A self evaluation into jeeping

[BullMoose1776]

Mines bone stock, just ask my wife.

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[ColoradoMike]

I bought my Wrangler in 2018. It was a base sport 2 door. I don't need the Rubicon I said, I just wanna get to some good hunting locations and do light off-roading. We had decent salaries back then, and were renting. A base sport seemed to be the perfect Jeep for us. We couldn't get a good loan interest rate, so I put about 80% down payment.

I ended up taking that jeep, 100% stock, to trails that were a little too difficult for the base Jeep, but it was fun. in 2019, exactly when the Jeep was 1 year old it was totaled. Wife and I decided to get another JL, but I had the opportunity to upgrade to a Rubicon or a 4 door. We both had new jobs, great salaries, could afford the Rubicon no problem and had set up an appointment to go over a 2019 4 door Rubicon. I started getting second thoughts about the 4 door, so the dealer showed us a Sport S 2 door, not a Rubicon. They had an awesome deal for this sport, but it didn't have lockers. My wife and I left the dealer to have lunch and talk over it. The savings were considerable over the Rubicon, we could buy this Jeep outright with the insurance money. We thought about all the upgrades we wanted for our house, the investments for the kid we were planning to have, camping trips, etc etc.... So many things we could do with that extra 12k. Did I really need that Rubicon?

I bought the Sport S, and been keeping the upgrades "budget oriented". I have a rubicon suspension on it, metal bumpers, winch, tranny/engine skid plate, front locker, rear LSD, rubicon M/T takeoffs, and a few other things. I have taken that Jeeps on tough trails, I've picked hard lines, I've pushed its limits. And everytime I pushed its limits I upgrade the weak point. Then I push it again.

Last week I ordered bilstein shocks. Another upgrade.... and while I was having a Whiskey by our restored 100 year old fireplace. I realized all these "budget" upgrades were adding up to thousands. Thousands that could be used to add more upgrades to our home, thousands that could be invested into the stock market for us or for our daughter. Thousands that could cover camping trips. I realized this is never gonna end. Jeeps are expensive, not just the vehicle itself, but the hobby. It is really expensive, and you can always increase the challenge as you increase the capabilities of your Jeep. I've done difficult trails with my Jeep, I've had lots of fun, it is extremely capable and I could take it to many Jeep trails other cars will struggle big time. I have no regrets. It can take lines only Jeeps can, it can take me to places no other car can. Pushing these boundaries would take me to even more places, but it costs lots of money. I made a difficult decision, the decision to stop pushing my little Jeep and spend my funds elsewhere. Because if I don't stop now, I never will.

I wanted to share my story because I know that lots of you have spent a lot more on these Jeeps that you initially thought you would. Those of you with Sports, and Rubicons (Saharas dont count - just kidding). I have wheeled my Jeep at every stage, from bone stock, to suspension upgrade, to tire upgrade, to winch and lockers. Your Jeep, at its current state is extremely capable. Rubicon or not. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of spending thousands more on your Jeep then you don't have to. Don't let forums and youtube tell you how capable your Jeep is. Let the trails tell you, let YOUR skills tell you. Then decide for yourself, do you really want to spend thousands more to take that line?.

LOVE this post. It's so true. There is no end to how much money you can throw into it, and the more you do, the more you want to do.... but yeah, your vehicle (particularly a JLR) is already so capable; would the money be better spent on other gear/activities? I can do awesome things in my nearly-stock JLUR, and I need to start putting more money into skis, camping gear, kayaking gear etc... the Jeep upgrade addiction is a little scary, honestly. (Personally, for me--not a judgement of others).

 

[entropy]

You could have saved for a camping trip, or retirement or a college fund. You could have spent the money any number of any other ways, but what we're all buying are experiences. You would have to forego something for something else. You can't spend the money in the pot twice, so you buy skis and lift tickets, a new range, an additional mortgage payment, or you buy springs for the Jeep. The money has no value unless you spend it in ways that bring experiences. So, you could have spent it any number of any other ways, but maybe, probably, no better way.

Thats right. It is all about balance though. And thats my point, is the experience from that harder line worth the extra thousands? Maybe to some it is. I personally realized that Id rather spend it in an experience thats more fair for the wife and daughter. And the Jeep is giving me all the experiences I could ever ask for.

In terms of investing money now, that could mean buying my "dream jeep" once I retire .

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

Thats right. It is all about balance though. And thats my point, is the experience from that harder line worth the extra thousands? Maybe to some it is. I personally realized that Id rather spend it in an experience thats more fair for the wife and daughter. And the Jeep is giving me all the experiences I could ever ask for.

In terms of investing money now, that could mean buying my "dream jeep" once I retire .

 

[S2k Chris]

For me, one reason I do the little mods that I do are because chances to use the Jeep are relatively few and far between, so modding the Jeep gets me a little of the Jeep excitement/experience. A day wrenching on the Jeep is almost as fun as a day on the trail, and the chances to wrench come far more often. I envy those guys living in places where a cool trail is just an afternoon or a day trip. For me it takes real planning and dedication and this happens a lot less often.

