Great Smokey Moutains

Exploring the Rocky Mountains: Must-Visit Spots for Off-Road Enthusiasts

14,000-foot mountain peaks, shimmering, untouched alpine lakes, elk, moose, bears, eagles, and wolves, rushing rivers, and steep waterfalls. No one but you and your off-road rig around for miles and miles.

When it comes to exploring the wilds of America, it doesn’t get any better than the Rocky Mountains. Along with stunning views and easily accessible nature, Colorado is packed full of plenty of things to do off the beaten path, including great food, legendary craft beer, and historic frontier towns brimming with attitude.

Whether you’re a seasoned off-roader or a newbie looking for some fun, these must-visit spots are guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping.

So buckle up, grab your GPS, and let’s hit the trails!

https://realtruck.com/blog/exploring-rocky-mountains-must-visit-spots-off-road-enthusiasts/

Jeep Talk Show Gladiator Update

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*** End Show Notes *** Begin Show Transcrpit ***

In this Jeep Talk Show Flagship II episode, Natalie from Highlift Offroad teams up with Tony to dive into the Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion, discuss the pros and cons of bobbed beds, and explore a new GoPro competitor. Don’t miss this action-packed episode filled with Jeep insights and off-road gear reviews!

I always want to stay approachable. So, and this is the approachable build. It is something that everyone can relate to. I went to 37 Maxxis Razors on the KMC tank beadlocks. So it’s very, you know, there’s a three and a half lift from RockCrawler. It is the classic next step after you do your, you know, lift wheels and tires, or if you want to go straight to that, if you have the budget for that. So, you know, it was a year and a half of planning and all of a sudden here it is. So I’m alive again.

Yeah, you haven’t had your vehicle for a year, I believe you said.

I mean, you knew where it was. It was a year this weekend.

Yeah, you knew where it was and all, but. I did. It’s gotta be difficult not having your baby.

It was. And I am lucky to have been fortunate to drive the twins around. As you guys have heard me talk about the twins that we have, it’s, you know, two JLs and two separate builds.

It’s fun, but it’s not the same as your own vehicle.

It isn’t. And so I got to actually get in it when they debuted it to me on Tuesday morning, right before I left to haul it down to Smokey. And I got to drive it out of the shop and onto the trailer. And that was the most I got to drive it until Saturday night. It was essentially 0.5 miles. I got to drive it and it felt like coming home. I was back in the tank. There was just something about it.

Well, you’re really geared too. So you have the proper gearing for those 37s.

Yes.

So I would imagine that even though the motor didn’t change, the feel must be different.

The feel changed and my exhaust, I had a very, the OEM exhaust, but I pinched it shut from wheeling. So it needed some love. So MBRP, I’m very excited to run a new exhaust from them. And already I cannot believe it growls. It growls at me. I’m like, do I have a 392 in here?

So definitely don’t guys. Do you have a skid system on the bottom of your Jeep?

I will. So Clayton off road, that’s where I got my skid system from. Unfortunately we did not have time to install it before Smokey was being installed literally today. So it will be on there, but it was actually kind of fun showing because the way I had it flexed with the passenger side going up, I was able to show when OEM skid system can handle with a driver like myself that does not have all the finesse in the world, especially learning and starting out. So it was kind of fun to be able to talk about that with the patrons that were there. So I actually kind of was kind of glad that I was able to show both.

No, it’s perfectly fine. I’m just thinking about that. I don’t know that the skid system will help protect that part of your exhaust where you crimped it off, but it will probably protect some of it, right?

A little bit, but from what I could see, since I had it lifted,

it’s tucked up underneath now. So where the OEM really hung down.

So now it’s completely flush.

That’s wonderful. So you got the off-road treatment. That’s good. I did.

So I’m very excited.

So I think it’s wonderful talking about your Jeep and high lift and all, but I don’t care about that shit. Let’s talk about the Jeep talk show and the conversation you had out there at Great Smoky about Jeep Invasion. Tell me about the order, the order that you were taking.

Right. So I was fortunate, like I said, to be selling Bill Stein Shocks through our shop. And while I was completing an order for a new set of the 5,100 Bill Steins, which is such a great get you in the game shock. I can’t speak enough great about it, but we’ll talk about that.

I told you, I have mine. I have some on the XJ.

Yes. And I sold several for XJs. There was a lot of CJs I was selling for XJs.

The 90s were running rampant at one point. I was loving it. So it was kind of fun to see all these great families doing all these builds on these, especially like a classic.

Oh, real quick. So I’ll just mention, I was getting a lot of wheel hop with my 33 mud terrains and getting cupping. And I did some research and they were talking about the best on Bill Stein 5,100s. And I put that on there and I don’t have any more cupping anymore.

Look at that.

Okay. And then I bought the front first and then later I got the rear. I didn’t have any problem really with the rear, but the shocks that were on there were like 12 years old. So if anybody out there with a TJ or an XJ, and you’re having the wild problem with your mud terrains cupping, I mean, well, we all like that sound or whatever. It’s coming down the road. People know you’re coming. Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah. That’s the cupping. But anyway, the Bill Stein 5,100s cured that for me. So, Oh, that’s good to know. Head over to high lift and get you some.

