Perception vs Reality

[Maverick909]

I know someone that does some narly rock crawling that takes his dog every time. Built a five point harness with floor mount so when he rolls the dog stays put in the harness without injury. Really neat system he’s got going for the pup. I plan on dog the same in my Jeep

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[WXman]

I know someone that does some narly rock crawling that takes his dog every time. Built a five point harness with floor mount so when he rolls the dog stays put in the harness without injury. Really neat system he’s got going for the pup. I plan on dog the same in my Jeep

That's a true animal lover right there....to care about your dog more than your multi-thousand dollar rig.

 

[Maverick909]

That's a true animal lover right there....to care about your dog more than your multi-thousand dollar rig.

Yea, I agree. But him and his wife never had kids so the dogs get treated like they’re there kids

 

[Geos7812]

So the wife and i are getting ready to take the plunge on our first Jeep. We are in our 50s and looking to explore our beautiful state (Colorado) and country. We are not looking to get into serious rock crawling, and plan on doing either day or weekend trips within Colorado, or to neighboring states such as Utah, New Mexico, etc.

I have lived long enough to know that there is perception, and then there’s reality. I am trying to marry those two a bit to make sure we go into this with realistic expectations. For starters, we have a small dog (Alvin) and would like to bring him along. This is sort of a big deal. If he has to stay back (bording) it just limits where we can go. So first question, is this weekend adventure dog friendly?

We also don’t know anyone who does this, so we would initially just do short day trips to get our feet wet, then join a jeep or off road club to meet some people and start venturing out more with a group. Is this the best way to do it?

And then there is the whole off road thing. The youtube videos look like fun, but i know anything worth doing will be work. How often should we expect to encounter issues, whether mechanical or otherwise?

On the family front, i see a lot of videos, but not many include women. How female friendly is this adventure?

I am sure i will have a lot more questions, but i wanted to throw out a few and see what you guys think. Thanks for the help!

Rob

Rob: my Jeep is really my wife’s. She is the second female to tell me that the JL is her favorite care ever. Buy it, enjoy it and enjoy Colorado. I will see you out there.

 

[Robmypro]

Rob: my Jeep is really my wife’s. She is the second female to tell me that the JL is her favorite care ever. Buy it, enjoy it and enjoy Colorado. I will see you out there.

Thanks. Yeah, it is the wife's now! She digs it.

 

[Robmypro]

Regarding dogs....we took our boy Alvin out last night for the first time in the Jeep. Had to break hard one time and he took a header into the back of the front seat. Ordered a harness to secure him to the back and make sure he cannot fly forward in the event we crash or brake hard. It was the first mod I ordered for this Jeep! Have to protect the boy.

 

[Robmypro]

BTW, ordered a winch, air compressor and floor mats today. Let the upgrades begin!

 

[GOOFY47]

I lived in Manitou Springs for a year and took the Rampart Range Road out of the Garden of the Gods. Then up Pikes Peak.
Great views and a good basic dirt/gravel road. Look for the rock that is an inverted triangle, it's right along the road as you start your trip.

 

[akmuddy]

So the wife and i are getting ready to take the plunge on our first Jeep. We are in our 50s and looking to explore our beautiful state (Colorado) and country. We are not looking to get into serious rock crawling, and plan on doing either day or weekend trips within Colorado, or to neighboring states such as Utah, New Mexico, etc.

I have lived long enough to know that there is perception, and then there’s reality. I am trying to marry those two a bit to make sure we go into this with realistic expectations. For starters, we have a small dog (Alvin) and would like to bring him along. This is sort of a big deal. If he has to stay back (bording) it just limits where we can go. So first question, is this weekend adventure dog friendly?

We also don’t know anyone who does this, so we would initially just do short day trips to get our feet wet, then join a jeep or off road club to meet some people and start venturing out more with a group. Is this the best way to do it?

And then there is the whole off road thing. The youtube videos look like fun, but i know anything worth doing will be work. How often should we expect to encounter issues, whether mechanical or otherwise?

On the family front, i see a lot of videos, but not many include women. How female friendly is this adventure?

I am sure i will have a lot more questions, but i wanted to throw out a few and see what you guys think. Thanks for the help!

