jeffjeeptj
Adventurer
It all started in Arizona, near Crown King outside of Black Canyon City. We had sold our house in Wisconsin, quit my job, and took off to see the country in our fifth wheel. While traveling in Arizona, walking off black top roads, we came across a couple in a Jeep. They had spent the night in an abandoned mine the night before and told us all about the great adventures they have in their Jeep. From that moment on, I had the Jeep bug. It seems my 2WD F-550 Crew Cab just was not good off pavement. I drove my poor wife crazy! We looked at Jeeps everywhere. One morning, when we awoke in a campground, near another desert road/trail, I looked at my wife and said, “We are either buying a Jeep today, or we are moving. I can’t stand this!”
Her reply? ……………..........................................…………... Where do you want to go next?
I consumed volumes of information on everything Jeep! I started waving to Jeep people, talking to Jeep people, and dreaming constantly about Jeeps. About a year later, the day finally came when we settled down in Tennessee, sold the fifth wheel, and started to seriously look at buying my dream vehicle.
The adventure of looking at, driving, and negotiating the deal was exhilarating. We made our purchase of a used TJ from a super nice car salesman at an Infinity dealership in Charlotte. It had all the Sport bells and whistles (most importantly, 30” Wheel/Tire Group, Dana 44, and a 5 Speed) I had been searching for but is still a bit understated. We took our new baby home to the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. Naturally we had to put her to the challenge right away. As soon as I got it off the trailer, we drove up the road from our house, just a couple of blocks and started through a newly cleared residential lot on our way into the woods, or so I thought. We didn’t get more than 30 ft. off pavement when we completely sunk the TJ in mud, up to the doors/frame. No traction at all. My wife and I couldn’t quite believe it and sat a good while in stunned silence. No matter what I tried, the TJ wouldn’t move. Toyota Sequoia to the rescue.
In no time at all I purchased a Warn 9500 Ti winch. Naturally we haven’t needed it since it was installed, except once, even though we’ve done some serious off-roading. I do have a more healthy respect for mud and I’m ready if the need arises again.
The Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee is a Jeep person’s idea of heaven. The area is blessed with numerous off-road trails, shear cliffs, bluffs, waterfalls, and creeks galore. Close to the then open Windrock. We only lived in the area for 6 years, but we’ve had many wonderful adventures there.
But let me tell you the real reason I’m writing this to you. What I’m about to tell -you is so incredibly unreal that if my wife hadn’t taken pictures of it I doubt anyone would believe us.
Our house sat on two lots in a subdivision and we decided to have a driveway on both sides of the house. We ordered 10 tons of gravel from a company and when the dump truck (weighs a lot empty, even more full) arrived and backed in off the road, he got stuck. The truck listed to one side, so the driver could only get some of the gravel off.
That old mud again! Jean, my wife and Heidi our Jeep dog were sitting on the front porch watching all the action. The truck driver was quite unhappy as this was the second time that day he had gotten stuck on one of his deliveries. I went to the garage, got a hefty tow strap, tied it to the TJ and attached it to the front of the truck. Now you’ve got to know that this truck was much bigger than the TJ, but I had a lot of faith in my 4x4 TJ and I had the advantage that I was not in the mud. I slipped that baby into gear, my wife was laughing hysterically, (oh ye of little faith), the truck driver revved up his rig, and off we went. The little TJ worked up a sweat and two puffs of smoke came from the tires, the strain was great but lo and behold pop! Out came the massive truck out of the mud hole. WOW! Unreal!
Luckily my wife took pictures and the rest will go down in our Jeep memories. Of course, the hard drive has crashed and the photos are gone. They may still exist on JF.
Then I decided I HAD to have an LJ Rubicon. My brother had bought an LJ, and the extra room was just what I thought was needed. So, along came a used very low mileage LJ Rubicon. We have had a lot of fun with that Jeep too. Cumberland Plateau, GSMNP, and Balsam Mountain. Now the Outer Banks and Chincoteague since we moved to Virginia Beach. Soon, George Washington National Forest with the LJ and our somewhat “expeditionized” cargo (adventure) trailer. It has jerry cans, an Odyssey PC2250 battery, inverter, Fantastic Fan, Tent Cot, water, racks for kayaks, Mountain House, Snow Peak, propane, butane, EccoTemp, and other expedition stuff. Wife and Jeep dog sleep in the trailer, me in the cot outside, rain or shine.
