call it "the beast", I prefer to call it my baby however.  I guess we have different views of it! As long as they don't call it a car Im fine with what they want to call it!

11. If it doesn't have a name and you had to name it, what would you call it?
hmm If I could choose a name that everyone would call it I would say "the Moody Machine" as my last name is Moody and it doesn't always do or work the way I want.

12. Is it a boy or a girl?
It is a girl which doesn't make my girlfriend happy but my Jeep is definitely my baby, even if it is relegated to #2.  

13. Tell us about any stickers or custom work you have on your Jeep?
I have numerous bumper stickers on the back and the dash and the roll bar, I have my Go Topless Day sticker on the roll bar so I don't get any sarcastic comments about when I have my top on so it is only visible with the top off.  Then on the dash I have a I like it on the rocks sticker.  I figured that on the back may draw even more attention from cops when driving home on friday nights.  Then on the back I have a "you can follow me but its gonna hurt,"
"H2 Recovery Vehicle" "Paved Roads....Another Example of Useless Gov't Spending" "If You can Read this Im not dirty enough" "Where's Your Playground" "Cape Cod Jeep Club" "Tread Lightly" then on my windshield I have two "Aint Skeerd" stickers and a big Go Topless sticker in the middle.  I have a custom sound system and exhuast system (dual exhaust), home made side steps/rocker guards as well as lift and tires and many other small things.

14. What's the most unique thing about your Jeep?
The most unique thing about my Jeep is the dual exhaust, I have not seen many Jeeps with a dual Exhaust.

15. If you are a member of a local Jeep or off-road club, give a shout out to the club here:
Cape Cod Jeep Club is the best, although I don't get down there much cause of gas :-X

16. If you were a Super Hero and your Jeep had extradinary powers, what would those powers be?
To create it's own gas.  I like a challenge to get over things so I wouldn't want it to walk over everything that would make offroading boring.  If it could create its own gas then I could take it everywhere and offroad all over the place.

17. If you could chose one new gift for your next birthday, would it be:
    - a new 2009 4 door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
    - a fully restored, 1941 Jeep Willys
    - world peace
    - a million dollar gift certificate to http://www.allthingsjeep.com/
    (this is a loaded question, we do hope you all choose world peace)

This post is for Jeep Wrangler JK owners (Wrangler 2007-2009) If you don't own a new Wrangler, go read the comics.

So, I love my 4 door Wrangler Unlimited (Rescue Green) but I have assorted pet peeves with it and the big one is that annoying tailgate that is always closing on me everytime I'm back there trying to get Sierra in and out of the back, or everytime I'm loading groceries, or unloading stuff from my trip to Home Depot, etc. If you have a JK, you are nodding right now. In fact, I think the only time I swear is when that goddamn door closes on my fingers or hits me in the a**. Aargh!

So yesterday, a product shows up here and I'm buying one. It's the Jeep Wrangler JK Rear Door Gas Strut. Open the tailgate or close the tailgate. Either way, it's a slow, smooth transition from open to close to open again. My butt feels better already. The rear door gas strut is under $50, and worth every penny. If you pick one up, let me know what you think.

Florida isn't known for mountains. It's more known for mini-golf courses and early bird buffets. But we just heard about a mountain in Florida called JEEP MOUNTAIN. Part off-road obstacle course and part tourist attraction, Jeep Mountain is being billed as the Ultimate Test Drive. Here you can take your Jeep up a man-made mountain, complete with man-made running streams and obstacles. You can find it at Sorensen and Schade Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Lake Wales, Florida. They have monthly Jeep meet-ups there where you can take your Jeep up the mountain. My only disappointment? No spinning windmills trying to block the way.

Check them out online at http://www.sorensenchryslerdodgejeep.com/newvehicles/jeep_mountain.jsp?ptitle=Jeep%20Mountain

This week's Customer of the Week is AMANDA from West Virginia!

Here's what Amanda has to say.

1. What are you currently driving? model? year? color? etc. --2005 Silver Jeep TJ Sport, 7.5 " lift, 36x12.50 super swampers, lots of other stuff.

2. Tell us your favorite modication you have made to your current Jeep. --Currie 9" rear end and ARB lockers

3. When dd you get your first Jeep and why did you choose a Jeep? --1992 XJ for my 16th birthday.  I wanted a jeep ever since my first ride in one in about 1985.  I always wanted a wrangler, but the XJ was the compromise with my parents.  I bought my TJ new after I graduated from college.

