Northology Adventures March 2021

A MIDWEST OUTDOOR ADVENTURE PUBLICATION

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES MARCH 2021

MOORE EXPO RECAP ADVENTURE RIG OR RIG & TRAILER? GETTING YOUR BEST NEW CAR DEAL SNOW MOON SNOWSHOE HIKE THE GEAR BUNKER

CINDY POPE Publisher

This was not our winter of discontent. I know we are three months into 2021 and it feels like more of the same but still, I see you all out there making the most of it and having a blast in the snow. Think of this issue as a last celebration of all things wintery. We will be bringing you a ton of destination and adventure locations in our April travel issue as the weather turns and the trees start budding. See you on the trial!

Northology Adventures Magazine has made all efforts to make sure that content is accurate on the date of publication. The views expressed reflect the author(s) opinions and are not necessarily the views of the publisher or editor. All content is published in a good faith. Northology Adventures does not guarantee or accept liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by this magazine or errors in the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers.All rights reserved and nothing can be partially or in whole be reprinted or reproduced without a written consent. By using links in this magazine, you acknowledge that and agree that Northology cannot be held responsible and shall not be liable for content of other websites and advertisements.

Trails End Campground photo: Cindy Pope Cover- Wisconsin Overland trip by Cindy Pope

contents 03 The Gear Bunker

06 A Different Course of Action 16 All Things MOORE 22 G3 Fabrication 24 Adventure Dog 28 Dead Miners 32 Moleisure Xventures 38 Snow Moon Rising 40 Time to Deal 50 Look Ahead... Hike!

DECKED TRUCK BED STORAGE PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES AND ADVENTURE A few years ago I traded in my 2015 Jeep Cherokee for a new 2019 Chevy Silverado Trail Boss.

The first thing I noticed going from the Jeep to the Trail Boss was storage. In my Jeep, I had a duffel bag with roadside assistance gear and recovery gear in case I got stuck. When I migrated everything over to the truck I ended up putting all my gear under the cab seats. It all fit under the cab seats just fine until I wanted to take my 105lb German Shepherd with me. Those seats had to go up. At that point, I had nowhere to put my roadside assistance and recovery gear other than throwing it inside the open bed of the truck.Looking over my options, DECKED truck bed storage kept coming up in my searches as well as conversations with those in the truck community. I decided to go for it and make the investment.

Read the full story on The Gear Bunker website

keweenaw overland adventure retreat tickets on sale now sponsor/exhibitor inquiries - koar.up@gmail.com

adventure calendar March 3/12-14 -Canoecopia (virtual) 3/19-21 -Northology Winter Weekend,

Copper Harbor, MI 3/27-4/4 Easter Jeep Safari, Moab, Utah

April 4/30-5/2-Smoky Mountain Overland Rally, 20-40% OFF GAIA PREMIUM

Crosby, TN

submit your event at info.northologyadventures@gmail.com

Custom off road trailers, accessories & gear g3fabrication.com

A Different Course of Action

BY JIM ROY

2020 was quite a year and 2021 came on strong, with Covid fatigue being a very real thing I needed a getaway. I spoke with my wife unit who also expressed the same concerns, and we discussed our normal course of action.. Head to the Florida Keys for a few days. However, with travel restrictions I was unable to fly anywhere. I told her of my plan to head north… Way north and explore the frozen playground that is Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I explained to her my plans to see, blue ice, waterfalls frozen in time, and Ice caves.

With trepidation in her voice she agreed to come with me.

The wife unit is by all intents and purposes a tropical girl, but deep in her nature is a try everything attitude. So, we got her all kitted up to explore, the great north. New trail crampons, snowshoes and a puffy jacket and she was ready to go. However, all of her new gear did not stop her from checking the weather reports regularly and telling me things like, “uh babe, wind chill makes it -20 today in Munising today”. I was unphased as I knew adventure was calling.

As time grew near I added her to Facebook groups showing other people’s adventures and amazing photos. She grew more excited until our time arrived. We loaded her Colorado and set the navigation for due North. We made a brief stop at the Mackinac Bridge to check out the amazing blue ice formations then across into the land of the Yoop. We arrived at my second favorite place to stay in the UP, the Roam Inn, only being beaten out by a hammock on the shores of Lake Superior and checked in.

The next morning dawn broke a crisp 9* as we prepared for our first day of exploring.

Again, we piled into the Colorado lovingly called “Lil B” because she is little but beefy and headed west. We arrived a short time later at the parking area for the fabled Eben Ice caves. Seeing far more cars than I expected I knew we should have gotten our egg sandwiches to go. We strapped on our crampons and made the 1.5 mile trek to the caves. The trail is marked as treacherous and challenging but it is very smooth traveling

until the last quarter mile or so that takes a very steep uphill turn. This is where the crampons are worth their weight in gold.