Rob

Rob,

I am glad you posted this thread. You sound a lot like us. I have over 30 years (17 years in Alaska) of off-road (ATV/UTV/Dirt Bike) experience but new to off-roading in the Jeep. Just picked up a 2019 JLUR for the same reason you did. We are in our late 40s and have a small French Bulldog that we don't want to leave in doggie daycare. We also live in Colorado and want to get out and do some mild off-roading to gain access to what Colorado has to offer (off the pavement). Really looking forward to getting out and exploring. I just installed a doggie-hammock seat cover with a doggie seat belt harness. It works pretty good but might look for something with more contact points down the road. Our "Cash" (Instagram: @cashco2018) loves a "jeep ride" but does not get overly excited about the bumpy stuff. I too am looking at local jeep clubs to learn the ins and outs of Jeeping off-road. It's similar but not the same as what I have done before. Mainly, the lack of visibility (compared to ATVs/UTVs) is the biggest thing I have to get comfortable with. My wife loves the jeep as well and from what I have seen there are a lot of ladies on the trail and this adventure seems to be very family friendly. I think we both made a good choice and who knows...our paths may cross out there on the trails. Good luck and enjoy your new obsession! Lol

 

[Robmypro]

It does sound like we are on similar paths atm! We are probably not going to do any serious off-roading either but who knows? We have a great state to explore with these vehicles so we are pretty lucky. Bring the pooch and have at it! Have fun. Small world. Maybe we meet!

 

[Robmypro]

I lived in Manitou Springs for a year and took the Rampart Range Road out of the Garden of the Gods. Then up Pikes Peak.
Great views and a good basic dirt/gravel road. Look for the rock that is an inverted triangle, it's right along the road as you start your trip.

Thanks! Added to my list.

 

[MOPAR Boy]

You may want to consider purchasing a Subaru Forester, especially the new 2019 model year, with its all new Dual X-Mode Drive 2.0.



I have a 2017 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and a new 2019 Subaru Forester. There is nowhere I'd go with my wife and Golden Retriever in my Jeep Wrangler Rubicon that my Forester could not easily navigate. If the 8.7 inches of ground clearance on my stock 2019 Forester is insufficient for the terrain I plan to navigate, guess what? I ain't goin' there! At 50+ years old, reality definitely sinks in, and practicality and realism are at the forefront. Taking a new $60,000 Wrangler Rubicon out into the boondocks and rolling it over onto its roof might have been fun to do with a Jeep beater car when you were 19 years old, but now it's just oh, so passé.

I suggest you consider taking a test drive with the new Subaru Forester at your local Subi dealer, and take your dog with you, and your wife. Check out the famous Subaru TV ads: Subis are the most dog friendly cars on the planet. I own both cars, and sometimes I seriously think about unloading my Jeep, as my Subi is oh, so fun and convenient, and it takes me anywhere we wish to go.

Best of luck to you, Sir!

 

[jayvis]

Practicality and the Wrangler have never mixed well, especially at today's prices. It's become the 4 wheeled version of a Harley Davidson of 20 years ago.

 

[wanderer]

I am 65. I love to go out wheeling. But mostly exploring. The idea that rubicons are just for wheeling is ludicrous. Look at it this way your jeep is a tool box rubicons have more useful tools than sports. But that doesn’t mean s sport is a slouch far. From it. It’s a Jeep. I often go alone for the solitude except for my 2 dogs. Both would rather be with me i the Jeep than anywhere else. They consider it their mission in life to protect me from all those squirrels. My golden gets car sick to boot. Don’t make the mistake of not understanding what you are doing. Learn techniques. Watch videos. Learn how to work on your jeep. There are many many trails to explore. The thing is there will be sections that. Are more difficult there will s washouts and rocks. You won’t be doing Any king of the hammers stuff but you may get to the point where you want to do the rubicon. I did in a box stock 2003 rubicon on a mark smith run. You will be amazed what a basic rubicon can do. If you do go alone s prepared have a winch know how to use it. Have tools and invest in a garmin in reach in the event some goes really wrong. There is nothing quite like cresting a hill and seeing untouched. Vistas. Wild life or ???? Bigfoot as for the Subaro driver. You don’t know what you are missing. It’s a fine machine. But it’s not a Jeep.

 

[kellyc33]

Welcome to Jeepin in Colorado. Like you, my wife and I are over 50, have a JL rubicon, and a dog. We also live west of Denver, which is great for jumping on 285 or I-70 to hit a lot of quality trails. The first step for you, IMHO, would be to make applications to multiple Jeep clubs. Go on some easy to moderate trail runs this spring to find a group you enjoy being around. It’s good to have options on dates and trails to run. Since I let my wife drive the first time, it’s now her Jeep. You are in for a fun time. You can contact me if you want Jeep club references. See you on the trail.

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