Category Archives: Off Roading

Activities, Adventures, Offroading - General

CA 4WD Association’s Sierra Trek 2015 – August 6-9

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

California Four Wheel Drive Association, Inc. is holding their annual Sierra Trek this August. It’s a great adventure!

Sierra Trek registration closes July 24, so get head over to the website today!

From Cal4Wheel:

The 48th annual Sierra Trek is a Cal4Wheel event which is located in California’s beautiful Tahoe National Forest. This family oriented event is geared toward stock 4x4s on guided historic and slightly challenging tours, toward mildly modified vehicles on the Saturday Outer Limits run and off-road enthusiast on the extremely challenging Fordyce Trail.

Stock vehicles should consider signing up for the Wednesday/Thursday Overnight, the Saturday Historic Run and the Saturday Outer Limits Run.

Moderately modified vehicles will love the beauty and the challenge of the Bear Valley Loop on the Saturday Outer Limits Run.

We welcome the ATV/UTV community for a day run out of Meadow Lake on Saturday morning. Continue reading →

Offroading - General

Marine Corps announces Johnson Valley closure for military training

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

From the Bureau of Land Management:

The Marine Corps recently notified BLM of their plans to utilize the Johnson Valley Shared Use Area for military training from August 1-30, 2016, and of the associated temporary closure. BLM is working with the Marines to address issues associated with this military training/closure, and to keep the public informed.

BACKGROUND: On December 26, 2013 the National Defense Authorization Act of 2014 (NDAA) was signed into law, authorizing the Marine Corps to occupy the Johnson Valley Shared Use Area (SUA) for two 30-day periods annually during which time the area would be closed to the public. See attached Johnson Valley Subregion map.

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Jeep

Q: What is the best year/model of Jeep that a Jeep Wrangler fanatic would recommend?

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

A: Depends on what you want from your Jeep.

The CJ5 is a fantastic vehicle, and it’s ridiculously inexpensive. The best years for that, again, depend on what you want. The 72-75s have a Dana 44 rear and a V8 option. The 76 and newer have a more robust chassis, but a smaller engine bay. The 77-79s had a boxed frame and disc brakes. Finding 76 and newer parts is still fairly easy to do. Earlier ones … well, you’ll do a lot of searching.

The CJ6 is a strange little Jeep. I wouldn’t get one unless you’re a collector. It’s, basically, a long wheelbase CJ5.

The CJ7 was a really robust replacement for the CJ5. I liked the longer doors on mine, and the hardtop & hard doors were useable. Getting a post 1982 one won’t get you the heavy-duty parts that came on the earlier rigs, but you’ll get wider axles, Dana 300 transfer case, and it’s not that difficult to find one that came with a Dana 44 rear end. I’d recommend the straight 6 over the V8; same torque, better MPG (although MPG isn’t the reason you buy a Jeep).

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News, Offroading - General

Name change: California Four Wheel Drive Association

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Just got an email from the California Association of 4WD Clubs, Inc. letting me know that they’re not them anymore. They’re now the “California Four Wheel Drive Association, Inc.” which does roll off the tongue a bit better. From the email:

During the annual meeting in February the association’s delegates approved the bylaw proposal put forth by Steve Egbert to change the name of the association from the California Association of 4WD Clubs, Inc. to the California Four Wheel Drive Association, Inc. A new logo was also approved. The changes will be phased in slowly — we’ll keep you posted on when new decals and other items will be available.

You can visit their website HERE.

You can join the club HERE.

Activities, Jeep

Remembering Mark A. Smith, founder of Jeep Jamboree

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

On June 9, 2014 a legend passed away.  It is fitting that Mark Smith was eulogized on the Jeep.com website, as the man had contributed so much to Jeep culture over the years.

From the Jeep blog:

There are certain types of people who only come around once in a lifetime. They are the kind of people who regularly inspire everyone around them and bring out the best in others. Mark A. Smith, founder of Jeep® Jamboree USA, was one of those once-in-a-lifetime people. Today, we’d like to take a moment to remember Mark, who passed away at the age of 87 on June 9, 2014.

We recently spoke with Pearse Umlauf, Vice President of Jeep Jamboree USA, about his experience working with Mark and some of his favorite memories.

When did you first meet Mark?

I met Mark in 1996 at the second annual Camp Jeep event in Camp Hale, CO. Mark had been asked by Chrysler to build the off-road test track and staff them with experienced guides. Camp Jeep participants had the opportunity to test drive a variety of Jeep brand vehicles over the off-road course. It was a huge success. I remember being told back then that Mark was an off-road icon. He was sitting on the back of a pick-up truck wearing his trademark white cowboy hat next to his one-eyed dog named “Jeep.” Continue reading →