Rock Crawlers vs. Mall Crawlers

[CBH]

For all of those Jeep owners who are critical of Mall Crawlers, I’m not sure they appreciate the economics of automobile manufacturing or aftermarket parts suppliers. If it weren’t for all of the Mall Crawlers buying (perhaps) the majority of Wranglers and modifying them, I believe the Wrangler brand would have died decades ago and we wouldn’t have such a plethora of aftermarket Wrangler parts from which to choose.

So, my advice to all those Wrangler owners who harbor disdain for Mall Crawlers, I say, “embrace them; thank them; and don’t forget to wave to them, with all of your fingers."

 

[Fast-n-Furious]

Well said @CBH! There are not much off-road options near where I live, even though I always wanted to do that. I ordered 392 XR mainly because I want a v8 in this cool looking rig that I plan to drive couple times a week. Having all the JL aftermarket products gives me room to implement my ideas of building my dream rig just for fun, including winter snow driving confidence as well (my wife works in hospital and she has to conquer the fear in early morning or late night during commute when the snow-covered roads are dangerous).

In addition, I wanted to give my kids the experience of having a cool Jeep Wrangler in the family, making them feel special and proud when their dad shows up at pickup/dropoff in this 392.

It’s all about personality and lifestyle. One day I’ll road trip to some of the trails and explore with my 392, it’s in my book. Most of the days, just my daily driver. And I’ve already learned a lot about the mods and underlying know-how.

Last but not least, the sound and power of the 392 are just fascinating , I can’t resist. My pocket hurts, but my heart smiles.

 

[Uncommon Sense]

The hardcore often don't understand that it is the posers / casual fans who often keep the lights on regardless of the hobby....

 

[Viking Jeeper]

My 392 will not hit the dirt for some time, I have my LJR for that. I'm not going to get TWO pretty rare Jeeps scratched up. Call me what you want.

 

[Uncommon Sense]

Mine will be a daily driven garage queen. I have no plans whatsoever to take her off road beyond a basic gravel road.

I consider mine more an urban utilitarian vehicle instead of an off roader. I could careless about "flex". However, I do want a truck that can withstand hard pothole hits, snow, ice, etc. I also want a truck that is practical and I can throw kids and all kinds of dirty shit in the back and not care. I also want that truck to have some basic luxuries like heated seats / steering wheel and adaptive cruise control. Finally, having all the aforementioned in a car with a 470 hp and a loud grumbly exhaust and can scoot from stop light to stop light in 4 secs? Sign me up!

I get the mall crawler hate as some of them are god awful tacky. Angry eyes! Off road equivalent of "stanced" ricers. Regardless, everyone has their own likes and opinions.

For me the 392 is kind of like a practical G Wagon without the Kardashians....

 

[CBH]

Well said @CBH! There are not much off-road options near where I live, even though I always wanted to do that. I ordered 392 XR mainly because I want a v8 in this cool looking rig that I plan to drive couple times a week. Having all the JL aftermarket products gives me room to implement my ideas of building my dream rig just for fun, including winter snow driving confidence as well (my wife works in hospital and she has to conquer the fear in early morning or late night during commute when the snow-covered roads are dangerous).

In addition, I wanted to give my kids the experience of having a cool Jeep Wrangler in the family, making them feel special and proud when their dad shows up at pickup/dropoff in this 392.

It’s all about personality and lifestyle. One day I’ll road trip to some of the trails and explore with my 392, it’s in my book. Most of the days, just my daily driver. And I’ve already learned a lot about the mods and underlying know-how.

Last but not least, the sound and power of the 392 are just fascinating , I can’t resist. My pocket hurts, but my heart smiles.ey

I live on a barrier island in Florida, so not much off-roading in my area either. I traded in a Challenger Scat Pack for my Rubicon 392 because I loved the engine but wanted more utility. And, I enjoy the challenge of doing minor mods myself. So far, I’ve installed a dead pedal, hood struts, locking hood latches, a locking gas cap that I keyed myself, a rollbar-mounted fire extinguisher and auxiliary driving lights. More fun to follow....

