HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
2017 is one of those years that Cindy and I will always remember and if only because it bookends 10 years of the Jeep JK Wrangler. More than any other Jeep, the JK is the one that got us to start our own forum, inspired us to start filming our adventures and most importantly, introduced us to so many new friends. Of course, 2017 had more than its fair share of great memories for us and I thought it might be fun to take a look back and highlight some of our favorites. Click on the titles to see the entire thread.
Memorable Trips of 2017
2017 WAYALIFE New Year Kick Off Run Photo Highlights
For Cindy and I, there really is no better way to kick off the new year than to do it in a Jeep, out in the middle of the Mojave Desert and most importantly, with all your friends. Needless to say, one of our most memorable trips of 2017 also happens to be the first one we went on.
Cindy's Birthday Snow Wheeling Expedition Run
When it comes to birthdays, Cindy always wants to spend hers wheeling and for 2017, we decided to celebrate it with our friends and out in Tonopah, one of our most favorite towns in the State of Nevada. As luck would have it, we had plenty of snow to play it and as always, this trip turned out to be one of our most memorable of the year.
To the Good Ol' Days - a MOAB Jeep Vacation
When our good friend Jim Repp, the Vehicle Development Manager for Wrangler, asked us to go vacationing with he and his fellow engineers in Moab, there was no way Cindy and I could say no. Even though we had just been in Moab a couple of weeks before, this was a trip of a lifetime and as you can imagine, one that turned out to be one of our all time memorable trips bar none.
WAYALIFE Wild West Weekend - Kick Off to Summer 2017
Memorial Day Weekend has always been a time for Cindy and I to kick off our summer and for about as long as I can remember, we've always done it with friends and out on the trail. For 2017, we decided to change things up a bit and did so by trading in our tents for cheap hotel rooms and instead of just chillin in one place, we spent the whole weekend roaming across the Nevada desert visiting ghost towns and imbibing in their watering holes. Ultimately, this became the precursor to the WAYALIFE Whiskey Wanderlust.
WAYALIFE Whiskey Wanderlust : Tonopah to Virginia City
Inspired by our good friend Jim McGean, the owner of Dynatrac, Cindy and I decided to do our very first, official WAYALIFE Whiskey Wanderlust on 4th of July weekend. Essentially, it was a historic overland journey filled with adventures and libations that started in the town of Tonopah and ended in Virginia City, almost 400 miles away. Truly a hell of a good time and without question, one of our all time favorites of 2017.
2017 WAYALIFE Whiskey Wanderlust : Primm to Beatty
After our Kick Off to Summer Memorial Day Weekend and WAYALIFE Whiskey Wanderlust over the 4th of July, Cindy and I were dying to do another and so just before Thanksgiving, we got out with our friends and did another whiskey trip that ran from Primm to Beatty.
The End of an Era
The week after Thanksgiving was a time for Cindy and I to head down to SoCal and to cover the unveiling of the all new Jeep JL Wrangler. Reminded of what it was like to bring home Moby 10 years before, we decided to take him down with us and make it into an end of an era adventure. Ultimately, it turned out to be a hell of a trip that was not without its problems but one we would never forget.
100 GRAND - Rubicat Coming of Age Run
After weeks of being holed up in our dungeon working on part 2 of Heart & Soul, Cindy and I decided to pack up Rubicat and take her out. This trip was especially memorable for us being that it would be the one she turned 100,000 miles. Between her, Moby and Nemo alone, this milestone would cap off over 300,000 miles of fun filled adventures that we've had in our JK's over the last 10 years.
Memorable Moments of 2017
REVERE THE STEER - Rubicat Going Wide with 72.5" Dynatrac XD60 / PRO 1550 Front Axle
After almost 6 months of being used by Dynatrac for new product design and development, Rubicat was finally able to come back home to Camp WAYALIFE. While is was painful to have her gone for so long, the 72.5" Dynatrac XD60 and PRO 1550 Front Axle she got was nothing short of amazing. Undeniably, this was one of the most memorable moments for us in 2017.
