You just gave me a reason to keep a tow strap in my rig now. I keep bow shackles under the rear floor, but a strap is smart, so thanks for helping me to think through that.
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The secret is to find some mud in town when it rains to drive through and not wash it for a month. Then you don't look like "that guy".
I take everything out of mine that i don't need. Minimal items int he bronco at all times, bc i also like to beach buggy it with the top off, doors off etc.
I also like the bronco in its clean aggressive street look, so that stuff(jack, racks etc) are all clutter to me if not needed.
I also like the bronco in its clean aggressive street look, so that stuff(jack, racks etc) are all clutter to me if not needed.
his stuff will end up on a blanket next to an old toaster oven.I guess that's an incentive to not become a real life King Missile song.
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Be sure to check the medicine cabinet first.
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Depends how detachable it all is.
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If you’re worried about being “that guy” you definitely won’t be. Enjoy the ride
As for the wife, you do need to have storage solutions in the garage to keep all of your off-road crap not only out of site, but tidy and easy to grab when you need to go. Have tools and if you don’t, here’s a good excuse to get some. Tools are cool, tools are fun, tools are toys for grown men, so get some and play with them; it’s great!
Plus, wives tend to not fuss when their men do man stuff, just as long as you’re not messy, so get some tool cabinets and such to outfit the garage and having it look half like a workshop. She’ll respect that I‘m sure and respect your new hobby and likely be supportive, so give her more credit.
You’ll be fine man and I understand how you feel and the thought process, but let’s add some logic to this as well.
To add to this , wives are pretty cool most of the time. They are NOT pretty cool when they find you with 100 plus feet of wire, lights, relays and soldering iron on their dining room table, because it’s hotter and sweatier than satans jockstrap in the garage. Make sure they are out, or for heavens sake put some shop towels (NOT their nice bathroom towels ) down to protect the table
Ask me how I know
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So, so true! Love it!To add to this , wives are pretty cool most of the time. They are NOT pretty cool when they find you with 100 plus feet of wire, lights, relays and soldering iron on their dining room table, because it’s hotter and sweatier than satans jockstrap in the garage. Make sure they are out, or for heavens sake put some shop towels (NOT their nice bathroom towels ) down to protect the table
Ask me how I know
When putting my fog lights into the brackets, was on the kitchen eating table. She saw and gave a look that I know you know.
To your major point, I did have down a shop drop sheet, but then decided to move my work to the den floor to finish.
She was impressed that the lights came on and still have no issues, so when they see you’re serious and courteous, they tend to give full support and like that you’re doing it.
OP, don't forget some of this for that truly authentic look.
I kid, I kid. All my recovery gear fits into one of these totes, (with the exception of my winch) that can be easily loaded and stored in my garage when not needed. I never saw the need to drive around with rotopax unless you are going on a really long off-road trip (or possibly have some insight on an upcoming zombie apocalypse).
We have a few of those totes as they fit perfectly in the back of a moar door. We use them to store camping gear and carry food and other supplies when out camping, adventuring, etc
I kid, I kid. All my recovery gear fits into one of these totes, (with the exception of my winch) that can be easily loaded and stored in my garage when not needed. I never saw the need to drive around with rotopax unless you are going on a really long off-road trip (or possibly have some insight on an upcoming zombie apocalypse).
We have a few of those totes as they fit perfectly in the back of a moar door. We use them to store camping gear and carry food and other supplies when out camping, adventuring, etc
I’ll just disagree with your statement that a Pro Eagle weighs 80 lbs, LOL. Mine, and everybody else I know has it weighing in at 46 lbs. It’s a great jack, everybody I off road with has one. But the Harbor Freight knockoff for half the price is probably the best deal around.I love it when guys answer their own questions….. You seem to be focused heavily (pun) on extremes. That’s one guy who takes tires on and off, most by far don’t bother with that, because why?
