Penn’s Wood’s Jeep Jamboree

David & Pattie at 1988 Maine Mountains Jeep Jamboree

I am a Jeep enthusiast and Pattie has resolved herself to accept my Jeep addiction no matter how crazy.  I have owned and driven Jeeps off-road for 40 years.  Off-road driving is not just driving across obstacles and if your Jeep is outfitted with enough hardware, you either make it or you don’t. Proper driving technique is something that must be practiced and perfected over time. Tire placement, contact pressure, throttle application and overall vehicle awareness are essential to traversing obstacles without damage to the vehicle and environment.  Jeep Jamborees are excellent family friendly events to learn these techniques.  Pattie and I attended our first Jeep Jamboree at Bethel, Maine back in 1988, but their origin begins well before then.

In the late 1950’s, friends began exploring Northern California trails driving surplus Jeeps.  Mark Smith was one of them who had the vision to organize trail rides and founded Jeep Jamboree USA headquartered in Georgetown, CA.  Although Mark passed away a few years ago, Jeep Jamboree USA (www.jeepjamboreeusa.com) is going strong with 33 Jeep Jamborees being conducted across the US in 2016. It is not our goal to do all 33 events, but we (or at least I) would like to do a couple of them each year. 

This year we chose the Penn’s Wood’s Jeep Jamboree held in Bradford, PA.  The event was hosted at the Brad-Pitt University campus where they allowed us to park The Bus during the event.  We arrived early on Wednesday to set up and watched as more than 150 Jeeps rolled in on Thursday for vehicle safety inspection and registration.  

Each participant selected two of the ten trails offered (one for Friday and one for Saturday).  The trails are graded by level of complexity and drivers select them based on their vehicle’s capability and their driving skill level.  Event coordinators and Trail Guides are there to help drivers select appropriate trails.  We picked Boulderdash and RockyTop each that require a minimum of 33-inch tall tires and locking differentials.

We saw that the weather was going to be near perfect, so we decided to remove the Jeep’s hardtop for the weekend. This is not something we have done since we began full-time RV living as it takes a bit of effort.  There are several companies that make garage mounted hoists that lift Jeep hardtops off; but you need a garage.  When planning for full time RV living, I knew we would want to remove the hardtop occasionally and the most difficult part is there is no handhold.  It is a cumbersome job for two men to wrestle the unbalanced, heavy hardtop on/off without pinching fingers or dropping the top.  So, I designed side rail handles and had www.custom4x4fabrication.com in Oklahoma City, OK make them for me.  The side rail handles worked perfectly and Pattie was able to lift her side as we carried the top over and set it down in a grassy area beside The Bus.  Removing the hardtop allows you to experience the beautiful outdoor scenery as you crawl along trails.  We also witnessed a couple of people who did not remove their hardtops damaged them when they hit trees along the narrow trails.

Hardtop with Custom4X4Fabrication handrails

On the first day, we drove RockyTop with about 20 Jeeps in our group.  We stayed in communication using CB radios so we could hear what was going on upfront as the group stopped along the trail negotiating obstacles.  We would often hike forward to watch drivers cross the technical sections.  Our skid plates scraped along rocks, but we were able to negotiate all the obstacles without any damage or needing assistance. 

On the second day, we drove Boulderdash.  The Trail guides were very helpful here guiding each Jeep though the tight trail and complex rock formations.  There was one section about 200 yards long containing thick mud and we opted to bypass this obstacle.  I have driven Jeeps in mud over the years and no longer want to endure the cleanup penalty afterward if I can help it. 

One thing that concerned me during our trip preparation was that if I hit an obstacle just right; it would bend the tow bar brackets preventing me from attaching the Jeep to The Bus.  Mike at Custom4X4Fabrication built special skidplates to protect them and it paid off on this trip.  I had stopped to help repair a flat tire on another Jeep and then jumped back in to continue without refreshing my memory on the obstacles that were ahead.  Sure enough, we hit a large rock hard at a slight angle that would have bent the brackets had it not been for the skidplates. An ounce of prevention!

 

Each day, we stopped along the trail for a picnic lunch provided my Jeep Jamboree and breakfast and supper were provided at the Brad-Pitt college cafeteria.  The best part of the Jeep Jamborees is the people you meet.  We enjoyed discussing the Penn’s Wood’s trails and other trails people have experienced.  If you own a four wheel drive Jeep, this is a great way to learn the capabilities of these vehicles, develop driving skills, and meet some great folks while enjoying the outdoors.

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!