Episode 501 – Campfire Smoke and Newbie Wrenching
This Week In Jeep
You Typically Don’t See One Of THESE When Off-Road
All across the state of Arizona, summer storms have caused significant flooding, filling roads and washes with floodwaters. A Scottsdale couple found out the hard way just how quickly you can end up in the middle of a flash flood, even though they believed they had taken every precaution while off-roading near Sycamore Creek on Sunday.
“It came so quick,” Richard Chavez said. “Hit the tires, and as soon as it hit the tires it went into my engine,” Chavez said as soon as it started raining, the couple decided to head back. But they started recording video as water rushed over the road they came in on. With their only escape route now blocked by fast-moving water, Chavez said he felt trapped. “I go off-roading a lot and I go off-edges, but that I wasn’t prepared for, wasn’t trained for something like that,” he said. “I actually got scared. I never get scared when I go off-roading but that shook me up.” Driving their Jeep Wrangler, and being led by a well-built WJ Grand Cherokee, the group of Jeepers had no problem finding higher ground quickly. Capt. Tom Taylor with the Phoenix Fire Department said it’s always important to know what you COULD be facing before heading off-road. He says it’s critical that you do some research if you’re going to be going out, especially recreationally, camping or off-roading, at least see what the forecast is for the area you’re going to be in. Despite the surprise, the couple did the right thing by leaving the canyon once it started to rain and seeking higher ground. The best thing to do is to turn around and get out of the area if that’s at all possible. If you’re stuck in the water, get to higher ground. It only takes about a foot or two of water (depending on how fast it’s traveling) to wash just about any vehicle of a roads surface, and if you’re on a dirt road, that’s an even worse situation, since there can be rocks, logs, and other debris in the water that can cause further damage. One thing most people have a hard time grasping during a flash flood is that it’s not just about water being washed through the valley.
There are also broken branches and debris, there could even be furniture, metal trash cans, and other vehicles caught in the current.
All of which would make for a very hairy situation.
Will 40% of all Jeeps be Electric by 2030?
Stellantis has a goal of electrified vehicles accounting for more than 40 percent of its U.S. sales by 2030. However, most speculators and a lot of its dealers think this is not even close to being possible. The chief executive of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, believes demand for electrified vehicles will rise dramatically as people become more sensitive to climate change. He also believes that the moon is made of cheese and that fairy dust is the answer to homelessness. I’m of course kidding, but he does believe that training dealers on how to sell EVs to customers who didn’t originally want one, will play a big part in the company reaching its sales targets in the coming years. Yea I suppose that may work, but really? Stellantis hopes consumers will buy into electrified vehicles the same way that they did cell phones. Except most cell phones cost less than a thousand dollars, and everyone needs a way to communicate, especially on the go. Sure we may not have realized in the late 90’s just how convenient having a computer, camera, phone, and more all in one device that fits in your pocket would be, but I don’t see that same craze happening with vehicles, especially electric Jeeps. Electric cars and global warming have been around for how long now? Stellantis is putting a lot of eggs in one basket hoping people will suddenly realize they have an undying need to destroy the planet by owning an electric vehicle. When automakers will start telling the truth about what mining for the materials to make the batteries for electric cars does to the planet is beyond me, but I digress. To say that nearly half of your vehicle production will be exclusively EV is an unrealistic goal for a number of reasons. First, you have this chip shortage, which is slated to continue well into next year supposedly. And we still don’t know what the long-term effects of this will be moving forward. Then there’s the fact of the market demand. Millennials are at the bottom of the list when it comes to car shoppers, and the way that cities like the one I live in are forcing people out of their cars and onto bicycles is going to have dealers looking for smaller lots, not more electric vehicles. Stellantis is positioning Jeep as the brand to lead its push towards electric vehicles and has committed over $35 billion through the year 2025 in its electrification goals. The Wrangler has always been a bestseller, and 4xe is proving popular, lasting an average of just five days on dealership lots. That unto itself is noteworthy, but as we have seen, it could be under false pretenses, with real-world tests showing the claimed 30 miles of EV range in the 4xe Wrangler to be significantly less than what’s been advertised. We will see what happens over the next 8 or so years as Jeep finds new ground under its new parent company Stellantis.
Tech Talk with Jeep Talk
It’s OK If You’ve Never Worked On Your Own Jeep
I have to admit, I haven’t always been so knowledgeable when it comes to wrenching. And even now, I still learn tricks and different or better ways to do things. And with the number of vehicles I see over the course of a year, I’m also lucky enough to get to work on a variety of vehicles, doing a variety of different things to them. What I’m getting at here is that it’s OK if you’ve never worked on your Jeep before. But I’m a firm believer that the more you work on your own rig, the better you will know it. It’s the same principle as seat time. You were probably scared out of your mind the first double black diamond trail you hit. But now look at you, a full-fledged rock crawler! It takes time to develop the confidence to do something without worrying about it or freaking yourself out over what to do or how to do it. Working on your Jeep is no different. But you don’t have to be a master mechanic, or even have a huge tool chest to get familiar with your Jeep. So if you’re one of the thousands of listeners we have out there that doesn’t even own a wrench, we’re going to start with you. Look, there’s no shame in your game if you don’t own tools, but love Jeeping. Who can blame you? There’s a lot to love about using our Jeeps the way they were intended. So If you’re just starting out and you’ve never worked on your Jeep before, here are some easy tasks to help build your confidence, save some money, and keep your Jeep running great. The first thing you should do is prepare your workspace. If you live in a hot climate, you’ll want to make sure you have some shade and some moving air. You’d be surprised how much a 20 dollar box fan works to keep you cool on a hot summer day while working on a Jeep. If you live in a cold or wet climate, you’ll want to have some cover, and something to lay on that won’t soak up the rain. And if you have a garage that your Jeep fits in, even better. Just make sure you have things cleaned out well enough that you can get to every side of the Jeep. This will keep you safe, prevent accidents, and make anything you do with the JEep go much more efficiently. The last thing you want to do is be tripping over a Christmas tree in July as you top off your washer fluid. Next, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the Jeeps’ vitals. Learn how to check all the fluids. From the coolant to the oil, to the transmission fluid, brake fluid, and even transfer case, and differential fluids too. Learning how to check the fluids that are the lifeblood of your Jeep is both easy and can save you from a breakdown. There are a ton of videos out there that can not only show you where to check these fluids, but how, and what to look for when you do.
Check your tire pressure too. An air gauge can be purchased from pretty much everywhere. I think they even have them at grocery stores. So if you don’t have one, at least consider a tire pressure gauge as your first tool purchase. Having the proper air pressure in all your tires will help keep the Jeep rolling smooth, steering straight, and will help maximize your fuel efficiency. Another easy thing to do is some basic battery maintenance. If you start to see that snow-cone-like substance building up on your battery terminals, that’s corrosion! And it’s no good. It’s bad for the battery, the terminals, and even the charging system. So clean it off by dousing it with coca-cola, or pick up some battery terminal cleaner from the parts store while you’re there picking out a tire gauge. Another easy-to-do task that generally doesn’t require tools is replacing your windshield wipers. Wipers are essential year-round to keep bugs, road grime, and even mud and dust from the trial from building up on your windshield. That’s what you have to look through to navigate your Jeep, so keep it clean, and always keep your washer fluid topped off. Here’s another tip. If your Jeep is still stock, then the stock jack and tire iron that is usually found in every Jeep is a good way to learn how to rotate your tires. You already have everything you need, and if you have a spare on the back, it’s time to bring it into rotation. Sure jack stands would be helpful, but I bet you know someone who has a set that you could borrow. I also see jack stands at virtually every garage sale I have ever been to. And be sure to check Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace for killer deals on things like used jack stands or tools. Rotating your Jeeps tires will keep the tread wear even, and keep your tires lasting longer than they would otherwise. The next thing I would recommend you do is going to be a step up in mechanical skills but is one of the easiest things to do to a Jeep outside of flipping the rearview mirror. And that’s changing your own oil. This will take some basic hand tools, but you can get a really good set of tools with all the sockets and wrenches you will need, to do basic maintenance on any Jeep for less than you think. If this is something that you think maybe over your head, well… if you can change a light bulb, and have the skills to pump your own gas, then I’m confident you can learn how to change your own oil with ease. Check out any one of the thousands of videos online of how to change your oil. The bonus is that most Jeeps are high enough off the ground that you don’t even need a jack or jack stands to make it happen. Plus you get to choose your own oil and the kind of filter you want to run. A couple of oil changes, and you’ll be ready to tackle more and more wrenching, more maintenance, and even some basic repairs when the time comes. Replacing an alternator or sensor can oftentimes be extremely easy, and can save you hundreds of dollars in repair bills. After a while, you may just find yourself with a tool addiction and a desire to share your knowledge with others. Now, look at you! You’re basically a mechanic now, and all you had to do was listen to the Jeep Talk Show.
