1.  Drink water.  The next time you are marking a tree or bush, check bout the color of your urine.  If its clear then you are well hydrated.   The darker that urine is, the less hydrated you are.  I keep a Camelbak with me but my wife and both kids also have their own.  Watch out for signs of heat cramps or exhaustion like headaches, nausea, excessive sweating and dizziness.  If you or someone in your group begins to experience any of these symptoms, then take a break, cool off and get some water inside. 

2.  Alcohol and driving doesn’t mix – ever.  Each state and country has their own laws regarding legal limits but I’d like to encourage you to completely abstain from consuming alcohol if you are expecting to operate a vehicle within 8 hours.  Driving down an empty paved street while impaired is dangerous.  How much more dangerous do you think is is rock crawling, driving a shelf road or blasting through the desert is while impaired?!  Don’t drink and drive.

3.  Conduct good preventative maintenance on your vehicle and your gear.  If you’re like me, then you’re likely to be pushing the limits of your equipment at some time.  Spend some time going through your equipment in the driveway where you have control of your surroundings so that you aren’t broken down in an area where you don’t have control of the environment and access to all your tools and parts.

4.  Don’t travel alone.  If something does happen while you’re out then having a buddy to help assist you, you’ll be in much better shape.  Traveling alone requires you have have a well thought through contingency plan or two (or more).  Know what to do when things go wrong before they do so that you are prepared with a solid plan of action.  But I understand how enjoyable it can be to get out and experience Creation, which leads me to the last point.

5.  Tell someone your plans.  In the military we use an acronym – GOTWA.
G – Going; as in where you are going.
O – Others you’re taking with you.
T – Time.  Let sometime know when to expect you to come back or at least check in.
W – What to do if I don’t return or check in at the pre-designated time.
A – Actions to take if things go wrong.

Please consider these safety suggestions and be safe!  If you have any experience in these areas, please let me know what happened or if you have some other safety suggestions.

This is in fact, the start of the storage system that when complete, will house the chuck box, dutch oven, recovery gear and tools. I also plan on it having a psuedo-tail gate and it will be lockable. So if you have any experience with building these kinds of things, please leave me any suggestions in the comments.

The Overland Expo, in Flagstaff, AZ has just wrapped up and I really wish I could have been there. However, I feel like I got to see all the best sights and heard some of the sounds from the event. For the sights, I made sure to follow the Grab Wrench blog at http://grabawrench.com/overland-expo-2013-live where instagram photos are/were being compiled in real time.

And of course there is the official thread on Expedition Portal where attendee’s have been posting their pictures and experiences. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=110774

And of course there are the sounds from the event! To follow the sounds and learn about some of the attendees I turned to my good friend Rob from Adventure IQ. Here’s the recent post podcast episodes from Adventure IQ:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/adventureiq/preexpo.mp3
http://traffic.libsyn.com/adventureiq/check_in_from_Lehi.mp3
http://traffic.libsyn.com/adventureiq/oex_life_remote.mp3
http://traffic.libsyn.com/adventureiq/Expo_Debrief.mp3

If you’d like to subscribe to the Adventure IQ Podcast use the link below and be sure to tell Rob where you heard about the show.

http://adventureiq.libsyn.com/rss

Hopefully you’ll be inspired as well by some of these great resources! You can also catch these updates and many more like it on Facebook at http://facebook.com/the4x4podcast.

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!

Direct Download

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!

Direct Download

On the 31st episode of The 4×4 Podcast, we talk all about the New York International Auto Show.  I have previously posted about my thoughts and feelings about the Dodge and Toyota booths, as well as the Jeep Experience.  This show has more in depth discussion on those particular topics.   In the show you’ll also get to hear some of the sounds from the show floor including reactions from other attendees.  I also managed to catch a short interview with the author of the children’s book and builder of the Log Dog, an exquisitely built 63 Ford pickup. The new Range Rover Sport was on hand, looking very svelte in its 20 inch wheels and white leather; I wouldn’t want either on an offroad vehicle.  The updated Land Rover LR4 was nearby as well which I would take offroad but I have a few issues with the mechanics of how the rear seat operation was designed.

One of the most exciting things that I saw was the new Jeep Cherokee.  Now I say “exciting” but don’t get me wrong; that doesn’t mean I’ll be paying money for one any time soon.  I mean exciting because it is such a controversial vehicle and has been very polarizing with some people stating that its the worst Jeep ever built.  I agree with the fact that it does have a quite ugly face and the rear end could easily be mistaken for a misbadged Kia but there is a reason for all of this.  I spent a lot of time (far more time than anyone in my family enjoyed) looking through the Cherokee and laying my hands all over it.  By the way, apparently they don’t like it when you open the doors on a roped off vehicle but to them I say, “you should just lock it if you don’t want people opening things.”   I talked to a lot of people to find out what their opinion on the Jeep was and it was a very mixed response.  There were a few people that said that they were planning on buying one.  One guy even said that he would gladly pay $35,000 for a well optioned Cherokee which had me putting on my best poker face to hide on shock.  But that shows that there is an appetite for a mildly luxurious SUV/crossover that can handle bad weather and some trail duties but still fits in the Jeep family tree somewhere under the Grand Cherokee.  And if you want all that but you still want to get 30ish miles per gallon, you absolutely have to make some compromises.  I firmly believe that Jeep could do more with the 3.2 liter Pentastar motor to get even better power and efficiency but they intentionally left out those modifications for future revisions of the platform.

Believe it or not, there were a lot of new cars at the auto show that were never intended to be taken off road!  I know its a strange thought, but there were some pretty cool looking cars such as the Chevy Z28, the new Corvette, the new SS, the Acura NSX concept, Mercedes Benz SLS AMG, a concept Hyundai Genesis and much more.

Be sure to click through the whole gallery and leave a comment on the show notes to let me know what you think of the auto show.

The listing says that this is from the second owner and is in original form. Original paint, body, V8 motor, transmission, transfer case and interior.  This one had less than 72,000 miles.  It does have some minor issues but not to many.  So is $1700 a great price or a money pit?

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/3786823175.html

I started checking the pulleys to see if maybe a pulley bearing had seized which would cause a great load of friction which would lead to a belt failure.  Sure enough, I discovered that the air conditioner compressor clutch had seized which roasted the bearings and caused my belt failure.  I called around to the local parts places and picked up a new belt ($35) but I was having a hard time finding a new AC compressor clutch and bearing.  I later discovered that I was going to have to get a whole new compressor with clutch and bearing already installed.  Working on the AC system does require a EPA 608 certification so that you aren’t accidentally releasing the refrigerant which is hazardous to the ozone -  I do not have the EPA certification.  So I called around to some local shops for an estimate and let them know exactly what was needed to solve my issue.  The lowest estimate I received was over $570 – OUCH! 

I already had my new $35 belt so I went back to my parts places, AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts and NAPA and they were all around $210 for a new AC compressor.  Then my wife reminded me that someone from the church we attend co-owns a salvage yard.  I called up Eiss Brothers Auto Parts in Watertown, NY and found a used compressor for $135 + core charge – WIN!  The next problem to solve was how to evacuate the system so I don’t have to live with the mental burden of being personally responsible for killing all the polar bears, penguins destroying the rainforests by depleting the ozone with my R-134 AC refrigerant.  Fortunately I have a few friends that have the certification and the recovery machine so problem solved! 

Replacing the compressor is extremely simple and only took me 30 minutes from start to finish.  The system had already been evacuated and the belt had been removed.  All that was left was removing the four long bolts from the compressor that go into the bracket, disconnecting the refrigerant hoses and then disconnecting the electrical connection.  I was a bit clumsy in holding the old compressor which let to me spilling some of the oil down the bumper so if you attempt this job, be sure to take care not to spill excess oil and make a mess – more on this and how Blue Ridge Overland Gear helped me keep things clean and tidy at the end of my story.

I dropped the new (used) compressor on to the bracket and installed it in reverse order as the removal.  Now once I actually go back and have new refrigerant and oil added to the compressor, I will also be replacing the O-rings to ensure I can enjoy a nice long, leak-free AC system.  For now though, I just needed to get the compressor with working clutch and pulley installed so that I can drive the Jeep and my wife and have her Suburban back.  But for now, the compressor was installed and allowing me to route the 30 foot long (this might be an exaggeration) serpentine belt which will give me all the accessories back making the Jeep drive-able.  You have to remember that the belt also drives the power steering and charging system – both necessary to drive a vehicle on 35” mud tires more than 2 miles.

Once everything was tightened down, belt installed and tension adjusted I was ready to fire up the engine for a quick test – it roared to life with only normal engine sounds so everything was good to go!  Here’s how the cost has broken down so far:

·       New Belt – $35 – AutoZone

·       Used Compressor – $135 + core – Eiss Brothers http://eissbrothers.com/

·       AC Refrigerant ~ $50 – AutoZone or Advance Auto Parts

·       Edible bait to entice buddy to help with EPA 608 certification and easy my conscience – Priceless

The last step in this process is to return the old compressor to Eiss Brothers and get my core charge back which means I have to transport this oil covered unit back to their warehouse without making a mess in the Jeep.  I already have Husky Floor Mats so my floors are pretty well protected but I didn’t want all that oil to run around and make a bigger mess – enter Blue Ridge Overland Gear oil bag http://www.blueridgeoverlandgear.com/The-overland-oil-bag-p/21fb.htm.  I have had this bag sitting in the back of my XJ with some motor oil, liquid wrench, coolant and power steering fluid for quite some time because I know that if any of those containers were to leak or burst, the mess would be contained inside the vinyl coated polyester bag.  This was a perfect solution for hauling my compressor back to the shop and have peace of mind that the double stitched seems and VCP material would keep the compressor oil contained should it roll over while driving.  I love the peace of mind knowing that I can transport some extra vital fluids for my Jeep without the worry of them leaking all over the other gear that I carry with me everywhere.  I highly recommend that you pick up one of these bags because you know you should be carrying spare fluids on the trail and you know that it’s just a ticking time bomb of a mess that should be well contained.

Blue Ridge Overland Gear has constructed a phenomenal product, as usual.  Here are the technical specs for the oil bag:

-          550 Milspec Paracord

-          ITW Nexus Ghillie TEX (QASM)

-          5’x6’ plastic tarp. No Eyelets

-          TW Nexus Sliders

-           500D Cordura

-           VCP Vinyl Coated Polyester — What bouncy houses are made from

-          Velcro™

-          Bar-tack Milspec webbing

The Jeep Experience was a very large area placed outside the Javits center which attracted attention from everyone as they drove by the event. The air was crisp and the sky was clear making this a perfect day to introduce the city-dwellers to the capabilities of some Jeeps.

As you approach the exhibit, you follow a red carpet through a height check station which prevented my 5 year old daughter from taking a ride since she was under the 44″ height requirement by a few inches. She was pretty bummed about that but everything was made better when I reminded her that we get to go offroading to more exciting places in daddy’s Jeep at home. Going forward, we came to a registration/survey desk. The only payment required for the ride is a signature on the consent form and the time to fill out a survey about your thoughts and feelings about the Jeep brand. Once finished with the survey, we received a badge and lanyard with a QR code to identify us at the survey station at the end of the ride. The line continued to snake around past screens playing Jeep commercials and signs bearing interesting Jeep trivia.

The Jeeps on the course consisted of Wrangler Rubicons and Grand Cherokees. The Patriot was just a static display but I made sure to ask, “why isn’t the Patriot giving rides?” The answer was somewhat humorous, “well, we have a lot of people to get through the course and we want to use vehicles that make it easier to get in and out of.” What I heard though was, “Yeah, that thing has a Trail Rated badge but we don’t think people will want to buy one after being on this course. And they will feel cheated when their friends ride in a Rubicon or Grand instead of the Patriot.”

But lets talk about what is on the actual course and why you’d want to wait in line to ride on a manufactured pseudo-offroad course. The course was comprised of obstacles that were specifically designed to highlight the capabilities of Jeep’s offroading vehicles. The first obstacle is a 30 degree side hill and as the Jeep climbs onto the ramp, the lockers get a bit of a work out. 30 degrees is quite a bit; probably more than I would feel comfortable with in my own Jeep due to its raised center of gravity. There are actually two ramps so you get to experience the pucker-factor from both sides.

Next up was a platform made of logs of various lengths standing on their end designed to demonstrate ground clearance. It was a fairly rough but I don’t think it was a real good demonstration of ground clearance because the setup was built for the Jeep wheelbase and break over angle making it feel a bit deceptive.

The next area was designed to highlight the suspension by placing logs perpendicular to the wheels. This does a really good job of demonstrating what a suspension is capable of, especially when a sway bar is disconnected. I think however, that the logs could have been much larger to really show off what the Rubicon is capable off. Instead the logs were only about 8″ in diameter so there wasn’t a whole lot of axle flexing.

