All Things Jeep has announced their winners, and my photos of dear ol’ Molly didn’t make the cut. π However, the ones that did are pretty doggone cool. Check ’em out at the contest webpage.
I had fun making these images with Molly. Watch for more of these in the future!
I also entered another photo contest at All Things Jeep. Molly’s photo hasn’t shown up in their photo area… yet. π
If you’d like to take a peek at a whole bunch of dogs, living the Jeep life and having fun, look at All Thing Jeep’s photo gallery, and if you happen to see a Bernese Mountain Dog enjoying the back seat of a green Jeep, give her a vote. Molly would appreciate it!
I just passed 9000 miles in the Big Green Jeep, and figured with that many miles and a couple of months with it beneath me, it was time to lob some of my thoughts into the ether.
Handling. In 2WD, this thing corners like crazy! I absolutely feel like I can turn it on a dime, and it feels solid as I make turns with some speed. As I discovered this last weekend, the turning radius in 4WD isn’t quite the same as in 2WD. That’s expected, so I’m not disappointed in that by any means.
Suspension. This thing is stiff. I’m convinced that if you ran over a bug in the road, you’d feel the bump. π In reality, I like that better, but it does force me to slow down for advertised bumps in the road, lest I lose all the fillings in my teeth. In the TrailBlazer, I didn’t worry about the bumps too much, as they were dampened out pretty well. I don’t mind this though, as it makes me feel like I’ve got a better sense for what’s under my tires.
Cabin annoyances. Generally, I like the way things are laid out. But… (and there’s always a but)
Anytime you raise/lower the soft top, or install/remove the hardtop front panels, you have to use the latch hooks at the top of the windshield. Unfortunately, you have to move the sun visor out of the way in order to have access to the latch hooks. Were it me, I would’ve changed the design somehow to keep from having to do this.
I love running with the doors off, but there are some caveats. With the doors off, there is no chime to let you know that the headlights are still on after the engine’s off and key’s removed. That hasn’t bit me hard… yet.
That same thing also affects the radio to some degree. With the doors on, once you’ve killed the engine and removed the key, the radio shuts off as soon as the door is opened. With no doors installed, you can either turn off the radio manually, or just wait for the regular timer to turn it off after a few moments.
My guess is that both of these are tied to unplugging the wiring harness between the door and body when the doors are removed.
My only other cabin complaint surrounds the power windows and door locks. The lighting for these switches is abysmal, both on the front and back console (for the windows switches) and the door switches for the locks. In the dark, they are not very easy to find! Were it my design, I would’ve put the door and window switches on the doors. I mean, if you’ve opted for the power door/lock package, you’ve got different doors anyway, so why not put both switches in those special doors. I’d also have added a power option for the side mirrors. I know, I know… real Jeeps don’t have power accessories… but it really would make things a little nicer on the inside.
Radio. While we’re on the radio… I really don’t like Sirius. There’s no option for XM, and I really prefer it. The XM birds are in geosynchronous orbit, and I’ve never really had much problem with hearing them. The Sirius birds use a tundra orbit configuration. Dunno if that’s the issue, but I get pretty frequent dropouts with Sirius, especially crossing under bridges or across bridges that have an overhead suspension system.
And one more thing about the radio. Chrysler has moved to using a single electronic harness for a lot of the onboard systems. Unfortunately, this means that you can’t just swap out the radio for something else. Oh, you can put another radio in the Jeep, but you also have to drop a Benjy on a special harness to interface with the Chrysler electrical plumbing. Urgh.
Overall. I really have no major complaints with the vehicle, and after a lot of miles in a short period of time, crossing long highways and rocky trails, in dry and wet, I can’t imagine having a different vehicle beneath me… except maybe a Rubicon. π
I’ve been looking for a mirror solution for when I have the doors off the Big Green Jeep. Shortly before I first took the doors off in July, I picked up the Mopar add-on mirror, and discovered that I missed having a passenger side mirror.
That led me to ponder moving the mirrors from the front doors to the front window post. While the solutions for doing that work pretty well from what I’ve read, I’ve also read that the passenger-side mirror is almost unusable after the move because it sits kinda low on the post. That’s kinda a shame, as I really liked the idea of getting the mirrors off the doors — it makes it easier to store the doors when the mirrors are sticking out (even when they’re folded in).
