Episode 615 – Another NEXEN Tire Giveaway!!!
This Week In Jeep
Stellantis to Plead Guilty to Emissions Fraud
Jeep’s parent company Stellantis, the world’s fifth-largest automaker, will reportedly soon plead guilty to end a multi-year investigation into its efforts to conceal the amount of pollution created by its diesel engines. According to Reuters, the US Justice Department and Jeep’s parent company Stellantis, could announce as early as next week that the automaker has agreed to pay $300 million to settle allegations of criminal fraud. The Justice Department began investigating Stellantis around 2019 when the automaker recalled nearly 1 million vehicles in the US and Canada for not meeting federal tailpipe emission standards. As of last year, the agency has announced criminal charges for just three Stellantis employees. The probe involved approximately 100,000 Ram pickup trucks and Jeep SUVs sold in the U.S. market. If you’re having a de-Ja-Vu moment, it’s because just five years prior, Volkswagen famously pleaded guilty to its own emissions scandal that got quite a bit of attention. “Dieselgate” as many referred to it, saw the German automaker eventually pay more than $20 billion in fines and legal settlements for installing illegal software designed to cheat government emissions tests. If all some Jeep and Ram trucks did was (NOT) make the mark or failed to meet federal tailpipe standards, I can take that. Hell, who among us hasn’t failed a test or two in our day? Huh? But VW “cheated” the system, and they got slapped with a much bigger fine. $300 million is still a lot of money, but when compared to the $20 Billion VW had to pay? I think we’re good.
Recent Study Reveals Data on Age, Gender, and Income of Jeep Wrangler Owners
As we all know, owning a Jeep is incredible, and depending on your level of social awkwardness it can feel like being in an exclusive club of some sort.
Those who are regular practitioners of the “Jeep wave” are well aware of what owning a Jeep means in their lives. But it is certainly much more than a simple wave, or the geometry of the grill. But what exactly do we know about Jeep owners?
Well if you listen to this show, you’d probably have a much different idea of what Jeepers are compared to most. However, some recent market research conducted by Hodges & Company gathered data on thousands of Jeep owners of 2007-2018 and 2018-2021 Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited models. The results of this data go into detail about whether the brand caters more to men than women if the average Jeep owner is a parent, their average annual and median income, wherein the U.S. they reside, and much more. So I thought it might be interesting to break down some of this data into what I think are probably the most interesting.
WHICH STATES HAVE THE MOST WRANGLERS?
Out of the 50 states, most 2007-2021 Jeep Wranglers and Unlimiteds (JK and JL) can be found in New York, followed by Texas, California, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
For the most Jeep Wranglers (2007-2021 JK, JKU, JL, and JLU) per capita, Oklahoma came in first, followed by Michigan, New Hampshire, Wyoming, and then New Jersey.
BATTLE OF THE SEXES
Another debate surrounding Jeep Wranglers is if the model is favored more amongst women than men.
Are they mostly driven by soccer moms picking the kids up from school? Or is it still largely driven by men. The data claims that 28% of all 2007-2018 Wrangler JK and Unlimited JKU owners are women, with the other 72% being men.
AGE AND CHILDREN OF WRANGLER OWNERS
The data in this study found that a significant demographic of Jeep Wrangler owners are aged between 25 and 54 with 93% of them having children.
As many may know, Jeeps are not cheap. The MSRP for a 2022 base model Jeep Wrangler starts at $29,995, and the multitude of trims and features will only send the price upward. So what does this say about the annual income of a Jeep owner?
According to the data, the average annual household income for a two-door Jeep JL is $115,616. Owners of the 4-door Jeep JLU have a slightly higher annual household income at $122,673.
What that tells me is that there are a lot of rat bastards out there. This survey was conducted using the data provided from over 300,000 Jeepers from all across the US.
Good Jeep Times For a Good Cause
Jeep vehicle enthusiasts will converge on Richard B. Russell Regional Airport which sits about 6 miles or so north of Rome Georgia, on June 25 for an event that’s sure to draw a crowd. The 7 Hills Rubicon is a Jeep group ride and Jeep show-n-shine event to support the Floyd County Police Department’s Santa Bike Patrol program. “People love Jeeps,” said Sgt. Chris Fincher of the FCPD. “We know that locally there are a lot of Jeep fans in town. You can tell by the number of vehicles you see on the road. We hope it’ll be a popular fundraiser.” The event will feature group rides as well as competitions. Gates open at 9 a.m. The group rides will take place at 10 a.m. as well as at noon. The 10 a.m. ride will take participants through the Pocket in Armuchee to Villanow and back again for lunch. The noon ride cruises through Big Texas Valley into Chattooga County over Silver Hill.
