unprepared vehicles on Pritchett Canyon

[ZUKEYPR]

Snapped a tie-rod completely in haf on China Gultch in Buena Vista and had two guys continually line up my tire for about 30 feet until I could get back into a little clearing so that I didn't hold up a bunch of Land Rovers. Funny thing is I had mine fized in less than 15 minutes (air tools & it used to happen alot) only to find the Land Rovers in the same fate and they blocked the trail for about an hour. They wouldn't let me lend a hand nor did they want the use of my air tools or tie rod puller. Jackasses!!!

 

[yellowbronco]

x2. I'm guilty of talking people into going on trails they are minimally equipt for but leaned my lesson fast.

So I guess were not going out anymore?

:sick:

 

[thenag]

a few stories for ya

on moab rim in the spring my buddy radios to me that he "can't steer" when i walk back his drag link was sitting on the sandstone. it was right at the begining the first ledge that feels like you are going to drive off the cliff onto the road, maybe 100yrds into the trail. we rigged a come-a-long to pull his tires around so he could back up to a flat spot where people could get around us. (then we installed the spare steering box i carry for just such an ocasion)

on hells revenge in Oct a few weeks ago, probably the same day Rondo was on pritchett. we caught up to NAXJA at the escalator. 20ish jeeps in front of us just finishing up. first of all the trail wasn't clear, we couldn't get by if we wanted to, two guys moved and we could get through. we started to go then the big group started to go. one guy was aware enough to say on the radio "hey why don't we let these 2 bronco's go by" so that was awsome.

I have learned that if i don't go up it in 2 or 3 tries I will probably break something so it is not worth it, so i pull winch or a strap. i get so pissed at people that will take a ton of tries at Wayne's World and then break or finally give up. even if you let some other people try then try again that would be fine, i mean maybe you learn something from someone elses line right.

I have been stuck at rocker knocker for a long time, it is pretty much SOP there.

I am under equepied for pritchett, i usually take a tug at the rock pile bypass. I won't do that trail unless I know I am following someone that can make it and give me tug.

i usually try to talk people out of trails they shouldn't do, tell them to ride along or hike it. I make it very clear that "you really shouldn't drive this trail" but I have had a cj on 31's with a rear locker follow me most of the way constrictor, almost made it to the water fall. i really did try to talk him out of it, I don't know that I would have been able to stop him from trying it so i just got out front and spoted him the best I could. it was slow out there and we didn't see anyone on the trail (which is weird for the snakes)

nathan
87 bronco with the goods from a 97f350
and currently a broken d60 shaft awating chro-mo's

 

[ewander]

On the flip side of this, you also get rigs that are WAAAAAY overbuilt to run a 4 rated trail like Poison Spider Mesa or Metal Masher that get impatient when rigs more appropriate for those trails aren't as quick as they are.
Playing through is the right thing to do of course.

Man, was the Rusty Nail tore up last weekend or what? Who's buggy was that this last weekend that worked pretty hard on rock chucker and then broke something on widow maker?

 

[JoeT]

On the flip side of this, you also get rigs that are WAAAAAY overbuilt to run a 4 rated trail like Poison Spider Mesa or Metal Masher that get impatient when rigs more appropriate for those trails aren't as quick as they are.
Playing through is the right thing to do of course.

Amen X2

 

[waynehartwig]

I think that's the key. I don't care about having the appropriate rig on the trail, but be considerate enough to get out of the way if you are holding people up. Because you do need to learn your and your vehicles limits, regardless of what the sign says at the beginning. Plus you get to meet others and see some cool rigs do some cool stuff, which IMHO, is what it is all about.

If you are in a group with someone like this, it is your responsiblity to let others by and not hold up the next group. I was on a trail with a nearly stock XJ and there were another group of almost buggies, we kept leap frogging because we kept letting each other pass. You know how it is, two of us can make better time than 15, but on the difficult stuff, they were faster than we were. We also took lunch at different times, and stopped to see different scenery. But the key was neither of us held the other group up.

 

[Crinco]

You have Jeep to blame for some of the mentality of off-roaders today, when they take a stock Jeep Rubicon and run "the" rubicon and say the Jeep in stock form will go almost anywhere. Maybe the Jeep will go, but that doesn't mean every driver should try it, no one should start out on a 4, 4+ or 5 trail!

 

[Bart]

You have Jeep to blame for some of the mentality of off-roaders today, ...

Please tell me you're kidding.

 

[Crinco]

I don't undestand that, I'm not making jokes here. When a vehicle manufacturer shows they can take a stock vehicle on a 4 rated trail and it makes it through, you don't think others will have the same mentality that they can take their own stock, under equipt vehicles on similar trails as well???

 

[1993yj]

I agree with Bart. The majority of the problems that we see on the trails is not stock Rubicons. In fact, I can only think of one or two stock Rubis that I have ever seen on the trails in Moab, and they were all with groups with highly modified vehicles. I would think that those stockers were there at the bidding of their friends, not because of Jeep's great marketing. I have had a stock Rubi with me on a few trails, and it was quite a chore to get that fellow to even take his Jeep off of the pavement. After the trip was over, he got back to Salt Lake, took it into a shop, and had a ton of mods done to be better prepared for his next trip. He was bittin by the bug, and it was not because of Jeep. Jeep: in my opinion, you are off the hook, at least for this.

