Episode 596 – Off Road Air Buddy – Co2 For Less!
This Week In Jeep
Time To Get That Luxury Tow-Rig!!!
If you’re looking to get the best possible deal on a new Jeep Wagoneer, we found a potential loophole worth knowing about. Based on dealer incentive bulletins, Chrysler Capital’s 72-month financing rate is actually lower than its 60-month interest rate, providing a way to lower both your overall cost and monthly payment. Through May 2nd, the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer Series II and Series III offer 0% APR financing for 72 months. At the same time, the 60-month rate on the same SUVs is 0.9% APR. If you assumed a shorter loan would be more affordable (which in most instances happens to be the case), you could end up paying more money. On a $70,000 SUV, this difference in financing incentives could have a major effect on your potential bottom-line costs. First, the total estimated cost of a loan is over $1,600 cheaper than the 6-year loan. Second, there’s a massive price difference in the projected monthly payments when comparing both financing options. With the 5-year loan, the estimated payment would come out to $1,194 per month before taxes & fees. With the 6-year option, the same SUV would cost $972 per month. That’s a difference of $222 per month, with a lower overall cost, simply for choosing the 6-year financing deal. It’s not every day that we see a quirk like this. Longer loans typically entail higher interest rates, but that isn’t the case here. While it’s tempting to decry the prevalence of longer (and more expensive) car loans these days, this could present an opportunity to get a great deal. Having said that, there are a few downsides worth knowing about if you decide this is right for you.
Like most financing deals, this requires top-tier credit to qualify. There’s also another important catch in that the more luxurious Grand Wagoneer is completely excluded. The same goes for the more affordable Wagoneer Series I. Still, for a buyer looking to buy now, it could be a surprisingly good time to do so.
Jeep Has Reason To Celebrate Q1 of 2022
Over the years I’ve occasionally reported on annual or quarterly sales figures for the Jeep brand. It’s dry material, and I’m sure there’s only about a 1% cross-section of our lister base that even pays attention to that sort of stuff. So instead of going over the numbers of how many Jeeps were sold in what segments and what percentage growth or loss it is compared to years prior, I thought it might be fun to focus on the only numbers that matter. Now you may or may not know this, but I’m not a huge electrification fan. Not for Jeeps, and certainly not yet anyway. That being said, I can appreciate the technology and I can appreciate it, even more, when it beats up other vehicles in its segment. For the first quarter of 2022, the Jeep Wrangler 4xe was the best-selling hybrid vehicle in the US. The Jeep Wrangler 4xe outsold the next best-selling hybrid SUV, the Toyota Rav4 Prime by a huge margin. Obviously, if you had to choose between the two, well… it’s not really a choice is it? Clearly, the Toyota Rav4 is completely outclassed by the Wrangler, even in 4xe trim. Either way, congratulations to Jeep for once again beating the sales numbers of Toyota.
Some of The Three Best Things In The World
So in looking for news surrounding the world-famous Jeep Beach event happening this weekend at the iconic Daytona Beach, I stumbled across another event I can’t believe I’ve never heard of. It combines three of my favorite things in the world; Jeeps, Beaches, and Smoked Meat! “Smoke On The Beach” is what it is called, and this annual BBQ competition and Jeep show are hosted by the Myrtle Beach Shriners Club and The Myrtle Beach Jeep Club. They’ve got dozens if not hundreds of food vendors and BBQ competitors, live music, and of course… Jeeps, all on Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. And if memory serves me right, the Carolinas know a lil’ sumpthin’ about BBQ.
Unfortunately, the event is already over. It happened Easter Weekend, April 15th – 16th.
This event is now on my bucket list…. as in, I’ll need to carry a bucket with me if I’m going to have a chance of eating all the food I want. Jeeps, Beaches, and Smoked Meat… I could die a happy man there. Myrtle Beach!… I’m comin for you!
Tech Talk with Jeep Talk
What To Do If Your Jeep Has Poor Departure Angles
Ok, in this segment I’m going to focus on your big ass.
