2024 Jeep Jamboree Trip Experience & Photos - August 2-4

[Craigger]

Hey all,

Got back from the Rubicon/Jeep Jamboree late last night and it was an awesome trip. The trail definitely lived up to its reputation as being a highly sustained trail. The folks at the Jeepers Jamboree made everyone feel welcome and the president of the organization, Bob Sweeney was out on the trail and chatting it up at dinner. You can tell how much he loves the Rubicon and wheeling.

Metalcloak reps were at the gatekeeper handing out swag. Got a couple of hats and a t-shirt. It probably helped that I had enough Metalcloak gear on my Jeep to fund a semester of college .

The good:

• All the staff were super-friendly and worked very hard to make it a first-class experience.
• The spotters are terrific, they know what lines to take on each obstacle.
• The food on day 2 was great
• Ice cream on the Rubicon!
• Floating on the river was so relaxing
• Perfect weather
• Overall, the best camping experience I’ve had with my kids

Things to consider:

• The spotters need to get literally hundreds of jeeps through the trail so they will get you through quickly and efficiently. Therefore, this is *not* the place to try different lines, figure things out on your own, take multiple tries. For example, when I asked one of the spotters “What’s my line?”, they simply responded “Trust your spotter”. Yeah, I get that – I’d just like to know what I’m aiming for and not just be a wheel-turning robot.
• You won’t be doing any of the optional ‘hard’ lines. They won’t make you take the bypasses, but (for example) I was hoping to try the “Soup Bowl” obstacle. That was blocked off by yellow tape. Once again, they are trying to get you through quickly.
• There are photo ops, but on some of the major obstacles you won’t be getting out to take a lot of photos. There are just too many people lined up – I’d feel like I was getting in peoples’ way.
• The recommendations of 35” tires, 3.5” lift, lockers are overblown. Once again, they want to see people get through quickly. I had a very novice driver in a stock Xtreme Recon in front of me. Sure, he scraped his belly and banged his rear bumper more than I did (also did the Austin Powers turn around some of the sharp bends) but he made it with no real drama.

Overall, I want to return with a smaller group so I can try the stupid lines that I tend to pick. This is where I tend to gain the most experience. I liken the Jeep Jamboree (and Jeepers Jamboree) experience to hiring an expedition guide to climb Everest. It can certainly be a challenge, but it takes much of the experience needed to tackle a route like that out of the equation. For what it was, this trip was great – an incredible rock-crawling-themed camping trip with my girls on one of the most iconic trails in America.

On another note, I saw a guy in a stock 4runner – must have just come off the showroom floor. I think about a dozen people told him to turn around. He ended up damaging his bumper a bit before he even got to the gatekeeper. Kudos to him for making the wise decision to turn around at that point but I’ve got to wonder what made him sign up in the first place.

Anyway, here are some photos I snapped along the way:

At the entrance

The large slabs were surreal

That's Bob in front of me in the yellow jeep (Jeepers Jamboree president)

Entering Rubicon Springs

At Observation Point

Also some from my phone:

Our campsite

Lazy day on the river

Mealtime

One seriously built Suzuki

Sponsored

 

[Maverick909]

looks like a blast to me. bummed i missed this years. I am already planning to go next year. figured it worth checking out once before trying it with a small group without support

 

[Craigger]

looks like a blast to me. bummed i missed this years. I am already planning to go next year. figured it worth checking out once before trying it with a small group without support

It was a great trip for sure. Your rig will make it no problem. I did appreciate the spotters - some of the lines were not obvious from the drivers' seat.

 

[grimmjeeper]

I just finished that trip too. Myself (red 4 dr) and a couple of friends (blue 4 dr and built up copper colored TJ) came out for the trip.

I think I remember seeing you and your kids probably standing in line for a meal or something like that.

Definitely a fun trip and I agree a lot with your assessment of the run.

 

[Craigger]

I just finished that trip too. Myself (red 4 dr) and a couple of friends (blue 4 dr and built up copper colored TJ) came out for the trip.

I think I remember seeing you and your kids probably standing in line for a meal or something like that.

Definitely a fun trip and I agree a lot with your assessment of the run.

If who you saw was at the front of the food line, that was definitely us

The copper TJ stands out in my mind - I'm sure I saw that rig when I was walking around camp.

 

[ColonelSanders]

I was out there in a blue 4xe with 2.5” and 35s. I certainly did a lot of scraping on the sliders and belly armor, but no damage. I don’t think I’d personally do it again without 37s and diff sliders/armor.

Everyone was pretty cool and friendly, with some random drunken shenanigans, definitely not politically correct. There was lots of drinking while wheeling which I found surprising. 3 medical evacs by helicopter I think, so consider that helicopter insurance some lady is selling by the check in!

Other advise for those that go next year.. line up at the trailhead early or be prepared to wait 30+ minutes at several obstacles and hit camp near dark to find you will be camping far from meals. Line up for meals early or the line might take an hour +. Bring ear plugs in case you camp between 2 groups with conflicting music tastes.