So then it was add-on mirrors to fit in the door hinges when the doors were off. After looking at several types, I selected the American Outlaw mirrors. They slide over the hinge, with a set screw that runs through the upright part of the AO mirror mast. Having run with them at Washita this weekend, it sure seems that they stay in place quite well. However, I’m sure the set screws are messing up the paint on the hinge, so that’s something I’ll need to stay on top of to ensure no rust is forming.
All in all, this is a nice solution, although not my preferred route. Ideally, I’d move the mirrors from the doors to the window post, and yet have them high enough that I can see them with the doors on and allow the doors to open with them installed. One of these days, someone’ll make those!
Sio and I drove to the Washita MX facility to help the Midwest Jeep Thing folks build trails for Jeepstock (coming up in about a month). This is a big event for the club, and they’ve been working down at Washita to clear trails in advance of the event.
We met the group at the McDonalds at Farmington, where I quickly figured out that these folks were serious — my Jeep was the smallest of the lot! We loaded up and followed them to Washita. After a quick lesson in how to read the trail map, we were on our way…. and I was faced with a 15-20′ hill that to me looked like it went straight up! Of course, that wasn’t a big deal, and the road to our first stop was flat and uneventful. I thought this was what we’d see the rest of the way.
I was wrong.
We finished up and decided to go on some of the logging roads — described to be easy to get around on — and that’s when I discovered that my version of “easy” and theirs were a little different. The logging road was rutted and pretty tough for me to cover. I made it thought, and we walked up an extreme trail, clearing what we could. I looked at the boulders, and couldn’t believe folks put their vehicles over them, but the evidence was there… plenty of scars on top of the boulders.
While we were there, some Jeeps and trucks came through, crawling the rocks and pounding the undersides of their vehicles on the boulders. And of the group of five, two had mechanical failures — one with a broken U-joint, and the other with a tire that came off the rim. Neither of those would I be equipped to fix, and yet there they were, pulling out tools, and getting ’em back on the road.
Once we finished with our trail clearing, the folks there decided to see if a couple of their “easy” trails were passable by a stock JK. In other words, I became a science experiment. π The first trail was a grass trail through the forest, climbing up and down the sides of stream beds. It wasn’t too bad, but there were some places on that trail I wouldn’t have tried without someone leading me along. And then we hit the easy trail.
I couldn’t believe some of the climbs on this one! And it’s on this trail that I got my first “love tap” on the Jeep. Sio looked back and told me that I had dented the plastic fender on the rear passenger side. And apparently that was so much fun that I did it again. But this time, I took down the tree that was in the way. π Shouldn’t be a big thing to bang out, and after all, I didn’t buy the Jeep for its resale value!
All in all, it was a fun day, and a great opportunity to gain some experience and confidence with my new toy. I’m sure we’ll be back out to Washita to play again!
I’ve been accused of being a bad influence on folks in my cloud for a long time. OS/2, Apple, Canon…. there’s a long list and a lot of history of my being the dude with the pipe, leading the rats down the trail.
I got word this weekend that I may have greatly enhanced my standing in the bad influence category.
I’ve been working on a grilling friend of ours about his need for Jeep. In fairness, he wasn’t a target until he mentioned wanting a Jeep to bang around in after I got mine. That made him a legal combatant, and a fair target for Darla and I to poke with Jeep-related suggestions. So far, there’s been hints of progress, but nothing tangible. However, I really thought he’d be the next line for a new Wrangler.
So, from out of left field, I got a call over the weekend from a co-worker I play tennis with. He’d seen my Jeep shortly after I bought it, and had mentioned in passing how he thought that might be a good fit for him. Little did I know that the seed was planted. This weekend he bought a brand new Jeep Unlimited Sahara!
And when Darla recognized what the call was about, she uttered something unrepeatable, knowing that my tennis partner and I would likely begin egging each other on with upgrades and modifications. And she’s probably right…
After a week of thoroughly enjoying the Big Green Jeep in a topless/doorless “nekkid” configuration, rains this weekend have forced me to re-clothe my rig. *Sigh*
I’ve learned a lot through this week though. I now know how to remove/install the doors, and Beck (or Sio) and I can get the top up in just a few minutes. Today’s installation of the windows didn’t take long either. In fact, at a lallygag pace, Beck and I had the soft top up, windows and doors on in less than 30 minutes. If we’d needed to hurry, we probably could’ve done it in 15-20 minutes. Not too shabby for rank amateurs at this Jeep thing!
