Would You Buy a Jeep?

[oldranger]

If 4 wheeling was my primary use yeah I would get a Jeep or an old tricked out International Scout (bought one new in 78 and sold it in 2006 because I just didn't use it enough) Replaced it with a 2000 4 Runner that I loved until I bought a travel trailer and found that backing a trailer into tight places was not to my liking with a stick. So I bought a new 2014 4 Runner which is ugly as sin compared to the 2000, but handles the trailer better and gives a quiet and smooth ride on the highway and has pulled travel trailers on multiple road trips without missing a beat and pulled the boat to local lakes about 20 times a year. I do Drive it on primitive roads from time to time and it has picked up more than a few "pinstripes." But that is pretty superficial. I keep her in great tires (stock size but 10 ply rated) and she gets all her scheduled maintenance. She is always ready to go when I am and probably able to deal with conditions beyond my level of competence. More than once I have turned back. Once backing down the road about 1/2 mile before I could actually turn around. To get to the point no, given the things that are important to me I would not buy a Jeep. But I would buy a boat costing twice as much as a new Jeep in the blink of an eye, if Kathy would let me!

[neil d]

Looks like pretty tame terrain for getting that vehicle stuck, although photos can be misleading.

A buddy has a 4dr JK, those vehicles are pretty impressive handlers even in stock mode.

Lots of pimped Rubicons in my neck o' the wood with MTs, winch, lights, tools, etc...and nary a pinstripe, quarter panel blemish, or spot of undercarraige dirt. Sad, really...

[TahoeJeff]

Rubicons in my neck o' the wood with MTs, winch, lights, tools, etc...and nary a pinstripe, quarter panel blemish, or spot of undercarraige dirt. Sad, really...

Like Hobbes said: "Mall Crawlers"...

[oldranger]

Whoa just took my Outback down then back up some pretty knarly stuff today off the road into cave falls in the SW corner of Yellowstone. I was really surprised how well the X mode worked for crawling over rocks and holding going down hill and then crawling over rocks going uphill. It is like having a granny gear! Not a single slip of any wheel--and it was wet, too.

[psykokid]

The guy in the Jeep was probably running full street pressure in his tires. Airing down helps A LOT.

We were out in the shaver lake area heading up to Bald Mountain the year before with a group of Land Rovers from the Norcal and Socal Clubs for our annual snow wheeling trip. Unfortunately a group of unprepared guys in jeeps got onto the trail ahead of us. Since it was a high snow year we had no illusions of actually making it to the top of Bald Mountain. We would be pleased just to make it to the trail head off of Rock Creek Road. Well, this group of jeeps in front of us were totally unprepared, running full street pressures, with little to no recovery gear. We ended up playing a game of wait for them to get moving so we could get moving, only for them to get stuck again. Rinse, repeat.. We turned around at our 2pm turn around time having not even made it to the trail head. By that time the snow had gotten pretty slushy so it was even slower going back to Dinkey Creek Road, even with our rovers aired down to low teens and upper single digit tire pressures with proper recovery gear and techniques.

Long story short - being prepared for expected and unexpected situations and having the requisite skills are a must for any outdoor activity where you may be pretty far from help.

[John Harper]

The guy in the Jeep was probably running full street pressure in his tires. Airing down helps A LOT.

+1

John