The last obstacle was the hill climb. The steel slope was at a 35 degree angle and climbed 18 feet high. This is something I have definitely done far worse in my own XJ. The expanded metal provided a high traction surface allowing the Jeeps to crawl up to the top with ease when placed into 4-low. The steep incline allows the drivers to show off the hill descent control, which is something that other manufactures has had for many years. The hill descent control prevents the transmission from shifting gears and automatically controls the brakes allowing a slow controlled drive down the slope without using the brakes at all.

The hill descent assistance is a very nice feature that I expect will be very useful to new offroaders. All the new systems provide these modern offroad machines such capability that make getting farther from civilization and then getting back home safely much easier. The experience provides shock-and-awe to people that have never experienced offroading before. That shock-and-awe is a sensation that continues to make this demonstration a tremendous hit with the crowd at every event that Jeep bring it to. If you’re at an event and Jeep is has their demonstration setup, I recommend that you check it out! For more info on this, be sure to check out episode 31 of The 4×4 Podcast!

I’m not the best woodworker, as you’ll see in the video, but I’m good enough to get the job done. I still have a few things that I want to take care off before this chuck box goes out for its maiden voyage. Here’s the short list:
- paint to seal the wood
- weather stripping around the doors
- better latches
- retention cables to keep the doors from opening too far
- carrying handles
- compartments to mitigate shifting contents
- possibly legs to make this a free standing unit

Back in October Toyota pulled a bit of publicity stunt when it used a Tundra to pull the space shuttle Endeavor towards its retirement home at the California Science Center.  This towing feat was accomplished by an unmodified truck which is a pretty amazing achievement.  It did require a bit of preparation though.  1,700 lbs was loaded in the bed and the tires were aired down to help the truck get as much traction as possible.  I’m fairly certain that NASA or the California Science Center could have selected an American-made truck to pull this national icon but that’s not relevant here.  The very same truck that pulled the space shuttle was on display and was being used as target practice….by kids throwing paper airplanes.  Such a noble truck relegated to a kids toy.  It was fun to fold some paper space shuttles with my kids but getting those poorly balanced paper crafts to soar through the target set in the Tundra’s bed was not an easy task.

The most exciting things I got to crawl through was the 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser.  I have never owned a Land Cruiser myself but I’m always been fascinated with this offroading legend.  One of the things I love most about the Land Cruiser, I mean besides the 5.3L V8 that cranks out 381 HP and 401 lb-ft of torque, is the fold down tailgate.  The Land Cruiser (and of course its fancier sister, the Lexus LX570) is one of the only SUVs that you can still buy that has a drop down tailgate.  That seemingly unimportant feature is so full of utility that I feel that it should be standard on every offroad vehicle.  The third row seat in the Toyota Land Cruiser also performs a neat trick by folding up into the sides. This method performs the same basic thing as other SUVs, getting that extra seat out of the way when not in use, but the execution just makes more sense going up to the sides insead of folding farther into a vehicle which is harder to deploy or remove.

That V8 motor is extremely powerful and would make pulling a trailer an easy task.  The Toyota Land Cruiser is rated  at 8,200 lbs which should be plenty to pull a trailer loaded with your hardcore wheeler or other plaything to the trail head.  Of course that 13 city/18 highway MPG is not real great compared to even the full-size truck offerings at the show.  While the fullsize SUV field isn’t as cut-throat as the mid-size SUV/cross-over field, the drivetrain is due for refresh to keep it current and a valid contender in its market.  The biggest drawback, at least in my opinion, is the base price of $78,555

Be sure to let me know what you think of the Toyota vehicles in the comments below, through Facebook, Twitter or G+.

The first part of the show I want to share with you is the Dodge Ram section. Dodge has been doing some pretty exciting things lately but one of the things that was completely missing was the Ram Runner. As I stepped into the area I glanced around to see the Raptor’s competition and it was nowhere to be found. The Ram representatives were out in force so at the first chance I asked, “Where’s the Ram Runner?!” The response had me a bit puzzled. “It’s out at other events.” Really? Other events?! What other major events are going on right now? I know the Easter Jeep Safari took place at the very same time as the press days but it’s not like only one Ram Runner exists in the world…..or is there only one? I wasn’t trying to be funny when I asked the question either. I was genuinely interested in seeing this desert sand slaying Mopar beast. The simple fact of the matter is that that Ram Runner is not a true production vehicle and even still has a hard time standing up against the Raptor. I know that there has been talk about Ram offering a production truck more suited to competing against the Raptor but it will all come down to the prospect of sales. If Dodge thinks that they will sell like hot cakes despite getting low double-digit MPGs, then we’ll probably see one; otherwise you’ll be stuck building your own Ram desert assault vehicle.

It was about that time that my attentions were distracted by the other cool Rams surrounding me. Most notably was the Ram 2500 Power Wag “This was also a favorite of my 5 year old daughter who commented that, “it was a million miles tall” and she also like the colors. While it’s not actually a million miles tall, this was truly a thing of beauty and a major attention grabber. This Power Wagon had seen a great deal of customization on its appearance but underneath it all, it was still a powerful work horse that’s ready to tackle the most difficult terrain (at speeds far slower than a Raptor). The matte finish was a popular theme at the show and I’m a huge fan of the look. On top of the flat black paint was a splash of red and white across the hood, down the sides and across the tail gate. The graphics remind me a lot of the graphics from the Raptor and the Toyota Tacoma Baja edition; but I like the look so I’m okay with the look. The grill stands out clearly with the red horizontal bars and you’ll really notice them if that’s all you can see if your rearview mirror.

I spoke with lots of people that were also enthralled by this matte black and red behemoth. This four door, crew cab short box pickup featured all the same exciting features that you’d find on a normal Power Wagon such as 12,000 lb winch, electronic sway bar disconnects, front and rear lockers and tubular skid plates. The 5.7L Hemi V-8 with 383 HP and 400 lb-ft of torque motivates the Ram up and over the trails and makes it one of the best trucks for offroad use right from the show room floor.

There was also a Power Ram in the corner of the area but this was not a Power Wagon. Instead it was a Mopar accessorized 1500. It didn’t have a lot of details listed but it was sporting a 12,000 Warn winch inside the front bumper and a custom graphics package. The lift was milder than the Power Wagon but it was overall a good look.

My wife’s more rational mind (when it comes to vehicle choices, anyways) was drawn to the Mega Cab due to its enormous interior space. She’s used to driving a Suburban which suits my 2 kids and 2 dogs well even when driving long distances with lots of stuff and pulling my XJ on the trailer. I’ve tried to convince her that we should have a pickup in stead but she’s been unwilling to compromise on the large interior space of the Burb. The Mega Cab provides tons of room behind the front seats. As a matter of fact, it’s the only pickup that has so much room that it can actually recline the rear seats! That rear seat area can also fold flat for moving large cargo and also has some in-floor bins or storing things out of the way. Despite all the room in the back seat, it’s still not the same as a third row seat meaning there won’t be a Mega Cab in my driveway any time soon.

Be sure to let me know what you think of the Dodge Ram offerings in the comments below.

I am extremely fond of my 99 XJ and I am saddened to see such a big departure from the original stylings.  For the most part, when a vehicle manufacture has re-introduced a name plate, they have something that resembles the older, familiar version.  For example, the new Camaro, Challenger, Charger and VW Bettle; the Cherokee resembles the XJ in only the fact that it has 4 doors and a seven slot grill and even the grill is very different.  And lets just start by admitting that the only Cherokee worth paying attention to is the Trail Hawk version.

So lets break down the things that I don’t like about the new Cherokee and get that out of the way.

1. Its ugly.  At least I think it is but I know that the styling is growing on me the more I look at it.  I am not fond of the Juke-esque marker lights on the edge of the hood.  The rear hatch looks just like every other mid-size SUV so I feel like the designers phoned it in…that or this is the only way to squeeze out the fuel efficiency that they were trying to obtain.
2. Independent suspension.  You know why hard core offroaders run solid axles in their rigs?  Because they are strong and will take a beating!  Wait, did you say that Shannon Campbell, the winner of the King of the Hammers was driving a IFS rig?!  Hmmm, well maybe this one doesn’t count.  Independent suspension certainly does make adding a suspension lift more complex and involved.
3. All knobs – no levers.  I know it shouldn’t be that big of a deal but I love the feeling of gears meshing together.  Its that tactile feedback when everything locks together that inspires confidence in the rough stuff.  The new Cherokee only has a 9-speed automatic transmission and push-button/twisty knob transfer case selector.  Are you kidding me?!  The 9-speed transmission helps this thing get 30mpg?!  I guess thats better than my XJ.  And the pros drive automatic transmission in races too?!  Ugh, maybe this one doesn’t count either.
4. All the plastic.  You know that stuff is just going to get ripped off the first time you take it into the dirt!  I suppose that I should admit that I ripped my plastic air dam off my first XJ because it got tangled up on the trails so I guess thats another one to throw out.
5. It doesn’t have a trusty 4 liter straight 6.  Oh Seriously?! The new Cherokee with the 3.2 liter Pentastar V6 cranks out 271 hp and 239 lb-ft of torque?!  Thats 80 more HP than the XJ ever got and more torque too!  Grrrr, well you can’t hate that.
6. All the tech.  Okay I’ll admit that this is a strange one because I am a technophile.  But when it comes to a vehicle, I really want essential systems to be immune to tech-failures.  For instance the Keyless Enter ‘n Go system will make opening doors difficult when the key malfunctions.  The keyless entry on my XJ broke back 7 years ago and I haven’t bothered to fix it because…..who cares?!  I can still put the key in and open the doors.

Lets check out the things that I like compared to my XJ.

1. More power.
2. More torque.
3. More effieciency.  30 MPG is tough to argue when I’m getting 15 right now.
4. More tech.  Customizable center display, 8.4″ Uconnect media center, wireless charging pad for cell phones, more steering wheel controls, available rear backup camera and the Enter ‘n Go system – not gonna lie, thats pretty cool.
5. More storage.  60/40 fold flat rear seats that can also recline, extra storage under the rear floor area, storage under the front seat cushion and the dash storage was always one of my favorite things about the Toyota FJ Cruiser, back when I had that.
6. The available sky-slider sunroof that fully retracts so that front and rear passengers can enjoy the  open air feeling.  The CommandView dual-pane is also a pretty cool that that could never be found on the ol’ XJ.
7. Better approach angle.
8. Tow hooks tied into the frame like they are meant to be.

On April 2nd, I will see the Jeep in real life and I’ll be able to speak to some of the people from Jeep as well as get some opinions from people who aren’t really offroaders which will offer a unique perspective.  Till then, here’s the whole press release with all the propaganda.

Press Release

All-new 2014 Jeep® Cherokee: No-compromise Mid-size SUV Sets a New Standard

Jeep® raises the bar with legendary benchmark capability, world-class on-road dynamics, fuel economy up to 31 mpg, revolutionary Jeep design with world-class craftsmanship inside and out, and an array of advanced safety and technology features

• Best-in-class capability
  • Three new four-wheel-drive systems that raise the standard for mid-size SUVs:
    • Jeep® Active Drive I with one-speed power transfer unit (PTU)
    • Jeep Active Drive II with two-speed PTU and low range
    • Jeep Active Drive Lock with two-speed PTU, low range and locking rear differential
  • New Jeep Selec-Terrain traction control system with up to five customized modes – Auto, Snow, Sport, Sand/Mud and Rock
  • Best-in-class V-6 towing capability – 4,500 pounds
  • Jeep Trail Rated capability
    • Up to a 56:1 crawl ratio, a 90-percent improvement versus the outgoing model
• Vastly improved fuel economy – up to 31 mpg
  • First SUV with nine-speed automatic transmission
  • Industry-first rear-axle disconnect resulting in reduced energy loss when 4×4 capability isn’t needed; improving fuel efficiency
  • 2.4-liter Tigershark MultiAir I-4 delivers a more than 45-percent fuel economy improvement versus outgoing model and nearly 500-mile range
  • First use of Chrysler Group’s new 3.2-liter Pentastar V-6 engine
• Superior on-road ride and handling
  • First Jeep vehicle to utilize Chrysler Group’s Compact U.S. Wide (CUS-wide) platform
  • New independent front and rear suspension
  • Increased torsional stiffness
  • Exceptionally quiet cabin
• New Jeep design with world-class craftsmanship
  • New aerodynamic design cues combine Jeep heritage with advanced technology
  • Aggressive approach and departure angles contribute to leading capability Advanced LED lighting technology with distinctive daytime running lights
  • Premium, well-crafted interior with extensive use of soft-touch materials
  • Class-exclusive all-new CommandView panoramic sunroof and Sky Slider roof
• Array of advanced, cutting edge technology features
  • Full-color 7-inch reconfigurable LED instrument cluster
  • Uconnect 8.4-inch color touchscreen media center
  • Uconnect Access Via Mobile
• More than 70 advanced safety and security features
  • First Chrysler Group use of ParkSense Parallel/Perpendicular Park Assist System aids the driver in parallel/perpendicular parking
• Clever functionality and versatility
  • Second-row 60/40 split folding seat moves fore and aft for passenger comfort and cargo flexibility
  • Fold-flat front passenger seat with covered in-seat storage
  • Useful, clever storage features throughout the Cherokee cabin
  • Innovative Jeep Cargo Management System

 
Photos from Jeep.com

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On this 30th episode of the podcast we bring you an interview with Matt Adair, the Team Petty Cash Racing leader.  Team Petty Cash races an old, Jeep Cherokee in the LeMons Racing series and has found the Jeep platform to be very successful and has surprised competitors.  During the interview we’ll learn about how Matt got into offroading and racing as well as some of the keys to success in the LeMons racing series.

