Little Person Drives Lifted 1999 XJ Daily
Join the Jeep Talk Show for a great interview with Caden Teneycke, a Vancouver Island content creator and entrepreneur whose story started with a 1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ. Caden talks about daily driving that high-pinion Dana 30 XJ with its Dana 35 rear, the real challenges and advantages of being a little person at 3’6″ getting in, out, and working on lifted Jeeps and trucks, plus the custom pedal extensions, raised floorboard, and seat setup that make it work. He also covers growing past 2.6 million followers across platforms by focusing on short-form content, family Jeep stories with his dad, and wheeling the crown land and logging roads of Vancouver Island.
Timestamps
Key Highlights
- Caden’s first Jeep, the 1999 XJ with curved intake, high-pinion Dana 30, and the Dana 35 that failed on the way to pick up a girl
- Growing up with a dad who is also a little person, building the XJ together, and using upper-body strength plus leverage for most of the work
- Custom driving setup on the XJ (pedal extensions, raised floor, removable seat) that lets average-height people drive it too, plus why a lifted Jeep can be easier than a small car
- Shifting to short-form content on TikTok and Instagram that built the big audience, and plans to bring the Jeep and long-form videos back to YouTube
- Full-size truck adaptations on the 1989 W150 (rerouted door handle under the fender) and 2016 Ram 3500 (door popper and Ikea towel-rack grab handle)
If you enjoyed this Jeep Talk Show interview with Caden, hit the like button, drop a comment with your best XJ story or how you adapted your own Jeep for height or access, subscribe for more real Jeep talk, and check out the full archive at jeeptalkshow.com.
Support the Show & Shop Jeep Gear Thank you for watching and listening! If you enjoyed the conversation with Caden and Tony, consider checking out some of the great products and upgrades we discussed.
Rough Country 1.25″ Front Seat Riser Kit for 1997-2006 Jeep Wrangler TJ
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Universal Adjustable Gas and Brake Pedal Extenders for Short Drivers
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Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/2″ Mid-Torque Impact Wrench
View on Amazon
Buying through the Jeep Talk Show Amazon storefront helps keep the show going at no extra cost to you. Shop the gear we actually use and talk about at jeeptalkshow.com/amazon.
Episode Transcript
[00:00:00:19 – 00:00:17:14]
Speaker 1
Audio boys and girls. It’s time for another Jeep talk show interview. We’re going to be talking with Caden. Caden is a Vancouver Island based content creator and entrepreneur whose story starts with a 1999 Jeep Cherokee. Caden, do you know that that is the best XJ ever built the 1990.
[00:00:18:19 – 00:00:23:21]
Speaker 2
It really is. Yeah. I daily drove that thing. I mean, still to this day.
[00:00:23:21 – 00:01:07:02]
Speaker 1
So, uh, the, if you, if you guys aren’t big XJ fans, the 1999 had the curved intake, uh, which gave a few horsepower more. And that was because of the, uh, the, uh, the slower, the smaller port heads that they put on there, trying to make it warm up faster to save a, a nickel every 50,000 miles on gas mileage. And it had a high opinion Dana 30. And, uh, if you don’t know the significance between the high opinion or the low opinion, you haven’t been listening to enough of the show here. So we won’t go into that, uh, those details right now, but there was, uh, there was a lot of things that made it a big deal. Uh, and I can’t remember, uh, does yours have a Dana 35 or the original one half a third Dana 35 in the rear?
[00:01:08:14 – 00:01:10:21]
Speaker 2
Uh, it is a Dana 35 in the rear.
[00:01:10:21 – 00:01:12:06]
Speaker 1
Oh, you, you poor
[00:01:12:06 – 00:01:15:13]
Speaker 1
That thing may blow up on you anytime and take out a full city block.
[00:01:16:14 – 00:01:26:15]
Speaker 2
Yeah. I’m a, I’ve already replaced it. I remember I was, uh, driving to town one day to pick up a girl actually, and it was making a weird noise. I was like, Oh, we’re going to get there.
[00:01:27:29 – 00:01:30:00]
Speaker 2
It didn’t get there. I ended up on a tow truck.
[00:01:30:00 – 00:03:50:03]
Speaker 1
Yeah. It’s a shame. It wasn’t a Chrysler eight and a quarter. Uh, then it really would have been a perfect vehicle. But, but if you had, uh, if you had anti-like brakes, you had to have a Dana 35. Yeah. Uh, so anyway, uh, not trying to, uh, that’s trying to bat brag here, but I have a, uh, my first sheep was a Cherokee by 98. Yeah. And it’s still in the garage. I drove it daily for about 23 years before buying the gladiator. And I still love the XJ. I just haven’t driven it. I mean, you know, new is almost always more fun. All right. So that XJ was his first real build late nights, wrenching the trail runs the moment he started filming it all, uh, through, uh, see, I’m going to mess up again. To the cake, to the cake, to the cake, uh, through, uh, to the cake media, to Nick media, uh, he’s grown into an, uh, an audience of more than 2.6 million followers, uh, known for his dead pan story driven take on trucks, truck bikes, and off-road life. A UVIC grad in entrepreneurship and finance. He works out of his shop and lady Smith British British Columbia. Uh, but he’ll tell you it all began with the old Cherokee and a willingness to figure things out the hard way. Now I was looking at something. I think I actually had AI look up some information on you and it said that your dad was also a builder and he was the one that helped you with your builds and stuff. And I said, Oh, that makes sense. And then I was perusing perusing your Instagram and your dad is also a dwarf. So you guys both are short people trying to do things with these full size. I mean, I guess you could say these aren’t full size Jeeps, but with these big rigs, um, I have a hard enough time. I put a four inch lift on my wife’s TJ, not realizing that that tub was going to make it a death trap getting out. If cause you gotta, you have to, you have to pivot to get both legs out. Cause if you try to let one leg out, I’m six foot. And if I let one leg out, that other foot is probably going to get caught on the tub. So I mean, uh, whenever I was looking at doing the interview with you, I was thinking to myself, I can understand how people would be curious about how you got in to a lifted XJ. But I think the danger is getting out.
