Episode 667 – Just Don’t Call It a Jeepster

This Week In Jeep

We Get First Look of Jeepster Interior

I’ve made a strong attempt over the years not to pull my punches. I tell it like it is, I piss people off, I’m brutally honest, and I don’t take any form of compensation to say one thing over another. My reviews have always been critically honest, and if I see B.S. I point it out. Since 2014 when we learned that Jeep’s parent company was forcing the brand to regurgitate an iconic name badge to put on an Italian designed sneaker shaped car and sell it as a Jeep Cherokee, I’ve been more than a little vocal over my disdain for these abortions of the auto industry receiving name plates of Yester year Jeeps with (in most cases) not a single design element paying homage to the vehicle that made that name what it is. The Cherokee, the Renegade, and the Wagoneer, just to name a few. Vehicles that in no way shape or form represent the heritage behind their names. It pisses me off to no end, and in the last few months, we’ve gotten word that Jeep is doing it again. This time with the Jeepster, and this time the blasphemy has gone too far. Look, when they first said Jeep was going to have electric offerings of its entire lineup by 2025 I didn’t say much. When Jeep said they were going to (most likely) be all-electric by 2030, I scoffed a bit. I’m not a huge fan of the hybrid Jeeps, and I think this latest move is a bridge too far. When Jeep said they were going to have an all-electric Jeep, and that it would be smaller than the renegade, I laughed. First off, why? And second, what are you going to call it? The renegade hasn’t been the success that Jeep hoped it would, even after countless celebrity endorsements. It’s the “tie a pork chop around its neck so the dog will play with it” scenario. Now we have the Jeepster. A micro-sub-compact Jeep that is anything but. First off, The Jeepster Commando was an automobile that was first produced by Kaiser Jeep in 1966 to compete with the International Scout, Toyota Land Cruiser, and Ford Bronco. What the hell is this iteration supposed to compete with, a Segway?  Four different models were available of the original Jeepster: a pickup truck, convertible, roadster, and wagon.

The Jeepster remained in production after American Motors Corporation (AMC) bought the Jeep line from Kaiser in 1970. After AMC’s acquisition, the Jeepster Commando C101 (101″ wheelbase) steadily grew in popularity. But in 1972, AMC shortened the vehicle’s name to Commando C104, extended the wheelbase to 104″, and changed the front-end design to accept the AMC I6 and 304ci V8, to be more like the Ford Bronco. Unfortunately, the new configuration, formerly an AMC best seller, quickly caused the line to drop in popularity, and because Jeep didn’t stick to its roots, the Jeepster Commando was taken out of production in 1973 and was replaced with the full-size Cherokee. That proved to be a good move, but Jeep is clearly repeating old mistakes. As the only configurations of this new Jeepster will be in engine offerings. Early rumors are there will be three. A fully electric version that we likely won’t see for a couple of years still, a hybrid, and the version that the spy photogs keep seeing, which has a traditional internal combustion engine. Another deviation from being a true Jeep is that this little wannabe is likely never going to have any form of four or even all-wheel drive, as the Peugeot chassis it’s built on doesn’t provide the room for that sort of drivetrain. These latest spy pics, courtesy of Autoblog, show the horrifically designed interior, which looks like it took design cues from the Tesla, miniaturized them, and took some creative license where they shouldn’t have. There is literally an open pocket that goes all the way from the right side of the steering column to the passenger door, and it’s big enough to fit a laptop bag into. There is an overly large linear array of vents just above that and then we have the actual horizontal plane of the dash pad itself, which is camouflaged by a series of mats and pillows to hide its true contours. The seats too have what appear to be seat covers made from Homer Simpsons underwear, and the center console is a plate of spaghetti with wires coming and going to all sorts of peripheral devices for data and telemetry recording. There is what appears to be a giant-sized Samsung galaxy in the middle of the dash as the main infotainment screen, and to the left of that is the instrument display which is unlit in these photos. The center console features a single horizontal row of small tab-like buttons for everything from defrosting and fan controls to a button that you use to access a menu for the fan…because controlling your fan with a button or knob is so 2017.

 

Adding complexity where none should be, thanks Jeep. Below all that there is again another large, gaping maw of a common pocket with USB and power ports. The steering wheel appears to be a smaller version of the kind you see in the arcade games, and it appears as if this so-not-a-Jeepster is controlled by a manual transmission. That’s a surefire way to get the hipsters to fall for this thing. Other than giving me something to make fun of and complain about, these new rounds of spy pics don’t do much for anyone I think. Literally, nobody familiar with the brand is looking forward to this regurgitated abortion, and it is likely only going to sell well in other countries where real Jeeps aren’t sold.