4. Where's the most interesting place you've had your Jeep? --An old coal / coke furnace beside a trout stream from civil war era in the backwoods of Virginia.

5. What is the most interesting thing you've DONE in your Jeep? --Not in it, but took it to go skinny dipping with a friend in the above mentioned trout stream.

6. Ever get arrested while in the Jeep?  For what? --Not yet.

7. What music do you listen to while driving the Jeep? --Anything but country, but while wheeling I especially the Hives and AC/DC.

8. How many Jeeps have you had in your lifetime?  --3, the 92 XJ, 05 TJ and also have a 81 CJ5.

9. If you could win any Jeep, past or present, what Jeep would you want to win? --1948 Willys Jeepster

10 Does your Jeep have a name? What is it? --Either Jed or Monster Jeep depending on my mood
 
11. If it doesn't have a name and you had to name it, what would you call it?

12. Is it a boy or a girl? --Boy

13. Tell us about any stickers or custom work you have on your Jeep? --Lots of stickers (most from ATJ) my favorite is 'Paved roads are another fine example of unnecessary government spending.'  I also have several "custom" scratches and dents from those mythical jumping rocks and trees that off-road folks know about.

14. What's the most unique thing about your Jeep? --The driver!

15. If you are a member of a local Jeep or off-road club, give a shout out to the club here:

16. If you were a Super Hero and your Jeep had extradinary powers, what would those powers be? --It would be able to regenerate and fix itself.  I would never have to replace another u-joint again. 

17. If you could chose one new gift for your next birthday, would it be:
    - a new 2009 4 door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
    - a fully restored, 1941 Jeep Willys
    - world peace
    - a million dollar gift certificate to www.allthingsjeep.com
    (this is a loaded question, we do hope you all choose world peace)   --Preferably all of them except the 2009 4-door.  But I think Miss America has the world peace thing taken care of, so I'll take the 41 willys and gift certificate.
    
18. What are your 3 favorite products available for sale at http://www.allthingsjeep.com/?  

--1)The Stickers.  All of them.    

 2) The Jeep specific LIG shirts, etc.    

3) The flexible camera tripods rock!  Perfect for a video camera on the rear view mirror to catch the trail action.

Is your head feeling a little left out? We have new Jeep tees coming into stock all the time, but I don't know what is the matter with the hat vendors. I beg for new product and I rarely ever get any. (Maybe I need to move to bribery?)

But last night, my begging paid off with some new Jeep hats. And, I gotta say, they ain't too shabby. (Well, actually one is VERY shabby, all rough around the edges, but we describe it as such, so no calling in and telling us you got a defective hat. It is SUPPOSED to look "already worn".)

So here's a peak at my 2 favs. You can find the rest of them on our new jeep stuff page. Like most of the hats, they are under $20.  

Here's the "shabby" one.

Here's the one all the guys will want to wear (trying to hide their smirks when we girls read it)

Well, do you?

I am not getting a lot of work done at night this week. Between the Red Soxs trying to clinch the division, the Presidential debates, watching the falling stock market, looking at my bills with the rising costs of everything, the arguments with my daughter about who pays for her cell phone usage, my evenings are full! Ugh.

But on a positive note, our new employee Marc started today. He's our Operations / Warehouse Manager and will whip us all into shape. Under his guidance, we'll be even faster, better, more efficient, and have more fun. (Is that possible.) He isn't a Jeep guy. But he's a warehouse guy. And that's what we need right now. Maybe I'll interview him in an upcoming blog post. If you have questions you want me to ask him (as if he didn't get enough questions thrown at him during the interview process), post them here.

And BTW, I may have to have **TWO** Customers of the Week. With the many great responses, I already have enough to take me into the middle of 2009! So I am going to post them on Mondays and Thursdays I think.

Today we are starting a new thing here. It's called our

All Things Jeep Customer of the Week.

(Insert round of applause here.)

We have some of the best customers in the world so we thought we'd feature you here! Today, we are pleased to feature our friend DUNCAN M from Manitoba, Canada.  Duncan's been a customer for many years and he's the President (I think) of his local Jeep club.

Here's his answers to some of the questions we asked Duncan.

1. What are you currently driving? model? year? color? etc.
 
2005 TJ Rubicon, Khaki & Dark Khaki, semi militarised.

2. Tell us your favorite modication you have made to your current Jeep.
 
My home made camo net bikini top.

