lots of mouth'in off, more wheel'in and some wrench"in
I’ll be heading out late morning to Buena Vista, Colorado to drop off some product to the ColoradoFest Group. They are using the UBADGEs to identify trail worthy XJs. Using the badges as a sign the vehicle has been inspected was Tom’s idea, brilliant. I will also be delivering the long and shirt sleeve shirts that were ordered by attending members. See you soon.
Do you need magnetic badges for an event you have coming up? —-> drop us a line
Have any of you seen TripCast by Jeep© yet? I friend of mine, who knows I love to wheel, asked me on FaceBook this morning if I had seen it. If you haven’t checked it out, you should. Thanks Kim for the info.
Hit the road with the free iPhone app that tracks the progress of your driving adventures and lets your friends follow along and enjoy your photos, videos and notes in real time.
The user can also use it as a mapping software. TripCast will put things on your map for you, like Beaches, Camping Areas, Hike and Bike Trails, Off-road trails, and many other points of interest.
Once you get your friends using the app there are some more great features. It will even notify you when a friend is in your vicinity. Great for a meet up and maybe even a last minute wheeling trip.
Enjoy your tunes while still mapping your trip. The ipod overlay feature lets you listen and control music right inside the app.
Our user ID is TrailDriven, of course. Friend us up. We would love to see your wheeling trips.
Since the boys from White Roof Radio took out Friday morning I decided to walk Central Hall again. Yesterday the Central Hall tour was a little rushed. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see everything.
Here is a link to the pictures from Friday. In there you’ll find a video of a sweet sounding BMW. Another video that’ll tease you with a movie from my new car mounted camera. That’s gonna be a toy I’ll be using a lot.
I saw some more celebs, some more booth babes and some epic cars.
– “Very Steve McQueen” db
Thursday morning was rough. I caught what I call “The SEMA Flu”. There is no vaccination for this strain. However, there is a cure. Advil, lots of water, maybe a chili dog for breakfast. I’ll have to try the chili dog thing next time.
Other than being hung, Thursday was pretty awesome. I spent the day with the guys from White Roof Radio. We saw new products, Minis, old friends, new friends, and of course booth babes. If you don’t know about White Roof Radio click on over to iTunes. In the podcast catagory “Automobile”…their show is consistently top 10 in the US. Todd and db(Don Burnside) are great down to earth dudes.
The three of us spent the day meandered our way through North Hall, Central Hall, and Wheels and Tires. <placing tongue in cheek> The booth babes were clamoring Todd all day. “Todd can I have a picture with you?” Todd was a good guy about it, but I could tell by the end of the day it was wearing on him. Folks, celebrity status is not all it cracked up to be. db on the other hand did a nice job of “dressing himself down”. A few recognized him, and he was gracious to those fans.
Seriously fellas thanks for hangin with me. I feel like I made some life long friends yesterday.
Matt Adir(Master-Pull) got me trashed Wednesday night…sorry no updates yesterday. Well other than the headache lasted all day, and my inner thighs are raw(from the walking to perverts)
I am uploading some more pictures now. Some of the photos are a buddy who has a podcast about Mini Coopers called “White Roof Radio”. Consistently in the top 10 in the Auto category in iTunes. He has a thing about pictures with the booth babes. You guys don’t mind, right?
I’ll be reviewing a new product just released this week called GoPro. Full 1080P resolution sport camera. LINK 
There are some pictures in my photo galleries. That thing is almost as cool as boobies.
Day one of my SEMA trip was filled with luck, good friends and a sweet hotel.
I rolled out of Denver about 4:30 am and arrived in Las Vegas about 3:00 pm. Before checking in the hotel I stopped at the show. I wanted to get my Press Pass before the rush in the morning. Parking is a nightmare. While trying to get some information a nice, female, security guard said I could leave my car parked back by the dock area while I ran in and picked up my badge. She agreed to keep an eye on the Mini. I think she wanted me to leave her the keys so she could take it for a spin.