It’s a chance for area residents to show off their Jeep vehicles and see what others have to offer. There will also be prizes awarded in five competition categories:
Most Extreme — big tires, lights, and lots of bling. Go big or go home.
Ultimate Beater — Is your Jeep vehicle a little rough around the edges? Rust and dents are welcome in this category.
Best Restoration — If your elbow grease, blood, sweat, and tears have turned your beater into a showpiece, this is the category for you.
Military — If your Jeep vehicle would make Uncle Sam proud, show it off. Bring your restorations, government service, or replicas.
People’s Choice — The people will decide on this Best in Show award is voted on by everyone in attendance.
7 Hills Rubicon will also feature food trucks, vendors, and prizes. You don’t have to have a Jeep to attend either. If you’re ever had a Jeep or are thinking about getting one or just like being around them, then come on out and enjoy the camaraderie, the atmosphere, and the hundreds of Jeeps in attendance. And of course, if you have a Jeep, are within driving distance, and want to show it off, then this is a great place to do that. Fincher said they’re still looking for more food trucks and vendors to participate in this year’s event. He’d also like to see outdoor vendors selling recreational toys, kayaks, and other outdoor products that Jeep enthusiasts might be interested in, so there’s room for vendors at this show too. General admission is $5. Those who would like to bring their Jeep to pay $20 and that covers the vehicle and two people. All proceeds will benefit the FCPD’s Santa Bike Patrol. In its third year, this program helps local needy kids get a bicycle for Christmas. To date, the program has helped more than 200 kids.
For additional information or to participate, call 706-252-4234, visit online at 7HillsRubicon.com or visit the event’s Facebook page by searching “7 Hills Rubicon.”
Tech Talk with Jeep Talk
TOPIC/QUESTION: Testing Fuses The Easy, Fast, and Safe Way
Over the years in Tech Talk, I’ve gone into detail about all kinds of electrical topics. Everything from repairs to tips and tricks to component identification and beyond. In this installment of Tech Talk, I’d like to cover a simple trick that I can’t believe I haven’t talked about before. And that’s 
testing fuses. I know it’s a simple topic, and honestly, it’s likely beneath a lot of you, but I know for certain there are lots of Jeepers out there who don’t even know where their fuse panel is. So this is for all of you. An all-too-common situation can occur to any Jeeperr at any time… and that’s dealing with a blown fuse. Maybe it’s something as simple as a cigarette lighter no longer working or something more serious like a whole series of components suddenly failing. Fuses are in every vehicle heading back at least a half a century or more. They’re there for a reason and are meant to be the weak link in the electrical system should a fault arrive. That’s not to say a blown fuse means that there’s a problem in that circuit. It could have blown because of something as simple as a power surge, or something like water getting in someplace it shouldn’t. Either way, you’re suddenly faced with something not working and it’s time to do some troubleshooting to figure out what’s going on. A word of caution here, sometimes the situation is more serious than a blown fuse and you could indeed be faced with a more serious problem. We’ll deal with that in another episode, but for now, let’s figure out how to find which fuse is blown the fastest and safest way. Some people may opt for visual identification. No matter how old the Jeep, fuses are easily identified when they are blown. All types of fuses have a small filament-like piece of metal inside of them. The length, thickness, and shape of this metal filament is what determines the amperage rating of the fuse, or how many amps it will protect against before blowing. Oftentimes there is a spark involved internally to the fuse creating a burnt look.
Other times it’s not as obvious. Either way, you don’t want to go through multiple fuse panels pulling out multiple fuses one at a time inspecting them, and then reinserting them.
You’ll be there for half the day doing that and may not find what you’re looking for. The quickest, fastest and safest way to check for a blown fuse is going to be using a test light. Another word of caution here, not all test lights are created equal. Using an inferior test light on a circuit containing something like an airbag can have disastrous results. This is why I always recommend having a good quality test light in your toolbox. Opting for that cheap light bulb in a screwdriver handle with a piece of wire and an alligator clip is only going to lead to trouble. So find yourself a good quality logic probe.
You don’t have to spend $250 through Snap-on or Matco to get a good quality cool. Hell, even Harbor Freight now has units that will test for both voltage and ground while being airbag and computer safe. Typically these styles of probes will hook up to a battery with alligator clips and or plug into a cigarette lighter for power. Even if your cigarette lighter circuit is blown, the ground is still there and that is essentially all you need for this testing procedure. Using the test light, and having access to your fuse panel, take the tip of the probe and touch it to each of the small metal points that are on top of each fuse.