Please do. We ship nationwide guys. We’re literally fulfilling orders right now from Smokey. So hold on tight if you did place an order with me. But it was great when I was placing this order with this gentleman. He looked down and saw my card on the table and saw my name and he’s like, “Wait a minute, as in Natalie, like Chick Chat Jeep talk show Natalie?” And well, now he’s, I’m holding him hostage at this point.

There we go.

Oh, so yeah. So I was very excited to be able to talk to a listener and he said, how much he enjoys the show. And of course it was flattering.

I just want to point this out. This is, I mean, maybe he recognized your face since we’re doing video. And if you guys aren’t aware, this is available on YouTube. You should go to YouTube, search for a cheap talk show, subscribe, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But I think it’s cool that he recognized your name.

Yes, yes. I just got this business card. So that really helped. Thank you, Mike.

But yeah, I mean, he really felt my name inside.

But it doesn’t say cheap talk show on it. There’s no reference to the show on there. There wasn’t. So that’s a big deal. I mean, that is a really big deal. And that goes along with what I was telling you about us really enjoying you here on the show. Not only Chick Chat, but also to the main show.

Thank you so much. And it was just so neat to be able to talk to customer, this customer especially,

and his joy of the show. And we just really appreciate our listeners because we love what we do on here. And Tony and I have actually never met in person, but I feel like I’ve known Tony my whole life. So I hope you guys, it seems like you guys really feel the joy that we feel too. So thank you so much for listening.

It’s a fun show, yeah.

And also I got to see some of our sponsors, Tony. So that was even better. Real Truck. Oh my goodness. I have never, I had never heard of Real Truck until I started listening to the show. So Real Truck, thank you for everything you’ve done and the episodes that you’ve been a part of. And I got to meet some of your representatives and it was great to be able to talk about it. And I got to do the voice with them about realtruck.com. So it was fantastic.

So now you have to tell the story properly, the way you told it to me, which was, there was a guy cutting through the Bilstein booth area. He was cutting through. And you grabbed him. Hey, wait a minute there.

I did. Like I literally grabbed his wrist. I was like, wait, realtruck.com is on your polo. I have to talk to you.

Did he?

I made him talk to me.

Did he look like some of us do, whenever says the girl grabs you and says, I got to tell you, I’m pregnant.

And like, oh, I got to get out of here. Oh gosh. I mean, he was a little nervous at first because who’s this girl grabbing me? Like what is going on? But then once I, immediately he was so very excited to hear about it.

He forgot he was working.

Yes, he did. Then I was like, oh, I got to get back to work. So get out of here. I’m selling these parts, not you. So it was a great little way to interact. I was really proud.

Very, very proud. So did realtruck have another Panarosa area?

They did.

I mean, their area.

It was very large and very, and actually we had another, we had three Jeeps in the show, everybody. So one of them was big twin of her with Teraflex and Teraflex was caddy cornered to them. So I got to go visit her a few times. Was Dennis out there?

I’m sorry. Was Dennis there?

He was there, yes. He was. And he actually informed me that I left a hair clip in his Jeep from our San Hollow moment. And I’ve been looking for that one because it’s Hilah Blue. So he forgot to bring it. So hopefully I’ll get to see him again in the spring when we go to Moab and he’ll have my hair clip for me.

Tell people that don’t know what was the event at San Hollow, just to give them a brief, because you mentioned it and we don’t know exactly what that is.

The very true, sorry guys. So yeah, so Hilah does put on what’s called Hilah Expeditions and we will take you to the hotspots out West. We will transport your vehicle via train. It’s all inclusive.

It’s so amazing. We fly you out. It’s all included and all inclusive price and we cook for you. I cook for you. Michael Bailey cooks for you. And it’s definitely a dinner show every night. So it’s great. And we take all the stress away for you. So we get to take you with industry led rides. We have different guides that come out from different industry leaders that participate and like Dennis would. So, and that was our San Hollow trip this year in San Hollow, Utah. It sounds a little– Or Hurricane, Utah.

Yeah, it sounds a little bit like Jeep Jamboree where they do that similar type thing and it’s a big deal. They do. I mean, especially when they fly in a grand piano for one of the nights.

Right, exactly.

I mean, I don’t know if they still do that. I, oh God, I’m forgetting the gentleman’s name. He’s now president, Jeep Jamboree. It’s an unusual name.

Anyway, you know what I’m saying?

That gentleman. Thank you, sir. But I remember talking to him. This was before he was actually the president. Yeah. Zulof.

Pierce, is it Pierce Zulof, I think.

I think it might be. I’m gonna go with it. I’m gonna say smiling not on this one. I’m not sure.

Yeah, no problem. So, but anyway, did the interview with him and this is something good to mention to you guys. We have over a thousand, over 1100 episodes in the Jeep Talk Show. And there’s no telling who you haven’t heard as far as interviews go. Isn’t that the truth? Yeah, Pierce Zulof, that’s right. So anyway, you can go back and listen to that interview.

Yeah.

All right, so what other shenanigans did you get up to there at Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion or what something interesting that happened out there? Cause I know there’s stuff that we hadn’t talked about.

You know, it was my first time doing such a large show and being a part of it. Cause it is technically a show as well.

And, you know, being able to do the load in and the load out from essentially start to finish the way the organizers have everything, it is, they make it so easy on us as industry vendors and, you know, being able to pull in to the Leconte Center for the first time. And I was a little starstruck. I think it’s okay to say that. I think man or woman you would be, especially, you know, debuting your own personal rig. And there was only two JKs in the whole show. So I was really excited to be one of those. And especially in red. So red is not real common right now. It’s a lot of grays. And, you know, Tony, we have that connection. You have the Jeep Talk Show Red Gladiator.

