Episode 492 – Stretched Jeeps, Fire Danger, And Tape
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This Week In Jeep
Production Resumes For Jeep Plants – For Now… (Dun-dun-Dunn)
Ok remember a couple of weeks back I was talking about plant shutdowns and layoffs and how this semiconductor shortage was to blame. I also told you that speculators were saying Stellantis, (Jeep’s parent company and dictator of how its plants are run), wouldn’t come out of this slump until possibly the 4th quarter or later. But don’t worry there is still plenty of inventory to go around, and Jeeps are still being made to some extent.
Well now the Jeep plants in Detroit and Warren where production was cut, are returning to full production capabilities starting this week. This is all good news to be sure since most of the pants have been affected in some way since late March. But let me be the devil’s advocate here for just a sec, and let you know that there are rumors circulating that the supply-chain constraints specifically within the semiconductor industry will not be akin to a hose turning back on, but will actually ebb and flow for months.
What that means is that the door for future shutdowns and layoffs would still be open to some degree. Not exactly what one would call job security, huh? Jefferson North Assembly Plant resumes full production of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs. The Warren Truck Plant is restarting the assembly of the Ram 1500 Classic pickup ahead of the launch of the Jeep Wagoneer SUV from the same facility.
Jeep Spreads Freedom Through Entire Lineup
Memorial Day just happened, and the long weekend was nice. Fired up the Webber every day, and I even got some work done on the Jeep AND the motorcycle too.
Jeep celebrated Memorial Day by highlighting its lineup of military-inspired Freedom editions. And you know how much Jeep loves special editions. Essentially this is a styling package, as it has been in years prior. The Freedom editions of 2021 have a unique exterior with an “Oscar Mike” star decal on the hood as well as an American flag on the doors or front fenders. Buyers will also find matte black or satin carbon wheels as well as black exterior accents. The special editions have a handful of interior touches as well including “Oscar Mike” embossing or embroidery on the front seats. However, the special seats appear to be limited to the Wrangler, Renegade, and Compass. The Freedom lineup has been expanded to include every Jeep model for 2021. Pricing starts at $26,285 for the Renegade, $27,090 for the Compass, and $27,955 for the Cherokee. Likewise, the Wrangler Freedom edition begins at $36,210, while the Grand Cherokee and Gladiator cost $37,085 and $42,015, respectively. For every Freedom edition sold, Jeep will be donating $250 to the (USO) United Service Organizations.
Jeep Brand North America Vice President Jim Morrison also noted, “At Jeep … we are proud of our military heritage, with origins that date back to 1941, and the Freedom special editions are a tribute to all who have served and continue to serve. This Memorial Day, we honor those who have made the greatest sacrifice for their country and support those who continue to serve through these special editions.”
Nicely put, and it goes without saying, we here at the Jeep Talk Show share the same sentiments. If you end up grabbing one of these limited Freedom Edition Jeeps, be sure to call or write into the show and let us know what you think of it.
