All Things Jeep Blog & Musings

If you read the All Things Jeep (blog.allthingsjeep.com) blog much, (this thing here) you know that we love 4-wheeling. You also probably know that when we wheel, we like to do it with the folks at Connecticut based 4-wheel club JonFund (www.jonfund.com). We love JonFund so much, we even have a member design our popular Where's Your Playground Jeep Tees .

JonFund president, Mike from our warehouse

 

(seen here wearing his It's an XJ Thing, You wouldn't Understand Tee-Shirt)-- told me that in a survey of their club members last year, one of the three most important things about club membership was helping each other. Sure, the jokes can be merciless -- just ask about an unfortunately named sundae or what moniker a deep hand wound might get -- but when it comes down to it, the bromances in Jonfun put Affleck and Damon to shame.

Since the universe has never created an obstacle a JonFunder can resist, these guys have to be able to count on each other.  Sometimes, it's to find the best line, or to get winched out of a bad spot or to make a trail repair -- sometimes it's something bigger. Starting a beautiful, sunny ride last weekend, a small handful of the group decided to try a tough rock face.  Everyone was fully aware that this was an especially difficult section of trail and that the risk of damage was very real. The bulk of the group decided to save it for the end of the day, just in case. The steep face and the mud from the 6 straight weeks of rain we've seen here in Massachusetts beat most of the drivers and the group made good use of their winches. One driver looked like he was just about to make it when, instead, his tires began to slip and he rolled. Voices yelled "Hands in, hands in, hands in!!!" and everyone took off running towards the rig. Fortunately, driver, passenger and rig all escaped relatively unscathed. The other drivers in the group helped them get out safely, get their gear out and salvage the oil pouring out through the hood. Those who could checked the engine and helped get it into working shape so they could keep going. People even gave up their spare oil so these guys could keep wheeling. They were able to get through the entire rest of the day and show some good obstacles what for.

Beyond taking care of people and rigs, I'm also impressed with JonFund's attitude towards taking care of the Earth. Prior to meeting the JonFunders, I didn't understand how Tread Lightly(www.treadlightly.org) could possibly apply to wheeling. As a backpacker and kayaker, I just couldn't fathom how people driving SUVs through the woods could be good stewards of our planet. OK, maybe they were good about packing out their trash, but that's as far as it goes, right? I stand solidly corrected. In general, wheeling helps preserve natural, undeveloped spaces. If land owners can make money keeping the trees and opening space up to wheelers, they don't need to sell it off to be turned into condos and espresso bars. That certainly works with the values of this tree hugger. I've seen members stop the whole group because they saw a piece of trash off the trail and wanted to pick it up. On-trail stewardship extends far beyond packing out trash. These guys are serious about staying on the trail, respecting the plants and animals,and minimizing erosion. In the case of the rolled rig, a lot of oil still made it the the ground despite the salvage effort. It would have been so easy for the group to just drive away and leave a puddle of motor oil. Instead, they shoveled all of the oily mud into trash bags and used rags to soak it up off the rocks. There was zero evidence that oil had ever spilled in that area. I think the Lorax would have been pleased.

So, I still haven't made much progress towards acquiring my own rig, but in the meantime I'm figuring things out. Things like the importance of seat belts, spill kits and good friends.

 NOTE: Blog written as a result of fellow employee doing some pretty decent damage to his skull on a weekend trip 2 weeks back. Lots of blood involved, but he's okay now.

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Okay kids, let's talk about Trail Safety for a bit, specifically First Aid. When you go off roading, you're trying to reach the most inaccessible, extreme places around. You're dealing with wilderness, heavy machinery, and factors unknown. The deeper you go into your adventures, the farther away you are from help. All this adds up to bad news if a serious injury occurs! Luckily, the old adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," rings very true here.

First things first, you'll want to have a First Aid kit. Now, most First Aid kits include some gauze, a variety of Band-Aids, and some name brand painkillers. While this is good to have in your Jeep for day to day adventures, you'll want to create a more extensive kit for your off pavement trips. Keep in mind that you'll probably be trying to keep a wound under control until you can find proper medical attention, which could be hours away. The few 2"x2" gauze squares that come standard in most kits are great for a small scrape or cut, but if you've got a wound that won't stop bleeding you're going to go through those little guys quick! Clean towels kept separate from the rest of your gear are a great help (no, your oil rag will NOT suffice!). A large roll of gauze, scissors, and medical tape will make you a very happy camper. Also bring along some old t-shirts that have been washed. These can be ripped into long strips and tied on to hold gauze in awkward places.

