Study Suggests State of the World Has More Americans Considering a Jeep
- Thread starter Dave
- Start date
And just like that, it worked on you too kid. Just look at the conversation it stirred up here
Who you callin’ kid you young whippersnapper...And just like that, it worked on you too kid. Just look at the conversation it stirred up here
.Get yer Jeep off my lawn dang tootin’.
Kevin LaCroix
Adventurist
The Conestoga is a great eastern freight wagon. Too heavy for the prairie. The Prairie Schooner can go, where the Conestoga will slow.
Kevin LaCroix
Adventurist
I have never played that game.
Optimistic Paranoid
Adventurist
Here's some trivia I bet you guys did'nt know.
Peter Studebaker was making wagons before the American Revolution. His descendants incorporated The Studebaker Wagon Company in the 1850's. They made a fortune supplying wagons to the Union Army during the Civil War. It's estimated that half the wagons that went west were either built by Studebaker or used Studebaker components and hardware.
The Studebaker Wagon Company started building electric powered horseless carriages in 1902 and gasoline powered ones in 1904.
For the curious, there's a really nice Wikipedia article on them.
Peter Studebaker was making wagons before the American Revolution. His descendants incorporated The Studebaker Wagon Company in the 1850's. They made a fortune supplying wagons to the Union Army during the Civil War. It's estimated that half the wagons that went west were either built by Studebaker or used Studebaker components and hardware.
The Studebaker Wagon Company started building electric powered horseless carriages in 1902 and gasoline powered ones in 1904.
For the curious, there's a really nice Wikipedia article on them.
Optimistic Paranoid
Adventurist
I think it is a myth that the pioneers used oxen. I watched the TV show Wagon Train religiously when I was a kid, and the wagons were ALWAYS pulled by horses. 
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Optimistic Paranoid
Adventurist
They left with full larders and slept in parking lots and rest areas. They were able to avoid grocery stores, restaurants, and motels. The RV's all had toilets. As for fuel, they used self-service pumps. Some wore latex gloves while fueling. Some wiped the nozzles down with Clorox wipes before touching them. Some just made sure to wash/disinfect their hands afterwords.
BushHead
Adventurist
You're way over payload on that little thing... it ain't safe! I like to take the finer things in life with me when I overglamp.
Code Red
Adventurist
JL will do 80 across I-40 without breaking a sweat.
I can’t imagine trying it in a CJ-5
You got me there. No A/C. I can't drive to the stop sign without breaking a sweat.
But that 304 will run 75 on I-85 without passing a gas station.
And it was made before manufacturers actually had to test anything when they gave out tow ratings so my owner's manual says I can tow 5,000 lbs with it! Cause its got Jeep Guts!
kmacafee
Adventurist
Except one important thing. They leave isolation every time they stop for fuel or to take a leak as they "cross the country" under these conditions. Truck stops et al were nasty before this, and a sure fire petri dish now. No thanks.
As a guy who had what some considered the ultimate "4x4 pickup with a camper", I can tell you the grass is not always greener on the other side. It is nice to have a camper, but they are HEAVY (and top heavy too), lack aerodynamics in a big way, are fuel hungry, maintenance heavy and $$$. And diesel fuel costs more too and now you need DEF. And they just don't do well when the road ends. Not a fan anymore now that I owned one.
Yeah, it's all perspective and what's important to you. For me, I'd rather be faster and lighter these days.
But as I age that pendulum may swing yet again... RV's are cool
Funny. I have a Ram 3500 gasser with a flatbed and camper and I have never been unable to travel where I wanted to. I’ve never had the desire to drive the Rubicon trail but I have driven some fairly technical trails with no issues. Are they heavy? Not compared to an EarthRoamer or a Pickup pulling a Patriot Trailer or much more than a Jeep loaded down with drawer units and all the stuff in them. Top heavy? Probably not compared with the FourRunner with the rooftop tent, spare wheel and fuel cans on the roof (all of which exceed the roof’s weight rating). Gas mileage isn’t great but carrying extra fuel really isn’t much of an issue and in the US, we’re never out of range of gas stations.
I get wanting to be faster and lighter. But not having to set up and break down a ground tent or staying in a rooftop tent in inclement weather for any period of time gets old pretty fast. All rigs are a trade off and a truck camper obviously did not work for you but to state that they “don’t do well when the road ends” is ridiculous. I’ve pulled several “lighter and faster” jeeps out of the s*#t several times while my top heavy, fuel hungry, maintenance needy Rig just kept on going.