In the news we talk about a bill that  has been introduced in the US Congress to reopen off-highway vehicle access to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore  in North Carolina; Jay Leno gets to know the Local Motors – Rally Fighter; VW built a Snowareg for the next Snowpocolypse; The List takes on the Rubicon Trail; the Dodge Ram 1500 is slated to get the new V6 EcoDiesel engine.  

In the feedback section, we answer a question that many people ask, “whats up with the Jeep naming conventions?”

The Outdoor Edible recipe for the show is Dirty Rice – without rice.

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+, Facebook , Twitter.  Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section. Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337, the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +.  Please consider supporting The 4×4 Podcast by shopping on Amazon!

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On this 29th episode of the podcast we bring you an interview with Randy Batman to learn more about an event to benifit the families of two officers who were killed in the line of duty.  In the news segment we learn of a partnership between GM and Isuzu – again, the Jeep Compass and Patriot ditch the CVT, three dangers in switching to synthetic winch rope, Chevy and GM introduce a new design and three new engines and lots of discussion the newest Jeep we love to hate – the 2014 Jeep Cherokee.

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+, Facebook , Twitter.  Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section. Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337, the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +.  Please consider supporting The 4×4 Podcast by shopping on Amazon!

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!
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On this 30th episode of the podcast we bring you an interview with Matt Adair, the Team Petty Cash Racing leader.  Team Petty Cash races an old, Jeep Cherokee in the LeMons Racing series and has found the Jeep platform to be very successful and has surprised competitors.  During the interview we’ll learn about how Matt got into offroading and racing as well as some of the keys to success in the LeMons racing series.

In the news we talk about a bill that  has been introduced in the US Congress to reopen off-highway vehicle access to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore  in North Carolina; Jay Leno gets to know the Local Motors – Rally Fighter; VW built a Snowareg for the next Snowpocolypse; The List takes on the Rubicon Trail; the Dodge Ram 1500 is slated to get the new V6 EcoDiesel engine.  

In the feedback section, we answer a question that many people ask, “whats up with the Jeep naming conventions?”

The Outdoor Edible recipe for the show is Dirty Rice – without rice.

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+, Facebook , Twitter.  Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section. Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337, the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +.  Please consider supporting The 4×4 Podcast by shopping on Amazon!

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!
Direct Download

On this 29th episode of the podcast we bring you an interview with Randy Batman to learn more about an event to benifit the families of two officers who were killed in the line of duty.  In the news segment we learn of a partnership between GM and Isuzu – again, the Jeep Compass and Patriot ditch the CVT, three dangers in switching to synthetic winch rope, Chevy and GM introduce a new design and three new engines and lots of discussion the newest Jeep we love to hate – the 2014 Jeep Cherokee.

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+, Facebook , Twitter.  Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section. Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337, the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +.  Please consider supporting The 4×4 Podcast by shopping on Amazon!

-Geared hubs to provide some lift, suspension strength and mechanical advantage.
-What looks like 35″ or 37″ tires.
-Bead lock wheels.
-Of course the third axle which looks like some kind of Dana 60.
-The frame has been stretched and a bed added to the rear.

I’ve also done a bit of research to find some leaked details. This particular model is based on a similar platform the Mercedes already builds for the Australian army – likely the Mad Max brigade if you ask me. Mercedes head of G-class development tools Autoweek that they do plan to start building these alongside the current G63 AMG but I’m sure it will be in very limited quantities. This is said to be the second most expensive model; only topped by the SLS AMG Electric which already tops $400,000.

Here’s some details on what the AMG had before these mods.

Net power: 536 hp @ 5,250-5,750 rpm
Net torque: 561 lb-ft @ 2,000-5,000 rpm
Compression ratio: 10.0:1
Construction: Diecast alloy block and alloy heads

Fuel requirement: Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel capacity: 25.:4 gal
FUEL ECONOMY
City fuel economy 12 mpg
Highway estimated 14 mpg

DRIVETRAIN
Automatic transmission 7-speed
Drive configuration: Permanent all-wheel drive with 2-speed transfer case
Final-drive ratio: 4.11:1
PERFORMANCE
Acceleration: 0-60 mph 5.3 sec (est.)

And here’s the video that you’ve been waiting for…..

So here it is, the 28th episode of the podcast in video form to stream from YouTube or to download!

On this 28th episode of the podcast we bring you an interview with Scott of Compact Camping Concepts to talk about DIY trailer based adventures.  In the news segment we talk about:  your thoughts on tech in your offroad rig, the top offroad rig of 2012 (Jeep Wrangler Rubicon), 16 new Rovers in 17 years, the introduction of the World Championship of Desert Racing, and a trailer insired by a USB drive.   North Country Rock Solid 4×4 and Backwoods Farm is raffling off a 2013 Jeep Wrangler!

Links from the show:

• http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2012/11/ford-to-double-down-on-tech-here-are-some-ideas-1-1.html
• http://www.fourwheeler.com/roadtests/129_1301_the_ultimate_factory_4x4_shootout/viewall.html
• http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/08/land-rover-to-offer-16-models-by-2020
• http://www.pirate4x4.com/news/trophy-truck-teams-rush-to-compete-for-world-championship-of-desert-racing/
• http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/23/innovative-trailer-concept-inspired-by-usb-drives-w-video
•  http://compactcampingconcepts.com
• http://dinoot.com
• http://www.backwoodsfarmnh.com/
• http://ncrs4x4.prophpbb.com/index.php
• http://the4x4podcast.com/northcountryraffle
• http://tventuring.com

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+, Facebook , Twitter.  Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section. Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337,the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +.  Please consider supporting The 4×4 Podcast by shopping on Amazon!

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!
Direct Download

On this 28th episode of the podcast we bring you an interview with Scott of Compact Camping Concepts to talk about DIY trailer based adventures.  In the news segment we talk about:  your thoughts on tech in your offroad rig, the top offroad rig of 2012 (Jeep Wrangler Rubicon), 16 new Rovers in 17 years, the introduction of the World Championship of Desert Racing, and a trailer insired by a USB drive.   North Country Rock Solid 4×4 and Backwoods Farm is raffling off a 2013 Jeep Wrangler!

Links from the show:

• Direct Download of MP3 file
• http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2012/11/ford-to-double-down-on-tech-here-are-some-ideas-1-1.html
• http://www.fourwheeler.com/roadtests/129_1301_the_ultimate_factory_4x4_shootout/viewall.html
• http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/08/land-rover-to-offer-16-models-by-2020
• http://www.pirate4x4.com/news/trophy-truck-teams-rush-to-compete-for-world-championship-of-desert-racing/
• http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/23/innovative-trailer-concept-inspired-by-usb-drives-w-video
•  http://compactcampingconcepts.com
• http://dinoot.com
• http://www.backwoodsfarmnh.com/
• http://ncrs4x4.prophpbb.com/index.php
• http://the4x4podcast.com/northcountryraffle
• http://tventuring.com

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+, Facebook , Twitter.  Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section. Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337, the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +.  Please consider supporting The 4×4 Podcast by shopping on Amazon!

Ford Atlas Concept

Ford Atlas Concept

Ford Atlas Concept

For Atlas Concept

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

Ford Raptor

Toyota Tacoma Baja Edition

Nissan Xtera

Dodge Ram Power Wagon

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An abrupt message on Facebook from Armando Verdugo of Hero Offroad late one night while I was still at work sent my pulse through the roof and brought an instant sweat to my palms.  I didn’t know what to expect but I grabbed my phone and dialed his number.  When he asked if I would be able to go to Mexico for the race I think I just stood in my office dumbfounded.  Once I regained a bit of composure and and peeled myself off the ceiling I had to ask my boss for some extra time off, which I did with a big stupid grin on my face and my heart still trying to pound out of my chest.  Once I got the green light, I had to hold in the knowledge of the adventure that was quickly approaching till Hero Offroad made the official announcement.

In the next few days I devoured every bit of information about the SCORE Baja 1000 that I could find.  This race has been near the top of my bucket list for my entire life and also on the list of things that I thought would never actually complete.  I knew as much about the race as could be known by someone who’s never actually experienced it.  Once I actually got to speak with Brandon Walsh of Team Homemade Motorsports, everything seemed to just feel more real.  This was really going to happen.  And its all thanks to Hero Offroad.  Hero Offroad was started by Armando Verdugo, whom I still have not met in person and had the chance to thank appropriately for his overwhelming generosity.  Hero Offroad is a nationwide community-based voluntary organization dedicated to honoring our nation’s war veterans, wounded warriors and their families.  I certainly don’t consider myself a hero in any way but I am a veteran and I was extremely honored to represent the many Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen that applied for the Adventure to Baja!  This trip was made possible through the generous contributions from patriotic individuals and businesses.

The 2012 SCORE Baja 1000 was the 45th anniversary of the race and it was like the race  a peninsula run was really meant to be run; a peninsula run covering 1,121.55 miles.  Jessie Combs, who I actually got to meet at contingency in front of the Speed Energy truck says, “[This race is] the most grueling race on the planet…a true test of man and machine…it tests you in every way possible; patience, skill, endurance, focus, survival, determination, efficiency, timing…it is everything but easy.”

The morning of my departure from Ft. Drum, NY came and my excitement had reached a fever pitch!  I had a four hour drive to the Buffalo/Niagara International Airport but it went fast.  I figured that it was a good thing that I could cruise through 230 paved miles with ease given that I was about to partake in the longest continuous offroad race on the planet!  My flights were uneventful other than the fact that I couldn’t stop blabbing on and on to anyone that would listen about the generosity of Hero Offroad and what they have done for me, and their intention for other  veterans.  When I arrived in  San Diego, I was greeted by Brandon Walsh and Antone Lahr of Team Homemade Motorsports.

During the short drive back to Brandon’s house, I learned a bit more about how Homemade Motorsports came to be and how they came up with the name.  As it turns out, they came up with the name because the first truck was built in the garage of Brandon’s parents!  A race truck literally built in the garage! The current race truck wasn’t born in the garage in the same way but it certainly does receive all its race prep and work in the garage.  The motor was built in the garage as well as many other major components and it all looked very impressive even while sitting on jack stands with the body panels piled up in the backyard!

The next morning was spent working on the decals from the sponsors before heading to the BFGoodrich meeting.  Here the BFG Guys went through the pit books and talked about the services that they could provide in any of the eight pits along the peninsula.  One team asked at the meeting, “what all can you really provide?”  A team could hand them as many tires, parts, or anything else to be carried to a certain location where the team expected to need their parts.  BFG provided amazing logistical support to many race teams.  If you knew that after 550 miles you were going to need 4 new tires, lights and a new transmission, you’d hand it over to the support guys and they would have it waiting for you there!  They could also fabricate anything you needed; which I actually witnessed during the race, but I’ll get to that later!  They could even make you a sandwich if you needed!  BFG also provided GPS track files with danger spots already indicated.  This file provided the equivalent of prerunning the entire course a few times and catching all the important details as a waypoint.  We also picked up a pair of satellite phones from the vendor that was on hand.  Once the meeting wrapped up, it was back out into the parking lot to ogle all over the chase trucks, overland rigs, prerunners and BFG support rigs.  Enough of the drooling on trucks, it was time to head back to the garage and do some more work on the truck.