Jeep Talk Show Interview
Evan Robins – TreadLightly.org
Evan is the Education and Stewardship Program Manager for Tread Lightly! He has been with Tread Lightly! for nearly 10 years and works to support trail access, responsible motorized recreation, and ethical land use. Evan spends his spare time archery hunting and fly fishing all over the US and has been riding around and driving jeeps since he was a Lil pup. To find out more about Evan’s story and about responsible trail use please visit treadlightly.org.
Thanks to the Jeep Talk Show partnership with Tread Lightly!, you are now eligible to receive a discount on individual Tread Lightly! memberships through the end of December 2021.
Discounts are as follows:
• $50 Individual Memberships are discounted to $25
• $100 Individual Memberships are discounted to $50
• $250 Individual Memberships are discounted to $150
Jeep Life – With Jeep Momma
How to stop campfire smoke from following you
Tony, Josh, and Wendy… Campfires are one of my favorite things about camping. I remember growing up camping with my family… It was always a fun family event collecting the firewood, cooking dinner, making pie-iron sammies and smores. Now when I go back home to visit my sisters and we have a campfire we share stories from the good old days. Campfires are always a fun time except there is that one pesky problem with campfires. The smoke always seems to follow you! I always feel like it’s just me but the more campfires I share with others the more I realize it isn’t just me the smoke likes to follow around. Well after a little internet googling there is some science behind the smoke following me around. It’s physics working its magic. When a fire burns, it creates a partial vacuum. This vacuum sends the hot air created by the fire upward and pulls cooler air into the fire. All things being equal (and with no wind), an undisturbed fire should send smoke straight up into the air. Now, the issue is we create a tiny disturbance in the vacuum when we stand next to the fire. We are blocking some of that air from filling the vacuum, which creates a low-pressure area. The smoke created by the fire will start moving in the direction of the low-pressure area, which gives off the impression that the smoke is following you. A second reason is our clothes are absorbing heat from the fire. The heat that absorbs into our clothing is what helps make us warm on the inside. However, it also warms the air around us. That warm air will start to rise, further affecting the vacuum. Since the air is rising, the smoke will gravitate toward that empty space and, you guessed it, give you a wonderful flow of smoke straight to the face.
Unfortunately, these reactions occur regardless of where you are sitting by the fire. So how can you stop the smoke from following you around?
To do that, just don’t have a fire… Just kidding… You need to avoid that vacuum. But how do you do that? First, there is a limit to where the new air is being pulled into the fire and each fire is different with how big the fire is, the obstructions around the fire, and the wind. So you need to experiment with each fire. Keep moving backward until the smoke stops following you around. If there is wind, utilize the wind. But don’t sit on the side of the fire that the wind is blowing toward. If the wind changes directions of course you will need to reposition yourself. If you are going to be shifting to a new spot around the fire, try to walk away from the fire a little bit to avoid bringing the smoke with you. Also, try for a smokeless fire using dry firewood. Damp firewood creates smoke. So do leaves, grass, and other materials. Position your firewood that allows airflow. Next time I am at a campfire I will be testing out all these suggestions and will keep you posted. If you have any solutions that have worked with you please share them by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail. Next week on Jeep Life… How to get that smoke smell out of your hair and clothes.
Links Mentioned in this Episode
NEXEN Tires USA https://www.nexentireusa.com/
Trails 411- POWERING Your Adventure https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountrydriver
The 4×4 Radio Network http://4x4radionetwork.com/
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