Episode 425 – Selling your Jeep is Bad Mojo!
This Week In Jeep:
Big Congrats To GenRight!
GenRight Off Road today announced that their race vehicle “The Terremoto” (which is Italian for “Earthquake”) has officially been recognized as the first-EVER first full-bodied, street-legal 4-door Jeep Wrangler to finished the 4400 Unlimited Class at the world’s toughest single-day off-road race, the 2020 Nitto King of the Hammers powered by Optima Batteries. The race, which takes place on some of the most brutal terrain in Johnson Valley, CA, consists of three different laps: Lap 1 was 77 miles of desert racing, Lap 2 was 67 miles of desert racing and 11 rock-crawling trails, and Lap 3 was 69 miles of desert racing and 13 rock crawling trails. 105 Top drivers from around the world came to race each other and compete for the title of 2020 King of the Hammers. You wanna know how tough this race really is? In the 12-year history of this race, less than 1/3 of the participants actually even finish. Yea, it’s like that. GenRight almost wasn’t able to participate in this event. With the build wrapping up last minute, the GenRight Team got the Jeep officially entered just eight weeks prior to the scheduled start of the week-long event. The Terremoto is built from all off-the-shelf parts that either GenRight or its partners manufacture, and any Jeep Wrangler owner can buy right now, today.
And yes that means even guys like you and me. So if you wanted to, you could literally turn your JKU into a KOH competition ready race vehicle, using all off the shelf parts. That will change the face of off road competition, you mark my words. Now, in this particular race, teams are given just 14-hours to complete all three torturous laps. Owner and Driver Tony Pellegrino and his co-driver Nick Repanich of Chico, California, started 86th and battled their way through the rough desert terrain and rock-crawling trails to finish 32nd out of a total of 145 vehicles that completed the race. The GenRight Off Road-built Jeep Wrangler finished 2.5 hours before the end of the race was called. That alone is what has gained them the title of “first-ever.” But the bragging rights don’t stop there. GenRight’s Jeep also finished ahead of 73 purpose-built 4400 Unlimited Class race cars. (Na-NaNa-Boo-Boo.) I think this finishes any debate about whether or not Jeep is king of the offroad. So let’s get into the good stuff for all the gear heads out there. The 2014 JKU was equipped with GenRight Off Road aluminum bumpers, fenders and rocker guards. And despite the miles of rocks and desert this Jeep faced, the Terremoto’s armor sustained little damage, with the exception of the rocker guards from a trail called Hell to Pay on the final lap. I guess what they say is true… “ya gotta pay to play.” GenRight Off Road designed and built an all new kit to make a Jeep Wrangler JKU pass the scrutiny of the King Of the Hammers tech inspection, which included additional tubing to the 2” diameter GenRight Off Road Roll Cage, a bladdered fuel cell, and catch cans for fluids in the event of a roll-over. GenRight’s Elite Suspension featuring FOX Shox and Currie Enterprises Axles allowed the suspension to work flawlessly even at speeds of 105 mph across Emerson Dry Lakebed. And when it came time to slow things down and navigate through the insane rock trails such as Bender Alley, Wrecking Ball, Outer Limits, and Chocolate Thunder, the Jeep did what Jeeps do best, and crawled better than most. The entire build list of this Off The Shelf Race Jeep (which I warn you is like reading Jeep porn, and the gallery of high def pics aint bad either) can be found on Genright’s website. We’ll of course have the link in the description of this episode at Jeeptalkshow.com.
https://genright.com/terremoto-jeep-jk/
Maybe A Lesson In How NOT To Sell Your Jeep
The owner of the vehicle had parked his 2001 Jeep Wrangler in the parking lot because he was trying to sell it. Something I personally see almost every day. Would be private sellers trying to get as much attention to their vehicle for sale by parking it near an arterial road in a large parking lot. Heck, maybe even you’ve done this yourself to sell a rig before. Maybe not ever again after hearing what happened next.