The Ice Caves are amazing, thick crystal curtains that hang from jagged rock faces embraced by trees. Each ice formation glows with the morning sun showing the colors from the tannin that they have seeped from the surrounding ground. The area is not for the faint of heart and the crampons again shine here as much of the ground is coated in a thick layer of ice. You can spend a day here exploring all the nooks and crannies of the caves, but after around an hour we had to leave as there was more to see.

We made the hike back out to the trail head and got our Eben Ice Cave stickers from the concession stand. While there we also grabbed a couple of hot dogs which was a nice warm snack after the hike. We jumped back in Lil B and drove to Laughing Whitefish Falls this is where things get interesting.

Upon arrival at the winter parking area we found several other vehicles already parked. I attempted to find some solid ground. While

"THIS AREA IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART."

getting into position I promptly set Lil B on her frame and we were stuck. Thankfully, I had traction boards in the back of the truck. I also had 4 days’ worth of food but I was optimistic that it would not come to that.

I began digging in the snow when a kindhearted former marine whose name I did not get, ambled over and offered his assistance. I dug and placed the traction boards and he began to push the truck. We were not making much headway. Two other explorers who Ill guess were a husband and wife team appeared out of the woodline and jumped right in to push and in no time, we were free from the icy clutch of mother nature. The Wife unit piloted Lil B back onto solid ground as our rescuers disappeared.

At this point I was wet and discouraged from our mishap, so we decided not to hike to the falls. The wifey however took the experience in good spirits.

We decided to head back to the room to dry off and warm up, and more importantly get snacks. After a few episodes of the Zoo and some snacks we decided to head back out.

We went to Munising falls which is an easy hike to a nice viewing deck. We had the place to ourselves and took our time enjoying the area. We then decided to get in one more spot before the sun set. We went to the twin falls area, an area I believe is my wife’s favorite as she lit up when she asked if we could see it.

We parked in the neighborhood adjacent the trail head and got our crampons on. We then began our hike down into the valley. As we descended into the valley the crampons proved to be invaluable keeping us surefooted on the narrow icy path, and the ice around the base of the falls. Both of the Twin Falls, Tannery and Memorial are often very small in volume however when frozen both are very impressive to see. The shapes and waves frozen in time were breathtaking, and the greatest part was that you could still hear water gurgling inside the ice pillar. We spent a good deal of time here just checking out the falls and taking pictures. Again we had the place to ourselves and we relished it.

We took a short ride down Sandpoint road and saw a group of deer coming out of the woods right in front of a group of ice climbers. We watched the sunset across the bay and took in the beauty of the Upper Peninsula. We went to the bowling alley for some Keweenaw Brewing Company Pick Axe Blonds and pizza before returning to the comfortable bed at the ROAM Inn for the night.

It was a great day in Da U.P. eh.

Jim Roy Co-host of Off Road Garage Podcast I grew up spending every weekend and summer break “Up North” in my adult life the wilderness has become a sanctuary to get away from the everyday. I have rediscovered a love for photography which goes hand and hand with wild places.

ADVENTURE BEGINS HERE

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ALL THINGS

MOORE JASON FLETCHER / ALL THINGS OVERLANDING

With an alarm set for 8AM Friday, I went to

Of course, when 5:30AM on Friday morning

bed around 11PM on Thursday night. I was

rolled around, I found myself wide awake and

excited about leaving the next day to drive

starting to run through my gear list to make

seven or eight hours to Springfield Missouri.

sure I wasn’t forgetting anything essential for

Most people don’t understand why a sane

the trip. My brain was thoroughly excited

person would be excited by the idea of an

about the idea of finding new restaurants,

entire day of driving to an exposition hall.

snacks, energy drinks to keep me focused and

However, for those of us that are aware of the

on the road, and finally, the destination:

term “overlanding,” the idea of a two day

MOORE Expo 2021

overlanding expo packed with tons of featured rigs, awesome vendors, and quality gear is

So, I jumped out of bed, got dressed, and

pretty exciting.

started packing the few remaining items I hadn’t packed the night before into the truck. I verified that I had what I needed and took off.

My Nissan Xterra isn’t exactly the most fuel efficient vehicle ever made, so it was going to take some stops to grab gas. Each pitstop was an opportunity to grab a snack and to stretch my legs. After a couple of stops for fuel, I was most of the way to MOORE and getting ever more excited.

While the drive out from Indiana is pretty flat and straight, there were some cool rigs on the road to check out on the way. Also, about 20 miles out from the event, a semi-truck almost ran me off the road, so that was exciting.