It seems like every time I re-configured the Jeep, I find something new I need to pickup. The biggest thing would seem to be a lockable trunk in the cargo area. Right now, I’m just not comfortable shopping in a nekkid configuration and not having someplace to hide/lock up my purchases. Even with just the soft top on, I have a little nervousness about leaving purchases unsecured.
And then there’s the little stuff. “Oh crap” handles for the passengers, a storage system for the zip out windows (which I ordered last night from All Things Jeep), better console/switch lighting…. the list goes on. And then there’s stereo upgrades so I can hear my music over the road noise. That’s a story for another day though!
The Midwest Jeepthing had their picnic today in Crestwood. And, despite the possiblity of rain, Sio and I took the doors off the Jeep, and lowered the top all the way — both for the first time. Being topless and doorless, you could say the Jeep was naked, but I’d tell you it was “nekkid”. Naked just means you have no clothes; nekkid means you’re naked, and having fun. π
I also conjured up a big batch of baked beans, based on Mom’s recipe — another first on the day.
We got to the park right at 2pm, and met some of the MWJT folks for the first time. Friendly bunch of folks, and real knowledgeable. And, most importantly, I didn’t get any guff about my Unlimited being a “soccer mom” Jeep! π In all, there were just over a dozen Jeeps there, with grilled burgers and all kinds of sides. Good food, good folks, and great weather…. until the wind shifted.
I was talking with someone, and suddenly, you could feel the wind shift eerily, and with the shift came a push of much cooler air, and significant dark clouds. Sio and I decided to high tail it out of there and try to get home before the rains started. We got just a few blocks from the park when we decided to put the top back up. As it ends up that was a good move. The doors were in the garage at home, as were the zip-off windows for the soft top, so that was as much as we could do on the road.
Once we hit the interstate, the rains came down, adding to the street wetness that was already there from a previous squall line. Impressively, most of the rain stayed out of the Jeep, with only the spray kicked up by passing vehicles really getting into the cabin. We made it home, with a side stop at Silky’s for some custard, and neither Sio nor I were too wet. Even the Jeep was relatively dry. But man, did we get some amused looks as we drove through the rain.
So how was the ride, you might ask? Well, glorious is the word that comes to mind. Having no doors or roof on the Jeep really gives a sense of freedom that I’ve never experienced with any other vehicle. In fact, you can hear so very much more — other folks’ tires, your own engine, wildlife — that it’s almost disruptive at first. Every normal sound that goes on around you can be heard easily, not just the loudest ones. And being engulfed by the air as you drive is exhilarating. This work week is supposed to be sunny and warm, so I think I’ll keep my Jeep configured nekkid this week.
My only complaint was the lack of a passenger side mirror. I didn’t realize how much I relied on that one, so only having a driver side just isn’t quite enough to keep me feeling happy and safe. I’ll need to figure that one out over the next week, but I’m thinking that the Mopar mirror I installed last week isn’t gonna be the right answer. No big deal.
This was a way fun experience on all kinds of levels. I sure wish I’d gotten one of these a long time ago!
Jean, the co-owner of All Things Jeep, asked me to audition for some guest writing on the All Things Jeep Blog after hearing about our upcoming road trip. I guess she liked my writing style, and thought there might some interest in a giant roadtrip. I dropped her my opening piece a couple of days ago, and tonight, it’s borne fruit.
Over at the All Things Jeep Blog, my first piece has appeared! Click the link, and take a look…. I’ll wait…. π
This is my first guest blogging appearance, and I couldn’t be happier to have it show up with these folks. I really like their products, and the folks I’ve interacted with (sample size of two) have been terrific. This has as the markings of being a very fun gig!
I got home tonight, and found that my new tire cover from All Things Jeep was waiting for me on the front porch. I wasn’t expecting it until Wednesday, so this was a nice surprise. I ripped the box open — kid-at-Christmas style — and dashed out to the Jeep for a quick installation. Those things are a little cumbersome to get on! Since it grips the tire pretty well, any sliding of the cover on the tire surface is pretty much impossible, which is exactly what you want when driving…. just makes it hard to install it correctly! However, ten minutes spent installing and straightening, and I the had the cover on and ready for business.