Red JK with a little bit of Jeep Talk Show going on it too. So it’s, you know, it’s really fascinating to see that process. And then all of a sudden on Saturday at five o’clock when the show’s over, essentially it’s like an air horn moment and all of a sudden it’s like the circus. Yes, the circus is leaving town. And, you know, it was a neat experience for me cause I got to actually do a lot of the merchandising and inventory. Cause we did partner with Rigid with our gladiator, our Bobbed Gladiator, which we’re going to talk about in a little bit. And to be able to be a part of that firsthand.

So you had a Bobbed Gladiator out there?

We did. It’s the High Look Off Road Bobbed that we just completed right before we left. We did three builds in 15 days for the show. And, you know, there’s, and we’re not the only ones doing stuff like that. You know, all the industry, we try to bring everything to the table for you as, you know, our listeners and the customer and just the Jeep enthusiasts. We want you to see the latest and greatest.

And also the history of it too.

How was the reception? I mean, I’m not trying to talk bad about Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion, but I’ll just ask this question. How was it for a high lift, your time being out there and going through the process of getting all those rigs out there and set up, was it worth your time as a vendor to go to Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion?

You know, that’s a great question because I think sometimes it can be a yes and a no. Of course. Right? So for us this year, it was a yes. Good. I think because the way we were able to partner with our industry partners, and we’re very lucky to have these relationships that Michael has developed and the trust that they put in us as, you know, a shop and for us to be able to carry their product and be direct with them. Now we’ve done it a different way where we brought our whole setup with our tents and everything and box trucks who a product and, you know, close the shop down for almost two weeks. That I don’t think was as beneficial as what we just did. We were very fresh. We got to actually engage and talk with everyone, answer questions and, you know, really enjoy the time with these three special rigs that we had there and be able to really see you as the enthusiast and take that time with you.

Do you get the feeling it’s because of what you brought out there? I mean, including your rig and the bobbed bed. Was that, did you get a feeling that that was a little more exciting for people that maybe they- I do.

Yeah. That’s a great way to put it because we were, the way we were positioned, we got very lucky. So when you first entered the Lecontte Center, right there was the bobbed gladiator from high lift and the rigid booth. And then you went around the corner and then there’s the 2017 JK, you know, fully rebuilt as a off-road and street rig. It could be both.

Right.

That’s important. And you go around the other.

Yeah. Not a lot of people have the income to have, you know, a dedicated rig for off-road.

Absolutely. And then also around the other corner, then is the JL, our big twin four door JL. So on forties and tons.

Why is it called big twin?

So big twin, her VIN number. So the VIN numbers for the twins are one digit off and big twins on tons and forties. And then little twin who’s, she’s, she’s our workhorse of the fleet. She is on 38s and the Rubicon axles. So they kept her as more, that’s the other approachable build for the JL. We really want people to be able to relate to our vehicles because it’s important. And I, you know, we have them out in the community and doing events. Like there was an event last night locally for us that we get to be a part of. And it’s just, you know, meeting up at a barbecue place and hanging out.

It’s all about name recognition. If you can get that name out there on the vehicles and when the people see it and they may, like you did with real truck, they may initially say, hi, Lyft, what’s that? You know, and they see it and then they, maybe they see something else about it. Oh yeah. I remember seeing that.

Exactly.

Yes. It’s, and that’s how we do advertising here. It’s all about name recognition, getting your name out in front of people.

You know, Javier, he’s our, you know, head of marketing and design. He did, my rap is the same as the twins. And I’m, I feel so lucky to even have that. And it’s great because now like when we were all going down the road.

It ties it together. That’s a good idea.

It does. And even though I’m not blue, I’m red. Even when we were going down the road, coming home, I mean, I was getting messages from people seeing us and they were like, wow, you guys going down the road look incredible. And you know, we, and it was, and it was nice to hear. It’s very nice to hear. We do try very hard for the customer and the Jeep enthusiasts altogether. So.

So I want you guys to understand something. I’m not just being nice when I go, Oh, that’s nice. That, that recognition that, and people taking the time to post about it or whatever they’re doing.

For somebody that’s done a podcast for 14 years, it’s an amazing thing. And this is one of the reasons why I was so excited about people recognizing you at the show as being on the Jeep show, getting people involved in what you’re doing with the show. I mean, yeah. I mean, if they take the time to mention it, I mean, even if it’s a negative thing, it’s a big deal for them to take their personal time and say something or do something. So yeah, I mean, it’s, it’s wonderful that you’re getting that kind of reaction. Thank you.

But I get it because we’re all a team, right? So they’re listening to all of us and we just, like I said, I thank you guys so much for listening because we really appreciate it.

Oh yeah, absolutely. Well, we’re having fun here. And we hope that you’re having the fun with us. All right. So Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion, we’re going to get to the Bob bed here in a second. And it’s not, I want to tell you guys, it’s not the motor built Bob bed that we’re going to be talking about. It is not. That’s probably, would you think that’s probably the most recognized or known to Bob bed solution for the Gladiator?

I would think just, I mean, you know, there’s such a national brand too. So, you know, they, they rolled that out and you know, it’s, it’s, it’s still, it’s a great bed. It’s a great bed, but I mean, I’m going to say what we do is better.