Around 3PM, I arrived at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, where MOORE Expo had the entire building reserved for the weekend. I met up with Jeremiah of Overland Pioneers and Rob from Revere Overland and we were able to sneak in a day before the expo officially started.

Vendors As I stepped into the warm, inviting building (I was stepping out of single digit outdoor temps), it was immediately evident that there was something special going on in this place. I walked around and saw a wide variety of vendors setting up their displays, wares, and vehicles.

The venue itself is massive. With about 80K

Almost anything you could imagine related to

square feet, I kind of felt like I walked for miles

overlanding was on display. From giant

over the couple of days that I was there. I

EarthRoamer style vehicles, to rock climbing

probably did with all the trips I made from one

Jeeps, to old school Land Rovers and Land

booth to the next. With so much to see, it’s almost

Cruisers, to modern day 4Runners, Tacomas, and

overwhelming, but mostly just awesome.

Sprinter vans, you could see it all here.

There were shops for overlanding themed clothing, stickers, and patches. There were booths dedicated to some big brands like Helux overlanding Fridges, Midland Radios, Patriot trailers, TC Teardrop trailers, and more. My friends Overland Addict and Last US Bags were in attendance as well as Northology Overland who were talking about both their free digital overlanding Magazine and the always exciting KOAR 2021 event happening later this year.

I met some new people like Overland Cookware (some amazing quality cookware options and kits), Long Creek Overland (awesome apparel for a number of cool brands), and Oscar Mike Overland

Featured Rigs

(a non-profit organization dedicated to changing

As the doors opened Saturday morning, you could

the lives of Veterans through overlanding).

feel the palpable excitement in the air. People started to flow into the venue and as the vendors

As everyone finished setting up Friday night, you

and exhibitors greeted them, you could tell that

could feel the excitement and relief in the air.

everyone was as excited as I had been waking up

People relaxed, planned, and started to head out

Friday morning.

to rest before the madness of thousands of attendees started the following morning.

Stickers and patches were handed out, products were sold, and people got to meet the representatives of brands we’ve all seen on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and more. As a YouTube content creator, it was very humbling to meet some fans and to get to learn more about them and their builds.

I also got the opportunity to meet some other content creators that I’ve followed for a long time like Grant Willbanks of Arkansas Offroad, Chad Boyd of Overland Addicts, Rob Miller of Revere Overland, and more.

One of the coolest rigs (in my highly biased, Nissan loving opinion) at the expo was the Rogue Overland gen 1 Xterra. At one point, I was talking to the guys from Rogue Overlanding when a fan of theirs approached and said “I subscribe to you guys on YouTube.” I politely backed away to give them time to talk, but as I stepped back, the gentleman looked at me and said “I subscribe to you too Fletch!” I was taken aback, but I rejoined the conversation and we all had a great talk about our love for Nissans and overlanding.

One of the best things about MOORE is that while it may seem difficult to get to know a brand online, when you see them in real life, they are just normal people who love to talk about overlanding and gear like the rest of us. When you attend this event, you really can meet and learn more from all different kinds of people with all kinds of experience and rigs. There’s gear and info for offroaders, for folks interested in the van life, for weekend overlanders, and even for long term, long distance overlanders.

Final Thoughts

The same goes for Clay and Rachelle of Expedition Overland. They were walking around for most of the event and hung out quite a bit in the Redarc booth, which was where I was stationed. I got to

Overall, the Expo was a ton of fun. I got to see all

talk to people that I only knew through social

kinds of amazing rigs, gear, modifications and it

media and I heard all about their rigs and stories. I

really got my creative juices flowing. Right when

spoke to other people who make overlanding

you think you’ve got everything figured out for

content and learned from them. It was a fantastic

your rig, you see something cool that someone else

experience filled with opportunity to grow your

has done to their vehicle or a new piece of gear and

knowledge, friendships, and appreciation for

it makes you want to tweak your setup again.

overlanding.

In addition to all of the great rigs and vendors, the

I can’t wait for MOORE 2022 and based on what

best thing about the MOORE Expo was the people I

Chris was able to do with this year’s event, I’m

met and the relationships I made. For a lot of us, we

sure it will be a killer show with even more

watch many of these people on YouTube talking

vendors, even more celebs, and even more fun.

about trips or doing gear reviews. I’m sure most of

See you next year! If you enjoyed this article, feel

us have watched at least a few TrailRecon videos

free to come hang out on my social media

and it was super cool to see him at this event.

channels. I’d love to chat with you!

