2004 CAMP JEEP OR BUST!
Camp Jeep #10 in Virginia
Everything I ever learned about historic preservation and classic car care gets THROWN OUT THE WINDOW when you participate in Camp Jeep - but that's not a bad thing! I took the Liberty for 3 days of trail rides, BBQs and side trips to residences of Presidents Jefferson, Madison & Monroe. It was a cool trip out to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia...or Virgini as some of us smarty pants yanks call it.
How to Participate in Camp Jeep:
Step 1. When traveling on a road trip, be sure to let everyone know where you are going. It worked for me on the Corvette trip, so Virginia was not to be excepted.
Step 2: Sign yourself up for an Intermediate off-road course. Please be sure to have Zero experience, as it will not be fun if you know how to do it well. Make sure your vehicle is stock. Note the trail leader's monster Wrangler in front of my Liberty. I used to think the Liberty was a big SUV for it's size. Used To.
Step 3: Don't hit anything. Also do not tailgate a monster Jeep when climbing high, loose gravel & steep hills. (I actually did this part very well - the Liberty rocks!).
Step 4: While stopped, get to know your neighbors.
Step 5: Listen to the trail leaders - they know this stuff well! Overall the trail was very cool. I got a bit nervous walking over rocks with the Liberty. I also had to be mindful of my clearence, but overall - it was VERY COOL.
Step 6: Be sure to stop for nice pictures - like above!
Step 7: Take a break from the trail riding and get a good work out. I used the new Cherokee to keep this body in shape!
Step 8: Do the East LA pose with a cool ride. People watching might think you are a west coast celebrity.
Step 9: Take EVERY opportunity to beat someone else's vehicle, even if its a 4X4 golf cart - the chicks dig it!
Step 10: See Step 9 - a topless Wrangler Rubicon edition? No passing that up!
Step 11: After the break, take a scenic tour so you can take pictures of cool things just before you do them. Here I am driving and taking a picture of a stream we crossed. There were about 25 Jeeps on this tour.
Step 12: Get chicks to pose with your ride whenever the opportunity presents itself. You might also want to take this time to visit a nearby tree if nature calls. Men on the left, women on the right - Why? Because women are always right...at least, that's what the trail leader told us. I can still hear his wife's whip cracking from NJ.
Step 13: Get people to take pics of you doing cool things.
Step 14: See Step 13.
Step 15: See Step 13. Thanks Patrick!
Step 16: See previous step.
Step 17: Ditto. No problem crossing the stream, the muddy hills or walking over the rocks!
Step 18: Same as above. Also - learn the proper way to straddle gulleys & rocks - DON'T FLIP! Flipping, also known as a "roll-over" is bad for you and your Jeep.
Step 19: Be thankful you made it out...
A. alive
B. without damage
c. without damaging some else's Jeep
d. without getting stuck!
Step 20: Thank Old Glory for the opportunity to do this kind of trip. This was the largest flag I have ever seen - note how it is hoisted by a crane!
Overall, it was a fun trip. Jeep did a nice job of providing events, though many of the lines got a bit long at times. The Jeep store was cool & even added accessories to your ride (I added skid plates) at no charge - just get there early. The trail leaders were very helpful and did an excellent job of offering a variety of trails. I was told about 80% of the attendees had never gone off-road driving on trails - I was no exception. I think my Hudson County NJ & NYC driving made it easy for me - dodging buses, taxis, people and parallel parking skills made dodging stationary trees easy! Camp Jeep #10 was cool - I'll probably do it again - hopefully in a Jeep Unlimited!
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Last Updated: July 23, 2004