I have to say that. And I think the only other Bob bed I know about is America’s most wanted four by four.

So, I mean, if you’re in the company of Moto built and America’s most wanted four by four, you’re in pretty good company there at high lift off road. I want to mention high lift off road.com. I like to try to do that. Even though we’re not actually doing an interview here, we’d like to plug our friends over friends of the show over there at high lift off road.

And we’re available to you guys every day. So whatever you need, we’re here. So actually America’s most wanted with across from me and the Brent Hensley who has their demon gladiator, the Bill Stein demon, as we’ve talked about when I’ve been possessed by that demon a few times. So it was a lot of fun. I got to actually share the booth with him and our two vehicles were together and never in my wildest dreams ever would have thought my vehicle would be next to his and you know, playing in the sandbox and here we are. So AMW was right across the way.

This is a wonderful perk of being associated with high lift off road and having no free time at all, because you have to dedicate it to all this other stuff that you do for high lift.

Very true. I have worked very hard guys. It’s been a labor of love.

Just because you do the work doesn’t mean that the company you’re working for, and this is a sad truth for many companies and people, doesn’t mean you’re going to be recognized or appreciated. And I think this bill recognizes and appreciates you. And I want to be clear too, and you correct me if I’m wrong on this, this isn’t something that you, it’s just a freebie for you. You agreed to it and you’re having to, you’re getting discounts of course, but this is something that you’re paying for.

Yes, I mean there’s relationships, correct. I’ve built some very amazing relationships, like especially right now, like CrawlTech and, CrawlTech was kind enough to share the build yesterday. And that was so, I was amazed by that, like being able to promote them. And now I’m with being the company of Mischief Maker and Holly and she’s something I, someone I’ve idolized since I even knew you could take your Jeep off the pavement.

So to be able to even be in the same name with her, I was just, wow, like it just means the world. And, and you know, yes, I have worked very hard. Mike is, he brings out the best in his people, even when you want to cry sometimes, but he knows how to, he knows what you’re capable of. And he really, really wants to see us succeed. So it’s been a great year and a half of working really hard. And now it’s even more. So, cause I’m going to be heading to Detroit for fast next week guys, cause I got to go up there. So come see me.

I’m glad you mentioned that. So Chris from the Jeep talk show is going to be there. And Tom Zielinski offered up a booth in Tom probably doesn’t want me talking about this. So too bad.

Sorry, Tom. I saw you at Smokey two Tom, having a great hug.

Tom of four Fest events, a friend of the show, absolutely a friend of the show. He offered up a booth for G-tops. So you’ve heard us talking about G-tops. It’s so cool. And this is one of the reasons why I was hoping you were going Natalie is because I want you to see those G-tops firsthand. So you can be as impressed with them as I am, but I’m telling you, if you think they suck, we want to hear about it.

I mean, honestly, I’d rather have the positive and negative feedback. So we know what we’re doing.

Yeah, absolutely. Cause I don’t, when I get really excited about something, I’m very positive about it. And I keep talking about the G-tops cause I love mine. I mean, they’re just fantastic.

And I didn’t think I was going to be able to get a set anytime soon, but Chris at G-tops sent me a set. They’re completely free to me. I mean, he took care of the whole thing. So, and it’s beyond that, it’s just, I wanted a set, but I wasn’t going to ask Chris for any. I’m not here to get products from the show. And he said, hey, I’m going to send you, he goes, you have the loaners I gave you for the EJS trip. Instead of sending those back, send me your freedom panels. It’s so awesome. And what is it like? You go, no, no, no, yes, no, no, no.

Yes, but no, yes.

(Both Laughing)

It’s so funny. I was literally under the gladiator working on something. I think I was putting on the skid system and our testing or shaking it or something. And whenever he called me, I’m having a phone under the gladiator lay in there. And he’s telling me about this stuff. So anyway, I really love them. And my wife is ecstatic about them. Oh, I love that. How many times can you get something, do something to your Jeep that your wife really enjoys? And does it go,

oh, that’s nice.

Oh, that’s nice. Well, just to have your spouse in general enjoy it because it could be the husband too. Absolutely.

And yeah, I mean, just that they agreed for the first time, like that’s really nice.

You don’t have to flip anything back. You just get in. You don’t have to take anything off. You just get in and look up. I mean, it’s fantastic.

It really is cool. You have a great video that you’ve been able to show on the Instagram page, guys, check out the reel. And it’s amazing to see, that was the winner actually of the contest. He and his wife debuted them.

Oh, what a wonderful video.

And that video, it made me excited. Like I felt like I really understood the concept behind G-tops.

Well, the emotion she had was genuine and she was just awestruck. And it’s very much like that. I will tell you this and it pisses me off because I confirmed this with Chris at G-tops. The JK panels are a little bit bigger than the ones with the JL and the JT.

Oh boy. Oh my gosh, and I have a JK?

And it all has to do with the way the Freedom Top is designed for the JKs.

Oh my gosh. Why you need to get a top again? So that would be helpful because I really, really, really like it.

Just the idea. It doesn’t matter if it’s snow, ice or anything. I’m sorry, I’m doing a G-tops commercial only because I’m so excited about it. It’s all good. All right. So exploring the Rocky Mountains must visit spots for off-road. So you’re gonna tell me no, but I’m gonna ask anyway, have you been to the Rocky Mountains?

