FourWheeler.com has a good article out with a list of “Must Haves” if you are going offroad. Many of us have done it before where we just hop in our rig and go off roading without grabbing our gear. They have highlighted a few items that will help you out if you get into trouble and we carry quite of few of these products on our site. Below are a few:
The only thing worse than being out on the trail with someone who isn’t prepared is when that someone is you! Being the guy borrowing tools to air down tires, the one without a tow-strap attachment point anywhere on his vehicle, or bumming beers off of us when the day of off-roading is done isn’t going to win you any friends. We’ll put one of the core unwritten rules in writing: Bring the stuff you need to be self-sufficient.
How much stuff you need is dependent on what type of four-wheeling you like to do and how frequently you break parts on your rig. But there are a few things that should be in and on every 4×4 all the time. By doing so, it will completely remove unnecessary hassle and inconvenience for the whole group. Don’t get us wrong, working together to overcome big challenges has made some of our off-roading trips the most memorable. There’s always an opportunity for the group to pool tools and supplies together to patch up a broken C-clip axle or rebuild a suspension link. One guy will have a grinder, another a welder, and a third enough scrap to fabricate whatever emergency fix is needed. But someone needing a Band-Aid shouldn’t bring the whole group to a stop.
We put together this list of 15 must-haves to keep in your 4×4 for any off-road foray. Actually, there’s more than 15 items listed, but no one ever complains about getting more than advertised. If you have this stuff with you off-road, everyone will be happier and safer. Feel free to chide us if you catch us on a trail without something on this list.
Stuff To Put Your Stuff In
Now that we’ve convinced you to carry the right stuff to make yours and our off-roading trips more enjoyable, let us show you the value of properly storing all of that stuff in your 4×4. First, you want to be able to quickly and easily find your tools and parts when you need them. Keeping them contained and organized makes this a snap. Second, all of these things will become projectiles during bouncy off-roading or worse, a rollover. You really don’t need a 30-pound bag of tools hitting you in the head as you’re fighting the steering wheel to maintain control over your 4×4. When we first started off-roading, we tossed a towstrap and tire wrench under the seat of the truck and within 30 minutes, both ended up under the pedals. Not good.
If you four-wheel a truck, buy a bed box and bolt it in. Fill it up with your tools and parts and then add a utility blanket or two to keep stuff from rattling. These are also handy to toss on the ground when you need to make a repair. For Jeep owners, you can buy bolt-in boxes of various sizes and shapes. The Tuffy Security Deck shown creates a large lockable storage area in the back of an ’07 or newer Wrangler that you can access via the tailgate. The company also offers a variety of all-steel security boxes in various sizes for SUVs and pickup trucks, including some small bed-size boxes and slide-out drawers.
We found this Jeep Jamboree video on WranglerForum.com and since we are sponsors with both we decided to share. This is a nice look of what you can expect from one of these events and they are perfect for off road beginners or veterans.
Jeep® Jamborees are off-road adventure weekends that bring together the outdoors, down-to-earth people, and their Jeep 4x4s. These treks have been a tradition since 1953 when 4×4 pioneer Mark A. Smith organized the first ever Jeep Jamboree and voyaged across the Sierra Nevada Mountains by way of the old Rubicon Trail. In 1954, Willys Motors – then manufacturer of Jeeps – became involved and Jeep Jamborees have been an off-road tradition ever since.
Our lifestyle ambassador (Offroad Dave) has just returned from Easter Jeep Safari 2012 in Moab, Utah and brought plenty of great photos back from the trip. We’ve posted a full gallery on facebook as well as a number of wallpaper-sized versions on flickr, be sure to check them out and let us know what you think!
If you’re looking for something to totally transform your JK Wrangler, we’ve got the package for you! We now have a number of Mopar JK-8 Independence pickup conversion kits in stock and ready to ship for only $5,499. These have been selling quick so get your order in before this shipment is gone! Check out all of the details here or give us a call at 855-303-7483 if you’d like any more details.
Here is your chance to get one of the most revolutionary products of 2011, the Rugged Ridge Power Top. This is the first ever true convertible top for the 2007-2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (JK) 4-door. Rugged Ridge’s innovative design eliminates the hassle of getting your soft top up and down. You can go TOPLESS in seconds with the push of a button! The Power Top is made of heavy duty sailcloth, with 31″ tint, and a 30mil rear glass window. Best of all you lose no cargo space as the top’s motor is hidden away in the rear storage compartment.
Rugged Ridge is excited to announce the first ever electric powered top for the JK Jeep ® Wrangler, the PowerTop™. No more struggling for minutes to get your soft top up when the occasional thunderstorm catches you off guard. Our patent pending design allows the top to be lowered or raised in seconds with the simple push of a button. The PowerTop™ fits all 2007-2012 four door Wranglers and comes complete with sailcloth top, 31% tint 30 mil glass, power top frame, hydraulics, wiring harness and installation packet. Everything you need to make your JK a true convertible top.
Special Features
Includes everything needed for a complete installation including the soft top, frame, door surrounds, motor, hydraulics and wiring. Installation requires that you reuse the factory header and rear tailgate bar.
