Trail Rated?

Joeker · **Posted:** Sun Aug 07, 2005 1:59 pm

Hi everyone, I recently found this site while looking for information. I've enjoyed reading the posts but haven't found what I'm looking for.

As I understand it Jeep takes their vehicles on the Rubicon and tests various off-road criteria at the Nevada blah blah, so they could be "Trail Rated". So where are the scores from the tests? I would love to see how the different models did in the various areas and compare data. Why doesn't Jeep publish this info? - surely a Commander isn't going to have better scores than a TJ and ruin the reputation.

-Joe
Stock 05 Renegade purchased in Feb

LimitedLurker · **Joined:** Fri Jul 08, 2005 7:18 pm **Posts:** 114

This is a pass/fail course, no grades given.

Basically they have a trail with some mud, logs, rocks, hills and what-not. If the vehicle can make it around the track it is Trail Rated. The Rubicon standard is no more, it has been replaced with the "Trail Rated" badge. I think only the 4x4s get the Trail Rated badge, 4x2s don't qualify.

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) · **Posted:** Mon Aug 08, 2005 8:26 am

If you look at some of the member picks then you will find the true definition of Trail Rated

InCommando · **Posted:** Mon Aug 08, 2005 10:49 am

Apparently not all 4by's will be "trail rated" in the future as DC makes more performance jeeps like the SRT8 Grand. And a smaller AWD entry-level vehicle is a possibility.

krazz1e · **Posted:** Mon Aug 08, 2005 11:51 am

yep, no more rubicon trail testing anymore. All fabricted 'trail' testing......

Oh well, who needs a trail rated badge? It's all marketing.

NVKJ · **Posted:** Mon Aug 08, 2005 3:29 pm

The "Trail Rated" testing is a combination of testing the vehicle in a modeling and simulation environment over trails that have been modeled to represent various levels of terrain difficulty as well as a number of physical test events and trail test events. It is performed by a third party in order to keep the evaluation as objective as possible and to not allow Jeep to fudge the numbers so to speak. So while many people think its a marketing scam it is actual testing that is performed by engineers and based on engineering principals. I would think that Jeep does not release the details of the testing as this would only invite criticism and judgement from the general public as everyone has an opinion and eveyone thinks they are correct. Everyone would want Jeep to revise the testing based on there "expert" advise or experience, I think Jeep was smart to keep this confidential. It was a step in the right direction in my opinion.

InCommando · **Posted:** Mon Aug 08, 2005 3:50 pm

And its not like "rubicon tested" meant anything anyway. They never released what, if any, body damage was acceptable/incurred in their trip. You never knew how long they took, how many rocks/boulders they moved out of the way or moved to help get over another obstacle. Heck, they never released whether or not anything broke or had to be replaced during the test. I love my KJ, but to say that it is equal to a TJ Rubi off-road because they both passed over the same trail, well.....

NVKJ · **Posted:** Mon Aug 08, 2005 4:03 pm

I would have to agree that a Rubi and a KJ are not equal off-road performers, I believe the Trail Rated testing is to ensure that the vehicles meet or exceed a certain level of off-road performance. Its just like a test if you get 50% or better you pass and if someone asks if you passed or failed as long as you got over 50% the answer is you pass, it doesn't mean your as smart as the person who got 90%, it just means you passed. Thats what I would assume. Just because they don't tell the public about the score doesn't mean there isn't one.

Guest · **Posted:** Mon Aug 08, 2005 5:37 pm

Hmmm... I thought if the 4X4 vehicle had a "Jeep" emblem, it was trail rated?

hoss75 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 08, 2005 7:37 pm

Hammer wrote:

Hmmm... I thought if the 4X4 vehicle had a "Jeep" emblem, it was trail rated?

Sadly, this is no longer the case...

http://www.jeep.com/autoshow/news/grand ... _srt8.html

TheChucklesStart · **Posted:** Mon Aug 08, 2005 11:41 pm

I just hope they keep making a small (like the wrangler), compact (like the liberty), medium (like the GC) and maybe expand to be bigger if they need to that are all Trail Rated.

I would be sad if they dropped one of those categories.

As for the testing, the rubicon may eventually get worn down and be not as interesting, so keeping a standard test may help them provide jeeps that are as capable today as they will be 50 years from now....

or I guess they could lessen the requirements and make them less capable, but hopefully that won't happen

Joeker · **Posted:** Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:30 am

Thanks everyone, I get it. I disagree that posting the testing results would be a bad thing though. What if safety testing was conducted the same way? (Just a generic star that said your vehicle had been safety tested with no info on how it did.)

Jeep is putting the Trail Rated marketing out there so I would just like them to show the results . . . water fording, articulation, traction, ground clearance, maneuverability . . . . a 2wd Liberty has all that. If there is a cutoff line where is it? (even a Ford Model A has all that criteria)

Thanks
(just me being difficult)

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Tue Aug 09, 2005 1:31 am

Well, one thing they should do is make a KJ more off-road capable like the Rubi is to Wranglers. The Renegade is a great name and could be a great off-roader if they took it a few more steps further

1. bigger wheel wells to fit 33" tires
2. SFA
3. Stronger front differential
4. stronger side rails
5. full armor protection
6. 3" lift
7. Have steel wheels
8. Top of the line 33" tires

Drop these items to lower cost

1. Skip the leather seats and carpeting
2. Drop the EVIC
3. No tupperware reny roof basket
4. No roof light bar
5. No fog lights

I think many of us would love to spend the extra money on a KJ that really was worthy of the Renegade name.

misterzero · **Joined:** Fri Jul 08, 2005 3:37 am **Posts:** 117

Tokyojoe wrote:

4. No roof light bar
5. No fog lights

I totally agree with your post, but especially these two. The folks that would buy a "Rubicon" Renny wouldn't want the generic looking light bar and the standard foggies. They'd want to buy some quality and "cool looking" lighting. I've seen several KJ's on the board that look amazing because of the lighting set up on it.

kayadog · **Posted:** Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:54 am

Any 4x4 that is trail rated should come stock with skid plates and front and rear tow hooks.

NU ARTY BOY · **Posted:** Tue Aug 09, 2005 5:37 pm

kayadog wrote:

Any 4x4 that is trail rated should come stock with skid plates and front and rear tow hooks.

Amen to that.

LibertyN8 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 09, 2005 5:43 pm

kayadog wrote:

Any 4x4 that is trail rated should come stock with skid plates and front and rear tow hooks.

I wish mine did. I got the badge and nothing else!

Guest · **Posted:** Tue Aug 09, 2005 5:45 pm

Tokyojoe wrote:

Well, one thing they should do is make a KJ more off-road capable like the Rubi is to Wranglers. The Renegade is a great name and could be a great off-roader if they took it a few more steps further

1. bigger wheel wells to fit 33" tires
2. SFA
3. Stronger front differential
4. stronger side rails
5. full armor protection
6. 3" lift
7. Have steel wheels
8. Top of the line 33" tires

Drop these items to lower cost

1. Skip the leather seats and carpeting
2. Drop the EVIC
3. No tupperware reny roof basket
4. No roof light bar
5. No fog lights

I think many of us would love to spend the extra money on a KJ that really was worthy of the Renegade name.

Don't forget the duel air lockers in 44's!

BCool · **Posted:** Tue Aug 09, 2005 6:43 pm

And I should get it all for $20,000!

TheChucklesStart · **Posted:** Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:07 pm

I would rather have dual air lockers in D44's stock than 33's. That would be relativly easy after the D44's were taken care of.

Trail Rated?

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