Help a NuBee ready up for his first ride.

[Rockwell]

Hey all, looking forward to my very first Paragon trip this comming Sat. but have a few Q`s so I make sure im all set.

The park states I need a battery tie-down, is this in addition to the stock battery hold down? If so, please explain. Will any additional hold down do?

Rugs. Take em out? or leave em in?

Stock Jeep steps (the black plastic running board type) take em off? or leave em on for some type of rocker protection?

I am bringing: signed park waivers, cooler (with food/sodas for myself, guest and xtra in case someone is without) fire ex, digital camera, portable CB, trash bags, my VERY basic tool bag. Hows dat??? I dont have a tow strap but i figure someone else will have.

Lemme know anything i need to know before I go!!!

Thanx all :wtg:

[rockdawg]

Sounds like you got everything covered. The stock battery holdown is fine.
If you have the stock jeep tow points on front and back you are good to go.

[XTC Jpr13]

if you dont take the side steps off and your not careful you will end up breaking them. Just depends on how concearned yo uare with them and how careful you are at picking your line on the trail

[wrangler]

if you dont take the side steps off and your not careful you will end up breaking them. Just depends on how concearned yo uare with them and how careful you are at picking your line on the trailtake the steps off, he said you would have to be carfull and chose the right line of trail with them on. Since your new this may be hard. I would recomend taking them off as they are not that hard to remove. Just be carefull not to brake them...also get atleast one tow point. This can be a shackle, a hitch, or a tow hook. Paragon requires this. also, your battery tie down is fine. Other then that you seem fine

[wrangler]

o yea...def remove the carpets..u will thank me latter lol. By the end of the april ride i hade like an inch of mud caked on my floor. When i got home i just opened the drain plugs and hosed it out. I would def recomend removing carpet.

[Freebird01]

they only worry about the battery hold down cause some of the PA rednecks will come in with a bungee cord.

[XEON]

they only worry about the battery hold down cause some of the PA rednecks will come in with a bungee cord.

So very true. Some of those guys have some jimmy rigged rigs... Even Plub Crazy does not look as jimmy rigged as some of those guys... crazy I tell ya.

[rockdawg]

Your jeep should come with one rear tow hook on the driverside and the 2 little ones on the front bumper-these will work fine.
If you dont care about the side steps leave them on they will protect the rockers somewhat. I would rather bend up a cheap step than dent a new jeep. the long wheelbase and low ride height of a stock unlimited leaves the rockers suseptable(is that how you spell that?) to rock damage. If you stay on green and light blue trails you should be fine though.

[Rockwell]

Good info everyone, thanks.

But all the leads me to another question. Will there be a group, within our group sticking to the green and light blue trails? Or is everyone else looking to take more advanced courses. I would rather just wait this one out until more NuBees like myself are going rather than be the only stick in the mud. :?

Also, If I do stick to the green/lightblue trails, do I still run a huge risk of body damage?

[wrangler]

last time we split into 2 or 3 groups....i did not get any major body damage and i did blues and greens...i ride stock...so if i can do it...u prob can also. if ur going over rocks just let it down slow so if it drops the body onto a rock it does not slam into it. The only body dammage i had was when my jeep backed into a tree...but that was only cuz i dont have power steering and it wouldn't let me turn the wheel...The wheel like to do it's own thing if you dont have PS but i am sure u do so u shouldn't have any problems

[XEON]

Good info everyone, thanks.

But all the leads me to another question. Will there be a group, within our group sticking to the green and light blue trails? Or is everyone else looking to take more advanced courses. I would rather just wait this one out until more NuBees like myself are going rather than be the only stick in the mud. :?

Also, If I do stick to the green/lightblue trails, do I still run a huge risk of body damage?

Yes there will be 2-3 groups. Stock trucks, semi modified (I will be leading), and hardcore guys (Scott probally leading). Hope this helps out. Send me a PM with any other questions

[Rockwell]

if ur going over rocks just let it down slow so if it drops the body onto a rock it does not slam into it.

Great Input! Thats just the kind of stuff im looking to learn! :wtg:

I decided to take the steps off, I think I like the way it looks more that way anyhow.

I know anytime you go offroad, you are taking a chance at some damage. Just wanted to make sure there were in fact others also taking the blue/green trails so I thank you for verifying that fact Xeon.

My g/f and I are thinking of going the night before and grabbing a motel close by. Of course if the hotel has a heart shaped jacuzzi/wetbar then we might not make it at all! :lol: Just Kiddin, cant wait to meet up with you all!

[wrangler]

so r u taking the carpets out..or are you gona do that another day?