The frame is powered by an electric motor with a hydraulic pump that drives two hydraulic cylinders. The motor and wiring relays mounts underneath the rear deck lid where it is concealed neatly out of the way.
The frame installs to the tub rail using pre-existing holes along the top and then one hole is required over either wheel well on both sides to provide added support for strength, rigidity and smooth operation.
Going offroad can be exciting and fun. However, there are a few precautions that you should take before doing so.
Some individuals may not be familiar with the term “offroad.” What does this mean? It is a term used when a person drives their vehicle on unsurfaced roads like rocks, gravel and sand. Therefore, safety precautions are necessary.
One important thing to do before going offroad is to make sure that your vehicle is safe and you should know your vehicle inside and out. It is always a good thing to never exceed the limits of your vehicle. Having a spare tire and jack is always a must because you never know when these things might be needed. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Another safety method is to know how to use the controls on your 4×4 system and know how the system works. Once you are comfortable by knowing your 4×4 well and how it operates, then you lower the risk of having an accident.
More and more individuals are noticing that 4×4 accessories are necessary. This is not only for cosmetic reasons, but also to make their vehicles perform better when driving on unsurfaced roads. Therefore, it is important to always buy from a name that you trust in order to get high quality products. There are many types of 4×4 accessories like snorkels which allows the vehicle to breathe easier in dusty and wet conditions. GPS and sound systems are also nice accessories that allow you to get the most out of your vehicle.
Many people are interested in 4×4 suspension lift kits. This is because the lift kits give additional clearance for larger tires for trucks and sport utility vehicles known as SUV and people love the way it makes their vehicles look. Others get a lift for functions and style as well as for rock crawling and mud racing. When taking these matters into consideration, it is very important to have the correct lift. Customizing your vehicle can be quite expensive. Therefore, it is important to get as much information as you can beforehand. Whatever the reason, most people love all of the attention that they get when they get suspension lift to their vehicle. Others will definitely take notice.
Finally, some people like 4wd accessories. One reason why is because it prepares your vehicle for an offroad excursion. Therefore, it is important to escape any calamities that an offroad excursion can create. All of these things mentioned are definitely safety precautions to consider before going offroad.
9 Trucks RC Mudding Trail at Chestnut Ave
The Rigs: 5x Land Rover Defender D90, Axial Wraith, 6×6 King Hauler, Man Truck, SCX10 Honcho
Found this video quite interesting this morning killing atleast 8 mins of my morning. These guys are super serious about their RC’s. Not only are these rigs pretty hooked up but they look like they raided their old toy collections to fill the cabs with “action heroes”. My only concern is none of the “action heroes” have shirts on. Either way these are some pretty serious RC’s doing some serious offroading. The attention to detail these guys have in their RC’s is pretty cool all the way down to offroad recovery shovel’s, roof racks, jerry cans, etc. I’m thinking we need to build one of these at Drive Offroad.
Earlier this year, we made a post about a nicely restored Jeep CJ-7 Jamboree Edition spotted on JeepForum.com. We thought this rare Jamboree edition plaque found on eBay would be a nice follow up to that post just to show how valuable some of the limited edition Jeep parts could be (this particular piece for $150). We’d love to hear any stories of rare parts you guys have come across (or searched for) while restoring your own Jeep vehicle.
PS, don’t forget to check out our Jeep exterior badges for your CJ/Scrambler restoration project!
Photos of Jeep’s new concept vehicle lineup set to debut at Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah have finally surfaced. Our post from last week revealed a few preliminary sketches of the new concepts but the actual photos show much more about these new vehicles. Jeep has done a great job of paying respect to vehicles of the past including the 1956-1965 Forward Control (FC) and the Gladiator pickup of the 1960′s.
We are the most excited about the Mighty FC concept and the J-12 pickup concept. Each of these vehicles began as a 2012 Wrangler Rubicon and then received a massive makeover. In the Mighty FC, this makeover includes a stretched wheelbase, custom cargo box, relocated cab, and Mopar 8-lug axles. The J-12 concept also received a stretched frame (by 18 inches), 6 foot bed, and custom hood and fenders to resemble the classic styling of the J-10.
Other Moab concepts include the Wrangler Traildozer (build by AEV) and the Wrangler Apache which both feature 470hp Hemi V8 swaps. Read on to check out the official press release and see a few more photos.
Its not everyday you see any Jeep destroy an Audi R8, but this is not just any ordinary Jeep SRT-8. Not quite sure what the outcome would of been if the R8 didn’t fall asleep off the line, but it is still quite impressive to see such a brick move that fast. A good run against a Nissan GT-R and BMW X6 M.
Now if you have a 2007-2011 Jeep Wrangler, you know the 3.8L is a dog once you have lifted and gone to larger offroad 35-37″ tires. You may not be able to beat an Audi R8 in a drag race but you can breath some life in that motor with our cold air intakes or cat-back exhausts. Remember DriveOffroad.com has a full line of Jeep Wrangler performance parts as well as Jeep Replacement parts to keep you going.
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