The Best Getaway Vehicle MIGHT BE a Jeep! 

A Warren Michigan police officer has a broken wrist and a concussion after a suspect allegedly rammed a patrol vehicle during a chase through multiple Metro Detroit communities over the weekend. Around 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20, Warren police officers were called to the 21400 block of Mac Arthur Boulevard for a report of someone possibly having a medical emergency in a blue Jeep Wrangler. Officers arrived on the scene and spoke with a man who (what is this?) ….appeared to be under the influence of narcotics! What the hell you say! The man refused to exit the Jeep and instead, started the Jeep and fled from the scene, quickly ditching the officers. Unlike the poor decision-making skills of the Jeep driving crackhead, the officers were quickly able to catch up to the fleeing druggy and initiated a traffic stop. Do ya think the guy pulled over once he saw the blue and red flashing lights? (yea, I wouldn’t have thought so either) ….and he didn’t disappoint. The drug-addled brain of the Jeep driver thought it would be a good idea to then speed recklessly through residential areas until he reached 8 Mile Road.

Once on a more arterial road, speeds increased further, and the Jeep began traveling westbound, sometimes using the eastbound lanes to do so. Oddly enough officers did not call off the pursuit, and in the area of Sherwood Avenue and 8 Mile, the suspect allegedly intentionally rammed a police vehicle, causing injuries to the officer inside.

Despite the speeds involved and the severity of the crash, the Jeep remained running and driveable. We’ve now heard no less than three stories of a criminal using a Jeep as a battering ram and utterly destroying cop cars in the process, all while remaining functional. If that’s not an attesting to the strength and resilience of a Jeep I don’t know what is. The suspect, in this chase, continued to flee until his driving skills were eclipsed by his stupidity and the euphoria that only a fresh blast of crack cocaine can provide, and he crashed the Jeep in a residential area of Detroit. Obviously, the suspect was taken into police custody. Incredibly, despite the multiple crashes, he was not injured. 

Officers discovered meth, heroin, and fentanyl in the suspect’s vehicle, which was of course stolen. Here is where things go south for me and pisses me off to no end. Despite wreckless or at least negligent driving, excessive speeds, fleeing from officers, resisting arrest, impeding an investigation, drug possession, vehicular assault on an officer of the law, possession of a stolen vehicle, and god knows what else, any sane, normal, law-abiding person would think that this dude is going to be behind bars for a long, long time. Well, in this day and age where DAs are hand-picked and paid off to NOT prosecute crimes, we have crackhead, meth-addicted, fentanyl selling, Jeep stealing deadbeats like this back out on the streets in no time. He was arraigned and released, despite having previous convictions for property crimes, theft, and domestic violence. Pillar of the community huh? The next court date is scheduled for Sept. 6th… now what do you think the chances are he’ll show up?… I’m thinking somewhere between slim and none. 

