Over the past few weeks I stripped the Jeep down to bone stock and put it up for sale on Craigslist. The Craigslist experience in and of itself was a strange adventure that I might write about at another time.
I drove this Jeep almost 300,000 miles all around the United States and Canada on the original engine, tranny, and T-case. We logged countless hours in the Pacific Northwest and made 4 cross-country trips taking the scenic route that amounted to 10,000 - 16,000 miles per journey for weeks at a time while covering endless miles of pavement, gravel, and dirt. In many ways, this Jeep was more my home than any house or apartment that I’ve lived in during the past 10 years.
I was blessed that in all those miles I never wrecked or rolled the Jeep- or got injured and/or killed. Which is kind of amazing considering I spend majority of the year traveling and motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death in our country. I do actually make a conscious effort to avoid such hazards on the road.
For some reason driving and music fuel my creativity and deep thought. In order for me to write productively I have to spend a significant amount of time on the road or in the sky while listening to music or occasionally sitting in the silence of my head, focused by the droning sound of an engine as I absorb the passing scenery. My brain just has this connection between thinking clearly and being in motion.
This weekend the Jeep finally sold. The engine went out in the most appropriate way imaginable- on the final leg of a 10,000 mile road trip and close enough to resources that I could rent a truck and tow it the final 8 hours across the finish line.
When I first started preparing for that trip I wrote that this would be the final road trip for the Jeep and I. The thought was very unsettling to me and I edited the blog post and removed that line. Perhaps the only thing unsettling about my original words was the truth- funny how that works.
So the Jeep chapter of my life has now ended. I absolutely loved my 99 Cherokee and it’s almost bulletproof 4.0L engine that I got to know so intimately.
For months I considered rebuilding this Jeep and dreamed of keeping it going past the 500,000 mile mark. Though, it wasn’t quite the perfect rig for the extended trips that I take. Space was an issue for me, I really need something a bit bigger with similar or better offroad capabilities.
Ultimately, I want a Land Rover Defender 110 or maybe even a 130. These are difficult to find and expensive when you do find them. I’ve really come to enjoy restoring and keeping old vehicles alive and at work. One of these days I’d like to do this with an old Defender but I’m just not there yet.
In my search for a replacement vehicle I had the opportunity to talk with my neighbor about selling her Range Rover Classic. As noted in previous blog posts, I ended up test driving her old Rangie over the course of 400 miles on road, off-road, and even in significant winter conditions- both urban and wilderness. It’s definitely a project, but not likely a major project. The more I’ve thought about it, I think her Range Rover will be an optimal entry point into the world of Land Rovers and Land Rover projects.
After performing my due diligence on the Rover, I feel good about selling the Jeep. The new owner is going to take it to the next level of off-road adventures by either sticking in another 4.0L or perhaps even doing a V8 swap. He has a 5.5" Rubicon Express lift and 35" mud tires waiting for it. I think it will work out well for them both.
Similarly, I’m excited for my next chapter and to see where the world of Land Rover will take me. I’ve got until June to get the new-to-me Rover ready for it’s first big trip when I set out on yet another 15,000+/- mile road trip around the US and Canada.
Adventure is waiting and we have books to write.
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