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Camp Jeep 2002
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| Dust and Tailpipes: The greenhorn gets dirty |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:10:20 |
| Rating |
 194 ( 3 +1.54% ) | | Author | Meghan Searles |
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Description:
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Branson, Missouri - The Ozarks are hot and humid in late July, which made me thankful for the high-powered air conditioning in "The Patriot," the red, white and blue Jeep Wrangler I drove down highway 65 toward the 8th annual Camp Jeep. Returning an occasional thumbs-up from fellow drivers appreciating the vehicle's American flag detailing, I was forcing the little truck's 6 cylinders up long mountain passes in spite of the full-blast A/C when I suddenly realized: everyone is waving at me.
My first reaction was to wave back, smile and wonder in true Yankee style what the heck makes the Midwest so friendly. But then I noticed that the wavers were all in Jeep Wranglers, most of which were proudly flying little white flags that read "Camp Jeep."
Originally held in Vail, Colorado and subsequently in Virginia, Camp Jeep 2002 was held recently in Missouri. More than 8,500 Jeep owners from 45 states and countries as far away as Lithuania, Iceland, China and Mexico attended this year's event, and more than 900 vehicles took to the trails each day.
Thousands of owners drive thousands of miles to hang out with other Jeep owners in the July sun each summer, and if you ask them why, they'll likely tell you, "It's a Jeep thing. You wouldn't understand." I joined their ranks for the three-day festivities, and saw this motto emblazoned on everything from T-shirts to bumper stickers to baseball caps atop inevitably sunburned, but smiling, faces.
Day One: Taking it off the streets
Sitting at the top of what seemed like a sheer vertical drop, I waited my turn to point myself, my Jeep Liberty and my co-pilot down a steep path dotted with sharp rocks, slippery gravel and trees so close they would have grazed the sideview mirrors, if they hadn't been folded flush with the body.
As my heart rate rose and the taillights of the vehicle in front of me disappeared, I thought of two things: the 90-degree left turn awaiting me at the bottom of the slope and the sage words of my off-road mentor - "Trust yourself and your equipment and you'll be fine."
I had begun to realize that advice is easier said than taken. My only previous off-road experience had been as a passenger on several straightforward trail rides in the rolling hills of Western Massachusetts. In the rugged backcountry of the Ozarks, in the driver's seat of Jeep's first 4x4 vehicle with independent suspension, I wasn't sure I could trust my driving skills or the machine beneath the pedals.
I took a deep breath and checked to make sure the vehicle before me had made it down the hill completely. I merely nudged the Liberty forward, in 4-wheel low and first gear, and we were off. Leaning on the brakes but easing up enough to keep from locking them, I focused on the ditches, big rocks and low-lying branches ahead, trying to point the vehicle down the right path.
That path, as I came to discover throughout the morning on the trails of one of the private properties Jeep has rented for this event, is rarely the one of least resistance. To a beginner, off-road driving goes against a lot of instincts. For example, a tall rock on the right hand side of the trail may provide an opportunity for better traction and may be the best choice for keeping the left-side wheels on the ground. So on the trail, you might want to aim for that big, intimidating rock instead of dodging it the way you would avoid an obstacle on the highway.
I was discussing the strategy involved in off-roading with my co-pilot Rick Daneau, the Jeep PR guy who had been kind enough to head out on the trail with this greenhorn. Cheerfully putting his life in my hands, Rick offered tips such as "Wait until you can't see the headlights or taillights of the vehicle in front of you when you're going up or downhill" and "Look out!"
With his help, I navigated sharp turns, steep inclines and declines, and one particularly tricky turn involving a large ditch, a mud patch and several sharp rocks. That turn required a couple of reverse-and-re-approach maneuvers, but otherwise, I finished the course thoroughly impressed with the Liberty's performance. As a mid-range, highway-ready SUV, this truck's first home is not the trail, but it handled 4-wheeling better than its competitors ever could.
Surprisingly, I also found myself exhausted. We couldn't have gone more than a few miles, but I felt as though I'd run a marathon. As one of our trail guides, observed, "If you go wheelin' all day, you're butt-kicked tired." I was, indeed, and I headed back to the Camp Jeep campus for a little paint gun target practice, a basketball shoot-out challenge, the ropes course and an enclosed-trail test drive of the new Wrangler Rubicon - the closest thing to R&R I can find.
Day Two: The people behind 'the Jeep thing'
This year's event was the largest ever, says Lou Bitoni, Senior Manager of Brand Events at parent company Daimler Chrysler. Bitoni, whom co-workers call the "father" of Camp Jeep, is in charge of owner loyalty programs at Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge. He told me this is a "family affair" at which children are welcome and whose staff this year included his daughter, two sons, and members of their high school football team.
As he dug into a greenish pre-packaged roast beef sandwich from the Camp Jeep Café, Bitoni offered hearty greetings to Camp "Counselors" in blue and green polo shirts and noted that planning for Camp Jeep begins a year in advance of the event. A 700-person, mostly-volunteer staff organizes and runs what the PR guys call "Jeep lifestyle activities" including a BMX-style bike course, Wrangler Rubicon test drive, guided forest hikes, a soccer clinic and arts and crafts classes.
In all, almost 200 tents featured everything from aftermarket Jeep components to yoga instruction. Bitoni noted that in addition to Jeep owners, the event attracts companies who'd like to cash in on the owner loyalty. Conde Nast publications such as GQ and Fitness are just two of the non-Jeep brands occupying tents featuring magazines, massage sessions and healthy-cooking tutorials.
By mid-day, it was well over 90 degrees and dusty on the paths throughout the campus. Surrounded by the sounds of V6 motors and PA announcements, the campers smile and douse themselves in bottled water. Despite the heat, the people I spoke to were cheerful - and happy to be a part of that unidentifiable 'thing.'
Tony and Kay Sgarlata, form Syracuse, New York, are members of the Twisted Axle Jeep Club back home, and attended Camp in 2000 in Virginia. As fairly serious off-roaders, the Sgarlatas liked the "cameraderie with fellow Jeepers" they felt at the event.
This affinity wasn't limited to 4x4 fanatics, according to the Robinson family, from Matteson, IL. Jeep owners since 1995, this family drives a Grand Cherokee that has never seen - and probably never will see - a trailhead. Still, they traveled 539 miles in their family car to kayak, test the SCUBA tank, create arts and crafts and tell me they were 'having a great time with the other Jeep owners."
Camp Jeep brings families as different as these together from thousands of miles away to celebrate not just the vehicles they drive, but an entire Jeep lifestyle. The event, with its democratic appeal and its stars and stripes flying from flagpoles, becomes a little piece of Americana. The vehicles, in the words of Lou Bitoni, are simply "the glue that brings people together."
At the same time, Camp Jeep appears to be sound business - 6 percent of 2001 Camp participants bought a new Jeep last year, and about 20 percent of attendees return each year. Some, like the Sgarlatas, attend every few years, and, as always, participants pay their own way.
Jeep also sees a return through the Engineers' Roundtable discussions, sold-out talks at which Jeep drivers met the people who design their vehicles. Led by market research professionals, the sessions seemed more like focus groups: drivers were asked what they like and don't like about their vehicles, what features they use and what they wish they had.
The first question at one session, "Why did you buy a Jeep?" elicited a variety of responses and a flurry of notes by engineers who may have been thinking about the next design cycle. "I needed a cheap 4x4 vehicle that would last," one person responded. "I like the ease of modification and the many accessories you can buy," noted another.
Other answers seemed to speak more to the Jeep lifestyle: "My dad chased cattle in an old Jeep Willys in Kansas," said a participant. "He drove one across a creek in Colorado. I always wanted to do that." Another chimed in, "I bought one because of the tradition behind the brand." And finally, "I like the people you meet here. If somebody breaks down on the trail, everybody jumps out to help. If you see another Wrangler on the road, they wave to you."
Through these stories and other like them, the 'Jeep thing' began to take on a voice. The tales told by participants created an atmosphere more like a campfire ring than a focus group. Thankfully, no one broke into a chorus of Kum-ba-yah.
Day Three: Waving goodbye
After three days in the midst of the 'Jeep thing' in Branson, Missouri, I was dusty and a little sunburned, with my first off-road experience under my belt. Although Jeep hasn't yet decided where the event will be held next year (both Vermont and California have been discussed), but Lou Bitoni expects the event to continue to grow, no matter what the location. He seems to be counting on the magnetic pull of the 'Jeep thing.'
As I drove north again to Springfield airport, I saw dozens of Camp Jeep flags on the road as attendees departed. I conducted a little test, waving at other Wrangler drivers to see whether they would return the greeting. Nine times out of 10, they did. |
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