Back in the garage we worked on wrapping up the prep work which entailed bleeding the brakes, greasing all the bearings, checking all the wiring harnesses for friction points, clamping down the shock reservoirs, checking the driveline for binding and finishing up the decals.  Eventually we had to pause the work for something with more speed:  a trip to K1 Speed.  K1 is an indoor electric karting facility.  I was surprised at how fast these karts were around the track!  It was a bit cool inside the building which meant the tires weren’t going to warm up to their grippiest temperatures and no one was going to be breaking the lap record, which was already owned by Brandon Walsh.  There were a few non-Homemade Motorsports patrons on the track and they all served as road blocks as our group was a determined and speed-seeking bunch.  I’ll blame my less than stellar lap times on the fact that I’m such a big fella that my kart was working harder than the others…sounds good enough to keep me out of the Prius crowd as well.  It was still a blast and gave me a chance to test out my new GoPro Hero 3 Silver.  Eventually I’ll get to mix a video of some of the action.  Once some of the go-fast had been worked out, we headed back to the garage to wrap up the truck before heading to Ensenada, Mexico in the morning.

A combination of my body still running on east coast time and the excitement of the events to come had me awake and ready to go far before anyone else so I snuck into the kitchen and sucked down about three cups of coffee which didn’t curb my excitement at all.  As team members showed up we loaded up the luggage, the truck and a garage full of tools and spare parts.  Once it was finally time to head south, and after a few false starts (everyone seemed to forget at least one critical item), we were on the road.  I had the pleasure of riding in the Ford Raptor which made quick work of the highway miles.  Our convoy stopped at a gas station just before the border crossing to top off the fuel tanks in the Raptor and the Toyota Tundra pulling the Toyota Tacoma-based race truck.  The last stop before the border crossing was the insurance office.  Traveling in a different country with a vehicle can be a dangerous activity.  The insurance will serve you well in the event you are in an accident.  Without insurance you’ll be held in country till the debt is paid in full for damages to property or injuries to people, so its best to pay the relatively low price for the insurance and travel with peace of mind.

Once across the border we were greeted by the wonderful sights of sounds of Tijuana, except that Tijuana is fraught with poverty and filth.  We didn’t stop anywhere in town since there was nothing to offer here but trouble.  We cruised down highway 1, which runs along the coast, and took in the beautiful sights of the Pacific lapping at the rocky beaches below.  Just before arriving in Ensenada there was a military checkpoint to get through.  We were all asked to exit the vehicle while they conducted a very thorough search.  While standing on the side of the road they repeatedly asked where the marijuana was hiding.  Repeatedly.  It was enough times that I think the young Mexican Soldier was more trying to score some for himself and not for the purpose of stopping the spread of drugs in the country.  Once back on the road it was a short drive to the three story condo we were staying at.  Before heading to a restaurant for my first authentic Mexican meal in Mexico, we had to unload all the bags, tools, spare parts and the truck off the trailer.  There was clearly a party atmosphere in Ensenda as more racers arrived every hour.  Every stoplight had a prerunner or overland camper waiting for their turn to find an adventure along the Baja peninsula.  The excitement made sleep a challenge to find that night, but I managed to find a few hours of relaxation in my well loved OD green mummy bag while dreaming of the tomorrow’s prerunning adventure.

Again, I was the first one in the house awake so I made sure the GoPro camera was charged, popped in some new batteries in my Garmin GPS and went downstairs for a breakfast of bagels and Speed Energy drinks.  Very healthy.  Once we finally got going, the plan was to head out and prerun from race mile 77 to about 150.  We drove out of Ensenada with me riding in the Ford Raptor with the two driver’s that I’d be co-driving for, Brandon Walsh and Scott Slater.  This is the section that I would be in the truck for during the race.  I’d studied this part of the map on Google Earth, trying to imagine what it would be like to finally go fast in the dirt.  Till now, my go-fast experience was limited to the highway, sports cars and go kart tracks.  I’ve got loads of travel in my Jeep but it is not a speed machine.

After a short pause, just off the highway to check out the preferred pit location, I turned on the GoPro.  We had finally reached the spot where the race course leaves the highway which also marks the end of the speed restricted zone, and heads back on to the dirt.  The Raptor was gobbling up the twists and turns with relative ease only slowing down so that I could mark the possible danger spots on the Garmin eTrex GPS.  This was my first experience trying to read a small GPS screen that was bouncing around in front of me; something that would happen a lot more very soon.  All this slowing down allowed a faster moving, highly modified Chevy (I think), to pass us.  Rather than taking a nerf (“nerfing” is a term used for the light bump given by a faster moving vehicle to a slower moving vehicle indicating their desire to pass) we pulled off the course just enough to let him pass.  Moments after pulling back on to the course we noticed that something didn’t feel quite right.  Two and a half tire rotations later and the drivers side front tire had fully expelled all of its air out through the three inch long slice in the sidewall.  In the middle of nowhere, these things happen.  This is where the value of preperation comes in to play; in our case, the jack was in the chase truck….with the spare tire…that had no air….and no valve stem.  We called the chase team on the radio and gave them our grid coordinates and stood off to the side of the course to watch the other prerunners cruise by while we waited for the the chase team to show up and help us sort things out.

Once we finally linked up with our mobile pit crew, took the slashed tire off, installed a valve stem, found air for the new tire and re-installed the good tire, we were back on the course.  We had burned the morning and had to get back to Ensenada to take the race truck through contengency and tech inspection.  Contengency is where the race trucks/cars/quads/bikes cruise through a festival-like atmosphere and the fans and sponsors all get an up-close and personal look at the competitors.  Its a slow cruise through complete chaos!  Fans were everywhere asking for stickers, taking pictures, getting autographs and having a great time.  Vendors are setup along the route that covers about a mile through the city, and they are selling everything from snacks and t-shirts to parts for a race truck.  Did I mention that it is chaos?!  We went through this sea of people with the race truck and saw the most interesting chase truck in Mexico, the 1973 Penzgauer 6×6 owned by Travis Freedman.  The Penzgauer attracted almost as much attention as the race trucks and rightfully so!  The retired Swedish military truck that was assembled in Austria almost three decades ago was in fantastic shape, despite being far slower than any race truck.  With loads of room in the back to carry an entire Harbor Freight store and a cooler full of treats, this vehicle was made for life in Baja.  At the end of the contengency line was the tech inspection area.  Tech inspection was cordoned off by metal fencing and guarded by numerous SCORE officials and Ensenda police.  The inspectors carefully examine the seatbelts, seats, roll cages, fire extinguishers and other key safety features on each vehicle competing in the race.

With tech inspection complete, the Homemade Motorsports team stopped off at a restaurant for dinner where I indulged in a gigantic burrito, which would be my last normal meal till the end of the race, and then we drove back to the condo for one last thorough pre-combat check.  We went through the pit bags which included a full garage worth of tools, and numerous spare parts.  There was already various belts, hoses, and hose clamps zip tied to the roll cage in various places but we had much larger parts stashed behind the seats.  In addition to a bag containing at least two seals and bearings for every component on the truck, we also had a fuel pump, two axle shafts, and even a spare third member.  A third member is a component of an axle that can be separated from the axle housing and tubes while still containing the ring and pinion gear set.  A spare transmission would be kept with a chase team and was going to be strategically staged along the course, just in case it was needed.  Basically, aside from a new engine, we had everything we would need to repair or replace a major component.

That night I had a really hard time falling asleep because I was so excited for what was to come.  Christmas eve excitement for a kid does not even compare to the excitement I felt on the eve of the 45th running of the SCORE International Baja 1000 Peninsula Run!    When I finally did find sleep, I was awakened early to the sounds of motorcycles and quads revving their motors and tearing off the starting line only a few blocks away.  There was no going back to sleep now!  So I got up, showered and packed up my sleeping bag.  Once we left the condo for the race, the only options were to sleep in La Paz at the finish line or sleep in the truck on the way back to San Diego.   Eventually the rest of the team stirred and got moving, but since we had prepared, getting to the starting line for a 1:30 start should not have been a problem, but there is no real end to preparation other than a green flag.  All that was left, was to load the bags, load the GPS file in the race truck, double check the pit bags, double check the spare parts, get gas in the dump cans, charge the cameras, install the GoPro cameras,… this list is getting longer instead of shorter! Next thing we knew, it was time to head to the starting line!  We all load up in our correct trucks and positions and head out to our respective locations.  moments later I hear on the radio that the race truck GPS file didn’t get loaded and that’s when the first frenzy starts!  We finally got the right files loaded onto the right memory card just feet away from the starting line.  Antone Lahr ran back to the race truck with the memory card in hand to load it up and strap in for the start as the first co-driver with Brandon Walsh.

As I watch Antone run back to the race truck I secure my laptop back into my Pelican case and strap it down in the truck bed of the chase truck being driven by Brandon’s dad, Chris.  We pull back onto the street with the rest of the traffic that is rubber necking to watch the starting line festivities.  The word “zoo” probably best describes everything happening around the starting line.  Our first stop was the Pemex gas station to top off the truck and dump cans with Mexican gas that probably doesnt measure at an accurate gallon.  As we pull away from the gas station we hear on the radio that Antone and Brandon were having a bit of difficulty loading the GPS file on the Lowrance GPS.  The best advice to be heard on the radio was, “just make it work!” which is always sound advice.  This would be the last we hear from the race truck till we meet again at the first planned pit area at race mile 55.

Chris Walsh, Scott Slater and I head out of town with Travis Freedman pulling up the rear in the trusty Penzgauer full of tools and the wide assortment of bolts which would eventually come in handy.  Highway 1 out of Ensenada twists and turns up the hills and normally provides some beautiful views.  Today however, the scenery was hidden behind a heavy cloud bank that was slowly losing its ability to drop precipitation on the racers and fans.  The Dodge chase truck eventually slowed as we approached the first military checkpoint that was placed to try and mitigate the spread of drugs through the country.  The young Mexican soldiers stood with their backs to the traffic because they were far more interested in watching the racers fly by than execute the thorough search of each vehicle.  Shortly after the checkpoint, we pulled off the road at the pre-designated pit area.  The plan was for the race truck to only pit if there was something that needed.  Ideally, we would just watch #701  with the giant Speed Energy logos and white and amber Rigid Industries LED light bars, cruise by the pit with a thumbs up, some fist pumps and a yelp on the siren to signal all is well.  The drizzle slowed while we enjoyed the view of trophy trucks, buggies, and other racers as they roll through the speed zone with their speedometers pegged at 55ish mph miles per hour to avoid the penalties that would be sanctioned at the finish line when the IRC Tracker would taddletale on anyone that exceeded the 60 mph speed limit on pavement or strayed too far from the race course.  Looking down the road, we can see the amber Rigid Industries lights cutting through the fog and drizzle with ease signaling the approach of #701.  No news on the radio meant that the truck was running smoothly and that all our prep was worth the effort.  As the rooster-tail of water fell behind the race truck, we turned to the chase truck to head to the next pre-designated pit area at race mile 77 where I would execute a co-driver change with Antone and as they say, “its about to get REAL!”

I snacked on some crackers to calm my nerves and settle the milde case of “baby guts” I felt coming on.  I was confident that everything but my heart rate would settle as I strap in to the race truck 22 race miles later.  We reached the pit area uneventfully and I dont remember much about this particular leg of the trip as I tried to distract my nerves and excitement by thinking about how fast I could dawn my hot-tamale red race suit that was provided for me thanks to Damon Flippo from Rigid Industries.  Chris slowed the Dodge, I took a deep breath and rolled out of the back seat with my race suit in hand.  I performed my best impression of Superman and suited up only to realize that I should have watered the nearest fence post before zipping all the way up.  With that complete, all that was left was to wait.

As I looked down the road, again, it was easy to spot those bright amber colored Rigid Industries LED lights cutting through the early dusk haze.  It was time.  Brandon brought the truck into the pit area and the frenzy began. Once Antone climbed out of the truck I climbed in.  Getting the seatbelt strapped on tight was going to be essential to not just a safe ride but a more comfortable ride.  Travis gave me some assistance making sure everything was lined up right before pulling the belts tight enough to squeeze all the butterflies out of my stomach.  Antone handed a clean rag through the windshield (by the way, there is no windshield) which would come in handy to wipe off the helmet visors and GPS screen once they were covered in dust and/or mud.  The radio cable was plugged in so Brandon and I could hear each other over the sound of the engine and driveline.  There was also a push-to-talk button which would broadcast over the race radio to the chase team.  I hear Brandon on the radio, “are you ready?”    ”Lets rock and roll!”  And with that, it was skinny pedal to the floor up to 55 mph till we reached the point where the course heads back onto dirt.