G3 Fabrication LLC www.g3fabrication.com Founded in 2015 by Eric Grendahl Shop located in Franklin Grove IL We build custom trailers (registered with SAE and NHTSA as a manufacturer,) modify your current trailer, bumpers, racks and other accessories. We make the Summit Fire Pit and Ridgeline Fire Shield. I also do other vehicle modifications such as body mount relocation (common to run larger tires on Tacomas and 4Runners) and other welding and fabrication, axle trusses and stuff.

I've always enjoyed designing, building things. I've always been into 4x4's and I've always had a love for the outdoors, camping and travel. Why not combine them all together!

My big plans for 2021 is to leave my current day job as a systems engineer and project manager and take G3 Fabrication to a more full time operation.

I enjoy the calmness that comes with being outdoors.

Just free my mind and decompress. I've also enjoyed rafting, climbing and hiking. I've camped as far back as I can remember. With family or in scouting. Or a fantastic "shelter half" while in the Army... Lol The pandemic has seemed to boost business. Everyone is wanting to get out more and upgrading their rigs to push them further has been a common project.

Pineapple on pizza? I'm good with it!

If there is anything I can help with, please don't hesitate to reach out! Hope to see you all out exploring this year!

Use code NORTHOLOGY20 for 20% off

Southern Wisconsin's Leading Jeep & Truck Accessory / Fabrication Shop

performanceoffroadwi.com 262-372-3173 waukesha, wi

Adventure Awaits

TRAVEL WITH ME

Adventure Dog WORDS & PHOTOS BY ADAM KILBRIDE @OVERLANDINGROVERR

In mid-2020, I found myself seeking a puppy to join daily life and adventures. I considered the trips they would go on, the amount of traveling in vehicles, and the huge shift in my everyday routine. As someone who camps 20+ nights a year, I knew this would be a big endeavor.

After months of weighing pros and cons, I went seriously looking in late June 2020. To keep a long story short, I ended up with a Golden Retriever named Bella. She immediately filled a part of my life I didn’t know was missing.

Bella is loving, smart, and full of zest. It didn’t take long to realize Bella was my pup and I was her human. From here on out, we were a team.

It was my responsibility to make sure she lived a healthy, safe and stimulating life. Our adventure had begun.

From here on out, we were a team.

I took her camping for the first time at about 11 weeks old. We went to a local campground I was very familiar with that I knew would be quiet and peaceful.

She absorbed the noises, smells, and campfire. Bella was aware of everything. She struggled to relax that first trip. We slowly worked our way to camping more nights locally.

She became more acclimated to changing surroundings and longer car rides. Bella has always been tolerant with vehicle travel. She typically settles down after a bit and snoozes off until we get to our destination. I’m grateful for this as well as her wonderful temperament.

The annual Keweenaw Overland Adventure Retreat was fast approaching. We faced 9 hours in the car to get there. I had a four month old puppy with a peasized bladder. But we embarked with an attempt to make the best of it. To date, it was our biggest trip. We had the drive there, three nights of camping, and some off-roading to do. I wondered if this was too much for a four month old puppy to handle, but this is what we trained for in prior adventures. She ended up doing very well, and enjoyed the interactions (both human and dog). She particularly enjoyed our hike at Hunter’s Point, running along the beaches of Lake Superior, and the evening campfire gatherings.

The next big trip was 10 nights away from home on a loop to Colorado and Utah. The nights spent camping would be in a roof top tent. Carrying a 50 plus pound dog up and down a ladder was comical. Bella was fascinated by the sand, rocks, and unique geography Moab had to offer. She thrived on hikes and exploring her new surroundings.

Carrying a 50 plus pound dog up and down a ladder was comical.

I wouldn’t say I have traveling with Bella fully ironed out, but I’ve learned a lot. Bella has come a long way since that first trip out. It’s been astonishing to see her embrace and thrive in the lifestyle she has been brought into. Naturally, some dogs are going to take up traveling easier than others.

It can be stressful at times, but having your furry companion with you on every adventure is worth it. I’m looking forward to upcoming warmer days and many more nights around the campfire with my Adventure Dog Bella.

RUSTIC CABINS & CAMPING 14203 M26 Copper Harbor, Michigan

TELL YOUR STORY

NORTHOLOGY ADVENTURES DIGITAL MAGAZINE A FREE MONTHLY PUBLICATION FOCUSED ON THE OUTDOOR ADVENTURIST WE BRING THE SILENT SPORTS & MOTOR SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS OF THE UPPER MIDWEST TOGETHER AT THE OVERLAND CAMPFIRE

2022

EMAIL US AT INFO.NORTHOLOGYADVENTURES@GMAIL.COM FOR DETAILS ON CONTENT SUBMISSION OR TO INQUIRE ABOUT AD RATES SUBSCRIBE AT NORTHOLOGYADVENTURES.COM

Dead Miners Ben Mitchell crafts an homage in leather and metal to the miners who built the copper country.

