Enthusiast III
I purchased a 4x6 Jumping Jack Trailer this Spring after looking at all types of trailers that I thought might actually survive the real off-road environment for the last couple years. My wife and I have done adventures all over the West Coast in various vehicles for many years and we have a couple very nice tents ⛺ that have served us well but we are getting older (at least she is - I refuse). Sleeping in the ground isn't as easy as it used to be regardless of our age! A couple years ago we saw one of the JJ trailers in a Sportsman Warehouse and liked them but weren't ready to buy one yet. Wanted to do more research etc... So after doing the Washington BDR last year we decided it was time to get us something easy to tow ( we have a 2009 Rubicon), was small, would handle having most of our gear on it, was easy for her to get in and out of, and was fast for me to setup etc, but most importantly would survive in the backcountry, were we spend most of our free time. After a year of digging we ended up back where we started, at the Jumping Jack... I love ours, I don't love the price but they are what they are so unless you are willing to settle for something less than what you want there are not a lot of choices. While I have the skill set to build my own what I don't have is the time. I'm a Logistics Chief for the VA and I work 60 hours a week most weeks.
So we left 2 weeks ago on the OBDR pulled the trailer through 800 miles of gravel, rock, mud, more dust than I thought existed, cow crap , rocks that swallowed my 33's, scorpions, snakes , and most importantly, some of the most beautiful country you could ask for. Only one small issue in the whole trip. Jeep in their infamous wisdom holds the linkage onto the transfer case with a plastic clip. I'm no engineering wiskid but there is an issue with that and I lost four wheel drive. Should have already been in four wheel drive so part of it was on me for waiting until I had to have it vs putting it there when I was in a much more convenient place. Anyway, slip cable back on, use one of the wife's bobby pins to retain the cable and back in business.
The trailer weighs 900 lbs and with my gear on there it weighs 1250... jeep pulls it ok on the hiway and pulls it great off hiway. You literally forget it's there... tracks right in the jeep tracks. I weaved through tight tree tracks with no issues. People put four wheelers on the top of these things with no problem so my 300 lbs of gear is doesn't phase it.
On another thread it was brought up about keeping up with groups that aren't pulling trailers. Wish I could say I can pull mine fast enough to keep up with a group. Not gonna happen unless it's just a gravel road. Or you want to see ur trailer wheels in you rear view mirror. If you want it to last you have to slow down and let the trailer suspension work. It does work well but not at 40 on a rutted logging road. Gravel roads, 40-45 all day long, assuming the rig is safe at that speed of course. I've pulled mine over boulders, in and out of 2 foot deep ruts, and in general wherever I want to take the jeep the trailer follows. Put a off-road hitch on it and keep going. Just be reasonable and have reasonable expectations.
So we left 2 weeks ago on the OBDR pulled the trailer through 800 miles of gravel, rock, mud, more dust than I thought existed, cow crap , rocks that swallowed my 33's, scorpions, snakes , and most importantly, some of the most beautiful country you could ask for. Only one small issue in the whole trip. Jeep in their infamous wisdom holds the linkage onto the transfer case with a plastic clip. I'm no engineering wiskid but there is an issue with that and I lost four wheel drive. Should have already been in four wheel drive so part of it was on me for waiting until I had to have it vs putting it there when I was in a much more convenient place. Anyway, slip cable back on, use one of the wife's bobby pins to retain the cable and back in business.
The trailer weighs 900 lbs and with my gear on there it weighs 1250... jeep pulls it ok on the hiway and pulls it great off hiway. You literally forget it's there... tracks right in the jeep tracks. I weaved through tight tree tracks with no issues. People put four wheelers on the top of these things with no problem so my 300 lbs of gear is doesn't phase it.
On another thread it was brought up about keeping up with groups that aren't pulling trailers. Wish I could say I can pull mine fast enough to keep up with a group. Not gonna happen unless it's just a gravel road. Or you want to see ur trailer wheels in you rear view mirror. If you want it to last you have to slow down and let the trailer suspension work. It does work well but not at 40 on a rutted logging road. Gravel roads, 40-45 all day long, assuming the rig is safe at that speed of course. I've pulled mine over boulders, in and out of 2 foot deep ruts, and in general wherever I want to take the jeep the trailer follows. Put a off-road hitch on it and keep going. Just be reasonable and have reasonable expectations.