The owner, who checked on the vehicle Monday evening, checked on it again as he was driving by Tuesday because he apparently felt something might be wrong with it.
As he pulled into the parking lot, the owner of the Jeep noticed someone had cut a hole in the back plastic window, and as he approached, he allegedly saw someone sleeping inside of it. Police were dispatched to a call of a possible vehicle theft in progress at the parking lot of Lewiston’s now-shuttered K-Mart. Upon arriving, officers opened the door of the Jeep, and 21 year old Tyrin Taylor was woken up and placed in handcuffs. During a subsequent search of Taylor, police allegedly found rings and other jewelry in his pocket, as well as a baggy of powder that later tested positive for methamphetamine. The owner of the Jeep told police that the CB radio and an amplifier were missing from the vehicle and there was a duffel bag on the front seat that did not belong to the vehicle owner. In the duffel bag, police allegedly found clothing and keys that belonged to the vehicle owner. Police then contacted a burglary victim whose old coins and jewelry had been taken. The burglary victim identified a debit card that was also allegedly found in the duffel bag that belonged to her deceased husband.
The man who vandalized and broke into the Jeep is charged with burglary, criminal possession of a financial transaction card and possession of methamphetamine, all felonies. Taylor was also charged with three misdemeanors: unlawful entry, providing false information to police and malicious injury to property. Nez Perce Magistrate Judge Michelle Evans set bond at $35,000 because of Taylor having three prior felony convictions in Washington in October, including bail jumping. At least for now a criminal like this is off the streets. Hopefully the justice system can make an example of this individual and get them the help they need. And hopefully this will give you something to consider as you make the leap to sell one Jeep to get another.
I mean at the end of the day, that is the ONLY allowable reason to sell a jeep isn’t it?
Wrangler Talk:
Throttle Controllers, and what they actually do.
Hello JTS listener and on this week’s wrangler talk I am going to be talking about a very common question that I get whenever someone gets into my jeep Big Red. That question is what is that little white and silver box on your center console. Well everyone that is where I mounted the controller box for my throttle controller. Then that proms another question, well what is a throttle controller? A throttle controller is a small little computer that sits between your pedal and your throttle body. In our newer Fancy jeeps, we have a drive by wire throttle pedal set up meaning that the throttle of our jeep is electronically controlled. However, since the throttle’s position is electronically controlled we can change the signal that is being sent from the pedal to the throttle body. This is done by the function of a throttle controller. A throttle controller can also be called throttle response controller which will help eliminate delays in your electronic accelerator pedal, this is done by having different throttle curves preloaded on a device that can be used when a given signal from the pedal can be modified based on the selected throttle curve giving a sharper response or more relaxed based upon the selected mode. So on my throttle controller I have 5 different modes, and they are ultimate, sport/towing, cruising, Eco, and automatic, which constantly switches between the previous 4 modes. So in each of the modes the throttle curve is different for example in the ultimate mode the throttle curve is much steeper meaning that your throttle body will open to a high percentage with less input from the input signal from the pedal, in the long run just giving you a harder acceleration with less action of the pedal. However it is the opposite for the Eco mode where the throttle body is more gradual to open and takes more movement in the pedal to open the throttle body. Then there is the automatic mode which switches between all the throttle position curves based on the current driving you are doing. Needless to say I don’t use the automatic mode much. So How do I like it. I absolutely love it, it is like diving a completely different vehicle whenever I turn it off and I don’t like it. It makes it so much more fun to drive giving you a bit more control over how your jeep handles. I personally always keep it in cruise mode based on the driving I am doing although if I am in the mood to get a little more out of the jeep I will put it into ultimate mode which gives a more wide open throttle much faster giving you a bit of a harder acceleration. Then I mostly use the eco mode when I am wheeling because it gives me a smoother control over the pedal when I am bouncing around which prevents wheel spin and other problems. I personally use the Hikeit X9 throttle controller and love it however there are plenty of other throttle controllers out on the market too. Thank you for listening to this week’s wrangler talk and remember if you have questions or comments head over to jeeptalkshow.com/contact and send us an email or leave us a voice mail and we would be happy to help you with any question you may have. Thank you and talk to you next week on the wrangler talk.