I have. I have, but not with my G.

But not with my G. Well, but you’ve been.

I’ve been to ski.

So 14,000 foot mountain peaks, shimmering untouched alpine lakes. Oh my God, I’m getting excited. Elm, moose, gear,

bears, eagles, wolves, rushing rivers. And don’t try to forge those rushing rivers, by the way. No. Steep waterfalls. No one but you and your off-road rig around for miles and miles. That sounds amazing. I’m thinking a special kind of food, especially breakfast food. You know where you’re cooking the bacon and the eggs first thing in the morning and the skillet. Why does it taste different?

It always does. I just try a new bacon. Here’s a plug that everybody knows, but there’s a Kentucky bourbon bacon at your local Kroger’s right now that is amazing. So check it out.

Yeah, advertised with this Kroger’s.

Yes.

When it comes to exploring the wilds of America, it doesn’t get any better than the Rocky Mountains, along with stunning views and easily accessible nature. Colorado is packed full of plenty of things to do off the beaten path, including great food, legendary craft beer, and historic frontier towns brimming with attitude. I was gonna say altitude, which would be correct as well. It is correct. Altitude and attitude, I’m into it. Whether you’re a seasoned off-roader or a newbie looking for some fun, these must visit spots are guaranteed to get your adventure pumping. So buckle up, grab your GPS, and let’s hit the trails. Now this is a blog entry at realtruck.com. So if you go to realtruck.com slash blog and just search for exploring Rocky Mountain must visit spots off-road enthusiast. Man, there’s some SEO going on. That title, I can tell.

(Laughing)

Just a little bit. Cause that’s long.

(Laughing)

Or you can just go to the show notes for this episode of the Jeep Talk Show, jeeptalktok.com. And just check out the link that we’ll have there in our show notes. So I think that I’ve been to Colorado. I’ve been to Colorado in the gladiator twice now.

Oh, beautiful.

But it was only going through the little tidbit at the end to get to UGS.

Oh yeah, that’s true, yeah.

But I mean, seeing the mountains. And I mean, there’s a lot of stuff to see. Once you, I think, I guess I’ve stopped this use to Texas. So driving through Texas is boring.

Getting you to New Mexico gets a little more interesting. And as you get further through New Mexico, going up to Moab, Utah, it starts getting a lot more interesting.

Oh yeah, oh my gosh.

And it is just absolutely gorgeous. I’m so glad, I’ve mentioned this before, I’m so glad I forced my wife to go with me this year because I knew.

Me too.

I knew she was going to be just awestruck with all the rocks and that. It’s just like a different planet. It is, it really is. So it was amazing thing. So if you guys are thinking about going to EJS or just going to Moab, Utah, I think you have to go. I think it’s a must have. Absolutely, yeah, I agree. And I’ve had people ask me what my build is on my gladiator because they don’t know, they don’t know what they need to get out there. But that’s one of the things High Lift Off Road could help them with as well, right?

It is, and also if you guys can’t make EJS, we are, I mean, I’m just gonna go ahead and say it, but we are gonna be doing our own Moab High Lift Expedition

starting on May 4th of 2025. Departure Day is May 4th, 2025. And it is gonna be geared towards the 37s, 38s, 40s, but we really wanted to make it to where you’ve never, if you’ve never been out there before, we wanna get you there, so.

Very cool, and this would be something similar to what you were talking about, the San Hollow trip.

Yes, yes, yes. And this is what made me fall in love actually with wheeling and honestly with high lift. I went on one of their trips, I invited myself actually. So, and Mike said, “Well, if you fly out,” he goes, “I’m gonna put you to work, but you gotta get yourself out here.” And I was like, “You know what? You only live once.” And my cats were fine at home alone. So I was like, “I’m going,” and now here we are. And I’m in the polo now, so something worked out.

Sadly those cats passed, but you got new cats now, right?

I do, yes.

(Laughs)

People are going, “Oh!”

My dumpster angels.

(Both Laugh)

The cats are fine. The cats are good guys. Probably the cats weren’t just fine.

(Both Laugh)

Gladiator.

My name is Gladiator.

Gladiators. Are you not entertained?

Are you not entertained? I can’t believe you’re here. Is this not why you were here?

It’s funny. Anyway, I just mentioned really quick, I’ve gone through a lot of stuff here over the last 24 hours getting all this stuff running again because we were getting popping noises in the audio.

And so I think I’ve fixed all that now, but some of the, there’s a few loose ends I’ve got to tidy up. And one of the things is getting it where the host can hear these intros. All right, so this week, we are not gonna be talking about the 2021 Jeep Talk Show Gladiator, but we are gonna be talking about gladiators. And we’ve teased it about the bobbed bed. We have? No, the Jeep Talk Show Gladiator is not getting a bobbed bed, but it would be– You never know, Tony. It’d be really cool. Although my wife, I told you, Natalie, my wife said when I could put the Jeep Talk Show stickers on the side of the Gladiator shortly after getting it, she says, because I was telling her I was gonna go over to Underground Graphics and get those things put on, and she goes, oh, and I went, what’s the matter? She goes, I was just hoping we could keep it nice for a little while longer.

Oh, gosh, I mean, I get it.

So the bobbed bed, it would be like, why? You can’t carry anything in that trunk, I mean, in that bed now. I was like, well, it never was gonna happen anyway.