3. When did you get your first Jeep and why did you choose a Jeep?
 
I got my first Jeep, an 82 SJ Wagoneer, in 1991. It served me well for 10 years before I sold it due to operating costs. It was 19 years old and starting to require parts that just weren't available anymore. It was a good Jeep with a 360 V8 but whose time had come to move on with someone else at the wheel. During this time I also owned a 55 Willys CJ5. It never saw trails as it needed clutch work and I never had time to complete it. It was all stock and excellent condition. It ran like a top and I was sad to see it go when I had to leave it behind during a cross country move. I chose my wagoneer because it was within my budget and I had had a dream about it the week previous. It was weird actually, I dreampt about a white woody sided wagoneer and then the following week while looking for a replacement 4wd found exactly that sitting at the back of a used car lot with a sale price on it. I got another $1000 knocked off and it was mine. It was my DD and mild trail rig for the next 10 years. I have been a Jeep guy since I was 7 years old when I saw my first Jeeps in a Rememberance day parade. That image of a convoy of army Jeeps has always stuck with me and to this day I still want to eventually own an old army Jeep.

4. Where's the most interesting place you've had your Jeep?

The most interesting place I have been with a Jeep is along the old Kettle Valley Railway line in the Okanagan district of British Columbia Canada. The scenic beauty along this old rail line, often along the edge of the mountains and through tunnels, is just amazing. If I could, I would do nothing but travel around with my Jeep exploring wherever I went. Opportunities are endless with a Jeep.

5. What is the most interesting thing you've DONE in your Jeep?

Created our 2 1/2 year old girl whos initials represent the model whe was concieved in - KJ (Liberty). Yeah, we also had an 04 Libby until July 08. It was great, but well, umm, family comfort took precedence on that one and the wife traded it in. I wish we still had it. The mini van sucks!!!

6. Ever get arrested while in the Jeep? For what?
 
Never been arested. What do you think I am anyway? LMAO

7. What music do you listen to while driving the Jeep?

Whatever is on the radio, generally I like rock, but only on the highway. I don't like music when trail driving, it is distracting and I like to hear what is going on around me.

8. How many Jeeps have you had in your lifetime?

Four... 82 SJ Wagoneer, 55 Willys CJ5, 04 KJ Liberty, 05 TJ Rubicon- current.

9. If you could win any Jeep, past or present, what Jeep would you want to win?

Hmm, I can't answer that in a singular choice. I would like one of each from 1941 to present. But If I had to narrow it down, I would be happy with any or all of the following: 1941 Willys MB, 1948 CJ2A in Harvest Tan, 1951 Willys pick up, 1953 M38A1CDN, 1965 Tuxedo Park CJ5, and/or a 1982 Scrambler.

10 Does your Jeep have a name? What is it?
 
Not really, maybe someday. It would have to be something that suited it somehow. A name needs a reason to be, IMO.

11. If it doesn't have a name and you had to name it, what would you call it?
 
I always thought Lunatic Fringe (from the Red Rider song), or Suzy Q (from CCR song), or perhaps Prairie Prowler. I don't know really. 

12. Is it a boy or a girl?
 
It's a Jeep silly. I've never referred to it either way... just as 'The Rubicon'.

13. Tell us about any stickers or custom work you have on your Jeep?

Club sticker on the back window, Club name on front windshield, Canadian Flag on the back window and winch fairlead plate. The few manufacturer stickers I have are all on the inside of the tailgate. The only custom work is my home made rear reciever hitch bumper. Works great for hauling my M101CDN 1/4 ton military trailer.
 
14. What's the most unique thing about your Jeep?

It is the only one in my town!!!
 
15. If you are a member of a local Jeep or off-road club, give a shout out to the club here:
 
Westman Jeep Association, Southwestern Manitoba, Canada. All Jeep, All the time! http://www.westmanjeep.com/

16. If you were a Super Hero and your Jeep had extradinary powers, what would those powers be?
 
It would do double duty as a boat, it would fly better than Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and would run snow like a Bombardier snow machine.

17. If you could chose one new gift for your next birthday, would it be:

- a fully restored, 1941 Jeep Willys,

18. What are your 3 favorite products available for sale at www.allthingsjeep.com?

Jeep Hats, Jeep Shirts, Cool Jeep stuff. ;)

Thanks Duncan!

Yesterday I sent out the following email to our crazy Jeep customers who order from us A LOT.

