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Learning new things!

Yesterday I had to make a decision. I was ready to buy a front bumper for the Jeep (we will start calling it Jinx and see if it sticks, but more on that later), and I was haunted by what I think was a regret purchase in the rear bumper. As I have done more research, and built more, I find myself having more and more regrets.

Let me explain this a little bit. My lift kit from Rough Country is a regret. Not because of the company, but because of the budget lift that is not capable of handling what I am wanting to do. The budget lift from Rough Country is great for the look, the style, and some light off roading, but when it comes to long-term travel on various terrains, with thousands of pounds of gear, it just isn’t strong enough. My decision to go that route is going to cost me in both replacements, and if I don’t fix it soon, repairs. Another item that I went cheap on was the rear bumper. While I like the style, the coating is sub-par, and it is super heavy.

So, I quickly came to a conclusion. Building a rig based entirely on the cost of the equipment, is NOT being budget friendly to yourself. Buying parts that are going to break, or parts that are not up to par, will cost you more in the long run than buying the right equipment in the beginning. Also, the weight of the product could cost you in fuel mileage. All these decisions will cost more in the long run.

When I was shopping front bumpers, I was calculating cost, build quality, weight, coating, etc. I started looking at Hooke Road (I have a thing about matching parts), Barricade, and Smittybilt. Based on price the Barricade Trail Force HD was the cheapest at $299, then the Hooke Road Different Trail at $309. The Smittybilt came in at $339. The Barricade was heavy, and did not offer a lot of coverage in the photos. The Hooke Road was large, but heavy and did include 4 LED lights that were just generic, but not true fog lights. The Smittybilt was big a adaptable to your needs. That coating on all of them did not have very good reviews with a lot of rust being a problem. I have had problems with almost every Smittybilt product I have owned rusting badly.

During the research on these three bumpers, I was made aware of Metalcloak. These bumpers are well made, and offer many add on options down the road. They are very well constructed with nice welds and thick steel, but keep an average weight. They cover the front end well, have a place to mount factory style fog lights and a winch. It comes with a fairlead and under-plate. It has what the reviews call a very good black coating on it.

When researching this company, they make very well made products and even have a line specifically for overlanding. That line includes fenders, side steps and rock rails, and even overland specific springs. These are products made right, and when grouped together, not only are they made to last, but also made to help your rig last as well.

Based on looks and reviews, and the fact that it was only a little bit more money, I decided to go with the Metalcloak. I will review it and do a video once it arrives.

In closing, it is safe to say that buying cheaper may ultimately cost you more in the long run. Part of being BUDGET BUILT is buying smarter to save in the long run.

Been absent for a bit…

Just a quick update.

Kentucky Lake didn’t work out because of COVID. We ended up going to Hot Springs, AR that week. It was great, we explored the town and swam. We were also able to hit a Jeep Badge of Honor trail. We made it through the trail (just me and the boys as Liz stayed at the cabin) having to use the winch once for the first time. We also bent a break line, and had the transmission overheat on the trail a couple times.

Since then, I finally got the steering fixed on the Jeep, and got Liz a new to us car. Her car was super small, and we needed something bigger…more on that later. As far as jeep trips or mods, more to come in the next few months.

Prepping for a Trip

My kids normally go to Ohio every year to visit my family for a week in the summer. Because of current circumstances that is not going to happen this summer. Instead, we are going to meet my parents at Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky. This is a national recreation area that was created in 1963 by President Kennedy. It has many off-pavement roads and more than 300 miles of shoreline.

As I prepare for this trip, I have a few things that I need to get done to Jinx. First I need to get my steering fixed, which I hope is just a steering gear box. Next I need to get an oil change. Also, a tire rotation (hopefully I can make this trip on these tires). I would like to also get a different set of side mirrors. I would like the same style as I have, but in the Barricade brand that allows the passenger mirror to flip out and be seen while the doors are on. I also need to install the front license plate more permanently on the new front bumper, and a new windshield. Finally some vinyl that I have on-hand.

I am nearly a month out, but this list was a lot longer a few weeks ago.

We Came Back to a Different World!

Our first big overland trip as a family came during the 2020 Spring Break in early March. The trip had been planned out for months, and went off without a hitch, except to say that it could have been longer.

Little did we know that after being off-grid for three days, we would come back to a different world because of COVID-19. Watch our adventure below.

The 1st BIG test.

It was many months ago that I started seeing the YouTube videos of Overlanding adventures from the likes of @TrailRecon and @CoyoteWorks (two of my favorites). Overlanding called to me. It took my love of camping, that I experience with my boys in the Scouts BSA program, and my love of Jeep life and put them into one. Since buying my Jeep in 2013, we did attempt some technical offroad trails, but my boys were bored, and my wife was scared to death that we would break something (truth be told so was I).

One of the things that will truly make my Jeep unique, and may set me back, is that I have a soft top, and have NO desire to go to a hard top. This cuts down on my useable space for gear quite substantially. Seeing rear cargo area storage racks peaked my interest, and I knew this was one direction that I wanted to start with. The one that I was introduced to in the videos was Vector Offroad, which by about every review is a great company. The problem here is that I make a living wage, but not one that could justify me spending the $499 that this rack costs.

I searched and searched for something in my price range that could do the job, and looked good. During this time, I had been the recipient of many social media ads from a company that seemed to have many various items, but I had never heard of them. The name was Hooke Road, and since I had never heard of them, I wanted to test their products. I ordered two low cost items (door sill guards and led light bulbs).

I was disappointed in this attempt at trying this new company. The door sell guards, that were paid for, were not in inventory anymore. The light bulbs did not fit. I was about to give up, but the solution that customer service gave me was a 20% discount on a future order. If it hadn’t been for this, I probably never would have given them another shot.

For my second order, I decided to get something real. I chose the cargo rack that goes between the roll bars in the back. This was one of the things I wanted to get from the beginning. It served the same purpose as the $500 Vector one at only $197. I also had the 20% off from the first order being messed up, so that was another $20 I saved.

This came quickly, was made and packaged well, and was easy to install. The only problem was that it took 4 factory hard top bolts and retainers that I do not own. I had to go buy these at Jeep, and they were not cheap.

Overall, I was very pleased, and posted the install video on my YouTube. The customer service team also shared the video and were very appreciative of my feedback. They offered me links to earn commission if someone bought from my link. I will be ordering from there again.