Wednesday’s post was all about the softer side of Jeeping but not necessarily cleaner or less timid, but none the less a female Jeeper. Well today’s post is about that Jeeper’s husband – Joe Paul. I wanted to take a look into the other half of the story.. So without further ado.. allow me to present Joe Paul, or as many know him by on FaceBook – Off Kilter
“Well, let’s start here – my name is Joe Paul. I am 32 years old and married to Angela Paul. We have four kids between us both. I am one of the founding members of Off Kilter. I’m also a member of Exploring NH, and am great friends with Dizturbed Kreations, and MASS Krawlers.”
“I drive a 97 XJ 2 door 5 spd, with rear lincoln locker 31 ltbs 3 inch lift from Rusty’s, snorkel, bored out throttle body. My favorite spots to wheel are Wiley’s RD in Royalston MA., Carnage Hill in Troy NH., and Powerline Hill in Winchester.”
Off Kilter Trail clean-out photo we took of people that helped out
We asked Joe what his favorite off roading quote was and Joe told us “Hammer Down” and shares a story about one of his Hammer Down experiences later in his interview.
When it comes to modifications on Joe’s Jeep, he told us he would like to have “long arm kit, on board air w/ air lockers, and a full roll cage.” We asked Joe what was the best modifications he has ever done on his Jeep and he told us “The best mod I did was my lift and snorkel. I went with a 3 inch lift (cause its my dd) with new leaf springs. New leafs make such a difference in ride stance and performance.”
When asked when Joe started getting into to off roading he responded with “Honestly, I wheeled a bit when I was younger, but never had a vehicle built for wheeling as I do now. I really enjoy going out and pushing my jeep, but there are the days that I love to sit and watch my wife wheel hers.”
I asked Joe if he had any funny stories or incidents from off roading he would like to share. Here is his: “I went out wheeling with a bunch of friends to a place called Clubhouse Pond. We were going out for the day, first hole we came across, I am told to hammer down into, so I lined it up, shifted from 2nd and into third as I entered the water..”
“and ka shloosh , water over the trees, and my jeep dead in the water!”
“Pulled it out of the water to take out the plugs.”
“One is wet, the other dry, tried to start it with no plugs, still bound up, so we pulled it out of the water, and ripped my bumper off.”
“Got underneath it and pulled the drain plug, 3 gallons of water and oil came out… so after the tow home and all the friends helping me pull my motor out…”
“That same day, there’s a softball sized hole in my block! LOL!”
I asked Joe why he loves Jeep off roading so much and he told me “That’s easy – the fun, the friends, and strangers that you meet. Joining together to help each other, and going above and beyond what you would expect, the good times with my family, and all the beautiful places we can go where no one else can.”
I can seriously relate to that hole in the block. I had to deal with a similar incident last summer. I can laugh about it now but when it was happening I wanted to sit down and cry. I feel your pain man!
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Nice write up and nice Jeep Joe!! You are a true Jeeper!!
Cheers!
Jeff
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I’m glad you chose to share a not so satisfying story with us. I’ve had my share of bad luck on the trails and I was beginning to wonder if I was just the bad luck kid. When you push your ride and yourself, you’re bound to have some set backs. Thanks for sharing your story.
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All I can say is, it’s a good thing that bad days only come along once in a while. Days like that can get you down and make you wonder if it’s all worth it. Of course, we know that it is. A day without a Jeep isn’t much of a day at all.
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