Hello all. It's great to be a member, and I just began reading these forums and am impressed by everyone's passion and demeanor. I hope I can fit in.
My rig is a 2003 Jeep TJ. I Nick-named it Underdog because I got it as non-running 4.0 manual X model in need of a clutch and a deep interior cleaning. I love to turn wrenches, so after some TLC with a BFH and three times dropping the trans in order to replace all of the peripherals which had punched out with the original clutch, I had my first Wrangler (I previously had owned an XJ and then a ZJ) that I fell in love with.
True to the JustEmptyEveryPocket theme, I began to build a more capable and enjoyable rig. Two-hundred and eighty thousand miles later I sprouted a racquetball size hole in the side of the block through cylinder one, caused by piston and connecting rod that decided to divorce and break up the family. So now I am swapping that big chunk of cast iron Swiss cheese for a meticulously refurbished 4.0, and am enjoying the process. I'm really looking forward to getting ol' Underdog back on her feet.
I'm very new to the Overlanding scene, and have to confess that I really didn't know that it existed until a year or so ago. I live in Michigan, where it doesn't seem to be as wide spread as in other regions. One thing that I realized recently is that I've long been fostering a desire to overland, even though I didn't realize that it existed. I remember back in 1996, when I drove my XJ and received my first accessory catalog in the mail. I pored over that catalog and imagined how I would equip my Wrangler, should I ever get one. I kept on going back to the pages with the roof racks and off-road lights. I just dismissed those as silly pipe dreams. But then after sampling all of the other types off-roading, I realized that it was not rock crawling or mud bogging that I was after, but more the ability to drive into remote and tough to access locales, and then to camp in the open air. A bonus was that rock crawling and mud bogging rigs can get pretty unsightly and develop some poor road manners, while a good overlanding rig can remain very streetworthy.
So I'll keep my 3" suspension lift, 33x10.5x15s, and front/rear lockers, and begin investing in overlanding gear. My first purchase was a Roofnest Condor RTT, which should ship in late July. Hopefully I'll have Underdog up and running by then, and will be able to get out on a first adventure.
Thanks for bearing with my lengthy spill, and feel free to drop me a line anytime. I'm especially curious how many members there may be in the area of SE Michigan and NW Ohio. Cheers!