 

[CBH]

Mine will be a daily driven garage queen. I have no plans whatsoever to take her off road beyond a basic gravel road.

I consider mine more an urban utilitarian vehicle instead of an off roader. I could careless about "flex". However, I do want a truck that can withstand hard pothole hits, snow, ice, etc. I also want a truck that is practical and I can throw kids and all kinds of dirty shit in the back and not care. I also want that truck to have some basic luxuries like heated seats / steering wheel and adaptive cruise control. Finally, having all the aforementioned in a car with a 470 hp and a loud grumbly exhaust and can scoot from stop light to stop light in 4 secs? Sign me up!

I get the mall crawler hate as some of them are god awful tacky. Angry eyes! Off road equivalent of "stanced" ricers. Regardless, everyone has their own likes and opinions.

For me the 392 is kind of like a practical G Wagon without the Kardashians....

When I was growing up in Germany most of the G-(Gelande) Wagens were OD Green and driven by guys in uniform. Something happened to them when they hit “the states” and the "Rodeo Drive" crowd embraced them. I think the 392 is a great substitute for a G-Wagen in many ways.

 

[byhumba]

I love to see a Jeep that's been to battle (hard-core offroad), as much as I love the look of a clean, "mall crawler," artistic Jeep. Hard-core gives life to a brand, while the "posers" make it thrive/flourish.

 

[CBH]

My 392 will not hit the dirt for some time, I have my LJR for that. I'm not going to get TWO pretty rare Jeeps scratched up. Call me what you want.

I guess I look at my 392 as more of a desert runner than a rock crawler, where the extra power is more useful, more fun...and I’m not keen on banging up an $80K vehicle either. The last time I drove over Imogene Pass (between Ouray and Telluride) in Colorado, I rented a Jeep in Ouray. That way I didn’t have to worry about all the scraping sounds I heard while navigating the boulders on the trail.

 

[CBH]

I love to see a Jeep that's been to battle (hard-core offroad), as much as I love the look of a clean, "mall crawler," artistic Jeep. Hard-core gives life to a brand, while the "posers" make a brand thrive/flourish.

Sounds like a well-balanced symbiotic relationship to me.

 

[byhumba]

Sounds like a well-balanced symbiotic relationship to me.

Something I find interesting is human judgement. For example, I offroad my TJ, I've scratched the underside a few times, come back home, wash it, wax it, and spray the scratches on the frame with black rustoleum. Someone sees my Jeep, looks under and says, "you don't offroad huh." My reply, "just a little." Lol.

My 392 is a little more of a poser even though I've already wheeled it mildly it 3 times. Still washed it and waxed it after each wheeling trip. People would look at it and think it has never seen dirt.

 

[CBH]

Something I find interesting is human judgement. For example, I offroad my TJ, I've scratched the underside a few times, come back home, wash it, wax it, and spray the scratches on the frame with black rustoleum. Someone sees my Jeep, looks under and says, "you don't offroad huh." My reply, "just a little." Lol.

My 392 is a little more of a poser even though I've already wheeled it mildly it 3 times. Still washed it and waxed it after each wheeling trip. People would look at it and think it has never seen dirt.

My 392 still has the aluminum oil pan. Without protection, I would not be comfortable rock crawling anyway. I only drive my Jeep periodically and keep it in a storage garage nearby. I have never been able to put it away dirty -- I have to at least wash it first.

 

[byhumba]

My 392 still has the aluminum oil pan. Without protection, I would not be comfortable rock crawling anyway. I only drive my Jeep periodically and keep it in a storage garage nearby. I have never been able to put it away dirty -- I have to at least wash it first.

