Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk | 5 Ways to Trash it Going Off Road

[@W2IRT]

Hey Brad, happy to see you used our Trailhawk as the Good Example at 1:52 in the video :). I feel honored and Arwen loved it! For anybody worried about removing the lower front fascia, yes, it's a pain the the rear, but you'll be thankful on the trails for sure. I think it took about 20-30 minutes to get it off but a bit longer to get it back on at home the next day. Rock rails, sump plate and trans plate going on later today. Now to get back out wheeling again!

[@ProdigalOverland]

Glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for letting us use you Jeep as an example! Enjoy your new gear!

[@АлександрКарболин-р7ы]

Hi, I’m from Russia. I have Jeep GCh Overland 2018. Sometimes I like to watch this channel. You are well done. Good luck.

[@ProdigalOverland]

Hi. Thanks for watching our videos! We appreciate it!

[@beckyweaver5981]

Hi there

[@beardedpatriot1857]

My last trip out I spun a drive axle in the hub/wheel bearing. Thought I blew the diff till I got home and took it apart. Also slid hard into large boulder on the trail. I don't have rock rails yet but luckily my OEM steps were strong enough to take the blow without damage to the Jeep. So far most of my new pinstripes have been able to get buffed out. Yeah I'm one of those weird guys that washes and waxes their trial ride lol. But not afraid to get it dirty while playing

[@normanchan2001]

Do more vids with JGC owners. Its interesting see others rock'n the wk2.

[@ProdigalOverland]

We plan on it!

[@beckhamotis6349]

a tip : you can watch series on instaflixxer. Been using them for watching lots of of movies lately.

[@kamerongatlin5721]

@Beckham Otis yea, been watching on InstaFlixxer for years myself :D

[@enriquezechariah3660]

@Beckham Otis Yea, been using instaflixxer for years myself =)

[@krewcesar5163]

@Beckham Otis yup, I've been watching on instaflixxer for years myself :D

[@NachoJackCheese]

I can totally relate to all 5 steps. Both my front fenders fell off and I permanently removed the rear bumper after it kept popping off after taking some steep departures. I have a video on my channel that shows one of the moments the rear bumper cracked after going off a steep drop.

[@ProdigalOverland]

I'll check it out!

[@walkyourbike]

I’ve been wanting to get the Lower Front Guard, but it seems like it’s all sold out at this time.

[@no_handle_required]

I always watch your videos to see what the TH can do, and what I shouldn't. heheh. Thanks Brad.

[@ProdigalOverland]

Yep, We probably show equal parts of both...

[@victordemaria]

Thank you so much for keep it real. I learn a lot from you and your experiences...

[@ProdigalOverland]

Happy to help!! Thanks for watching.

[@506244]

Qqqqqqqqqqqqqwwww

[@trailrunnah8886]

It's so conflicting having a nice vehicle that you also offroad (or intend to offroad, in my case). I often think, I could sell my 13 4Runner and pick up an XJ for 25% of the cost and then go crush trails without worry. OTOH, Would I want to take a trail-ready XJ on road trips hundreds, if not thousands of miles long? Probably not. Part of the reason I got the 4R was for it's reliability and relative comfort. I took mine up north into the mountains last week, and other than the lack of power on the grades, it was great. I even averaged 23.5mpg with the AC blasting the whole time. Not going to do that in an XJ, haha. (Incidentally, after cursing the 4.0 in the mountains, I checked out Hemi Trailhawks online when I got back haha. A little too spendy still). I guess it's a compromise, and you need to choose your battles of what you try to tackle with a newer rig. I was having this discussion the other day, someone said "If you can afford to drop 40K on a rig, who cares about scratching it up?". My thoughts are more along the lines of " I paid good money for this, I want to keep it nice". I also want to try to keep some resale value, because I don't necessarily want to keep it forever. Oh well, you gotta pay to play, right?

[@ProdigalOverland]

Good Comments! I agree that you have to be cautious about what you choose to do. I think it's good to start slow and ease into more difficulty things. I know for us a big part of it is the memories and friendships we make along the way. It's worth a few bumps and bruises in my opinion!

[@W2IRT]

I feel the same way, to be honest. We usually buy basic-but-reliable transportation. Certified used for about 1/3 of what we paid for our Trailhawk but this time I wanted something that, unlike my 2004 Tacoma TRD-Offroad pickup, would be fun offroad, but also comfortable on the long drives to get to the trails or on vacations. I think I chose wisely with my WK2, with the only compromise being that we're adding some protection to the sides and bottom (and soon the front) to make it a bit more robust. As for pinstriping, unless you break through the clearcoat, get a good dual action orbital polisher (I have a gentle-but-effective Porter Cable model), some foam pads and good cutting polish, followed by protective wax. That will get rid of all but the worst of it. And if you do take a bit more damage to the finish, good detail shops can do paint correction at a fair price when you're ready to sell it.