Each and every fuse style, Torpedo, ATO, MTC, full-sized, Maxi, Mini, or Micro, every fuse type has points on it for the purpose of testing. Oftentimes these are recessed into the plastic body of the fuse itself. But they are always on the top. Doing this procedure with the ignition all the way on is going to help you identify any potential circuit that doesn’t have power. Moving the probe quickly from one point on the fuse to the next and then moving on to the next fuse will save time and give you an accurate reading of whether or not that fuse on that circuit is good or not. It takes a fraction of the time of actually pulling the fuse out, inspecting it, and putting it back. Plus, there’s no risk of a misdiagnosis. Having the right tools for the job and knowing how to use them will make any situation on any vehicle a lot easier to deal with. So the next time you go to test a fuse for yourself or somebody else, remember the test light and remember the testing points on the fuses. oh, and hey, “while you’re in there” … be sure to double-check the status of spare fuses. Make sure that you have some on hand and that they are readily accessible. A blown fuse is only half the equation. getting some power back to that circuit it’s going to require some spare fuses, and it’s always a good thing to have some spares.
Jeep Life – With Jeep Momma
Trail Etiquette Do’s & Don’ts
With the Jeep Talk Show event coming up and the warm summer temperatures arriving it means it is time to get out onto those off-road trails again. It is also time to brush up on the unwritten rules of trail etiquette to keep everyone safe.
Jeep Momma’s Do’s & Don’ts
Do: Keep Track of Your Group When off-roading in a group, it is the responsibility of every driver to keep track of the vehicle behind them via the rear-view mirror. Don’t leave your new friends behind.
Don’t: Tailgate – it is dangerous AND annoying. Allow the vehicle ahead of you to completely pass over the obstacle before you make an attempt.
Do: The vehicles going up an incline have the right of way. On steep inclines, the loss of climbing momentum might cause a loss of traction or an engine stall. The vehicle going down should pull over as safely and quickly as possible.
Don’t: Speed on the trails. Trail riding is not a quick activity. Take your time, be aware of all obstacles and enjoy the environment around you.
Do: Be prepared. Make sure you bring the essentials, including tow straps/recovery kit, tools, fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit, a CB radio, and a spare tire among other things.
Do: Stop helping others. We all rely on each other, especially in remote areas. The off-road community is one of the friendliest and most helpful groups of people there is.
Don’t: Dusting — Anytime you drive by someone on a dry dirt road at more than 10 mph, you cause a huge cloud of dust. A number of Jeeps are open-air, so all this dust will not only cover the interior of the vehicle, it can also inhibit the driver’s vision or breathing. Slowing down to a crawl will prevent dusting.
Don’t: Wheel spinning: Ordinarily, wheel spinning is the result of one of two things: Driver error or having the wrong equipment. Either one throws rocks or mud on other vehicles or can cause ruts in the trail, making it an unpleasant experience for the next person. If you find yourself in a situation where you are spinning excessively, try another line or turn around.
Don’t: Rock stacking: This is permissible occasionally to help get out of a bad situation. But if you have to routinely stack rocks to make it over an obstacle, you may want to re-think your route or your vehicle’s capability. Rock stacking disturbs the environment and can permanently change an obstacle.
Obstacle Tips
Closely observe the vehicle ahead of you. This helps you pick the proper line(s) for negotiating a rough spot.
The ability to see their rear differential is a good starting point.
Get a better perspective when there are multiple obstacles by dropping farther back. This gives you more time to think through your strategy.
When stopped, pull completely off the trail and pick a spot that’s already been disturbed. Try not to park on tall, dry grass for fire safety reasons.
Be patient, helpful, and keep a good attitude because next time it could be you!
If you have made several attempts at an obstacle and there is a long line of rigs waiting their turn, move aside and let them through. There is nothing wrong with being winched through an obstacle if you can’t make it through on your own after a reasonable number of attempts.
Leave your ego at home. Don’t let others pressure you into doing something you’re not comfortable doing. There is nothing wrong with taking a bypass if you or your vehicle is not up to tackling an obstacle.
Always practice good “Leave No Trace” and “Tread Lightly” ethics.
There is a link in the show notes of my Top 5 Trail Etiquette Tips. You might want to check it out because in the video I pay homage to Josh and an old Jeep Talk Show reference.
Do you have any tips when it comes to trail etiquette?
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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