Looking forward to more exploring. It does look like another job may get in the way, periodically. Ah, the need for health insurance, as aging is better than the alternative.
Her reply? ……………..........................................…………... Where do you want to go next?
I consumed volumes of information on everything Jeep! I started waving to Jeep people, talking to Jeep people, and dreaming constantly about Jeeps. About a year later, the day finally came when we settled down in Tennessee, sold the fifth wheel, and started to seriously look at buying my dream vehicle.
The adventure of looking at, driving, and negotiating the deal was exhilarating. We made our purchase of a used TJ from a super nice car salesman at an Infinity dealership in Charlotte. It had all the Sport bells and whistles (most importantly, 30” Wheel/Tire Group, Dana 44, and a 5 Speed) I had been searching for but is still a bit understated. We took our new baby home to the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. Naturally we had to put her to the challenge right away. As soon as I got it off the trailer, we drove up the road from our house, just a couple of blocks and started through a newly cleared residential lot on our way into the woods, or so I thought. We didn’t get more than 30 ft. off pavement when we completely sunk the TJ in mud, up to the doors/frame. No traction at all. My wife and I couldn’t quite believe it and sat a good while in stunned silence. No matter what I tried, the TJ wouldn’t move. Toyota Sequoia to the rescue.
In no time at all I purchased a Warn 9500 Ti winch. Naturally we haven’t needed it since it was installed, except once, even though we’ve done some serious off-roading. I do have a more healthy respect for mud and I’m ready if the need arises again.
The Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee is a Jeep person’s idea of heaven. The area is blessed with numerous off-road trails, shear cliffs, bluffs, waterfalls, and creeks galore. Close to the then open Windrock. We only lived in the area for 6 years, but we’ve had many wonderful adventures there.
But let me tell you the real reason I’m writing this to you. What I’m about to tell -you is so incredibly unreal that if my wife hadn’t taken pictures of it I doubt anyone would believe us.
Our house sat on two lots in a subdivision and we decided to have a driveway on both sides of the house. We ordered 10 tons of gravel from a company and when the dump truck (weighs a lot empty, even more full) arrived and backed in off the road, he got stuck. The truck listed to one side, so the driver could only get some of the gravel off.
That old mud again! Jean, my wife and Heidi our Jeep dog were sitting on the front porch watching all the action. The truck driver was quite unhappy as this was the second time that day he had gotten stuck on one of his deliveries. I went to the garage, got a hefty tow strap, tied it to the TJ and attached it to the front of the truck. Now you’ve got to know that this truck was much bigger than the TJ, but I had a lot of faith in my 4x4 TJ and I had the advantage that I was not in the mud. I slipped that baby into gear, my wife was laughing hysterically, (oh ye of little faith), the truck driver revved up his rig, and off we went. The little TJ worked up a sweat and two puffs of smoke came from the tires, the strain was great but lo and behold pop! Out came the massive truck out of the mud hole. WOW! Unreal!
Luckily my wife took pictures and the rest will go down in our Jeep memories. Of course, the hard drive has crashed and the photos are gone. They may still exist on JF.
Then I decided I HAD to have an LJ Rubicon. My brother had bought an LJ, and the extra room was just what I thought was needed. So, along came a used very low mileage LJ Rubicon. We have had a lot of fun with that Jeep too. Cumberland Plateau, GSMNP, and Balsam Mountain. Now the Outer Banks and Chincoteague since we moved to Virginia Beach. Soon, George Washington National Forest with the LJ and our somewhat “expeditionized” cargo (adventure) trailer. It has jerry cans, an Odyssey PC2250 battery, inverter, Fantastic Fan, Tent Cot, water, racks for kayaks, Mountain House, Snow Peak, propane, butane, EccoTemp, and other expedition stuff. Wife and Jeep dog sleep in the trailer, me in the cot outside, rain or shine.
Looking forward to more exploring. It does look like another job may get in the way, periodically. Ah, the need for health insurance, as aging is better than the alternative.