[00:03:51:14 – 00:04:10:11]
Speaker 2
Yeah, that’s, uh, that’s funny. You mentioned that because even, even with my videos and everything, it was always, Oh, how do you get in it? But, uh, nobody realizes getting out is the big jump. Um, but yeah, my dad, uh, so he’s a little person medically. We’re pretty much exactly the same. Um, and he always had
[00:04:11:11 – 00:04:24:03]
Speaker 2
like lifted TJ’s or whatever. And then he got, um, I remember the biggest vehicle that got me into Jeeps and I was younger as he had a old and it was completely stock, but it was a old LJ
[00:04:25:17 – 00:04:37:00]
Speaker 2
and it was beautiful Rubicon and it, um, it was just such a nice Jeep. And then I remember my mom made them sell at my mom’s average height. So you lost
[00:04:37:00 – 00:04:39:13]
Speaker 1
your mom shortly after that.
[00:04:39:13 – 00:04:44:11]
Speaker 2
Yeah, unfortunately, it was the mom or the Jeep and we still got the Jeep. It
[00:04:45:11 – 00:05:34:13]
Speaker 2
was because of my car seat with the roof off. I was above like the little side lip. So I was just I was rolling out. And so a few regretted moments later, he got rid of that. And ever since then, man, that’s kind of when I fell in love with Jeeps and off-roading and my dad picked up, actually my mom regained some brownie points. She was going through a drive through one day and there was an older guy in a 99 Jeep Cherokee, completely bone stock. And, uh, she flagged him down after the drive through and was like, I want to buy your Jeep. And so that’s the story of how I got my first Jeep. It was my dad’s, um, he left at bone stock, always had, you know, the visions of lifting it and tires and bumpers and whatnot, but never really got around to it. He kind of won the practicality side.
[00:05:34:13 – 00:05:39:04]
Speaker 1
So you’re saying mom’s guilt paid off. Yeah, it did.
[00:05:39:04 – 00:05:50:02]
Speaker 2
You know, it paid off for me. Yeah. I think, uh, I think if he kept that extended TJ, he would have definitely done the build and done it all himself, but it kind of worked out in my favor.
[00:05:50:02 – 00:05:59:17]
Speaker 1
Well, you know, you can still, you can still find LJs out there. We got a couple of people in the Jeep talk show community, uh, that had been building up, uh, LJs and, uh,
[00:05:59:17 – 00:06:02:24]
Speaker 2
beautiful Jeeps and I would love to get one one day.
[00:06:02:24 – 00:06:05:21]
Speaker 1
Yeah. Um, so, um,
[00:06:06:28 – 00:07:08:20]
Speaker 1
I think it is really cool. Uh, that your dad is just like you because I mean, I’m sure, I’m sure we’ve all seen the, the Twilight zone episodes where somebody goes, somebody has some deformity or something. Uh, facial deformity is the one I’m thinking of and they go to this other planet and everybody there has the same facial deformity. And it’s like, you’re just like everybody else. So that’s not the case for you because you’re shorter than most, most everybody here, but at least your dad, you can share that with your dad and see that your dad successful. And, uh, frankly, I don’t know how you work on the vehicles as if it’s, I mean, I have a hard time just getting out there, working on it, uh, being a full-size guy, actually over full size. I didn’t realize until recently that five nine is the average height, uh, for, uh, for men, uh, in North America. So, uh, you know, hats off to you for actually getting out there and doing it. I got to think that your dad, uh, it was the, was the reason for that.
[00:07:08:20 – 00:07:16:13]
Speaker 2
Yeah. You know, it’s, it’s funny. We always tried to do the little things, no pun intended, just so that, you know, if I
[00:07:16:13 – 00:07:17:19]
Speaker 1
was staying away from those jokes,
[00:07:17:19 – 00:07:17:28]
Speaker 1
it.
[00:07:19:04 – 00:07:52:19]
Speaker 2
That’s fair. They’re there for a game for me. Um, but yeah, you know, whenever I got my, uh, strategy, but 15, uh, I got my license at 16. I bought it off my dad and immediately started building it and whatnot. And I was always going to go out in the trails with, with buddies and friends and, and, and such. And so he always, you know, wanted me to, if something went wrong, not be able to, or not have to just kind of sit there and wait for help. Um, so even, even now, like truthfully, my mechanical knowledge is, is very limited because I really quickly found out a
[00:07:54:03 – 00:08:31:09]
Speaker 2
long as I have all the tools and a bit of beer, all my buddies will do it for me. So I was like, yeah, you know, a double edged sword because I want to get up there and do it. And I do as much as I can. Um, but financially and physically the payoff is way exponential. If you just go by 12 back and get somebody to do it for you. Um, but yeah, you know, my dad and I always were out in the Jeep. Um, wiring is something easily that we can do. And it actually sometimes works out in our favor, you know, getting under the console and whatnot is a lot easier and, uh, getting, Oh God.
[00:08:31:09 – 00:08:39:05]
Speaker 1
Yes. I never thought about that. I’m going to be so much easier to get under the, under the console for things. Oh, that’s a blessing.
[00:08:39:05 – 00:08:53:21]
Speaker 2
Yeah. So there is, you know, there is some, some pros to it and things that we can maybe do a bit better than anybody else. But, but yeah, I mean, it’s been a lot of fun being able to learn and the Jeep was everything kind of where everything started for me.
