All Things Jeep Blog & Musings

A few weeks back we got a call from a gentleman who had written a book called Jeeps at War. Like so many Jeep enthusiasts, his love of Jeeps runs in the family. First his son caught the bug, then his grandson. And now he has 3 generations of Jeepers in his mist. So Mr. Fletcher and his family wrote a book. Bob is a veteran of WWII, where the Jeep legacy all began. And this is where his story starts.

With an eye towards detail, the illustrations in this hardcover book are extraordinary. And the history of the Jeep, from the very beginning through its use in the war is rich with detail. This book is aimed at the family market as it's written from a kid's point of view. But anyone interested in Jeeps and their history helping us in wartime will love this book.

Check out some inside pages of Jeeps at War here.

We've just run across a new website Off-Road Atlas, which is exactly what is says, an off-road atlas to public parks & trails across the country. If you know of public lands or parks open to off-road vehicles, post them up here. If you're a newbie, looking for a place to wheel, type in your zip code and you'll find out what's in your area (or plan a road trip). The site is still new so there's not a ton there yet, but if it becomes what it hopes to become, it will be a useful resource for all wheelin' fans. So add it to your favorites list and let's see if we can turn it into a great site.

By the way, they are running a contest now. Post a location and be entered into a drawing to win $100. The contest runs through mid-March.

Over the years we've got photos of our customers' Jeeps (thank you) but recently we got something so interesting, so different, so unique, so totally cool, that it deserves a post all its own.

Dana is a Jeeper. And a crafter. Put the combination together and look at what you get:

She started with a sketch of her Jeep

 Pulled together her materials

And here is Consuela doing some rock climbing.

ConsuelaConsuela with her matching big sister.

There's more photos. I've skipped a few and Dana tells us she's working on a Jeep scarf and more, but that is what I call "crafty". View more of Dana's creative work on her blog at Daner Designs.

Tell us about your Jeep creation.

We recently discovered a product line that we rate two big thumbs up. It's the Jeep SUV cargo liners from Canvasback.

Like the duck its named after, water and dirt just rolls right off the Canvasback cargo liners. That's what the company told us, anyways, and sure enough, after our test drive. we agree. Nothing sticks to these liners. We have one in the back of our Cherokee. So far we'd put a muddy dog back there, and soaking wet sledding equipment and we look forward to putting flats of flowers back there this spring to test "ground in dirt". And so far, so good. Just shake it out or hose it off and it looks like new again.

The thing I like most about these liners is that they cover the cargo area and also go all the way up the back of the rear seats of the Jeep. This means no more dog hair all over the back of the seat (hard to vacuum that spot). 

I've got one complaint though. These are Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Liberty and Commander cargo liners only. Nothing yet available for Wranglers. But we are talking with the company and they have one in the works for the JKs and will work backwards from there. Once those are available, we'll be keeping the JK cleaner too!

As a generic statement, women love shoes. Not all of us, but many of us.

And if you are reading this, and female, you probably love Jeeps.

So what do you think of the idea of "Jeep shoes"? We just looked at a great line of Jeep-inspired footwear called J-41. This season it's available for women and children (sorry guys!)

Here's a peak: http://www.j-41.com/

We are seriously considering picking these up because after seeing them in person, we were impressed (and also I've picked a few pair out I wouldn't mind owning.) Actually, I wouldn't buy them just because they are "Jeep shoes", but they are comfy, very well made and stylish. The summer sandals would look good on my feet as I swing my legs in and out of the Jeep.

Jeep Girls - please post a comment or email me and tell me what you think and which ones you like. It would be appreciated.  jean @ allthingsjeep.com

Thanks. Jean

It was just a little bit over 4 years ago when Norman and I started this "little internet business" that friends told us "would be a hobby" and nothing more. And, with a glint of amusement in their eyes that they didn't even try and hide, they would laugh and say, "Don't quit your day jobs." Well, I'm happy to report, we quit our day jobs about a year after that and now we have a business we love, doing something we love, with products and people we love.

And I can't tell you how much it means when other industry veterans recognize us as leaders in the industry. Which is why I am so proud to say that we are one of the sponsors of the 2008 Jeep Jamborees this year. We are in the sponsor list along with industry leaders such as Ramsey Winches, Skyjacker and Teraflex. It's very cool.