This was the first blast of speed as we flew through the bumps and turns at more than twice the speed of the Raptor while prerunning.  Those deep whoops that seemed like they would cause serious worry were just a vision in the side view mirror!  I tried my best to call out the upcoming turns but this section was so full of turns that I’m sure I was just annoying Brandon.  I kept one eye on the Lowrance GPS and the other one the course ahead.  I tried to envision what I would need if I were the driver so I kept my eye two turns ahead.  WIth one hand on the push to talk button to call in the race mile markers for the chase team and the other hand on the siren, we were overtaking other racers at a surprising pace.  Everything was going great till the mechanical issues began.  The brakes had been super soft since the start but that wasn’t getting any worse, at the moment.  The issue now was that the engine would occasionally shut off without warning.

Like I always say, engine issues are usually one of three things:  spark, fuel, or air.  The truck had enough power in the two Optima Yellow Top batteries so that wasn’t it.  We hadn’t been on the race course long enough for the air filter to be clogged which only left fuel as the issue.  The last time the truck coasted to a stop we were at roughly race mile 85 and we pulled off the course as best as possible.  With a bit of silence we diagnosed the problem pretty quickly as a failing fuel pump.  Fortunately we had brought a spare!  Brandon started pulling things apart as I dug out the spare pump and tools.  Once the failing pump was off, the next problem was stopping the gasoline that was rapidly siphoning itself out of the fuel cell and onto the ground.  I did my best to stop the spill with my thumb without taking a full on gas shower while Brandon swapped in the new pump.  In less than 20 minutes we were loading the tools back into the truck.   Everything was going fairly smoothly, smooth that is for an on-course repair, but I was having a hard time sliding the tool bags back into place so they wouldn’t bounce all over the place.  As I’ve got my head buried behind the seat and my legs flailing in the cab of the cramped Tacoma, I hear Brandon screaming, “BRAKES! BRAKES!”  I had apparently bumped the gear selector into reverse which sent the truck crawling backwards towards the race course and Brandon was still not in the drivers seat!

I somehow managed to get on the brake enough to put it back into park.  At least it was moving under its own power again.  Brandon and I finished strapping all the tool bags and parts back into position and we were on our way again.  Soon enough we were passing other racers and making progress, but before long we spotted a truck nose down in a wash with tail lights pointed skywards and a group of spectators trying to help the racer get unstuck.  Brandon quickly pulled off to the side of the track and doubled back to find a way through the wash that wouldn’t involve getting stuck.  I directed us back towards the course plotted out on the GPS when I realized I was missing one of my gloves.  I must have forgot the put it on when I put the window net back on after our fuel pump incident but couldn’t worry about it now.  I had a spare pair in my backpack with the chase team so I’d just pick it up then.

The next section we were approaching is called “the goat trail” because it is a very rocky and narrow path down the side of a very steep hill.  I’d heard a lot about this section because its many huge rocks and outcroppings gave a large number of racers difficulty.  Even Brandon had mentioned that he hit one of the large outcroppings each time he was on this part of the course.  I have a strong background in rock crawling so this was my chance to regain some cool points after my clumsy kick-it-into-reverse incident a few miles ago.  I easily saw the best line down the ledge but we had to pause while a truck in front of us was trying to squeeze down the trail without rolling down the slope to the passenger side.  ”Ease over to the right and place the passenger tire on top of the large rock before cutting it back to the driver-side,” I called on the radio to Brandon.  ”Are you sure,” Brandon asked?!  ”Absolutely!  I don’t know much about going fast in the desert, but I know how to crawl!”  Brandon followed my recommendation and we cleanly blew right past this section unscathed.  The goat trail dumps out into another speed restricted pavement section which would lead to the next pit where Scott Slater would trade out drivers duties with Brandon Walsh.

We rolled into the pit and they executed the change and we talked briefly about any performance issues and how the truck felt overall.  Travis Freedman was there to check on me and make sure I was still strapped in tightly.  It was a flurry of activity and I still couldn’t find my missing glove in the dark but if that was the worst thing the lose of the course then thats not so bad.  Only a few short minutes after we pulled into the pit, Scott punched it and we were back on the course heading towards La Paz!  After a few miles on the pavement we again hit the dirt and built up some speed.  The section here was much faster because it was a straight line but the whoops were also much larger.  The trophy trucks and their huge 40″ tires had dug some giant holes that were trying to swallow all the racers to follow but at least the dust was minimal so we could see clearly.  There weren’t any real turns to speak of on the radio so I instead focused on keeping my eyes open for day-ending obstacles hidden along the course and looking farther down the course than Scott was looking.  The suspension on the Toyota was working well but the transmission was occasionally coming out of gear due to the shock load of the tires making contact with the ground as we skipped across the tops of the whoops.  While this was a bit troubling, I later discovered that this is a kind of built in safety mechanism designed to keep the transmission from destroying itself under load.  It wasn’t until we were flying around the inside of a fast turn when our progress halted again.  It felt like the transmission was out of gear but even when shifted back into gear we still weren’t moving which was real trouble.

After calling our trouble to the chase team and only receiving a static filled response, it was time to shift into mechanic mode and start diagnosing the problem.  The Rigid Industries pit lights were clicked on which quickly revealed that the driveshaft was spinning when placed into gear but the wheels weren’t turning.  There was a huge leak coming from the driver-side axle tube which meant that the seal had probably blown out and we lost enough fluid to cook the gear set.  Scott started pulling the jack while I called the chase team with our location and the diagnosis.  While I started the process of pulling the tool bags and spare third member from the truck I realized that it had been about six hours since I had eaten anything and my body was longing for some energy; that or these tools had become heavier than they were when I strapped them in the last time.

Of course the repairs wouldn’t be as simple as if they were being done in a driveway or garage as there were so many more issues to deal with.  Here’s a short list of issues that made the repair take two and a half hours:  the truck shifting on the the jack in the loose sand, it was extremely dark, other racers were trying to dodge us on the inside of a fast curve, the rear-end was still blazing hot from melting gears inside, nuts and bolts attract more dirt and sand than you’d believe, and did I mention that I was hungry?  Two and a half hours after we came to a stop, the repairs were completed with the help of our chase team, including Brandon, Travis, and Antone and my long lost glove was found dangling, literally by a thumb from the floor pan and wheel well. We had replaced the third member, drivers side axle shaft, outer axle seal, pulled the siezed brake caliper, capped the brake line, refilled the differential with about 3/4ths the oil that it needed and I had a much needed snack of some dried fruit. With about five miles till we reach BFG pit number 1, we just had to keep things together until we reached the pit where we could get a thorough check before hammering it down the course again.  Not more than two miles from our stop, we could already hear groaning coming from the rear end that we had just replaced. “Just keep it together for three more miles,” we silently chanted.

As we pulled into the pit, the BFG pit crew rushed to us as if they were all on Team Homemade Motorsports!  We asked the crew to check the repairs and fill the differential with the rest of the fluid that we were missing.  Even in the dark of night, the pit crew was ready to lend a hand to any racer that came by and needed assistance.  BFG is a fantastic organization and their support for the Baja 1000 is without equal!  Once things were filled, tightened and strapped back in, Scott and I sped out of the pit area and back onto the course but the groaning was still there and only getting worse.  I called the chase team on the radio assured that they would hear me and our plan to return to BFG pit #1, but then I could only hear static as a response.  Scott pulled around and just like that we were heading backwards on the race course….in the dark.  I had the lights and sirens blaring as loudly as possible till we got back to the pit area.  A second check on everything revealed nothing to indicate why there was a screaming banshee stuck inside our rear end.  There was nothing more we could do at this point but baby the truck and continue on course calling in our position as often as possible so that the chase team would be able to find us should our progress come to a halt again somewhere before the next planned pit.

Back on course, we were going into one of the fast sections that you see in all the videos off the pros on YouTube.  Scott and I were blasting past cacti fast enough for them to start to turn to a blur and things were going nicely, as long as you could get past the screaming rear diff.  There was even the one time where I actually puckered up a bit when Scott piloted the truck right underneath a powerline tower at over  60 mph!  Scott is an experienced racer as I noted when he dodged a boobytrap that I didn’t spot until it was too late to react.  This section led through a landfill to Zoo Road which is a very fast, smoothly graded road.  Had our rear end been in correct working order, I have no doubt that we would have been cruising at over 100 mph but instead we were only able to wind it up to 73 mph.  As we rounded a corner and pinned the throttle the engine revved but we were coasting slowly to a stop.  The transmission was in gear but nothing was moving and Scott and I were stuck in the middle of the road.  Fortunately, reverse worked enough that we could back off the road enough to be out of the immediate danger of other racers running up behind us.   Scott and I climbed out of the Toyota to check out the situation with a good idea of what we would find:  another cooked rear end.

Scott flipped on the Rigid Industries pit lights and e again watched as the drive shaft would turn but the wheels didn’t.  Scott flicked on his iPhone to use a flashlight which revealed that the fluid fill cap on rear axle was completely missing.   All the differential fluid had drained out over the last 50ish miles of Mexican sand which resulted in melting off all the gear teeth on the pinion gear.  Completely disheartened, our inspection of the damage was done and we realized our chances of reaching La Paz were just like the damaged third member:  toast.

I called the chase team with our location and pulled my helmet off.  Our race had come to a end at race mile 212 but the journey back to San Diego was still to come and would be grueling in a different way than the race.  I gazed up at the star filled sky and started to really think about my entire experience up to this point.

The Baja 1000 is more than just the longest continuous offroad race in the world.  Its not even about the challenge of man and machine conquering an unforgiving desert terrain.  Its about relationships.  Relationships with friends and family.  I had met so many amazing people on this adventure.  I learned so much about a desert racing truck.  The logistics involved in planning where fuel and parts should be located along a race course is an art that Brandon has refined and will continue to work on in future races.  The dedication of all the racers, their families and friends to this race is remarkable.  I can see how Sal Fish had dedicated 37 years of his life into this race because it is transcendent of so many things.  The Baja 1000 puts the doldrums of everyday life in place where they belong, next to the small potatoes.  Participating in the Baja 1000 has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me.

None of this would have been possible without Hero Offroad and all the supporters and sponsors.  I wish I could thank each person individually for their contribution to Hero Offroad.  Armando has such generosity and patriotism that I am overwhelmed with gratitude.  Patriots like Armando are what makes serving in the military a pleasure.  I go to work each day, knowing that what I do means the world to the American people.  The US Army, Air Force, Marines and Navy protect the freedoms so that people like Brandon Walsh and the Team Homemade Motorsports Crew can enjoy racing in the desert without the worry of terrorism on American soil.

Hero Offroad, thank you for your support and patriotism!

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!
Direct Download

On this episode of the podcast we bring you an interview with #teamastrid comprised of Anthony, from Overland Nomads and Bryon from Exploring Elements about the experience in the Mayan Rally.  In the news we talk about how  the Action Camper lets you skip the RTT for your Jeep Wrangler JKU, Ford Racing wants to teach you how to jump your Raptor, Jeep Wrangler gets a 10th anniversary edition Rubicon, diesel power finally returns to Jeep, Jeep sets a new all time sales record in 2012, and I need a 2WD motorcycle that comes with an oar.  In the Outdoor Edibles segment we talk about the Tent Commandments.  In the feedback section we talk about what hand tools you bring with you on the trail and one of my favorite new websites:  GrabAWrench.com.

Links from the show:

The Maya Rally

The Muskoka Foundation

theDangerz

LED Lenser

Warn Industries

Triple Aught Design

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+ or any other social networks using the links below. Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section. Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337, the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +

Hank the Tank’s first sea voyage

#teamastrid

Anthony enjoying the view

The Mayan Rally participants

Bryon with driving duties

#teamastrid was first on the scene of this accident

Early morning views

Epic Mexico

Part of the Mayan Rally involved volunteering. Do good as you go.

Adversity strikes #teamastrid

Anthony making friends on the trail

Rocking the TAD gear

Via: Camping Tips from OutdoorWorldDirect.co.uk

Check out the specs on the Chevy Silverado HD

In California, license plates stay with the cars even if the vehicle gets a new owner. That is one way that vehicles can retain their classic plates. Now these replica legacy plates are available for your modernized vintage jeep thanks to a bill signed by the California governor. Check out the press release below.

Classic Car Owners Get A Chance At Vintage California Plates
California Legacy License Plates Available for Pre-Order January 1, 2013

Sacramento, December 27, 2012 – The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced today it will be taking pre-orders for a new License Plate Program offering vehicle owners the opportunity to purchase replicas of California license plate designs issued in the 1950′s, 1960′s, and 1970′s.

The new program will bring a retro look to modern license plates by offering three classic license plate designs. Legacy License plates can be ordered for any year model automobile, commercial vehicle, motorcycle, or trailer. The styles include black lettering over a yellow background seen in the 1950′s, yellow lettering over a black background seen in the 1960′s and yellow lettering over a blue background that was available originally in the 1970′s. The plates cost $50 for non-personalized or personalized plates.

A pre-order form California Legacy License Plate Pre-Order Form (REG 17L)is available at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/legacyplates/index.htm. The completed form and a $50 payment must be mailed to the address provided on the form. Payment can only be made by check, money order, or cashier’s check. Pre-orders cannot be processed at DMV Field offices or Auto Club offices.

The law specifies that 7,500 applications must be reached by January 1, 2015. If 7,500 applications are not received by that date, any fees paid for the California Legacy plates will be refunded to the applicant.

Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1658, by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D–Los Angeles) on September 28, 2012.

Thanks to the efforts of the SEMA Action Network (SAN), Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) and a n of other land use groups, continued off-highway vehicle (OHV) access to Johnson Valley, California has been guaranteed for now by the U.S. Congress.

Congress has included a provision with the 2013 Defense Authorization Act that requires the U.S. Marines to study alternative ways to share the area with the OHV community without taking ownership of the land.  The Johnson Valley off-road area draws at least 200,000 visitors annually and may generate as much as $191 million annually into the economy.

Johnson Valley is home to “King of the Hammers” and many other OHV events.  The land has been controlled for years by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which provides special-use permits for various motorized recreation activities.  The U.S. Marines want to expand their base at Twentynine Palms, California to include nearly 147,000 acres of adjacent land within Johnson Valley in order to conduct large-scale training exercises for one or two months a year.  The land use coalition is urging the Marines to simply obtain BLM special-use permits.  Any transfer of land rights is subject to Congressional approval.  Final action on legislation directing the Marines to conduct an OHV study is expected to be completed in the next few days.

Photo from GenRight.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2012 
 
Living Overland Announces the Idaho Overland Route Digital Guide Book

Living Overland is excited to announce their first digital guide book with the creation of the Idaho Overland Route digital guide book.  The route, developed by Living Overland’s Beau Johnston, traverses Idaho while covering nearly 600 miles of backcountry roads.  The route begins in Jackson, Wyoming and proceeds across the Upper Snake River Plain, through Idaho’s Central Mountains, and over the Owyhee Uplands before ending in Jordan Valley, Oregon. Travelers have the opportunity to travel through some of Idaho’s most rugged places and see portions of the state few know about.
The digital guide book, to be released in February 2013, provides detailed turn-by-turn route information, camping locations, scenic side trips, and logistics information to help travelers plan their own trip.
 
About Living Overland
Living Overland started in 2010 from a desire to share a love of food and travel with friends.  We have recently expanded from our original focus of gourmet cooking to provide additional information on the beautiful places we visit and reviews on the gear we use.  We feel many have lost their sense of adventure and are now disconnected from nature and from each other.  By documenting our recipes and travel through photography and writing, we strive to compel our readers to experience new cultures and the world around them all while enjoying great food.

For more information please contact:
 
Beau Johnston
Living Overland
Tel: 208-241-5621    
E-mail: beau.johnston@live.com
www.LivingOverland.com

My favorite new offroading news website is Grab a Wrench! Each day, you’re greeted with 1-3 new products to the offroading world.  Sometimes it’s unique rigs for sale and being too be wheeled.  Sometimes they point out great deals on products I’ve been pinning for. 

It’s always full of great content though and I recommend that you check it out too!

If your like me, then you can’t get enough adventure.  And you already know that I’m a fan of audio podcasts because you can listen to them on those long highway drives to the trails. Adventure IQ is an audio podcast that blends outdoor education and the adventure lifestyle into a great listening experience.

Rob is based in the Boise, Idaho area intentionally because of the easy access to a wide variety of terrain and excitement available.  Rob had been on the podcast a few times already, but if you haven’t subscribed yet then use this link with your favorite podcast client and enjoy. 

Don’t forget to say hi to Rob on Facebook and tell him The 4×4 Podcast sent you!

GM has just announced a recall of 118,000 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups over missing hood latches.  Really GM?! I understand that sometimes, over the course of a vehicles life is discovered that a certain component has a shorter lifespan than originally expected but a missing component is unacceptable. 

Hood latches actually are a safety component; they prevent the hood from flying open at speed.  This seemingly small part can run your day or, potentially, ruin a life if it falls or is completely missing. 

If you own a Chevy Colorado or GMC Canyon, please take it to a dealer and force them to make things right.  Really GM?! This kind of poor quality is what got you into that bankruptcy mess before.

Episode 6 Revelations from Hiline Productions on Vimeo.

This is Expedition Overlands season 1 final episode! The revelations of who the guys are as Overlanders comes full circle. Travel with the guys from XO through Idaho and get ready for the biggest news yet!

I’ve had so much fun watching how Clay and his crew have grown Expedition Overland into the overlanding media powerhouse they are today since the interview back in episode 13. Episode 6 was recently released and it concludes the inaugural season of the web series. It continues to develop the characters in their crew and highlight one of my favorite areas to explore, Idaho.

Before you just click play, I recommend you set this up on a big screen, grab a drink, and prepare to be inspired as you sit back and enjoy episode 6.

Be sure to LIKE XOverland on Facebook at facebook.com/xoverland and check out the rest of the videos at xoverland.com

Thanks to our friends over at Blue Ridge Overland Gear for pointing out this news! While I know that this photo is a complete photoshop, I’m still pretty excited about the idea of a full size SUV with some real offroad capability.

The Grand Wagoneer was produced from 1963 till 1991 when it was replaced by my beloved “downsize” Cherokee. Previous attempts at a full-size from Jeep is the Commander, which in my opinion was a failed attempt to revive the XJ.

For the revival of the Grand Wagoneer to to be a true success here’s what I think it needs to include:

• V-8 Hemi or Cummins Turbo Diesel sourced from a Dodge Ram
• Dana 60 front and rear axles
• 4-Linked front and rear suspension
• Must seat 7 with room behind the seats
• 8 Speed automatic transmission with the ability to hold whatever gear you want
• Limited Slip or e-locker differential
• Real shifters with actual linkage to the transfer case

Now I have two questions for you:

1. Do you think the Grand Wagoneer will every actually return?
2. What do you think it needs to be successful?

We’ve reached another milestone! 400 likes on Facebook! As the show continues to grow and reach new listeners, we want to continue to improve the quality of the audio, the content and the frequency of the episodes.  You guys inspire me to continue to improve. 

I also want to continue to educate you guys on back country skills and inspire you to go bigger, faster, farther and encourage you squeeze every bit of excitement out of every adventure!

If you don’t already follow us on Facebook then check us out!  http://facebook.com/the4x4podcast

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!

Direct Download

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+ or any other social networks using the links below. Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section. Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337, the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +

FREE - $25

• Winching and Recovery DVD - $19.95 from 4x4training.com
• Fun Treks Guide Books- $24
  • The 100 trails in this book may be the best batch ever put together in one place. Whether you are a newcomer to 4-wheeling or an experienced veteran, we guarantee you‚'ll have fun. The trails are grouped into seven key areas in the heart of Colorado‚'s most beautiful high country. Most are convenient to Denver and the Front Range.

• A full-color format makes planning your next adventure simpler than ever. Easy, moderate and difficult routes are color coded, while symbols quickly show kinds of vehicles allowed on each trail. This includes unlicensed UTVs, ATVs and dirt bikes.

  

• Offroad Nation game for iOS and Android
  • Download for iOS
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• ARB Strap Wrap- $6.38
  • Manufactured from 50mm wide polyester webbing, the ARB Strap Wrap solves the problem of recovery straps becoming unravelled either whilst being carried or when in storage.
• NEBO Blueline Tactical Flashlight- $19.99
  • The BLUELINE® combines all of the features already proven to be customer favorites in one affordable flashlight. Super bright…adjustable focus…and strobe…and the new twist is the blue ring that flashes a cool blue light when you need it. The BLUELINE is not too small and not too big and so easy to handle that you want to keep it on you all of the time.
• NEBO CSI EDGE Flashlight - $9.99
• • The CSI EDGE™ 50 is a compact high-intensity tactical flashlight. Constructed of anodized aircraft grade aluminum, the EDGE™ emits 50 lumens with 1 powerful LED. The water-resistant body design also features a steel clip to keep this flashlight handy, or gives you the ability to use as a cap-light for convenient hands-free lighting. The glow-in-the-dark button is positioned in the back so that you can keep constant control of the flashlight while activating the button. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, the EDGE™ shows off its tough side with the aggressive self-defense face. CSI EDGE™…Small never looked so mean!

• Torque for Android- $4.95
  • Measure BHP, Torque & 0-60.  Clear car OBD faults.  View engine data in Google Earth.  See what your car is doing in realtime, get OBD fault codes, car performance, sensor data and more!  Torque is a vehicle / car performance / diagnostics tool and scanner that uses an OBD II Bluetooth adapter to connect to your OBD2 engine management / ECU.  Layout your own dashboard with the widgets / gauges you want!  It can use the GPS to provide tracker logs with OBD engine logging so you can see what you were doing at any point in time.  It can also show and reset a DTC / CEL / fault code like a scantool. Helps you fix your car and helps keep repair costs down!
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• Univeral Rocker Swiches -  $22
  • These high quality 12 volt Rocker switches are a single throw ON - OFF switch designed to operate your 12 volt accessories.

 

$26-$50

• Adjustable Tire Deflator Kit by Rugged Ridge - $34
  • Fully inflated tires are great for the road and gas mileage, but they deliver a washboard ride on the trail. Air down your tires for a softer ride and more tread grip. Rugged Ridge offers two great kits to fit your lifestyle and budget. Made from 100% brass and are fully adjustable in 3psi. increments. Once you find your desired setting you can lock the deflators where they bleed to the same tire pressure each and every time they are installed. So, you can deflate your tires quickly and accurately every time you head out on the trail
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Surprise Straps - $44.00

• Blue Ridge Seat Back Panel and Pouches- $35.99 and less
  • Backseat drivers are a pain in the butt, but sometimes you just can’t avoid it. If you’re like me and have three kids, you’ve trained them pretty well to keep themselves occupied while you are navigating through complicated terrain.  “Don’t mind the 300ft drop outside your window, hunny. Yes, I know where I’m going. No, we’re not going to die. Please just keep reading your book.”  So now you have to keep your backseat drivers/riders occupied with fun things to do….and nowhere to put them. That’s where our world famous Molle Seat-Back Panel comes in. You hang this bad boy on the back of your seat and it serves as a sturdy anchor (and seat protector) for small, medium, and large MOLLE compatible bags that can hold all your little heart desires. Things like: chewing gum, duct tape, a game boy, a fire starter, noise makers, word search books, maps. All things that good kids love to play with. Now you can be prepared AND organized. Pouches not included. MADE RIGHT HERE IN VIRGINIA USA

• Muff Pot Cooker- $41.95
  • The muff pot clamps onto your exhaust pipe and will cook your food while you drive!  Nothing quite like engine-heat cuisine!

 

$51-$200

GearShade JK Pocket Top - $99.95

• GearShade is a one piece sun shade top designed to cover both front and rear passenger compartments of your Jeep Wrangler. No drilling or header is required with any GearShade top. Each GearShade top comes with 2 pockets for easy storage and access for both the driver and passenger.  Each GearShade Pocket Top is made to withstand the most rugged abuse. The mesh material is made from woven PVC coated 1000 Denier Polyester. The top of the pocket is made from water resistant 1000 Denier Cordura, with a Polyurethane coating.  Installs in minutes without tools or drilling. Attachment bungee cords and instructions are provided.
• 

2 Ton Floor Jack - $129.99

2 Ton Low Profile Heavy Duty Floor Jack Rapid PumpThis heavy duty low profile jack fits under most show cars and gets vehicles almost two feet off the ground, usually in as little as 3-1/2 pumps! A heavy duty all steel construction allow this low profile jack to withstand rigorous use and the foot pedal provides fast, hassle free pumping that leaves your hands free to position the jack accurately. Features include a universal joint mechanism for precision control of load descent in any handle position and a two piece knurled aluminum handle with a foam bumper to prevent damage to your vehicle's finish. Heavy-duty all welded steel construction Lifting range: 2-5/8" to 23-3/4" Universal joint release mechanism Foot pedal for fast, hassle free pumping.

$201-$500

 



Axial SCX10 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited RC - $379.99

• Belly Up Skid Plate – $473.99
  

  Belly Up Skid Plate by TeraFlexLarge In-Stock Inventory. Shop Online, Over Phone, or Visit One of Our Showrooms. 1997-06 TJ Wrangler, Rubicon and Unlimited;1/4 in. steel;Over 2 in. additional ground clearance;Protects transmission and transfer case Belly Up Skid Plate by TeraFlex

  

  • ARB Twin Air Compressor – $495
    

    Twin Air Compressor by ARBLarge In-Stock Inventory. Shop Online, Over Phone, or Visit One of Our Showrooms. 100% duty cycle;6.16 CFM;Air up 35″ tires in less than a minute;2-year warranty Twin Air Compressor by ARB

    

    $501-$1000

    •  Rough Country Long Arm Upgrade – $649.95
      

      Rough Country, Long Arm Upgrade KitRough Country, Long Arm Upgrade Kit Fits: 1984-2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ Notes: Upgrade for 4″ and 6″ kits Only SYE Kit only fits models with NP231 Transfer Case Kit Does Not fit vehicles equipped with the NP242 “Select Trac” transfer case Kit Contents: Front: Lower high clearance arms with X-Flex Joints, upper control arms with X-Flex Joints, long arm mounting crossmember, transfer case skid plate, and hardware Benefits: Flex joints designed by Rough Country Features high clearance lower control arm design Extreme travel long arms keep optimum alignment and give optimum articulation Upgradeable with our Jeep X-tras Install Time: 8-9 Hours

      

    ARB 50 QT Fridge/Freezer – $799

    Portable Fridge Freezer by ARB for JeepLarge In-Stock Inventory. Shop Online, Over Phone, or Visit One of Our Showrooms. Solar panel and generator compatible;Built-in 12, 24 and 120-volt facility;Deep storage capacity for large upright bottles;Model: 10800472;Weight: 53 lbs.;Capacity: 50 quarts;Dimensions: 20 inch H x 27.76 inch W x 14.96 inch D;Three-year warranty Portable Fridge Freezer by ARB for Jeep

    

    $1001-$5000

    •  Rigid Industries LED 40″ M-Series Light Bar
      • Rigid LED Lighting is the industry leader and originator of the most efficient LED lighting solutions available. LED Lighting provides high lumen output without high power draw giving you an efficient alternative to traditional HID & Halogen lamps. They are also more durable and stay cooler than traditional HID & Halogen lighting. Available in a wide variety of sizes and configurations, for a variety of vehicles, for any night time driving situation, you can bet Rigid has a LED Light for you.

      M-Series 40″ Combination Flood and Spot Light by Rigid IndustriesLarge In-Stock Inventory. Shop Online, Over Phone, or Visit One of Our Showrooms. Clear;Universal;White aluminum housing;Unbreakable polycarbonate lens;50,000 hour lifespan;3-1/4″ x 40-3/4″;80 LEDs per lamp;169.9 watts;15800 raw lumens;Sold individually M-Series 40″ Combination Flood and Spot Light by Rigid Industries

      

       

      

Corbeau Seats – $448.99 each plus brackets

• I’ve had Corbeau seats in my XJ for over 5 years and they are amazing!  They provide tons of support which inspires confidence while on the trails and reduces fatigue on long drives.  Excellent build quality ensures years of reliability.

CR1 Wide RecLiner Seat by CorbeauLarge In-Stock Inventory. Shop Online, Over Phone, or Visit One of Our Showrooms. 1976-12 Wrangler and CJ;Red cloth;High-density injection molded foam;Harness belt capability;Fully adjustable seat back with flip forward;Fits up to a 40 in. waist;Must order in pairs;Requires adapter

• Vehicle Lift System- $2,379.95
• Dannmar Brigadier 10AC lifts offer versatility for your workshop or garage. Engineered for strength, these high performance, two-post lifts fit neatly into most service bays and allow greater access in and out of the vehicle. Built with posts that are rotated inward 30 degrees, Brigadier 10AC lifts are asymmetrical models permitting vehicles to be off-set back farther. Able to handle 10,000 lbs., these 2-post lifts offer dual hydraulic cylinders with a “direct-drive” lifting system, heavy-duty lift arms with automatic safety restraints, oversized column base plates, safety locks in each column and maintenance-free polyethylene load bearings. Brigadier 10AC with its rugged design and easy to use controls will provide reliable one-the-job service that will give your workload a boost. Plus, these lifts include an eight-piece truck and van adapter set! Work comfortably, efficiently and safely with Dannmar Brigadier 10AC two-post lifts.

$5001-skies the limit

Tube Shark Tube Bender and Notcher- $7,280
The Shark Pool works great in the shop or on the road…anywhere you need the complete TubeShark® system. Get the most from these precision machines, while keeping die sets, tools and accessories organized.

• 
•  Ford Raptor SVT – starting at $43,340
  • I had the priveledge of spending some time in a Ford Raptor while down in Mexico for the SCORE Baja 1000.  We used the Raptor as a chase truck and prerunner and it was awesome! Ford has this truck dialed in nicely for driving around town daily and is still a blast to drive out in the rough stuff.  The aftermarket support for the truck is also very strong which means you can modify the truck as much as your budget will allow.  While it won’t be in my budget anytime soon, I can always dream, right?!

Stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook for all the little things between audio updates.

Direct Download

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!

Direct Download

On this episode of the podcast we bring you an interview with Rob Anderson of Adventure IQ (also on Facebook) and you can subscribe using this link.  Also in the news segment we talk about lots of stuff from SEMA:  MOPAR approved performance parts, the JK 6-Pak concept, the ICON D200, an old-school Dodge Power Wagon, Warn introduces the Zeon winch family, the Survivor Truck, VWerks makes their own Ram Runner, a flat-bed JK, and ARB teamed up with Rigid Industries to make an awesome LED driving light. In the Outdoor Edibles segment we talk about Dutch oven BBQ ribs inspired by Gary House of Cooking Everything Outdoors. In the feedback section Anthony Sicola of Overland Nomads asks, “what do you use to transport and store water while on the trail?”

Broken Arrow 4×4 Trail Guide by Fun Treks

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+ or any other social networks using the links below. Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section. Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337, the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +

Stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook for all the little things between audio updates.

Direct Download

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!

Direct Download

On this episode of the podcast we bring you an interview with Clint Wilson and Jeremy Hopper who were brought together by accident but for since formed a support system since they both suffer from Traumatic Brain Injuries.  Also in the news segment we talk about:  the return of the Jeep Cherokee,  the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk and Wrangler Moab Edition, a global-wide pickup truck shootout, the Fed’s are sued over halting the Tahoe National Forest Access to Offroaders, and a technological development that could mean the end of washing your rig!

Other links from the show:

Truck-Lite
Xtorm
Poison Spyder
sPod
Rigid Industries
Trek Armor
Surprise Straps
AIRAID
Rock Krawler
Northridge 4×4
Forbidden Jeeps Forum
Hero Offroad

Bill Moore Lake Guide by Fun Treks

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+ or any other social networks using the links below. Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section.

Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337,
the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +

Stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook for all the little things between audio updates.

Direct Download

Direct Download

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!

Direct Download

On this episode of the podcast Dan brings you part two of the interview with Luis and Lacey of Lost World Expedition.  Luis and Lacey are in their third year of exploring every possible awesome sight between the US and the most southern point of South America!  In part two, Luis and Lacey share they favorite and least favorite experiences while on the road.  Also in the news segment we talk about:  Who is Colt Seavers and why does he have a VW Amorak named after him?, the Offroad Expo and coverage from Expedition Portal, ARB introduces a FJ Cruiser overhead console, the next Ford F-150 to be made out of old coke cans, Chrysler ramps up production of the Pentastar motor.

Angela May and Dave DeBaeremaeker shared their offroading experience to win one of the $50 gift certificates to Ram Mount!

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+ or any other social networks using the links below. Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section.

Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337,
the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +

To check out the full show notes, head over to http://cacheamaniacs.com/ggh-beta-42-gear-your-ohv and check them out!

Direct Download

Subscribe to the GeoGearHeads Podcast

Subscribe to GeoGearHeads in iTunes

We’re joined by jeepin_idaho of the 4×4 Podcast to talk about gear for Geocachers and their Off-Highway Vehicles. He a couple of posts — “Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus Adventure Kit” and “Ram Mount for Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Installation” — from his podcast site. Some of the products he suggested were the dual battery kits, gravity water filters, Reliance Aqua-Tainer, Chuck Box, Fun Treks guides, and EveryTrail.
We heard from TheWinterTrio again about using the GPSR for Munzees. We talked a little about that and the three GSAK macros for bringing in Munzees; “MyMunzeesCSV,” “MyMunzeesV3CSV,” and “WGETmunzeecaps.”
Perhaps the most interesting mention in this episode was about a new set of giveaways we kicked off as of this recording. Thanks to Magellan, listeners all over the world have the chance to win an eXplorist GC. Brand 44 Colorado was also kind enough to provide a Geomate.jr with Update Kit, Geomate Large Log Cache, and a Geomate Gnome Cache for those within North America. Along with those four awesome gifts, the hosts of the GeoGearHeads will be pitching in a few items themselves to be given away through a drawing on Episode Beta.48 (November 29, 2012) (details available here).

The live video session from this Google+ Hangout On Air can be found on YouTube.

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!

Direct Download

On this episode of the podcast Dan brings you part one of the interview with Luis and Lacey of Lost World Expedition.  Luis and Lacey are in their third year of exploring every possible awesome sight between the US and the most southern point of South America!  Also in the news segment we talk about Garmin and the iPhone 5 getting access to the GLONASS GPS satellite constellation,  the Dodge Ram Runner vs Ford Rapter, Ford Raptor vs Mars Rover, how much offroader does $400,000 get you, and the 23 year long road trip.  In the feedback section we receive a voicemail from Jonathan England, who heard Dan’s interview on The XJ Talk Show asking about importing a Jeep Cherokee from Great Britain to the United States.

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+ or any other social networks using the links below. Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section.

Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337,
the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with Ryan of Extreme Landcruiser based out of Hesperia.  We didn’t have much time so this was more of a parking lot meeting.  I was running some errands and he was on his way to the paint shop and we just crossed paths.

There’s way to much to tell you about do instead I’ll just say that Ryan will be on the podcast for an interview sometime in the near future.  Till then check out his shop online at extremelandcruiser.com.  If your in the SoCal area and your Cruiser needs some work, b4 sure to give him a call!

I’ve recently discovered this e-book from LifeRemotely.com.  It’s really is a great resource that will help you systematically think about all that goes in to planning a long trip through desolate and developing areas of the world.  I know there are many great books out there all about adventure travel, so what are your favorites?

This morning I woke up to a dark and stinking hot tent. The power had gone out some time during the night and my cell phone had drained itself completely. I dropped in my spare battery (Android for the win!) and moved out knowing that I eventually if I didn’t find power, I was going to be without a working phone.

My day had the potential to contain many long hours in the sun. I stopped in at the nearby store and picked up their very last Goal Zero kit and put it right to work. Despite my first inclination to tear open the box and plug stuff in, I took the time to read the enclosed documentation. Operating the charger is straight forward and simple. My first priority was charging up my spare (now totally drained) cell phone battery. I connected my cell phone battery to the solar panel using a micro USB cable and tucked the battery into the little mesh pouch on the back of the panels. The pouch provides a location for your gear so it’s not it in direct sunlight to melt into a puddle of expensive electronics. A short second after opening up the panels the charging light on my charger turned red, indicating that I was now turning the relentless Mojave Desert sunshine into grid free power!

The 1850 mAh battery for my Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone charged in less than 2 hours. Once that was done, the next task was to charge up the battery pack that came with the kit. The battery pack can be charged through USB from the solar panel or an auto charger. In keeping with the zero consumption theme I opted for the solar panel power. There is a supplied USB cable for charging but I read in the documentation that USB charging can take up to 8 hours. Instead, I used the other supplied charging cable, the solar panels charged the pack in 2.5 hours.

By that time the battery in my phone was down to 85%. This would be the real test: can the Goal Zero panels provide a stream of power stay enough to charge directly to my phone? Yes, but with caveats. There is now doubt that modern smart phones are seriously power thirsty devices. Android phones seem to be especially thirsty gadgets! My observation was that the device was charging at a rate just faster than it was discharging when in a steady state. In a high use scenario, the battery level would probably continue to decrease despite having a charge introduced. All things considered though, stopping or slowing the discharge rate using a completely renewable source is a total win!

The last thing I’ll mention is the workmanship. There are numerous loops on the edges of the solar panel to make it easier to hang in direct sunlight. I found it was easy to hang on my Camelbak using a few S-shaped carabiners but the way they attach to the unit concerns me. I felt around the edges and seams and it felt like the loops were single stitched. Load bearing loops should be double stitched at a minimum. I’ll be sending this note to Goal Zero and hopefully they can address this in future iterations of the product. It’s also rain and snow resistant, but not waterproof – I’m in the desert so I haven’t yet tested this but I will soon be back in snowy northern New York.