Weaving in about of shuttle buses I made my way to the Central Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Suddenly my phone rings. It’s Matt Adir from Master-Pull. Matt and I spent a few days in Moab wheeling a few year ago. After that Matt and I have kept in touch via Facebook. It being my first SEMA I had a ton of questions and Matt agreed to help. We chatted while he showed me where to pick up my Press Pass. There is no way I would found it by myself. Hey thanks Matt. So with Press Pass in hand I got my car and headed to the hotel.
Another special thanks goes out to the Grandview at Las Vegas. This hotel is amazing. It’s very hard to find a non-casino hotel in Vegas these days. The Grandview hooked us up with three nights. You’ll need to be a member of a vacation club to get in. If you are, choose the Grandview at Las Vegas next time you’re here. The rooms have recently been remolded and are stunning. Here are a few photos.
I finally got around to updating the “Current Jeep” Page on the LUVMYJP page. Here is a break down and a link.
[Link]
When: Saturday April 18th 9:00am
Where: Chinamen Gulch (Buena Vista, Colorado Area)
The LUVMJP and TrailDriven Team will be hitting the trail with The Colorado Chapter that day.
Here is the TrailDamage Link for that trail.
Our Second in a long line of Four Minute Reviews (FMR) takes a look at TeraFlex’s JK Wrangler 2.5” Performance Budget Boost w/adapters.
The kit is the first of its kind. A 2.5″ Budget Boost? I remember back when BBs were 2″ and really measured 1.75″ of lift. These pucks are actually 2.5″.
You will gain enough to clear 35″ tire on your JK Wrangler. 1.25″ spacer are needed to complete the steering clearance. What Jeep and BB has offered that combination in the past. 35 ” tires? great!
The kit comes very complete.
“The brackets mount in the door hinge and maintain a stock location for the mirrors when the doors are removed. I had a prototype set last year for a little bit before it got cold. The image of my Jeep is with the prototype. The notable difference is the pin design which supports the stock hinge screw bolt for a complete factory look.”
We pulled down the forum until Monday morning. LUVMYJP is rolling out a new forum and URL.
The new forum will be under the TrailDriven.com name and badged as such. This will new format will encompass all things “trail driven”. The team has been working hard on this concept for over a year now. We are sure it will be a winning combination.
This blog will continue to live under the plate URL which I have personally come to know and love. This was my first URL, even before BIGoffroad. I still own the Colorado plate and my new JK wears it with pride.
Mopar did us a great service and disservice by allowing DVD audio from their 6 Disc/DVD radios. It’s fun to listen to the King of the Hammers Video but it’s quite another thing to watch it!
If you have the 6 disc/DVD radio from Mopar your now in luck. I have access to the cable you see below. No more soldering that left over Christmas video cable. Just buy this production unit. Connect this cable to the back side of your radio. PIN 6 and PIN 7 slots allow video to be seen via an LCD. It’s that easy.
SPECS:
They sell for $49.95 and will be shipped free via USPS. I will have some in stock after the first of the year.
(The later production units will only have a two prong, flat, radio end. Current unit has a blank third slot. Only two of the current prongs are live.)
I finally got the call that my JK bumper was in. I payed for this thing back in August. Fabtech was having some production issues…blah, blah. All I can say is Troy at BIGoffroad was wonderful through the whole process. I got a smoking deal. If you have any interest in Fabtech, or anything else for that matter don’t hesitate to call Troy.
The bumper came in plain back powder coating. I was tossing around the idea of coating it in the Jeep’s Red Rock color. The plan right now is to install it and see how it looks in black.
The other thing I was confused about was the factory fog lamps. I was not sure what to do with them. Then I found the picture below. This guy used some 3″ PVC to make “cans” to hold the factory lights. Awesome idea! I sure wish I could find a picture of how he closed off the back of the light. I will mount my lights a little closer to the front, but I sure love the idea.
We’re taking this show on the road next week. Moab, UT for the annual NAXJA Fall Fling. This is the 25th anniversary of the XJ Cherokee. While I don’t own a Cherokee any longer I have had 4 or 5 of them in the past. Thanks to my old buddy Fred, I have been a NAXJA member since almost the beginning.
