What got you into the Jeeping Wayalife?

jmatta33

jmatta33

New member
Have a story about what got you into the Wayalife? Share it here!

A few years back I had just bought a fully loaded black on black F150 and it was hands down the nicest vehicle I had ever owned up until that point. A few months after I purchased it, I saw a JKU with a Trektop NX and I thought it was the coolest looking vehicle I had ever seen! Shortly after I traded in my brand new truck for a JKUR, I joined JK Forum (which was then owned by Eddie) and I have been hooked ever since!
 
Always been into anything off road, tucks, ATV, ski-doos, bombardiers, and tractors.

Back in April of 2008 my lovely wife spotted a Rescue Green JKU on the front lawn of our local dealer. 16 years married she tells me she's always wanted a Jeep.

On the test drive a TJ passing us taught us about the Jeep wave.
Drove back to the dealer and signed up.

Fell in love with the darn thing, joined JK forum and started to calculate how we could get another one for me to DD.

In 2010 my wife wanted something new so she have me the Jeep. ( pretty sure she was sick and tired of the grumbling that I was rocking a old civic and not a jeep. Maybe it was always swiping the jeep on the week ends every time I had to go "get something" and not return for an hour )

New wheels tires lift and few more goodies, followed Eddie and the folks here and joined on WOL....

Jeep is part of the family, young lad will take it over soon and Dad will get another and we become a two rig house hold.
 
One on my first vehicles was a CJ-5. Back then, out here on the east coast the ONLY people who had four wheel drive trucks were farmers and there were even fewer jeeps as you can imagine.

During the blizzard of '78 my dad and I used the CJ to rescue stranded people from the snowed in highways. Then we spent the next few days giving doctors and nurses rides to and from the local hospital for their shifts. We felt like Heroes!!!!!!

I have not had a jeep constantly from that day, but ALWAYS come back to them. There is no better utility 4x4 ever! An American legend that cannot be discounted, from World Wars to now. Only in a Jeep!
 
Took my 4x4 v8 manual can and a half dodge Dakota out in the mud ONCE and destroyed it! Power steering pump blew up, cracked a manifold, the list went on. But a started getting the offroad "itch". Truck never drove the same and it needed the rear end done again, so I traded it in for a 07 heep! Joined this forum and found a few buddies to hit the trails with. Hooked for life!
 
I was doing search and recovery for a missing hiker at Mt Baldy it started in the winter which was really hard to hike in. We were dead by the time we reached the search area. A jeep club volunteered to take us out the search areas. It was amazing what the jeep could do, these were TJ's.
After that ordered a 4 door and waited. Met Eddie soon after, the rest is history.
 
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I had been going "fast" most of the time when the first time I had gotten pulled over was for street racing...I was young and dumb. 17 to be exact. Blew a couple motors. Started working at a jeep dealership (where I still am today) and decided it was time to slow down before it was to late to make that decision on my own. Bought my 2 door and soon after got into my jkus. Jeeping saved my life in a way if you really think about it lol :rock:
 
Due to my job, Executive Director of the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), my wife and I had a couple of opportunities to do the Rubicon Trail with Mark Smith of Jeepers Jamboree. He was a big supporter of BRC and invited us on a Land Managers workshop ride first and then on an OHV media tour. We used stock loaner Jeeps from the dealer in Reno. We personally rode dirt bikes at the time and had lots of trail miles on them. We were amazed at what a stock Wrangler could do on that trail and my wife said we should get a Jeep some day. :yup:

Many years later, after I retired, my brother and I were trying to talk Dad into getting a better truck at the Dodge/Jeep dealer to haul his and Mom's ATVs. While at the dealer with Dad I got to looking at the Jeeps. We have a 3/4 ton diesel RV puller, ATV hauler that was my DD, but the wife gave me the go-ahead to get a Jeep.:clap2: Now we ride ATVs and snowmobiles in addition to Jeeping and the JK is now my DD. It costs damn near as much to drive as the truck, but it's sure more fun (Jeep waves, compliments and even some folks asking if they can take photos) and that's just mall crawling. We split our time between camping and riding the ATVs, wheelin the Jeep and snowmobiling with friends and family. The nice thing about the Jeep is that it's easy to just decide to go for a day ride from the house on the spur of the moment.