Ok, not yours specifically, but if you have a Jeep Gladiator, or pretty much any non-Wrangler Jeep and you’ve taken it offroad, well… you know what I’m talking about.
The Jeep JT Gladiator pickup truck is a great rig, it really is, but the bed overhang is a bit much. The same goes for the back end of a Cherokee or Grand Cherokee, or even the old Wagoneers for that matter. Jeep did this by design in order to maximize the truck’s hauling capacities. That’s all well and good for when you want to transport a load of bricks, but I bet most of these Jeeps would like to hit the trails more than they carry masonry. With all that body hanging out past the rear axle, it makes for very poor 
departure angles. Departure angle is the maximum ramp angle from which the vehicle can descend without taking on damage, and is defined as the angle between the ground and the line drawn between the rear tire and the lowest-hanging part of the vehicle at the rear overhang. In the case of the JT, XJ, ZJ, WJ, or any other long Jeep, this would be the tow hitch. Check out some wheeling videos of longer wheelbase Jeeps and you’ll see they drag that ass on the ground as they climb up something, and slam it down hard as they come down shelves or off rocks. The only way around this?… Get the body as high in the air as you can, big lift, big tires. Either that, or start moving the rear axle back, or start shaving the rear end. And honestly, who likes shaving ass? Seriously though, this would include things like moving the rear bumper inward and upward, comp cutting the body, or chopping the body and moving the whole rear end. Essentially a whole lot of real nasty bodywork, that you definitely don’t want to do yourself without a lot of prior fabrication experience, and will cost a fortune to have a shop do. Jeep really had it right with this year’s concept Jeep “Bob” which had a bobbed pickup bed, making it less functional for hauling, but incredibly more capable off-road with exponentially better departure angles. Regardless, if you plan on using that hitch for what it was intended for someday, maybe it might be a good idea to keep it out of harm’s way a bit more. And as per usual, we have a whole plethora of aftermarket solutions. But… they are not all created equal. And here is where this segment is going to have a crossover episode with the must-have pick of the week for your Jeep, and I talk about a specific product.
Curt makes one, and you’d think that a major hitch manufacturer would be able to get something like trailer hitch armor right, but no, theirs looks like the only way it would work is if you were going in reverse. It’s just a six-inch square piece of steel bent slightly and welded to a tube that would go into your receiver. Draw-Tite has virtually the same design as theirs, and they want more for it. In fact, there are at least a half dozen manufacturers that will sell you this same design with a different name on it for about $50. Rock Slide Engineering sells something called a Rear Hitch Slider, and this is basically just a backward shovel you mount to your Jeep. I mean if you want to snag, catch, and get hung up on virtually everything, or plow the most amazing channel behind you in the snow, then this unit is for you. It looks kinda cool, I’ll give ’em that, but it’s got to weigh a ton, and it looks horrible to try and attach or remove.
A company called Body Armor sells another reverse shovel design, that is just a much larger bent plate type attached to a tube. Oh sure, it has a nice functional step incorporated into the upper half of the design, but all that does is add weight.
On top of that, none of these units look like anything that could be used in any kind of recovery outside of pulling a go-kart across a parking lot.
Screw all that nonsense. What does the situation really call for? If you wheel, and you wheel hard, you play in the rocks, or your terrain has more steps than it does mud, then you need some hitch armor. Something low profile but highly functional.
Obviously, it’s going to need to be extremely tough, but easy to use, remove, and store.
So it has to be small then right? It would be a bonus if you didn’t have to take it out to exchange it for a recovery point too… Whatever image you have in your head, I bet it closely resembles the product made by a company called 41 Twenty Two.
https://41twentytwo.com/product/hitch-slider/
The 4122 Hitch Slider protects your hitch receiver from damage.
Its one-piece design has a ramped underside skid that allows you to smoothly glide over obstacles instead of catching up on a plate or damaging your receiver.