Anyway, tell us about, I just found out about this today. So Hi-Lift Off-Road has a bobbed bed solution that you guys actually premiered out at Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion, is that true?

We did, yeah. Like I said, we did have our Gladiator, the Hi-Lift Off-Road Gladiator in the rigid booth, and we were able to debut the new, our solution, and which is, I think, revolutionizing the bobbed game, because we do everything in-house. And Matt Moss, our lead mechanic, and also, he’s my trail buddy, jeeping with Matt and Matt, as we call it. He has been working on this for quite some time, and now we have perfected it. And we actually, we take your bed, it is not replaced, it is your bed that we cut 10 inches off of, and then reapply everything. And also, with our price, it’s actually $8,500, so $8,500 is the starting, and we do actually keep it right at that pretty much, and barring any other things that might need to be done. But that also includes the bed liner, the paint, everything. So– So it’s a turnaround thing.

You take it in there, it gets bobbed, painted, it’s ready to go, there shouldn’t be anything you have to do, other than appreciate all the comments and the looks that you get.

Yeah, exactly. And the best part is, we keep it as OEM as possible, because that’s always the goal, right? Is to keep things as OEM as possible, so it looks still like, because it’s still the factory bed, we just take 10 inches off it, and then reapply.

That’s one of the reasons why I like the G-tops that we were talking about earlier, because it looks like factory plus, and that’s one of the

reasons why– Factory plus, that’s a good way to put it, yes.

And that’s one of the reasons why I love Greg Henderson’s stuff so build. I mean, his build so much, is because it’s like factory plus, it’s OEM plus. And it’s just like, you look at it, it looks like factory, and you wonder why the hell you’ve never seen it before, and then you do a little research, and you find out the factory didn’t make it.

Right, exactly.

I love those kind of builds.

Yes, and so, and also the way Matt, with how he does it, it is considered more of a frame chop, so you’re not, other companies are doing where they will re-weld, there’s more welding going on, where we don’t have to do that. So you stay intact, you keep the strength, the OEM strength, which is still extremely strong, and so you really do keep it as factory as possible, and you still get that epic look that it creates. I did send Tony, I sent you some photos, so you might put them on the screen as we’re talking here, but you guys will see the bobbed that we created, and there goes Action Sports, who I’ve talked about before, they have the Hellcat from America’s Most Wanted, and now they bobbed their bed, they bobbed it last year, we were one of the first for us to do, and it’s been incredible to watch them wheel this, I’ve watched them wheel it in Moab and in San Hollow, and locally here in Kentucky and Cincinnati, and the approach angle totally changed for the better, for the better, so it really does help you.

Well, it has to, because it sucks.

Yes, and I mean, cutting 10 inches off, that’s kind of a lot, but you still have so much bed space,

and you are still able to utilize that bed if you need it, so not just as an off-road vehicle, but as your everyday, as your everyday.

And who was it that you said’s doing the bobbed beds?

It’s Matt Moss, Matt Moss with Highland Off-Road.

Yeah, so is Matt, did he have a current or a prior business doing circumcisions? Because this seems to be

a– He might, he might if he doesn’t told me about it,

so– And do me a favor, I’ve always wondered about this, ask him if he works your tips.

I will, I will Tony, oh, you’re so bad. You know, I’ve watched Matt, his precision, his hand is so steady, and I watched him, just installing the bumpers on my Jeep, I watched him cut that with the horns and everything. His lines are just so perfect, and he just has, it takes a special person to have, first of all, the confidence to plasma cut into something,

but do it right, and it’s just, and he’s an artist, I really do believe that. Doing this line of work, you are an engineer,

and it is fascinating to watch, and this is, once again, Mike Bailey empowering his people, so here we are, and I can’t wait for you guys to see the bobbeds that are gonna be coming out.

I forgot, you’re not at your regular place today, so you’re not seeing the show notes, I just pasted the images that you sent me in our show notes.

Oh, great.

JeepTalkShow.com to see the show notes, but I have a question for you. This is a really cool looking build, I only see, the only real big problem I see with it, it’s blue and not red.

It is blue.

(Laughs)

But, so is it mandatory to have the tailgate on the bobbed, say high lift, or is that?

I mean, we would love it if you guys would. I mean, our logo’s pretty amazing.

What kind of discount are we talking about for free advertising?

I mean, maybe just like 500, Mike, don’t kill me on that.

Oh, wow, you heard it right here.

I don’t know, I’m just assuming. I mean, if someone really wanted to do it, I’m all for it and I will help. I will help you with that.

I’m not saying it’s gonna happen, but you’ll have Natalie’s support, not financial support.

No, definitely not.

I’m wrapped up right now, guys. So let me ask you, what size tires is this on the, this bobbed that we have in our show notes?

Yeah, so it is running the 42 Maxxis Trepidors.

Dammit, no wonder it looks so damn good.

I know, and it really is beautiful, but it is running also the Nemesis Highline Fender,

and Interfenders as well. That’s something new. We redid them for Smoky Mountain to debut that with the black Interfender, and the clearance you get. So if you guys check out the Hi-Lo page, also my pages as well, you’ll see the clearance I’m getting with the same fenders.