[@trailrunnah8886]

@@W2IRT thanks for the advice! I guess I should just let it go, as far as the pinstriping, and just enjoy the vehicle for what I bought it for. I bought this last year, it was six years old with 79,000 miles on it but I'm sure you know Toyota resale value, so it was still a bit over 20k, LOL. My original intent was to pay it off and keep it at least 10 years, and take it to 300K miles. At that point, I guess scratches would be the least of my concerns, I'll just be lucky if the frame doesn't rot out from underneath it first, haha, because New England.

[@W2IRT]

@@trailrunnah8886 Toyotas have had real problems with frame rot, and I speak from experience. My 04 Tacoma had rotted out and, thankfully, it was still covered by their rust campaign for another 8 months when it happened. $15,000 worth of repairs on Toyota's dime, and I put in another $1200 in parts. It drives like new. I'm still debating whether or not to sell it. It's more fun to drive than the WK2, plus it's a 5-speed manual, and I love driving stick.

[@trailrunnah8886]

@@W2IRT yikes! Unfortunately they never covered the 4Runners under their frame campaign. Originally I wanted a third gen, but I could not find one that didn't look like it came up off the Titanic. I also looked at first generation Sequoias, and had that issue as well. I ended up increasing my budget to include the 5th gen 4Runner, and went with that. My friend has surface rust, but nothing out of the ordinary for New England vehicle. I spent a lot of time underneath there with a drill with various wire wheels. The frame looks really good now, once I sanded off all the loose surface rust, I painted it with Rust Bullet and a Rust-Oleum top coat, then had it Fluid Filmed inside and out. I plan on doing this every year. Hopefully it holds up! This is really the only issue that I see that could take away from the long-term reliability of this vehicle.

[@9aqua_man282]

Chief products needs to make a metal rear bumper to replace the plastic stuff from Jeep. I know they make the corner guards but a full replacement of the plastics would be great

[@ProdigalOverland]

That would be awesome!

[@RT-xj3of]

Off-road animal has a pretty good rear bumper from what I hear

[@ProdigalOverland]

I have hear that as well

[@MrNuthed]

Great video but I do have a small issue with the width statement. Lots of guys have wide, offset rims and waaaay oversized tires on lifted Wranglers so many of them are wider by many inches over your GC. If your Trailhawk had trouble with a trail, a Wrangler probably would too. The thing with a Wrangler is that the tire hits, not the fender or bumper. When I had a JKU, the 12.5" tires saved those plastic fenders a time or two. Then we got the flat metal fenders for the look and ended up damaging them. 🤷‍♂️ Got a 2018 GC Trailhawk and haven't looked back. Rock rails, hidden winch and front bash bar so far. Once the air suspension goes ( and it will) a company ( can't remember the name) makes an air delete/lift kit combo using an Old Man Emu set up . Will allow 33"s if not 35"s iirc and allow some offset rims so I don't have to use spacers.

[@ProdigalOverland]

Good Comments. very true many wrangler owners do make some big upgrades.

[@davewme]

Mine was a day old, thought I’d try gravel piles at work.. how was it you got your rear bumper back on again? And what front air dam? Lol I enjoy your vids.

[@ProdigalOverland]

Lots of Duct Tape!

[@davewme]

🤙🏼

[@vernonbennettiii3646]

Have done most of those myself!

[@ProdigalOverland]

😁😉

[@arjunbhattacharya3623]

I watched the Sand Dunes video and gotta admit, I would not hang out with Jeff again :D A great video this btw! Cheers!

[@ProdigalOverland]

Ha! Thanks for watching!

[@size1up]

Not sure if its mentioned because I'm still watching but puddles.... soon as I got it I hit a puddle a high speed and damaged the front facia and blew apart the splash guard shooting mud all over the engine. They're not built for that. They're masterful elegant climbers. If your jeep is struggling to perform don't push it. If its not doing the obstacle fairly easily there's a problem.

[@ProdigalOverland]

We cover the water for sure! It the bonus tip

[@RubytheTrailhawk]

I took a bad angle backing down a steep hill and completely scratched up the side from branches

[@ProdigalOverland]

it happens!

[@webesmith]

Also with water crossing make sure that the big puddle you are about to drive thru is actually a puddle and not a 3 ft deep pond. Don't ask me how I know this. If you cut the top of a 1 gallon milk jug you can use it to bail water out of your jeep while you are waiting for a friend to come and pull you out.

[@ProdigalOverland]

Sounds like an interesting day! 😬

[@ghostdragon5758]

lol, ya trying to get through them trails with the least amount of damage, you will defiantly have a couple scratches on the other side.

[@ProdigalOverland]

Yes for sure!

[@TheHumanNerd]

Is it possible to drive on the highway without the front facia or do you have to keep it in the Jeep right before you hit the trail? I thought I had read that driving without the front facia caused issues on the highway. Thanks!

[@ProdigalOverland]

If your talking about driving home after hitting the trails I don't see any reason why it would be an issue. I think the biggest on highway issue would be a decrease in aerodynamics.

[@TheHumanNerd]

@@ProdigalOverland Thats good news. Thank you! I have some back trouble, so it would be nice if I didn't have to remove/install on the trail. I'll give it a try at home.

[@mohnster4000]

One of the best episodes 🙌 👌 ❤

[@ProdigalOverland]

Thanks!!

[@chev500l8]

Anything that starts with”dude you got this” , no you don’t.... classic scenario for a bad day.

[@ProdigalOverland]

So true!!

[@nathanstoll2453]

What roof rack is that? Really like the ladder.

[@ProdigalOverland]

Gobi roof rack. We have an installation video and a review on our channel. Check it out!

[@danielsolano5288]

Brad do you have a video of the hidden winch?

[@ProdigalOverland]

we sure do! Here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHmopquNgNhnjdU

[@danielsolano5288]

@@ProdigalOverland thank you

[@fahdabdulaziz5067]

How is lower facia protection? Does it change the ride comfort, any vibrations or noises? Gas consumption?

[@ProdigalOverland]

The lower front guard from Chief products didn't change the ride comfort not vibrations or noises either. We have a lot of aftermarket gear on there and overall yes the gas consumption has increased and the MPG decreased. I think we get around 17 MPG mixed

[@fahdabdulaziz5067]

@@ProdigalOverland I'm still on the fence. Not sure if the cheif products are necessary in my case. Most of my driving is in the desert. Thanks man for your efforts.

[@ProdigalOverland]

You’re welcome! Have fun!

[@gdwinco]

@@fahdabdulaziz5067 Check out this diagram www.chiefproducts.com.au/pages/wk2-protection. There are rocks, even in the desert. I have the @ChiefProducts solutions but there are others. The key is, until I saw this, I wasn't aware how much was down their protected by nothing but "plastic".

[@TacticalMainframe]

Great video

[@ProdigalOverland]

Thanks!

[@franklynvilla2614]

I own a 2012 Overland Summit and all my friends have the Toyota FJ Criuser and they always pushing me to go with them for ve Offroading I don’t want to damage my car

[@ProdigalOverland]

Maybe start mild. It’s a lot of fun!

[@MrNuthed]

You don't think embarrassing those Toyota clowns will be totally worth it? 🤔

[@akemonjames]

You ripped the fender Flare off, NOT the fender.

[@angelafrensley3504]

And don't forget youtube "Ride With Jeff"

[@ProdigalOverland]

Love it 😊

[@hocstix]

Trail hawk ? No protection underneath and plastic front bumper - not for off road but city driving only. Sad. They should remove the trail hawk badge. And you should not have to spend your extra cash to make it trail ready. Having second thoughts. Was considering buying one soon. Good inputs overall.

[@ProdigalOverland]

Jaswinder Aujla it comes standard with skid plates and adding rock rails is an option. If that helps any.

[@MrNuthed]

It is trail rated because it has locking front and rear differentials. The transfer case is also locking and includes a low range mode. It made it over the Rubicon trail STOCK!! The terrain select includes a rock mode that can only be engaged in 4 wheel low. It has 2 off road air suspension modes, the highest of which gives you more ground clearance that a stock Wrangler. Skid plates are standard, rock rails used to be optional, now they are aftermarket only. I can't think of anything that comes with rock rails standard. It is trail ready as soon as you drive it off the show room. I think you have been misinformed.

[@hocstix]

Thanks Todd for clarifying.

[@markspinner7220]

Sent you a PM on messenger!

[@VJlife25]

LOL, PINSTRIPING! GO YANKEES!!!

[@ProdigalOverland]

Oh my. You need help with that Yankees problem you have. 😜😉

[@VJlife25]

Come on Uncle Brad, you have to love the pinstripes

[@VJlife25]

PINSTRIPING is the best way to go

[@joelsmithers6887]

Stop talking so much. Get to the point, then wheel about the topic. Show something! Clickbait images. NOT SUBBING!!

[@ProdigalOverland]

perhaps you want to check out some more of our newer videos, The one today you may find interesting.

[@royf.2471]

don`t buy Jeep/Chrysler crap and you won`t have these problem`s. 4runner 4ever !!!

[@ProdigalOverland]

Lol 😂

[@gdwinco]

I love my GC and especially the V8 however I'm not stuck on a brand. If Toyota addressed the aging motor/transmission in the 4 Runner I might have looked at it as an option. Ford did Jeep a real service by introducing the Bronco. Otherwise the brands tend to do the min possible to improve the brands year to year.

[@timkincade9763]

Your Toyota lost the war , a defeated vehicle, a foreign vehicle buyer and traitor,