Episode 556 – Trail Etiquette, Airing Down, and A-holes
This Week In Jeep
Connectivity May Not Be Free
On December 8th, 2022 Jeep released another promotional video. Jeep’s promo videos over the years have ranged from boring to amazing, and from mundane to revealing.
Over the last 6 to 8 months we’ve seen some of these videos provide sneak peeks into the direction Jeep is heading with their technology-forward approach to vehicle design now. With the unexpected success of the Wrangler 4xe, Jeep and its parent company Stellantis have green-lit a lot of investments in new tech and the results are starting to speak for themselves. Especially when we get a glimpse of what’s to come through these videos. We’ve seen things like auto-driving features available offroad. Enhanced heads-up displays, augmented reality overlays, and a new level of connectivity with other Jeepers the likes of which the offroad industry has never seen before outside of video games. It’s becoming a reality now, and Jeep calls it “Freedom Connected.”
In the video called “Path Connected,” the off-road brand provides a glimpse of how it might take advantage of Stellantis’ push into the kind of software services and subscriptions that we’ve talked about here on the show in recent weeks. One of those ideas is apparently called “Jeep Trails”, a package of more than 6,000 highly detailed trails an owner could pre-load into the Uconnect navigation system. Of all the various concepts we’ve seen teased in these videos over the years, it’s no wonder Jeep hasn’t rolled 
this one out years ago. The next is over-the-air updates, which one might expect to be a necessary component of a modern automaker’s arsenal. There are simply too many software features in a vehicle now that can go obsolete or become buggy too quickly — with more programs and apps on the way — to leave owners at the mercy of such supposed features. The caption for OTA updates says “continuously and effortlessly enhancing your Jeep 4×4’s technology,” which if you read between the lines is more like, “we’re trying to tell you how we’re going to start a subscription service and a menu of cost-to-unlock features on your Jeep without actually telling you.” Remember that Emergency Vehicle Alert System I told you about? …and how they’re going to force you to use it? Welcome to the free side of OTA. The pay-to-play side however would have things like “Group Ride” … It’s a lot like Apple’s Find Your Friends app but it’s Find Your Friends’ Jeeps while on or off the trail. And it looks similar to a social network, owners uploading Jeep 4×4 Profiles with their Wrangler information like specific models and modifications, then making their profile available to any nearby Wrangler. A party of Wranglers could also set up dedicated groups to keep track of each member of the party. And when everyone at this year’s Easter Jeep Safari goes online and links up to every other Jeeper simultaneously, Skynet will be born and we’re all going to become slaves to the terminator overlords! Where is this generation’s Sara Connor when we need her!? …….Finally, there’s an augmented reality display that could also be of great use when desired, projecting important vehicle or trail information onto the trail.
Jeep says the tech could even work without cellular connectivity, a must for what is likely 90 percent of the trails we Jeepers love to the wheel. Of course, they’re not letting that cat out of the bag quite yet, and in the one-minute video and the current press releases from Jeep, they haven’t gone into exactly how that would work yet. For now though, maybe we need to consider pulling a Nicky G, and make a tin-foil hat for the Jeeps computer to block out those alien transmissions….?
The Jeep Talk Show’s A-HOLE OF THE YEAR AWARD
A Boswell Pennsylvania man was charged with theft after he admitted to stealing a Jeep and cutting it up for scrap, authorities said. State police in Somerset charged 61-year-old Michael Walker, with theft by unlawful taking and related counts. Troopers allege Walker made off with a 2000 Jeep Cherokee XJ from a business in Jenner Township on January 1st. A surveillance camera showed Walker “winching the vehicle onto a flatbed trailer attached to a pickup truck and leaving the scene,” according to the report. Walker was arrested and admitted to stealing the vehicle, cutting it up, and taking it to a local scrap yard, troopers said. And for that, 61-year-old Michael Walker from Boswell PA gets the Jeep Talk Show A-Hole of The Year Award!!
Jeepers Staged Up For Essential Worker Transport
It seems like no matter what, every winter, Jeepers come together to help out their communities, because unlike Toyota owners we care and actually know how to use our vehicles. Last week we heard about a group in Tennessee that was helping hospital workers get to work, and not to be outdone, we have two this week from Virginia care of JTS fans over at WDBJ channel 7. Like the rest of Hill City, Virginia, Lynchburg General Hospital faced a snow day last Sunday. But the staff at the hospital still had to make it in despite the conditions. That’s where two local Jeep groups came into play. Both groups offered themselves to help healthcare workers get to work safely in the snowy and icy conditions. “We know that the nurses and the hospital workers and different people can’t get to work with the bad ice and snow on the road, and we love our community and the Jeep people are family, so you know, we want to help out as best as we can,” said Jason Morris, the president of Hill City Wranglers. “We’re just a big so-called family, and we do a lot for charity, a lot for people, just help people out, give back to the community,” said Allen Bailey with OIIIIIIIO Jeepers IWT (Inclement Weather Transport).
These groups say they’re doing just that by offering rides in their Jeeps free of charge.
And they’ve already seen a large response. “We’ve delivered a lot of people, picked a lot of people up and brought them to work – essential workers or security guards that need to come to work,” said Bailey. At the end of the day, it’s all about neighbors looking out for each other. They say they’re just doing their part to help folks through the storm.
“I say the Jeep community is a special group. We call it a family. It’s a second family we have that we help anybody out no matter what,” said Bailey from Jeepers IWT.
“It makes us feel good – be a part of the community, take care of people, make sure the hospital stays open,” said Morris from Hill City Wranglers.
They plan to continue giving rides to those who need it any time the conditions warrant the need.
