OP
Not feasible this year because of pole vault competitions but I’m retiring from vault after this season so should be able to travel to wheel as much as I want next year
Arizona Rock Crawler
- Thread starter starkey480
- Start date
Not feasible this year because of pole vault competitions but I’m retiring from vault after this season so should be able to travel to wheel as much as I want next year
Yup. Seems like a trailer is never a bad investment. Except from what I hear as soon as you start trailering you start breaking shit
If you get a trailer other people will want to borrow it and break shit for you
Oh, now that you have a truck, anytime an acquaintance is moving, prepare to be their new best friend. Doubly so if you get a trailer
OP
At least it’s the type of truck I dont have to worry about scratches and dents!
Nobody I have ever loaned a trailer to brought it back better than it left. The same condition rarely, worse mostly, and they never even bat an eye over not paying for or fixing the damage.
I borrowed a friend's trailer one time.
The wiring on it was a mess.
I rewired it before I took it back to him.
His wife asked if I could please borrow their Jeep
The wiring on it was a mess.
I rewired it before I took it back to him.
His wife asked if I could please borrow their Jeep
I borrowed a friend's trailer one time.
The wiring on it was a mess.
I rewired it before I took it back to him.
His wife asked if I could please borrow their Jeep
Just about every time we loaned out a trailer, we’d have to rewire the plug once it came back. Literally got to the point my dad had the wiring schematic scratched onto it for easy reference.
I’m the guy that says no you can’t borrow it. If it’s convenient for me I’ll haul something for someone but that’s it.
The advantage to a trailer is increases your range to wheel. The thought of driving a TJ to Moab and back would haunt me. I put my TJ on my trailer behind my Tundra, 75 to 85 mph Moab , Ouray or Cali at least twice a year. Much more comfortable and better mileage. That doesn’t even factor in the confidence that if you break, you winch it on the trailer and head home vs. figuring out how to make a repair in the AutoZone parking lot and hope it holds to get you home.
OP
I’ve made that drive from Phoenix to Moab in the TJ twice now. Also have driven out to Blaine’s in the TJ once. Those are long drives in a TJ for sure but I can do 80 in the TJ without a problem. Once I recoup a little from the truck, I’ll get a trailer and go that route because I do agree that the security is really nice. Until I find one I’ll just rent one for long trips
If I can’t drive to Moab, I shouldn’t be wheelin at Moab. My .02c and how I meticulously go over my rig. I did have an issue once, but made it to Green River with a bit of serpentine left and fixed it in the O’Reilly’s parking lot. Good for another hundred thou.
You haven't had a catastrophic breakdown yet either. There are some breakages you can't fix in a O'Riley's parking lot.
Funny he just got a truck and ya'll are giving trailering advice already...
Well….. there is a natural progression that tends to occur.
Yeah, because I went over everything. Can something extraordinary happen? Yeah, but I could die tomorrow too. One can only mitigate. Hell, the truck pulling the trailer with the Jeep could have a problem, or the trailer.
Been there done that. Flew back to Moab to get my truck once fixed.
I borrowed a friend's trailer one time.
The wiring on it was a mess.
I rewired it before I took it back to him.
His wife asked if I could please borrow their Jeep
You're a rare friend. I hope he gets you bottles of whiskey for your birthday
Statistically, the odds of a break down or mechanical failure rise exponentially as you move the useage away from normal and intended. I leave my tow rigs 100% stock. The trailer is well maintained.
A problem with your rig can't be predicted even if you go over it more meticulously than anyone else. While a failure can happen to all three, rig, tow rig, and trailer, the odds will always be in favor of the tow rig and trailer due to them being used exactly as designed and well within their capabilities.
You're smart enough to read the threads about difficult trail repairs and the bizarre stuff that fails when you least expect it and apply that to the lack of similar stories about tow rigs and trailers to arrive at a very similar conclusion. That isn't taking anything at all away from your prep and skills, it is just the reality of what we subject our rigs to offroad. Everyone gets a turn in the barrel.
Folks that have never towed the rig on a trailer to long distance destination overlook that part. TJ's and TJ Unlimited models can be made to be comfy to drive. They will never be as comfy as even a reasonably good tow rig. Get one with 4 doors and somewhat modern, not even on the same planet. We did a lot of driving to events when we were part of John's team for rock crawling competitions. Being able to head out late, one of us crawl in the back and take a nap on the bed we made while the other drove was invaluable.
We drove to Las Cruces once and fighting a stupidly fierce headwind all the way was only noticed by watching the fuel gauge deliver less than normal miles per gallon, actually about 1/2 as many as normal but the rig stayed at our intended speed, easy to drive, nothing other than sucky fuel range told us how bad it was. 400-500 miles between fuel stops is not to be sneezed at either.
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Absolutely. My TJ continues to morph into something more like a trail rig, but I still daily drive it and very much enjoy that (10 miles each direction on rural roads). However, even though it will go 80+ easily and without vibes, it is very tiring after only a short time on the freeway, mostly due to noise (especially wind, but also tires and exhaust). Plus, with a tow rig you can carry more spares and tools, not to mention luggage.
OP
I'm thinking a trailer will make my life easier as far as being able to leave some of the shit I normally carry back at the trailer. Cargo room is already limited and a future fuel cell won’t help that