Tech Talk with Jeep Talk

TOPIC/QUESTION: Wiring Tips and Tricks – Connections

Just like any other major system on a vehicle, wiring can make or break your build. If you do it right, the entire electrical system is something that virtually disappears in a vehicle, never to be seen or thought about again. On the other hand, if you cut corners, rush it, or tackle something beyond your skill set, it’s likely that you will have done it wrong and you’ll be chasing gremlins, nonfunctioning gear, popped fuses, and yes, possibly even fires. Some of the things wiring does are not easily understood to many people… which may be why there are so many Jeepers out there who would rather get stabbed in the crotch with a rusty railroad spike than mess with wiring. But the truth is that automotive wiring really isn’t all that scary once you get an understanding of a few basic principles. Now I’m not going to begin a lesson on polarity, electron flow, or circuit layout, or start outlining the equations behind OHM’s Law. That’s going to be beyond boring for 98 percent of you out there, so let’s stick to some rules of thumb, and some helpful tips that may just be enough to get you over that fear of wiring something up on your own Jeep. Even if you don’t take the time to learn the more technical stuff, like electron flow, relay configuration, or how to calculate the load on a circuit, you can still be a competent wiring person by following a few basic rules. Now, I am a professionally trained electrician… of sorts. I’m not licensed to wire your house, but I hold what is basically one step below a master’s degree in mobile electronics. After doing this stuff for more than half my life I can honestly say that if you spend some time with some crimpers and a test light under the hood, you’ll learn something new just about every time you do something electrical-related. Whether it’s tackling a small lighting project, or if you’re ready to do a full bumper-to-bumper rewire job, chances are, you’ll pick up something new along the way. Despite being professionally trained, and has multiple certifications, a lot of what I’ve learned has come from trial and error along with good old-fashioned experience. And of course, as with most things in life, nothing beats experience. So what I’m going to try and do here, is really more about making your wiring projects easier, cleaner, and more reliable. Some of this stuff may be basic or even familiar to you, but I’m willing to bet you’ll be able to pick up a trick or two to help make your own wiring projects go a little smoother. Most wiring problems are the result of a poor connection, whether it’s within a plug, a connector, or a splice that was made who knows where or when. And don’t forget to check your grounds! That’s like the Jeep Electrical Credo right there unto itself! If you’re lucky, a bad connection will just break the flow of electricity and whatever it’s feeding will stop working. Worse are the bad connections that restrict electrical flow but don’t stop it. Restrictions mean resistance, and resistance equals heat. Enough heat equals fire, even on a circuit that’s protected by a fuse. If you understand nothing else about electricity, understand that good connections are critically important to a safe and reliable circuit or a safe and reliably running component. Ok, so to that end, let’s get into how we make these connections when doing something like installing a stereo or hooking up a new set of lights. There are two schools of thought when it comes to electrical connections. Solder or Crimp? Soldered connections offer excellent conductivity, so there’s no resistance to electrical flow.

There is a chemical connection that happens in a soldered wire joint. However, soldered connections can be work-hardened (meaning they become brittle due to the heat used to solder them) and break when subjected to extended periods of vibration. Something that is in abundance on a Jeep, especially one that sees any trail time. 

But the biggest thing that gets in people’s way is that soldered connections are more labor-intensive. Soldering 10 connections will take you at least three or four times as long or more than basic crimping. This is why some wiring guys stay away from soldering altogether. Crimp connections involve mechanically locking wires together inside a metal barrel. A properly crimped connection is more or less impervious to vibration but can offer less conductivity in some cases. Therefore, a crimped connection introduces more opportunities for resistance and voltage drop in sensitive circuits. So why not have the best of both connection types?

This is going way over the top, and obviously is going to be the most labor-intensive (or time-consuming) electrical connection type. Starting with an uninsulated terminal or butt connector, which is available online or at most hardware stores, but not as often at auto part stores… Strip and crimp the wires like you normally would, and then apply solder to both ends of the barrel. Slide some adhesive-lined shrink tubing over the connection, and apply heat to shrink it. This method supplies the strength of a crimped connection with the superior conductivity of a soldered connection, and with the right shrink wrap, can be made 100% weatherproof too. Like I said this is extremely labor intensive and is overkill for anything outside of let’s say wiring a trailer.

If you’re wiring something with multiple connections in the same area, such as a pigtail for a relay or a headlight, or in the event you are trying to repair a harness that had a cut or break in several of the wires in one place…. whenever possible stagger the connections. 

If you put all of the connectors in the same place you end up with an unsightly bulge in the harness and a greater likelihood of shorts. Staggering the connections makes it easier to wrap the harness and just looks better. It’s a pretty safe bet that a 4×4 is going to see mud and water, and an open rig like a topless Jeep can count on seeing mud and water everywhere. Water is bad for wiring for many reasons, so it’s a really good idea to use weatherproof connectors whenever possible. 

Deutsch or Weather Pack connectors are a great choice when making your own harness or want to wire in a circuit to something that may get removed at some point in the future. Think of a light bar attached to a hard top, or making your own door harnesses. These DIY weatherproof wiring kits come in all sorts of circuit sizes from single wire to 8 or more. If that’s a little too extensive for you then look for shrink tubing that comes with an adhesive inside that flows out to the wire insulation when heated, sealing the connection from the elements. They even make crimp connectors that offer something similar. Note that anything weatherproof like this is going to come with a premium price tag compared to its regular alternative. When in doubt, it’s hard to go wrong with anything marine grade. Marine Grade and weatherproof stuff is going to be a bit more expensive, but it’s always worth it in the long run. Ok, so now you’re a master of connections, now what about wire management? That my Jeeper friend will be the topic of the next installment of Tech Talk. 

This Thursday’s Interview – Ep 669 Barak Zitron https://www.modloutdoors.com/ “The Lego of the water bottle world”

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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