Radio Comm Tech:
This is Jon and so far on Radio Comm Tech we have covered CB and GMRS/FRS, today we are going to talk about a couple lesser known options. MURS, or Multi-Use Radio Service, are handheld radios that operate up to 2 watts on 5 channels in the 151 and 154 MHz frequencies and no license is required. You are allowed to use external antennas with MURS radios so they can be set up to use while mobile. The most common manufacturer of MURS radios seem to be BaofengTech, Motorola, Tera, and Dakota Alert. Some external antennas to consider would be the Laird QWB152, Firestik also has a MURS antenna surprisingly, and the Comet CA-2x4SR ham radio antenna seems to be widebanded enough to have a reasonable SWR on the MURS frequencies. Some businesses may also use MURS frequencies so if you are using it in a metro area you may have moments of brief interference. And for your listening pleasure, Walmart often uses MURS channel 5.
PLMRS, or Private Land Mobile Radio Service also commonly referred to as Business band with the most common operations on 30-50MHz, 150-174MHz, and 450-470MHz. A license is required though there isn’t a test the license can cost about $260, it is good for 10 years, and covers your group/entity/organization. Power output can vary from a 1 watt to hundreds of watts depending on your need and what you are granted by the FCC. The frequency range is not open for your use, you would be assigned a frequency or a number of frequencies to use. The license does also not cover you anywhere you want to go. The frequencies are coordinated as to not cause interference to other licensed users and your licensed frequencies will only be good for a specific geographical location. This would be best for a dedicated group who frequents the same areas often or who partake in search & rescue or recovery efforts. Another option that is becoming more popular are Race Radios, which Tony touched on recently. There are companies advertising race radios that operate on off road or race frequencies. There are no dedicated race or off road frequencies. The radios are programmed with business band frequencies used by teams in the baja racing circuit and as I just mentioned would need a business band license. Using these frequencies wherever you want could cause interference to other licensed users, from many businesses, schools, state, county, city, police, fire, and emergency services. That’s all for this go ‘round, stay tuned to the next Radio Comm Tech for info on ham radio.
Jeep Life:
Celebrating the Jeep Life In Colorado – outside Del Norte. Celebrating the Jeep Life is the theme for this year’s adventure with Neil. Besides going to events we want to celebrate your Jeep Story. We have begun by sharing the story about the Jeep Rescue League in Saguache Colorado. A former vet rescuing one vintage Jeep at a time. We also want to share the people behind the company of the aftermarket parts we buy. Sharing The Jeep Life Stories Schedule of events: Kingman Az. March 17th – 20th Then off to Cali for a “Fan Ride” _@ Mohave Road March 21 – 23 Then to MOAB Ut. For Easter Jeep Safari for hopefully 3 weeks Overland West in Flagstaff Arizona May 15 & 16 Overland Mountain in Loveland CO end of August Overland East In October in Virginia. Planning a East Coast Fan Ride. We hope to be able to do more and would love your support. www.patreon.com/JeepMomma
Tech Talk With Jeep Talk:
It seems everything has a remote now. Hell I saw a kid point a device at his shoes the other day and lights in the soles changed colors. So if we have remotes for TV’s, Ceiling fans and even tennis hoes. Then why not have a remote for your Jeep’s battery too right? You’ve heard the saying, “we’re living in an age of excess?” …and there’s certainly an excess of technology out there for virtually any and everything in your life. And your Jeeps security is no exception. In episode 423, we went over 5 ways you can disable your Jeep to prevent it from being stolen. One of those ways was to use what is called a “Remote Controlled Car Battery Switch”. Using RF Technology, the device will interrupt the main feed of electricity from your battery to the rest of your Jeep, remotely. As in from the comfort of your own home. No crawling under the Jeep, no opening the hood or breaking out tools. You don’t even have