Jeep Is About To Make a Seven Seater Compact Crossover SUV
Over the years, Jeep has worked hard to become a famous brand in many parts of the world, not just the U.S. Recently, Jeep teased a new crossover SUV that will be sold in Brazil called the Commander. For those who know, that nameplate has been used on other Jeep models in the past. I personally have touted that the 2006 to 2010 Commander should have been the continuation of the Cherokee, but that is a discussion for another show. Of course in true Jeep fashion, the higher-ups couldn’t have their heads any higher up their asses and have once again completely dropped the ball with name badging. This generation of Commander will be nothing like those previous models. Gee where have we seen that before. The new Commander would be based on the Jeep Compass, which is a compact crossover SUV. The main difference between the Compass and the Commander is that the Commander has three rows of seating. Because it’s bigger, longer, and a completely different vehicle!!!! So because common sense and originality are a dead resource in the executive side of the design branch at Jeep, this means the compact SUV will have enough room to carry seven people. I don’t know about you, but even four people in a Compass is tight. How Jeep is planning to make seven people all comfortable inside of a compact crossover SUV is likely going to be a feat using principles of Quantum Technology and 5th-dimensional time-space alteration where two people are occupying the same seat at the same time but are somehow phased differently from each other ……or something. Right? Probably not, and Jeep of course isn’t offering any real details on the Commander other than the teaser video. Oh, I didn’t mention there was a video did I… which we will have a link to in the show notes for this episode. What we see in the video are dark outlines of the exterior. You clearly get the idea of the rough shape of the vehicle. The taillights remind me more of a Camaro than a Jeep, which I found quite odd. Is it a smaller body on a Grand Cherokee platform? Is it nothing more than a stretched Compass? That all remains to be seen. This new Commander will be built and sold in Brazil, and there’s no indication of which, if any, other markets where the vehicle will be sold. So what does that mean for us here in the states? Well other than dumb questions at the parts counter for some of you, what has been abroad having come home to roost here in the U.S. at least a couple of times before, with diesel Jeeps, and the small micro UTE segment with the Renegade which has become a global hit in markets all over the globe. And now, recent rumors of an even smaller Jeep SUV. So will we see a compact seven-seater here in the US? Time will tell.
Newbie Nuggets with Wendy
Over-landing and fire danger
Since we are all eager to get out and wheel, have you noticed that there are a lot of over-landers and people just getting outside and living again. What I also noticed is the increased number of people camping from their vehicles. Today it’s referred to as over-landing but back in my day, we called it camping. A lot of them are set up with rooftop tents, or trailers they tow behind and some are just taking their gear in whatever vehicle they have. I love that families are getting out and camping – we did it as kids’ in tents and it’s what makes for great memories.
In Episode 456 I talked about root fires, but this time I want to talk about illegal campfires. The problem I have is that there are lots of people who have no clue about how to camp, how to pack it in-pack it out and they also don’t know about the rules in the area. Yes!! there are rules to outdoor camping. For instance, in the San Bernardino National Forest, you can camp overnight in a lot of places, BUT there are no campfires allowed outside a designated campsite and only allowed in a designated fire ring. Not some make-shift rings created by rocks gathered from the area.
Want to know how we know there are illegal campfires? Because of all the make-shift fire rings we see, idiots gather rocks and create a “ring” that they then burn who-knows-what and they have a campfire. Probably sounds like it’s a great idea because it’s cold in the mountains – temps are dropping at night to about 38-40 degrees right now. I get it; you want to warm up and make s’mores. Well NOT IN THE FOREST DURING FIRE SEASON – and actually EVER. Now, how stupid do you have to be to not understand the fire danger in a mountainous region? I mean really? So the other day I saw a news flash up here that some idiot (yep that’s their name) had an illegal fire near or on John Bull Black Diamond trail and left it smoldering and it took off. Hikers found it and called the fire department. Well, that’s all good except there was no way for the fire truck to get to the fire. They don’t have fully set up Jeeps with water tanks and firefighting equipment. If you have been on the John Bull trail or seen pictures, it’s way out of the way and only accessible by jeep or a 4×4 (maybe some Toyotas). The last time I checked, fire trucks don’t fit that category. The firemen drove as close as they could, then hiked in about a mile to take care of the fire. The fireman and hikers doused the fire by hand with shovels. There’s no hydrant in the middle of the forest People! This could have been a huge disaster not only for a major trail visited by thousands but also the forest itself could have gone up in flames.
So if you are camping, please learn the rules and regs of your region and try to display some common sense. Stay on trails that are designated for camping and make sure fires are legal in that area if you want the campfire experience. Or better yet, join our fireside chat each week – at least with our fireside chat there is no danger of setting the forest on fire – pretty sure.
Josh and Tony, I’m sure this topic gets your blood boiling, but have you seen an increase in these fire rings?
A quick little teaser: We are running an interesting trial event including some big industry people. It’s 25 hours of straight through driving very difficult trails starting in the afternoon and ending the following afternoon. Bill and I get the pleasure of leading the run. We hope to make it into an annual invitational event. I’ll have more details about the event at next week’s show. Providing I’m not still sleeping at the time the show tapes LOL.
