Part 3:

Powered By RIPP Superchargers With Yokohoma Tires, Free Spirit Recreation and Engel Coolers

Rise and shine from Bismarck and on my way to Missoula, Montana! I wake up, it’s below 40 degrees, it’s raining, I have half doors with no uppers and I’ve just hopped out of a tent. Let’s hit the road!

I collapse the Freespirit tent and because the water drips right off, I have no fear of mildew forming. The inside of the tent is perfectly dry and I stayed warm. I open up my Engel Fridge and grab an Ice cold monster energy drink perfectly chilled at 32 degrees. I start the Jeep and I’m ready to roll.

I encountered rain and harsh winds until the Montana border but as the day progressed the skies cleared and I found myself cruising down the highway in 75 degree sunny skies. The Ripp kit is performing flawlessly having been subjected to multiple altitude changes in the last 3 days, which makes me even more excited to be running it!

The drive through Montana is incredible, the saying “Big Montana Skies” is truly no joke. I stopped for some Genuine Ice Cream in Bozeman and had a nice breakfast in Missoula. After I get through Montana I arrive at the Idaho border where I stop to take one of my favorite photos of the trip!

At this point you’re probably asking yourself,

How does one person stay occupied, awake and excited for the drive after thousands of miles in the driver seat?

The answer for me is to keep things simple as possible. When I’m traveling like this I am a very minimalistic person. I eat 1-2 times per day as a full meal. While driving I choose light snacks throughout the day and I just enjoy the drive. I listen to primarily country music, (I might lose some readers here) lots and lots of Luke combs, Cole Swindell, and Scotty McCreery is what I’ve been listening to most. Music is an excellent way to clear the mind and feel at peace.

Let’s shift gears and chat about Jeep parts because it’s probably one of the most asked questions so far! It is no simple task to drive a lifted Jeep around the country on 40 inch tires, after it’s been wheeled hard and daily driven all its life. There are a lot of things that go into making sure a vehicle like mine can function properly and take me anywhere I need to go. I’ll start with the Ripp Supercharger system.

Adding something to your engine that makes things spin faster and create more power is a big deal. For me, it’s also a big deal because my Jeep is the only source of transportation I have. I chose a Ripp system because it is reliable and the best way to add power to my vehicle without having to spend at least double what the kit costs to put a V8 in the Jeep. The kit is bolt-on, utilizes premium fuel and very low maintenance. I’ve got over 12,000 miles on the kit at this point and it’s been awesome. I’ve wheeled in Moab, Utah with it. I’ve wheeled in Uwharrie in North Carolina, taken it through thousands of feet in elevation to sea level in the same week.

If you want to add more power to your Jeep and buy a kit that performs, then get a Ripp Supercharger system.

You can try the competition, I just chose to use Ripp.

In addition, I’ve been using an Engel MT35 platinum mobile refrigerator for this trip. It’s been wonderful. I like simple, I don’t like dealing with Ice, or messes. With my fridge, I turned it on about a month ago and haven’t shut it off. It stays on when the Jeep is off, doesn’t kill my battery and has been keeping my drinks so chilled that ice chunks float around in them.

Comfort is key. When driving around the country, tire choice is pretty important. The Yokohama Geolandar X-MT tires have done a good job at keeping me sane. The treadwear is starting to show after 10,000 total miles on them but it’s not anything I’m shocked at or think is excessive. For a 40 inch tire, I finally got them balanced after about 9,000 miles of driving and they all still zeroed out. To me that’s impressive because I drove these hard for 9,000 miles with no wheel weights, on beadlocks and offroad.

Needless to say, I’m impressed with the on road and off road performance of the Yokohama’s. And for a beefy mud tire they’re really not loud, I mean, I’d tell you if they were because you know…6,000 miles driven with no windows and stuff!

Camping can be an interesting word.

If you Google it, it means the activity of spending a vacation living in a camp, tent, or camper. I’m not on vacation, I’m traveling for work and to show people that the parts I use are as good as they’re advertised. Parts of what I’m doing can be like a vacation but the fact is I’m still spending 14+ days in a Rooftop tent driving around the country.

Freespirit Recreation is the way to go if you’re looking for one. The thing I like best about it is how easy it is to setup. I can truly set the tent up in about 1 minute. The thing I originally disliked I have grown to appreciate. That would be the buckles on the PVC cover for the tent. Unlike many rooftop tents, an FAR tent does not utilize a zippered cover, only a buckled down cover. It does not let in any water driving down the road, it is totally secure and actually much easier to take on and off than a tent with a zippered cover.

The exact tent I’m using is a M55 Tri-Layer Adventure Series tent. It has kept me warm while it snowed in Flagstaff, AZ and dry when it down poured in North Dakota. It is insulated well but does not feel cramped or to hot. It works away any moisture keeping me and my sleeping bag dry and is pitch black on the inside when I close up all the windows. It’s only 118LBS and sleeps two people no problem.