Name of business - Dead Miners Founded in... - 2017 Owner - Benjamin Mitchell Location - Calumet, Michigan website - getrichordiemining.com email - ben@getrichordiemining.com Why did you start Dead Miners?

I did graphic design & branding for people and their businesses for years and wanted to develop my own brand and products. I had developed an interest in handmade leather goods, and

Who or what has influenced your craft and style?

that's what I decided to focus on. I also

I'm a big fan of minimalism and that has a

didn't want to have to work for someone

lot of influence over a majority of my

for the rest of my life, so that was a big

products. I'm also in an instagram group

factor in it.

chat with makers from around the world and I feel like we all sort of draw ideas from

What kind of things do you make?

one another. It's been really resourceful and helped me hone my craft a lot.

Mostly leather goods. I have a fairly wide range of products available on my website and I also take on all kinds of custom projects for people. Also, because of the addition of my laser engraver, I can do branded goods for other businesses.

Tell me more about the nod to Copper Country history in your branding & products.

Everything about my branding is an homage to the struggle of trying to exist

live today and I can't even imagine what it

How has the pandemic affected your business?

was like back then. Everything here exists

It was great, I got laid off from my day job

because of the now dead mining industry

and was able to focus 100% on my own

and the ghosts of the past linger on.

business and turn it into a full time thing.

here 100 years ago. It's a tough place to

Do you have any big plans or projects coming up in 2021?

I don't have anything super exciting planned yet. I'm also awful at planning haha.

What kind of outdoors activities do you enjoy?

Snowboarding, fat biking, mountain biking, motorcycling, hiking, snowshoeing, & probably plenty of other things I can't think of at the moment. You have to love being outdoors in all seasons here or you'll go crazy.

Pineapple on pizza, yes or no?

Oh, big no. Anyone following my social media knows of my fondness for pizza and there will never be pineapple on it (:

The copper industry was, for over 100 years, the life blood of the Copper Country. The town of Red Jacket (now Calumet) used a portion of its budget surplus to build The Calumet Theatre, an opulent opera house which hosted famous plays and acts from across the world. Many wealthy mine managers built mansions which still line the streets of former mining towns. Some towns which existed primarily due to copper mining include Calumet, Houghton, Hancock, and Ontonagon.

As the mines began to close, the Copper Country lost its major economic base.

The population declined sharply as miners, shop owners, and others supported by the industry left the area, leaving many small ghost towns along the mineral range.

-Wikipedia

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ADVENTURE TRAILER

ADVENTURE RIG DELIA & ENOCH TRANSITION FROM A SELF-CONTAINED RIG TO PULLING AN ADVENTURE TRAILER. HOW HAS THIS WORKED FOR THEM? DELIA GOES THRU THE PROS AND CONS OF THE CHANGE AND GIVE SOME GREAT INFO AND TIPS WRITTEN BY DELIA MO PHOTOS BY ENOCH LEISURE

WHERE WE ARE NOW Hi again! As you know we’ve been overlanding full-time for a little over 1 year. When we first started this trip we were self contained in the Xterra with a Smittybilt roof top tent on top and homemade kitchen galley in the back.

After about 9 months, we decided to add an adventure trailer to complete our rig. We got a Freespirit Recreation Overlander Trailer which came with their High Country 80” Premium roof top tent. Both the trailer and RTT are big upgrades from our previous setup. Enoch also built a slide out kitchen and added a water and electrical system in the trailer.

We now have HEATED running water! #winning. We’ve had the trailer and tent for about 4 months now and are really enjoying it, but there are some things I miss about being in a self contained vehicle. Here’s our Pro and Con list for each (not facts, just our opinions.)

SELF CONTAINED OVERLAND RIG

PROS Everything is in the car so we have access to anything we want at any time.

Turning radius Able to park in normal parking spots Always ready for any road Minimalistic

CONS Everything is in the car; Yogi is super heavy on the trails Everything is higher; Delia can’t reach Packing up everyday to use the vehicle Rough rides because of all the weight Didn’t have room for a dog

RIG + ADVENTURE TRAILER

PROS

CONS

Basecamp = no need to pack up to run an errand Heated running water

We have to be aware of the trailer behind us

Yogi is lighter on the trails

Parking can be difficult Turning radius

Room for more gear

Reduces departure

Room for Ella

Doors could be bigger

in the car

Bigger tent

Need to scout roads more often

Delia can reach everything

Condensation

Better gas mileage when trailer is off

Rain-fly is noisy when windy Climb on top of vehicle to close

SMITTYBILT OVERLANDER RTT Lightweight Has window awnings Very sturdy even in high winds Longer setup Two-piece sliding ladder

FSR HIGH COUNTRY 80” PREMIUM RTT Big & easy setup Tri-layer insulated walls Blackout material Very sturdy even in high winds Telescopic ladder

Mattress could be better Hard to close with bedding inside Stabilizing poles We hope this comparison helps others that are interested in overlanding with a roof top tent or trailer. There are a lot of different ways to do it. We’ve met people like us in trucks and roof top tents and we’ve also met people in vans, RVs, and Skoolies!

Everyone explores differently so there’s no right or wrong way to do it. The most important thing about overlanding is just getting outside.

We love meeting people on the road and can’t wait to see more of ya’ll hitting the road in your overland rigs!

rise of the snow moon written by Cindy Pope

According to Wikipedia, names given to the February full moon are "Snow Moon," "Hunger Moon," and "Storm Moon."

The second of the Northology Copper Harbor Winter Weekends found us again at the cozy Trails End Campground. We spent most of Saturday at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge on their groomed snowshoe trail, watching the Dog Daze festivities and noshing on delicious sandwiches and coffees after our hike. Our hearts were sinking a bit as the clouds thickened and the prospect of a full moon snowshoe hike with Donica from Trails End seemed like it would not turn out like planned. We returned to our cabins to rest and eat before gearing up to head back out. As the evening clouds enveloped the sky in an inky black and charcoal blanket, the magic started to happen. The clouds ebbed and our snow moon appeared. We eventually made our way to the rendezvous point and we trekked out into the moonlit boreal forest.

Photo by Cindy Pope

L-R August Rich, Adam Kilbride, Samantha Juve, Sarah Michals, Carrie Fowle. Gunnar Moss, Chad Pope, DeWayne Moss

Photo by Sarah Michals

Drink in the moon as though you might die of thirst.”

― Sanober Khan

Photo by August Rich

Asa's new JL Rubicon

TIME TO DEAL

How I saved over $9200 or 13.6% on my new Jeep and got a $250 bonus check Written by Asa Lee Meadows

In today’s world, there're many ways you can buy a vehicle from a dealer and there're also more ways that dealers can suck more money out of your wallet. But I’m going to tell you how I got the exact vehicle I wanted, for the price I wanted and without any haggling at all. I saved over $9200 or 13.6%. And stick around to the end for how I got another $250 bonus check.

If you want to save money on a vehicle, buying new is usually not the way to go, just ask Dave Ramsey. Usually people do a search for a vehicle they want, find one or a few at a local dealer, and go check them out. Then from there, there are model trims, colors or options you don’t care about. But in my case I wanted a specific vehicle with options that I couldn’t normally find on a dealer lot. I’m going to tell you how to find resources to help you out, how the process worked, and to decide if this is the way to go for you. In my case this is for a Jeep, but this can apply to other makes and models if you are willing to do a bit of research A little background about me. I have owned quite a few vehicles, and some were good deals, and others, let’s just say I wasted a lot of money and time on them. I have had at least one Jeep Wrangler for the past 14 years, the last 10 years the Jeep has been my sole daily driver . My jeep before the one I’m talking about in this how-to, is a Firecracker Red 2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (JK). It’s the vehicle I’ve owned for the longest length of time. Thanks to working remotely for the last 4.5 years, it’s got plenty of life left, and I might just keep it around. I brought both my boys home from the hospital in it after they were born, took this jeep on many camping trips, played on the beach and sand dunes, with some rock crawling mixed in.

Most recently it’s been relegated to overland camping with my boys, but was still my daily driver.

When the new JLs came out in 2018, I resisted the temptation to get the new body style. I love my manual 6 speed with the 3.6 pentastar; but I heard rumors of the diesel coming to the wrangler, so I waited very patiently. In October, I decided it was time to pull the trigger.

There are a lot of videos on YouTube about how to act, negotiate and haggle at the dealership. Check out Kevin Hunter, aka the Homework guy, and ‘Your Auto Advocate’ on tips and tricks and insider information. But for my case, I wanted to order exactly what I wanted, a 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon with the EcoDiesel. I wanted the tan interior like my 2014, but I wanted the exterior in Sarge Green. Also I wanted the dual top group, which is pretty common, that comes with a hard top, and also a soft top, but I wanted my soft top to be tan to match the interior, which is not a common find on the lot. There were a few other options I wanted, but I’ll get to that in a bit.

Over the summer I had stopped in at a local dealer to see about ordering, but the sales guy there was pretty firm that they would only come in a little below MSRP. I knew that when a dealer does a factory order, it doesn’t cost them any money up front and it’s a done deal, so why should they get to pocket all that profit when I’m doing all the work for them. On a factory order, they still get the holdback (with Jeep that’s 3% of MSRP), they get money to cover interest on the vehicle for 1-3 months-- that’s called floor plan, and lastly it counts towards the number of units sold, which helps them in allocations, incentives, etc. A factory order for a dealer is like free money to them.

Like I said, I’ve been a jeep owner for a long time, and in the days before ‘the Facebook’, we had online car forums. I was on LS1.com for my TransAm, a forum for my Mustang, and then on JKForums for the jeep stuff, among some other random ones too. These forums are still around so I headed over to jlwranglerforums.com and looked around. One of the sub-forums on there is called ‘Ordering, Pricing, Production, Tracking.’

Most car brands have enthusiast focused forums, so give a search for the make and model you might be interested in. There are also FB groups too, so you can try them there, but I find for specific knowledge and searching topics, the forums are the way to go. Anyway, back to JLWrangerforum; I did a search in that forum for best pricing and below invoice. I found a thread that listed out many dealers that were doing 5,6, and even 7.5% below invoice pricing on factory orders. I saw dealers in TN, Texas, etc, but I reached out to Craig at Koons in Tyson’s Corner, VA and got the ball rolling. Side note, I’m from Maryland, but now live in Michigan, so a dealer 550 miles away might not be what you are after. But I wanted to fly in, get the jeep and visit my family in the area around Christmas so it worked for me. That being said, stick around, because I will also show you how you can use this process to negotiate at a local dealer, which I also used and considered for my jeep order.

I had already been on Jeep.com’s build your wrangler tool. You basically spec out what you want and you can save a PDF of what you want.

Another cool tool on the JLWrangler forum was someone there pulled in all the option codes that are available and put them into a spreadsheet, where you can spec it out to match what’s on Jeep’s site and you can see the MSRP and the invoice price too for each option. Then at the bottom there’s also a section where you select what percent below invoice that you want and it will show what your final sales price before tax would be.

So before I even talked to Craig, I knew exactly what the price would be.

Now he does 7.5% under invoice for factory orders of Jeep Wranglers. All he does is factory orders for people, back on that forum I had reviewed recent buyers who used him. His reviews were good, and all said quick and painless transactions. I called him up, got his email and sent him the PDF of my build from Jeep.com. He responded back with a POC, price order confirmation, that showed all my options, MSRP, FWP (aka invoice)

and then his discount. Now the first one he sent back, had 7.5% below invoice price. But with Jeeps if you have an affiliate code through work, or association like Tread Lightly, you might even be able to get a little more off. I had one through my wife’s work, but also Tread Lightly, and got it down to 8% below invoice pricing, that’s the max he could do. Here’s a breakdown of the options and the final discounted price below.

Invoice price on this was $59,935 and his 8% off deducted another 4794.80 for a sales price of $55,140.20. Since we all have to pay taxes, the MSRP with taxes (not including doc fee or tags) would have been $67,686.30. My price was $58,458.36, a savings of over $9200 or about 13.6% off. I also removed some minor options as they would have taken it over a final price of 60K and I was just morally opposed to paying more than 60K for something that I’m going to scratch up in 1 month.

I ordered the 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon with the 3.0L turbo diesel, it requires the german 8HP75 8-speed transmission, so the diesel option off the bat, is $6000 over a manual with the 3.6 gas, but I will say it’s worth it after driving it a month. This will come in handy for our camper and my old army trailer with RTT, as the diesel has 442 ftlb of torque. It will also be really nice offroad for slow going over obstacles with ease.

The final MSRP on this is 63855. This is crazy for a jeep, but I haven’t bought a jeep in almost 7 years, and I was a little sticker shocked. My 2014 was a little over 40K, But there are a lot of new features over that one. I pretty much got all the options, except for some little ones I can get aftermarket. I did like the one touch power top, but that one is a pain to take off fully and put back on and keep it aligned correctly. I like to take the doors and top off fully in the summertime, so that wasn’t going to work for me. Another option was the dual door group, it comes with an additional set of half doors and uppers, but that couldn’t be added with the dual top group, as there wouldn’t be enough room inside the jeep to ship with all those extra boxes.

Earlier I mentioned using this to negotiate at local dealers. I did that. I reached out to 3 local dealers and emailed them all the PDF from Jeep’s website. They all came back with 1% below invoice. I wrote them all back and told them I had this POC at 8% below invoice. One sales guy did try to match it. He couldn’t believe the price I was getting, but it’s a high volume dealer so for the sales guy, even if he doesn’t make as much on each sale, those total number of sales bump him up into different comp plans, and bonuses.

