Reminiscing and Season's Greetings
So, I bought a Jeep JKU Rubi long before “I bought a Jeep” became the daggy slogan that sent every weeny teeny and her brother into every Jeep dealership in the land… it was the colours that attracted them. They knew dead shit nothing about Jeeps which was about as much as they knew about any other vehicle with 4 wheels and an engine. Still applies.
Soon, every mall parking lot was lit up with neon JK paint jobs brighter than your Christmas tree in December. I can’t remember seeing so many shiny Jeeps. I thought they were meant to be dirty brown, or baby poo brown, as my wife would comment. Still see tons of them. The poor things must be so disappointed. The Jeeps, I mean, built to last and for a blast, but living lives tamer than a Protestant priest’s on a Monday.
Anyway, I coordinated my buy with a trip to Cape York, towing a camper trailer and with my missus next to me. I admit to being a complete novice knowledge about Jeeps, but did have some idea about bush camping.
For her, the trip was less than she wanted. Vibrations sent her teeth a chattering. This, I found, was a downside for her of having a mouth full of metal for teeth.
And, thank whoever for the fact that there were enough dunnies along the road that she did not have to dig her own poo hole under a tree branch that could serve as the dunny seat. She always took her preferred dunny paper with her, though. Hers was always the best blend that made cotton wool feel raspier than a nail file. Me, I had to do with the sandpaper type… most blokes would: know what I mean.
Anyway, we got to The Tip without trouble. She was excited. Funnily enough she posed with quite a few strangers but not with me. Still don’t understand that. We turned and headed south for a few days in Cairns.
Throughout, the JK purred. There were plenty of bemused Toyota and Nissan drivers giving me the skeptical once over. “A Jeep?” they would say. “Why?” “Well, why not? It’s doing the job” would be my reply.
On this trip, if there were issues with the JK, they were mainly to do with my ignorance as a 4WDriver. I learned quickly though. I did see earlier model Jeeps, TJs mainly, and a couple of JKs. They were all loaded to the hilt but I don’t recall any of them having issues, other than those that come with the breakages and the wear and tear of age.
Anyway, the main issue for me was that the weight, and towing a camper trailer on stock standard springs, meant that eventually the arse end sagged lower than haemorrhoids through an old man’s freckle. The front end pointed higher than a teenager’s early morning wood and the slow destruction of the shocks meant that the JK was bouncing up and down harder than a bum in a brothel.
Clearly, these earlier model JKs were not really set up for off road and weight work, hence the failure of the suspension etc. They seem to be a lot better now, especially the Rubicon.
Anyway, in Cairns, I went to a well-known suspension place and 4x4 dealer to seek a solution to the saggy bottom and the pointy front. Three days later the kit had arrived via a train from down south. New springs and shocks that gave a 2” lift were fitted and away we went. Well, I did, anyway. The missus caught the plane back to home… it was a pre-planned things so no, I did not give her the shits. She was happy because she could mark off that she had now been to all of the farthest compass points of Australia.
I got on the road to Booraloola… rough as, and the first of the death wobbles began. This would haunt me for a couple of years until I sorted it back home, with new ball joints, suspension bushings replacement and changing suspension bits and pieces. I fitted Lovell HD springs front and rear and now all’s been well. I have not bought one thing from the 4x4 place since…
I have owned the JK since new (17 years) and this Cape York trip was the start of a sharp learning curve and many great and sometimes very long adventures. Always alone… the missus can’t cope with the noise, isolation, heat, flies etc. but I take the right gear to deal with these issues (especially the flies). I did do the CSR with another couple but that taught me “never again”.
I have a wall map of Australia with coloured texta showing the roads and tracks I have travelled. My brother-in-law says it looks like someone has thrown wet spaghetti at it. Most people look at it and think (actually say) that I must be mad going into remote country on my own. Perhaps I am, but I do my preparation and make sure that I have everything that I might need. Shit happens, so you must be prepared for it. I have detailed my prep activities etc. on other earlier posts and trip reports. I have had the greatest fun, seen amazing places, met wonderful people (as well as some right proper pricks) and sometimes tested myself to the very limits. The JK, I must say, has never let me down.
I have a couple more trips planned for 2024 that have been on the bucket list for a while now. Time and money gets away with you. My young neighbour across the road with his $120K Nissan Patrol with all the bells and whistles says that since I am “getting on a bit” I should be hanging up the keys and not going outback any more, especially on my own. Funny, for all this advice, I never see mud on that Patrol.
But, you know, I don’t know about hanging up the keys. I will be 70 in a few weeks from now. I can still walk, make sense, hold my own dick to pee, laugh a lot and have fun. Old. Too old. Bullshit!!!!!
Have a great festive season everyone, and may the New Year bring to you, all those wonderful things for which you wish.
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