Newbie Nuggets with Wendy
Trail Etiquette
I know winter is still in full force in many parts of the country so maybe you’re thinking about planning trail runs for the spring. I wanted to review Trail Etiquette. All of us on JTS mention this all the time because it’s so important to maintain and keep the trail systems open throughout the country.
We are stewards of the trails we jeep on and like it or not there are groups/organizations that want to shut down the off-road vehicles to all trails. How we manage, treat, and maintain trails is what is keeping a lot of the trails open for us to use now and in the future.
Here are a few things to keep in mind while on a trail;
1) Stay on the designated trail. This is probably the #1 reason trails get closed. People go off-trail and want to venture on their own (sort of blaze their own trail). I’ve seen fences cut, trees cut down and boulders moved from people trying to get access to “other” areas for many different reasons and not stay on the trail. If you’re in a National Forest, there are usually sensitive areas outside the trail system that the Forest Service wants to protect. I know up here in Big Bear on Gold Mountain (a black diamond trail) we have three plant species that only grow on the pebble plains located on top of Gold Mountain and nowhere else in the world. However, each year there are idiots that break through the fences and drive over the pebble plains causing damage, helping the Forest Service, or BLM, to consider closing a trail. Please stay on the designated trails – the more we adhere to this, the more chances we’ll have keeping the trails open for generations to come.
2) Keep tire spin to a minimum- I know we all like to get out there and wheel, but if you are going over an obstacle (mud, sand, water crossing, dirt, etc.,) and you start to create major wheel spin, you are disturbing the trail and creating ruts. First, wheel spin does you no good once your momentum stops, and second, you are creating erosion on the trail. Wheelspin rarely helps you and the more you spin the more you can dig yourself deeper into a hole. Then you have to ask for help and get pulled out. It’s much easier to think before you let the wheel spin dictate your course AND you are preserving the trails.
3) Respect other drivers – This is important as we share the trails. You may be going downhill and another group is coming uphill. Stay to the right, especially on blind hills and curves. Some trails may be narrow and you may have to pull to the right and let the other group by. As you go along the trail. Always look for turnouts as you travel along. You may be the group that needs to back up a little to allow the other group by. Also, let the first driver of the other group know how many jeeps are in your group. We do this when we ride our quads and motorcycles in the desert. We hold up the number of fingers to indicate the number of vehicles behind us. So if you have 4 jeeps in the group and you are in the #1 position, you hold up 3 fingers, the guy/gal behind you holds up 2, etc., etc. The last position holds up a closed fist to signify there are no other jeeps in your group. It’s really nice to know how many jeeps you are waiting for before continuing on your way.
4) Pack it in & Pack it out – Try to leave no trace. This is another major issue with trash and broken glass on trails. I have no idea the allure of drinking and then throwing the glass bottles away to see how they break. It must be a 6th grader kind of thing. I personally have picked up more broken glass on trails than I care to count. It is littering and it is hazardous to the animals besides if there is trash on the trail – other people think it’s OK to throw their trash. So if you bring trash and use your Trash-A-Roo pouch we discussed in episodes 426 & 553, it’s a good way to keep the trash out of your jeep and off the trail. Always secure your trash in some way. Sometimes bouncing down the trail you may not realize that your trash is bouncing out behind you.
5) Leave it cleaner than you found it – As you go down the trail if you see trash, pick it up. It only takes a moment and leaves the trail clean for the next folks.
6) Leave what you find – Sometimes Jeeping takes you to areas that you can’t get to on foot or in regular cars. This could be rock formations, cliffs, waterways, petroglyphs, old buildings/cabins, etc. If you are observing this beautiful part of nature, leave it there. Don’t collect rocks or plants or animals. Leave it in its natural state. And BTW anything that is 50 years or older is considered an artifact and by law is supposed to stay put. For instance, an old can, or bottle top or whatever, if it’s more than 50 years old you are not supposed to collect it. I know some of us may consider it to be trash and want to pick it up but archeologists consider it to be a treasure.
7) Bathroom breaks – We all know when you gotta go, you gotta go. There is an unwritten rule that when the group stops for a 10-100 (bathroom stop) the women go to the right of the trail and the men go to the left. Do you want to know why? Because Women are always RIGHT. Now ladies PLEASE – take a baggie with you and please take all your feminine stuff back out with you. Do not leave that stuff on the trails. And this goes for your kids’ diapers too. Just don’t do it! Have I mentioned how much I hate cleaning that stuff up when we do trail maintenance on our adopted trails?
8) Do not feed the wildlife – this seems obvious to me but every year there is a video of some idiot trying to touch the bison in Yellowstone – seeing them getting gored and tossed in the air makes for good YouTube but seriously, don’t feed any wildlife, including birds and squirrels, no matter how cute they may look or what they say. That could make them dependent on humans (kinda like libtards, LOL)
9) Control your pets – We love Jeeping with our dogs (and some cats) but you are still responsible for cleaning up after them and keeping them from destroying wildlife. Don’t let them chase animals (deer) or dig. Wildlife LIVES in their natural habitat and we are just visitors.
Jeep Talk Show Gladiator Update
Keyless entry it’s convenient for you and would-be vehicle thieves, however, you can stop them from stealing your Jeep with a Faraday bag!
A Faraday bag blocks the radio signal thieves can use to scan your key fob without even entering your house.
News reports thieves with a scanner scan your key fob then replays it for your vehicle. No breaking and entering. Stop them with a Faraday bag today!
Camp Fireside Chat
“How Low Can You Go?”
Airing down is an essential part of off-roading, and every wheel and tire combination is different for every Jeeper, so how low do you air down when you hit the trail?
Do you air down to a different psi for different terrain?
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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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