 

[Wheelin Matt]

I’ve spent way too much on my truck, old Jeeps and my old corvette that I’ll never get back. I just bought a Rubicon Xtreme Recon so I only have to modify it a little….. but I’d rather spend my money on this stuff at this point in my life because I already raised two boys and still spend more on them than myself. So when I spend $1500 on tires now I don’t feel bad at all

 

[Equitasforall]

I bought my first Jeep in 2018 as well. White, 2 door Rubicon soft top. Had 41000 miles on it when I sold it this spring and that was after sitting for a year (2019) while I was overseas. I bought the Rubi for 2 main reasons:

1. I’m not one to modify vehicles but rather one that can basically do all I want and more as it sits. Mods, if you could even call them that in a forum like this for my Jeep consisted of wheels that would support 35s at tire replacement (but sold before that was necessary) and Fox 2.0 shocks.

2. I’m a wanderer. An explorer. Often flipping a coin to decide whether to go left or right. Most of the time I explore alone (meaning no other vehicle around with me.) As an explorer you never know what you’ll find or get into along the way. For example, I have no intention of ever doing any serious rock crawling… but may have to someday just to get myself of a jam. The rubicon to me was an insurance policy in that with it I’ll be able to get out of anything I find myself in. I’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

I missed a lot of time with the kids when they were young due to work. The Wrangler is going to be a way to connect with my kids, that's why I don't mind spending money on it. Buy the parts and have them help me put them on. Plus they think Wrangler's look cool, so driving them around is a treat. I scored a quadratec winch for cheap so our parts pile is slowly growing!

Epiphanies like these are fun when they hit though, yes, you're old. Figure out what you want to do with your time/money and do that. I'm not saying blow it wildly on anything, but enjoy it while you're young enough to do so...otherwise die in regret.

 

[calemasters]

It is so easy to start sliding down the rabbit hole. I bought a loaded JLURD and have put in another $10K. But I am done now. I swear.

My wife said something profound like; "I thought you got one with everything on it so you wouldn't have to do anything to it".

 

[RubiSc0tt]

I feel this, but a tad different.
3rd Jeep, second Rubicon, and to borrow analogy from sports teams: This was a refresh, not a rebuild. I knew what I was getting into. I wanted the Rubicon because I knew I would use it, and it's getting a lot harder to get into the couple trusted shops around my area for things I can't do (like axles/ gears). I needed a new vehicle that could haul our growing family every day, and still wheel.
At first, I said the only upgrades I was doing was steel bumpers, skids, and a winch. Between OT, bonuses, and the money I made hawking my TJ stuff, I did that in my first summer. By the time it was set... I didn't have much of a wheeling season left.

I left it stock, went on a few road trips. Drove my kids around for the first 2 years. I took it to Rausch Creek and through the use of skidplates and smart line choices, I was able to hang on some of the harder trails. But there was a lot of skidplate use, close calls, and , a few pulls from my trusty Warn. It was still nerve wracking. So this past March, after saving and planning and doing tons of research all throughout the peak of COVID- I dropped the hammer on 37's, wheels, and a 2.5" Rock Krawler adventure series kit. Did a weekend as a trail guide for ADK Jeep invasion, and a few more trail rides/ road trips. Finally got all my parts installed in July. Took Few more road trips. Went places with my kids and wife on my days off. Finally took it on my first club run. Of course, I found more ways to scrape my skidplates despite the 37's, and everything performing great.

At this point, I've come to the conclusion I'm pretty much done with my Jeep. I need to be. There's some small stuff I would like, but for the most part, in terms of functionality- There really isn't much more for me to add. So, outside of maintenance and repairs, and some small DIY fab projects- Jeep spending is done. It does what I want it to do any more. AT this point, I've designated a line item in my budget as a "sinking fund", similar to entertainment- meaning I'll never see that money again, but it was a good time and it was useful, and I plan on using it for vacations. I prefer road trips, because Fuck flying (not afraid, it's just an expensive pain in the ass).

Point is, I've said it elsewhere: I'm extremely proud of this build. I've done hours of painstaking research and really put time and effort into doing all the work i can myself, including DIY Fabbing solutions people pay hundreds for online.
But as always, the bigger the tires, the bigger obstacles you'll find. Gotta draw the line at some point.

 

[ScottieGfunk]

The costs really do add up. I got a good deal on a Sport S as well and I went from planning on keeping it stock to suddenly having spent $$$. Time to stop and enjoy what it can do. I've been into a lot of outdoor sports over the years and none of them cost nearly as much. But no regrets!

 

[Newbalewb]

Its not all about saving every penny for investing. Hobbies are important for your overall mental health and well being which is a huge part of why I keep Jeeping

 

[entropy]

The costs really do add up. I got a good deal on a Sport S as well and I went from planning on keeping it stock to suddenly having spent $$$. Time to stop and enjoy what it can do. I've been into a lot of outdoor sports over the years and none of them cost nearly as much. But no regrets!

Exactly no regrets!. But you gotta draw the line somewhere, or can get extremely expensive.

 

[entropy]

I see this and I thought about old man emu. I think I am addicted.

 

[hiimmike]

I bought a Rubicon because I thought it would be everything I wanted. I was looking at the Bronco and 4Runner and said if I got the Bronco I would need the Badlands because I want 33s. If I got the 4Runner I'd immediately have to upgrade the wheels to 33s and suspension with a lift. Now, I ordered a '22 Rubi and I'm still wanting a 2" lift and 35s, new bumpers so I can add a winch and a some armor. I told my wife when I ordered, "this vehicle is everything I want stock, I don't plan on doing anything to it." Now I'm planning my lift, wheels, bought a soft top and Tazer that are sitting in my garage and I don't even have the Jeep yet.

I feel pretty confident that 2" lift with 35s and bumpers with a winch will be good enough for me. I'm 100% confident that I do NOT want 37s. This will be a daily driver for me.

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