As most of you probably know the Jamborees are weekend long events held all over the US where Jeepers come together to enjoy the great outdoors, crawl some trails and have a good time with other Jeepers, on and off the trails. This year there's over 30 events. We personally won't be at all of them, but we'll be showing up at a bunch of them. And as a sponsor, we'll be giving away a $100 Shopping Spree to All Things Jeep at each one of them.

Now everyone here is just trying to figure out how we could attend ALL of them, and still keep the business running. Anyone want to volunteer to come help us out so we can take some, I mean a lot, of time off?

We love running across unique new products inspired by the great Jeep vehicle. This one came across our desks right before Christmas and we finally had a chance to introduce it on our website.

"Follow Me to the Beach" is a paperback book for young Jeep kids that love those Clifford the big red dog and Little Critter type books. Except this one is about 2 JEEPS! They're buds and they have some adventures down at the beach the day they sneak out of the garage.

We love 2 things about this book. First, the illustrations are phenomenal. If your toddler is just learning words, point to the pictures and teach them the words "winch", "Hi-Lift Jack", "wrench", "mudding" and more. Their off-road vocabulary will flourish!

Second, this book was written by two Jeep Moms who couldn't find any other books out there for their Jeep kids. So they wrote one. I just love that idea.

This book is self-published and printed "on demand", which means they didn't do a 100,000 piece print run and the cost isn't cheap. But hey, it's a book about Jeeps for your 1-5 year old, and you don't run across many of those.

Buy Follow Me to the Beach here.

Last year we were send a link to Rebekkah Dreskin's website and got a chance to listen to her tune "Jeep Boys" . With a chorus of "Jeep Boys Make My Day...", I'm wondering how many of you girls can relate.

Take a listen to the song and tell me whether the manly hiss of knobby 33s airing down brings you to your knees. The lyrics are fun and of course, by the end of the song, she's converted to a Jeep girl. 

And this makes me wonder how many other songs exist out there about Jeeps. Anyone know any?

If you can post a link to another Jeep song (appropriate for all), we'll send you a free copy of Jeep Boys on CD. Thank you Rebekkah!

We want to feature you and your Jeep here on the All Things Jeep blog. Send us a picture, no bigger than 500 x 500 pixels and include your name, your approximate location, and tell us something about yourself and or your Jeep. Tell us its name, where you found it, the most interesting place you've taken it, your favorite customization, etc. Keep it short and sweet and we'll feature the most interesting entries here. Make sure the picture is sharp and email the info to sales @ allthingsjeep.com.

Also include your full name & shipping address (We won't post this but we will send you a little goodie if we use your information.)

Thanks!  Jean

It never fails that during the holiday season, we get some pretty interesting requests. Our most "fanatical" Jeep enthusiasts are looking for that perfect gift, one that no one else has. One that will truly set them apart as the "freakiest" Jeep freak! Unfortunately, none of these products yet exist, but if they did, we'd have at least one customer buying them.

1. Fuzzy Jeep Slippers - Imagine these. They'd come with wheels that can get you out of any jam, and a 7 slot grille up front. Available in multiple sizes and multiple colors so you can get a pair that matches your Jeep perfectly.
2. Jeep Shower Curtains - We like this idea. Stand in just the right position and the person brushing their teeth will see you bouncing along in the Jeep, roof down, getting soaked in the rain.
3. King Size Jeep Sheets and Comforter Sets - Yes, we've mentioned this time and again to the licensed bedding vendor. So far, nada. They still can't believe that some of you married Jeep couples want to sleep on Jeep bedding. We'll keep working on it.
4. Jeep place mats - For kids and grownups. We were just asked for personalized plastic Jeep placements featuring the gentleman's purple Jeep Jeepster.  It certainly would be a one-of-a-kind present!
5. Jeep Bandaids - This one cracked me up. Now when I cut my finger and reach into the medicine cabinet for a bandage, I inevitably end up with a yellow Sponge Bob bandaid or Blues Clues. It would be much more fun to have a yellow Wrangler or Blue Cherokee running up my finger. Who do we talk to about this one?