RUBICAT Movin on UP to 40x13.50R17 Cooper Discoverer STT Pro M/T Tires
Soon after getting Rubicat back from Dynatrac, Cindy and I picked up a set of 40x13.50 Cooper Discoverer STT Pros. With them installed on a set of Trail Ready bead locks, she now sat as tall as her big brother Moby and it officially became that much harder to decide who to take out. Of course, this new upgrade also made it easier for us to take them both out.
MoCANNED MOBY!
It'd be hard for me to say that there wasn't an upside to Moby having to seek medical help from MoTECH especially being that while he was there, he'd be upgraded with a host of MoTECH mods including their all new MoCAN bus system.
EMMA in all her ELEGANCE - TOTAL MAKEOVER of a 1969 Jeepster Commando
Working on Emma was kind of a bittersweet experience for me. I really would have preferred taking a lot longer to pretty her up but with the release of the all new Jeep JL Wrangler just around the corner, I knew it'd have to be now or maybe never. Needless to say, I ended up spending the better part of August slaving away on her and as much as it kicked my ass, I'd have to say now that I was so glad that did.
The Official WAYALIFE JL Wrangler = ORDERED UP!!
After more than 10 years of having a hell of a good time playing in 4 different Jeep JK Wranglers, the time had finally come when new blood would be coming to Camp WAYALIFE. On November 26, 2017, Cindy and I placed an order for an all new Jeep JL Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited and with it, a dawn of a new age had arrived.
Memorable Videos of 2017
CALAMITY JANE - A Calamity No More / Our Jeep CJ5 Renegade Completed [Part 7]
While most of the work Cindy and I did on Jane was done the year before, we didn't get her finished up until the beginning of 2017. Because of it, being able to post up Part 7 of her video series was especially sweet for us.
GO WIDE - Why You Want a 72.5” Dynatrac XD60 / PRO 1550 Front Axle
After an amazing 10 years, the JK is finally coming to an end and the amount of upgrades we've been able to do on ours had slowed considerably. One of the last major upgrades we were able to make on Rubicat was an all new 72.5” Dynatrac XD60 front axle with PRO 1550 knuckles. Fortunately, Dynatrac was kind enough to let us document the process and you can see its development, installation and testing in this short video.
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS of WAYALIFE VIDEOS
Lacking any knowledge or skill on how to use a video camera let alone edited footage from it, Cindy and I never would have guessed that we would find a passion for making Jeep videos. In fact, it still boggles the mind that July 20, 2017 would mark 10 years of us making them and this short video highlighted some of the fun we've had over the years.
HEART & SOUL - A Moab Vacation with the Engineers from Jeep [Part-1]
Cindy and I wish it weren't the case but unfortunately, making full length feature films takes an enormous amount of time and effort. A lot of this is because there's often an enormous amount of footage for us to go through and make sense of it all but most of it is because we want so desperately to get what we experienced right. Needless to say, for 2017, the 2 Part Heart & Soul series is the only one we were able to complete. If you haven't seen it already, here they are below - we hope you enjoy.
Bummer Moments of 2017
CANCELED My AAA Premier Road Side Assistance - Think You're Covered? Think Again
I'd be lying if I said that 2017 was completely problem free for Cindy and I and filled entirely with happy memories. Because every rose does have its thorns, I thought it would only be fair to share at least one memorable moment that just sucked for us. Specifically, that would have been when a AAA roadside assistance wanted us to pay $600 for their help or leave us stranded. To add insult to injury, AAA stood by their tow truck driver who claimed that towing Moby would be unsafe.
MOTECH Medical Help for MOBY
Having to tow Moby down to MoTECH for some medical help was another bummer moment for us if only because it was one of the only times he's had to trailered anywhere.
Memorable Douchebag of 2017
I'll look for your rat tail Eddie. I would love to meet you
Just because stupid threads have a way of popping up on the forum on a regular basis, Cindy and I thought it would be fun to give an honorable mention to the one douchebag who had the most action for 2017. And, as we would come to find, that distinction goes to XJADDICTION :crazyeyes:
What are some of Your Memorable Moments of 2017?
Now that you've seen some of our most memorable moments of 2017, we'd love to hear about yours! If you made posts about them here, please post up a link to the thread where it can be found. If not, please post up a pic or at the very least, give us some details about you experienced. Please note, your memorable moments do NOT have to be Jeep related. With that said, let's hear about them :yup:
HAPPY NEW YEAR