[00:08:53:21 – 00:09:21:19]
Speaker 1
So, uh, I would think that, uh, and I often think about this with women, uh, that they, when they’re working on vehicles, they have to have a really hard time with breaking things loose. Now I know you can put up a cheater pipe and stuff on there or do the double wrench thing, uh, use a torque wrench. Uh, although I don’t think you’re supposed to break things loose with a torque wrench. Um, so there’s ways of getting around it, but there’s a lot of things that, uh, I
[00:09:21:19 – 00:09:37:03]
Speaker 1
about working on my, my vehicles that are a lot easier for me because of my upper body strength, uh, you know, than what women do. So I think it’s great that you, you guys actually do this stuff. You don’t, you don’t take that as a limitation.
[00:09:37:03 – 00:09:42:28]
Speaker 2
Um, yeah, there’s, there’s always a way around it and leverage is our best friend for sure.
[00:09:44:00 – 00:10:02:04]
Speaker 2
Yeah. There’s always a way around it. The, uh, I’m sure my Milwaukee impact is used probably where it shouldn’t be a lot more often than, than not. Um, but yeah, you know, there’s always ways around it. And, um, yeah, I mean, I am very fortunate if there isn’t a way around it. I got a lot of buddies that are always willing to throw in a hand.
[00:10:02:04 – 00:10:14:03]
Speaker 1
So I don’t know if you’ve already done this video or not, but I think, uh, it would be a really, uh, popular video to, uh, show you getting that, uh, main nut off the Dana 30, the big nut that’s on the end of the,
[00:10:15:20 – 00:10:18:05]
Speaker 1
cause that one was a bitch
[00:10:18:05 – 00:10:38:16]
Speaker 1
for me. And I did use a long cheater pipe to get that it, those things, it’s so scary whenever you’re doing something like that, something’s going to come off, something’s going to go flying and I’m going to get hit. I know I’m going to get hit. Uh, but, uh, so, so don’t really do that. I don’t want you to get hurt, but I think that would be a funny video. That would be a good video,
[00:10:40:05 – 00:10:42:15]
Speaker 1
especially if it was pre-loosened. They go, son of a
[00:10:42:15 – 00:10:44:06]
Speaker 1
He got it.
[00:10:44:06 – 00:10:48:14]
Speaker 2
Yeah. Just really easily pull it down. Yeah. I don’t know what everybody’s complaining about.
[00:10:48:14 – 00:11:08:21]
Speaker 1
Yeah. Well, you’ve been, all you guys bitching about, I got, uh, I got a small people power. Um, so, uh, so let me ask you, I was looking at your YouTube video, um, uh, prior to the, uh, the interview today. And, uh, did I see correctly that you haven’t really had any videos on your, your YouTube channel in quite a while? I think a year was the last one.
[00:11:08:21 – 00:12:05:02]
Speaker 2
Yeah. My YouTube has been super dead lately. All, all my fault. I, uh, I’ve been prioritizing more short form content on tick tock and Instagram, um, too, though it’s, it’s where I started. You know, I started social media when I was 11 years old and started making little vlogs and that sort of thing on YouTube. And then when I was in about grade 12, I kind of realized, okay, you know, I’m starting, I got to figure out what I want to do. And so that’s when I started wanting to do social media and stuff kind of more as a career and a more legit thing. And that’s when I started prioritizing more like tick tock, Instagram, uh, YouTube shorts as well. Um, but that being said, I’m working on getting back to the long form style videos and incorporating, you know, more automotive stuff, bring back the Jeep more off roading. Um, and yeah, cause you are, it is, it’s unfortunately kind of been dead like the last year or two.
[00:12:05:02 – 00:12:36:15]
Speaker 1
Well, it’s difficult too. I don’t know that everybody that hasn’t tried doing video. Uh, I mean, I’m just sitting in front of a camera, uh, recording the video for the flagship episodes that we do and the interviews that we do. And even that is difficult. But when you start working on things in the shop, you have to stop and get the camera set up so that you’re catching that. And then sometimes I don’t know about you, but for me, I haven’t done it that often, but I will do something and go,
[00:12:36:15 – 00:12:40:12]
Speaker 1
it. I didn’t get that on video. So now let’s put it back.
[00:12:40:12 – 00:12:41:05]
Speaker 2
Yeah.
[00:12:41:05 – 00:12:42:09]
Speaker 3
Set up the camera.
[00:12:45:27 – 00:12:55:09]
Speaker 1
So it takes a lot longer. And if you’re not enjoying working on your Jeep, yeah, it really makes it worse. It really makes you not really not like it at all.
[00:12:58:09 – 00:13:12:14]
Speaker 2
Yeah, it really does. You know, there is nothing worse than trying to get something or a bolt loose in, let’s say for an example. And it’s like you’re working, working, working, finally get it done. And then realize, oh, you forgot to hit the record button or something like that. It always, always happens.
[00:13:12:14 – 00:13:18:23]
Speaker 1
I’ve done that with interviews before. Unfortunately, not very often. You’re nervous now, but I just looked up, it’s recording.
[00:13:20:12 – 00:13:51:20]
Speaker 1
But I’ve done that with, with interviews before. Uh, recently I completed an interview with recently I completed an interview and then I realized it wasn’t recording. Um, so I noticed, and I just noticed this today when I was checking out your, your stuff. Oh, let me before I get there. Uh, so the, the media aspect, I’m assuming that your, your media has to do with social media and YouTube. Is that what the media portion of, uh, say your last name for me again, cause I’m staying away from it. I’m not going to say it right. And tonight, yeah.