And I still had more room to go, and that was our first flex on it. We used our biggest flex ramp that we had for me, and we just thought, well, we’ll just give this a run. And those fenders, I’m able, I mean, I cannot believe what I was doing,

just with my three and a half kit. So fenders really do change the game, and Nemesis, I can’t, they are just incredible.

Oh yeah, absolutely. Yeah, we may have to talk about those. I wanna see what the tire coverage availability is on it, because I mean, this isn’t, obviously these 42s, it’s not gonna cover the tires, but, and I like the look. It’s just a pain in the ass whenever you’re shooting rooster tails out the front of your Jeep.

It is, you know, it is.

But man, like you said, the look, I can’t wait till you guys see it, the look really, and they wheel so well, and those things heat up.

More than just a look, this means you’re not rubbing things, you’re getting the tires on things, and that’s what you want on things when you’re off-road, not the Jeep. So, yeah, so this is really, really, really cool.

Tony, I’ll make sure to send you a side-by-side comparison. I’ll get a photo like that so we can show everybody, because it really is a massive difference when you do, that 10 inches really does make a difference. So it always does, right? That’s what I’m asking, Tony. Yeah, so I’m really excited about it, and I’m so proud of Matt and everything that he’s worked on with Mike to develop this program.

We look forward to keeping it affordable, that’s always our goal too. For all the work and the labor and everything to be 8,500, I think starting out, and it really doesn’t go more than that. There’s a couple of stipulations there.

Yeah, I think motor belts is like five grand somewhere around there, but it’s not painted.

It’s not painted, and it’s not your tailgate. Yeah, it’s not your OEM bed. So to keep it like that is just, I’m just so impressed. Very proud.

It really just depends on which way you wanna go. I mean, I think the motor belt stuff is wonderful. I love motor belt, and I like the Bob bed. Am I gonna buy one? No, because where am I gonna get it painted? It’s probably gonna cost me a couple of thousand dollars just to get it painted properly. I mean, painted well to match the color.

Right, and we do have a great paint team that we’ve partnered with locally in Cincinnati.

Well, this is a thing that I was really surprised about with HiLift. You guys are really, I mean, I didn’t know that you guys actually ship people’s vehicles to your facility, modify them, and then ship them back. Or probably they’re standing there with their hands on the glass, open, open, open, because they wanna take the baby home.

Yes, exactly. You know, like we have customers in New Hampshire, we have customers out in Colorado, Texas. I mean, we are very, we love being able to help everyone. So people on some of us.

You guys do motor swaps too, don’t you?

Oh yeah, we definitely do the engine swaps. We are America’s most wanted, certified and trained, and another Mat Moth special. So he’s a big nada, you’re keeping me way too busy at this point.

Okay, so let me ask you this. You had a TJ before you got involved with HiLift. I think you were like 16, so this is five years ago. And you sold the TJ, but being around an environment like at HiLift off-road, all these modifications that you see are not necessarily easy, but it’s made to look easy. Does that, did that all strike you with awe as being, wow, I had a TJ, and look at what they’re doing with these. I mean, this is big deal stuff. This is big.

It really is. And you know, the stuff we do with TJs, I mean, the frame restorations, and you know, if I would have known what I know now, I would not have traded it in. But I do love my Fortor JKU, I’m very proud of it.

Well, there’s nothing to keep you from having two Jeeps, right?

I know, right? I didn’t know what I know now.

But you have to be awestruck. It’s seeing what’s accomplished at HiLift.

Well, and that’s why I work so hard too, because honestly, I’m so excited about it.

Well, you won’t let everybody else know, because you want them to know what you do.

I do, you know, I do. And I appreciate you guys letting me be so excited. That’s what we call my, I’m the bucket of joy overflowing, but I really am excited about what we do. And I just want to share it with everybody because it really is so innovative. And, you know, why not us? So why not be, you know, I love the big industry names too, like Moda Build’s fantastic, but you know who’s working on your vehicle when it’s with us and you become part of the family. And that’s something I’ve always, I’m Italian, we’re all about the family, right? So I just, that’s what’s really drawn me in as well. We’re all a family.

From the mind of Nicky G.

(Crowd Cheering)

Hey, this is Nicky G. And last week, Tony, you talked about the exhaust manifold on the XJ. And as you know, I have two XJs. So I always have one on stock. Whenever I take off the manifold or ever near that, I would just go ahead and replace it. Cause if it’s not leaking today, it will tomorrow. Yes. This is the baffle you were talking about. Yes, recording. I didn’t think it was for expansion. I always thought it was for heat dissipation.

So who knows? Maybe the professor will know.

Well, that’s not why I’m calling. I’m calling to ask, do you know why bears have such hairy coats?

Fur protection. That was horrible. See if we can do another one. You know why cannibals like to eat tightrope walkers? Yeah, they prefer a well-balanced meal.

All right, boys and girls, I’ll catch you later. You have a good one. Bye.

(Upbeat Music)

Oh, I’m just sorry.

Oh, Nicky, I love it.

You know, if they were really, really good jokes, we wouldn’t be able to afford him. So this is, it works out for everybody.

They’re my favorite. It’s my favorite time of the day. So thank you, Nicky G.

It’s so

funny. I often, and I don’t know if Nicky G knows this or not, but I’ll comment about, did you know about Nicky G?

Especially like if I’ve got a new guest host. It’s like, do you know about Nicky G? Well, you’re getting ready to, because I think it’s great. I think he’s been calling in for 11 or 12 years.