When we bought the Jeep I originally didn't plan to modify it, but I logged onto the JK forum that Eddie was moderating at the time and gradually got the bug. I have to keep the costs down, but am really satisfied with my build. I was second guessing not getting a Rubicon, but now I think I am better off with the modded sport for the kind of wheelin we do. My brother and I have taken our grandkids Jeep camping, roughing it, in spite of having self contained RVs. We and our wives have also taken Mom (Dad's gone now) on a four day cross country Jeep trip on nearby trails and stayed in motels. We also take Mom on lots of day trips and she'll be 92 in February.

Wrapping it up, the Jeep Wayalife is here to stay for us and I get pleasure out of it every day.

Jeep camp 2.jpgcold morning.jpg
 
Just needed a change from a fast paced 2 wheel life. I've always wanted a Wrangler and the sense of community within the Jeeping family was very appealing. I started doing my research and came across the Wayalife films on YouTube. Needless to say that thanks to Cindy's master editing skills I went right out and got a white 4 door and joined WAL. Game over for me haha
 
It's always been about jeeps for me, since I was little. My dad was the service department manager for the jeep dealership here in town for over 15 years, since before I was born,until he realized he wouldn't have retirement if he stayed, and so it was instinct for jeep to be life for me. As of right now we have 4 jeeps. My '12 JKU, my '00 Cherokee (my first car), my mom's '04 Grand Cherokee and the family '98 YJ hunting jeep. I guess you could say it runs in the family. Ever since I was little, a JKU has been my dream car and now I can build that dream at only 18. The jeep WOL is the only life for me, that's for sure. Glad I joined WOL as well with people who share the same passion and I can learn from all of you since I'm just getting started.
 
Due to my job, Executive Director of the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), my wife and I had a couple of opportunities to do the Rubicon Trail with Mark Smith of Jeepers Jamboree. He was a big supporter of BRC and invited us on a Land Managers workshop ride first and then on an OHV media tour. We used stock loaner Jeeps from the dealer in Reno. We personally rode dirt bikes at the time and had lots of trail miles on them. We were amazed at what a stock Wrangler could do on that trail and my wife said we should get a Jeep some day. :yup:

Many years later, after I retired, my brother and I were trying to talk Dad into getting a better truck at the Dodge/Jeep dealer to haul his and Mom's ATVs. While at the dealer with Dad I got to looking at the Jeeps. We have a 3/4 ton diesel RV puller, ATV hauler that was my DD, but the wife gave me the go-ahead to get a Jeep.:clap2: Now we ride ATVs and snowmobiles in addition to Jeeping and the JK is now my DD. It costs damn near as much to drive as the truck, but it's sure more fun (Jeep waves, compliments and even some folks asking if they can take photos) and that's just mall crawling. We split our time between camping and riding the ATVs, wheelin the Jeep and snowmobiling with friends and family. The nice thing about the Jeep is that it's easy to just decide to go for a day ride from the house on the spur of the moment.

When we bought the Jeep I originally didn't plan to modify it, but I logged onto the JK forum that Eddie was moderating at the time and gradually got the bug. I have to keep the costs down, but am really satisfied with my build. I was second guessing not getting a Rubicon, but now I think I am better off with the modded sport for the kind of wheelin we do. My brother and I have taken our grandkids Jeep camping, roughing it, in spite of having self contained RVs. We and our wives have also taken Mom (Dad's gone now) on a four day cross country Jeep trip on nearby trails and stayed in motels. We also take Mom on lots of day trips and she'll be 92 in February.

Wrapping it up, the Jeep Wayalife is here to stay for us and I get pleasure out of it every day.

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I went offroad for the first time a few years ago with friends and loved it. A few months later I totaled my old Honda and knew I had to have a jeep. Not much of a story lol
 
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