to turn a giant red switch. All you do is press a button on a remote. These things come as a kit giving you everything you need to add this into your own Jeeps electrical system. And it’s not too hard either. Essentially your installing this in-line from the battery to the main fuse block or power distribution center. Typically installation will require removing the battery terminal cutting the end off, installing a large gauge ring terminal and then hooking that to one side of the device. The kit will have another battery line for you to install from the device to the battery. Then after securing the device to the firewall or other suitable secure mounting point, you’re done. It really is that easy. And for less than 50 bucks and an afternoon worth of work, you can have added peace of mind that your jeep will always be where you last parked it. But this isn’t all about security either. This works great for Jeeps that get stored for the better part of the year. Only coming out on dry or warm days. This saves the Jeeps battery from going dead over those long periods of no use. Granted you may still want to have a battery tender on it just in case, but kiss goodbye the days of removing battery terminals to store your Jeep. And if you think “well how can this work remotely and not suck my battery dryer than a lint ball in a sand storm if it has a remote and is hooked up to my battery all the time mister electrical smarty pants??!” That’s because the device uses a latching relay system and a passive receiver that only activates when the proper signal is sent. So this unit uses zero juice until it’s needed to operate. If this sounds like something you may want to explore for your own Jeep, buggy or resto mod project, then we’ll have a link for you to get one yourself. One note though: I have grossly oversimplified the installation procedure for this device and it may not be the best thing for every Jeep, meaning there may be other or better solutions for your particular situation. And as always when dealing with the electrical system of any vehicle, be sure to leave it to the professionals if you think it may be outside of your expertise or skill level. E-KYLIN DC 12V Electromagnetic Solenoid Valve Terminal Master Kill System https://amzn.to/2S4y7ce
Newbie Nuggets:
This week on Newbie Nuggets we will start the process of “where do you start”? The first tip is NEVER go alone. I know you are excited to get out there, but honestly you should travel with another vehicle. That way you can learn from others experience but if you get into trouble, you have help – And that’s important. Wouldn’t want you to get yourself in a particular situation and have no way to get out of it. That would mean a long walk home. So BRING a buddy!!! Second tip: Trails are rated for difficulty from easy to intermediate to difficult. Here in So. Cal the trails have three designations: a green circle if it’s easy, a blue square if it’s an intermediate/medium trail and a Black Diamond for the more difficult and sometimes the most sought after Other areas in the country may use a numbering system of 1 to 5 with 5 being most difficult for their ratings. Tony and Josh How are the trails in your areas rated? (Tony and Josh respond) If you are brand new to driving, I would suggest easy or intermediate trails your first time out and definitely with another jeep buddy. But don’t get discouraged, if you want to try the Black diamond, go with experienced jeepers and learn. And By the way there is NOTHING wrong if you unsure about your ability or you are not willing to break or scratch your new jeep. Don’t take risks if you are not ready. Third tip: When you and a fellow jeeper, or group, head out, the next thing I would advise is to GET OUT OF THE JEEP! I know, it sounds funny, I have been encouraging you to get IN the driver’s seat and now I’m saying GET OUT OF THE SEAT! When you get to an obstacle the best thing you can do for yourself is get out of the jeep and watch others. Hopefully you get the chance to watch how each of the jeeps picks their lines through the obstacle. It’s such a great learning experience to watch. Now some things to look for – how did the jeep make it through – was it easy, did they struggle, or what exactly happened? How did their rear tires track in relation the front tires? How