BenderRodriguez
Active Member
- First Name
- Bender
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2022
- Threads
- 1
- Messages
- 37
- Reaction score
- 76
- Location
- Boerne, TX
- Vehicle(s)
- 22 JL392, 22 Yukon Denali, 18 F250, 17 Dutch Star
- Build Thread
- Link
- Occupation
- Software Dev
- Thread starter
- #1
Six months ago, I didn’t know you guys even existed…
We’d just bought a motorhome, and wanted to get a jeep to flat-tow while we cruised around America. Walking through the parking lot at the golf course, I saw this beauty:
I saw that decal on the front that said “6.4L V8” - wow! I didn’t know you could get a V8 in a wrangler. So I went home & googled it. After watching a dozen 392 review videos, I knew what Jeep I was going to get. Then I test drove a used one in San Antonio - holy crap - sign me up.
So I immediately tried to order one from a local dealer, but the turn-around was longer than I could wait - we had a trip planned for late June, and I had to get a tow vehicle before then.
I found a dealership in Kentucky that had a couple of 392’s in stock:
Now I LOVE the Sting Gray - would have been my choice, but I’ve been driving a gray truck for the past 4 years, and I was ready for something a little louder.
I had the red one shipped to me, and when it arrived, I ran out and put some 35s on it, then had a flat-tow kit installed - ready to rock & roll, or so I thought.
On that 1st trip, my wife and I took a little off-road trail in Arches National Park. As far as YOU guys go, it was a pretty tame trail - no winch & fully aired tires. But I had a blast! I didn’t know a jeep could go over so much crazy stuff so effortlessly.
When I got back to TX, I went online and started researching stuff I could do to upgrade my jeep, and found this guy:
The jeep in the above video looked like a perfect compromise between a fully bad-ass rock crawler, and something I could still drive 80 on the freeway. So I had them spec it out for me - with a couple of minor changes.
So here's what I ended up ordering - keep in mind that this was back in August. I've since made another trip to Moab - this time just for getting some trail experience.
Exodus 4x4 ordered everything and put me on their schedule for November 16th (this was back in August). But we couldn't wait that long - we had to get some more wheeling in. So we took off back to Moab in late October and did a bunch of trails.
Before we went, I installed a Warn Zeon 10s, a Wouxun KG-1000G, tire deflators, and a decent 12v compressor. Plus, this time we trailered the Jeep - I'm not a fan of not being able to back up - even a little bit.
NOW I understand why you need all this suspension / big tires / skid plates, etc. I must have dragged and clanked every low point on the jeep. I even bent the exhaust pipes! But worse of all, the flat tow bar was constantly getting me hung up. As a consequence, I asked Exodus to also remove the flat tow bar, and "unbend" my tail pipes - coincidentally, I bent them up on "Steel Bender".
A few days ago, I delivered my Jeep to Exodus - you know you picked the right place to build your Jeep when every vehicle in the parking lot is a badass Jeep. It's due to be finished around December 2nd - I'll make sure to post some photos then, or if I make it over there to see it before then.
Now I'm turning into you guys - I can't wait to try out all the new stuff on the Jeep, and I'm already planning round #2! I have 2 more trail trips planned already!
We’d just bought a motorhome, and wanted to get a jeep to flat-tow while we cruised around America. Walking through the parking lot at the golf course, I saw this beauty:
I saw that decal on the front that said “6.4L V8” - wow! I didn’t know you could get a V8 in a wrangler. So I went home & googled it. After watching a dozen 392 review videos, I knew what Jeep I was going to get. Then I test drove a used one in San Antonio - holy crap - sign me up.
So I immediately tried to order one from a local dealer, but the turn-around was longer than I could wait - we had a trip planned for late June, and I had to get a tow vehicle before then.
I found a dealership in Kentucky that had a couple of 392’s in stock:
Now I LOVE the Sting Gray - would have been my choice, but I’ve been driving a gray truck for the past 4 years, and I was ready for something a little louder.
I had the red one shipped to me, and when it arrived, I ran out and put some 35s on it, then had a flat-tow kit installed - ready to rock & roll, or so I thought.
On that 1st trip, my wife and I took a little off-road trail in Arches National Park. As far as YOU guys go, it was a pretty tame trail - no winch & fully aired tires. But I had a blast! I didn’t know a jeep could go over so much crazy stuff so effortlessly.
When I got back to TX, I went online and started researching stuff I could do to upgrade my jeep, and found this guy:
The jeep in the above video looked like a perfect compromise between a fully bad-ass rock crawler, and something I could still drive 80 on the freeway. So I had them spec it out for me - with a couple of minor changes.
So here's what I ended up ordering - keep in mind that this was back in August. I've since made another trip to Moab - this time just for getting some trail experience.
- EVO High Clearance Pro Long Arm w Adjustable Coilovers lift kit (3" to 5")
- AGM sliders
- King Airbumps / Bumpstops
- EVO Front Vented Inner Fenders
- Adams 1350 Front Drive Shaft
- Rock Slide Engineering Step Sliders
- Teraflex Alpha HD Hinged Spare Tire Carrier
- 38" Nitto Trail Grapplers
- Teraflex Olympus Beadlock Off-Road Wheels
- 4.56 Regear
- Next Venture Aluminum Belly Skids with Rear Exhaust Skids and UHMW
Exodus 4x4 ordered everything and put me on their schedule for November 16th (this was back in August). But we couldn't wait that long - we had to get some more wheeling in. So we took off back to Moab in late October and did a bunch of trails.
Before we went, I installed a Warn Zeon 10s, a Wouxun KG-1000G, tire deflators, and a decent 12v compressor. Plus, this time we trailered the Jeep - I'm not a fan of not being able to back up - even a little bit.
NOW I understand why you need all this suspension / big tires / skid plates, etc. I must have dragged and clanked every low point on the jeep. I even bent the exhaust pipes! But worse of all, the flat tow bar was constantly getting me hung up. As a consequence, I asked Exodus to also remove the flat tow bar, and "unbend" my tail pipes - coincidentally, I bent them up on "Steel Bender".
A few days ago, I delivered my Jeep to Exodus - you know you picked the right place to build your Jeep when every vehicle in the parking lot is a badass Jeep. It's due to be finished around December 2nd - I'll make sure to post some photos then, or if I make it over there to see it before then.
Now I'm turning into you guys - I can't wait to try out all the new stuff on the Jeep, and I'm already planning round #2! I have 2 more trail trips planned already!
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