[00:13:51:20 – 00:13:58:09]
Speaker 2
Tonight media is that, yeah, social media is everything to do with that. So all my social platforms.
[00:13:58:09 – 00:14:14:25]
Speaker 1
Okay. So, uh, I noticed today that you were, uh, that you’re around four 15, four 17 K on both the Instagram and I didn’t look at the TikTok, uh, the Instagram and the YouTube. Um, so, uh,
[00:14:16:19 – 00:14:22:11]
Speaker 1
what do you attribute such a high subscriber count to both of those?
[00:14:23:19 – 00:15:03:10]
Speaker 2
You know, I think one of the things that kind of draws people in is also, you know, the visual hook of living life at three and a half feet tall and driving jacked up trucks or jeeps and kind of living lifestyle that I do. I think that in itself is a bit intriguing. Um, but at the end of the day, I’ve always kind of tried to showcase the world in a bit of a unique lens. Um, but, and show, you know, the struggles that I go through every single day, whether it’s medical or just living in a world built for average height people at my stature. Um, but I think at the end of the day, you know, another thing I try to show is like, I’m just cadent, you know, I might be half the size, but I’m different than any other 21 year old.
[00:15:03:10 – 00:16:04:14]
Speaker 1
Yeah. I don’t think, I think that there’s a curiosity there, obviously about how, how you do things. Um, and, uh, I’m sure that curiosity has been there from, from various movies and stuff that we’ve seen. Uh, I mean, I’m, I’m brain farting on the, uh, the one that Spielberg did that had a lot of, uh, short people at it, but obviously, uh, the wizard of eyes. So we have this, uh, this interest and think about, Oh my God, how, how difficult it’s that I mentioned, I put a, a four inch lift on my wife’s TJ and I didn’t realize that cause I’d already done it on the XJ, but I didn’t realize that a four inch lift on a TJ is drastically different than a six inch or six and a half inch lift on an XJ. So, uh, fortunately my five foot two wife is able to get in and out of the TJ. She doesn’t complain about it at all, but she’s five two. So whenever you start doing it and your height is three and a half, is that right? Yeah. Three foot six. Yeah. Three foot six. Um,
[00:16:05:15 – 00:16:12:19]
Speaker 1
do you ever do three, three foot six and a half, you know, kind of like, uh, all us, uh, other people do throw in that half edge,
[00:16:12:19 – 00:16:13:23]
Speaker 2
three
[00:16:14:28 – 00:16:16:09]
Speaker 2
seven or whatever.
[00:16:17:13 – 00:16:22:25]
Speaker 2
Once you’re below, once you’re around, like if you’re starting with three, there’s no say that, you know,
[00:16:22:25 – 00:16:26:11]
Speaker 1
yeah, I know, but I think it’s universal. Everybody wants to be taller.
[00:16:27:12 – 00:16:28:12]
Speaker 1
Oh,
[00:16:29:27 – 00:16:59:20]
Speaker 1
this is a, do you, do you, you probably heard this one before, but asked this before. So I saw Seinfeld where I thought it was just hilarious where they had a well-known short actor fighting with Kramer on there. And he had this big thing about heightening by putting on, uh, lifts and shoes. And he, he was going to be ostracized from his, uh, his group of short people. Is there any truth to that? Is that anything that you, that you just don’t do because this is not right?
[00:17:00:24 – 00:17:23:15]
Speaker 2
Yeah. I mean, I think there’s always, especially within the little people community, the, the question of, you know, what’s exploitive or what’s not exploitive, whether it’s for acting positions. Um, another thing there, you know, there’s controversy, there are like limb lengthening surgeries, um, you know, and shows like that. And that is very controversial within the little people community.
[00:17:25:04 – 00:18:11:03]
Speaker 2
Personally, I haven’t had it, but another thing that’s funny, like my dad had it, um, but it wasn’t for the height aspect of it. It was because it made his limbs straighter, which is another common issue that we have, especially with my condition. Like I’ve had 15 surgeries and my dad’s had more than 30. Um, so his wasn’t for the height. It was the kind of medical benefits from it with his dysplasia and stuff. So like even, you know, procedures are kind of a hot topic. Some people are pro, some people are anti. Um, but yeah, I mean, for me, it’s like, I always try to, especially in social media and whatnot, you know, I’ll portray, you know, my size, my stature, but I’m never gonna dance around in an health costume when it comes to Christmas time. You know what I mean?
[00:18:11:03 – 00:18:21:01]
Speaker 1
Right. Oh yeah. So let me ask you this and you, and you, uh, you let me know if these are too personal. Now you’re, you’re only 21. So maybe you haven’t been to the bar very often, but
[00:18:21:01 – 00:18:29:00]
Speaker 2
do the ladies, I’m lucky because I’m Canadian. So we get in at 19 in my province or 18 once or get over.
[00:18:29:00 – 00:18:34:16]
Speaker 1
All right. So, uh, if you’ve been to a bar, do the ladies buy you drinks? Yeah.
[00:18:34:16 – 00:18:50:09]
Speaker 2
I mean, I think, uh, you know, it’s, uh, it’s not an issue. Um, I think a lot of people would imagine that it would always be an issue. And of course, there are some people that just aren’t interested because of it, but, uh, it’s never been an issue too big for me.
[00:18:50:09 – 00:19:03:29]
Speaker 1
That’s really cool. Cause I’m sure that’s fun. Uh, it’s, it’s like a guys going to the dog park with a cute dog to meet, uh, to meet women, but you’re the, you’re the cute person that they’re, that they get to meet you. So that’s a bit, even better benefit.
[00:19:05:14 – 00:19:18:03]
Speaker 1
All right. So, uh, how do you get out of the XJ? We were kind of starting on that, but, uh, was there, is there a mechanism? You put a, like a Tarzan rope, uh, the little thing that swings out and you, uh, you
[00:19:19:24 – 00:19:47:20]
Speaker 2
know, it’s actually, it’s not too bad. So with my Jeep, I’m just a four inch lift on 32. So it’s not crazy. Um, I could, it’s actually the only vehicle I own that I can reach the door handle. Um, so I don’t have any fancy way to get in, um, to get out very similar. I, uh, you know, rely on my upper body a lot because my lower body is so weak. Um, so I’m able to just put a hand kind of on the arm rest and the bottom of the floor and, you know, kind of lower myself down. Um,
[00:19:47:20 – 00:19:51:07]
Speaker 1
so I built up your strength in your upper body too, because of that.
[00:19:51:07 – 00:20:18:26]
Speaker 2
Yeah, exactly. Um, and you know, it’s funny, like getting into my Jeep is easier and even getting out is easier than a small car. Cause I don’t have to step over anything. I don’t have to like kind of step and lower down. Um, so it’s funny. A lot of people are like, Oh my gosh, you know, you should drive a smart car or something, but it’s like, those are actually harder to get in than the lifted Jeep. Cause you rely more on my legs than, uh, you know, just pulling myself up or down.
[00:20:19:29 – 00:20:52:22]
Speaker 1
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[00:20:52:22 – 00:21:39:09]
Speaker 1
So, uh, yeah. So what did you have to do to the XJ so that you could, um, see over the dash? I mean, um, my wife, uh, the TJ again, five foot two, my wife was having a hard time seeing over the hood. Yeah. And, and then the TJ with the seats that came in the TJ, maybe all of them, it’s not ones that you can raise and lower like, like we can do in the gladiator. So I literally found a lift kit for the Jeep seats. Uh, I think it was rough country and it’s basically like a one inch, two or one and a half inch spacer. So you take the seat out and you put the longer bolts in the spacers. So it raises the seats. So she has the four inch lift for the Jeep suspension and she’s got like a one and a half inch lift for the seats, the front seats.
[00:21:40:13 – 00:21:43:22]
Speaker 2
So, okay. Yeah. That’s, that’s really cool. I didn’t even know they were made.
[00:21:43:22 – 00:22:21:16]
Speaker 1
Oh, I had, it was this wild Google searching that I found it and it was perfect for her. She can see much better now. And this bit I’ve had them for, for years. Uh, in fact, my, uh, my oldest daughter, uh, got a TJ, uh, a 2005 TJ and she, she says, why, why can I, passenger or driving it? Why can I see over moms, uh, see better in mom’s Jeep? And I told her, and she goes, can I get those on mine? So her 2005 has them as well. So what did you do with the XJ so that you could sit up high enough? Uh, I mean, I mean, I’m assuming you’re not using Jedi mind tricks to steer and know where you’re going.
[00:22:21:16 – 00:23:05:17]
Speaker 2
Yeah, not, uh, not yet. We haven’t got those yet. Um, but yeah, so I use a custom seat, um, very similar to like a kid’s car seat. Ours is, you know, fully custom. We build it from the ground up, um, with like 3d printing and whatnot, um, but very similar. So that’s what I use. And then to drive, I have pedal extensions and a raised up floorboard. Um, so it’s a very, you know, seamless way to be able to drive and see over whatnot. And then the nice thing is both my mom and my girlfriend are average height. So we always need to have a system that, you know, can come out if either of them want to get in and drive. Yeah. Um, so our whole, you know, pedals and everything comes out in about five minutes.
[00:23:05:17 – 00:23:14:06]
Speaker 1
So, uh, that’s exactly what my next question was going to be. Can anybody else drive your Jeep? Cause there’s pluses and minuses to that. Uh, no, you can’t drop my Jeep.
[00:23:15:09 – 00:23:17:16]
Speaker 1
Yeah. You literally can’t drop my Jeep.
[00:23:17:16 – 00:23:26:02]
Speaker 2
Yeah. Well, I have a great excuse because nobody knows if they come out or not. So I can just be like, Hey, you can figure out how to get them out. Then, uh, then fly adder.
[00:23:26:02 – 00:23:30:20]
Speaker 1
So does it, uh, does it seat belt strap in like it would a child seat?
[00:23:30:20 – 00:23:43:25]
Speaker 2
Um, so it’s the same, the seat belt, uh, is just same over the shoulder. Um, the seat itself is just like the, the, um, added seat that we have is just strapped down to the bottom of the seat brackets.
[00:23:43:25 – 00:23:56:16]
Speaker 1
Okay. So you don’t, you don’t have any problem with off camper situations or going up a hill or coming down a hill. You don’t feel, uh, uncomfortable. Like you’re going to, uh, the seat’s going to change position at a critical time.
[00:23:56:16 – 00:24:09:08]
Speaker 2
No, not at all. We, uh, especially when we’re going out wheeling or whatever, we have the seat sent straight down to the seat bracket so that it’s not moving. And then, um, the traditional seat belt holds me in place perfectly fine.
[00:24:09:08 – 00:24:17:00]
Speaker 1
Now I would say obviously, but maybe not, uh, this is an automatic, uh, AW4 that you’re using in the, uh, the Cherokee, right?
[00:24:18:06 – 00:24:19:29]
Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah. My Jeep is an automatic.
[00:24:21:00 – 00:24:31:00]
Speaker 2
Um, that said, it’s not impossible for me to drive a standard. It, um, is basically just another brake pedal.
[00:24:31:00 – 00:24:40:22]
Speaker 1
Right. No, that was going to be my next question. If you thought you could handle a, uh, a standard transmission and come to think of it, maybe the TJ is a standard transmission.
[00:24:45:04 – 00:25:10:24]
Speaker 2
Um, the TJ was automatic as well that my dad used to have. Um, however, it’s funny. So he actually, when he got his license, he got a restriction when he was doing his driver’s test that he wasn’t allowed to do any standard vehicles. And then when I did mine, they didn’t put that restriction on. So now I make fun of them as I’m the only one that’s allowed to drive a standard, but I still have it yet. I, uh, I got to get one.
[00:25:10:24 – 00:25:29:05]
Speaker 1
So was there a reason for that or was that just, uh, it’s not racism, but it’s, is it, uh, where they go, well, you just, people making the assumption that you can’t do something and they don’t know, uh, medically or legally, they just make the assumption. Cause I would imagine you run into those assumptions a lot.
[00:25:30:25 – 00:25:59:06]
Speaker 2
Yeah. A lot of assumptions for sure. Um, story for my dad’s limitation was just the, uh, the driving instructor, whatever, um, they, their title is, they just didn’t see like, Oh, how could he have a third pedal? So they just like wrote the, uh, wrote the thing on. Um, but for me, when I did mine, he asked me is like, what would the process be if it was a standard? And I’m just like, Oh, it’s, you know, the exact same as a brake pedal configuration. And so then it was like, Oh, okay. Then you’re fine.
[00:25:59:06 – 00:26:26:01]
Speaker 1
Yeah. No. And it’s a shame that the more people don’t know how to drive a driver standard transmission. Uh, it wasn’t until relatively recently, maybe five years ago, I was interviewing a center point or center force, um, uh, about their, their clutch. And I didn’t know that they made that there was actually a such thing as a heavy duty flywheel, which helps keep stalls from happening. I could have used a heavy duty flywheel when I got my first car and it was a standard.
[00:26:26:01 – 00:26:27:26]
Speaker 3
Yeah.
[00:26:27:26 – 00:27:17:23]
Speaker 1
Yeah. So, uh, yeah. Love, love, love doing this show. I get a lot of information that I just wouldn’t find on my own. I mean, I guess if I was a builder, I would run across this stuff more, but, uh, just doing the show and doing things here and there. Uh, I just don’t run across it. Um, so what was, well, you’re, you, you were, you were doing this stuff with your dad. So you probably didn’t have a lot of concerns about getting in a Jeep and driving it off road, but were there any concerns for, for when you got started? Cause I think sometimes we think our dads are, uh, you can’t measure up to what your dad can do. You know, I see my dad doing it, but that’s my dad. He can do anything. Did you have a, did you have some concerns about getting into a vehicle and driving it, especially off road?
[00:27:18:28 – 00:27:40:21]
Speaker 2
Yeah. I, uh, so I got my Jeep, um, I bought it off my dad when I was 15 and then I think he already had all the pedal extensions and everything so I could drive it right away. And when I got it bone stock completely, and I remember the first time he took me out, it was in the back roads and just like simple logging road trails, you know, nothing crazy at all.
[00:27:41:22 – 00:27:55:00]
Speaker 2
And yeah, I was petrified. I remember like, I saw this little dugout that nothing, nothing to be worried about. And I was like, Oh my gosh, how could I do this? And then, uh, I remember my dad being like, what the
[00:27:55:00 – 00:28:10:08]
Speaker 2
are you like, what are we stopping for? And, uh, I went through it and it was ironic because I ripped the muffler completely off going. And I was at that time I knew nothing about vehicles. I was like, Oh my gosh, I’ve just totaled the Jeep like, sure.
[00:28:11:08 – 00:28:12:00]
Speaker 2
Um,
[00:28:13:07 – 00:30:09:11]
Speaker 2
and then, uh, we had to like, you know, kind of rig it up to, to hold on for the highway drive home. Um, but yeah, I mean, I definitely had, had worries. And then, um, the added worry, unfortunately for me, and it’s kind of a risk that I’ve just accepted, but I have a severe neck instability. So my neck was fused when I was, I think four years old. Um, and then my spine was fused in 2021, 2022. Um, and so I have, you know, spinal cord instability and whatnot. And so if there was an accident, like a rollover or something, it, uh, probably wouldn’t um, so I have like first getting into off-roading, you know, you always have that in the back, back of your mind. And I still do of course, um, you know, have to be a little extra cautious, but that being said, um, I think now like, you know, I get in and I do trails that are just as wicked as my dad’s stories back in the day. Uh, cause yeah, I definitely did have that in the beginning. There was, uh, there was one point and I just got my license and I was like, mom, dad, we’re going wheeling that we’re going to the lakes, which was, uh, you know, it’s probably 20 minutes away from my house. Um, so not too far. And this was after I had it lifted of the 32s on it. So, you know, a bit more capable. And, uh, I had my mom in the back seat and she was just, she was terrified. And again, it was one of those things my dad was driving. It probably wouldn’t have been an issue, but yeah, she was terrified. And we were going up. We didn’t even, we got maybe six feet off the pavement and going through a dugout and she got out. And unfortunately the one downside of your mom being average height and maybe in three and a half feet tall is I’m physically, I’m not winning any battles. So she got out, lifted me out of the driver’s seat, grabbed my dad and lifted my dad in the driver’s seat of my own Jeep. I was like, are you kidding me? Yeah. Um,
[00:30:09:11 – 00:30:13:19]
Speaker 1
that’s the old thing that you saw on Tik TOK emotional damage.
[00:30:13:19 – 00:30:14:28]
Speaker 2
Exactly.
[00:30:14:28 – 00:30:15:25]
Speaker 1
Exactly.
[00:30:15:25 – 00:30:26:10]
Speaker 2
That was, uh, that was brutal for sure. And you know, there was definitely concerns all around the board when I first started, but you know, anything you kind of get with experience.
