Flatwater Overland

25/04/2024

Is it a good omen when you randomly find an elusive 10mm socket in a parking lot you didn’t lose? Is this like leprechaun gold??

11/03/2023

The CJ-5 was “streamlined”. Yup. The round fenders and hood. If you can find someone old enough to ask, even back then there was resistance to the changing of the original ”flat fender” design. They called the CJ-5 and later models the “funny fender“ jeep. For some reason, jeep people have always seen modernization of the design to be somehow blasphemous.

06/03/2023

Lots of snow in the high country this year!

For goodness flake! 👀 at all that snow at the Grand Mesa Visitor Center! ❄️

The is thankful for all the moisture we have been receiving, but we look forward to connecting with visitors soon at the Grand Mesa Visitor Center this summer! ☀️

Photo Credit: Sara Lindberg taken on March 2, 2023.

05/03/2023

Join us for a micro adventure in the snow!

Join us for a micro adventure snowshoeing near Grand Junction, Colorado

23/02/2023

Just got these restored emblems for the Gladiator back from Tyler Goelz. The FSJ community is pretty great.

05/12/2022

Fun factoid, the primary original uses for jeeps after World War II were for agricultural and industrial applications. In the early 1970s, the more common use of the jeep became recreational. This was mostly due to the removal of power takeoff from the jeep, drive train, and other hitch and hydraulic options.  A jeep being used in an agricultural application, today is a rare sight.

Cristian Ybarra Bermudez shared a post on Instagram: "California farmers are built different 🚜 ". Follow their account to see 48 posts.

18/11/2022

If you are planning on off roading in Utah, be aware of this change starting at the first of the year.. It seems like this is primarily focused on non-highway licensed vehicles at this time, but would probably be a good idea to take the online class regardless when it is available.

03/11/2022

BOOM. Here it comes, kiddos...

Our wish to make the Hurricane I-6 Twin Turbo into a crate engine and our prediction of it hitting 1,000 hp is coming true thanks to Direct Connection.

02/09/2022

Colorado jokes…. Look it up if you don’t know.

If you know, you know.

21/08/2022

Love Coatis, but have yet to see one of these guys…,

Many locals and tourists, alike, seem to miss one of Colorado’s more unique species – the ringtail.

11/08/2022

Top Google search results tonight. Yes, Jeep people are just a bit different.

04/08/2022

It takes work to keep high country roads and trails open. Good job Ouray County!

Good news! Camp Bird Road, Yankee Boy Basin and Imogene Pass are OPEN! We thank everyone for their patience and understanding while we closed the roads to clean-up and repair them after the mudslides on July 27. Please be safe out there and ENJOY!

U.S. Forest Service-Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre & Gunnison National Forests

04/08/2022

Flatwater patch in the wild!

It’s not just a brand, it’s a lifestyle. Trooper Clothing has been in business for over 75 years providing premium goods to military families around the world. Check out our extensive line of licensed military and tactical products.

02/08/2022

Happy Birthday Jeep.

16/07/2022

Here's a collection of vintage Jeep ads and accessories in case you wondered what previous generations of Jeeps did for a living.... What is your favorite?

14/07/2022

The San Rafael Swell is a vast area of wondrous canyons, natural arches, and ancient pictographs. There is no official park within its territory, and access is only possible on historical ranching, mining, and indigenous trails. Like much of the desert west, the safest way to travel is by vehicle due to the lack of water and other extremes. There have been many “conservation” groups trying to legally shut down all motorized travel across massive swaths of public land through wilderness, monument, and other designations. It’s true some areas near populated areas require extra attention, but “The Swell” is not one of these. Many areas like this are naturally remote, and the topography and weather are natural gatekeepers. Well prepared off highway capable vehicles with experienced operators are required to safely go most places in areas like this. Saving our public lands should mean saving it FOR the public.

I if you have had the pleasure to enjoy The Swell, comment on this situation to the BLM.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) entered into a court-approved settlement agreement in February 2022 that requires the BLM to reconsider route designations on certain routes within the San Rafael Desert Travel Management Area. BLM specialists have reconsidered route assessments. The Green River District staff now invites the public to submit new information concerning settlement routes to help inform the reconsideration process.

BLM’s preliminary route designation proposals are subject to change with consideration of new public input and other relevant information. The reconsideration process considers BLM’s own route data, public and cooperator input received during the initial 2020 planning process and new information, if any, provided by the public by Aug. 26, 2022.

For more information and to comment, visit: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/93510/510.

25/06/2022

Had some wonderful friends visit from Australia, so it was time for some backcountry adventure! This is the first in a series of how the week went.

Day 1 :: Rimrocker route

We started the tour of the West Slope by cruising down Hwy 141 to Biscuit Rock for a little side quest. We climbed the rock formation on ancient moki steps and soaked in the terrain before heading to a favorite campsite on the Paradox rim for the night.

04/06/2022

This combat ambulance probably has The turning radius of the USS Alabama, but,

Oh. My. Goodness.

17/04/2022

Got to Moab the last day of EJS22 almost too late. They were breaking down the Jeep display when we arrived. Would have liked to talked to someone about this Trailhawk. It's pretty much the only reason I went over this year.

So, I'll tell you what I know. This is the new 4xe plug-in hybrid version of the short wheelbase Grand Cherokee. So, it can run around 30 miles on battery only and has two different hybrid modes. Compared to the other Grands I saw, there wasn't a lot of modification to this rig. It appears they opened up the wheel wells a little and added some custom fender flares to cover the 295/55R20 BFG tires. (The wheels look like SRT8 20's but are actually aftermarket). The roof is coated with a textured material that looks like a product similar to Raptor Liner. This vehicle was equipped with the panoramic roof. The fender flares are also coated. It actually turned out very tasteful and could certainly fend off branch scratches. The color is actually a deceptive teal. I liked the contrasting blues they used in the "Trailhawk" graphics. The recovery points are also painted the electric blue. The interior in the new Grands is absolutely gorgeous and high tech. Pretty sure the heritage style upholstery on the seats was custom to this concept. Looked amazing. Did get to open up the hatch, and the trunk area is significantly larger- I would guess 25% larger than my WK2 without losing back seat legroom. The spare would normally be carried under the rear floor, but it was not currently installed, an extra 12V battery was installed for show use. Otherwise, it is a Trailhawk Grand Cherokee. One addition to the Trailhawk package on this new model from previous production is a front swaybar disconnect a'la Rubicon. The fully independent suspension must have quite a bit more travel to make a disconnect worthwhile.

I really loved this concept and would be quite doable to execute for someone with some sheet metal and painting skills. Wish I could have driven it on a trail! Stay tuned for some more concept Jeeps!

22/03/2022

Serious onboard air!

10/03/2022

Cannot even imagine what it would have been like to drive one of these. Consider it for a moment. Completely manual steering that wasn’t just putting leverage on the front axle but both. Doubling up if not even more, the amount of steering linkage maintenance points. Probably take a wizard to align this thing. It would probably be really handy in wooded areas or in the rocks, but would be a handful on slick surfaces if not downright dangerous. Slick pavement in traffic? Hard pass. At least flatfenders couldn’t generate much speed….

17/02/2022

Ooh that 1-ton dually flatbed!
…and it’s called a “Townside” bed. Not Fleetside.🤔

08/02/2022

What in the ever loving…..

But where do I get one………….. 🤓

02/02/2022

Blast from the past. On a bit of a classics binge lately.