More often than not, the scrapes, cuts, and gashes acquired on the trail will have some of said trail ground into them. So, unless you want to lose that limb, cleaning out wounds is of vital importance. Bring along a water bottle to be used strictly for flushing wounds. The large medical Q-tips and a bottle of iodine should definitely be in your First Aid kit. An ice compress in your cooler (again, keep it in a separate plastic bag so it's not filthy) will provide some relief for most injuries. Other miscellaneous items include ibuprofen or pain killer of your choice, tweezers, calamine lotion, antibacterial ointment, and latex gloves (powder-free).

Please keep in mind that I am by no means a medical professional. This is just an idea of some of the things you'll need based off of first hand experience. You know your region and what types of dangers are most prevalent there. For example, if you live in a snake area, bring a snakebite kit! Common sense and caution are the best prevention, but injuries are sometimes unavoidable. Not being prepared, however, is a mistake that you can (and should) avoid!     

I started my three day weekend with a lazy morning. A sink full of dishes and laundry begging to be done, but I'm playing on Facebook and enjoying a breakfast burrito. It goes without saying that I'm a Facebook fan of www.allthingsjeep.com . Here's our All Things Jeep Facebook Page.  www.facebook.com/allthingsjeep

Today I checked out the post about the Jeep Dog photo album on our website. There are a whole lot of awesome, adorable and adventurous Jeepin' pooches out there. I know some dogs are good off-road and others would rather spend the day at home, and I wonder how my own 4-legged princess would fare on the trail.

Delilah, my 3-year old bull dog/akita mix could go either way, I think. She can get frustrated on long car rides, but loves all the different smells to be smelled bouncing down the road. Lila's favorite ride is to my in-laws house; we pass a dairy farm, a park that's always full of kids and a roadside seafood stand. So, I think she would stay entertained on the trail. I do worry about her being up for the bumps and confusing angles that come with a good rock climb.

I worry about her safety, too. I've been day dreaming about the mods I'll do when I find that perfect Jeep. One of the first things I want is to make my rig safe and comfortable for my princess. Of course, there's always a good supply of dog toys in my ride at any given moment -- even when she's not in the car. Bones and Jeep rugged rubber or nylon dog toys can turn up at any moment. Lila's very content to hang out in the backseat with all those toys -- really, she hates riding up front -- so we've never needed any kind of barrier between us. However, if we hit a good bump, could she come flying forward? Do we need a barrier net? When she gets bored, sometimes she'll put her head on the center console to be petted. I think I would miss that as much as she would. Maybe, a barrier net's not for us. We will definitely need cargo net, though. Lila's never tried to jump out an open window, but a topless Wrangler has a lot more open space than a window. What if she lost her balance and fell? Or thought she was supposed to jump out? (She is part bulldog, you can't give her too much credit on these things.)  A good cargo net - http://www.allthingsjeep.com/asp-3141.html - should do the trick, right? My princess doesn't wear a collar around the house -- her neck is a really thick and foldy -- so it looks strange and matts her fur -- but when we go out, she has to wear her ID tag with my contact information and her rabies tag. Should she wear a brightly colored bandana on the trail just in case? When I lived in Maine, every dog I knew spent Spetember-December sporting some kind of orange gear. I saw some harnesses that clip to the seat belt, but I wonder if they would be too restrictive. Do I need a top net? I don't think she could jump that high, nor have the inclination to do so. Would I need to add anything special to my first aid kit in case she did get hurt? I'm so overwhelmed! When did taking the dog on a car ride become so complicated?

Let me know what you do to keep your Jeep dog safe and happy in your rig! How could you say no to this face?

Bust out the tents! Load up on bug-spray! Fill the cooler with ice and tasty libations! Pack it all into the Jeep and head out for fun! What could be better than a weekend full of camping & wheelin'?

Mike White, aka MrFreakinWhite, who works here at All Things Jeep, also happens to be president of JonFund, a Connecticut based 4x4 club. This weekend they teamed up with Vermont Expedition Society (VTXS) to hold their annual camping & offroading event, Field Trip. Also in attendance were a few members from Western Mass 4x4 and Northeast Toyota Crawlers (NTC).

 

 

Collectively, a whopping 35 trucks showed up for trails ranging from the brain-rattling, bone-shaking, hardcore runs to a stocker night run. I'm proud to add that my bone stock TJ on 31" TrXus Mud Terrains made it through said stocker run with zero tugs and only moderate scraping. A 2" lift and I think I'll be able to do it without the ugly sounds from beneath.