Oh my gosh, really?

Weekly. Yeah, and then just recently we started doing the video stuff that you can, so you guys can actually see his jokes on the screen there if you’re watching us on YouTube. All right, let’s talk about our next interview in our Friday interview episode, which is tomorrow, by tomorrow, is tomorrow, Robbie Bryant of OverlandOfAmerica.com. I don’t know if you guys get involved with expos and stuff. I mean, obviously you went to Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion, but you guys,

I don’t, you know, check it out. This is his first one, but he’s been involved in the off-road industry for a number of years. It was a really interesting interview for me, and I think that means it’s gonna be an interesting interview for you guys. And OverlandOfAmerica is just the latest thing that he’s being involved in. And High Lift Off-Road might, I mean, you know, you guys are always reaching out to folks, and this might be a good group to be with. Perfect, thank you. Can’t wait to listen. All right, and our must-have stuff for your Jeep. This is something I was not aware of. I mean, I know that DJI makes cameras. I’ve got a camera on my DJI drone that is just frickin’ amazing. I know that some of the other cameras, I’ve seen YouTube videos and stuff with the quality of the images and stuff.

Well, they make– I use their gimbal. That’s what we use at High Lift Off-Road.

Yeah, it makes a big difference in making those– It’s amazing. Stabilizing those images, yeah.

It is, and I mean, the app that’s on the iPhone that I have for the iPhone that I use, I mean, the quality of those pictures.

It’s just incredible, it’s incredible. It’s like your cell phone. The quality of the images are like cell phone images, and that always kinda sucks when you spend three, five, $600 or something, and your cell phone takes better pictures.

Yes.

(Laughs)

I mean, it’s great, but I mean, it’s a sad. You know that level of technology exists. Anyway, the DJI Osmo Action 4 standard combo, and this might be an older one, I don’t know. I just found out about these things. Waterproof Action Camera, 4K, 120 frames per second, and I would say that this is quite easily a GoPro replacement.

It could be. Yeah, and it’s in the similar shape of a GoPro, and I’m sure they have mounts and stuff that you can put on your Jeep, or mount to your dash, and so on and so forth. So if you are a Jeep influencer, or maybe you need something for your Action Only fans account.

Oh boy.

(Laughs)

Well, wrap this thing in a nice condom first though. Tony. Keep it nice and clean that way. Well, you don’t wanna spend time cleaning the thing up, right?

Tony!

(Laughs)

Wow.

So anyway, this is a really cool, and actually a lot less than what you’ll probably spend on Only fans, dual touch screens for travel sports, $269,

and we have a link to Amazon for this. This might be a great thing for you to do, and actually it’s pretty damn cheap compared to some of the GoPros.

It gets you in the game. I’m all about getting in the game, and then you can figure out what works for you, and this seems to be something that can get you in the game of recording, and being able to do all that for yourself. So it looks amazing.

Yeah, I don’t have a picture of the touchscreen here, when I was watching a video about it the other day. And the touchscreen looks amazing too. So you need to be able to see what you’re doing, and that’s one of the problems I have with the older GoPros.

So you were waiting for another joke about the Only fans, weren’t you?

I wasn’t sure, but in the trains going by right now, so either I have cats interrupting, and now it’s a train today, because I’m in the city, so sorry everybody.

All part of the show, as long as there’s no– It is, we’re here. As long as there’s no crying, because there’s no crying in podcasting.

There is no crying in podcasts.

All right, so it’s always a little sad when we hit the end of the trail, just like the end of the show, but there’s always another trail show just down the road. Can I say a show ride? No, I’m sorry, that would go back to Only fans.

Jeep Talk Show has five episodes a week, Monday through Friday, and a big thank you to Natalie for making that Monday show, the Chick Chat episode, if you guys aren’t aware, that’s our Monday episodes.

And if you subscribe, you’ll never miss an episode. And speaking of subscribing, consider keeping the Jeep Talk Show on the air, or in the air, or how I don’t know how it works, by subscribing to us via Patreon, the place to go for all the information on how to subscribe and how to contact us is at jeeptalkshow.com slash contact. And hey, if you wanna contact Natalie

about a high lift thing, and you can’t type in highliftoffroad.com, just go over to jeeptalkshow.com slash contact, I’ll make sure she gets the message. Absolutely. All right, Natalie, thanks again for being here, and have a great day. We’ll see you again really soon. Actually, we’ll see you on Monday.

See you on Monday, it’s gonna be a great episode, a little teaser, we’re gonna talk about cleaning your trail rig.

Very cool. Oh, so you mentioned Miss Shiftmaker earlier. I did, she’s so amazing. So on the guys of keeping your job, did you talk to her about doing an interview on…

You know, I actually was, I did not, because I was nervous to talk to her. And I’m sorry if she’s even listening and hearing me say that, because she’s so comfortable.

This was an opportunity. You gotta take these opportunities.

My mom here told me never to do that again. He’s like, Natalie, that was your opportunity, and I shouldn’t have gotten to be an introvert. But I just think she’s just such an amazing, amazing person. And I hope one day, I would be honored to interview her one day. I look up to her very much.

We’ll get her on there.

I should not have been nervous because that’s not her. She is just so approachable and just so warm. And I should not have been nervous, but I was, so.

All right, guys, have a great day.

Broadcasting Sense 2010.

You’re my friend, you’re my new friend.