Jeep CJ/5 Off-Road

Did someone say Jeeping? That garage allows me to keep the '74 CJ/5 in sound running order. We've been all over the Midwest from Indiana to Utah to Colorado campaigning the Jeep off-road. On the left was a trip up the Big Horn mountains in Burgess Junction, Wyoming in 2014. On the right Bobby and Gracey are off-roading closer to home in Appleton, MN.

My friend Luis from Costa Rica came to the Gilbert Off-road park in Northern Minnesota with me. Here he is driving the Jeep. He kindly setup an off-road adventure for us in the mountain area of San Jose, Costa Rica for our whole IT team when we came down to visit (see below). That was amazing. To the right is my Austrian friend, Guido driving the Jeep in Gilbert, MN.

I think that is me in Moab with my son taking the picture. You can see here that the driver has some serious skills. The restoration came out well and the Jeep really performs. It's currently equipped with an AMC 360 with oil filter relocation, Oil cooler, Corvette power brakes, FiTech fuel injection, Warn winch, VW Golf leather seats, Tuffy boxes, T18 4-speed with a Dana 20 transfer case, rear Dana 44 with a full spool, front Dana 30 with a limited slip, Swamper 32x9.5 tires, and a full tied-in roll cage.

A few lousy pictures from Costa Rica in 2011. I just wanted to show that the popular rides there are Mitsubishi Samurais, Toyotas, and then maybe Jeeps. The gang down there took us on an off-road adventure around the Volcanos Costa Rica Style. We stopped for a late dinner, closed the place out and the US guys went back to the hotel for about 4 hours of sleep. But the locals went back out on the trails, then came home long enough to get cleaned up and changed for work. Amazing.

A couple of shots at Chicken Fingers and Fins 'N' Things in Moab and at the Northwoods Jamboree at the left. The beauty of the land and wildlife you get to experience during these adventures is really something. We've seen all kids of birds, animals, gold and silver mines, waterfalls, ... you name it.

This is what the CJ, we call Stubs, looked like after we got it back from Iowa after the purchase. We were pulling it behind the Grand Cherokee and I noticed the Jeep was swerving and a tire/wheel was rolling past my window on fire! We must have burned up the rear bearings and lost the whole thing. We pulled over on 35 Northbound and started calling for a tow truck. This was over a holiday weekend, however and nobody could come. A cop came by and told us to move it -- he didn't care. Just move it. Cita asked if it had 4WD so we could drive it into the corn and just leave -- way to go, Cita. Turns out to be the best $900 I ever spent.

And some before/after shots of the 2000 Wrangler. To the stock 4-speed Jeep we added front and rear heavy duty bumpers, D-rings, 3 inch suspension lift and a 2 inch body lift, 35" Swampers on American Racing wheels, sway bar disconnects, and a rear locker and front limited slip. The rear swing away bumper had a hitch so we could pull out of things or tow the camper behind us. The picture cresting the hill is in the "sugar sand" in Wisconsin. I blew the CJ/5 engine there -- starved it for oil on a giant hill.

Here is the Jeep lineup in our Ouray, Colorado Jeep Jamboree trip in 2014. Stubs is just to the right of center in this shot. I believe we are above the tree line here.

Black Hills Jamboree 2022

In September, 2022 Maggy and I visited the Black Hills Jamboree near Deadwood, S.D. This was my 3rd visit but Maggy's first Jamboree

2022 Black Hills Jamboree in the CJ/5. Here we are crawling up a dry creek bed on the Red Trail.

Maggy while we took a break on the Green Trail.

Stuck? No, but we dropped the clutch linkage on a rocky hill climb on the Green Trail.

Big Horn Mountains 2023

In August of 2023 Gracey and I took the CJ out for some adventures at the Big Horn Jamboree in Burgess Junction, Wyoming. The truck made it up the mountains and delivered us just fine. Perfect weather.

Brake Time

OK, we took a brake so one of the riders could fix the brakes on his Willys CJ/2. I'm in the woods taking a candid picture of Gracey

Lunch Time

Stopped for lunch at the top of the mountains. We are around 9,200 feet (2800 meters) here. Temps in the 60s, but the sun was warm.

Lineup

Each day before the rides the group lined up the Jeeps according to the trail they signed up for. A little trail meeting and then off we go. Last chance for bathrooms.

Mole Lake, WI 2024

In mid July Christy and I went to Northeastern Wisconsin for the Mole Lake Jamboree. Again, no damage to the Jeep and we had a great time.

Line Up

All the Jeeps ready for the driver's meeting and the day's adventures. Christy is ready to get started.

Blue Trail

Getting ready for a drop-in with some twisties and a rock at the bottom. Trail guides at the Jamborees are really wonderful people.

Lunch Time

Taking a lunch break on the yellow trail. He Jamboree had a fantastic spread under a tent in a clearing in the woods. Awesome.

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