[Rockwell]

so r u taking the carpets out..or are you gona do that another day?

Took them out today as a matter of fact. I still cant for the life me understand how all this mud is gonna get in there (and maybe im better off not knowin! LOL) But Im listenin to everyone here. So out they went. I would rather over prepare, than under.

[wrangler]

well...before u go though somthing you get our and look...you get mud on your bootss...and then you get in your jeep. you do the best to get the mud off first, but yo still have some on you boots. The nit dries and falls off your boots, or worse gets rubed off my your carpet. Now multiply that by 15times and thats how you get mud in your jeep. I mstakenly left the window open going though water last time and sprayed the whole interior lol. If i had carpets the would be a wreck. Now i just hose out the inside of my jeep and i can open the drain plugs in the floor.

[Rockwell]

Makes good sense to me! I guess to, even if someone else gets stuck and ya get out to help youre gonna get lots of mud. Course, ill lay ya odds that "someone else" is gonna be me! Oh heck with it, Ill just send my g/f out into the mud! No wait, then for sure I wont be needing that jacuzzi.

I guess opening the top is a NO NO then huh? Ah, whats a little mud anyhow!

[wrangler]

if its warm out i'd open the top...you just might get spayed a little when goign though deep watter. Do you want to come tot he pines on the 28th...pines are a little easier than paragon...and i think its a good place to get started...i would have goten stuck tons of timesin the paragon if i had not gone tot he pines first.

[wrangler]

sry about the speeling...i type fast and spell like shit

[Rockwell]

Ya know, I might be into the Pines on the 28th. Im supposed to be going to a BBQ, but then was told it might be Sunday, so lemme check that out first. Thanks for the invite!

Either way, I cant "start out" at the pines since Paragon is happening first. So, I guess im gonna get stuck alot LOL. So long as someone willin to help get me UN-stuck, seein as how I dont own a tree saver strap or whatever its called.

Lemme get back to you on the Pines.

[flippy71]

dont sweat it rockwell i have a winch and some straps. its good to see i'm not the only person who dosnt mind giving a brand spankin new jeep a little hell. :lol: i had 110 miles on my jeep when i told my wife we were going out to the pines to test out the lockers. told her with lockers we'll never get stuck!!! :oops: :shock: guess what, first trail we turned down went to go across a small patch of ice and whammo, right through it and high centered. lockers dont work when none of the tires are on the ground. the only thing i can say is when i turned to look at my wife i knew i was in deep trouble[wife]" never get stuck cuase we have lockers huh!!!" needless to say some guy in a 1950's ton and a half army truck pulled us out. next day ordered my a winch :lol:

[wrangler]

you should have fun at paragon...just make sure ur in 4wd low range when goign over the rocks..otherwise you will burnout ur clutch...the guy behind me last time was in high range and his was smoking

[autocrave]

Rockwell,

You will have a blast with these guys. They will looking out for you, as they were looking out for me.

As for the 4LO..listen to wrangler...my clutch was HOT!...lol

[Rockwell]

Flippy, very funny story! Sounds like you were in deep (not MUD) :( Look forward to meeting you, but hope I dont have to be introduced to your brandy new winch!

Wrangler, Autocrave. Good tip! Thanx! Will make sure to stay in LO range. Thats the one huge drawback to manual, very easy to fry the clutch when extreme low speeds are needed. My Jeep seems to be geared pretty low when in 1st LO. I cant imagine how low a Rubi is with the 4:1 transfer case.

[badzook]

Either way, I cant "start out" at the pines since Paragon is happening first. So, I guess im gonna get stuck alot LOL. So long as someone willin to help get me UN-stuck, seein as how I dont own a tree saver strap or whatever its called.



Rockwell,
No need to worry about finding help when you're stuck..A few weeks ago I really Stuck mine in the ice and mud and those guys stuck around. They helped out with their own winches and rigs for quite awhile until I was out and made sure I made it back to my tow rig. They never even thought about leaving me there.. They're really a Super Great bunch of guys...

FYI Just in case... PAP has a backhoe.

And for a fee they will retrieve your rig...

Also, I will be back out wheeling with you all Soon..

My rig is almost finished..

badzook
8)

[sentinal02]

My rig is almost finished..

badzook
8)

come on don't lie, it's never finished. lol.

Rock, there's nothing wrong with driving a clutch in low range. just put it in 1st and stay the hell off it! lol. seriously though, just let the jeep idle over the rocks, giving it a bit of gas as needed. you'll be surprised how low the engine will lug without stalling. feather the throttle, not the clutch.

[Rockwell]

[/quote]Rock, feather the throttle, not the clutch.[/quote]

Well put :wtg: