Hello from Vancouver, Wa!

Abntroop

Member
Hi all, just joined, my wife Laurie and I live up in Vancouver, Wa. Currently we have an 18’ WK2 Trailhawk, and a 16’ JK Rubi Hard Rock. Spend a lot of time out poking our noses off the beaten path and have for years. Across OR, WA, and ID with short dips into N Cal and NEV. looking forward to perusing the forums and getting to know what looks to be a great community!
 

Abntroop

Member
The day I bought the Wampa

And 8 weeks later


2.5” lift and fenders are next. Thinking of doing the hurricane fenders.
 
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Abntroop

Member
This will be the second wrangler my wife Laurie and I have owned, we are from Vancouver, wa and have spent the better part of the last fifteen years criss crossing Oregon, Washington, and Idaho exploring the back country and miles of forest service and BLM roads that the region has to offer. Through that time period we have used a 00’ Toyota forerunner(greenie), an 08’ Hummer H3 Alpha (the Hippo) an ‘11 JK sport (Cap) and currently my wife’s 18’ Grand Cherokee Trailhawk and our newest rig, a new to me one owner 16’ JK Rubicon Hard rock (the Wampa). I would consider us to be relative novices to hardcore wheeling as much of the wheeling we have done over the years has not been done for the sake of doing so, but rather, in order to get from point A to B with a destination in mind. We both enjoy exploring, and being ex army, I simply like being out where there are fewer people, like an emotional refill of the inner gas tank. Picked up the Wampa in December, and it came with new 33 Toyo mud tires and a budget leveling kit. As a daily I imagine I will stay with 33’s, but am considering 35’s. A 2.5” lift is on the books, but on hold for now as my wife has accepted a new job in Carson City, so the next few months will be filled with a tad more “adulting” than I would like what with packing, selling our home and getting through the move.
 

Brute

Hooked
Howzit from the islands in HI & WA...and good luck with the move to NV...you're going to like the wheeling out there...
 

Abntroop

Member
Howzit from the islands in HI & WA...and good luck with the move to NV...you're going to like the wheeling out there...
Thank you! We are both looking forward to changing things up and starting the new chapter in our lives. Been looking at the available trails in the area, looks like one heck of a playground with a solid mix of cruise the woods, to holy shit I’m gonna break some shit and need to get a bigger set of cojones :D

As an aside, for folks running 2.5” of lift, are there any preferences for protecting the oil pan and transmission? Was looking at the river raider belly armor set. I had custom belly armor on the hummer. Worked great, but downsides were if ya had any leaks, you might not spot them, and oil changes were a pain.
 

Abntroop

Member
Scrounged up a pic of the Hippo on one of our adventures.
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And our old JK sport
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About five years ago, I got my hands on an old Bantam trailer which was in pretty good shape. After some cleanup, a little patching, a good coat of POR-15, gutting the suspension and upgrading it to Timbren, and dabbing up fenders, tongue, and roof rack it has been a faithful companion mobile home away from home base ever since. The purists freak, but I figure we saved it and breathed new life and purpose into it.

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