did their tires grip? Did they air down enough? All things we will be discussing in future episodes. This isn’t just a watch and see moment, it’s a beginning lesson on how and why that jeep took that line, what worked and what didn’t. Driving through your first obstacle is such a thrill the accomplishment you feel is huge. (?? Tony, how did it make you feel when you were out with us on the Nexxen tire event?) OK now on to my first jeep experience as promised: I had never been in a jeep off-roading before and my image of off road was a dirt road, fairly maintained that you traveled on when you lived in the boonies. So when my husband said “let’s go see what the jeep can do”, I had images of that dirt road and said OK. Well for those of you in So.Cal who know the area, we drove to Cougar Buttes ( that’s Johnson Valley home of the KOH race). It’s full of rocks but not like you saw in Big Bear Tony, these rocks are long, tall and full faced with steep inclines, etc. There are wedges, and off camber stuff that is awesome if you are into crawling. Put this on your list if you haven’t visited Cougar Buttes. So we drove to the first obstacle called Cake Walk – sounded good to me, I like Cake! I got out to watch the first part of the obstacle. The rock face was sheer but it seemed doable. The jeep looked like it was going to “fall off” but of course it didn’t. When we got to the last part of this obstacle, we approached a four foot ledge “V-shaped” rock wall. Now I have been driving cars since I was 16 and I have been told that ALL four tires should stay on the ground at all times and vehicles DO NOT “crawl” up a rock face. As we got closer to the obstacle my brain started to remind me of the laws of physics…….You would have thought there was a hornets nest that I discovered in the back seat because I SHOT out of that jeep as fast as anyone could. The fear in my brain at that moment convinced me that the jeep was going to fall backwards and land on its top. I was certain that my husband forgot about the laws of physics was completely CRAZY for suggesting this!!!. Seriously, had you been in the jeep behind us you would have seen me shoot out like a cannon ball. I’m sure it was hilarious to watch. Now, of course I watched the jeep perform beautifully and climb up and over the rocks like it’s supposed to and then I climbed up the wall myself like a Billy goat and got back in the jeep. I did breathe a sigh of relief that all was OK. The best part was that it was the first time I got to see what jeeps can do and it really helped change my brain and of course today I don’t have the hornets’ nest in the jeep anymore. Thank goodness. So if you are new to driving, you probably won’t bolt out of your jeep like I did but remember that it’s OK to get out and watch, it’s OK to try new things and it’s OK to learn as you go. We’d love to hear from you. If you have any questions about starting out, or if you want to share your first jeep experience, head over to Jeeptalkshow.com/contact and tell us all about it. You can also view some great videos on our YouTube channel Jeep 4-1-1 with tips and tricks. Next week we will continue with more Newbie Nuggets and we will hear Tony or Josh’s first jeeping experience.
Interview with:
Keith and his wife, Andrea, have been Jeep Enthusiasts for over 10 years. While running their business, Jeep ‘n Jewelry, they’ve traveled coast to coast attending Jeep shows and events. Their love for these shows gave them the idea to start the Lone Star Jeep Invasion. Last year’s event was extremely successful, donating $8500 to local charities and over 1650 pounds of food to the local food shelter. This year’s event will be even bigger and better. If you’d like more information, you can visit them at lonestarjeepinvasion.com or on Facebook. https://lonestarjeepinvasion.com/
Must Have Stuff for your Jeep:
Valve-Loc Heavy-Duty Tire Valve Stem Covers – Black (10pk) $7.99
