Four Wheeler January 2022

While working on the soon-to-be-legendary February 2022, 60th Anniversary issue of Four Wheeler, I fell headfirst into the rabbit hole of Real Truck Challenge. My fingers started involuntarily clicking computer keys, perusing the folders that garage the stories and photos of this event. And what an incredible event it was. Real Truck Challenge was a mega-popular Four Wheeler-created off-road event that took place in the Midwest at the Badlands Off Road Park in Attica, Indiana. It began in 2003 and ran through 2006. The event initially debuted under the name Real Truck Challenge but permanently morphed into Real Truck Club Challenge for Year Two when the event rules were amended to require that participants were members of a 4x4 club. However, most folks simply referred to the event as “Real Truck.”…

Everybody starts somewhere, usually crawling before you walk and walking before you run. But when you skip several steps and go straight from crawling to running, your perception of what’s going on around you, no matter what genre you’re talking about, can often be a shock to the system. Wanna go run a marathon? You don’t just hop off your couch and try to knock down 26 miles right away, do you? Personally speaking, I’d probably keel over dead following anything after two miles. But to my friends who do IronMan races, the thought of only doing a “simple” marathon without the pesky swimming or biking portion seems like a laugh-a-minute way to spend a few afternoon hours. Masochists. And it’s sort of the same thing in this crazy off-road hobby…

RARE V-DRIVE BARN FIND Saw your V-Drive article (Trail’s End, Apr. ’18) after coming across this barn find today. It’s a ’78 Chevy G30 with 74K original miles, a 400ci engine, and the VX4 system. I was on a ranch just south of Missoula, Montana, purchasing some farm implements when I mentioned that I was looking for a vintage van to take across the country. The family member I was talking with said his dad passed away and they had his old G30 for sale that’s 4WD. He was the original and only owner. I’ve been buying and selling most of my life and have never heard of the V-Drive system. There was no Internet on the ranch, but I knew it had to be rare, so I rolled the dice…

Is It True? 1 Will Volkswagen resurrect the International Harvester Scout as an electric vehicle? Volkswagen recently came to control the Scout name when its commercial truck subsidiary, Traton, merged with Navistar in July 2021. Navistar is the company that was created when International Harvester went under in 1985 and continues to own the Scout trademark. 2 Is electric automaker Rivian planning to add more vehicles to its lineup? CEO RJ Scaringe has hinted at “big plans” for the company, including the possibility of a heavy-duty pickup, an off-road SUV, and vans. 3 Could a partnership with Foxconn, a Taiwanese tech giant, be what Lordstown Motors needs to move forward with the production of its Endurance electric pickup? The two companies have made steps toward procuring a loan from the U.S. Energy Department…

BRONCO BUMPER Warn has what you need to increase the capability of your ’21 Ford Bronco. Warn’s Elite Series Front Bumper boasts increased strength for protection from trail obstacles as well as space to mount a variety of Warn winches, including the Warn Zeon, Zeon Platinum, VR EVO, M8, XD9, XD9i, 9.0Rc, and 9.5xp. For even more vehicle recovery options, the bumper showcases precision-welded eyelets to accommodate shackles. There are also integrated jack points for lifting the vehicle using an off-road jack. Additionally, the Elite Series bumper has recessed light buckets for either the OE foglights or aftermarket units. Order yours with or without the grilleguard tube and rest assured, both will come with ample clearance for tires and a tough powdercoat. INFO: Warn Industries, 800/543-9276, warn.com TINY AND MIGHTY CAM Meet the…

jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com SPONSORED BY Dramatic landscapes, breathtaking views of the Colorado River, and a glimpse at dinosaur tracks from eons ago were all in store for the group as they travelled toward their final camp outside Moab, Utah. When we left the dusty adventurers, they had tucked into their bedrolls in the shadow of the majestic Factory Butte, after filling up on the delicious eats prepared during the second annual Camp Chef Showcase. For anyone just tuning in, this is the final day of the 2021 Overland Adventure Presented by Jeep. It Began With a Call to Adventure For 2021, Overland Adventure Presented by Jeep set its sights on southern Utah. We selected 20 participants from a pool of applications submitted through our website, fourwheeler.com. To be considered, vehicles were required to have true four-wheel…