 

[Go1712]

Hey all,

Got back from the Rubicon/Jeep Jamboree late last night and it was an awesome trip. The trail definitely lived up to its reputation as being a highly sustained trail. The folks at the Jeepers Jamboree made everyone feel welcome and the president of the organization, Bob Sweeney was out on the trail and chatting it up at dinner. You can tell how much he loves the Rubicon and wheeling.

Metalcloak reps were at the gatekeeper handing out swag. Got a couple of hats and a t-shirt. It probably helped that I had enough Metalcloak gear on my Jeep to fund a semester of college .

The good:

• All the staff were super-friendly and worked very hard to make it a first-class experience.
• The spotters are terrific, they know what lines to take on each obstacle.
• The food on day 2 was great
• Ice cream on the Rubicon!
• Floating on the river was so relaxing
• Perfect weather
• Overall, the best camping experience I’ve had with my kids

Things to consider:

• The spotters need to get literally hundreds of jeeps through the trail so they will get you through quickly and efficiently. Therefore, this is *not* the place to try different lines, figure things out on your own, take multiple tries. For example, when I asked one of the spotters “What’s my line?”, they simply responded “Trust your spotter”. Yeah, I get that – I’d just like to know what I’m aiming for and not just be a wheel-turning robot.
• You won’t be doing any of the optional ‘hard’ lines. They won’t make you take the bypasses, but (for example) I was hoping to try the “Soup Bowl” obstacle. That was blocked off by yellow tape. Once again, they are trying to get you through quickly.
• There are photo ops, but on some of the major obstacles you won’t be getting out to take a lot of photos. There are just too many people lined up – I’d feel like I was getting in peoples’ way.
• The recommendations of 35” tires, 3.5” lift, lockers are overblown. Once again, they want to see people get through quickly. I had a very novice driver in a stock Xtreme Recon in front of me. Sure, he scraped his belly and banged his rear bumper more than I did (also did the Austin Powers turn around some of the sharp bends) but he made it with no real drama.

Overall, I want to return with a smaller group so I can try the stupid lines that I tend to pick. This is where I tend to gain the most experience. I liken the Jeep Jamboree (and Jeepers Jamboree) experience to hiring an expedition guide to climb Everest. It can certainly be a challenge, but it takes much of the experience needed to tackle a route like that out of the equation. For what it was, this trip was great – an incredible rock-crawling-themed camping trip with my girls on one of the most iconic trails in America.

On another note, I saw a guy in a stock 4runner – must have just come off the showroom floor. I think about a dozen people told him to turn around. He ended up damaging his bumper a bit before he even got to the gatekeeper. Kudos to him for making the wise decision to turn around at that point but I’ve got to wonder what made him sign up in the first place.

Anyway, here are some photos I snapped along the way:

At the entrance

The large slabs were surreal

That's Bob in front of me in the yellow jeep (Jeepers Jamboree president)

Entering Rubicon Springs

At Observation Point

Also some from my phone:

Our campsite

Lazy day on the river

Mealtime

One seriously built Suzuki

Love it. I just finished my rubicon earlier today. Pictures coming soon. As yours cons state. We had the chance to pic our lines. Stopped take pictures and enjoyed the trip as a party of 4. Will be going back next year again.
I had zero issues on 35”s and no lockers.

 

[grimmjeeper]

I was out there in a blue 4xe with 2.5” and 35s. I certainly did a lot of scraping on the sliders and belly armor, but no damage. I don’t think I’d personally do it again without 37s and diff sliders/armor.

Everyone was pretty cool and friendly, with some random drunken shenanigans, definitely not politically correct. There was lots of drinking while wheeling which I found surprising. 3 medical evacs by helicopter I think, so consider that helicopter insurance some lady is selling by the check in!

Other advise for those that go next year.. line up at the trailhead early or be prepared to wait 30+ minutes at several obstacles and hit camp near dark to find you will be camping far from meals. Line up for meals early or the line might take an hour +. Bring ear plugs in case you camp between 2 groups with conflicting music tastes.

Yeah, with 37s and a 2.5 lift I was still hitting skid plates here and there. Glad my Jeep is fully armored.

 

[Craigger]

Love it. I just finished my rubicon earlier today. Pictures coming soon. As yours cons state. We had the chance to pic our lines. Stopped take pictures and enjoyed the trip as a party of 4. Will be going back next year again.
I had zero issues on 35”s and no lockers.

Looking forward to seeing the photos!

 

[Craigger]

Yeah, with 37s and a 2.5 lift I was still hitting skid plates here and there. Glad my Jeep is fully armored.

Yes, that's the next thing I need to do. I have the stock skids and added an oil pan skid. They do surprisingly well for protection but I've definitely taken them to the limit as they look like crumpled foil at this point.

What skids do you have?

 

[Remorseless]

The recommendations of 35” tires, 3.5” lift, lockers are overblown.