The Fling was started a few years ago, 99 I think. Some guys from the newly formed Colorado-XJ list were heading out to Moab. This happened around the same time some of our Rocky Mountain sharing Utah buddies where there. This was right around the time NAXJA was getting it’s feet wet. We didn’t call it fall fling then though. <If these details are wrong, please comment and set the story straight>
The event form then on was put together by the Intermountian NAXJA Chapter. Today the event has grown to 125+ XJs. This year the event will giveaway a XJ. I lifted, locked, highly modified rig.
I will posting video from our new Kodak Zi6 HD Camcorder. Kodak has given us a unit to test and will do just that. The Moab dust will be tossed around this new camera. We’ll see how it holds up.
- Take stunning HD videos (720p at 60 fps)
– Easy upload to YouTube™ with built-in USB
– Record hours of video—up to 32 GB worth
– View on any HDTV with the included cables
– Edit and share videos with the included software CD
- Rechargeable batteries and charger included
Our very first FMR (Four Minute Review).
Storing your Jeep’s hard top can at times be challenging. In the past I have tried everything.
The pulley systems that pull the hard top off the Jeep and then suspend it in the rafters was ok. However it never seemed to pull it high enough. It was still “in the way”. This method lead to some sleepless night wondering if I tightened everything. I was afraid it was going to fall.
More recently I have it sitting on some cinder blocks at one end of the garage. While this was the easiest and cheapest method it was not free of worry, and was still taking up a ton of space.
A few days ago I ordered what has turned out to be a great solution. BIGoffroad mailed me out a HOSS™ Hardtop Cart for my JK Unlimited. Here is link to the installation guide.
It’s pretty straight forward. Putting it together was simple. The top now just rolls around the garage when I need it out of the way.
Anyone running this bumper?
It’s painted blue in these photos, but comes in Black normally. I’m digging it.
Any thoughts from you fellas? Thanks.
pics from [4wd]
UPDATE: added some more pictures
Thanks to Chris and all the guys and gals with Edge Offroad. I’ve known Chris for years and it was really nice to get out with him and his crew.
We all ran Jenny Creek backwards today. I had never run it that way before. Great change of scenery. The JK did great, only used the lockers once. At the end of the day I got a little high centered on the exit/entrance. I pushed the locker button and was off.
This was the first trip for me on rig with 17″ wheels. I’m use to 15″ rims. They get aired down to 15psi or so. The BFGs on the JK worked very well at 22psi.
On the way back down Rollins Pass I developed a knocking noise…NOT FROM MY HEAD, from the Jeep. I could not for the life of me figure out what it was. It would only knock during suspension movement. After I got home I aired up and pulled out the “creeper” to try and find the knock. It sounded like a rock had gotten in the frame and was bouncing around in there. I looked everywhere, nothing. I am chalking it up to the D-ring in in the rear receiver hitch. i was probably getting more noise than i am use to out of it. The knock has a huge frame to reverberate the sound. In my unibody XJ I never heard it. I guess the fast speeds on the way down the dirt road loosened up the screw and allowed it bang. I hope that was it.
All in all the JK performed excellent. It is so nice to trail something that doesn’t creak, squeak and smell like diff oil. The JK is very capable and comfortable.
One of the things I wish Jeep had done to the JK was to add some storage on top of the radio. Just under the OEM plate that covers the radio is the compass. So placing stoarage, ie a place for your cell phone above the compass could cause the compass to be off. I never use the compass! I live in Colorado. Moutains = West. It’s easy from there.
Daystar came out with a replacement center dash. I got one with delivered with a CAI from BIGoffroad.
That’s right folks. Must of you know I sold the XJ a month or so ago. It truly was a sad day. The “Tippy Pickle” went to a good home. No, really it went to a great home. An XJ lover, and not some punk first timer. Enjoy her and wheel her.
Last night I picked up my 9th Jeep. Let’s recap.
Red Rock Chrystal Pearl, Black Hard & Soft Top, Tan interior, 4dr, Auto, Rubicon, 3.8L V6, PW, PL, Tow Package, Cruise Control, Air Conditioning, 6 Disc, Remote Start, Clear Bra, Tire Cover, Deep Tint Windows
He's had 8 previous Jeeps; a TJ or two, a few XJs, a KJ, and even a Commando. [Read More…]
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