Ya'll I'm Scared

[Classic>New]

Alright I need some opinions here. As you know I have a very loving relationship with my dear Barbara as seen below.

She is a beautiful 2001 TJ and I love her oh so much.

But there is trouble in paradise. I am supposed to be driving her back across the USofA from Norfolk, VA to San Diego, CA. Roughly 2500 miles. That's a rough ride for most vehicles let alone this lovely 18 year old Jeep. Now I have my father flying out and he is going to be my shot gun rider for the trip and some father son bonding. He recently sold his business for a hefty sum and has offered to put in $10k to help me either;

A) Buy a new Jeep. Yes I do mean a JK I found one near me that is a 2018 Rubicon with all the bells and whistles. While I like the style of the TJ the most I am not against the overall look of the JK but I am not a fan of the reputation that proceeds JK's. The idea of having a newer Jeep is nice because it's new with less up front issues but then again... it's a JK.

B) Find a TJ/LJ with less than 75k miles on it and buy that. I am a little more game for this option because I get to stay in my area of comfort and love with TJ's

C) Just make the trip with Barbara. In this case what could I do to make her ready to go for an across country trip.

Both of these options A and B would require me to sell Barbara and that breaks my heart. But I can't just ignore the offer either as it is very enticing on a potential upgrade. This offer came up out of the blue and I have no clue how I truly feel about it so I wanted to put this out there for ya'll to maybe try and get some other opinions on this conundrum. I am not sure if this thread belongs in this category but it does have to do with my TJ sooooo I figured it would work here. @Chris if you think this belongs somewhere else I am sorry and please move it for me. Thank you for anyone who lends me their opinion.

 

[jjvw]

Is the money only for things Jeep related?

 

[Mike_H]

Sell the TJ, and get the 18 Rubicon...ALL DAY LONG. Don't think too much about it, just do it!

Option B is use that 10 grand to rebuild the current TJ. You can basically replace the whole suspension for half that, and use the rest to make sure the drivetrain is up to snuff. I only recommend this if you are REALLY attached to the TJ.

 

[Powdermonkey]

If the money only for things Jeep related?

I like where you’re going!

 

[jjvw]

I like where you’re going!

I was thinking more along the lines of golden oak furniture and beanie babies, but girls and drugs will suffice.

 

[Steel City 06]

Are you government/military? If it's a mandated move then in a lot of cases Uncle Sam will ship a car for you. If not you can possibly ship it for on the order of 50 cents a mile

 

[Powdermonkey]

If you can swing the rest option A no doubt!

 

[Trailrated TJ]

Alright I need some opinions here. As you know I have a very loving relationship with my dear Barbara as seen below.
View attachment 99716

She is a beautiful 2001 TJ and I love her oh so much.

But there is trouble in paradise. I am supposed to be driving her back across the USofA from Norfolk, VA to San Diego, CA. Roughly 2500 miles. That's a rough ride for most vehicles let alone this lovely 18 year old Jeep. Now I have my father flying out and he is going to be my shot gun rider for the trip and some father son bonding. He recently sold his business for a hefty sum and has offered to put in $10k to help me either;

A) Buy a new Jeep. Yes I do mean a JK I found one near me that is a 2018 Rubicon with all the bells and whistles. While I like the style of the TJ the most I am not against the overall look of the JK but I am not a fan of the reputation that proceeds JK's. The idea of having a newer Jeep is nice because it's new with less up front issues but then again... it's a JK.

B) Find a TJ/LJ with less than 75k miles on it and buy that. I am a little more game for this option because I get to stay in my area of comfort and love with TJ's

C) Just make the trip with Barbara. In this case what could I do to make her ready to go for an across country trip.

Both of these options A and B would require me to sell Barbara and that breaks my heart. But I can't just ignore the offer either as it is very enticing on a potential upgrade. This offer came up out of the blue and I have no clue how I truly feel about it so I wanted to put this out there for ya'll to maybe try and get some other opinions on this conundrum. I am not sure if this thread belongs in this category but it does have to do with my TJ sooooo I figured it would work here. @Chris if you think this belongs somewhere else I am sorry and please move it for me. Thank you for anyone who lends me their opinion.

Why not ship her? Should cost you less than $2k (likely less than 1,500).

 

[Chapman4266]

IMO, cross country trip with dad is the key. If all I had to do was get a new Jeep, I’d do it. I lost my dad several years ago to cancer. That trip is going to be epic and the memories irreplaceable. Do it. You will not regret it.

 

[bobthetj03]

After the gift and selling your TJ, how much will you still need to buy that JKR?

 

[Chapman4266]

IMO, cross country trip with dad is the key. If all I had to do was get a new Jeep, I’d do it. I lost my dad several years ago to cancer. That trip is going to be epic and the memories irreplaceable. Do it. You will not regret it.

 

[Chapman4266]

Also, break it in on the way

 

[Bird]

That TJ will have no problem making the trip as long as it's been maintained.
BUT, you'll likely need the 10k for gas.

 

[InfamousCanadian]

I guess the question is, what's wrong with Barbara?

To help make the decision I would take her in to a reputable garage and tell them you are wanting to get her all up to snuff for a long road trip but need to know of any issues. Get them to give you a list from major to minor. This shouldn't cost too much and should let you know of any underlying issues you don't know about. If everything was good I would look at upgrading the front end and replacing any worn out parts you have been waiting to change.

Also, just because I have had bad experience with mechanics before, I wouldn't tell them you have 10K to blow on the Jeep or else they may try to get you to replace a lot of stuff you don't need to.

Just my two cents, if she ain't broke and you love the Jeep, I don't see a reason to replace her unless there are some serious issues.

Or if you are looking to upgrade I'd look for another TJ and if you can't find one, the JK sounds pretty sweet.

 

[Chris]

Why not ship her? Should cost you less than $2k (likely less than 1,500).

I've had a number of vehicles shipped from coast to coast, as well as mid-west to West Coast, etc.

Shipping is the way to go and can be found for very good prices at https://www.uship.com which is what I always use.

 

[Chris]

Also, I see no reason whatsoever your TJ wouldn't make the trip.

 

[JEEPCJTJ]

There are several things that come to (my) mind.

I don't know what you current monthly TJ payment is but I bet it's close to, if not, nothing.

I don't know what kind of payment you'll end up with after putting $10,000 down on the JK.

I wouldn't want to drive a new to you <75,000 mile TJ/LJ on a 2500 mile trip until you had it for at least a few weeks, put at least 1000 miles on it, and thought you knew what to expect. Even at that point it could be a challenge.

Then I gotta ask, since "She is a beautiful 2001 TJ and (you) love her oh so much" how could you even think of dropping her for some sort of trophy Jeep?

 

[Trailrated TJ]

Trip idea: Rent a uhaul cab and car hauler attachment to pull Barbara behind you to keep the miles off of her. Build a route to a couple destinations you would like to drive the Jeep in anyway from VA to CA. Build a good long playlist and maybe load the uhaul w/camping equipment to sustain you along the way. Would make for a hell of a trip with dad if you ask me.

 

[Kiwi TJ]

1. Ship Barbara out to the new home. Less stress and no pressure to fix her up and allows plenty of time to think about the upgrades you need.
2. Rent a Camaro and drive that with your Dad across the country. Still have that bonding time and memories.
3. Forget the JK!!!

 

[S.McArthur]

Rent a Uhaul or RV, flat tow the Jeep, plan route around cool places to camp overnight; take your time and take in the scenery.