 

Speaking as the smallest Jeep (by far) at the event, you don't have to have a super-modified rig to have fun with the big boys (and girls!). Joining an off roading club is a great way to have fun with people who share your interests, off roading and otherwise. It also gives the perfect opportunity to learn how to wheel safely and pick the brains of those more experienced than you. After all, who doesn't like talking about their own Jeep?

We work hard on our rigs, and seeing those modifications get tested and pulling through in extreme situations is satisfying in a way that only 4x4 owners can truly understand. The only thing more satisfying? Perhaps a half-mile long line of 4x4 grills climbing their way behind you. What can I say? Wheeling camaraderie gives me the warm fuzzies.

One Girl's Journey...
A Jeep Love Affair Part 2: Bargain Hunting

I have always driven used cars. I'm a bargain hunter, a good New England girl. The high that people get from "that new car smell" has always been lost on me. To me, a car should have history. I like trying to figure out who the previous owner was, why they loved and eventually sold my beast. My very first car, a gift for my 18th birthday, would have been completely undriveable to anyone else, but I loved it. My 13-year-old Chevy Cavalier had most definitely -- if movies are to be trusted -- been the vehicle of low level drug runner. It had a false bottom; the trunk key was fake and no amount of lock picking ever opened it. It had a NO FEAR windshield decal and crown air freshener on the dashboard -- details I left intact as evidence of my car's previous life where it took more exciting trips that carting me to my job at the mall. How did I find this gem? A guy one of my sisters was dating, who may or may not have had mob connections, "found" it for me.

Car #2 was willed to me when my grandmother passed away. It still had her CB radio in it, which she used to chat with truckers. I bought car #3 from my mother's boyfriend's sister; a free spirited woman about whom my mother told funny stories. All of these cars had three things in common: 1. I loved them 2. They had great times with their previous owners 3. (This is the important one) I didn't buy them. Not until the Subaru wagon I currently drive, did I actually go somewhere and negotiate a price with a stranger. I got a pretty good deal because the dealer, who primarily dealt in Toyota pickups, regretted taking it in as a trade as his customers had no interest. He was friendly without being pushy, and I walked away with a good feeling after working with him. I also had an insurace check from the death of #3 for the bulk of the price, so there was no need to discuss financing.

So, Jeep hunting I went. No insurance check, no mobster gifts, I'd have to get some kind of loan. For my bank to give us an auto loan, the car would need to have fewer than 70,000 miles and be newer than 2003. It's a small bank and they have to be careful -- I don't blame them. However, that pushes a rig just out of my price range. I don't want to spend too much for something I plan to put beat up on the trail. So I checked into dealer financing. After one promising test drive last weekend, the dealer told me the best she could do was 28% APR -- despite good credit and a 15% downpayment. Another rig at a different lot was nearly perfect, but I didn't like the particular guy with whom we had been working. Had I dealt with any of the other salesmen who offered their help during the 45 minutes it took him to find keys and a plate, I might have even paid something as ridiculous as 28%. I just couldn't give him my money. Nothing else I saw really spoke to me. Needless to say, I am still Jeepless.

I know that somewhere out there is a rig that runs well, being sold by a likeable salesperson who can offer me an interest rate lower than my age. There is a Wrangler with personality, a great story and an I-6 engine just waiting for me. I just have to find it...

EDITOR NOTE: If you can help Corinne, our new Customer Service Manager find her perfect Jeep, post here. She needs help!

Remember those worksheets in grade school where you looked at a list of names or phrases and said which one did not belong, which one is not part of the group? Okay, here's one.

Off-Roading, Camping, Rock Crawling, Hula-Hooping, Mud-Bogging.

Which one does not belong? Did you say Hula Hooping. That's what I thought until I met one of our customers on our All Things Jeep Twitter page ( http://twitter.com/AllThingsJeep ).

Meet Jackie, from Hoop Du' Jour, http://www.hoopdujourstore.com/

 

 

We've seen her around the web and asked her to send us a note about her business. The note is below. One thing I didn't realize until I read this is that Jackie is only 15 years old! Already has her own business and already knows she's driving a Jeep in just a few short months. Frankly, I'm impressed. 

"I found out about hoop dancing through my mom and started hooping when I was 13. My mom goes to this big event every year called Burning Man where basically all the free spirited people who like to have fun, set up camp in the desert once a year for a week and have themed camps and parties. Burning man has tons of people doing what we call, hoop dancing or hooping. So once I picked up my hoop I fell in love with it, since it's so much fun and is an amazing source of fitness for your body.

