tommyluv78

i was lookin at the jeep website the other day and saw where they have something that advertises upcoming jamboree events. i looked at a couple of these things and was surprised at the cost. a couple of them were close to 300 per person. to me this seems kind of expensive. what i'm askin is for someone who's been to one of these tell me 1) what you get for the money, 2) was it worth it and would you do it again.

JeepinMass

I know a few people that have done it and have had fun. It all depends on the legal wheeling in your area. Those in an area who don't get out may enjoy it more. IMO way to much $$$

Desert Fox

tommy,

Since 1999, I have attended 15 Jeep Jamborees (JJs) of all degrees of difficulty cost, and location. There are several basic types,
- Standard: Arrive Thursday evening, Tails on Friday and Saturday and depart on Sunday. There are two variants of this standard JJ:
(1) Trails only: You provide your own breakfast and lunch. JJUSA provides dinner. Is is usually the least expensive JJ type.
(2) Full Service: JJUSA provides breakfast, lunch and dinner, trail days are the same, Friday and Saturday. While this type is slightly more in cost, you don't have the hassle of buying or fixing your own breakfast and lunch.
NB (Note well): You are still responsible for your own over night accommodations regardless of JJ type. JJUSA usually gets special rates, but this is still going to add about $100 a day to your costs. Now, if you have a RV or your family tent camps, you can lower the costs to about $35 a day.

- Extended JJs: This year JJUSA started a new type activity that lasts a week and covers a much wider area, in some cases, two or three states. I have not been on one of these JJs, but I plan to as funding becomes available.

- Special JJs: These have existed for several years and are very expensive: They are for special interest groups such as all woman events on the Rubicon Trail with gourmet food and JJ provides the Jeep for each person to drive. As I remember they are well over $1,000 a person.

-- There is also one in the works for San Felipe, Baja California which will include golf and deep sea fishing. As I remember, it was about $2,000 a person, if JJUSA can arrange for group trip insurance, which is very expensive.

No matter which type you select, you are going to have a great time. These are family oriented events and you will find all levels of Jeeps there from stock to highly built. There are trails for all levels of drivers so you won't feel out of place.

Bottom line, you and your family are going to have a wonderful time and meet some really fine folks who share you love of Jeeps. It's worth every cent.
If you have questions about a specific JJ, someone on this board most likely will have participated in it and can provide you with first hand experience.

AZ Outlaws

Exactly... you can do it yourself with a little planning. Join a local club, get some experience, and get a group together to go on a trip. Also, once you get in a club, you can always search the forums for a club in an area you want to visit. Then just log on, introduce yourself and chances are they'll invite you on a run.

Or...

Places like Moab and Ouray/Silverton have so many people out wheeling you can always hook up with others so you don't have to go alone. In Moab, head for the City Market in the center of town, strike up a conversation and your own your way.

If you have the $$$, are one for guided tours and don't mind being with a very large group, go for it. If you want to spend less $$$ and have a more leisurely time of it, do it on your own. Anyway, that's what's worked for me....

AZ Outlaws

Opps, double posted... this one deleted. Sorry about that....

Desert Fox

While I agree you can "do" many of the trails with your own club, what you don't normally get is:
- A chance to wheel with families from other states and other countries. I have wheeled with folks from 40 states plus France and Japan. When I did the Sea of Cortez JJ, the gentleman in the TJ behind me was a recent Nobel Prize winner for medicine.
- Really good trail guides and spotters.
- A drawing on Saturday where you have a chance to win a winch, a set of 4 GY tires, I won that and got a set of GY 35" MTRs.
- I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

It's not just the trails, it's the overall Jeep experience.

AZ Outlaws

The Jeep "experience" can mean different things to different folks. Like I said, if you like large crowds, guided tours and have the $$$ to spend above what it would cost doing it yourself, go for it. A chance to win a winch, or tires? Not a big drawing card in my book, nor is where a person is from or what he does for a living. You may have won, how many didn't win?

Anyway, have fun whichever way you want to play in the dirt....

CIJeep

Family Fun? WHOO WHO!!