Jeep Talk Show Gladiator Update
With this new fangled Gladiator tracking software that is tied to the vehicle, I can see the last time the Glad went for a ride. May 30th! A good 4 days ago! We still have less than 1,000 miles on it! I need to see if gas shortage is still going on. I’d like to take a nice country drive into Central Texas one weekend soon. I was hoping to put the 2” Mopar lift on memorial weekend, but other stuff came up. Besides, putting the lift on will just point out how badly I need those 35” Nexen Roadian MTX tires to balance out the lift. We spoke with the Zoom People in a recent after show chat about meeting up at an off road park. I’m not ready to tow the Cherokee out yet, but I could certainly drive the Gladiator out. How many people interest in a Central Texas meet up? I’m thinking Hidden Falls Off road park. It’s in between Austin and Marble Falls. Contact me if you would be interested in doing a meet up. jeeptalkshow.com/contact https://www.hiddenfallsadventurepark.com/
Tech Talk with Jeep Talk
DIY Hose Pliers – SAVE THE HOSES
Over the decades, the engine compartment of any given Jeep on the road seems to be built with more and more hoses. Oh sure, you have your standard coolant, fuel, and brake lines, but there seem to be miles of vacuum lines in a Jeep now. Depending on the year and model of your Jeep, you too will have various vacuum hoses and other hoses that transport air, vacuum, or fluids of some kind from one area of the engine to another. This is usually to feed or control something or to provide input to a sensor or other control unit. Hoses, no matter the kind or the purpose, will wear out over time. Sometimes all you need to do is replace or service a component and the hose needs to be removed. Maybe it’s worse, and you have a hose that needs to be replaced because it’s developed a leak, or has split. Others may crack or become brittle. Sometimes you’re lucky, and it’s just the very end that has been stretched out over time and keeps coming off. Here’s a quick tip, cut the end back by a quarter-inch and you should get a seal as good as new. Sometimes that hose you’re trying to remove has created a chemical bond to the mating surface of whatever it is connected to. And nothing shy of a crowbar, blade, and a freaking torch is going to get the damn thing off. But sometimes all it takes is a little rotational force to break things free. If that hose is in a hard-to-reach spot, or there’s not enough room to get a good grip on it, then you may be forced to use a pair of hose pliers to make the removal easier. But what if you don’t have a pair of hose pliers? Thinking of just going to town on that hose end with a pair of Channellock? “Why yes, I was mister podcast guy”…. Think again.
You may get it free… sure, but you may end up damaging the bung, nipple, or fitting the hose is attached to. You may even break it off completely. If you don’t have a pair of hose pliers and need something for extra grip and leverage, but don’t want to risk damaging anything, try wrapping the working end of a pair of regular pliers with hockey tape. If you don’t have any of that around, can’t get it, or don’t know where to look, some medical tape or waterproof first-aid tape will also work. By wrapping the ends several times over with the tape, you can create a pair of pliers that have plenty of grip, but that is more forgiving. This will prevent damage to the hose, eliminate marring, and possibly even keep you from damaging other components.
Jeep Talk Show Interview
Zak is the Product Manager at Midland Radio overseeing the GMRS Product Lines, which consist of MicroMobiles and Walkie Talkies. He has worked in Product Management for 8 years and currently sits on the Product Advisory Board for Missouri State University. Midland Radio is the official communications sponsor of Jeep Jamboree, and Zak attends multiple Jeep Jamborees annually. You can find out more information about Midland Radio, and their products, at midlandusa.com
Campfire Side Chat
Jeep shows are happening once more!
Will YOU be going to any this year?
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Links Mentioned in this Episode
NEXEN Tires USA
Commander Teaser Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQe_vz864gw
Trails 411- POWERING Your Adventure
https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountrydriver
Hidden Falls Adventure Park
https://www.hiddenfallsadventurepark.com/
The 4×4 Radio Network
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