[00:30:26:10 – 00:30:51:24]
Speaker 1
So, uh, I think you know this, but if you don’t, cause you’re, you’re, you’re just 21, it will not matter when you’re 55 or 60, your mom will always treat you like a child because you are a hard child and you were always be her child. It doesn’t matter if you’re CEO of a most multinational company. In fact, I wonder how Elon, uh, Elon’s mom treats him. Could you imagine? Yes, mom. Yes, mom.
[00:30:53:07 – 00:30:55:24]
Speaker 1
Stay away from that rocket when it’s being launched. Yes, ma’am.
[00:30:57:13 – 00:31:09:14]
Speaker 1
Yeah, exactly. All right. So, uh, you know, I don’t know a lot about Canada and wheeling. Are there some good places or are there some good places nearby you where you can, uh, take the, uh, the exit off road?
[00:31:09:14 – 00:31:54:17]
Speaker 2
Yeah. So we, uh, we barely have any of the actual off-roading parks. Um, we kind of go on crown land, um, or a lot of the logging companies will just leave their gates open. Um, or if there’s always, you know, workarounds. Um, so I, uh, I live on Vancouver Island and I have to say like, it’s, you know, I’ve been to LA, New York, Florida, and you know, traveled around quite a bit and it’s still, you know, my favorite place to this day, for wheeling as well. You know, we’ve got lakes, we’ve got oceans, we’ve got the forest, like good rock crawling. We’ve got a bit of everything. So yeah, you know, it’s a very beautiful area and you can pretty much go from end to end of the island that I’m on, all through back roads and trails.
[00:31:56:21 – 00:32:10:27]
Speaker 1
So I would imagine, not again, not knowing the area, I would imagine that it’s cold a lot of the time. Is there a season for wheeling or do you just say, “Screw it, I’m going off road.” And you just make sure that you keep something warm and a full tank of gas.
[00:32:10:27 – 00:32:31:03]
Speaker 2
Yeah, a lot of those big standlies, a lot of those with hot chocolate and just get in and go. I’m on the West Coast, so kind of the warmer side of Canada. So really, you know, the only time that we take off is the summer for the droughts and fire season. But other than that, we’re going pretty full round of the year.
[00:32:32:20 – 00:33:11:15]
Speaker 1
Very, very cool. You know, I just looked down at the time, I can’t believe that we’ve only been talking for, it seems like about 15 minutes, but it’s not at all. So this is a very interesting story that you have. And I’m sure I’m not the only one interested in it. I mean, especially with a number of subscribers that you have. We got to get you back on the YouTube and making videos. You know, you don’t have to make, build videos and stuff. You could just make videos to go on off road. Set up a camera inside and, oh, have you already done that? Where you have a camera inside and you’re all in the chair and you’re driving off road?
[00:33:11:15 – 00:33:29:06]
Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah, I’ve got like a suction cup mount. So I can put it in the kind of passenger side of the windshield and have it facing me. And then I’ve usually, if I am going out, I’ve got like the Osmo action cameras, kind of like GoPros. I’m just going to mount them all around the Jeep and whatnot whenever I’m going out.
[00:33:29:06 – 00:33:38:05]
Speaker 1
So you’re already doing that. I have to check out some of those YouTube videos. So let’s see, was there anything else that you wanted to mention before we wrap this up?
[00:33:39:10 – 00:33:44:06]
Speaker 2
No, no, I don’t think. I just want to say thank you for having me on the show. It’s been a pleasure.
[00:33:44:06 – 00:33:54:22]
Speaker 1
Oh, I’m glad to have you on the show. There’s, oh, one more question. So it’s not just Cherokees with you. You have a full size truck, Dodge Ram, I think.
[00:33:54:22 – 00:34:11:01]
Speaker 2
I do, yeah. So the Jeep was where everything started. And then I always wanted a truck. So I got my first truck, which is a 89 W150. So first gen Dodge and it’s on a six inch lift with 35. And then I’ve
[00:34:11:01 – 00:34:15:03]
Speaker 1
got- I know you’re not touching the handle on that one. Not a chance.
[00:34:15:03 – 00:34:35:00]
Speaker 2
So what we’ve actually done is we rerouted. The nice thing about the older vehicles is they’re all mechanical. You can tap it wherever. And so we tapped into the door handle cable and rerouted it under my fender liner in the front wheel well. And so now I’ve just got like a lever that I can pull and it pops open the door.
[00:34:35:00 – 00:34:41:12]
Speaker 1
Very nice. I figured you’re gonna say like a remote where it actually pops the door with like a Bluetooth or something.
[00:34:41:12 – 00:34:59:27]
Speaker 2
So on the old truck and then I have a, like a, it’s actually a towel rack from Ikea. I don’t know if you guys have Ikea in the States. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. So it’s a towel rack from Ikea and I use that as a handle. It’s in my door panel at the bottom so I can lift myself up.
[00:35:01:03 – 00:35:11:24]
Speaker 2
And then I also have my new truck, which is a 2016 Ram 3500. And I’ve done all the engine work too and whatever, but it’s on a four inch lift and 35s.
[00:35:12:24 – 00:35:38:12]
Speaker 2
And another issue, new vehicles, there is like fractions of an inch of actual cable in the door handles that you have access to before they go into like the actuators and everything is all right now. And so our original plan out the window, you can’t even tap into it. And so now I have a door popper. So I have the little button on my fog and it pops open my door for me.
