Episode 490 – 13 Day Old Jeep Burns To The Ground
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This Week In Jeep
Jeep Plant About To Cut Jobs
You know we really do hate starting off the show with a negative report, but this week, Stellantis announced that Nearly 1,700 jobs will be cut at a Jeep Cherokee factory near Rockford. For those not in the know, Stellantis is the parent company to Jeep now, after FCA and French carmaker PSA joined forces. The company announced it will cut one entire work shift from the two it currently runs at its Belvidere, Illinois assembly plant. The cuts will happen on July 26th. A spokesperson said a global car chip shortage is partly to blame for why they are having to reduce staff. It’s also the reason why the plant hasn’t been working on Jeeps since late March. Several weeks back I warned that this chip shortage was going to cause further disruptions despite what forecasters tried to do by diminishing the severity of the shortage and predicting a short-lived drought on these chips. Unfortunately, the problem doesn’t seem to be going away as fast as all parties would like, and it looks as if some auto workers will be unemployed for at least part of this summer until chip manufacturers and the downstream supply chain can get back to full production.
Go Topless Event In Texas Ends With Over 200 Arrests
While many folks were packing up and heading home… some were bonding out of jail.
Despite the rain putting a damper on the festivities on the last day of this year’s Go Topless Event in Galveston County. The local Sheriff’s office has stated that more than 100 arrests were made Friday night alone. And although most of them were for minor infractions like public intoxication and possession, they did arrest nine people for DUI.
To give you an idea of the scope of this event, it covers most of the 32 miles of beach near the Bolivar Peninsula. From one Facebook group alone there was stated to be 1100 Jeeps going. What is odd about this year is that the majority of these arrests came from only a 2 mile stretch of the beach. According to the Sheriff’s office they haven’t seen issues like this since the late 90’s. Prior to hurricane Ike, this was a normal heavy weekend apparently. They brought in over 60 extra deputies and 15 Texas DPS troopers to keep things civil and under control this year. Despite their best efforts however, there were still fights, accidents, and of course, arrests. Many are calling this event “out of control”, and demanding that the local law enforcement agencies team up to provide more patrols, and undercover officers to clean things up. The numbers are still coming in, but as of right now, there were over 225 arrests made between Thursday and Sunday. Hopefully if you are listening, you weren’t one of them.
Crowd Favorite Makes a Return To Auto Shows In 2021 – Starting In Chicago
This is the nation’s largest auto show. And fan-favorite attractions such as the Camp Jeep and Ram Trucks Territory test tracks will return to the 2021 Chicago Auto Show special edition, scheduled for July 15-19 at McCormick Place, the largest and most flexible-use convention center in North America. This news comes approximately two weeks following the official announcement that the show will be allowed to open its doors to fans this summer. The Chicago Auto Show will be one of McCormick Place’s first live, in-person public events since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. And I bet there are going to be a TON of people going just to get a change of scenery if nothing else. Experiences such as Camp Jeep and Ram Trucks Territory are among the top reasons people love to attend car shows like the Chicago Auto Show. Because of their popularity, people have been used to waiting in long lines to experience these vehicles and test tracks. However, this summer, the consumer experience will be elevated because now people will be able to electronically book a time slot for these experiences in advance as they plan their visit to the show. This is all a part of the efforts the show’s directors are taking to diminish lines and reduce congestion within the exhibits.
Camp Jeep has been a Chicago Auto Show staple since 2005, with 2021 marking the brand’s 17th consecutive year of bringing the interactive exhibit to show-goers. The ultimate off-road driving test, Camp Jeep features an 18-ft., 35-degree “mountain” where passengers experience the extreme off-road and traction capabilities of Jeep’s latest vehicles – including the brand-new 2021 Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid SUV and 2021 Gladiator pickup – without even stepping foot outside the auto show. The course will consist of several obstacles that simulate some of the rigorous testing the Jeep vehicles endure before customers get behind the wheel. Each Camp Jeep participant will also receive a complimentary Jeep tote bag, while supplies last.
Newbie Nuggets with Wendy
Trail Etiquette
I am so excited spring & summer are here so we can get in our jeeps and head for the trails. Are you getting out and hitting the trails? When you do, are you considering the trails you are wheeling on?
I’m talking about trail etiquette and good old-fashioned manners. As we all get back to normal, there will be lots of jeepers on the trails and we need to practice good off-road etiquette. Remember that we are the stewards of these trails and mentoring newbies helps train them right and helps keep our trails open. I’m talking about staying on the designated trail, not making bypasses, not stacking rocks because you can’t make the obstacle. This is probably one of my pet peeves, because off-roaders don’t pay attention to the trail designations, and think “I can do that” when they can’t. They get to the obstacle and guess what? Their vehicle isn’t capable, or they aren’t experienced enough, to do that obstacle, so they create wheel spin and move terrain, stack rocks, or create a by-pass because they don’t want to turn around and be embarrassed. Don’t be that guy or girl! Run the obstacles that you know your jeep is capable of and if you find yourself facing something you can’t do, turn around. There is no shame in that.
Trash is another thing that gets me riled up. With so many new jeepers out there, we need to emphasize that leaving trash creates problems for the wildlife, other jeepers and is just disgusting. I hate picking up other people’s trash, broken glass, and paper. Honesty – pack it in, pack it out. Make sure you have a trash bag on board and IF you see trash, pick it up.
Manners are sometimes absent on the trails. I have to say most jeepers we encounter are the nicest people around. Check out our Zoom people if you don’t believe me. There are, however, lots of off-roaders that don’t have manners. If you Jeep enough you will encounter one at some point, they are out there. You can tell the puffed-up ego, or the “my jeep is better than your jeep” attitude. I simply don’t get involved with them. If they have an attitude, I just let them be. It’s not worth me getting upset. I do take some pleasure if they are stuck, AND I know I can get them free, but they have a poor attitude, I just let them be LOL. No sense in trying to help someone who doesn’t want to be helped.
For the newbies listening, experienced jeepers have lots of knowledge and love to help teach you. Find someone to wheel with and get out there and drive. For the experienced jeepers, I hope you get the chance to mentor newbies. It’s a win-win since you get to teach and maybe even help clean up the trails. You can find information on trail etiquette on the web along with clubs in your area that schedule clean-up days to help keep the trails in great shape. I listed a few links in the show notes for reference.
PS: I want to ask the listeners to send good wishes and prayers to fellow JTS listeners and my friend Becki. I’ve wheeled with Scott & Becki a lot. She was on a run with another group and was watching a jeep go through an obstacle, the jeep lost control, ran her over and she was seriously hurt. She has multiple broken bones and is undergoing surgery. She wants me to share the details of the accident on next week’s episode so no one else has to go through what she is enduring. So Becki we are sending you good thoughts for a quick and speedy recovery.
https://www.extremeterrain.com/clean-trail-initiative-program.html
Camp Fireside Chat
Hard or soft… what’s better… for a top…. of a Jeep?
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