The 4122 Hitch Slider also incorporates a generous 1″ soft shackle or D-ring tow point into the design for added functionality. The Hitch Slider is available in five different Ceramic Coated finishes; Armor Black, Desert Orange, Electric Blue, Stealth Gray,
…and red. They also have an unfinished version for that raw machined look.
Every unit is precision machined from a solid billet of 6061-T6 Aircraft grade aluminum for a lifetime of rust-free use. They are 100% MADE IN THE USA in Southern California.
I’ve seen these things in use, and yes they definitely can take the beating. All that vehicle weight, slamming down on the rocks, time and time again. The only thing that happens is a little scratching of the ceramic coating on the underside.
But these are made of aluminum, and aluminum does not rust. And those scratches and gouges? …that’s just a real badge of honor to show just how hard you really wheel. The price point is a little steep, I’ll give you that. For now, they cost $189 and come with free shipping. But being able to use that hitch for something else down the road without rust, or a bent tube, and having a little extra armor to boot… priceless.
Jeep Talk Show Interview
Sam Herren – Offroad Airbuddy
https://www.offroadairbuddy.com/
Coming up next week… Keri and Paul Porter, from www.discover4x4adventures.com
Jeep Life – With Jeep Momma
Protecting Yourself and Your Jeep from a ConMan Mechanic
I want to share a news story out of Colorado from about a month ago. There was an investigation underway into a Colorado Springs Auto Shop after engines disappeared out of customers’ cars and the business appeared to close. More than a dozen people say the business took their money and didn’t do the work that was promised. Then when some went to get their cars they found their engines were gone. Colorado Springs police confirmed they opened an investigation but wouldn’t elaborate when asked questions by a local news station. Customers shared they felt the owner was running a great business but recently stopped returning their calls. One customer said he was out $16,000, another stated, he has nothing, no engine, no parts no nothing. One customer paid the owner about $28,000. Many people have taken their concerns to the police, but now they’re playing the waiting game. I want to clarify this wasn’t a Jeep or 4×4 shop but it looks like most Subarus. From comments on a local Jeep Group on Facebook, this man has done this before and just skips town and disappears. This happens more than you may realize. There are a lot of scammers, swindlers, and grifters out there taking advantage of people. These con men are good at what they do and can fool you. There are some ways you can protect yourself from this happening to you. It’s not foolproof because these types of con men are good…. have many years of practice and they usually move from town to town.
Top 5 Things to Look for when picking a mechanic
- Make sure they have the necessary Paperwork for Business License/ Sales Tax Permit/Certifications/insurance. This is not a guarantee all are legit but it’s a start. You can look up the business name at the Secretary of State’s office in each state to at least see if they are a business in Good Standing. This doesn’t really mean a whole lot just means they paid their fee to the state.
- Get online and look for reviews. Google is your friend. Search for the mechanic’s name and the business name. You might be surprised by what you find. Ask around town to see how long they have been in business in that town. When did they set up shop, and how long have they been at that location?
- Check out your Local County Courthouse to see if there have been any lawsuits filed. Some states have online court records you can search. The court records are public information. You don’t need to be a journalist to get the information. Just call the clerk and ask if there are any civil cases with the name of the business or owner.
- If you do find a shop to work on your vehicle make sure you get everything in writing. Everything. Even ask for receipts of parts purchased. Getting an invoice with signatures is a contract and is very important if you do have to go to civil court. An invoice or quote is like a contract.
- If at all possible DO NOT hand over thousands of dollars for restoration work or repairs. If you have to make sure you get a detailed list of what that money is for, make sure the mechanic signs it. And don’t just leave your vehicle at the shop for days, or weeks or even months on end. Check on your vehicle. Call, ask for pictures or just randomly stop by.
These conmen are good at what they do. They have been doing it for a long time and have lots of practice so you need to be on your toes. Have you ever been ripped off? I want you to call in and share your story with me! Go to Jeep Talk Show dot com on the contacts page and give us a call on the voicemail line. The more we stand up and share our stories the more educated we can be to stop this kind of abuse of the innocent.
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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