First thing to ask yourself since this is sort of newish to you is why? For example, why a hi lift? They’re terrible for actually jacking up a vehicle off-road, even worse and dangerous when lowering.
A bottle jack, which is small and even cheaper is the best jack for off-road. Not even the pricey Pro Eagle is something that most people would use, plus it’s almost 80lbs! Who the f@ck wants to bring that? A race crew, yeah, but for the once per year or two I’d use it, never. Bottle jack saves the day; get a 3 ton with maybe a box to keep it in wrapped in a trash bag since they leak hydronic fluid, but who cares about that, keep it upright.
Storage boxes? You off-roading, or going on an expedition? Even for camping, unless you’re gone for a week or more, what do you plan to keep in them that‘s really important? There are far better solutions, but if you just want to have a ROAM, or Pelican, or any other over priced box that attracts attention like crazy, let’s all just admit that’s more for hipster style than usability or need.
Look, I get it, you want to show all the poseurs that you do this shit for real. Honest, I do respect that and I get the desire to rub their fake noses in it, but, be careful about what caring about others does to you.
It’s never smart to keep a ton of crap on your vehicle. Heck, it’s summer and I don’t camp in hot Deep South summers, so my roof rack and storage platform are removed and just in the garage. They’ll go back on in October when it’s time for me to camp, then off for Winter, on again for Spring, then the cycle continues. All that crap adds weight, drag, noise, and as others have mentioned, makes you a target for all the wrong reasons.
I don’t look at a ton of gear hanging off a vehicle to know if the guy is a wheeler, I look at the rig. There are guys here in Atlanta and I’ve seen in Denver with $2500 Warn winches they‘ve never even unspooled or used. Why? To “look” like guys like me and you. The caked mud and pinstripes show who’s a wheeler and who isn’t. Wheelers don’t care about clean either much, because they wheel, so the rig stays dirty. Sure you wash it on occasion, but it’s almost like a waste. And the tell tale dirt is in the wheel well and undercarriage and is usually brown or reddish.
Anyway, be smart and not lazy. Yes, take off your gear; will help it to last longer and work better. As for the wife, you do need to have storage solutions in the garage to keep all of your off-road crap not only out of site, but tidy and easy to grab when you need to go. Have tools and if you don’t, here’s a good excuse to get some. Tools are cool, tools are fun, tools are toys for grown men, so get some and play with them; it’s great!
Plus, wives tend to not fuss when their men do man stuff, just as long as you’re not messy, so get some tool cabinets and such to outfit the garage and having it look half like a workshop. She’ll respect that I‘m sure and respect your new hobby and likely be supportive, so give her more credit.
You’ll be fine man and I understand how you feel and the thought process, but let’s add some logic to this as well.
A Pro Eagle 3 Ton, which is the only one you should ever buy for serious off-road “truck” usage; smaller is for more of an ATV or think Subaru size, weighs 68lbs and this is very well known in the off-roading community.
Check the site here: https://www.proeagle.com/collections/off-road-floor-jacks/products/3-ton-big-wheel-jack-kratos
The Harbor Freight Badlands is like 74lbs, so to my point, that’s pretty heavy for off-roading in all but extreme cases which should be done with a chase vehicle anyway. So, no, most don’t need that overbuilt jack.
A bottle jack (3 ton) gets your Bronco, included extra lifted, off of the ground easily even if surface isn’t totally flat (wood block or platform can help), and weighs less than 20lbs, doesn’t take up too much space, is easy to use, safe and effective.
When you start wheeling, it’s like hikers, you start off full of fear and nervous about not having enough, then you evolve to understanding what you actually need, how to be more efficient, and to rely more on your personal experience and knowledge over the gear and the sometimes useful but often overblown info you pick up on YouTubes.
I have the Beast, more than capable. It’s what I use in my Raptor and Bronco. Lifted them up, no issues. Me personally, wouldn’t use any other jack. I guess we can disagree, no worries.
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