[00:35:38:12 – 00:36:59:12]
Speaker 1
Yeah, there’s always a way you just, and that’s kind of the fun too. If it was the same solution for every problem, it wouldn’t be as interesting. It would be less frustrating, but it wouldn’t be as, it would be less frustrating. All right, so that’s really cool. I really, my first four wheel drive wasn’t the Jeep. It was a brand new 1983 Chevrolet short wheelbase fleet side truck. And yeah, and I put a four inch lift and those relief springs front and rear for that year. And a lot of people during that time were doing six inch lifts. I didn’t like all the space between the large tires and the rest of the truck. I mean, that’s what you do to go off road. I didn’t like to look at it. I was new. I was actually about your age when I was doing this. So I put 37 inch tires with a four inch lift and to leave the tire place, I actually had to cut a little bit of the fender out of the front so I could actually turn the tires. Straight was no problem. Yeah, that’s always the issue is when you hit a corner, right? Yeah, but I remember getting, I loved that truck, but I remember getting out in and out of it, the bottom of the door, right where the door hit the body of the truck hit me about mid thigh.
[00:37:00:13 – 00:37:36:08]
Speaker 1
And it was only a four inch lift. So I would have to grab the steering wheel and pull myself in there. 21, no problem. Now I’d still be able to do it, but now it would be a lot more difficult. It was so much fun driving that truck around up so high and it wasn’t even as high as I could have gone. So I can well imagine that getting in that full size truck is just like, this is so great. I mean, I’ve literally had dreams where I’m driving around in a lifted full size truck. It’s so cool. I mean, they make these jokes about the size of your
[00:37:36:08 – 00:37:56:21]
Speaker 1
and stuff. Screw you. Drive a full size truck that’s lifted just four inches and see what kind of fun you’re missing. I mean, just pulling into the drive through it, McDonald’s or something was fun because people, they’d be looking at me and say, how do you get in there? And I can well imagine if you pull up there that they really don’t understand how you got in there.
[00:37:56:21 – 00:38:15:21]
Speaker 2
Yeah, the best part. So on my new truck, I’ve got a 5% $10 round so you can’t even see me. And so, but I’ve got the disability placards. So I can always park right in the front and center. And yeah, you always get the people that don’t see me when I come to park and they’re always coming to say, oh, what an
[00:38:15:21 – 00:38:16:16]
Speaker 2
for parking.
[00:38:16:16 – 00:38:17:07]
Speaker 3
Exactly.
[00:38:17:07 – 00:38:18:00]
Speaker 2
And
[00:38:18:00 – 00:38:21:13]
Speaker 2
then I sleep open the door and you can just see them like, huh?
[00:38:21:13 – 00:38:23:29]
Speaker 1
Oh, their whole attitude now changes.
[00:38:23:29 – 00:38:47:05]
Speaker 2
Yeah, everything completely. So yeah, it’s definitely a cool thing and it gets a lot of attention, whether it’s on the road or parking or drive-throughs as well. Now with social media, like it’s on a whole nother level. I can’t go anywhere without getting 10 people honking at me on the way there and pictures when I’m there. It has been so much fun.
[00:38:47:05 – 00:39:00:01]
Speaker 1
So I don’t know how you are, but I don’t like people being nice to me. And I would imagine that you get a lot of people being nice to you because of your stature. I’m hoping that your friends that know you real well will give you
[00:39:00:01 – 00:39:01:00]
Speaker 1
all the time.
[00:39:01:00 – 00:39:06:21]
Speaker 2
Oh yeah, yeah. I never lacked in that department. You know, I
[00:39:07:28 – 00:39:21:18]
Speaker 2
have to say, like even growing up and whatnot, you know, my size was always something for somebody new or whatnot, but the second it was like an hour into knowing me, then the short jokes are coming and we’re down to just as good as anybody else.
[00:39:21:18 – 00:39:24:06]
Speaker 1
I wouldn’t have it any other way. And I bet you wouldn’t.
[00:39:24:06 – 00:39:30:05]
Speaker 2
Oh no, never. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. And you know, my buddies have been awesome my whole life.
[00:39:30:05 – 00:39:41:22]
Speaker 1
All right, so you know how the kids love the social media. No offense to you. I mean, you’re 21, you’re an adult. The kids love the social media. Where can people find you online?
[00:39:41:22 – 00:39:50:09]
Speaker 2
Yeah, if you search up Kabin to make that’s C-A-D-E-N-T-E-N-E-Y-C-K-E, pretty much on any platform, you’ll find me.
[00:39:51:16 – 00:39:55:13]
Speaker 1
And you’ve made a promise to our audience. You’re gonna start making YouTube videos, right?
[00:39:55:13 – 00:40:03:15]
Speaker 2
I have, yeah. I got my camera right there. I’m actually in the process of filming one right now. So hopefully we can wrap right away. Perfect.
[00:40:03:15 – 00:40:14:23]
Speaker 1
All right, man, thank you so much for being here. I feel like we’ve only touched the surface of your story. And we’d love to have you back on in the future if you feel like doing it again. So.
[00:40:14:23 – 00:40:18:16]
Speaker 2
For sure, no, anytime. Thank you for having me on. It’s been a blast.
[00:40:18:16 – 00:40:19:08]
Speaker 1
Great,
[00:40:21:02 – 00:40:23:15]
Speaker 4
You’re my friend, you’re my new friend. Hehe.
[00:40:23:15 – 00:41:09:26]
Speaker 1
XJTalk.com LLC and the Jeep Talk Show podcast is attended for entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the hosts, guests and contributors are their own and do not represent professional advice, endorsements or recommendations. We strongly advise consulting a licensed or certified mechanic or automotive professional for any repairs, modifications or maintenance to your vehicle. By listening to or using any information provided on this show, you assume full responsibility for your actions and any resulting consequences, including potential risks to safety, property or legal compliance. The Jeep Talk Show and its affiliates disclaim all liability for any damages or losses arising from the application of this content.