 

[notajeep]

Personaly... I blame Jeep for all my problems. Including being fat and bald.

 

[ZUKEYPR]

I agree with Bart. The majority of the problems that we see on the trails is not stock Rubicons. In fact, I can only think of one or two stock Rubis that I have ever seen on the trails in Moab, and they were all with groups with highly modified vehicles. I would think that those stockers were there at the bidding of their friends, not because of Jeep's great marketing. I have had a stock Rubi with me on a few trails, and it was quite a chore to get that fellow to even take his Jeep off of the pavement. After the trip was over, he got back to Salt Lake, took it into a shop, and had a ton of mods done to be better prepared for his next trip. He was bittin by the bug, and it was not because of Jeep. Jeep: in my opinion, you are off the hook, at least for this.

Getting off topic but I have a stock rubi/unlimted and it's more than capable enough. The only hard trails that are in the Charles Wells guide that it hasn't done is Pritchit, Golden Spike (by choice, way to long for my blood), and Moab Rim (hate that trail plus I don't think it would make it anyway. Other than thoughs it handles everything elese with ease. Heck Metal Masher I only put it in 4 wheel drive for the second ledge in Mirror Gultch (bypassed WidowMaker area).

 

[waynehartwig]

I agree with Bart. The majority of the problems that we see on the trails is not stock Rubicons. In fact, I can only think of one or two stock Rubis that I have ever seen on the trails in Moab, and they were all with groups with highly modified vehicles. I would think that those stockers were there at the bidding of their friends, not because of Jeep's great marketing. I have had a stock Rubi with me on a few trails, and it was quite a chore to get that fellow to even take his Jeep off of the pavement. After the trip was over, he got back to Salt Lake, took it into a shop, and had a ton of mods done to be better prepared for his next trip. He was bittin by the bug, and it was not because of Jeep. Jeep: in my opinion, you are off the hook, at least for this.

That kind of sounds like me. Before I moved to SLC, I had a XJ that was pretty built and could do anything out here in the Sacramento area that I tried - mostly dirt roads and ohv parks. After giving it to charity to move (too many vehicles and wasn't making several trips) I bought a Rubicon. That weekend I took it on the Rubicon and almost rolled it (got hung up on the lower contral arm brackets). But I ran the whole trail and never took a strap. Granted, I didn't do the harder obstacles, so some might say I never ran the trail, who cares. But I then realized the Rubicon wouldn't do everything I wanted, like I had originally thought it would and immediately installed the 4.5" long arm kit, roll cage, bumpers, rock gaurds, winch, etc. Then I had no control arm brackets to get hung up on and more clearance, and again, I thought I was done. Then I ran Pritchet, and realized again, nope. So then I put 35's on it and now I am where I am comfortable. More I think I will use it more, and end up rolling and totalling it - it is a lease, for those that don't know - and that's not what I want.

 

[1993yj]

Personaly... I blame Jeep for all my problems. Including being fat and bald.

Damn Jeep for the Steelers not being good this year.

 

[Bart]

I don't undestand that, I'm not making jokes here. When a vehicle manufacturer shows they can take a stock vehicle on a 4 rated trail and it makes it through, you don't think others will have the same mentality that they can take their own stock, under equipt vehicles on similar trails as well???

I'm being serious too. What you're referring to is MARKETING.

This discussion is about under equiped rigs, or underexperienced (or just plain stupid) drivers. I've seen built rigs with bad drivers that couldn't drive Prichett. They also should not be there.

 

[rondo]

I think we CAN blame Jeep brand for some of the problems. For example I think it was JP magazine and Four? Wheeler that covered the new liberty crossing the Rubicon so it could be called 'trail rated'. If i recall (someone help me out) that one magazine reported how a liberty blew out its oil pan and the other rag didn't mention it. I'm sorry but that POS crossing the Rubicon is not a big deal to me. However to the newby they may think the jeep liberty is ready for anything. But just like anything add some 33s and a locker and it'll get much much better. Does the driver get better?

Hmm I can't agree with you Bart; although personally i've been wheeling for years, since before i had a license, when it comes to rock crawling i still have much to learn haha

 

[Bart]

I don't know about anybody else but I've seen lot's of commercials, i.e. Hummer and Toyota, that also show their trucks on tough trails.

C'mon, at some point in time people have to start taking some kind of responsibilty for their own actions and quit blaming everyone and everything else.

 

[reddevil]

If you have a new sports car you can race around New York and not get stuck in traffic. Thats what I learned on TV. So if I ever go to NYC, I'm going to be taking a fast car for sure!

 

[Cherokeester]

Put the trail cops at the beginning of every trail. They can run the rig through inspection, then test the driver to see if he is "capable" enough. If not turn em around. Jeez...

 

[Crinco]

C'mon, at some point in time people have to start taking some kind of responsibilty for their own actions and quit blaming everyone and everything else.

I couldn't agree with that more, and you are right that it is MARKETING, I just don't agree with the point they are pushing that their vehicles are more capable than they really are. Maybe they can run the Rubicon in a Liberty, but that DOESN'T mean they should.