I’ve now had the kit for a few days and I’ve tried to make use of all the available charging scenarios. My day often begins before the sun which would pose a problem for solar power. The good news is that the supplied battery pack does an excellent job of providing a steady charge to USB powered devices. I would recommend that if you are going to be charging a phone or tablet, you should use the battery pack. That smooth and consistent power supply will be better for your device and will charge up faster.

Overall, the Goal Zero Nomad 10 Plus is an outstanding product. If you are traveling in a vehicle that has a dual battery system and you will always be around your vehicle, then you may not have a need for this Goal Zero kit. However, they do have larger kits designed for all your overland travel power needs. If you are going to be in the back country for an extended time and don’t want to carry a bunch of batteries, then this kit is for you!

If like to pick up your own Adventure Kit and support The 4×4 Podcast at the same time just follow the link below.

Here are some of the community’s answers.

This is Derek posting while Dan is on a military exercise for awhile. I haven’t done this yet but I hope to have many anniversaries and anything is possible!

Manual gives you more command over great selection, but auto will soak up Torque slippage making rock crawls generally easier.  Fuel efficiency isn’t really even an advantage over some automatics.  This is a debate that will probably carry on for quite some time.

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!

On this episode of the podcast I bring on my wife, Stefanie to talk about an article from Tom Severin over at 4x4training.com. We’re not doing an hangout this time but you can always check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+ or any other social networks using the links below. Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section.

Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337,
the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +

Links from the show:

Direct Download
Teaching Your Spouse to Drive Offroad
XJTalk.com

Which do you prefer, sand or mud?

The smart answers were no, but with caveats.  Buying a trail only rig would be okay.  Seeing it in person and giving it a full look would make it okay.  Catching a sweet deal also makes it doable.

I agree with everyone and I’ll confess again, I bought my XJ on eBay and have been very pleased with it.  But I think my experience is the exception, not the rule.

The consensus was, it’s not a requirement but when it comes to repairs and recovery strength and endurance become extremely important!

The answers ranged from “yes, but one at a time”, “no”, and my personal favorite referring to cats not making good offroading partners. 

Thanks for the participation and be sure to check out today’s Offroading Question of the Day!

The answers today are different than the answers would have been a few years ago.  But today 100% of the respondents are fairly conservative wheelers.  Driving your trail rig daily means that you want to keep it running in top shape as much as possible.  Must prefer do have a Plan B though, just in case weekend adventures are to much for the rig.

Here’s a quick snapshot of some of the responses.

Today’s question is, “is your offroad rig also your daily driver?”

The overwhelming response was from well-prepared adventurists who love their electronic navigation aids, but do not trust them!  98% rejoined that they do take paper maps on the trails.

This sparked a number of other discussions like, how do you protect your maps?  What software and devices do you use? Where do you get your maps?

Below you’ll find a couple snapshots of responses and discussion that you may have missed since the discussion takes place on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and in the comments section of the blog.

Check back tomorrow for a summary of the answers! 

67% of the respondents were young wheelers and started offroading under the age of 17. It seems that most people were trying to get poor for and adventure with family and/or friends, however not all the activities were totally legal keep it legal folks and be safe out there!

To celebrate the first anniversary of The 4×4 Podcast we’re contest called FACT or CRAP! Tell your adventure story and you could win one of the two $50 gift certificates from Ram Mounts.

Option #1: Call the voicemail number at 719-924-5337 and tell the story in your own voice
Option #2: Send your story to the4x4podcast@yahoo.com
Option #3: Share your story on the Facebook page.
Option #4: Share your story on your own blog/website/forum of your choice. If you share on a blog/website/forum of your own choice be sure to send us the link to that post so we can be sure to capture that as an entry.
Option #5: Record the story in your own words and send us the mp3 or a link to the file.
Option #6: Fill out the form on the blog post for this mini-episode.

Bonus entries can be earned too! 1 extra for incorperating The 4×4 Podcast and/or Ram Mount into your story!

Thanks to RamMount.com for their support of The 4×4 Podcast!

You have to be a member of ExPo to vote though.  If you’re not a member already, its a great site to talk about extended offroad trips and learn all the tricks from the pros. 

Here’s the voting link: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/79357-VOTE-HERE!-Expedition-Portal-Video-Contest
Video entry thread with all the videos:  http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/74674-The-Official-Expedition-Portal-Overland-Video-Contest-Thread!/page5

Sounds like an interesting concept and I’d love to get my hands on a unit to test it out.

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!

On this episode of the podcast we interview Armando Verdugo who is the founder of Hero Offroad . In the news segment we talk about the GoPro HD Hero 2 finally delivering the promised WiFi Backpak and Remote but not the app…yet, the Jeep Compass is finally getting lost, Robby Gordon is bring back stadium truck racing, eco-friendly offroaders, making the Smart into a dune buggy, and ProComp is now offering a best in the business – lifetime warranty! In the feedback section, the CrewBed saved someone from ditching their beloved Jeep. Our Outdoor Edibles section brings you Dutch Oven BBQ Chicken Pizza on Beer Bread Crust. And to finish the show we bring a bit of class with a poetry reading! Also, if you haven’t already caught it, we are trying out the Hangout On Air feature in Google Plus again and this time we had a bit more success but its still a beta feature for the podcast.

Contact us with your voicemail feedback at: 719-924-5337,
the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +

Links from the show:

Direct Download
Hero Offroad
CrewBed
WiFi backpack and remote available now
The Compass is finally set to get lost!
Stadium Truck Racing is Making a Comback!
EcoFriendly Offroaders
The Smart as a dune buggy
ProComp is Now Offering Lifetime Warranties
Rate Us On iTunes
The 4×4 Podcast Android App
To Rove or Not to Rove

Outdoor Edibles – Dutch Oven BBQ Chicken Pizza on Beer Bread Crust

Dough

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 12 oz beer
• olive oil
• 1 tbsp sugar

Toppings

• Chicken breast
• Bacon
• Chopped Pineapple
• BBQ sauce
• Lots of Cheese

Dutch Oven BBQ Chicken Pizza on Beer Bread Crust

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 12 oz beer
• olive oil
• 1 tbsp sugar

Toppings

• Chicken breast
• Bacon
• Chopped Pineapple
• BBQ sauce
• Lots of Cheese

Check us out!

This years events are:

• Mud pit
• Frame twister
• Obstacle Course
• Tow test
• Hill Climb
• Mini Rubicon
• Tank Trap

 For a glimpse of what the competition has going, check out the recap from the Day 1 events.

For a long time I’ve been really excited at the prospect of using a tablet for navigation and infotainment but it’s been a slow process.  I’ve played with a wide variety of sizes, brands and operating systems.  I’m a faithful Android fan so it was an easy choice for me to stick with what I know.  The next choice was size.  The 10 inch size is great for many things but a 10 inch screen in my XJ would take up too much space. Also, I’ve found that the 7 inch size will fit into my cargo pocket so I’d be able to really carry it around at work.  I let my wife know what I had settled on and then she surprised me at Christmas with a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 that she picked up on Woot.com for $150!  Score!

Since Christmas, I’ve pondered the mounting location and have been researching  to find a mount that meets my needs.  I already have a suction cup window mount for my phone, a Samsung Galaxy Nexus, but anything else mounted on the windshield would start to hinder visibility.  I also wanted something that would allow for easy visibility for a co-pilot as well  the driver when traveling solo.  After asking around to fellow overland travelers who have some experience using a tablet for nav, it was an easy choice to go with Ram Mounts.  (Thanks to Dave Croyle and Jordan May)

I went to RamMount.com to determine what parts I would need. The Ram Mount offers tons of versatility and lots of different mounting configurations. I finally settled on the diamond shape ball mount, long arm, and Universal X-Grip II. The long arm connects to the ball on the diamond shape mount and the X-Grip frame. To adjust the mount, there is a large T-knob that you only need to loosen to readjust the angle of the mount. I actually purchased all the parts through Amazon to take advantage of the Prime membership and get some free second day shipping.

Having pulled my dash apart numerous times before I know how to pull things apart. I determined that the center stack would be the best location. I found all the mounting hardware in the fastener bins in my garage, which reminds me that a well organized work area is a massive time saver!

All that’s left is drilling the holes, tightening the bolts and reattaching the dash.  First, here’s a quick look at the parts.

Diamond Ball Mount

Diamond Ball Mount

This is the part that I was most impressed with.  The arm is seriously beefy and would provide plenty of clamping force on the ball mounts to keep things stable.

Long Arm Bracket

The spring inside confused me at first but when I gave everything a test fit, it became apparent that the spring provides just enough clamping force on one side to make adjustment easier.  Its a very well thought out design.

The X-Grip Universal Mount

The X-Grip will accommodate a range of sizes

Installation really only took about 5 minutes.  Drill holes, tighten bolts, replace panel, enjoy!

My initial impressions are very good.  I like the mounting location.  As I expected, the mount keeps everything well placed and easily within reach.  There is one thing that I still need to sort out though; I’ve noticed that when the tablet is actually in the mount, it has a tendency to rotate a bit.  I believe that this may be an issue with the design of the X-Grip because nothing else was moving.  I haven’t gone through the support pages on Ram Mount’s website yet, but I will.  And if I can’t find an official solution, I will devise one myself.

First you’ll want to prepare your coals and then preheat your oven. Once its good and hot add the bacon in and cover the bottom of the oven and place your chicken on top. Let it cook till its browned and tender. While your chicken is cooking, prepare your rice. Make sure to use a quick cooking rice so you’re waiting forever for the rice to get soft. Once the chicken is done, remove the oven from the heat and pull the chicken out. Add a layer of rice to the broth in the bottom of the oven Place the chicken back in on top of the rice. Next mix up the mushroom soup, milk and seasoning and the remainder of your rice and pour over the top of the chicken. Lastly, add as much cheese as you like. To finish baking your casserole place the oven on top of only 6 or 7 coals. You’ll want to have 12-15 coals on the lid so that the oven bakes nicely. If you keep too many coals underneath the oven you’ll boil it instead so keep the heat on the top instead. You can also add some peas and carrots or other mixed veggies to the top of the dish and now you’ve got all everything you need all in a single dish! Let everything bake for about 20 minutes or until its all hot and bubbly.

To stream the audio for the show, you can click on the play button right here!

On this episode of the podcast we interview Rachelle Croft who just returned from competing with one of two US based teams in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles in Morocco! In the news we talk about a Leggo RC Land Rover 110, Bentley tackling the Dakar in used VW Touaregs, the VW Doubleback doubles your camping space, an alternative to the Jeep concept Mighty FC, 68,000 Jeep JKs recalled due to fires caused by skid plates, and we shed a tear (actually, its more of a chuckle) over the Ford Ranger ending its production. Also, we launch a new segment called Outdoor Edibles and share a recipe for a Dutch oven casserole! Also, if you haven’t already caught it, we are trying out the Hangout On Air feature in Google Plus.

Contact us with your feedback at: 719-924-5337,
the4x4podcast@yahoo.com, on Twitter, Facebook or Google +

Links from the show:
Direct Downoad
Xelles.org
xelles on Facebook
Adventure IQ
Adventure IQ on Facebook
Idaho Overland Expedition
Independence Trail
RC Leggo Land Rover 110
Bentley to take on Dakar with used VW Touaregs
Doubleback doubles your space
Mitsubishi Fuso Canter
Sentimental Goodbye to the Ford Ranger
David Croyle’s Blog about the Mojave Road and Overland Expo 2012
Bryon Dorr’s Blog

Outdoor Edibles – Chicken and Rice Casserole

• 1 chicken breast per person
• ½ cooked rice per person
• 1 can mushroom soup
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 lb thick sliced bacon
• 1 tbsp salt, pepper, seasoning salt and garlic salt
• Lots of cheese

First you’ll want to prepare your coals and then preheat your oven. Once its good and hot add the bacon in and cover the bottom of the oven and place your chicken on top. Let it cook till its browned and tender. While your chicken is cooking, prepare your rice. Make sure to use a quick cooking rice so you’re waiting forever for the rice to get soft. Once the chicken is done, remove the oven from the heat and pull the chicken out. Add a layer of rice to the broth in the bottom of the oven Place the chicken back in on top of the rice. Next mix up the mushroom soup, milk and seasoning and the remainder of your rice and pour over the top of the chicken. Lastly, add as much cheese as you like. To finish baking your casserole place the oven on top of only 6 or 7 coals. You’ll want to have 12-15 coals on the lid so that the oven bakes nicely. If you keep too many coals underneath the oven you’ll boil it instead so keep the heat on the top instead. You can also add some peas and carrots or other mixed veggies to the top of the dish and now you’ve got all everything you need all in a single dish! Let everything bake for about 20 minutes or until its all hot and bubbly.