Believe me, that aluminum oil pan was in my mind the whole time. Having no winch installed yet, also had me restrained. I feel more comfortable wheeling my TJ, with a winch and more underside protection than this 392.

 

[PlumCrazy392]

Something I find interesting is human judgement. For example, I offroad my TJ, I've scratched the underside a few times, come back home, wash it, wax it, and spray the scratches on the frame with black rustoleum. Someone sees my Jeep, looks under and says, "you don't offroad huh." My reply, "just a little." Lol.

My 392 is a little more of a poser even though I've already wheeled it mildly it 3 times. Still washed it and waxed it after each wheeling trip. People would look at it and think it has never seen dirt.

Ok, this is a stupid question, but I am going to ask it. This 392 is my first Jeep, and it is such a pain to wash. So many nooks and crannies. It takes twice as long to wash than other SUV's. Is there a secret to waxing it, with all those nooks? I usually use Carnauba Wax, but I can't imagine getting it all out of the hinge nooks, and trying to avoid all the black plastic. Besides ceramic coating, what wax do you use (is there one that dries clear) and what secrets can you tell so I avoid wax disaster. Thanks!

 

[Stealth7]

I live on a barrier island in Florida, so not much off-roading in my area either. I traded in a Challenger Scat Pack for my Rubicon 392 because I loved the engine but wanted more utility. And, I enjoy the challenge of doing minor mods myself. So far, I’ve installed a dead pedal, hood struts, locking hood latches, a locking gas cap that I keyed myself, a rollbar-mounted fire extinguisher and auxiliary driving lights. More fun to follow....

Not to digress , but which dead pedal did you order? The reviews on the various choices seem mixed--bending pedals, surface degrading, etc. Thanks!

 

[byhumba]

Ok, this is a stupid question, but I am going to ask it. This 392 is my first Jeep, and it is such a pain to wash. So many nooks and crannies. It takes twice as long to wash than other SUV's. Is there a secret to waxing it, with all those nooks? I usually use Carnauba Wax, but I can't imagine getting it all out of the hinge nooks, and trying to avoid all the black plastic. Besides ceramic coating, what wax do you use (is there one that dries clear) and what secrets can you tell so I avoid wax disaster. Thanks!

In all honesty, I don't put too much thought into it. I just use this Hybrid Solutions Turtle wax spray.

Turtle Wax 53409 Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating - 16 Fl Oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYPS3PS/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_g_G5VQB7A8ACB3FQ7EQZEJ

 

[Stealth7]

My 392 will be a suburban/urban apocalypse utility vehicle, and it will rarely see the offroad. I live a couple blocks from the beach in Orange County, California and will use this Jeep for errands and driving to work along Pacific Coast Highway several days per week. The other "fun car" will be an Inbound Shelby GT500 which will share the same duties but with less utility. We also have an infant so each car will have an appropriate seat – how is that for posing!

 

[CBH]

My 392 will be a suburban/urban apocalypse utility vehicle, and it will rarely see the offroad. I live a couple blocks from the beach in Orange County, California and will use this Jeep for errands and driving to work along Pacific Coast Highway several days per week. The other "fun car" will be an Inbound Shelby GT500 which will share the same duties but with less utility. We also have an infant so each car will have an appropriate seat – how is that for posing!

Sounds like fun! Years ago while living in Colorado, I bought a new BMW 135i from a dealer in San Francisco. I flew in; picked up the car and drove PCH all the way to Santa Maria, CA that day. What a great way to break in a car.

 

[Uncommon Sense]

When I was growing up in Germany most of the G-(Gelande) Wagens were OD Green and driven by guys in uniform. Something happened to them when they hit “the states” and the "Rodeo Drive" crowd embraced them. I think the 392 is a great substitute for a G-Wagen in many ways.

I've loved G wagons since the 80s before they became popular with rich housewives.

 

[Jeepstin392]

I’ve always lived by a very simple rule.
My time, my money, my toys. Your time, your money, your toys.