ModernJeeper - News about Jeeps, Jeeping and Jeepers
Got Jeep? Get Skillz… SkillzDay Returns in October Got Jeep? Get Skillz… SkillzDay Returns in October
The JK Wrangler represented the single largest influx of new Jeep owners in the history of the Jeep. With over 1.7 million built in... Got Jeep? Get Skillz… SkillzDay Returns in October

The JK Wrangler represented the single largest influx of new Jeep owners in the history of the Jeep. With over 1.7 million built in the North American market alone, hundreds of thousands of first timers were driving off of Jeep dealer lots across the country with a brand new, very capable, off road vehicle.

Now, with the incredibly advanced and popular Jeep JL Wrangler hitting the trails, more and more brand new Jeep enthusiasts are joining the ModernJeeper lifestyle.

Unfortunately, most dealerships have neither the time or the inclination to take care of one very fundamental little task… educating the new Jeep owner on what it is he or she just bought.

Terms like Lockers, Sway Bar, and even 4-Hi or 4-Lo have no equal in every day vernacular, yet new Jeep owners are just expected to know and understand these terms.

It was in this spirit that aftermarket Jeep manufacturer MetalCloak decided in 2012 to host the very first Skillz Day at Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area.

Drivers Meeting at the April 2018 Skillz Day

Located about 10 minutes from MetalCloak World Headquarters in Ranch Cordova, California, Prairie City is home to the world famous Hangtown Motocross event and Ultra-4’s MetalCloak Stampede.

But, it’s most unique feature is the 4×4 Obstacle Course with names like Stairsteps, Frametwister and Mini-Rubicon — a well-built facility that offers every level of off-road fun.

Volunteers Provide Guidance on the Prairie City Obstacles Like the “Mini Rubicon”

Held originally in June each year, [2017 ModernJeeper recap], the event was so popular that in 2018 Metalcloak added a second event, holding one in the Spring and one in the Fall.

Attendees from all over the West Coast converge on Prairie City SVRA for a one of a kind experience. Designed for the total beginner, most attendees have little or no experience off-roading and rock-crawling and many arrive on event day in a recently purchased Jeep.

Some of the most basic questions including “How do I put it in 4wd?” and “What is a locker?” are common and only inspires MetalCloak to work harder to expand the event each year.

After registration and a serving of complimentary coffee and donuts, MetalCloak holds a classic driver’s meeting, covering the rules of the event and basic safety standards to abide by.

The overall training is broken down into 15 stations. Each station has a number that aligns with a number on the attendees registration card and focuses on one particular skill or area of training. Initially the attendees are asked to learn about safety and recovery, equipment to take on the trail, and the ongoing fight for land use at walk-up stations manned by experts in the field.

Booths like this one from the El Dorado Search and Rescue help with the training.

Then the budding Jeepers climb into their rigs and start toward the obstacles. This is when they start learning how to use their Jeep to the fullest… understanding lockers, sway-bars and the difference between 4-Lo and 4-Hi.

The ultimate goal is comfort — a comfortable driver is a safe driver. Within a couple hours, every attendee has had a chance to do multiple obstacles and gain a level of comfort and confidence with their rig they didn’t know was possible.

Most training is done by noon and is followed by a complimentary lunch. The afternoon is open play for all attendees and another great chance to increase their confidence level.

While MetalCloak created Skillz Day, the idea is not limited to the Jeep owners who can make it all the way to Northern California… it can be done by any individual, any club, or any group that wants to aid in the cause of helping new Jeep owners learn and understand what it means to “Go Jeepin’.”

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR THE OCTOBER 13, 2018 EVENT! Use the registration form in the link below.


WHAT IS IT? Skillz Day is a chance for Jeep Owners to come and develop their off-roading Skillz in a safe and supervised environment.

WHO CAN COME? Anyone! Whether you are a novice off-roader or a seasoned rock-crawler, whether or not you are a MetalCloak customer, whether your Jeep is brand new and stock or fully tricked out, all are welcome.

IS IT FOR JEEPS ONLY? Not at all. All are welcome, we are just biased towards Jeeps… 😉

DATE & TIME? Saturday, October 13, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM – Novice Starts at 9:00 – Advanced Beginners Start at 11:00

WHAT ARE NOVICE & ADVANCED BEGINNERS? If you’ve attended Skillz Day before, or had experience Rock-Crawling, you will register as an Advanced Beginner. If you are brand new to the world of Wheeling, Rock Crawling and Jeep ownership, we ask you to register as a novice so we can make sure you have lots of time to learn and develop “Skillz”.

LOCATION: Prairie City SVRA… MAP

FOOD: We’ll have coffee and donuts in the morning and a hot Lunch, courtesy of MetalCloak. But bring any snacks and drinks you may want throughout the day.

WILL OTHER VENDORS BE THERE: Yes, we invite industry friends or other clubs and organizations to come out and join us int he training with subjects like safety, airing down, trail repairs and more.

WHAT WILL WE DO? Throughout the day volunteers will be stationed at the various obstacles at Prairie City helping you better understand what you should or shouldn’t do, what your rig is capable of, and how to safely and properly tackle obstacles. In addition there will be demonstrations on various topics like on the trail fixes, recovery, winching, land use, etc.

WHAT DOES IT COST? We are charging a nominal fee of $10 per person. The fees will be used to help support and expand the program.

INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING? Volunteers are needed to help throughout the day. Please email will (at) metalcloak.com for more information

SIGN UP HERE

ModernJeeper

ModernJeeper is a collection of amazing off road enthusiasts and Jeep lovers coming together to bring you cool stories, great tips and awesome reviews.

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