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From: Jean @ All Things Jeep <sales@allthingsjeep.com>
Subject: We need you for our Customer of the Week!
To: sales@allthingsjeep.com
Date: Thursday, October 2, 2008, 7:40 AM

Hello Fabulous All Things Jeep Customer -

I need your help. I don't know if you are aware of my blog but since all the "marketing experts" told me I needed one to be successful on the web, I started one last winter. But I'm having a tough time writing in it regularly as I spend all my time running http://www.allthingsjeep.com/.

So last night lying in bed I came up with a brilliant idea. "Let's get our customers to write the blog so I don't have to!" What do you think? Surely there must be some crazy Jeep folks that would like to be featured in our blog, showing off their Jeep and their Jeep lifestyle. Or, better yet, maybe a few of them would actually like to be guest bloggers for all the world to see.

And that is why I am writing. I am not sending this email to every All Things Jeep customer. Only to a small number of you who may be on their way to being totally Jeep crazy. How can I tell? I looked at how many times you've ordered from us, and, uh, it's quite a few. (A BIG THANK YOU for that! Don't change a thing!) So, seriously, from me to you, wanna be featured as our customer of the week? My plan is to do a Customer of the Week post each week and feature your photos, and your answers to some of the questions below. If you want to participate, just hit "REPLY" fill in the blanks below, attach a photo or two (please no more than 2) and then click SEND.

I have no idea what the response will be so I have no idea when / if your story will be published. But the more entertaining you make it, the more likely it will show up at my All Things Jeep BLOG. And if I publish your Jeep story, we'll send you a $10.00 Gift Certificate to use at http://www.allthingsjeep.com/ (And, a giant thank you.)   So, what are you waiting for, start answering those questions below!

Happy Jeepin'.

Jean Wnuk
Owner
www.allthingsjeep.com
978-582-6606

PS - We have a 20% off all Jeep shirts for guys/women/kids sale going on right now in case you want to shop again!

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Wanna participate? Here are the questions. Copy them in full into an email and answer each question and send the whole email back to me at sales @ allthingsjeep.com.

Maybe you'll be famous.

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Customer of the Week Questions
(hit REPLY, answer these, and send this back to me)

1. What are you currently driving? model? year? color? etc.

2. Tell us your favorite modication you have made to your current Jeep.

3. When dd you get your first Jeep and why did you choose a Jeep?

4. Where's the most interesting place you've had your Jeep?

5. What is the most interesting thing you've DONE in your Jeep?

6. Ever get arrested while in the Jeep? For what?

7. What music do you listen to while driving the Jeep?

8. How many Jeeps have you had in your lifetime?

9. If you could win any Jeep, past or present, what Jeep would you want to win?

10 Does your Jeep have a name? What is it?

11. If it doesn't have a name and you had to name it, what would you call it?

12. Is it a boy or a girl?

13. Tell us about any stickers or custom work you have on your Jeep?

14. What's the most unique thing about your Jeep?

15. If you are a member of a local Jeep or off-road club, give a shout out to the club here:

16. If you were a Super Hero and your Jeep had extraordinary powers, what would those powers be? 

17. If you could chose one new gift for your next birthday, would it be:
- a new 2009 4 door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
- a fully restored, 1941 Jeep Willys
- world peace
- a million dollar gift certificate to www.allthingsjeep.com
(this is a loaded question, we do hope you all choose world peace)

18. What are your 3 favorite products available for sale at www.allthingsjeep.com ?

Include your full name, address and phone number here: (We will only publish your first name, last initial and your city/state. This is just for verification purposes)

Don't forget to attach a photo of your Jeep

THANKS AGAIN. Watch our blog for the first installment of Customer of the Week next week!


- Jean

I'm writing this from home tonight and awaiting the first presidential debate on TV. Kids are watching some new show on the Disney channel and I'm hanging out on-line. And someone who replied to an earlier blog posting linked back to a site I hadn't seen before. On it, I found an explanation for what Jeep TJs' VIN numbers mean. Like bar codes, I've always understood the purpose of VIN numbers (a unique code to identify your vehicle) but never really had a clue as to what all those numbers and letters mean. So this was fun to read.

And then I got curious as to what I could find out about all the other vehicles in our driveway. Here's a short primer on the basics: Understanding Vehicle VIN Numbers and the most comprehensive listing of Jeep VIN numbers for various models that I could find: Decoding Jeep VIN Numbers

Nothing more current came up but I guess if you have a newer Jeep, chances are you already know most of this info.

OK, time to go and listen to McKane and Obama tell some stories. Bye.