This local dealer got within $1600 of my final price. And if I didn’t have family in the area of northern VA, I would have dealt locally. (Note: some of the numbers in my spreadsheet are different when I was making it as I hadn’t finalized the options I wanted, but you can see the difference a few % off invoice can make)

A one way ticket from the small airport that’s 2 miles from my house was only $84. The uber from the VA airport that was 15 minutes away from the dealer, was $32 with tip. It was such a quick and cheap flight. Fuel and tolls coming back were under $100. And I got to have a mini-vacation seeing my sisters.

Now is doing this right for you? First off, with a vehicle on the lot, you can go in and drive home in a day. Ordering takes time and patience. I finalized the order on Nov 16. I got my VON (vehicle order number) that day. I got my VIN the next day. Using a tracker tool on JLWrangerforum, I got my build sheet confirmed on Dec 7 and got to see my window sticker online on Dec 10. Then it was a new waiting game on shipment from Toledo to VA. Christmas threw us for a loop, as it got delivered the day before Craig went on holiday on Dec 21, and I had travel plans the day after Christmas. So I could have had this jeep in 6 weeks. But with holiday plans, I had to wait until Jan 9. There were some minor hiccups, but all got straightened out to my satisfaction. Just, if you do do this, and there is an option that is extremely important make sure you double and triple check and let the sales guy know this is the most critical thing.

I am in a lucky situation where I had the time, a vehicle in great shape, and patience for this. After you order it, it’s not like Amazon Prime, where it shows up fast. I didn’t realize how hard it is to wait. But I kept looking at the value I was getting for waiting. If I wanted one on the lot, I would have had to pay more than I did. And what about that $250? Well, after I got home and had all my purchase info, I went to bonusdrive.com. You can check if your vehicle is eligible for up to $500 check mailed to you. Since our other family vehicle is a Highlander, my jeep purchase qualified for $250. I just had to send them my new vin, proof of purchase, and proof of the other makes ownership. It was super easy.

Look ahead...

"That hike was like a devil's dream, Just blizzards, gales and fogs, But I was leadin' wi' my team O' seven husky dogs.

Day after day I steered my sleigh, Yet spry o' heart was I, And every night the Northern Light Danced ballys in the sky."

Excerpt from "My Husky Team"

by Robert William Service

By Cindy Pope A notification popped up on my phone, a message from Danelle. “Was going to wait and surprise you at dinner. Are you up to a sled dog ride tomorrow between 8 or 9 am at our place?” I could hardly contain my excitement, “HECK YEAH” I replied. I knew she had been active in the dog sledding community in northern Wisconsin and that occasionally teams would come to use the trail through her frozen swamp to run their dogs on White Potato Lake.

I cannot describe how disappointed I was a couple years prior while observing my first sled dog race to not hear the command "mush!" According to Wikipedia "France was the first European power established in the Canadian Shield; accordingly, the coureurs des bois and the voyageurs of New France used the French word marche!, meaning "walk" or "move", to command to the team to commence pulling. Marche! became "mush!" for English Canadians.

"Mush!" is rarely used in modern parlance."

I was completely giddy that day at Danelle's.

Her friend took us out on the sled and instead of "mush!" he would get his dogs attention by shouting "look ahead" and then in the next second, when he knew they were ready, he would shout "hike!" and off we went. It was a day I will never forget.

There’s always been a soft spot in my heart for sled dogs. When I was a kid, we had a malamute named Koyuk and our German Shepherd, Flipper, pulled us on our plastic snowmobile sled. I devoured London’s Call of the Wild and White Fang. I figured a sled dog was the closest thing to a Wolf I’d ever be able to pet.

As an adult, fancying myself as some sort of adventurist and outdoor enthusiast, I felt drawn to stories of the varying ways people have travelled "overland." During the Alaskan Gold Rush, "camps were accessible only by dogsled in the winter. "Everything that moved during the frozen season moved by dog team; prospectors, trappers, doctors, mail, commerce, trade, sluppies, if it needed to move in winter, it was moved by sled dogs." This, along with the dogs' use in the exploration of the poles, led to the late 1800s and early 1900s being nicknamed the "Era of the Sled Dog" (Wikipedia) Sled dogs and mushing ultimately remind me of the things I love about "the north;" dense pine forests, deep drifts of snow, the elusive aurora borealis, and the canis lupus ancestors of our beloved canis familiaris.

Makes me feel a litle mushy .

Danelle at Doty Dog Days 2017

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