Once I started hooping and getting my hoops through other people I started having my own cool ideas for hoop colors and designs. So I had an amazing idea that I should start my own business making hula hoops and teaching as a Certified Hoop Dance Instructor. I went to a 3 day intensive teacher training with the amazing company HoopGirl, and became a certified hoopdance teacher.

Now I am currently a few weeks away from turning 15 years old, and I am an owner of my hoop business, Hoop Du' Jour and I am a certified hoop dance teacher. I absolutely love hooping and all the oppurtunities it gives me, with doing what I love and being able to work at such a young age.

As for Jeeps, my first Jeep obsession started young, when I saw Lorelei Gilmore's 1999 Jeep Wrangler in my favorite show 'Gilmore Girls'. Then, my dad's girlfriend had a 2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and we went driving everywhere together with the top down and the doors off and I fell in love! I'm so incredibly excited to start driving in about 6 months and get my very own Jeep Wrangler next year! Hooping and Jeeps are my two great loves, and Allthingsjeep.com of course! Maybe in the future I could start a Jeep HoopGroup and we could go off-roading and hooping on our adventures!

Thanks so much for wanting to learn more about me! I absolutely LOVE you guys and your business! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!!!"

After reading Jackie's note I'm also thinking of ordering a few "hoops". Seems like a great activity to do when I need a break from my desk while at the office. So long as a video doesn't make it up onto Youtube, I'll be all set.

Thanks for sharing with us Jackie. You are inspiring!

 

 

Today on PRWire.com,

"

Chrysler Group LLC Announces Organizational Structure Focused on Chrysler, Jeep(R), Dodge and Mopar(R) Brands

- Sergio Marchionne to Serve as Chief Executive Officer - Global Brand Structure to Bring Leadership Closer to Employees and Customers - Commercial, Industrial and Corporate Staffs to Support Brand Organization AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- As Chrysler Group LLC prepares to begin operations, the new company formed in alliance with Fiat announced an organizational restructuring to focus on the Chrysler, Jeep(R), Dodge and Mopar(R) brands. The new leaner, flatter structure is intended to restore brand promise and dealer confidence. All appointments are effective immediately. "I personally feel privileged to have the opportunity to lead the new Chrysler and to work with senior management to build this company and our great brands into all we know they can and should be," said Sergio Marchionne, who today was named Chief Executive Officer of Chrysler Group LLC. "That effort starts with leadership." Chrysler Group's new organization is based on a global brand-focused structure comprised of the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Mopar brands, each with full profit and loss accountability. Common Commercial, Industrial and Corporate functions have been put in place to support the development, manufacture, distribution and sale of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge products and Mopar parts by the brand organizations. "The new company's leadership structure has been developed to rebuild and grow the four iconic Chrysler brands," said Mr. Marchionne. "With a flattened organization designed to give leaders broad spans of control, we are able to increase the speed of decision-making and improve communication flow, ultimately bringing Chrysler Group management and employees closer to our customers." To assist the new company in the transition, Jim Press is appointed Deputy CEO and Special Advisor, reporting to Mr. Marchionne. In this position, Mr. Press will be instrumental in the restructuring of the Chrysler Group LLC. Mr. Press served most recently as Chrysler LLC Vice Chairman & President. Brand and Commercial Organizations Mr. Marchionne added: "The focus of the Brand organization is to rebuild and grow the company's four brands, beginning with their strong heritage. The structure is designed to focus on external competition, avoiding product overlap while maintaining the highest possible level of industrial optimization. The new company will align its networks with the brand positions, to restore brand promise and dealer confidence." In support of the Chrysler Group's brand operations, the company announced the following appointments reporting to Mr. Marchionne: ...Michael Manley is appointed President & Chief Executive Officer, Jeep Brand, with full profit and loss responsibility for the Jeep product portfolio. Mr. Manley will also have enterprise-wide responsibility for the Product Planning organization with responsibility for coordinating the product plan and volume requirements of the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brand functions. He will work with the other brand Presidents to translate these into operating plans for the product development and manufacturing organizations. Mr. Manley served most recently as Executive Vice President, International Sales & Global Product Planning Operations. ..." So I did a search on Michael Manley's name and found this bio: http://www.chryslerllc.com/en/about_us/our_team/?name=mmanley Two things to note. 1. He had a big job ahead of him 2. He's younger than me. Good luck to him.

