Joining a local 4X4 Club?

[Vvajk]

Saturday, as I was driving my kid to a soccer game, I passed a gas station and there were about 10 or so Jeeps (CJs, TJs, YJs, and even an old Flatfender) all lined up in a row. Everyone of them was an off-road lookn' beast; winches, tow hooks, Gerry cans, mudders, etc, in full display. I realized it must be some kind of local Jeep or 4x4 club about to go out together and do a trail run somewhere. I thought it looked like it could be fun. I googled a bit and actually found out who they were. The club seems well organized and I'm thinking it might be fun to join up.

Do any of you belong to such a club? What has been your experience being in a club like that? Any reason I shouldn't do it? Things to watch out for?

 

[Torxhead]

For the past 20 years I have been a member of a small club here in SoCal that is 50+ years old. In a club there are all kinds (and personalities) of members, but they all enjoy Jeeping. A club also involves a lot of politics and differences also, sometimes even wars. We meet once a month and have a run once a month and sometimes a vacation together, not everybody always shows up, to the sand dunes, the desert, the mountians, and to party at someone's house or a funeral. Discussing Jeep engineering is at the bottom of the list. One huge advantage is when there is a breakdown on the trail, everybody who is able to will help out and I could write a book on these stories. Another is places to go and Jeep, sometimes a new trail will come up and a few more will get closed, being in a group gets a better selection. I would suggest trying it as you can always get out. Do your research and clubs always take guests, to feel them out, prior to membership.

 

[Tin Medic]

Some of us belong to Military Jeepers. Most posts have a local jeep group that is open to anything with the Jeep name. We sponsor events do trail runs, trail and highway cleanup etc.

 

[mtnwhlr]

I'm not a member of any clubs but what I did last year was posted if any members here that lived in my area would like to meet and do a run. We ended up making two runs and I meet some great members and it was a lot of fun. http://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f49/front-range-co-meet-15620/?highlight=front+range

 

[73CJ]

There's pluses and minuses to joining anything.

Everyone is a little different. I have Jeeps that come out and play. We are group but not an official club. No muss no fuss. Come when you can type thing.

But is good to go with someone in-case you breakor a bad stuck.

 

[Tin Medic]

I'm not a member of any clubs but what I did last year was posted if any members here that lived in my area would like to meet and do a run. We ended up making two runs and I meet some great members and it was a lot of fun. http://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f49/front-range-co-meet-15620/?highlight=front+range

That was a blast.

 

[Old Dog]

I think clubs are a good thing as long as you find the one that is right for you. It's always nice to have people to wheel with, and help each other out on the trails.
Look around your area and go to their meetings and go wheeling with them to find out what they are all about. There is both good and bad out there.

 

[tinhorn]

I found a local club, but their minimum tire size requirement was larger than what I'll be running. *sniff*

 

[Torxhead]

Interesting Tinhorn, since I have never heard of that one, I guess they must do only the "Tougher" type of 4wd trails. As I have gotten older, I also enjoy the more senic and easier type, but it is fun to do the harder stuff once in a while. There are all kinds of trails like mud, sand, rocks, through the trees or desert, easy and hard, daytrips to weeklong.

 

[alabamaboy54]

I would recommend joining a local club if you have access to one. The local club that I am a part of has everything from stock jk's, tj's on 31's, up to a full tube rock crawler buggy along with everything in between. Yeah there are some disagreements and such that happen but thats just part of being any type of organization, people will have differences in opinions. We have meetings once a month where we discuss club events and trips and such and we try to schedule wheeling tips every couple of months or so. Its not like once you join the club you are locked in, if you dont want to go to a meeting or an event, then don't. You can still do what you want, its just nice to have a club to meet up with every now and then and wheel, and definately nice to know several people in your area with capable rigs in the unfortunate event that you have nay kind of troubles while you are out wheeling.

 

[Torxhead]

Jeep Clubs rarely specialize in rigs such as CJs only, this is one of the rigs in my club, it defines some of the characters who join a club and what you can expect. Most clubs do have a website so they can be found on the net:Jeeping Jeepers Jeep Club.