Your 3500 gasser is already significantly lighter than a diesel so the vehicle dynamics are apples to oranges.
Let me clarify. It was great out west. Wide open spaces in the BLM lands it was good. But as soon as I moved East of the Mississippi it sucked - arboreal obstacles abound on what trails there are, and being a heavy diesel (5500 lbs just on the front axle alone) it absolutely SUCKED in mud and wet rocks. And anything off camber was a white knuckle affair, even for someone with 35+ years driving experience on everything from 4x4’s to D-9 Cats, 518 skidders and Abrams tanks.
So I stand by my statement. It did not do well where the road ends, and tight forested technical trails were simply out of the question unless you don’t care about carnage.
Of course, YMMV. Great discussion
smlobx
Adventurist
I’m with you on this...My F-350 diesel has an empty range of over 630 miles and about 400 with my camper on it. With the Hallmark pop up camper on it it is surprisingly capable (I have done a couple of suspension mods).
Here I am at the top of Hurricane Pass the day after the trail was opened...
smlobx
Adventurist
Having said that it is a big truck there’s no way around it.
I have a Gladiator Rubicon I’m trying to build to go even further Offroad but the biggest issue I see is people adding all sorts of suspension mods much larger tires etc. and then complain when they try to drive their rig beyond what it’s capable of (or more importantly what the driver is capable of)!
The Gladiator will not be for long trips but the Hallmark/F-350 is easily capable of that. In fact, if this Covid-19 shit calms down we’re planning on a 3+ month trip to Canada and AK this summer. Would not want to do that in a tent or small RTT.
I have a Gladiator Rubicon I’m trying to build to go even further Offroad but the biggest issue I see is people adding all sorts of suspension mods much larger tires etc. and then complain when they try to drive their rig beyond what it’s capable of (or more importantly what the driver is capable of)!
The Gladiator will not be for long trips but the Hallmark/F-350 is easily capable of that. In fact, if this Covid-19 shit calms down we’re planning on a 3+ month trip to Canada and AK this summer. Would not want to do that in a tent or small RTT.
kmacafee
Adventurist
I've driven it a lot on the unmaintained roads in Vermont, Virginia and other southern states east of the Mississippi and its never been an issue there either. We'll have to agree to disagree then -- it wont go on some tight twisty technical trails but given a truck campers other advantages, to me its a worthwhile trade off.Your 3500 gasser is already significantly lighter than a diesel so the vehicle dynamics are apples to oranges.
Let me clarify. It was great out west. Wide open spaces in the BLM lands it was good. But as soon as I moved East of the Mississippi it sucked - arboreal obstacles abound on what trails there are, and being a heavy diesel (5500 lbs just on the front axle alone) it absolutely SUCKED in mud and wet rocks. And anything off camber was a white knuckle affair, even for someone with 35+ years driving experience on everything from 4x4’s to D-9 Cats, 518 skidders and Abrams tanks.
So I stand by my statement. It did not do well where the road ends, and tight forested technical trails were simply out of the question unless you don’t care about carnage.
Of course, YMMV. Great discussion
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
At the end of the day picking the vehicle/camping setup that's right for you is what it's all about. @Scott B. will tell you that I'm still looking. 
Over the years as I've gone from small truck to full size truck to 3/4 ton truck to jeep to full size SUV back to jeep to...well, you get the idea. The one thing that has remained constant is one of the things that @Dave mentioned, and that's restrictions based on east coast tree placement. While out and about on a motorcycle once I stopped to chat with some Jeep drivers on a forest service road. After getting into a conversation about how capable Jeeps are one overly confident driver challenged that his Jeep would go anywhere my off road motorcycle could go.
I proceeded to ride between two trees that were roughly 4 foot apart. The other drivers in the group found this hilarious...he did not.
That being said I'm currently shopping for suspension for my F250. It might not fit between trees, but it'll pull one down.
Over the years as I've gone from small truck to full size truck to 3/4 ton truck to jeep to full size SUV back to jeep to...well, you get the idea. The one thing that has remained constant is one of the things that @Dave mentioned, and that's restrictions based on east coast tree placement. While out and about on a motorcycle once I stopped to chat with some Jeep drivers on a forest service road. After getting into a conversation about how capable Jeeps are one overly confident driver challenged that his Jeep would go anywhere my off road motorcycle could go.
I proceeded to ride between two trees that were roughly 4 foot apart. The other drivers in the group found this hilarious...he did not.
That being said I'm currently shopping for suspension for my F250. It might not fit between trees, but it'll pull one down.