One Girl's Journey From Wannabe to Jeeper
Part 1

My love affair with Jeeps began as a little girl. My sister, 10 years my senior, drove a red YJ in my childhood. I would do just about anything to earn a ride, top off and Salt n' Peppa on the stereo -- usually, it meant doing her chores or helping cover her latest lie to our parents. By the age of 9, I had become both a master bed maker and liar. Fast forward to a few weeks ago. My love of Jeeps was as strong as ever, despite the fact that I'd never bitten the bullet and bought one. For me, Jeeps had become like the cute punk boy in the bar that you don't think you're quite cool enough to approach. However, in the brief time I've been working at the Jeep gift store, All Things Jeep, I've learned that all you need to be cool enough to be a Jeeper is to love Jeeps. Guess I qualify.

Last weekend, Mike from our warehouse took me on a trail ride with his jeep club, JonFund. It was like the world's slowest but most exciting roller coaster ever; physics aren't necessarily going to keep you safe in a 4x4. The other drivers were just as much fun. There was a group dynamic of taking care of each other and genuinely wanting to see every other driver succeed which was unlike anything I've seen. Like the folks at ATJ, everyone was genuinely excited to meet me just because I liked Jeeps, too. I quickly realized that owning a daily driver Jeep just wouldn't be good enough -- I had found my new favorite thing to do and I would need a rig that could handle it.

I've done my research, talked to my coworkers at ATJ and my new friends from JonFund, and compiled the following list of requirements for my double duty off-road rig/daily driver:

Jeep TJ -- Despite Mike's undying love of his XJ, I want the openness of a Wrangler. I just can't afford a JK. I don't think I have the skills to restore and modify a CJ, but someday I will. So, the decision between TJ and YJ came down to the TJ's move away from the leaf spring suspension -- coils just provide a much smoother ride on the highway. Less importantly, I prefer the look of the round headlights.

Manual Transmission -- Definitely a personal choice thing. Lots of people on different boards swear by their automatic transmission, but there's just so much more control with a manual. NB: Automatic transmission are more expensive to replace.

Never Been Off-Road -- If you've already beaten it up off road, I don't want it. I want to be the one to beat it up! I've become extremely wary of tow hooks and lifts, even if I know they were only added for show.

V6 Engine -- Bad ass girls drive bad ass toys. Enough said.

So, over the next few (insert undetermined unit of time) I'll be keeping track of everything from the test drives, to the modifications and into hitting the trail. Be you novice or experienced, come along with me. It'll be fun.

Next time: The first test drives and dealing with the dealer.

Well, it's that Dads and Grads time, and if you are like me, you are wishing you didn't have to come up with something thoughtful and clever to send to your favorite Dad or Grad. It's busy enough this time of year without having to be thoughtful.

So we are making it easy for you. Pick up anything you need for yourself at http://www.allthingsjeep.com/ and if you spend $25 or more, we'll toss in a Free Jeep Hat absolutely free (oops, guess I already said that.) And the hat is a cool one, so any Jeep Dad or Grad will be happy with it.

So yes, this Jeep blog article is nothing more than a promotional blurb about our latest promotion. Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Here's the Free Jeep Cap for Dad's Day. (You get to choose the color.)

 

Here's the page where you add it to your shopping cart for free (with your $25 purchase)

 http://www.allthingsjeep.com/fathers-day.html

Here's our favorite picks for terrific Father's Day Gifts for Jeep Dads.

Supplies are limited on the hats. Promo is over when they are sold out. Thanks!

 

You want topless photos? We got 'em. And LOTS of them. I'm referring to our topless Jeep photos that were sent to us by all our customers celebrating our 2nd Annual Go Topless Day on May 9th, 2009.

As expected, we did actually get quite a few photos showing topless people inside topless Jeeps. However, much to the guys' dismay over here, most of the topless humans were dudes. Shameless dudes I might add! The few females sending topless photos were appropriately covered by strategically placed roll bars, dashboards and handmade posters. Thank you ladies for making sure all photos sent our way were PG. That allowed us to post them all.

Also as expected, kids and dogs played a large role in the photos we received. What can we say, we're a pushover for a cute kid in a Jeep. Does it have anything to do with the fact that maybe they'll become a long-term customer of ours if we post their photos? We can only hope!

And finally, we are thrilled with the amount of Jeep clubs participating in Go Topless Day. View the full All Things Jeep Photo Album page to see the club photo

Thank you ALL!

So, drumroll please....

Out of the 100s of photos send our way, we picked out our favorites and here they are.

HERE ARE THE winners of our Go Topless Day Photo Contest.

Each of them get a $50 Gift Certificate to www.allthingsjeep.com and this worldwide recognition! What could be sweeter.

For all the photos submitted, check out our All Things Jeep Photo Album here.