Back when I was a paperboy it was every 11 year old kid’s dream to have a set of what we called “chromies” on his bike. Those old school chrome valve stem covers were about as close to coveted “bling” as we got back then. Of course today you can get valve stem covers that strobe in 256 colors as you drive down the street and spell expletives via bluetooth for them basic bitches on the sidewalk to read. And honestly if that’s what you’re after then more power to you, and there really is some flashy stuff you can get for next to nothing. But me? I prefer function over form. Today I’m not delivering papers, and my bike is now a Jeep and if you’ve listened for a while you know my old saying “chrome won’t get you home.” So on my Jeeps wheels I’ve got something less coveted, and more functional than anything. But yea, they look cool too. They come in anodized black or silver, and have a knurled barrel design giving them excellent traction for your fingers, even with gloves on. I’ve been rocking a set of these Black Anodized Valve-Loc Heavy-Duty Tire Valve Stem Covers for the better part of 5 years or more, and it’s because they plain and simply work, and I mean no matter what. The link we’ll have for you will get you a ten pack, that’s enough to do two Jeeps and their spare tires. The reason these things are way better than those plain old plastic caps is two fold. First, They come with an Airtight Rubber O-Ring Seal. This provides an enhanced seal to help prevent air leakage and to properly keep out dust, dirt, grime and road debris. Secondly, they have a Proper Stem Fit instead of a Universal Stem Fit. Valve-Loc offers the best tire valve caps available today because every piece is custom-designed to lock on tight for a firm fit you can trust. And I’ll back that up. Every time I go to air down or air back up, these things are on just as tight as I put them on before. Zero back off, 100% sealage. And that’s even after a whole day in the rocks too! So for less than 8 bucks for two Jeeps worth of something cool? Thats a win win in my book. https://amzn.to/3bRVSfz
Camp Fireside Chat:
Let’s talk tires! Would you switch tire type? Would you go A/T or M/T? What would it take for you to change brand, type, etc..
Jeep Weather:
Hey Jeeper, Mitch here, today is the 21st of February 2020, and it’s time for your weekend Going Topless-Jeep Weather Report. Listener, I have a confession to make. I’m not a fan of basketball and the only football game that I watch of my own choice is the Army-Navy game, GO ARMY! I love baseball, enjoy hockey, IndyCar racing, hunting, fishing, and a few obscure sports (You know, probably playing on the Ocho), to include Highland Games, and Timbersports. So, for this week’s Topless Jeeping weather, I decided to take you to a few big spots for the last two sports. First is Pleasanton, CA, where one of the largest clan gatherings, highland dance, music, and most importantly highland games takes place every Labor Day weekend. Cloudy all weekend and 73 Friday, 65 Saturday, and 63 Sunday. The largest Highland Games of the Northeast US takes place in Lincoln, New Hampshire. Here, like at most games and gatherings, is also lots of whisky tastings. Maybe this’ll help you get brave enough to take that top off. This weekend the weather won’t be too tough to bear through. Mostly sunny with some cloud cover, Friday 26, Saturday 35, and Sunday is 42. Next go to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, where the Canadian Championship Competition of Timbersports will take place. This weekend Charlottetown will be mostly sunny and 14 on Friday, 31 Saturday, and 36 on Sunday. In the US, one of the major qualifiers for Timbersports takes place in Cherry Valley, New York. Go topless in a mostly sunny weekend, Friday will be 27, Saturday 34, and Sunday a less nippily 42 degrees. Don’t forget to use the #JeepTalkShow on social media for us to see those pictures. If you have any suggestions or want to know YOUR local weather in an upcoming episode. Go to JeepTalkShow.com/contact in order to find all the ways to get a message to me. I’m Mitch and its always great weekend to Go Topless if you’re brave enough! Just Go Topless responsibly.
Wheeling Where:
Lone Star Jeep Invasion
March 20th – 21st
Lone Star Convention Center – Conroe, Texas
More Info: https://www.facebook.com/LSjeepinvasion/ https://lonestarjeepinvasion.com/
Badlands Off-Road Adventures – Self-Recovery Clinic or Wilderness First Aid Clinic
March 28th
Borrego Springs, or Gorman California
More Info: https://www.4x4training.com/w/
Links Mentioned in Episode 425:
E-KYLIN DC 12V Electromagnetic Solenoid Valve Terminal Master Kill System https://amzn.to/2S4y7ce
https://lonestarjeepinvasion.com/