So, have not run the trail myself, but have sent hours and hours researching in prep for a run sometime in the next couple years (NC to CA is a helluva long ways and juggling kiddo and work, so it always seems like it's further away than I want...), and this is something that caught my attention - this is basically the assessment I'd made based on what I'd seen and what I'd read. Most folks don't tend to come to this conclusion, so I'm curious where you landed on for what you'd consider the minimum equipment required.

 

[Zandcwhite]

So, have not run the trail myself, but have sent hours and hours researching in prep for a run sometime in the next couple years (NC to CA is a helluva long ways and juggling kiddo and work, so it always seems like it's further away than I want...), and this is something that caught my attention - this is basically the assessment I'd made based on what I'd seen and what I'd read. Most folks don't tend to come to this conclusion, so I'm curious where you landed on for what you'd consider the minimum equipment required.

Being local we've run the trail in at least a half dozen rigs over the years. A WJ with 4" of lift and 31s being the least built. It can be done but was a bunch of work. Jacking, stacking rocks, winching, etc. Add in all the hard impacts on sliders, skids, etc and it just wasn't fun. Most built was our 2019 JLUR on 38s. Not only did we not need the lockers at all, we never even got out to spot. Just drove the trail. Granted there's dozens of trips and 5 decades of experience wheeling between the wife and I. A 2dr I'd have no problem running the trail with 2" of lift and 35s (did so in a JK sport many times with no issues). For a 4 door I'd want at least 37s, not because you couldn't make it on 35s but because I don't find the hard impacts on sliders and skids/frame relaxing and the sound of grinding metal on rocks is like nails on a chalk board. A JL does not need lockers to run the trail. If you want to play around on soup bowl, little sluice, or old sluice then you'll want them but all of those are optional obstacles. We wheel alone often so a winch is mandatory, but a tug from a buddy works just the same.

 

[Remorseless]

Being local we've run the trail in at least a half dozen rigs over the years. A WJ with 4" of lift and 31s being the least built. It can be done but was a bunch of work. Jacking, stacking rocks, winching, etc. Add in all the hard impacts on sliders, skids, etc and it just wasn't fun. Most built was our 2019 JLUR on 38s. Not only did we not need the lockers at all, we never even got out to spot. Just drove the trail. Granted there's dozens of trips and 5 decades of experience wheeling between the wife and I. A 2dr I'd have no problem running the trail with 2" of lift and 35s (did so in a JK sport many times with no issues). For a 4 door I'd want at least 37s, not because you couldn't make it on 35s but because I don't find the hard impacts on sliders and skids/frame relaxing and the sound of grinding metal on rocks is like nails on a chalk board. A JL does not need lockers to run the trail. If you want to play around on soup bowl, little sluice, or old sluice then you'll want them but all of those are optional obstacles. We wheel alone often so a winch is mandatory, but a tug from a buddy works just the same.

That's similar to what I'd figured for a decently modified JL, which to be honest I'm not worried about my JL, but really others we'd be going with whenever we can schedule it. The GenPop mentality just seems to be 37s+ and locked D44s+ only, which I estimate to be hogwash, and it bothers me when GenPop type folks tell people they can't do things when, IMO, they could, it would just be harder work.

 

[Craigger]

That's similar to what I'd figured for a decently modified JL, which to be honest I'm not worried about my JL, but really others we'd be going with whenever we can schedule it. The GenPop mentality just seems to be 37s+ and locked D44s+ only, which I estimate to be hogwash, and it bothers me when GenPop type folks tell people they can't do things when, IMO, they could, it would just be harder work.

Yeah, as I mentioned I saw a stock Xtreme Recon in front of me. That's 35" and 1.5" lift. He was scraping his belly but nothing it couldn't handle. I didn't use my lockers on this trip and I didn't have issues - even with my all-terrains. I'm convinced that they list high-bar minimum requirements so the rigs will get through quickly and easily as they're trying to get everyone through the trail without stopping.

 

[Zandcwhite]

That's similar to what I'd figured for a decently modified JL, which to be honest I'm not worried about my JL, but really others we'd be going with whenever we can schedule it. The GenPop mentality just seems to be 37s+ and locked D44s+ only, which I estimate to be hogwash, and it bothers me when GenPop type folks tell people they can't do things when, IMO, they could, it would just be harder work.

I'm at the point in my life that I want an over built rig. Do I need 39s and full skids to run John Bull, Holcomb creek, or cliffhanger? Not at all, but just like the seat heaters it sure is nice to run hard trails comfortably. We did the beater/ under built rigs for years. The work involved to get them through the hard trails coupled with the major trail repairs got old. Wheeling trips feel much more like vacations than work now and I wouldn't go back. Just remember, the less built it is the more work will be involved and the more likely they'll suffer damage and/or need trail repairs. If you're prepared for all that I'd have no problem bringing a stock height JLUR or a sport on 33s through.

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